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Ed Marks was my mate Gary’s stepson.
He turned up in the summer of 1977 with a Eurorail pass and disappeared for long stretches, returning with obscure albums (“I saw this album that featured Davie Bowie’s drummer’s brother in Stockholm – I think I’ll go back and get it…”) and lurid (“Don’t tell Mom…”) stories.
At some stage, he said “There’s this really good new band. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Sort of rock’n’roll boogie. I think you’d like him”
Rarely was a truer word spoken….
“American Girl” – the purest pop song in existence.
Well, she was an American girl
Raised on promises
She couldn’t help thinkin’
That there was a little more to life somewhere else
After all it was a great big world
With lots of places to run to
And if she had to die tryin’
She had one little promise she was gonna keep
O yeah, all right
Take it easy, baby
Make it last all night
She was an American girl
Well, it was kind of cold that night
She stood alone on her balcony
Yeah, she could hear the cars roll by
Out on 441 like waves crashin’ on the beach
And for one desperate moment
There he crept back in her memory
God it’s so painful when something that’s so close
Is still so far out of reach
O yeah, all right
Take it easy, baby
Make it last all night
She was an American girl
You Must Be From Away 