The Shirley Years part 9
It took a good deal longer for the new airplane to arrive from Trenton than initially estimated. Soon after we were aboard, I fell asleep and didn’t stir until our final descent into Alert.
It could have been another planet as the bright runway lights revealed nothing but snow and ice on either side.
We rode in treaded all-terrain vehicles to the base. It was around 7 am so the pitch-black darkness didn’t seem that unusual. It persisted all day, though. The long polar night is without a trace of twilight from October 22 to February 13.
Debriefing
Alert had over two hundred military personnel stationed there, all of them men. Any women visiting the base (usually entertainers) were asked to co-operate in a bit of a ritual. When we gathered in the officer’s mess after the show, each of the ladies received a paper bag. They were to print their name on it, go into a private room, put their panties in it and bring them back. First, there was a short speech by an officer. Then they hung the underwear in a single line about seven feet up around the room’s perimeter with the names underneath. Twenty years of panties left just a little space on the last wall for this display. That worked out fine, though, as this was the final year of the men-only staff regulation. Female personnel later in 1980 would undoubtedly put an end to the tradition.
Hard To Top That First Day
We did the Alert show that night (Monday), one in Inuvik on Wednesday, and the third and final in Yellowknife on Friday. Then, Saturday, we flew back to Trenton.
There was a small reception when we arrived. People asked me more than once what my plans were.
“Taking the winter off” was my stock reply. I couldn’t bear the thought of eight or ten weeks of sliding down Canadian highways. Besides, I had some money in the bank, and I had planned to do some wood-shedding anyway.
Towards The End Of An Era
It wasn’t to be. I started getting recording sessions, and Shirley booked some gigs. The only actual travel was a week in Ottawa and another one later in Kingston.
Evelyne Datl came back on board as well as drummer Jack Proacher and bassist Glenn Yorga.
We worked a couple of weeks in Toronto and Ottawa.
After that, we rehired veterans Bill Cymbala and Bob Doidge to replace Jack and Glenn, who were busy with a different project. Ev stayed on, so as a result, we were able to salvage most of the wonderful keyboard textures we had worked on for the past two years.
Evelyne
We performed about twice a month with this line-up until July, when we played Ontario Place in Toronto.
That was my final show with Shirley.
Myself and Shirley
My Thoughts And Synopsis
It was only four and a half years but so much happened. It was an incredible opportunity, but I didn’t think of it in that way. Each project we took on was like a mission. At the risk of sounding like I have too high an opinion of myself, everything I did and every decision I made was with Shirley’s best interests in mind.
We talked about this just a couple of years ago. In company with her cats, Shirley and I sat at the kitchen table in her home and yapped for almost five hours! We shouldn’t have been surprised; we had marathon conversations like that many times back in the day as we drove those long distances between Canadian cities.
Popular Psychology (both the magazine and the hobby) was an interest we shared. Motivation was a frequent subject. Why do people do what they do? What is this something that inspires some people to work creatively while others spend a lifetime sitting on the couch eating Cheetos?
In retrospect, I understand that we were both highly motivated, but I’ll speak for myself when I talk about unrealistic goals. My aspirations were born of naive optimism and grim determination. Here’s the thing though: Even back then, I sensed we had to aim for the stars to get to the moon.
We both had successes later. In early 1981 I landed arguably the best gig in Canada as keyboardist for Gordon Lightfoot, a position I still hold. Among many other things, Shirley scored huge, writing songs for some big names including an international mega-hit for Bonnie Raitt, “Something To Talk About”.
For me, it was during those fifty-four months with Shirley that my own rose colored dreams became almost palpable as if I could carry them around in my pocket.
As we sat and talked in her kitchen thirty-eight years later, I offered that I had always liked her and her music and perhaps that was the reason I went above and beyond the call of duty.
New Age Sentiment Aside
“What was good for my career was good for yours,” Shirley said just as I was leaving, and I was nodding and laughing in agreement before she even finished the comment.