The Seattle Diaries: March 2009

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Seattle, 1962: The last successful World's Fair held in the United States is taking place, and organizers need music to spread the word. The call goes out to Joy and the Boys, and Meet Me in Seattle is born.

There's a reason why you can't write music that appeals to everyone, unless you're the odd genius who can pen an "Mmm...Bop" or "Macarena." When you try, you wind up watering things down to the point where they're meaningless. That's one of two problems with this song. It says nothing about the fair itself, instead serving up a "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" great-date theme, minus the baseball love or love for much of anything. To their credit, the songwriters did slip the marvelous double-entendre, "If you're gonna kiss me, kiss me there" into the lyrics, a lone conceit to songwriting skill handcuffed by the need for that elusive mass appeal.

The other problem with the song is the recording. By 1962 standards, this is dreadful. It sounds like the band was encased in an oildrum and miked from the outside. Audiophiles should note that this recording will likely reverse the magnetic fields in your Harmen-Kardon speakers.

In spite of all this, it's still a good bit of fun, and a nice reminder of the Fair. If you're feeling nostalgic, check out the Seattle Post-Intelligencer World's Fair Site, which is filled with historic photos and commentary on how the Fair shaped modern Seattle.

From http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2009/03/if-youre-gonna-kiss-me-kiss-me-there-mp3.html

The Seattle Post Intelligencer printed it's last issue yesterday, March 17. It cost 75 cents.

Today, one day later, March 18, the following ads appeared on Craig's List.

Last Post Intelligencer - $15 - (Seattle) pic

SEATTLE PI NEWSPAPER - $55 - (Lynnwood)

Seattle PI Final Issue - $35 - (North Seattle) pic

Final Edition of the Seattle PI - I have 50 - $1 - (Not price gouging)

Seattle PI final newspaper - $50 - (Port Angeles)

Seattle PI final printing - $25 - (Seatac) pic

I HAVE THE FINAL EDITON OF THE P I NEWPAPER - $1 - (SEATTLE)

Final edition of PI - $10 - (Dash Point)

SEATTLE P.I. FINAL EDITION - $15 - (OLYMPIA)

seattle pi - jerks - $1 -

last edition seattle pi - $60 - (sequim)

Final print edition Seattle P-I - $1 - (kent)