‹ Prequel: Changes
Making the Album
Audition.
"I'm gonna throw up" Tony muttered and put her head between her legs. Robert, looking pale and nervous, patted her back in a feeble sort of way. Blondie, who'd just stepped off a plane an hour earlier, stifled a yawn. Tom worried about him. Blondie looked sad and hadn't laughed, only smiled, since he'd been back. And Tre and Tom had pulled out their best stuff.
"Don't waste your time being nervous." Billie told her. Tony snorted.
"Easier said than done, mate." Robert replied.
"Well, you'll just wind up making yourself sick, so—"
"Mike!" Tony winced at his reasoning. "The Rolling Stones are out there. Aerosmith is out there. And Def Leppard decided to drop by and introduce themselves. Are you seriously trying to tell me there's no pressure?"
Mike looked at her seriously. Tre, seeing his bandmate was distracted, took the opportunity to peek at his poker hand.
"Tony. Just go out there and sing for them. They're just an audience. Nothing more, nothing less."
For a brief moment, she stared at him with frightened eyes. Then she relaxed.
"You're right... You're absolutely right."Then she picked up her guitar and stood up, jaw set and eyes blazing. "I'm ready."
***
Tony closed her eyes and perched on the edge of the wooden stool. There was no Mike, no lights, nothing. It was just her, her and her guitar. She strummed the opening notes, and lost herself in the song.
It is the evening of the day
I sit and watch the children play
Smiling faces I can see, but not for me
I sit and watch as tears go by
My riches can't buy everything
I want to hear the children sing
All I ever hear is the sound of rain falling on the ground
I sit and watch as tears go by
It is the evening of the day
I sit and watch the children play
Doin' things I used to do, they think they are new
I sit and watch as tears go by
Mm mm mm...
The notes faded away into the silent room and she opened her eyes. Mick Jagger was smiling at her. She blushed a little.
"Brilliant. Brilliant work, young lady." Keith Richards clapped his bandmate's words. "I'd say you have our permission to record any of our work."
"Thanks." Tony giggled, blushing more.
";You've got talent. It's not an easy thing to find."; Keith told her. Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith nodded wisely.
"You're too kind." She said, slipping off her stool.
Robert, somewhere in the backroom, cleared his throat. Tony jumped slightly, still star struck.
"Oh. Now we're going to perform 'Walk This Way', for you guys."
"Full band?" Steven Tyler asked. Tony nodded.
"We're gonna blow you away."
***
Robert took a deep breath and extracted the Mike from the stand. Then he let out a wild scream and Blondie began pounding his drums while Tony's guitar screeched.
Backstroke lover always hidin' 'neath the cover
Gonna talk to ya my daddy say
He said `you ain't seen nothin', till you're down on a muffin
Then you're sure to be a-changin' your ways'
I met a cheerleader, was a real young bleeder
All the times I can reminisce 'cause the best thing lovin'
With her sister and her cousin only started with a little kiss, like this
Seesaw swingin' with the boys in the school
And your feet flyin' up in the air
Singin' hey diddle-diddle with the kitty in the middle
Gonna swing like you didn't care
So I took a big chance at the high school dance
With a missy who was ready to play
Was it me she was foolin', 'cause she knew what she was doin'
And I know her love was here to stay
When she told me to...
Robert was dripping sweat and his muscles hurt from all the wild movements, but he felt too good to stop. Taking one more deep breath, he plunged into the chorus with a wild scream.
Walk this way, walk this way
Walk this way, walk this way
Ah, just give me a kiss - like this
Schoolgirl skinny with the classy kinda sassy
Little skirt's climbing way up her knees
There was three young ladies in the school gym locker
When I noticed they was lookin' at me
I was a high school loser, never made it with a lady
Till the boys told me something I missed
Then my next-door neighbor with a daughter had a favor
So I gave her just a little kiss, like this
Robert leapt onto the amph, swiveled his hips madly, and then dropped back onto the makeshift stage that creaked menacingly under his weight. Ignoring it, he grabbed the still playing Tony and kissed her hard. He thought he heard Steven Tyler laugh. As usual, Tony was too used to him to miss a single note.
Seesaw swingin' with the boys in the school
And your feet flyin' up in the air
Singin' hey diddle-diddle with the kitty in the middle
Gonna swing like you didn't care
So I took a big chance at the high school dance
With a missy who was ready to play was it me she was foolin'
'Cause she knew what she was doin'
When she told me how to walk this way
She told me to
Walk this way, talk this way
Walk this way, walk this way
He turned to the three bands, his heart beating crazily. Did they even like him? Hell, did they like the band?
Only one way to find out....
"Don't waste your time being nervous." Billie told her. Tony snorted.
"Easier said than done, mate." Robert replied.
"Well, you'll just wind up making yourself sick, so—"
"Mike!" Tony winced at his reasoning. "The Rolling Stones are out there. Aerosmith is out there. And Def Leppard decided to drop by and introduce themselves. Are you seriously trying to tell me there's no pressure?"
Mike looked at her seriously. Tre, seeing his bandmate was distracted, took the opportunity to peek at his poker hand.
"Tony. Just go out there and sing for them. They're just an audience. Nothing more, nothing less."
For a brief moment, she stared at him with frightened eyes. Then she relaxed.
"You're right... You're absolutely right."Then she picked up her guitar and stood up, jaw set and eyes blazing. "I'm ready."
***
Tony closed her eyes and perched on the edge of the wooden stool. There was no Mike, no lights, nothing. It was just her, her and her guitar. She strummed the opening notes, and lost herself in the song.
It is the evening of the day
I sit and watch the children play
Smiling faces I can see, but not for me
I sit and watch as tears go by
My riches can't buy everything
I want to hear the children sing
All I ever hear is the sound of rain falling on the ground
I sit and watch as tears go by
It is the evening of the day
I sit and watch the children play
Doin' things I used to do, they think they are new
I sit and watch as tears go by
Mm mm mm...
The notes faded away into the silent room and she opened her eyes. Mick Jagger was smiling at her. She blushed a little.
"Brilliant. Brilliant work, young lady." Keith Richards clapped his bandmate's words. "I'd say you have our permission to record any of our work."
"Thanks." Tony giggled, blushing more.
";You've got talent. It's not an easy thing to find."; Keith told her. Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith nodded wisely.
"You're too kind." She said, slipping off her stool.
Robert, somewhere in the backroom, cleared his throat. Tony jumped slightly, still star struck.
"Oh. Now we're going to perform 'Walk This Way', for you guys."
"Full band?" Steven Tyler asked. Tony nodded.
"We're gonna blow you away."
***
Robert took a deep breath and extracted the Mike from the stand. Then he let out a wild scream and Blondie began pounding his drums while Tony's guitar screeched.
Backstroke lover always hidin' 'neath the cover
Gonna talk to ya my daddy say
He said `you ain't seen nothin', till you're down on a muffin
Then you're sure to be a-changin' your ways'
I met a cheerleader, was a real young bleeder
All the times I can reminisce 'cause the best thing lovin'
With her sister and her cousin only started with a little kiss, like this
Seesaw swingin' with the boys in the school
And your feet flyin' up in the air
Singin' hey diddle-diddle with the kitty in the middle
Gonna swing like you didn't care
So I took a big chance at the high school dance
With a missy who was ready to play
Was it me she was foolin', 'cause she knew what she was doin'
And I know her love was here to stay
When she told me to...
Robert was dripping sweat and his muscles hurt from all the wild movements, but he felt too good to stop. Taking one more deep breath, he plunged into the chorus with a wild scream.
Walk this way, walk this way
Walk this way, walk this way
Ah, just give me a kiss - like this
Schoolgirl skinny with the classy kinda sassy
Little skirt's climbing way up her knees
There was three young ladies in the school gym locker
When I noticed they was lookin' at me
I was a high school loser, never made it with a lady
Till the boys told me something I missed
Then my next-door neighbor with a daughter had a favor
So I gave her just a little kiss, like this
Robert leapt onto the amph, swiveled his hips madly, and then dropped back onto the makeshift stage that creaked menacingly under his weight. Ignoring it, he grabbed the still playing Tony and kissed her hard. He thought he heard Steven Tyler laugh. As usual, Tony was too used to him to miss a single note.
Seesaw swingin' with the boys in the school
And your feet flyin' up in the air
Singin' hey diddle-diddle with the kitty in the middle
Gonna swing like you didn't care
So I took a big chance at the high school dance
With a missy who was ready to play was it me she was foolin'
'Cause she knew what she was doin'
When she told me how to walk this way
She told me to
Walk this way, talk this way
Walk this way, walk this way
He turned to the three bands, his heart beating crazily. Did they even like him? Hell, did they like the band?
Only one way to find out....