SF, Dec. ’80
My Dear Norma -
Of all the people I’ve received letters from, none carries the essence in writing of the writer as yours do. It’ exactly the same as having you in my kitchen (or your kitchen) and hearing your voice.
I thank you for calling me that Monday nite. I feel closer to you now than ever before and I feel privileged to be a person you could share such deep feelings with. And I thank you for giving me what is, I now believe, the one truly great gift one person can give to another…the gift of showing them a new way of seeing something within them…For me, you helped to show me that I can cry with a great sadness and really fell something enormous, bottomless. I value that glimpse you helped bring into my vision of a deep place within me.
On Sunday, at a friend’s house, I slipped quietly into an unused room and had a good cry of farewell and tried to imagine all the others all over the world who were aiming their minds in the same direction. And now onward. I will not give in to despair or cynicism.
I must apologize for the crude stationary – your card was so tranquil – But I am very proud of the review on the flip side. “Indoor Live” is my friend Jorge’s band and is my first official statement in the role of producer – I am quite honestly overwhelmed at the astute, entertaining, glowing review of this first step for me. And I’m going to write to Mr. O’Brien and thank him for his intelligence – of course such down the line praise with not a single complaint would sway my opinion, but even beyond that I love the shootin’ from the hip attitude I get from Mr. O’Brien’s writing style. And the same reaction here from the local press. Norm, I must say, I feel encouraged and will try to keep building up the energy I get from all this.
Right now I’m working on releasing some records under my own name. It appears to be working out well…one project is a gay oriented disco song called (excuse me) “Menergy” – The scam is to get a good enough quality sound out of my 8-track studio (thereby having my production cost per song be anywhere from $30 to $200) and selling the song, as a single, to a record co. for one hundred time that.
The other “Patrick Cowley” product is a new wave tune called “Teen Planet” with vocals by me. So far people have loved this one. Here are the lyrics in entirety…
THE SPACE SHIP CAME FROM ANOTHER WORLD (TEEN PLANET…TEEN PLANET)
THEY CAME TO REPLENISH THEIR POPULATION (TEEN PLANET…TEEN PLANET)
THEY’RE CHECKIN’ OUT ALL YOU BOYS AND GIRLS…
SO YOU BETTER GET READY FOR A LONG VACATION….
THEY MAKE YOU WEAR PLASTIC SHOES
THEY MAKE YOU EAT GREASY FOOD
THEY MAKE YOU LEARN THE LATEST DANCE
THEY DO NOT PRACTICE SELF CONTROL
THE SPACE SHIP LANDED IN MINNESOTA (TEEN PLANET…TEEN PLANET)
THEY CAME TO DO THEIR GROCERY SHOPPING…
THEY/RE STOCKIN’ UP LOTS OF RUM ‘N COLA…
THEY’RE GRABBIN’ A THE DIP AND POTATOE CHIPS
THEY MAKE YOU BUY 45′S
THEY…etc.
DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME TRYING TO RUN AWAY (TEEN PLANET…)
CAUSE YOU’RE OFF TO TEEN PLANET AND YOU’RE CONNA STAY…
SO PACK YOUR THINGS CAUSE IT’S TIME TO GO
YOU’RE GONNA SHUTTLE OFF, SHUTTLE OF TO BUFFALO…
THEY MAKE YOU….
You’re children will love it. And it’s pure fun to work on projects like this. Anyway, wish me luck…I’m running out of space and since I’ve run out of reviews for the present I’ll “shuttle off” (groan). I love you Norm and think about you every day. I can’t wait to get rich and famous so I can be that celebrity that comes to visit Mrs. Bartels in Schenectady. Love to you and your family – Merry Christmas too – Patrick