Nothing 'Foolish' about this feat

Where were you 20 years ago this week? Deborah Gibson was busy celebrating her first-ever No. 1 single -- and her high school graduation.

Yep, on June 26, 1988, Deborah Gibson (only "Debbie" to her non-friends she told us during our podcast interview) was walking across a graduation stage, just 24 hours after "Foolish Beat" hit the top of the charts, making her the youngest person to date to write, produce and perform a No. 1 hit.

(What were co-host Sean Daly and I doing on that same date? Probably competing head-to-head in a gordita-eating contest, thus assuring that 20 years later, neither of us has a chance on being Deborah's date to her high school reunion.)

Comments

[Big Tex]

Ah, 20 years ago my life was so f'ed up I don't even want to think about it. I do remember the music I listened to that summer, though: Def Leppard's Hysteria, Squeeze's Babylon and On, INXS' Kick, and The Smithereen's Green Thoughts, to name a few. (Hey, Steve, why don't The Smithereens get any love on SIT80's?) My musical guilty pleasure that summer wasn't Debbie Gibson, but Giant Steps - anyone remember those guys?

[John Hays]

Ah Marissa, you're just annoyed that you missed the fun! ;)

[Marissa]

Jeepers! All this because a dude admits he likes beets.
Shame on all of you! SHAME!

[Miguel]

Ah! Tonianne you know it all!It doesn`t matter,the Spanish didn`t earn that much with Columbus discovery anyway.

[Tonianne]

miguel - still sore about john II screwing up that little meeting with columbus, eh?

[Miguel]

Steve,best patriotic movie for me is not the greatest topic,obviously!

[CHAD]

first off, 20 years ago i was partying way too much. probably why i never finished college. even for a square town like ruston, la i seemed to be drunk most of the weekends. secondly, i love the "beet" jokes. i dont do veggies. only ones i eat is lettuce and corn. jeff, did ya'll ever sing, you've lost that lovin' feeling? patriotic movies huh, cant really think of many. i guess you could go with the iron eagles, and that sort of movie, or the whole chat could be about the greatness of red dawn.

[Spears]

Thanks for the invite, John. Actually, I'm catching the Romantics and Missing Persons here in Tampa Bay on Aug. 30, when the Regeneration Tour rolls through town.

[John Hays]

Oh that would be good!

[Spears]

Best patriotic movies of the 80s?

[John Hays]

Steve - If you're ever interested in visiting Dallas I just noticed a couple good acts coming soon: Night Ranger on July 12th and The Romantics/Missing Persons w/ Tommy Tutone on July 25th, all at the Gaylord Texan!

For the chat, hmmm...perhaps some kind of 80's 4th of July type of topic?

[Spears]

Any ideas for our sunday night chat this weekend?

[GlennS.]

20 years ago I was listening to "Throw That Beet In The Garbage Can" by the B-52s. I hated beets and I was so excited that someone had finally done a protest song about them.

[Spears]

She doesn't mind any of our tones. Don't turn down the innuendo because of her.

[Jeff in Cuba]

Steve,

Does your mother read the blog often?

I gotta watch my tone.

[Spears]

That was actually my mother leaving the comment above. I just called her to make sure.

She still denies giving me beets. I assured her she did.

[Miguel]

What in the hell are you all talking about? What are those beets you all talk about?

[Miguel]

What in the hell are you all talking about? What are those beets you all talk about?

[Tom]

Fish sticks, beets, and sangria, a sure sign the night will always end badly.

[John Hays]

Yeah, I'm not big on pickled fish sticks either.

[jane]

Beets are great, actually -- love love them pickled. Fish sticks -- not so much.

[Rick in Scottsdale]

Beet it! Beet it! Dontcha make Steve repeat it!

[Your Mother]

Steve,

You have accused me of doing several things I do not remember, but I will not take blame for your beet addiction. I did not sent you beets, nor did I send you tuna for your famous tuna chop suey!!

Your Mother

[Spears]

Yeah, when I would visit home, she'd send me back with cans of beets and boxes of fish-sticks.

Still like beets, not so much with fish-sticks though.

She also bought be a bottle of sangria one time. That night ended ... badly.

[Neil]

It was twenty years ago today that Sergeant Pepper taught the Beetles how to play. Spears, why did your mom send you cans of beets? Tell her to send you some Funyons or something.

was Debbie ever a Bratt?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et-p1TgNs2U

[John Hays]

I have a feeling we're beeting a dead horse.

[Jeff in Cuba]

John,

Every now and then she'd turnip on the cover of "Tiger Beet".

[This really has to stop]

[John Hays]

Steve - Well I recall Deborah saying she never imbibed, so I imagine she came across as rather off-beet herself in person.

I'm sure after hugging her, you later sat back and cracked open a nice can of beet with happy memories of that day.

[John Hays]

Didn't Deborah appear in Teen Beet quite a bit back in the day?

[Spears]

Can I say again that Deborah Gibson has fantastically smooth, silky skin?

I know because I got that cherished hug.

(Still searching for that beet innuendo)

[Jeff in Cuba]

I guess I get the blame for derailing this blog thread, so allow mw to bring it back home:

"Wow, has it really been 20 years since "Foolish Beet?"

There. Back on topic.

[surfdog]

20 years ago my dog "surf" was alive so we were going to "spanish house" on the east coast to surf EVERY weekend
surf the surfing lab was written up in the tampa trib that year by Susan Chelini wonder where she is?
and I HATE beets so EVERYDAY was a beet off day for me LOL LOL!!!

[John Hays]

You do realize you just opened the flood gates with that last bit, don't you Steve?

[Tonianne]

you had to go there, dude.

[Spears]

For the record, it wasn't a typo. I ate beets. Cans and cans of them. My mom always sent them to me. And since the rest of my "grocery" bill went to malt beverages, i was left with the "Purple Haze" to eat every night with the f-sticks.

But I really have to tip my cap to the ongoing line of comments here. Probably the most impressive string of jokes to date.

Of course, days when I didn't eat those purple gems were known as "Beet Off" days.

[Tonianne]

rick - dare i admit i still have a pair of ripped up girbauds in the back of my closet? they were the standard back then. although they are thread-bare i can't seem to part with them.

and i'm still laughing over your disco-danny, king of the hustle black lacquer furniture.

[I Was A Teenage Duranie]

20 years ago, I was a camp counselor at a YMCA summer camp -- teaching arts and crafts (tie-dyeing!), riflery, and canoeing. It was the summer between my freshman and sophomore year in college, and my boyfriend from college was at Harvard (!!) summer school. We wrote every day. He even flew down to the Deep South to visit me one weekend. Of course, we broke up two weeks after we got back to Vandy that fall.

That was the summer of "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and Guns 'n' Roses. Wow. No beets for me that summer. (I never have been a beet drinker. My dad let me taste Budweiser when I was three years old, and it was nasty. I have not had a drop of beet since. I like other fun drinks, but no beet.) Although, one other counselor who was 21 and I (who was 18) did go and drink down by the river one night when we were off. A few wine coolers for me!! I think that is the only time I drank all summer. I more than made up for it at the first frat party back at Vandy in August. ;-)

[Rick in Scottsdale]

Hey, Tonianne, what about Girbauds?

Man, I spent a retirement fund on clothes and shoes back then.

[John Hays]

Props to Tonianne for bringing the hat to the Gibson conversation! That's easily worth 3 beets!

[Rick in Scottsdale]

Who would've imagined that "Beet It!" was a drinking song?

[Rick in Scottsdale]

I saved a ridiculous pair of boots that went perfectly with those tight-ankled Z. Cavs. I thought one day my kids would want to ridicule me (or borrow them when looking like Vanilla Ice comes back in fashion.)

I should take a pic and send it to Spears.

[jane]

Ah Jeff -- I would totally have been one of those girl guppies in that proverbial barrel if I'd been on holiday. Probably woulda let you buy me a beet or two...

[Rick in Scottsdale]

And my favorite beet* was Foster's lager. In the oil can (even though it tasted like it was a real oil can. The image was all).

[John Hays]

You know, thinking back 20 years, I seem to recall my folks let me try a bit of beet, not enough to really affect me but just enough to taste...of course, at that young age I really didn't care for it. I think it's an acquired taste.

[Rick in Scottsdale]

OMG, Tonianne!

I had black lacquered living room furniture and Nagel prints on the walls!

(I'm crawling under the computer desk to hide my shame.)

[Jeff in Cuba]

Jane,

On a few occasions my friends and I would hit the hotel bars wearing our whites and wait for the buses from the airport to arrive. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. Women would come over to hit on us before they even checked in.

Especially women who had one too many beets on the flight over!

[Tonianne]

I wonder if all-night borscht benders might prevent someone from bringing the hat?

[Tonianne]

20 years ago I was in college, working as a buyer in the fashion industry, dressing like a Patrick Nagel print, reading only the Village Voice, and "stalking" Jay McInerney and the rest of the literary Brat Pack on weekends.

(Rick - we were unable to keep the Z. Cavariccis from flying off the racks in the store I worked for.)

[Tom]

Is it possible to "shotgun" a beet?