New Jersey Stage Issue 43 | Page 18

play/record? Remember that? Play and record… And the tele- phone machine was a boon. It was great because you could let the machine pick it up. It was always a pain in the ass in-law or someone wanting to borrow $10 dollars on a Friday night - let the machine pick it up. I don’t want to talk to them, right? So, there were no cell phones, no Internet, no paging, no tex- ting; cable tv was in its infancy. And when people had to get a hold of you they could one way or another. I remember no one even made long distance calls. I can remember being 15 years old in Scotch Plains and I had my first girlfriend. I was happy as a clam. After dinner, I reached for the telephone to call her and before I could even reach the phone, my dad slapped my hand down. He said, “Get the fuck off the phone!” I said, “Dad” and he said, “Get off the phone. We’re not rich!” Remember that? You know what I’m talking about. Watch a video for “Top Of The Pops” by The Smithereens NJ STAGE - ISSUE 43 INDEX NEXT ARTICLE 18