The Days of "Speak & Spell"....
Dave and Me back in the day....
Hi Friends—
I’m recalling that dangerous time when I too put my national security at risk with a form of reckless communication. By “national security”, I mean I almost got my ass kicked all the way across the country.
This involves an old-school technology known as a "Speak & Spell". Maybe you had one of these....
At the time, a “Speak & Spell” was the closest thing to texting that Americans could hold in the palm of their hands. It was 1980. This huge advance in technology allowed you to spell a word and miraculously have it spoken by a red and yellow time machine to the future.
There was no Signal app, no internet, no emojis, no drones launched from thousands of miles away. We had three TV channels.
There were two fifteen-year-old boys at a basement sleepover on a Saturday night. Sleeping bags. Potato chips. We were on a rotary phone. A land line, 11:00 pm-ish. Talking to a group of chatty girls via the genius of Alexander Graham Bell. They were on a sleepover across town. There were crushes. Hormones were involved.
I was at my friend David’s house. A split-level with a cozy basement. And on the other end of the phone were Susan, Doreen, Lori, and Janet.
We were reckless. Arrogant. Laughing too loud. And we were oblivious to the security of the technology we were using.
Into the phone we were “Speak & Spelling” the most incredibly dirty words two boys of our imaginations and talents could muster. Poking away at the alphabet, much to the glee of the girls on the other end of the line.
“f—u—$—k”
An obvious first choice.
“Fu$k,” crackled the robotic voice, through a tiny speaker.
Wild squeals could be heard from the audience across town.
“p—e—n—&—s”
“Pen&s”, it said.
Screams. Giggles.
It took an hour to exhaust our vocabulary. And honestly, David impressed me with his deep knowledge of crass language. I had never even heard of some of the words we were typing into the keyboard. I nearly barfed.
When we finally hung up, David and I flung ourselves into the sleeping bags exhausted by laughter.
Then.
The door at the top of the stairs creaked open. “David?” asked the voice of his mother. “Could you come up here?”
Well, the karma of our arrogance brought justice of the swiftest kind.
David’s mother had lifted the upstairs line and had listened to the entire conversation.
Every “F”, “$”, and “K”.
And I had to go.
Now.
Not only did I have to admit and own up to my responsibility for the “Speak and Spell Debacle of 1980”, I had to apologize for it. Profusely. To David’s mother. To my parents. To the parents of the gaggle of girls who cackled on the other end of the phone.
And I did. Because it was the right thing to do.
No one died.
Except me and David. On the inside.
The stakes, I know, weren’t very high compared to these strikes in Yemen. People died. Our pilots were put at risk.
But here’s the rub. We had to own up to our carelessness, our arrogance, our smugness. Admit our failures. And then feel the consequences of our actions by apologizing to everyone.
I think I was fired from going to David’s place for the rest of my life.
Mistakes. Apologies. Consequences.
The trifecta that all kids and parents know. These are the guardrails. And they have be dealt with swiftly, appropriately, and calmly.
If there are no consequences, there’s no lesson. The mistake or similar ones will be repeated.
David and I, we are still friends. He ended up being a banker. I’m a songwriter. And occasionally we still laugh, over the privacy of a cell phone. (Even if the government is listening).
Come to a show and hear more adolescent horror stories—I’m criss-crossing the midwest in April. The Northwest and California in May. Or take a vacation with me! See details below.
My best to you all,
Ellis
AMSTERDAM and NORWAY FjORDS CRUISE
Join me and Special Guests Don Conoscenti and Laurie MacAllister for a seven day adventure exploring the coast of Norway on Celebrity Cruises. Day time excursions into the beautiful fjords and villages and evening concerts upon your return! We have added cabins due to poular demand. Leaving Amsterdam June 16-23, 2025. Click the link below for more info!
https://fanclubcruises.com/event/ellis-paul-amsterdam-norwegian-fjords
NEW ENGLAND SONGWRITER'S RETREAT
This year's New England Songwriters Retreat(s) will take place Aug 22-25 or Aug 29-Sep 2 and will be hosted by Ellis Paul & Laurie MacAllister
Come join me and a collection of great instructors for a weekend deep dive into songwriting and creativity! Held in a beautiful historic retreat center in CT with great food and vegetarian options.
Visit this link for details:https://www.newenglandsongwritersretreat.com
LOTS OF LIVE SHOWS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY!
See ellispaul.com/calendar for additional details and ticket information.
Sunday, March 30, Maynard, MA
Tuesday, April 22, Cedar Rapids, IA
Wednesday, April 23, Evanston, IL
Thursday, April 24, Ann Arbor, MI
Friday, April 25, Newport, KY
Saturday, April 26, Columbus, OH
Thursday, May 1, Victoria, BC
Saturday, May 3, Portland, OR
Sunday, May 4, Eugene, OR
Monday, May 5, Rainier, OR
Thursday, May 8, Lowell, OR
Sunday, May 11, Novato, CA
Saturday, May 17, Needham, MA
Sunday, May 18, Brattleboro, VT
Saturday, June 7, Bridgton, ME
June 16-23, Norway cruise!
Saturday, June 21, Bedford, MA
Saturday, July 12, Guthrie, OK
July 27-August 2, Swannanoa Gathering
Friday, August 8, Cambridge, MA
August 22-August 26, NESR 9A, Chester, CT
August 29-September 2, NESR 9B, Chester, CT
Saturday, September 20, Easton, MA
Friday, October 3, Marblehead, MA
Sunday, October 19, Lawrence, KS
Sunday, November 2, St. James City, FL
Saturday, November 8, Providence, RI
Saturday, November 29, Decatur, GA
Saturday, December 6, Franklin, MA
Saturday, January 24, Bristol, RI