24 Hours From Tulsa

Last night my friend Liz Rywelski was in town to see Younger Than Jesus at The New Museum. Ryan Trecartin's films Sibling Topics (Section A and Section B), featuring Liz, debuted at the show. In January I (minimally) worked as a PA on these films - it was exciting to see Ryan's vision come to fruition. Ryan is a modern Cassandra - his prophecies about the economy are coming true every single day.

Ryan Trecartin's videos are included in “Louis Vuitton: A Passion for Creation”, which is slated to run from May 22 to Aug. 9 at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. It recounts the French luxury firm’s long association with the art world, from the Art Deco designers who collaborated with the founder’s grandson on trunks to more recent hook-ups on leather goods with contemporary art stars such as Takashi Murakami and Richard Prince. His videos are amongst Vuitton's permanant collection.

Ryan Trecartin, photographed by Moris Moreno for The New York Times


Composite image from Ryan Trecartin's Sibling Topics (Section A and Section B):


Liz Rywelski Portraits: Kmart, Walmart, and Olan Mills, Suits 1, 2 and 3 2002-present:


Before the show, Liz and I visited my new neighbor on Lafayette Street: Baby Grand, a cocktail lounge with a karaoke machine.

Liz performed Smells Like Booty - she requested Nirvana's "Smells like Teen Spirit", and sang the lyrics to Destiny's Child's "Bootylicious". Her voice and dance moves turned the mother out.





I sang Gene Pitney's 24 Hours From Tulsa. I didn't turn the mother out, but a great time was had by all. 24 Hours From Tulsa, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David is a very hard song to sing. All of Burt Bacharach's songs are epic (in every sense of the word)

Burt always had a cinematic vision:

"When I was doing songs with Dionne, I was thinking in terms of miniature
movies, you know? Three-and-a-half-minute movies, with peak moments and not one
intensity level the whole way through. ... You can tell a story and be able to
be explosive one minute, then get quiet as kind of a satisfying resolution."

- Burt Bacharach

24 Hours From Tulsa is the story of a man (or a woman) who was travelling home (to a lover in Tulsa, Oklahoma) when he met someone else, had a one night stand, fell in love, and can never go home to Tulsa. I do believe in love at first sight.



Gene Pitney version of 24 Hours From Tulsa:


Dearest, darling
I had to write to say that I won't be home, any more
For something happened, to me
While I was driving home
And I'm not the same any more

Oh, I was only, twenty-four hours from Tulsa
Ah, only, one day away from your arms
I saw a welcoming light
And stopped to rest for the night
And that is when I, saw her
As I pulled in outside of a small hotel, she was there
And so I walked up, to her
Asked where I could get something to eat
And she, showed me where

Oh, I was only, twenty-four hours from Tulsa
Ah, only, one day away from your arms
She took me to the café
I asked her if she would stay
She said, "okay"

(instrumental)

Oh, I was only, twenty-four hours from Tulsa
Ah, only, one day away from your arms
A juke box started to play
And that turned into today
As we were dancing, closely
All of a sudden I lost control as I, held her charms
And I caressed her, kissed her
Told her I'd die before I would let her out, of my arms

Oh, I was only, twenty-four hours from Tulsa
Ah, only, one day away from your arms
I hate to do this to you
But I love somebody new
What can, I do?
And I can never, never, never, go home again



Dusty Springfield version of 24 Hours From Tulsa: