“We apologize, here they are… The Replacements.” (see story at bottom)
I’m going to stick with the album Don’t Tell A Soul for one more song. The album has a bunch of good songs and this is around the time I stopped following them. I’ve picked the band back up with earnest but a box set was released with this album mixed how it was meant to be.
At the time it was mixed with a pop sheen that felt outdated by the end of the decade. The original mixes are great and this one is one of my favorites off the album…and the band.
They were invited to play the International Rock Awards show and they felt out of place in the star studded audience…then came the introduction…”We apologize, here they are… The Replacements.” You then hear Paul ask… “What the hell are we doing here?” before they start into the song.
Before the show the producers told Paul that they would have to bleep out the line “We’re feelin’ good from the pills we took.” and Westerberg suspiciously happily agreed. He wasn’t going to leave it at that though…they did silence out the line and he rolled his eyes. For the song’s closing “It’s too late to turn back” coda, Westerberg began to sing “It’s too late to take pills” instead—several times. The censors missed it completely and let it go out live on the air… ABC was not amused… the Replacements were ushered out of the building at the end and did not get to participate in on jam.
It seemed most in the audience were too busy looking for another star than actually listening to the music…except Matt Dillion at the end.
Here is the live clip of the event
Talent Show
In my waxed up hair and my painted shoes
Got an offer that you might refuse
Tonight, tonight, we’re gonna take a stab
Come on along, we’ll grab a cab
We ain’t much to look at so
Close your eyes, here we go
We’re playin’ at the talent show
Playin’ at the talent show
Come on along, here we go
Playin’ at the talent show
Check us out, here we go
Playin’ at the talent show
Well we got our guitars and we got thumb picks
And we go on after some lip-synch chicks
We’re feelin’ good from the pills we took
Oh, baby, don’t gimme that look
We ain’t much to look at so
Close your eyes, here we go
We’re playin’ at the talent show
Playin’ at the talent show
Come on along, here we go
Playin’ at the talent show
Hop a ride, here we go
Playin’ at the talent show
Well it’s the biggest thing in my life I guess
Look at us all, we’re nervous wrecks
Hey, we go on next
Talent show
Talent show
Playin’ at the talent show
Playin’ at the talent show
Wish us luck if you can’t go
Playin’ at the talent show
An empty seat in the front row
We might even win this time, guys, you never know
It’s too late to turn back, here we go
…
A fascinating article Max. It made me laugh in places regarding the drug references and their subsequent expulsion from the jam session. I got a distinct Cure vibe from hearing this.
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They would not compromise… that is one of the reasons they didn’t make it big.
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I see. I wonder how they now reflect on their actions and unwillingness to kneel back then.
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They reunited in 2013-2015 or so…sold out a lot of huge places…so they ended up like a huge cult I guess.
Drinking played a part in the earlier actions. A lot of stories out of that era.
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So, it appears they were successful in a way they desired and had an impressive comeback even if momentary. Nice.
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It’s hard to imagine Replacements seeming reminiscent of The Cure, but O.B. might have a point – the opening of the song at least does sound sort of like them , instrumentally at least. Not a bad tune – the one you included was the newer remix, I guess?
We always speculate as to if they could have done better or become mainstream successes but I guess that gives the assumption they WANTED to be popular. Did they, do you think, or were they just happy as long as they could play, had enough for the drinks and drugs and could pick up a girl or two?
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Yes it was the newer mix…check out the mix from back then…his voice and guitar was processed a little too much for me…but it was more commercial.
Yes they did want to be popular…but from the interviews…Westerberg was afraid of failing and success. They always wanted a scapegoat…the book goes into their childhoods…you can see it then. It’s odd…all of the original were high school drop outs and none had driver’s licenses.
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They sound like they really enjoyed playing music.
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That Matt Wallace mix is a lot rawer, right?
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Yes…without the processed voice and guitars.
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A band I know nothing about. Might need to try them out down the road.
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They are worth it…he is a great writer.
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That’s quite a background story. They were ushered out of the building over a drug reference the censors didn’t even catch – jeez!
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Man do I like these guys.
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Me too CB… As you can tell they have been the bulk of what I’ve been listening to lately.
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They will be coming up for an extended listen soon. They are on the spin cycle.
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I have them for two more Mondays on my schedule…I can’t let them go yet.
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I get it.
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I love the determination to have the lyrics heard. I had to laugh at him sticking his tongue out at the camera. It’s a shame that show only lasted three years.
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And…”What the Hell are we doing here”…plus the introduction…We apologize lol
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