Marland Monday: When the B-52s Hit Springfield
Why it’s Monday! That means it’s…
Marland Monday!
I’ve been looking back on Douglas Marland, one of my favorite writers. I started off with his legendary rules and how they can be applied to writing. Last week I wrote about how he used music in stories. This week? Oh, we’re just going to have a little fun.
(I wrote about this topic years ago in another blog. If you’re a longtime reader, your memory isn’t fading. I’m just looking at this again with fresh eyes)
I mentioned in a soap opera group I belong to what they thought of during Marland’s time period? A couple of things came up, but there was one everyone loved: When the B-52s hit Springfield.
Let’s backtrack: It’s April 1982. “I Love Rock and Roll” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts is playing everywhere. Henry Fonda finally won the Oscar weeks before for On Golden Pond. The first heart implant is about to be performed. In good old Springfield, everyone was going to the new disco (Yes, a disco. Springfield was a bit behind the times) Wired for Sound. Owned by socialite Vanessa Chamberlain and managed by Tony Reardon, the young people of Springfield had a place to go dancing and hear live music. Someday soon I’ll do a whole blog about Wired for Sound and the acts that came, but the most unusual was The B-52s.
Now you wouldn’t think a New Wave band would come to a soap opera. Let’s face it, you wouldn’t see Elvis Costello mingling with the Hughes family in As the World Turns, or Boy George doing duets with Liz on Days of Our Lives. But the B-52s did come to Springfield that spring We have several Springfieldians making small talk at Wired for Sound, then Floyd Parker (Tom Nielsen) introduces the band. They come on and lead singer Fred Schneider announced they are going to sing “Throw that Beat Into the Garbage Can.” All righty! Everyone claps, even though I’m not sure they know the song.
We then get a closeup of Keith Strickland drumming…
Then the song starts. Schneider sings while Vanessa is looking very elegant in a white dress. Cindy Wilson starts to play the saxophone. Nurse Katie Parker (Denise Pence) and Tony (Gregory Beecroft) look a little confused. The song continues, the B-52s giving it their all. Everyone is dancing. Hillary Bauer (Marcia Clark) is dancing with current love interest Derek Colby (Harley Venton) Schneider dances onstage. Everyone continues to dance. Far be it for me to critique dancing skills (I tend to be like Elaine in Seinfeld) but oh man, it’s not really good.
Commerical for dryer sheets. We’re back!
We also see the original Maureen Reardon (soon to be Bauer) in the audience played by Ellen Dolan. The B-52s come back for an encore. They now sing “Private Idaho” Kate Pierson joins in the vocals. The dancing doesn’t improve.
But they are looking like they’re having fun. Cindy Wilson bangs the tambourine. Maureen looks amused. The song ends, everyone claps.
Later they gave advice to Floyd, an aspiring singer/songwriter. “The song’s great, don’t change it,” Schneider says. “But you got to loosen up a bit!” Kate Pierson encourages. “Get into it, go wild,” Cindy Wilson says. (Schneider would later say he was the worst actor and he was playing himself)
Okay, let’s be honest: I have no idea what Marland would’ve thought of the B-52s. He might’ve not even heard of the B-52s. He always struck me as the type who would listen to Magic 61 (Bay Area’s big band station in the late eighties) or go see Tony Bennett perform. There was also drama going on backstage with Jane Elliot (Carrie Marler) was about to be fired from the show. Upset, Marland left when his contract was up.
But let’s not dwell on the negative. For a brief moment in 1982, New Wave met Springfield. It was odd. I just wish some of the elder set could’ve been there, with Bert getting down with it. Also in 1982, they had another singer there. I can’t find the footage, but she brought the house down last light at the Tonys. Take us out, Jennifer Holliday!
Tune in next week…
