I have a confession to make

I have a confession. It is not a pretty one. In fact, I am really putting myself out there by admitting this, so please be gentle and kind. When I was my daughter’s age, I had my first real Teen Idol crush. No, not Sean Cassidy or Greg Brady. This one was a doozy. Are you ready? Here is it, my deep dark secret. I knew, in my heart of hearts, that I was meant to be with .... Peter Frampton. There it is. I know, I know... I shouldn't have admitted it, but I was young and stupid (how come so many confessions end with that). I've been thinking of this only because I recently introduced my daughter to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the beginning of my obsession.

But first, a little background here… My dad was one of those people who always had to have the latest gadget. We had one of the first Sony Walkmans. It played 8 tracks and had these huge 70's headphones. Classic. We had one of the first VHS players (at least dad was smart and didn't pick Beta). And we had cable before even MTV. Where am I going with this? Well, when I was about 8 or 9, I discovered Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on cable and subsequently taped it to watch over and over and over and over (it’s a girl thing). And there began my love. A love I would proclaim by writing all over my piano books…. “I heart Peter Framptom,” “Peter Frampton forever,” “Mrs. Peter Frampton,” Okay, you get the idea and I got a swift smack down for ruining my piano books.

For those of you not of my generation (and some of you that are), you are probably wondering what a Beatles album has to do with Peter Frampton. Well, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was also a very bad 70's movie. One that 8 and 9 year old girls find addicting like HS Musical, Grease, Hairspray, you get the point. Think of it as the 70's version of Across the Universe except with disco, really bad embroidered overalls and the Bee Gees. Yes, the Bee Gees.

So in a delusional moment (I must of had a swine flu or something), I decided to share Sgt Pepper's with my daughter. The movie starts with George Burns. Wow, remember George Burns! "Oh God!" Of course my daughter had no idea who he was. The scene soon turns to modern day (the 70's) and the BeeGees take the stage. Barry swings his lushish locks and Robin and Maurice, um, not sure what they do... but they all introduce the one and only Billy Shears (aka Peter). Where is he, oh wait there he is, in the crowd... with the white overalls... and frizzy hair and.... oooooohhhhhhhh, not what I remember from my childhood. Not even close. What was I thinking!

I know it is shocker, but I did not marry Peter Frampton. Needless to say, my taste matured with age (thank God). After a year, I grew bored of Peter and his sexy overalls and moved on to Duran Duran. Now, that is one Teen Idol crush I can still understand. But between the shame and shivers of disgust, I have to admit watching Sgt. Pepper's has been fun, reliving a time in my childhood and sharing it with my daughter, just like Grease and Goonies. To see the movie the way I did as a child, through her eyes. To hear my daughter laugh at Steve Martin as Maxwell Hammer, to hear her sing Strawberry Fields, to rock out when Aerosmith shows up as the Future Villain Band and to cry when Strawberry dies. Sure it is a really bad movie, but it holds some amazing childhood memories. And although alas, my daughter does not see in Peter what I did (she has way better taste), my daughter now has some fun memories as well.