Del Shannon recorded Runaway. Just a little morning trivia. I love the visuals in the video, especially the dance of blond up on the box with the light in her hair. Hard to believe the kids dancing are all in their 60 and 70s now. I’d say it seems like only yesterday, but I wasn’t born yet.
And yes, the song is entitled “Runaway,” and NOT “I’m Walking in the Rain” as commonly believed. Some people also think Proud Mary is entitled “Rollin in the River.” Jeopardy messed that one up some years ago.
Of course Shannon had some troubles, with drugs and all, and faded out. He had something of a revival in the 1980s when he appeared on the David Letterman Show and you can see by Paul Shafer’s enthusiasm that he was rooting for Shannon.
He was also slated to replace Roy Orbison in a follow-up recording for the Traveling Wilburies, but unfortunately he didn’t make it. As so many who suffer depression he “forgot” to take his medicine, and took his life sometime in the early 90s.
Nothing deep to say about it. I hadn’t heard the song for years until it was revived by the psycho character on Heroes. It prompted a “whatever happened to him” moment and I looked him up and found the videos. The song brings back some childhood memories which are of no general interest. Enjoy the day.
Addendum: Oops! I just glanced at my notes (I keep some in a file for blog posts). It appears that I miscalendared the event and misinformed you. The song was recorded on January 21, NOT January 27. Damn!
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January 27, 2011 at 10:06 am
Sally
Classic song. I like Bonnie Raitt’s cover of it, too.
January 27, 2011 at 10:10 am
Sally
I notice in the Letterman performance, Del dropped down a key or two – vocal range tends to diminish with age.
January 27, 2011 at 10:21 am
Eric Kirk
He might have been trying to lower the key to reflect his age as well.
Sally, I found Bonnie Raitt’s version. Didn’t know about it.
A gay friend of mine in college once told me that Bonnie R. was the only woman who ever caused him to question his homosexuality.
January 27, 2011 at 10:28 am
Plain Jane
Thanks for the blast from the past, Eric. Took me way back and reminded me of the rare privilege of being allowed in my older sister’s bedroom to listen to her records and her teaching me to dance.
January 27, 2011 at 10:30 am
Plain Jane
The Raitt version is wonderful! Never heard it before.
January 27, 2011 at 11:52 am
suzy blah blah
-maybe if he’d a tried walking a mile in her shoes he wouldn’t be walking in the rain now.
January 27, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Plain Jane
or…he could have stolen her shoes so she couldn’t run away.
January 27, 2011 at 2:35 pm
Sally
OMG, Bonnie’s bass player looks like my ex from the 70′s!
January 27, 2011 at 3:12 pm
suzy blah blah
Jane, I didn’t know your roots went so deep. Now I believe that I see the truth revealed to me as to why you are the way you are. I won’t blame it specifically on the golden rule, or on what your sister did on to you, nor will I blame it on Del Shannon, or Satan, or even Elvis … but I think you know what I’m saying.
January 27, 2011 at 3:29 pm
Plain Jane
No, no I don’t Suzy. I don’t have the slightest clue what you are saying, and I doubt if anyone else does either.
January 27, 2011 at 4:31 pm
Eric Kirk
Well, Sally, that was 1977. Did he leave town without you for a weekend?
January 27, 2011 at 4:34 pm
suzy blah blah
sorry, I must’ve under-EMD’d you.
January 27, 2011 at 4:41 pm
Sally
No, but I left town without him one weekend – and moved here!
January 27, 2011 at 7:51 pm
brian
” 50 years ago today”……..Sgt. Pepper taught his band how to play.
January 27, 2011 at 8:06 pm
Plain Jane
Sgt Pepper taught the band to play in 1948.
January 27, 2011 at 11:10 pm
Unk John
I had the pleasure of seeing Bonnie Raitt live twice in concerts at Western Washington University in the late 70′s. Both concerts brought the house down.
BTW, Sally, her bass player went by the name “Freebo”. I couldn’t tell for sure on the video, but on stage at WWU he played a fretless bass.
I knew about her because I had bought her first album, self titled, on vinyl of course, when it came out in ’72 or ’73. I love that album. It has a killer version of Buffalo Springfield’s “Bluebird” on it. Everything about that album is first class. I think it’s time I put it into itunes.
January 28, 2011 at 9:28 am
brian
Scary dumb, like Palin.
January 28, 2011 at 9:44 am
Eric Kirk
Because she attends anti-war rallies?
January 28, 2011 at 9:48 am
connect the dots
Thanks for the clips. Good memories of long ago. Saw both performers in my youth. Dell in high school and Bonnie during college. Bonnie was indeed a beautiful woman and hell of an artist.
Another performer was the one who really rocked me. Tina Turner was by far the most sensual woman I had ever seen. Saw Ike and Tina Turner Review with Joe Cocker in LA early 70′s. Did not sleep right for a week. Some days I don’t remember what I had for breakfast. But I can remember that woman, that night, like it was 1 hour ago.
January 28, 2011 at 11:08 am
Anonymous
Bonnie IS a beautiful woman!!
January 28, 2011 at 1:17 pm
brian
Speaking not of Bonnie. Think harder Eric…….
January 28, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Plain Jane
Maybe Brian is referring to me for correcting him about Sgt. Pepper. The song came out in 1968 and the lyrics were “It was 20 years ago today…” 1968 minus 20 is 1948.
January 28, 2011 at 5:04 pm
Eel River Ernie
Eric, Thanks for bringing back some great memories!
January 31, 2011 at 11:03 am
Anonymous
Is that Norton Buffalo playing the harmonica in the Rait video?
January 31, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Eric Kirk
Well, I don’t know. I can’t see his face very clearly in the video, but according to Wikipedia he did work with Raitt. In 1977, right about when the video was shot.
n 1977 his harmonica work appeared on Bonnie Raitt’s Sweet Forgiveness
January 31, 2011 at 1:56 pm
Unk John
It probably is Norton Buffalo. Runaway can be found on Sweet Forgiveness.