Ellie Greenwich

October 23, 1940 - August 26, 2009
Ellie Greenwich Ellie passed away this morning after fighting complications from a stroke.
R.I.P.

Edward Kennedy

February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009

August 21, 2009 Earworm

Jackie DeShannon turned 65 today so I have to give a shout to my first pop star
crush. With that in mind, not that I need a reason, I've been humming "Be Good Baby", one of those of those fluffy confections she whipped up with Jack Nitzsche back in '65.

Have some cake, a great weekend, and be good.

August 19, 2009 Earworm

Following a busy year that brought five top twenty singles as a recording artist and a number one and two as a writer, Neil Diamond decided to leave Bang Records for greener pastures and artistic freedom. What the world did to deserve this is still unclear but we do know that his first three singles for UNI, the wonderful Chip Taylor production "Brooklyn Roads", the also wonderful but not Chipped "Two-Bit Manchild", and the merely okay "Sunday Sun" got trapped in the bottom half of the Hot 100. The debut album that followed didn't help, saddled with the exploitative (and unintentionally funny) "The Pot Smoker's Song" and the schmaltz of "Knackleflerg" and the better tracks finding Neil stuck somewhere between folk pop and Jimmy Webb without the depth to match either. Then, in 1969, a divine plan sent Neil to Chips Moman's American Sound Studios in Memphis and that is how "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" ended up being a (Neil Diamond version of a) butt kicking record.

"Hot August night and the leaves hangin’ down and the grass on the ground smellin’ sweet" and a great church piano lick set the scene beautifully, with the bass providing just enough sin to draw you in and before you know it, you've packed up the babies and grabbed the old ladies and fans are attempting to cut through the heat of revelation. "Cherry, Cherry" it isn't yet the same energy is there and soul it ain't, but it's not quite anything else either. One thing is certain, it wouldn't have worked if it had been recorded anywhere else. Once again, the single mix, heavy with reverb, a bit of double tracked vocal, and a tambourine on the edge of a nervous breakdown blows the album mix away yet that mono mix still remains outside the digital domain.

Sticking with their preferred theme of persecution, southern evangelicals cried that they were being mocked - by a Jewish boy from Brooklyn no less. Neil's story has changed a bit over the years so who knows what the intention was but, if he started out as a non-believer, as he passed the three minute mark he had clearly been moved - just listen to that yelp!

Being a little ahead of the God/Jesus pop curve that was to come, it wasn't a smash hit - it just missed the top twenty - but it, and the album that shared its name, paved the way for a return to Memphis a few months later to lay down the iconic groove that became "Sweet Caroline". Sequined shirts below unfortunate hair would follow and "Cracklin' Rosie" aside, "The Jewish Elvis" would never be the same or as good*.

*I don't care if he was on "The Last Waltz" and I still say "Beautiful Noise" wasn't that good even though it was pretty good.

August 18, 2009 Earworm

In an attempt to answer the musical question, what would Jesus chew, I offer up Teegarden and Van Winkle's "God, Love and Rock and Roll", a chunk of bubblegum from the stacks of 1970 when it had already become a cliche to point out that Jesus had long hair, too. When compared to tracks like "Spirit In The Sky" or "Oh, Happy Day" it comes up lacking but I clearly recall seeing some sort of light coming from its grooves way back then. Although, it may have been only a sugar high.

August 17, 2009 Earworm

The one hit wonder label is as subjective as any other form of reality even if the historical facts found in the charts of Billboard - Cashbox, even - are to be noted. For the buckets of acts handed the title, I can usually agree with only a few cans and even then, someone else will usually be more than happy to kick that around. Songs like "Antartica", "I Got The Message" "Where Do The Boys Go" and "I Like" might not be familiar to everyone - and that last one charted - who loved or despised Men Without Hats' "The Safety Dance" but all three were hits of some sort, somewhere, and the kids of Charles Village and Mt. Vernon danced ourselves silly to them all between '82 and '84.

By 1987, they were laughing referred to as "Men Without Hits", if they were mentioned at all. But, the laugh was on them when, along with cold winter weather, came "Pop Goes The World", a summer single if there ever was one. The silly Zeus B. Held produced thing hit the top twenty with it's giddy fizz about everything and nothing that fuels the world and it was no surprise to most of us that the point (non point) was that we couldn't take it, or anything else, too seriously because "...every time I wonder if the world is right, I end up in some disco dancin all night".

I uncork this for the birthday girl who bubbled up along with me whenever it hit the turntable. Happy birthday, Squirrelfriend.

August 13, 2009 Earworm

A quick check confirms that it's been almost three months since any song involving Paul Weller has been mentioned so, after a minutiae filled conversation regarding the various release formats of Style Council tracks with someone I didn't know at the time that the minutiae was being created, I offer up "You're The Best Thing". Keeping within the spirit of that conversation, I note that I'm not referring to the version that was on "Cafe Bleu" and/or "My Ever Changing Moods" and not the version issued as a single on Geffen in the US and not the UK seven inch "Groovin'" version. I'm referring to the long version of the single mix found on the UK twelve inch version of "Groovin'".

If you're looking for this version, go directly to Universal/Polydor/Chronicles 2003 20th Century Masters compilation, "The Millenium Collection: The Best of The Style Council". The liner notes will inform you that it contains the version found on TSC6, implying that it's the UK 7" edit. It's not.

Okay. Now, who wants to slow dance to one of the best things to ever happen?

12"/80's: Electropop
Release date:
September 1, 2009




As usual, the category is open to endless debate...
And when will we get that extended version of The Cure's "Let's Go To Bed"? It would have been a far better choice over "Why Can't I Be You".

Track List (as reported):

1. Disc One Simple Minds - I Travel
2. Human League - Hard Times / Love Action
3. Japan - Life In Tokyo
4. Yazoo - Don't Go
5. Landscape - Einstein A Go Go
6. Tears For Fears - Change
7. Soft Cell - Torch
8. A Flock Of Seagulls - Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)
9. Talk Talk - Such A Shame
10. Heaven 17 - Play To Win

1. Disc Two New Order - Confusion
2. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message
3. Freestyle - Don't Stop The Rock
4. Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force - Planet Rock
5. Hashim - Al Naafiyish (The Soul)
6. Mantronix - Bassline (Stretched)
7. LL Cool J - You'll Rock
8. The Sugarhill Gang - Apache
9. Break Machine - Street Dance
10. Ollie & Jerry - Breakin'... There's No Stopping Us
11. Was (Not Was) - Wheel Me Out
12. Gwen Guthrie - Seventh Heaven

1. Disc Three Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax
2. Tin Tin - Kiss Me
3. The Cure - Why Can't I Be You?
4. Art Of Noise - Close (To The Edit)
5. Laid Back - White Horse
6. Trio - Da Da Da I Don't Love You, You Don't Love Me Aha Aha Aha
7. Visage - Pleasure Boys
8. Pete Shelley - Homosapien
9. Propaganda - Duel (Bittersweet)
10. Sharpe & Numan - Change Your Mind
11. Jan Hammer - Crockett's Theme
12. Giorgio Moroder, Harold Faltermeyer - Chase

available at Ideal Copy

Rest in peace, Les Paul

(June 9, 1915 - August 13, 2009)


http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/08/13/obit.les.paul/

The latest stroll through the Liberty/Imperial/United Artists sixties masters:
The Complete United Artists Singles

August 12, 2009 Earworm

Is it just me or does it feel like all these people bellowing at health care town halls are very closely related to the South Park bus driver? The best part of the so called death panels supposedly up Obama's socialist sleeve is the idea that a lot of these ninnies screaming that they want their country back should be "of age" sometime soon. And then there's Katy Abram, gulping and screaming at Oren Hatch. Turns out she hasn't given much thought to what she thinks she might want but, damn it, she wants it. Congratulations, Mrs. Abram, you're Jessica Simpson. I hope you didn't take any Pell Grants.

I understand that change is scary but I would think one would want to understand what this country - and that confounded constitution you're bleating about - was and is before you start asking for scenarios that could lead to your kids spending eight hours a day in a sweat shop for a quarter and your granny slipping out her ill fitting wooden teeth before turning a trick for an influenza shot.

I can't be the only person seething on the sofa, wondering when the folks who try to be fair minded are going to snap and if it will be before or after some nutbag kills someone. And really, if all this white trash that's making the news is what democracy is supposed to be, I might be persuaded to give socialism a squeeze just to get some distance.

How can this lead to a song, you may be asking. Easy. It's REM's pulsating pile of getting sick of your bullshit, "Bang And Blame". In an interesting twist - at least to me, "Bang And Blame" was the bands biggest hit since "Shiny Happy People", three years earlier. It was also their last top twenty - and/or forty, for that matter - hit. That makes me wonder what we should think about a country that pushes "Shiny Happy People" to number ten while "Everybody Hurts" only makes it to number twenty-nine.

And heeeeeeeeere's Katy:

Collector's Choice: Jackie DeShannon re-issues

Self-titled debut lp, "Jackie DeShannon"

Two-fer containing 1968s "Me About You" and 1970s "To Be Free". Jackie's cover of Tim Hardin's "Reason To Believe" is included as a bonus track.

"New Arrangement", her lone lp for Columbia from 1975 containing the original version of "Bette Davis Eyes", the gorgeous "Boat To Sail". Three previously unreleased tracks, "Pure Natural Love", "Deep Into Paradise", and "Somebody Turn the Music On" provide an incentive to buy if you've already purchased the Japanese re-issue from a few years back. Take note that the single version of "Let The Sailors Dance", included in that Japanese release, is not included in this format although the Columbia singles "All Night Desire" and "Fire in the City" are.

Order all three cds as a 3-pack directly from Collectors' Choice and receive an autographed "New Arrangement" booklet from Jackie!

Collectors' Choice: USA Records/Destination Records

2131 South Michigan Avenue, a two disc set of USA/Destination records tracks.

Record geeks rejoice!

August 11, 2009 Earworm

Eric Carmen's birthday is August 11th and the best news I can give him is that I recently had a conversation with a thirty-six year old who didn't know "All By Myself" but did know "Hungry Eyes". Perhaps there's still hope. On the other hand, he had never heard of The Raspberries...

Since the whole Eric Carmen conversation got started because I'd mentioned how much the background vocals on Green Day's "21 Guns" remind me of The Raspberries' "Let's Pretend" - and since it's one of my most favorite singles of early seventies - I throw it into your ears. Let me know if it makes you want to kiss someone.

But, that's not all you get! In an effort to further wash the two songs mentioned in that first paragraph from your head, I present Eric's beach bubblegum "She Did It", a top thirty track from 1977. It reminds me of a girl with an Irish face and an Italian name who I was crazy about that summer and who would abruptly stop being crazy about me that fall. No hard feelings, though because this gem still makes me crack a "I just french kissed for the first time" grin whenever I hear it.

Happy birthday, Eric. Stay away from the bottle.

August 10, 2009 Earworm

First, the good news. Those who have waited for a Pete Yorn album that follows through on all that was promised on "Musicforthemorningafter" can stop waiting. "Back & Fourth" is the aptly titled album and not only is it better than the last two but, it's damn close to being as good as the first. With his day in the life - where the day got progressively duller, apparently - trilogy behind him, and Rick Rubin doing that sharp focus thing Rubin-esque thing he does, I'm finally finding myself with a new favorite track each time I listen. Right now, I'm stuck on "Close", the sort of romantic promises ballad that Yorn does so well.

And now, the bad news. Pete Yorn is supposedly working on an album with Scarlett Johansson.

August 7, 2009 Earworm

I've talked before about all those issues of Punk Magazine that would turn up in rural Maryland like divine gifts back in '77, providing glimpses of a world (CBGB's) I'd never seen and talk of music I'd yet to hear. But, I doubt that I've ever mentioned that Willy DeVille - and some fishnet clad, Ronettes revisit called Toots, his first wife, I would later learn - were the first people of that world I ever saw. They weren't attractive but I somehow knew that I'd like what they were doing. And, I was right because, if Springsteen had been Italian and had married a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx, and loved black doo-wop and R&B more than anything else, he'd have been Willy DeVille. And, if Springsteen managed to reach Spectorian heights with "Born To Run", he couldn't top Willy because Willy got some of the finest brick layers of the wall of sound for not one, not two, but three of his albums.

Willy, with the Mink moniker, managed to work with Jack Nitzsche, Steve Douglas, and Doc Pomus but, even if I'd known this at the time, I would not have been savvy enough to connect them to the names that I may or may not have noticed on the labels of those forty-fives of my parents that meant so much to me. In fact, it mattered little because I didn't get around to a copy of those albums until the original Mink DeVille had already split up.

He'd never reach Springsteen heights, hampered with a heroin addiction and a face that lacked charm, but he had a slew of tracks that were far worthier and a Grammy nod of his own for "Storybook Love" from "The Princess Bride"(losing to "The Time of My Life" from "Dirty Dancing" must have hurt but losing to one of the Righteous Brothers probably made it hurt a little less). I've already mentioned "Something Beauty Dying", one of his finest moments with Doc Pomus and of his not so great mid-eighties output, so I'll put "Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl", from "Cabretta", on display instead. It was the first Mink DeVille song I ever heard and loved so it's a good way to start the end.

August 6, 2009 Earworm

According to IMDB, John Hughes wrote or contributed to thirty-seven movies. He is loved for most of them and revered for a few that include "Sixteen Candles","The Breakfast Club", and "Pretty In Pink". If you haven't seen them, your teenage years in no way crossed the eighties.

Critics have claimed that the endings tended to be a bit too forced and the intermingling amongst the types to be romanticized at best. After watching them again since Hughes' passing, I find that I still disagree. Part of the charm of these movies was watching those moments, however brief, when kids with different ideals were forced to come to terms with what the real world would offer after school was completely out, when the safety of the pack mentality would be disrupted by transitions, and each individual would be left to stand alone on his or her merit, with only their record collections to provide clues as to how they defined themselves.

Hughes was known for using music like no one ever had at that point and the song choices always came from the left bank of the mainstream of American pop culture and, if not at the time of release then at the time of filming, just ahead of the curve. I never saw one of his movies without thinking, "I can't believe he used _____!!". Each film had a moment where the scene and the song would meld so perfectly that I would never hear the song without seeing a Hughes visual again. "Sixteen Candles" and Thompson Twins' "If You Were Here" comes to mind first, but there's also one of those moments in "Pretty In Pink" and it's even better.

Having declared himself through with Andie after she destroys a dream that he's waited years to come true by choosing another boy, a rich boy named Blane, to fall for, Duckie's world has crumbled. Unaware of Duckie's feelings or unwilling to see them - a vagueness that is just one of the many problems with "Pretty In Pink" that makes it the weakest of the three films, she further humiliates his desires by bringing the rich boy to the very club that he's finally managed to slip in to - under the pretense of being the son of Iona, Andie's boss and mother figure - after months of waiting outside night after night for her. Andie's world has also been shaken as her first romance forces her to mingle with the rich crowd that treats her like trash, and then again, when Duckie treats Blaine with equal disdain. Iona, herself, gets a jolt when Duckie gives her a kiss full of pent-up needs and anger to spite Andie, making her aware of what's missing in her relationships.

Cue the anxious and tentative plinkety plink opening of New Order's "Shellshock" as we see morning after begin and Duckie once again on riding his bike in circles just out of sight of Andie's house, unable to stay away, hoping he won't see something that makes his heart stop beating.

Bravo.

August 5, 2009 Earworm

As a singer, Paula Abdul is a damn fine dancer but she managed to put across a few fine pop confections during her brief time on the music radar. "Cold Hearted" still makes me wiggle and I still think that "Rush Rush" is a lovely clump of romantic cotton candy. But, her flat out awesome moment began and ended with "Straight Up". I've not watched "American Idol" since the end of season two but I can't imagine watching it without her there to soften the bray of Simon Cowell's t-shirts and the constant "Dawging" of Randy "I was only good enough for the touring band of Journey so I need to constantly remind you that I got street cred" Jackson.

Rumor has it that she might end up as a judge on "So You Think You Can Dance" and I look forward to not watching her on that program. I'll just watch the "Straight Up" video instead and be thankful that there's no rapping cartoon cat (or Dawg).

August 4, 2009 Earworm

Proper respect should be given to Green Day's opening act as well because the Kaiser Chiefs still managed to get us moving despite a crappy sound system and the rudeness of the crowd. Unfortunately, they didn't include their wicked cover of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" where they obviously imagine the original was done not by Marvin or Gladys but The Clash circa "Sandanista". It's said that they tossed this together during a three hour layover for inclusion on "Help: A Day In The Life", the 2005 installment of the War Child benefit albums - one that couldn't get what would have been a very helpful US release - and it sounds like it in all the best ways.

August 3, 2009 Earworm

It's been obvious for sometime that Billie Joe Armstrong is enjoying being a rock star. As Green Day has morphed into whatever it is that Green Day now is, their television appearances have captured a band leader in full swing and control of his audience. Fortunately, none of that Bono smug smudged him when both bands came together to herald the arrival of the saints.

After seeing them jump start my August last Saturday, it became clear that Billie Joe's idea of "one" is more about the audience than it is about him or his band. Considering the personalities the trio have shown, both individually and collectively, that is no small achievement. Arena sized acts rarely include audience participation and I can't think of another that polls the audience for anyone who can play a particular song on guitar and then give hand guitar duties for said song to a lucky musician to be. And, while it is not unusual for an arena sized act to allow the audience to take the chorus on a song, I'm unaware of one giving up the microphone for one of their biggest songs - in this case, "Longview" - to one audience member per verse. To be clear, these were not "let me jump in the audience and point the mic" moments, these people were brought on stage and unleashed and, in the case of the not so novice guest guitarist, an energy that matched Billie Joe's was set loose, keeping perfect manic pace with the leader of the band's cheerleader on black beauties antics.

Still, the moment my heart briefly stopped was when "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" stopped being the (first) cell phone waving moment and opportunity for the crowd to fill in the "I walk alone, I walk alone" lyric. Going into the second chorus, Billie Joe didn't bother coming in at all, and allowed a surprised audience to take it all the way home. And they did. They struggled a bit with the first two lines but nailed "Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me" and upon completing "'Til then I walk alone" you could see the surprise in everyone's face that they weren't, in fact, walking alone at all. And if you think I was being a sentimental fool imagining things but I've talked with many attendees of this tour, including my bro-date for the evening, and they all saw it, too. The kids were alright and, for a few moments, no one was alone. For the sake of brevity, I won't even go into the "21 Guns" moment except to say that I knew he'd never be able to hit that note night after night and that it really didn't matter at all.

I'm glad to see Billie Joe's rock and roll dreams come true because I think that right now we need a rock star who still has snot on his nose and isn't afraid to let his audience be offended by the things he stands for or against and who will let an obviously intoxicated six foot pink bunny warm up the crowd by leading them on the "YMCA" dance. And, all for the low, low price of fifty-bucks. Regardless of where you sat.

July 29, 2008 Earworm

I've found myself yelling "JESUS CHRIST!" quite often as I watch the political shenanigans of the money changers and those who are doing their best to support them. With that outrage comes the deep seated Methodist guilt for tossing the guy's name around like that. As penance, I take the easy way out and refer to a 45 that I played until it was white back in 1975, "Operator" by The Manhattan Transfer. In case any wingnuts or zealots see this, I warn them that repeated plays will not have the same effect on the president.

And, in unrelated news, Creed's new album is supposed to drop next month.

July 28, 2009 Earworm

April 1983: the once was one Heaven 17 and Human League send out their separate, and decidedly different, messages of perseverance. With its clumsy lyric, "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" could easily be taken for a love song but I never heard it as such. It was all too spontaneous - that clumsy lyric helped, like a poorly planned pep rally, where the details are overlooked in favor of the bigger picture. On the other hand, "We Live So Fast" was as serious as you could get on a dance floor, where the pace of the damn thing forced you to commit to the endeavor. And that might be the reason that "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" became the League's first #1 on the club play chart - yes, I thought "Don't You Want Me" had already done that, too - and second top ten on the big chart while "We Live So Fast" couldn't get beyond #34 on the former and didn't get near the latter.

July 2009: I'm reminded that I could once keep up with both these records even if my coif could not and am determined to do so again.

If he's remembered at all, B.J. Thomas would probably be remembered for that "My Heart Will Go On" of 1970, Grammy and Academy Award winning "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head". If not that, it may be for the original version of "Hooked On A Feeling" or, thanks to the King's constant plundering of B.J.'s catalog, the guy who sang a lot of the same songs Elvis did.

By the time "Hooked On A Feeling" was released, Billy Joe, backed by The Triumphs, the band he joined in high school, had been recording singles for minuscule labels for more than five years. In 1964 they came close to a regional hit with the deliciously creepy "Billy and Sue" on Bragg but interest faded just as quickly as it had begun, a fate that a lease deal with and re-issue on Warner Brothers couldn't stop. The act eventually came to the attention of Houston's legendary Huey P. Meaux and they recorded an album with him with the intention of selling the product at their shows. Having promised his father that he would include at least one country song amongst the R&B covers, B.J. finished the all night album session with an exhausted cover of "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". Smelling a hit, Meaux released the cut as a single on one of his many small labels and watched as it took off.

Scepter Records stepped in with a national offer which was accepted with the provision that any B.J. Thomas releases would be sold in Texas on Meaux's label while the rest of the country would get the product on Scepter. "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" hit the national top ten in 1966. The maudlin "Mama" followed it a few months later, just missing the top twenty. Meanwhile, another label, Hickory, picked up the lease on the now two year old "Billy and Sue" and gave it another go. This time the swampy tale of battlefields and infidelity gave B.J. and the boys their third top forty single. Scepter issued a handful of singles, mostly the remaining Meaux tracks already released on his label, but couldn't get the act anywhere near the top forty in 1967. Meaux finally closed his Pacemaker label at the end of that year relinquishing B.J., and Pacemaker's A&R man, Steve Tyrell, to Scepter, and a B.J. was sent to Memphis to Chip Moman's American Studios for a new direction.

The first single from that union was "The Eyes Of A New York Woman", a record that can barely conceal the feelings of freedom, relief, or joy. The American boys - and Moman - propel B.J. along his journey into a new world and a new love, shamelessly borrowing the string line from that earlier American classic, "The Letter", and a few other tricks to boot. I can not hear this record without smiling or throwing my arms wide open to embrace it and, much to Dan's chagrin, I can't play it just once or twice.

"The Eyes Of A New York Woman" only got to twenty-eight but it paved the way for the top five "Hooked On A Feeling". There are many of us who will argue that it should have been the other way around.

July 16, 2009 Earworm

Back in '76, my next door neighbor went mad for The Rubinoos' cover of "I Think We're Alone Now" but I wasn't impressed. Even then, I found some things to be holy and messing with Tommy James was already an act of treason in my eyes. The picture sleeve showed a photo of teen-age boys that one could mistake for the next pile of Leifs and Seans but without the polish. After driving me crazy with the damn thing for a week or two, an accident led to the wrong side of the record being played and the world got a little more sunny and then blacker as her hand reached for the tone arm, aiming to cut off what I now hear as a lost Beach Boys song with a pinch of The Cowsills sprinkled in the mix. Back then, all I heard was one groovy summer song.

Quite a bit later, the neighbor would take my virginity. I, in turn, took her Rubinoos 45, picture sleeve and all. It's in very fine shape after all these years which is more than can be said for what she got.

July 15, 2009 Earworm

Texas started out stepping into the shoes of Lone Justice (Mach II) which kind of made sense in light of their relationship, via Johnny McElhone, to Hipsway and the soulful voice of lead singer Sharleen Spiteri. Three albums later, interest was lagging so the band sound some way to throw most of pop history into a blender and make something beyond delicious. The result was "White On Blonde", debuting at number 1 on the UK album chart, spawning four hit singles - one of which answers that not often asked question, "What would The Grass Roots sound like if Diana Ross sang lead"..., and being completely ignored in the US.

Adding more beats and another layer of gloss, 1999's "The Hush" also debuted at number 1 and, with the second single, "Summer Son", gave us the best record ABBA never made. I first heard it while being spoiled in business class, comfortably flying to London. Having given up on the band around the time of their second album, it took me forever to figure out who it was. Within hours of getting off the plane, I had picked up a copy of "The Hush", "White On Blonde", and their freshly released "Greatest Hits".

Ten years later, you can still find Dan and I jumping around with hands in the air whenever it hits the decks and you'd have to be pretty wooden to resist. Hands Up!

July 14, 2009 Earworm

All that talk of Michael and The Jackson 5 inevitably leads my inner jukebox to their rivals, The Osmonds. Sweet and toothy, they bit into a track written for, but passed on by, the 5 and "One Bad Apple" ended up at number 1 for five weeks, just as "Mama's Pearl" was released. Manager Mike Curb was wise in sending the brothers to Rick Hall's Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, probably as far from their origins as they could get without a brothel being involved. Trying the lead vocal with both Donny and Merrill, with the perfect confection created with a smooth blend of both and Osmond mania exploded.

Curb was smart enough to follow up "One Bad Apple" with a cover of an obscure Roy Orbison track, "Sweet And Innocent"*, credited to Donny Osmond (of The Osmonds) before bothering with a formal Osmonds follow up, gaining two acts for the price of one. Before we knew it, there was Little Jimmy, the Scrappy-Do of the family, and then Marie was unleashed.

As 1974 played out, Donny and Marie were everywhere singing uninspired cover versions of the songs of yesteryear - dragging along the mold of most of Donny's solo career it seemed - and the other brothers must have seen the writing on the wall. Before quietly fading into the background they worked out the blue print for every boy band who had aspirations to blue eyed soul and "Love Me For A Reason" jumped to number ten - their first visit to that neighborhood since the bizarre "Down By Lazy River" thirty months before. As a proud lover of "Quit Playing Games With My Heart" and several others of its ilk, every eight or nine years I find myself as thankful for "Love Me For A Reason" as I was when it was first released. In another odd turn, one of the composers of "Love Me..." was former Motown wunderkind, Johnny Bristol. Want another odd turn? "Ben" was intended for Donny but scheduling conflicts made it impossible.

Don't get me wrong, I know The Osmonds were no Jackson 5. But, the Jackson 5 weren't no Osmonds either. So, it all worked out perfectly.

*I'd chalk it up to simple nostalgia except that I hated it when it came out, but as goofy as it is, "Sweet And Innocent" sounds mighty awesome as I type this. And as gooey as "Go Away Little Girl" and "Puppy Love" still are, Donny's cover of "Hey Girl" is a damn fine record, too. Seriously. I mean it. But, I had no Osmonds posters on my wall...

July 13, 2009 Earworm

So, now it's over and we've had a few days to digest. Every conversation that I've had about the er... spectacular has included some take on "It was pretty tasteful considering...", which is all well and good except that no one is sure as to how that sentence should end. First, I have to say that a rousing rendition of "We Are Going To See The King" is not the most tasteful choice to accompany the wheeling out of the King of Pop in a red rose topped casket that, through several unfortunate shots in CNN's coverage, ended up resembling a giant overdecorated chafing dish. Speaking of that title; when did he get promoted? The last I heard, he was the (self-proclaimed) Prince of Pop. Perhaps I missed a coronation or, maybe that was the coronation.

Many wonderful words were spoken, many that seemed inappropriate - particularly when spoken directly to the children of the deceased, and a few that seemed to be tossed out as an advance defense of any horrible discoveries pulled out from under a bed or the back of an underwear door. Brooke Shields' words proved to be the most effectual, alternating between awkward and humorous as the truth often does, reminding us that the King of Pop was a human being just like us, only with more accoutrement, and daughter Paris, of course, brought that point home merely by referring to him as "Daddy". After that, all the jokes seemed a little less funny and many of us realized that something other than a legend was now gone. Even Jermain seemed off limits after his beautiful rendition of "Smile" and he could finally be forgiven for that duet with Pia Zadora. Father Joe didn't speak and, after his label hawking at the BET Awards, that's probably the best thing about the whole show.

Still, I find that I have to go way back to find a place in Michael Jackson's history where there wasn't a joke or rumor attached. Back to the beginning, in fact.
I was only four years old in 1969 when "I Want You Back" was released, backed by that stunning version of Smokey's "Who's Been Lovin' You" that, during the spectacular, finally got the attention that it deserved. "ABC" followed and it's around that time, I recall, that I pitched a fit for my mother in an attempt to get a copy of "16" or "Tiger Beat" magazine because The Jackson 5 were on the cover with a fold out poster at its center. Next came "The Love You Save", a record so good that it stands as one of Motown's finest and comes with one of Jermain's finest moments on the flip, "I Found That Girl", all made even better by fold out poster on my wall. And then came the angelic "I'll Be There", impeccable and impossibly mature in delivery for a twelve year old, sung with such ease that Mariah Carey should forever hang her head in shame, and the biggest hit of Motown's "Detroit era". Four instant classics in a row, all going to number one, and all within a year. One Christmas release later - they never really count - and the spell was broken: "Mama's Pearl" stopped at number two, suffering from sounding too much like "ABC" and "The Love You Save" yet not enough and, perhaps, the group's over-exposure.

"Never Can Say Goodbye", again stopping at number two, eased the transition of Michael to solo status but "Got To Be There" could only make it two number four. For the next two years the chart results were uneven and the release schedule was filled with novelties and remakes and one Stylistics sound-alike, "Maybe Tomorrow", that barely sounded like a Jackson 5 record; not surprising as it had been written for Sammy Davis Jr. and possibly arranged for Diana Ross at her gloopiest. "Sugar Daddy" would hit number ten at the beginning of '72 but the Jackson 5 wouldn't reach that bracket again until "Dancing Machine" in 1974. Two years later, fed up with the label that set them into orbit and then kept them under strict control, the group dropped the 5 and moved over to Epic. Even there, they'd only manage two sizable hits, "Enjoy Yourself" and "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)" within the three years before the success of Michael's "Off The Wall" hinted at what was about to happen. As wonderful as 67% of "Thriller" is, the Michael on my wall would not be seen again after the Motown 25 special, growing bigger with each single/video yet fading away behind gloves and jackets and Bubbles and zombies.

A day or two after Michael's death, a friend asked if I didn't think it was too soon to be making with the jokes. It took me a few moments to realize that my answer was no because he'd been a joke for so long. And it only took a few moments with Brooke and Paris to realize that I was wrong. My Michael may have been gone for a very long time but Brooke's friend and Paris' father lived far longer.

I don't know what comfort they will find in it but Michael will live on. Through endless repackaging, through the torrent of tell-alls that are bound to come, and through the steps of Usher and Justin and whoever the next generation brings to replace them, and within the grooves and bytes, Michael will be there.

Just look over your shoulder, honey...

June 25, 2009 Earworm

The best laid plans yada, yada, yada. Bad timing abounds as my planned departure time fades into the past. Yet, Split Enz's "One Step Ahead" - the one that was gonna put them over in the US - rolls around my head. It didn't put them over. Maybe it was the white shoes in the video at the wrong time of year. Regardless, it's a classic.

I miss my fringe.

June 24, 2009 Earworm

Pac-Man, Asteroid, Space Invaders. Five teenage boys, ages 14 to 17, in the video arcade at Security Square Mall in 1980. The only song they all sing along with is Rockpile's "Teacher Teacher". One of the boys is taking it more seriously than the others.

Lesson two, nothing new...

June 23, 2009 Earworm

It's just a slap and tickle to get from Squeeze to Paul Carrack and if you grab Nick Lowe - which everyone involved did at some point - you get Paul's solo hit, "I Need You", which managed to squeeze into the top 40 back in the summer of '82. I wore out two copies of the 45 before finally realizing that I needed the album.

His latest album is great, too. Finally.

In related news, Elvis Costello will be playing on The Tonight Show in about thirty minutes. If you don't know how that is related, I don't know why you are here.

June 22, 2009 Earworm

Mondays are always murder but another one passes and we're much more lucky than Francesca in Squeeze's bestest b-side, "What The Butler Saw". "The porch light, the torch light, the frosted morning lawn. The cloak of daylight has finally been drawn on the tale of what the butler saw".
Wonderful.
But, not for Francesca...

June 19, 2009 Earworm

The results of recent Facebook quiz show that a majority of my friends think that my favorite movie is "Desperately Seeking Susan". It's not. Not that there's anything wrong with it. In fact, it's probably the most accurate depiction of the two worlds co-existing, and often clashing, to be found in a mainstream movie. Plus, you get Madonna dancing to her own "Into The Groove" and even the harshest critic of Madonna had to admit that it was a damn fine record. The Q-sound mix found on The Immaculate Collection, to my ears, pointlessly tampered with a perfect thing so look for the UK cd single of "Angel" if you want the real thing in digital form.

Have a great weekend.

June 18, 2009 Earworm

When Yaz announced their break up in '82, no one knew what to expect of Alison Moyet on her own but no one expected the high gloss sheen of her 1984 solo debut, "Alf", either. While it became a much loved, and played, album that seemed to be in the collection of everyone I knew, there was also a hint of disappointment that came with it. When the follow up album came with even more gloss, everyone got the clue that her label was determined to make her a pop star in any way possible. The four year absence of new product led many to believe that she, or the label, had given up or that she simply shattered into a million brittle over produced pieces. A new decade and a new single, cheekily titled "It Won't Be Long", and we finally received the record that sounded like something we'd have expected. The parent album, "Hoodoo", only made the wait more worthwhile. A Grammy nod and one more album, heavily manipulated by the label (again), and Alison finally made it clear that she had no interest in making records only to be a pop star and waited out the next eight years of litigation it took be a true solo singer.

When Thompson Twins shook off a couple of members and, after the accidental success of "In The Name of Love", realized they just might have a pop career on their hands, they set about making their third album. Tighter, shinier, bigger and better, they threw out a preview of their future, "Lies", in October of '82. Aided by a sublimely silly video for MTV and constant club play, it reached number one on the club charts and left me anxious for the release of what would become one of my favorite albums of the decade. It also started my undying crush on front man Tom Bailey, he of the pleading eyes, pouting sneer, and flirty fringe. I never missed a Thompson Twins record but I never loved one of them as much as "Quick Step And Side Kick".

Happy birthday to Alison Moyet and Tom Bailey.

June 17, 2009 Earworm

Psychopharmacology fall out, information overload, or emphatic ennui? That's best left for the listener to decide but "Restless Heart Syndrome" is currently my favorite track from Green Day's "21st Century Breakdown". How 'bout those strings!

June 16, 2009 Earworm

Today saw the release of the remastered Big Star albums, "#1 Record" and "Radio City", two legendary albums - everybody has heard of them, even if they've never heard them - that still have not reached gold or platinum status after thiry-seven and thirty-five (respective) years. As with the last cd re-issue, the two albums are combined on one disc, this time with two single mixes added for good measure.

"#1 Record" was released in 1972 just as the band's label, Ardent, was in a dispute with it's distributing label, Stax, guaranteeing that every one who read the unanimous praise from the musical taste makers would be unable to buy a copy. "Radio City" was released in 1974 just as Stax was in a dispute with its distributor, Columbia, and the same fate would befall it. A third album, shelved by the all labels for lack of commercial appeal, wouldn't see the light of day until four years later when its release followed a double album repackaging of the first two. One year and a second hand copy later, "The Ballad of El Goodo" allowed me to finally understand why everyone slammed The Knack for not being true power-pop. It's a simple song of desperate determination mercifully devoid of romanticized machismo usually running rampant on the range of The Eagles. And if, over the years, people have come to the conclusion that the lyrics are too simple, well... those were simpler times, I guess.

With all due respect and apologies to Wilco, The Bangles, Elliot Smith, and The Loud Family (to name just a few) and absolutely no respect or apologies to Counting Crows, I am not impressed with covers of any Big Star songs. The exception to that being "Holocaust" and "Kanga-Roo" by This Mortal Coil (it's This Mortal Coil for heaven's sake!) and "Thirteen" as it appeared, tucked away on the "b-side" of "Push It" by Garbage. It's easy for me to imagine Shirley Manson as the recipient of Big Star's version, a girl in a hand me down halter smoking a crumbled cigarette pilfered from her mother's purse, callously singing borrowed words to her next conquest, completely aware of her impact but not yet aware of the damage it may cause. Or, the starter version of the predator we met in "Queer".

June 15, 2009 Earworm

When old favorites attack, nothing can stop them. Not even knowing that it's not a particularly good record. Actually, I take that back: "Wham Bam" by Silver is actually a pretty good record, beautifully crafted and produced, it's the song itself that's a bit weak. But, that hasn't stopped me from playing it on a regular basis for the last thirty odd years.

Silver went as quickly as they came, never able to follow up the minor success of the one hit they got after the song was forced upon by co-producer Clive Davis. The rest of the album, filled with the band's own songs, explains why.

May 08 & 09 Earworm

The last few days have been a total drag. Friday night brought a plague-like summer cold that slapped me into fourteen hours of sleep followed by mountains of crumpled tissues and the realization that over two hundred channels does not guarantee a steady stream of good movies. By Sunday night, I was sick of being sick and sore from coughing, sneezing, and lying about and that's when Dan began to cough...

Monday morning brought a realization that my computer is not well either and I'm still not sure of its ailment but, as of Tuesday, I'm sick of diagnostics. Maybe tomorrow... Nope, that won't happen because I'm taking puppy to finishing school for a few weeks and that makes my heart sick.

So, waaa, waaa, waaa.

The flip side turned out to be the a-side and, while myself crazy checking and re-checking cables, I accidentally played the wrong cd and the "Wanted! Young Man, Single, And Free" came screaming out of the speakers. Friends, I can not tell you just how high a man can jump when that comes at him unexpectedly. Even more impressive is just quickly a man recover, grap Mr. Microphone, and make a fool of himself. Lesson learned: if your wig is bigger than the pillow you use for crying, get a new bed because somethings aren't worth the headache. Thank heavens for The Honey Cone and "Want Ads".

Going hand and hand with "Want Ads" is "Somebody's Been Sleeping" by 100 Proof Aged In Soul and its fairy tale turned adulterous paranoia. Both tracks came from the pen of Norman Johnson, Barney Perkins, and Greg Perry, who also produced them under the guidance of the Motown free Holland-Dozier-Holland. Both also include performances from lesser known siblings of better known stars: in the case of The Honey Cone, Darlene Love's baby sister, Edna Wright, and Levi Stubbs' brother Joe, formerly of the Contours, led 100 Proof. Most importantly, both records sat in that holy stack of vinyl that belonged to my parents when I was a kid, still keep vigil in my own stacks, and I doubt that I'll ever be sick of either one.

June 04 & 05, 2009 Earworm

Two quintessential California blonds celebrated a birthday yesterday and today: Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas and Terri Nunn of Berlin. Michelle is now the only surviving member of her group and Terri is now the only of the group that made her famous, although she was not a founding member. Both are also beautiful and, in their time, were often appreciated more for that - and they're romantic or sexual exploits - than for there voices.

"Creeque Alley" is the much loved story of the paths that led to The Mama's and The Papa's own dreams coming true but even this celebration of the turmoil filled groups success has a sad twist: no one seems to know if that is Michelle on the record or Jill Gibson, girlfriend of producer Lou Adler and Michelle's replacement after being fired for her many "indiscretions". There have been many different accounts of the recordings made during that time with Michelle ultimately admitting that the only two people who know for sure are Adler and engineer Bones Howe.

"Sex (I'm A)" is Berlin's most discussed record, "The Metro" is probably the most loved by fans, and "Take My Breath Away" stands as their biggest and most commonly known song but "No More Words", from their second album, "Lovelife", is the record I played and danced to the most. Georgio Moroder's production and mixing skills are as busy as ever and all that percolating syncopation still leaves me craving a cup of coffee.

Both songs are best heard in the versions most difficult to find these days. The mono single mix of "Creeque Alley" has a more ad-hoc feel to it, suggesting an intimate live setting that best fits the material and a triumph repeat of "Becoming a reality" that is missing from the stereo mix. The twelve inch remix of "No More Words" adds more bubbles for your dance floor pleasure and, even after all these years, still brings the smell of poppers to my mind.

Happy birthday, ladies, and a have a great weekend.

June 03, 2009 Earworm

I was minding my own musical business when I happened to notice that Susan had posted a "video" of Dee Clark's "Raindrops" on Facebook and now I have it on endless repeat. I'm happy to note that Dee's testicle shrinking shrieking on the fade out still rattles me as much as it did when I was a wee one.

The production by Vee-Jay house wunderkind, Calvin Carter, was slicker than anything the label had yet released, and was awarded with their first appearance on the adult contemporary charts for it. For all its sophistication and sheen, it's that twangin' guitar, later used to great effect for Jerry Butler's "Moon River", getting along quite nicely with a strange arrangement that ranges from the subtle and cinematic to the buoyant and down right silly, that makes "Raindrops" as endlessly memorable as it is.

"Raindrops" peaked at #2 in 1961, held back from the top spot by Gary US Bonds' "Quarter To Three", a record that couldn't have been more different but what could have been a cure for what ailed Dee. It was Vee-Jay's biggest top 40 hit to date but dubious royalty was about to take the label all the way.

Susan, I hope you cheer up and dry out soon. And let us know if you need a lifeboat.

June 02, 2009 Earworm

After leaving "Yellow House", The Beach Boys and Steely Dan jumped aboard Jefferson Airplane for a very special trip with a stop-over at Graceland; Paul Simon's, not Elvis Presley's. This is just one way to describe Grizzly Bear's latest album, "Veckatimest", but you'll have to throw in more reverb and some obligatory Spectorisms to get to "Cheerleader" which, for today at least, is my favorite track.

I'll go ahead and call the whole thing enchanting and intriguing because it is and because don't want to harsh anyone's mellow. What concerns me is this feeling I've had lately that our indie spiritual guides are drifting a bit too close to the edge of Yes and the other prog rock dinosaurs we once despised for their over elaborated concepts. With "Veckatimest", it's clear that the grasp of this issue for some of our most recently celebrated bands is fragile.

June 01, 2009 Earworm

I am so impressed with Mandy Moore's "Amanda Leigh" album that I can't spotlight just one track, so I'll present the 70's AM gold that is the first single, "I Can Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week" and "Fern Dell", a song that I'm having such a hard time getting my head around that I can only say "Simon & Garfunkel and Nilsson on Broadway" and know that I'm not even close to nailing down what I'm hearing. "Amanda Leigh" brings proof that the further Mandy Moore drifts from the mainstream, brighter burns the fire that allowed her to noticeably melt the edges of even the worst cheese her career endured. The guidance of producer and main co-writer Mike Viola (Candy Butchers) allows her to come up from under the gloss and dross of her Epic albums, the heavy hand that often hampered the heaviness of "Wild Hope", and, most importantly, lets the songs leave their mark without stating that they are making a statement.

The most impressive thing about "Amanda Leigh" is not that it is impressive for a Mandy Moore album. It's simply impressive: no caveat is necessary. That's not to say there isn't room for growth but the leaps that have been taken suggest that there is bound to be more.

Now, what's up with the video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsCr9TJ84EE

May 31, 2009 Earworm

Since a morning coffee date on Friday lasted until it was time for another date for dinner, and with a wish to get these two records that I've had running around in my head for weeks now posted, it's time for a special Sunday edition of the earworm. This works out just fine since one of the records, "You Won't Even Know Her Name", is by a girl/woman calling herself Josephine Sunday. Little is known of Ms. Sunday beyond the fact that she hailed from Washington D.C., her real last name was Visaya, and that her father was born in the Phillipines. All that information, and that she performed the song on American Bandstand in 1965 looking like a lost Ronette, are culled from the liner notes of RPM's excellent compilation, "Girls Go Zonk".

The Ronettes look is quite appropriate in that "You Won't Even Know Her Name" is one of the better Spector homages. It's short and sweet, catchy as hell, and as a cute as a button. It's also an early Mike Curb production, well before he unleashed the likes of "You Light Up My Life" and Debbie Boone upon us, so we'll considerate it as antidote to that horror. Josephine's known discography contains only two other singles while Mike Curb's goes on for years and years proving that life is not always kind.

"The Homecoming Queen's Got A Gun" by Julie Brown is a pastiche of a homage and hysterical in a way that would never fly in these post-Columbine days. Pulled from her 1984 Rhino e.p., "Goddess In Progress", and showcased in a cheap and cheesy video, it found in a home in the gay clubs where Julie had first found an audience and eventually made its way to MTV. References to this silliness are still quoted in certain circles, many that still surprise me, long after Ms. Brown's shtick wore out its welcome.

Julie followed up the success of "The Homecoming Queen's Got A Gun" with a full length LP called "Trapped In The Body Of A White Gilrl" which only proved that brevity served her well. To her credit, her 1992 satire of Madonna's "Truth Or Dare", called "Medusa: Dare To Be Truthful", is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

Okay, I've shaken May out of the way. Now we can move on to new old things and the many many new new things that have blowing my mind. And, in case you wondering, I did it for Johnny...

May 28, 2009 Earworm

As good as Marshall Crenshaw's debut single, "Something's Gonna Happen" - released on Alan Betrock's Shake label in 1981, was, it was clear that something was going to happen. It did, but not quite as expected. Signing to Warners Brothers in '82, his debut album was called a masterpiece by just about everyone who heard it. Despite some action for "Someday, Someway" that same year, Crenshaw's records never reached the audience those in the know felt he deserved.

Rhino's "The Definitive Pop Collection" finally brought "Something's Gonna Happen" to the digital realm for those of us who missed it the first time, having been left off the expanded re-issue of his first album. The man couldn't make a bad record if he tried, no matter what some think of the drums on "Field Day".

May 27, 2009 Earworm

Continuing with three in one pattern, all of todays songs are the result of a second chance in one way or another. All three failed to make an instant splash the second time around either but have achieved a cult following that continues to grow.

The Royal Guardsmen are best known for "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron" and its many sequels but their first forty-five, "Baby, Let's Wait", is the one I love the most. It's plea of not rushing into a commitment drenched in echo and drowning in its organ heavy arrangement sounds like a man trapped between his heart and his future. The (Young) Rascals had already recorded the Lori Burton - Pam Sawyer composition (following creative, if not huge commercial, success with the team's flawless "Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart (Anymore)") but left it as an album cut on their debut, leaving the singles field open. It may have been too heavy - in every sense of the word - for the dj's of '66 but it finally found an audience upon re-release in '68 and would be the last hit for The Royal Guardsmen. If the songs scenario sounds familiar, it may be because co-author (with Lori Burton) Pam Sawyer would revisit the theme with The Supremes' "Love Child" as part of the songwriting team The Corporation. The song has shown up on several compilations over the year but I've yet to find the mono single mix available in digital form. So bad is the stereo mix that I've resorted to doing a little Sound Forge magic on my own to approximate the claustrophobia found in the grooves of the 45.

Orpheus was born in Worcester, Massachusetts and signed with M-G-M in late 1967. Their self-title debut album and the single, "Can't Find The Time" were released the following January. The single stopped at #111 but the album did well enough (#119 on the album chart) to warrant the release of two more albums. Finally cracking the Hot 100 with "Brown Arms In Houston" in 1969, M-G-M re-released "Can't Find The Time" and it crept to #80 as the band was falling apart. Chief songwriter, Bruce Arnold, would sign a newly staffed Orpheus to Bell Records in 1970 for one final album before disbanding the group in 1972. "Can't Find The Time" would hit the charts one more time in 1971, recorded by the Dallas act Rose Colored Glass, peaking at #51. A version by Hootie And The Blowfish was recorded for "Me, Myself, And Irene".


Little Jimmy Scott suffered from a rare genetic condition known as Kallman's syndrome that left him with the body of a prepubescent boy and the voice of an angel. He began singing while ushering at a Cleveland theater, performing for the crowd that lingered after the headliner had finished. Working his way to New York, he formed a close friendship with Doc Pomus who, at that time, was still trying to make it as a blues singer. Jimmy finally saw success in the late forties as the vocalist on the Lionel Hampton Band hit "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" although the success was hindered by a label credit that read "with male vocalist". Signing a with Savoy Records, owned by Herman Lubinsky, a man notorious for his cruel and deceitful dealings, would bring some immediate success, the arrangement would effectively halt his recording career for nearly two decades. As his recordings for the label stopped finding an audience, Jimmy signed with Ray Charles' label, Tangerine, and the Genius himself produced an album that was hailed as a landmark in jazz vocals. As buzz for the album grew Lubinsky brought suit against all parties involved, resulting in the album being pulled and a disillusioned Scott returning to Cleveland and menial jobs, losing touch with Pomus in the process. In 1969, and again in 1972, Atlantic recorded albums for Jimmy but the release of each would be hindered by the litigious nature of Herman Lubinsky and Scott would again return to Cleveland.

Doc Pomus never forgot Jimmy or his voice and began searching for him during the eighties with no success until he came across a concert listing for a show Scott was doing in Newark. Reunited with his old friend and with Lubinsky having died in '74 and finally out of the way, Doc began shopping tapes of Jimmy to anyone who would listen. Failing to get Scott a deal, he wrote a letter, published in Billboard, venting his frustration and daring those who would probably show up at Scott's funeral in hipster fashion only to foster their cool credentials to record this singer before it was too late.

Pomus died without seeing Jimmy signed but, after hearing Jimmy sing "Someone To Watch Over Me" at Doc's funeral, Seymour Stein was so impressed that he signed Scott to Sire Records. The resulting album, "All The Way", and it's title track, are stunning. Scott also sang with Lou Reed on "Power And Glory" that year and was seen singing "Sycamore Trees" on the series finale of "Twin Peaks". He has released ten further albums, been nominated for a Grammy, and performed with Michael Stipe, Antony and The Johnsons, and Pink Martini.

May 26, 2009 Earworm

Due to poor planning on my part, Tuesday is a three for one. The three up for comment have absolutely nothing to do with each other except that, in my mind, they all are linked to my father for one reason or another. Having spent ten days in close quarters with him, it's no wonder that they've been fresh in my mind.

First, the kind of repugnant "Hot Child In The City" by Nick Gilder, a record that was just beginning its 31(!) weeks on the chart as my eight year estrangement from my dad ended. Over a rather sparse, and quite nifty, arrangement, Gilder's lyrics were just empty enough to allow the listener to fill in the blanks of their own fantasy - the boys with the "slut" down the block, the girls searching for their own sexual identity - and to suggest that the author's own understanding of women was gained through Penthouse Forum and evenings observing from a lonely corner of a fern bar while breathing through his mouth. "Hot Child In The City" could have only been a number one record in the seventies, at a time when everyone was okay 'cause you were okay. Nowadays, Chris Hansen would be at the door once the demo cut. And, as we learn during the bridge, it would be not a moment too soon.

Second, the beautiful, if not deceptive, 1967's "Summer Rain" by Johnny Rivers which must have been left for dead by the Baltimore oldies stations on which I was raised because, prior to discovering a copy whilst bin diving in the 25 cent per copy pile in 1978 - just as "Hot Child In The City" was finally on the wane, I'd never heard it. Jim Hendrick's lyric suggests domestic bliss at it's finest on the surface but what's with the constant recollection of the summer that just ended? I've never seen any explanation from the songwriter or its singer but I've always felt that Johnny's quite surprised to find himself where he ended up and quite unsure of how he feels about it.

Third, the stupendous "Ball Of Fire" by Tommy James and The Shondells, their last top twenty hit, a fine way to close out 1969, and a tumultuous decade. It is here that Tommy's music began to incorporate his spiritual leanings as he pleads with the listener to look beyond everything that is slipping through their fingers to what is always with us. "Ball Of Fire" has been in my life for as long as I can remember but, perhaps due to the crumbling second marriages of both my parents, it became a particular source of comfort during 1978 and my longing for any sense of normalcy. It would also jump back into my heavy rotation starting September 11, 2001 when it showed up on an unmarked cassette tape found under my car seat that day, its second verse and the unfortunate timing sending shivers down my spine as I drove home to the safest place I could envision.

After writing all of this, I realize that all three of these records are, to me, about longing. Hmmmm... thanks for the session; how much do I owe you?

May 25, 2009 Earworm

I couldn't let the day go by without acknowledging Paul Weller's birthday. That's Entertainment.

May 22, 2009 Earworm

Holy Crap! Morrissey turned 50 today.
Even holier? Jerry Dammers turned 54.

Let's wish Moz an "Unhappy Birthday" and hope that Jerry celebrates all "Friday Night, Saturday Morning". But not together.

Have a great weekend.