OK, let's get something out of the way first.
In high school, I was a big fan of the TV show "Night Court." I especially liked the character of Judge Harry (Harry Anderson), who wasn't so much a "character" as he was a direct port of the actor/magician's own persona. I was so taken by Judge Harry, in fact, that I bought a 30's-era fedora and raided local vintage clothing stores for old ties and fancy duds. That I then wore. To school. I even learned magic and would produce silk scarves or "vanish" sponge balls at a moment's notice. It's a wonder I wasn't beaten up every day.
Anyway, during the first season, the public defender (Billie Young) was played by a pretty, slighty-punkish actress named Ellen Foley. I had a mad crush on her, as did the character of the judge -- the questionable ethics of which didn't concern me at the time.
Later on, Young/Foley was unceremoniously replaced by the inferior, more conservative Markie Post, who provided the requisite sexual tension for the remainder of the show's remarkable (and, in retrospect, complete undeserved) run of nine years. I never recovered from this recasting.
Flash forward to a couple days ago. The Clash's "Hitsville UK" song comes up on iTunes. "Hitsville" is distinctly different from other Clash songs in that it's (1) melodic, and (2) sung by a female. It never occurred to me to wonder who this guest vocalist was, but it was a slow day so I hopped over to Wikipedia, where I learned that the tune was sung by Clash guitarist Mick Jones and his then-girlfriend ... Ellen Foley.
The same Ellen Foley who stirred such warm feelings in my adolescent body!
It turns out, Ms. Foley had been a recording artist prior to her acting career, released three solo albums, and worked with such rock luminaries as Meat Loaf and Joe Jackson in addition to various derivatives of the Clash. She's currently a noted Broadway actress.
And now the damn song is stuck in my head.
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