Telly Like It Is

I spent last Friday afternoon digging through the singles bins at Rockaway Records in Silverlake. I hadn't been there in a good half-decade or more, but my old pal (and former Fancy Trolls bandmate) Eric was in town from Chicago and on the hunt for some rare vinyl, so I decided to tag along. My budget being on the tight side these days, I steered well clear of Rockaway's ample supply of "collectors' gold", but still managed to unearth some gems from the budget racks. My big score? A white label promo 45 of "Who Loves Ya Baby" by Telly Savalas.

Now, Telly and I go back a long way. My family moved from New York City to Ann Arbor in the late 60s, and by the early 70s my Dad was so homesick for NYC, he would watch just about any TV show that took place in the Big Apple. Consequently, I was pretty much raised on The Odd Couple and Kojak. In 1981, while traveling through Greece with my friend Aristotle (which, coincidentally, was Telly's real name), we stopped in Sparta to see a friend named Sotiri, who informed us that Telly Savalas was in town to shoot a movie. When we figured out that Telly's trailer was actually parked within throwing range of our hotel balcony, the three of us spent the wee hours drunkenly bombarding it with the overripe fruit Aristotle had been carrying with him since we left Argos. Not exactly classy behavior, I know; but when you're a fifteen year old guy in the company of other fifteen year old guys, it's far easier to throw things than to express your true emotions. I was so psyched to be in an ancient Greek city AND in close proximity to Telly Savalas (or at least his trailer), I just had to wing a rotten peach or three in celebration.

Telly's forays into musical entertainment generally paled in comparison to his work on the small and silver screens, and his tendency to see himself as a romantic balladeer didn't help matters. Too bad he didn't get to do more upbeat numbers like who_loves_ya_baby.mp3, which sets his famous Kojak catchphrase to a flute-laden, cod-blaxploitation groove, and which has been a major fave of mine since I first heard it at the Sutra House back in '92. Sure, Telly's pretty pitch-challenged (the way he hits "But then I'll come..." is especially groan-worthy), but the man seems to be having a total blast, and I like how he's able to poke fun at himself while still really sinking his teeth into the performance. William Shatner, eat your heart out.

Comments

[Vinnie Park]

I love Telly! He gives us baldies hope. ...My favorite thing about Kojak was the stock footage of Manhattan that was used during car chases. If you looked carefully enough, you'd notice that they seemed to drive down the same street several times during the same show, even though they were supposedly in diffrent locations. They don't make 'em like that anymore. Telly was classic, rivaled only by Jack Lord, but that's another conversation.

[Michael Ansaldo]

I love Telly, but I'll put Karl Malden and the scenic Streets of San Francisco up against Kojak any day!

[Dan E]

Yeah? Post some Karl Malden songs on your blog, and we'll talk.

[Vinnie Park]

One other thing occurred to me about Kojak: NYC always looked so gritty and soulfully dirty in that show. It was the post-bankruptcy NYC of my youth, the city I loved...the city Rudy G completely destroyed. It makes watching the repeats of Kojak nowadays a wistful, bitterweet experience.

[Dan E]

I hear ya, Vin; I didn't get to experience NYC until the late 70s, but it was still way more vibrant and interesting than it is today. Because I still want to commune with the Big Apple of my childhood memories, I will (shades of my father) happily watch any movie shot in NYC during the 70s... even Cruising.