Today's Blind Items - One Mad, Sad Moment Forever - A Himmmm Blind Item - Part One

(NOTE: This is a very long blind item story, as long as the Elvis Pallbearers item.  Feel free to bookmark it, save it, or read at your own pace - or skip it if you're not into TL/DR – you were warned.  There's a video on Youtube you can watch after reading this, as we're sure you'll figure it out.  We'll be posting links on our Twitter page later to some videos, not to reveal but just to share as a reward to those who read it all.  There are two people telling the story of this night: Me, your trusty Himmmm 1 scribe here; and my cohort Himmmm #3 (or H3).  He's a world-class musical talent, and one of the most underrated drummers in rock history.  Best of all, he's just a regular nice guy; great family man; and a severe chainsaw samurai.  The memory of this event comes from both of us, blended into one narrative for your enjoyment.  As in the past - I'm sorry if it's a departure from the blinds of scandal, evil abusers, or cheating/drugs/whatever.  Although it does have celebs in it, this is not some major mystery to unravel.  It's just about sharing a story that is very special and crazy.  Real life usually is.  So, for you - our friends here at Crazy Days and Nights – we share a memory of a crazy night.)

Sometimes we don't know the biggest, most epic moment of our lives until they've passed.  Sure we have those big moments like the birth of a child, a wedding day, a graduation, or a big day at work.  But sometimes what we think is going to be an amazing day turns out to surpass even our wildest dreams.  Something so massive; so tremendously large that we can barely comprehend it 27 years later.

This is the story…and I smile whenever I remember it.  Thankfully due to video and audio, I'm grateful I can still relive it.  This story is about one of those moments that make you glad you lived and carry it with you. It's about the glory, excess, and perfection of this (foreign rock band) at the top of their peak fame, when all the world is theirs.  When all the madness, sadness, and gladness are part of life.  It's not meant to be a big mystery – and you'll likely figure out the band right off the line here.  But it's a moment worthy of sharing.  Best of all it all really happened and I was there - with a few souvenirs too that remind me of it all.

We will set the time travel DeLorean back to 1991, and the pre-internet, no mobile phone days when MTV played videos.  George Bush (the first) was President; the Soviet Union had just collapsed; the cola wars were over – and the world seemed optimistic for once.  People wanted to party, to enjoy freedom around the globe, and it was an amazing time for music, movies, pop culture, and hair gel.  It was a sweet spot there for a few years between hair rock and grunge; between hip-hop and gangster rap; and between Debbie Gibson and Alanis Morissette.  People wanted to have fun with no worries – and there was one band in particular that took them there.

I first met these members of this band at a Queen concert in a foreign country when I was a kid - barely a teenager.   Outside of their native land few were keyed in to this new band.  I met this young band of brothers, and they went out of their way to be super nice to me.  It was our closeness in age – even though they were all older than me – and a love of music that kept us together as we became friends over the years.
 
Wasn't long after we'd met that they signed to a record label with which my family was involved.  Out of the blue, the band had a pretty big hit album, and suddenly were very popular with teens/college crowds and females of every age.  There was another company that my family was involved with in the early 80's and 90's, that produced music videos and movies - including producing videos for this new band.  So whenever I could I would catch up with them while they were making their videos, and we'd always have a blast.  Being a teenager and being friends with those guys didn't damage my dating prospects either.  Somehow I felt my dates weren't just interested in only me.
 
The band had put their soul into their new unreleased album, and I thought it was staggeringly perfect.  Unfortunately, my family company and the executives didn't agree.  Popular myth holds it that the record label so hated the new album, that when it was turned in for approval the manager of the band was offered $1 million for the label to trash it and go re-record a new album.  The band's manager tried to get the marketing execs behind him, but in private they were nervous.  The band persisted, released it anyway, and underground college radio spun it until it broke through the mainstream.  That's sort of true.  The reality was that after turning down the $1 million offer, the label executive left a copy of the album with his boss.  Who chucked it upstairs to his boss.  From there it wound up in my teenage hands.  I knew it would be a hit.
 
After hearing about the manager's battle, I got in touch with the head of college radio marketing.  He was under siege by the manager too.  I told him that I could get the CEO of the parent corporation to approve it if he'd agree to the manager's plan.   I badgered the utter hell out of my family and everyone until they started taking a listen.  I literally stood on my Dad's desk and threw a total teenage tantrum until he agreed to listen to it and my arguments for it.  My brattiness paid off, and he caved in to this kid and my love for this band.  The label agreed to release it, and the college radio marketing team took off with it.  Seeing the sales rise, the label was very happy.  When the singer's personal manager found out – she was an angel - I got the nicest call from the singer thanking me for helping.  He called me "little brotha" (in reference to the brothers in the band), and told me we'd get together soon. Five million copies of that one album sold since then proved my bratty teenage tantrum was correct.