
Television in 1976 – Tom Verlaine is the one with his hand forward
Tom Verlaine has died at the young age of 73. He wrote one of the great songs of the 20th Century- Marquee Moon, which I bought off a school friend when I was 15.
To a young lad in his first love affair, it was musical depiction of the sexual act.
I never bought the album – just that song. Verlaine used to play with Richard Hell but they split before Marquee Moon. Hell went and did an album with a band called the Voidoids called “love comes in spurts” – t wasn’t much good. Marquee Moon covered the topic better
Later I bought the Verlaine song the critics said changed everything – “Little Johnny Jewel” It was ok but it was too arty for me. I bought the second album and I swapped it for a Ramones album which was a good swap.
In the summer of 1977, I hitch-hiked to the Colston Hall in Bristol to see Verlaine’s band Television when they toured with Britain, I got there in time to watch the support bad – Blondie – who had just done “rip her to shreds”. I slept over at the back of the hall – pretty happy. That only made the song more sexy.
The sex thing about the song Marquee Moon is the middle bit. At about 4.30 it goes into a long guitar duet between Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd which builds till it get to 8.10 when it starts building to some kind of crescendo which happens 9 minutes in and then the song seems to come in a wonderful effusion of notes that flow blissfully to an end. The opening of the song then starts again.
The song is about love and death, le petit mort is a phrase that Verlaine the poet knew about.
I played this to my girlfriend and asked if she could feel like that from her body and she said yes – and that was when we had our first sex – thanks Tom. To those who get offended by the thought of under age sex, I was sixteen by then, she was two years older.
If you want to experience Marquee Moon for yourself – here is the you tube.
Thanks Tom Verlaine, you were then my favorite guitarist along with Neil Young . I know a lot more music now , but you wrote one song that will stick with me and I am sorry that you have died young. May you rest in bliss.
Did not really get into Television till about 10 years after that (I bought the Blondie albums at the time).
I bought the third album ‘Television’ from Tower Records in New York just after it was released. My favourite from that album-
‘Nantucket Sleighride’ by Mountain was a song that told a story – famously used in the theme for LWT’s Weekend World (Brian Waldren – RIP) in the 70s. I was introduced to it later in my life and realised what I had been missing! Great drum solo too!
I can’t quite get so enthusiastic for ‘Marquee Moon’ but each to his own.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQQZ-hV95KE
A better live version I think!