The common theme here has been that there are songs that are linked to people and songs that are linked to moments in time. In My Musical Evolution Aldo Nova is even loosely linked to Daylight Saving Time. If I spent a little effort, I could give you almost the precise moment that I heard Fantasy.
The year was 1982. It was spring and the Friday before the time change. Adam’s brother Allan graduated from the Academy a couple of years ahead of us. By this time he was attending UVM in Burlington, Vermont. One of the things that you do when attending College Prep School is visit colleges. Adam and I had arranged to visit UVM. He took the full 4 day “college weekend”. I had to go to class on Friday so I caught a ride to UVM with my friend Morrie. It was a great road trip. We had a few Haffenreffers that Morrie packed. I’m not sure how Morrie ever got into Haffenreffer but he was impressed that they were brewed in my hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The drive from Saxtons River to Burlington is a little over 3 scenic hours and we were having a great time.
Night had fallen by the time we got to UVM. Morrie dropped me off at the edge of campus and went on to where he was staying. I staggered around campus until I found Harris-Millis and eventually met up with Adam and Ted. We hung out in Allan’s room for a while. Al was out which was disappointing because I was very much looking forward to hanging out with him.
We wandered into a couple of parties before heading back to Al’s. It was getting late and we decided to call it a day. Allan was still not home when we got there so we selected spots on the floor and furniture on which to sleep. About an hour later at 3:30am Saturday morning, I wake to the sounds of synthesized helicopters and machine gun fire. Al had finally returned after what must have been a very good party. Yelling over the cranked stereo, he screamed “You guys gotta hear this song!” Fantasy erupted. I was at once delighted by the music, the presence of Allan and distraught over the apparent disregard for his dorm neighbors. It was 3:30 in the morning!
OK, I did the math. If my online resources for DST dates in 1982 are correct, The very close estimate of the very first time I heard Aldo Nova was 3:30 am, April 24th, 1982. There’s a reason that I know that Daylight Saving Time was involved. I was supposed to get a ride back to Saxtons River on Sunday at 3:00 pm and because I neglected to adjust my watch for the time change, I missed my ride. So I had to spend another entire day in Burlington with my friends. I bought an Aldo Nova cassette at the mall that weekend. That’s all I’m going to say ’bout that.
So with all that in mind, how could I not get into Aldo Nova?
Fantasy
Hot Love
Ball And Chain
Heart To Heart
You’re My Love
Under The Gun