In what must have been the spring of 1986, so just before we moved to the Huntsville area, the Oxford (AL) High School concert band played a Billy Joel medley as part of its spring show. Included was “Leave a Tender Moment Alone,” from Joel’s LP An Innocent Man.
I just listened to it for the first time in decades and was amazed at how vividly it took me back to being 15 years old, sitting in the bandroom (long ago destroyed during improvements) and working on that song. The trombone players didn’t have much to do in this arrangement, so I’d swing my right arm back and forth contributing to chords while the clarinets played lead. Among the clarinet players was my good friend Abby (not her real name). I remember deliberately watching her play during this song. Abby and I like liked each other—we called it love, even—but she never liked me quite enough to break up with her boyfriend.
Now had these circumstances coalesced a mere three or so years later, I’d have valued myself highly enough to press the issue (“come be my girlfriend or I’m moving on”). I wasn’t that guy yet, though. I was just pleased to have the scraps I had. Sigh.
For several years I tried to include Abby on a Precious Hearts tour, but we couldn’t ever get it together. When I figured out she had a jealous husband (is there a more tedious stock character?), I told her I’d love to see him too, and even her dad (with whom I also had a relationship) if he wanted to come. That was enough for us to put a plan together, but then she canceled last-minute, and I gave up after that.
So, I guess you could say I left a tender moment alone. (Sorry.)