HERE ARE SOME MEMORIES FROM MY FRIEND ZORAN TODORIC (ZOZO).
Well, how it started for me? it was back in '66, in may. i was in high school then, and was drawing something or other for technical drawing. the radio was playing, of course. and then, out of nowhere, they started with "the sun ain't
gonna shine anymore", and on the first chords, my hand stopped. What followed is obvious. I was listening the radio, always on alert to hear their voices. I even developed strange tactics: while i was sleeping,
if on the radio played something from Walkers (or dusty springfield or cilla black) I awoke, and continued to sleep after the song.
I am living in Zagreb, Croatia (it was yugoslavia then), and it was difficult in communist countries to find anything from the west, most notably western records. so, me and my generation have the sole way for listening the music: radio luxembourg (208 m am). Those were pioneer days. wherever and whenever I was traveling, while others were buying clothes or whatever, I was looking for records. When somebody traveled to Germany or Switzerland, I asked them to buy me walker's records. So it came that I have good collection of Walker's stuff. And one of most beautiful presents for me was back in '91, when a friend gave me old L.P. with "After The Lights Go Out". Long ago, I read an article about
The Walkers, where it was mentioned something about their b-sides being as good as a-sides, and "After The Lights" was an example. So I knew about the song but had never heard it. Can you imagine the feeling, when after 25 years of waiting, you get something you wish? No money can buy something
like this. Today, it is much easier to click on Amazon or CD-NOW and by whatever you want.
My wife also likes The Walkers - not as much as I, of course, but she dosen't complain when I'm listening, so it's ok. My daughter is 27, and for her, The Walkers don't exist - it's a bore for her. But that's her privilege, far be it for me to interfere with someone's likes.
I can't explain why it is that their music affects me in such a strong way. I recorded my cds (walkers, scott, dusty, gene pitney and some others) on my computer, both at home and on the job. So while I am working, the good music is always playing. But sometimes, when I listen to the radio, when they suddenly start to play something from The Walkers, it comes as a surprise. Even if I was listening to the same song half an hour ago. The other day, while i was driving, my wife called me and said to listen to a certain radio station. I switched on it, and sure, they were playing "If You Go Away". Which reminds me, that several girls (my wife
included) I kissed for the first time while "If You Go Away" was playing...
MANY THANKS TO ZORAN FOR SENDING ME HIS THOUGHTS.
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