Episode 11 : My Three Songs with Jen Lapin

Jake: 0:09

Coming to you almost live from Berkeley, California. It's Aaron's Radio Show ... with your host, Aaron Gobler.

Aaron Gobler: 0:19

Thanks, Jake. And welcome, everybody to Episode 11. Welcome to My Three Songs, where I play three special songs chosen by my guests when we talk about why they chose each song. Today, my guest is a fellow high school friend, Jennifer Lapin. Hi, Jen, how are you?

Jen Lapin: 1:08

I'm good. How are you, Aaron?

Aaron Gobler: 1:10

I'm great. Thank you. Thanks for being on My Three Songs. You are the official guinea pig for the first episode. And I can't tell you how much I appreciate that.

Jen Lapin: 1:20

I am a trailblazer.

Aaron Gobler: 1:23

So before we get started, can you tell me something about how music fits into your life? Like is it an integral part of your day, or just some kind of background music.

Jen Lapin: 1:35

So it really depends on the day, most of the time, it's background music, and I turn it on when I sit down at my desk and turn it off when I leave my office. But it's usually just on but there are times during the day where I feel the need to hear a particular song and I put it on and I raised my standing desk and I dance at my desk. That's so yeah. So it depends on the on the day, but for the most part, it's on in the background and pretty much all day. Some people would say like music could be distracting to them.

Aaron Gobler: 2:13

But do you find that it actually helps you in your day? Or it does I not?

Jen Lapin: 2:20

I am a fan of quiet. But when I'm really concentrating on something, I like to have something in the background. Sometimes I don't even hear it. Like I don't acknowledge it as what song is playing, I just know that there's music in the background. Like I can't identify what the music is. But there's music in the background.

Aaron Gobler: 2:45

Part of the concept of the My Three Songs is songs that bring back something to your mind as soon as you hear the song. So do you find yourself hearing a song now? And then and like immediately you're back in a certain time and place?

Jen Lapin: 3:00

Oh, absolutely. 100% my daughter actually went to overnight camp for eight years. And she went to the same camp I did and will be in the car. And because you and I went to high school at the same time I listened to music that's much older than my child. And a song will come on and I'll say oh, that's a camp song. And she'll you know, then we'll listen to her music a song. Oh, come on. Oh, that's a camp song. Yeah. So yeah, so So there are moments that take me back to high school to college. Different events in my life that have been meaningful.

Aaron Gobler: 3:45

You've chosen three songs. Now one of them was recorded in 1960. But the remake of it was from 1980 1981. And the other two songs you chose were also from 1981. So I thought that was an interesting thing that these were really poignant for you. So the three songs you you chose were 867-5309/Jenny by Tommy Tutone, which was 1981 New Orleans by Gary US bonds recorded in 1960. But but but popular he popularized in the Blues Brothers 2000 movie, but he had re-recorded that I think in 1981, and The Best of Times is by Styx from their Paradise Theater album from 1981. So obviously that the 80s and that was when we were we were in high school right in the middle of our high school.

Jen Lapin: 4:37

So in the middle of high school and yeah, so I I do listen to a lot of 80s music I listened to a lot of classic rock. A lot of you know I listen to all kinds of different music, but I you know, grew up in 1887 Yeah, yeah. So that was so those are my people. And I don't know if you'll edit this part out. But I am a deadhead. So, if I'm not listening to the Grateful Dead, I'm listening to a lot of other things. Okay. But I do listen to a lot of Grateful Dead. There are a lot of people, some are your listeners who don't think I listened to anything other than the Grateful Dead. That's why I didn't really want to pick a whole bunch of Grateful Dead songs. Like I do have other interests.

Aaron Gobler: 5:33

So let's take a listen to Tommy Tutone with 867-5309. And then on the other side, I'll ask you some questions about it. Why is the song meaningful to you, Jen?

Jen Lapin: 5:59

So Well, aside of the obvious name thing, you know, other other people had songs named after them. And I finally got one. It was it was kind of a joke, a joke. I mean, it's a great song, and I love it. But it was also kind of a joke between me and some of my friends in high school, because I was on the crew team. And we would row out of boathouse row. And on either side of us were all male schools, also rowing. Right, so so we were in our boathouse. And then there were other teams all along boathouse row. And some of these boys went to all boys schools, obviously. And they would ask us for our phone numbers. And for the ones that were not interesting, I would give out this phone number, and some of them got it right away, what a significant portion of them did not. And that just made it more reasonable for me to give them this number is more than enough to figure out that it wasn't a real number.

Aaron Gobler: 7:12

But you don't think somebody you don't think somebody with a 215 or area code had that number

Jen Lapin: 7:18

They might have and I feel bad for them. But they didn't. Yeah, back then. It was just 215 I think. If if they did I apologize. Yeah, I did. I did it in college to a couple times. And the song was no longer popular. Okay, I got, I got away with it. Probably more in college. But that's funny. And to be clear, it's not like 1000s of people were asking me. So it was it was a nice joke. And it was easy, an easy number to pull out of your head real quick and sound natural saying it. Right. Exactly, exactly. And even to this day, not that I give out the phone number anymore. But when the song comes on, I still, you know, get that little nostalgic feeling of oh, I remember this song. I liked the song. And you know, play that was fun. Give out that phone number number too.

Aaron Gobler: 8:20

That's a great story. Thank you for sharing that story. So the next on your list was a hit by Gary US bonds and it's called New Orleans and we're going to listen to his original recording from 1960. Jen, I've heard that song many times before but I don't think I've ever known the name of the song or that it was by Gary US bonds. I think I only knew of him through his through these 1981 hit this little girl is mine.

Jen Lapin: 9:02

Yeah. And that was like a mega hit for him. But again, this song was from a lot earlier.

Aaron Gobler: 9:11

What prompted you to add a song to your list?

Jen Lapin: 9:14

So I love this song. But not because it's Gary US bonds because I like you had only heard of him in 1981 because of that big hit that he had. I love this song because it's the finale of The Blues Brothers 2000 movie which is equal to the Blues Brothers. And the jam band which is made up of incredible performers is called the Louis Louisiana Gator boys. Okay. And it's lead singer is BB King. It h as Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, Travis tritt. Jimmy Vaughn, Gary US bonds. Isaac Hayes, Lou Rawl, Koko Taylor, Clarence Clemons, who is my all time? Favorite? Sure.

Aaron Gobler: 10:09

Yeah. From Springsteen? Yes.

Jen Lapin: 10:12

Yes. Okay, I love him so much I named my dog Clarence. But that's an aside, Charlie, Musselwhite. Billy Preston, Stevie Winwood. Grover Washington. Just so many stars. And this was the song that they sang to close out the movie, and it rolled the credits. And then as they rolled the credits, they would have the other stars of the movie singing pieces of the song. And it was, it was yeah, like Aretha Franklin. And I think Jr, Walker. And it just every time I hear it, it just makes me so happy. And it's one of those songs where what I said, I raise up my desk and dance. It's one of the songs that I seek out to raise up my desk and dance at my desk.

Aaron Gobler: 11:06

Yeah, it's a wonderful song. Thank you for including that because I really, it's on my playlist. Now I'm gonna listen to it some more. And so the last song in your list was The Best of Times by Styx. And so we'll give that a listen. And then I'm eager to hear what you have to say about that. Thanks for including the song. It brought back memories of my high school years. And made me think also about just how many incredibly talented bands that were cranking out great albums consistently, at least, us as high school students thought they were great bands, and that their albums were consistently good. Why is this song on your list?

Jen Lapin: 11:57

So really, any song from Paradise Theater is on my list? Because that album to me was sort of influential in me moving from a more pop genre of music in my listening to a more rock genre. And I'd love that the album is a story. It tells a story. I know there are other albums like that, and I love them as well like Tommy and Quadrophenia. And Kilroy Was Here, I think it's one of them. But this album was just sort of, you know, in 1981, I turned 15. I was growing up. I was asserting my independence a little bit more. And sticks, I think was possibly the first concert I went to without my mom.

Aaron Gobler: 13:04

Okay. Yes, that was a very memorable thing.

Jen Lapin: 13:11

With friends from high school. Yeah. In fact, you know, one friend even had a driver's license and a car. Kind of exciting. But it Styx in general, but this album in particular is one of my all time favorite bands and also as an aside and not the main reason but I also thought Tommy Shaw, Tommy Shaw was really cute.

Aaron Gobler: 13:36

Nice. He was a lead the lead guitarist.

Jen Lapin: 13:40

I think he was the lead guitar. And I think JT is the bass player. And Dennis the young the the lead singer. Yeah, the thing. Yeah. Wow. Yeah, you know, any song you picked from this album? I just l ove all of it.

Aaron Gobler: 14:00

Great. As we grow older, we would be hearing those songs on like soft rock stations and yeah, and stuff. They just kind of end up in that in that soft rock bin, you know, with like the ballads by Journey and such.

Jen Lapin: 14:19

The oldies station.

Aaron Gobler: 14:20

Yeah, exactly.

Jen Lapin: 14:21

The oldies station -- they're all on the oldies station.

Aaron Gobler: 14:26

So, thank you for your thoughts on that song. And is there is there anything else that you wanted to share about the selections or anything I didn't ask you about?

Jen Lapin: 14:37

I mean, I could have picked so many other songs, and I can have a lot of fun thinking about it. So, it was hard. What's hard, you know, because there's so much good music out there. Yeah. And I don't know that these are the three definitive songs that I would identify with, but there are three that you know, make me smile when I hear them.

Aaron Gobler: 15:02

In wanting to do this format my original thought was pick your favorite three songs and then when my family asked me what are my favorite three songs I realized this was not easy. I think it's most effective just to pick three songs that means something to you and and then pick another three at some other points. So I'd be glad to have you back again! I want to thank you again I really appreciate you know the journey of what do they say a journey of 1000 miles still requires one step I'm sure yeah. And and I want to say to my listeners if you want to be part of this show -- and Jen you can do this again certainly -- start by going to our website Aaron's Radio dot show, and clicking on the My Three Songs button on the homepage, there is a a form that Jen filled out and you can do it too. And looking forward to to hearing from other listeners and their their favorite songs. So thank you again Jen will talk to you soon.

Jen Lapin: 16:05

It was nice chatting with you.

Aaron Gobler: 16:06

Yes, it was a real pleasure and and until next time, everybody keep your ears and mind open and let more music into your world.