– KRLA – Jimmy O’Neil – October 9, 1961 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
That was last year – last year you went trick-or-treating, wore your Zorro costume and pigged-out on Snickers bars. That was you then.
Whole different ball game now – now you’re in 7th grade – now you spend hours in front of the bathroom mirror combing your hair and practicing moves – now you are hot on the trail of some serious love – serious, deep-down to the bottom of your soul hope-to-die love. You’ve never been on a date – never got a phone number – haven’t even gotten to first base yet – all your pals are trading “techniques”, theories and scenarios. You have a head full of snappy one-liners and visions of uncharted territory. You amaze yourself at how cool you have become – you can’t stand it.
The much anticipated Halloween Party is announced. The girl you’ve known since fourth grade has blossomed and her parents are letting her use their house. She passes out invitations to everyone – you and your gang are going – you’d be crazy not to.
You beg your parents for an advance, explaining making an impression is the most important thing in life. Your dad hands you the beady-eye but your mom shoves a twenty in your hand and you charge down to Henshey’s to shop for threads.
If you didn’t already know you were thirteen you would swear you turned 18 overnight. You’ve got the Bobby Rydell thing down – casual, man-about-town, occupation: sex object. You practice your award-winning smile in the reflection on Chevy bumpers and shop windows all over Santa Monica.
You are primed and ready and tonight’s the night.
For the next three hours you and your buddy sit in a corner, survey the room – stare holes – sweaty palms. You have the moves down but somewhere between your entrance and the punchbowl your stomach went on strike. Your buddy, the one who routinely shows up with his dad’s Playboy’s and “knows a thing or two” sits frozen, nursing his twelfth bottle of Coke.
You practiced your moves but you didn’t practice your nerves. No passing glances, no phone numbers, no small talk. Girls from your class pass by and grin – they know. The world knows – you’re bad at this.
You were so good at trick-or-treating – maybe you should stick with that. You could go for a Snickers bar right now.
But there’s always next Halloween – that’s a year off – a year is an eternity on your planet.
At least there’s KRLA and Jimmy O’Neil and your transistor radio is your friend.
Here’s an hours worth of Jimmy O’Neil at KRLA just exactly as he sounded on October 9, 1961.
