PUPPY LOVE – UNTIL IT BROKE FREE FROM THE LEASH….

Gene Krupa in Triplicate

The Starbrights' Drummer

In 1960, Paul Anka sang about it when he became smitten with Annette Funicello.  Paul and Annette dated for a while, but the romance faded after it became evident he couldn’t master the art of riding a surf board. To add to his embarrassment, Paul hated the feeling of sand between his toes, and in his ‘budgie smugglers”. 

Frankie Avalon, seeing his chance, grabbed it.  Soon thereafter he and Annette were frolicking on the sand having a “Beach Party”.

Shamelessly, in 1957, three years before Paul sung about “Puppy Love” he had declared his undying love for “Diana”!  Two years later, to whom we do not know, Paul proclaimed emphatically; “You Are My Destiny”, while pleading, “Put Your Head on My Shoulder”. Opening his heart, he confessed his “Crazy Love”, but was shunned.  Heartbroken, he wept as he admitted he was a “Lonely Boy”.

Fortunately, it was after meeting Annette, Paul’s broken heart mended, and he was no longer lonely.  He’d fallen under Annette’s spell when he spotted her gallivanting at the ocean’s edge, and over the sand dunes. But then, of course, Frankie Avalon came onto the scene.  Avalon called Annette his “Venus”.

Not caring who heard, in 1958, Frankie professed openly – “I Will Wait for You”.  We never knew who he was waiting for...perhaps it was a bus.

On the flip-side, Paul had moved on.  He declared; ‘That’s it! From now on I’ll do it “My Way”!’  Ol’ Blue Eyes aka Frank Sinatra loved the lyrics Anka had re-written for what originally had been a French song.

In 1974, to some criticism, Paul blurted out to the world: “You’re Having My Baby!”  But, he didn’t care about the unjustified, unfavourable judgements as he happily watched his bank balance increase,

While Frankie and Annette were kicking up sand, Marcie Blane warned all the girls within earshot that she was “Bobby’s Girl”.  She told Connie Francis to back off when she heard Connie scream at Bobby; “That ‘Lipstick on Your Collar” back in 1959 was mine!”

A year after Marcie’s warning, down the road and around the corner, Little Peggy March didn’t discriminate, nor did she care who heard when she belted out at the top of her lungs; “I Will Follow Him!” as she marched after him. We never discovered who the “him” was.

Did she ever catch up with him; or is he still dodging her; and she, still marching behind?  By now, I guess it would be at a slower pace.

Back then, in my teen years, my peers and I listened intently to the love songs; to the pop songs.  We sang; we danced; we had fun.  

In our dreams we wished we had someone who would sing words of everlasting devotion to us.

The lyrics melted our tender teenage hearts, and fulfilled our teenage fantasies.

How we longed to experience that special feeling so difficult to describe unless possessed of poetic or song-writing abilities like those of Paul Anka, Neil Sedaka, Dion and others of their ilk. To experience the almost indescribable emotion when one’s heart and trembling tummy felt like both were bouncing up and down on a trampoline. The lows that came with the massive highs we learned to deal with by shedding a torrent of tears while promising to no one in particular; “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again!”

I had a big dose of the “woofs” aka “puppy love” the moment I locked eyes with a handsome young drummer in a Gympie band.  In 1959, I was a starry-eyed 14-year old high school student.  

From when I was a little girl I loved...adored...drums.  A glossy photo of the one and only Gene Krupa held pride of place on my bedroom wall.  

Out of my first week's pay when I started working at the law firm of Tozer & Jeffery, I bought a 45 rpm record of Gene Krupa...I was in heaven!  My weekly wage, in hand, at that stage...late July, 1960, was the princely sum of four pounds eight shillings and nine-pence.

 

In 1959, our neighbours, Mr. and Mrs. Butcher...Mr. Butcher was not a butcher, but a policeman ...took me with them to Tewantin for the Easter weekend.  On Easter Saturday night the three of us attended a concert in a hall at Noosaville.

One of the evening’s performances was by a Gympie band, "The Starbrights/Starbrites".  The group included the handsome young drummer...a Gympie lad who was about three years older than me.  His younger sister and I had both been students of Miss Gidley...our piano teacher.

My first dose of puppy love hit me for a "sixer" that evening; but I kept my feelings to myself.  My crush lasted for a couple of years thereafter.  It was love at arm’s length.

(To this day, I'm still friendly with the sole member left of "The Starbrights". He was a guitarist and singer in the band.  We are in regular email contact.  He still lives in Gympie.  He is now in his early 80s, but his age doesn't stop him from frequently visiting the local Aged Care Homes, and entertaining the residents with his music).