Santa Catalina Island or ‘California’s Island Escape’ is 22 miles from Los Angeles. It's about 20 miles long and 8 miles wide. It takes about an hour ferry to get there from Longbeach. It’s a very relaxed, pedestrian friendly place where people get around on golf carts and bicycles. The Casino in Avalon , the capital, is well-known landmark as well the 500 strong heard of imported Bison.85% of the island is conserved wildlands. The island was managed by William Wrigley of chewing gum fame, who invested a lot of money in the area.
Maryln Monroe lived in Avalon. Clark Gable, Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Boggart visited regularly as did John Wayne, Juby Garland and Glenn Ford ( ironically the man who I was named after i.e. my real name Glenn, not my writing name Brady). The Beetles relaxed on the island when on tour, as did Winston Churchill and Ronald Reegan.
Natalie Wood mysteriously drowned in the sea off the north of the island in 1981. She was on a boat with Robert Wagner and Christopher Walken.
Seperately,85% of the children in the UK, in single parent families (about 2.5m families) live with their mother only , after the father has gone.
My parents divorced when I was young. I rarely saw my father over the next 30-40 years. For part of this time, he lived on the Island of Catalina, with sons from his second divorce. I now see his grown-up sons on a regular basis; a lot more than I saw my father. As they say ‘it’s a funny old world !’
This is a song about a long-lost father than has ‘done a runner’ . In my case 5500 miles away. This is a song from the fictional daughter of such a father. As a grown up woman ,she has met someone she wants to marry but the father v is nowhere to be seen, to give her away. The song starts with a blunt message ,‘Grew up, very quickly. Cut off. In isolation. Feeling every, emotion .A painful separation. A troubled history. Sent you a picture, of me’. The song is emotional, chaotic, sung by a sad young woman, who is anything but a a polished singer. She goes on to sing ‘I had to, face the truth .Someone, I barely know .Chasing, a father’s shadow’
The song is a kind of blues number, almost ad lib, like someone who is just trying to figure things out.
She asks, ‘How’s your new wife and son?. On a boat, in the sun. Now, a woman’ She believes he is living the high life on Catalina. In real life my father had divorced a second time, was living in a bed sit, was in severe debt and was being chased by the financial authorities – crikey no wonder I’m a bit crazy !
She pleads ‘Please don’t forget about me, please. Can you be A guiding light, unseen Somewhere in between’ ( any contact it better than none !)
As a last resort she sings, ‘Just one call a year. Nothings ever clear. Face to face, is a good idea. We can meet up. With no drama. Maybe catch up, this summer’ – eventually she will give up ( just like me ).
In case you're wondering I have a great relationship with my children and grandchildren; I won't be repeating the same behaviour anytime soon ! Lots of love Dad xxx
