After I heard on the radio and then ten minutes later on television that musician Robert Palmer had died, I told my mom (who is not well versed in music at all, especially beyond the mid 70's) that Shania Twain had created a spoof of his video for "Addicted To Love." I then began to explain how in Palmer's video, identical looking women backed him and that Shania used identical looking men.

Before I had the chance to do this, she chimed in with, "I know 'Addicted To Love'". I was totally surprised. She knew who Robert Palmer was. She knew the concept of the video. Therefore, she had seen the video.

To know why this is so shocking to me, you have to know my mom. In June, we headed to Wal-Mart so that she could buy a cd single. It was her first cd purchase ever. She also bought hit collections from The Carpenters, The Neville Brothers and I believe The Temptations and Otis Redding. She owns dozens of records (from the Jackson 5, The Supremes, The Commodores and the like) and until this summer, our living room audio setup consisted of speakers, a receiver and yes, two record players purchased before I was born. Also, she went to a concert in July. It was her first since she saw the Jackson 5 in like 1971.

When I asked her how she knew and recalled the Robert Palmer video so well, she told me that it was a video that was bigger than MTV. I guess commercials and advertisements of all kinds parodied it. Plus, it was back when MTV not only played music but had very little to play so it was in constant rotation. She said the song was huge and after all this time, she remembers it well.

I'm still a bit curious as to why she recalls this song, but not songs or artists that were bigger at the time. Because there's something a bit odd when someone who has a record collection full of 60's and 70's soul can name Robert Palmer, his tune, and describe his video, but has no clue who Prince is.

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