1990s – Page 4 – PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

Beatles – Christmas Time Is Here Again

It’s that time of year…and this is one-holiday song that is on my list and not worn out. I first heard this in 1994 when I bought the Beatles Anthology album. I never knew of this song before. This song was never officially released until it appeared as the B-side to “Free As A Bird” in 1994. I’ve posted it every year since I’ve blogged and will continue to do so…it’s repetitive but I like it…it drives home the point.

My friend Dave posted this song in 2021 and he has more info than I do so check it out.

The song is credited to Lennon-McCartney-Harrison-Starkey. The original version was distributed to The Beatles fan club in 1967. It’s the only song written specifically for the Beatles Fan Club members. Along with the Beatles…actor Victor Spinetti and roadie Mal Evans were on the recording.

Between December 1963 and December 1969, they sent out 7 flexi discs that had spoken and musical messages to their official fan clubs in the UK and the US at Christmas time.

The Beatles recorded this in 1967 and wasn’t released until 1994 paired with “Free As A Bird”. It is a fun Christmas song that will stick in your head. The Beatles did not release a Christmas song commercially… only to their fan club when they were active.

I like the end where each Beatle tells you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Many performers of this era like The Beach Boys and The Four Seasons released Christmas songs, but The Beatles never had an official Christmas release.

Christmas time is here again

Christmas time is here again
Christmas time is here again
Christmas time is here again
Christmas time is here again

Ain’t been round since you know when
Christmas time is here again
O-U-T spells “out”

Christmas time is here again
Christmas time is here again
Christmas time is here again
Christmas time is here again

Ain’t been round since you know when
Christmas time is here again
O-U-T spells “out”

Christmas time is here again
Christmas time is here again
Christmas time is here again
Christmas time is here again

Ain’t been round since you know when
Christmas time…[music continues and fades to background]

[spoken]

This is Paul McCartney here, I’d just like to wish you everything you wish yourself for Christmas.

This is John Lennon saying on behalf of the Beatles, have a very Happy Christmas and a good New Year.

George Harrison speaking. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you a very Merry Christmas, listeners everywhere.

This is Ringo Starr and I’d just like to say Merry Christmas and a really Happy New Year to all listeners

[a John Lennon pastiche at this point, very hard to understand]

Paul Kelly – How To Make Gravy

Happy Gravy Day in Australia! It happens every December 21st in Australia because of the first verse of the song.

Here is a Christmas song that is good on any day of the year but one we don’t hear much in America. I looked up “Gravy Day” in Australia and this is what I found: Gravy Day is an unofficial Australian holiday as marked by Kelly in his song, How to Make Gravy. The song is written from the perspective of a recently incarcerated man, Joe, as he writes to his relative, Dan, from prison.

Paul Kelly: “I started thinking… maybe I’ll write it from the point of view of somebody who is missing Christmas, who can’t get to Christmas, why can’t they get there? Maybe they’re overseas and they can’t get home. Then I thought, ‘Oh, he’s in prison’. The song wrote itself from there.”

The song is written in the form of a letter from a prisoner named Joe, addressed to his brother Dan, shortly before Christmas. Joe expresses regret about missing Christmas with his family, gives instructions on how to make gravy (a key part of their holiday meal), and reflects on family members, relationships, and the pain of separation.

I like great storytellers…and Paul Kelly is one of them. His music touches on many styles. Country, rock, folk, reggae, bluegrass, and touches of many more styles. He has been described as the poet laureate of Australian music. He writes about everyday life that many people can relate to. I’ve seen this stated about him… Paul Kelly’s songs dig deep into Australia’s culture.

As for who will make the gravy in the song, the question has been debated over the years, although most believe it to be Dan as Joe is sharing the recipe with him.

And yes the recipe in the song is real for gravy.

Paul Kelly: “It was a song that doesn’t have a chorus, it’s set in prison, so I never thought it would be a hit song or anything.”

How To Make The Gravy

Hello Dan, it’s Joe here
I hope you’re keeping well
It’s the 21st of December
And now they’re ringing the last bells
If I get good behaviour
I’ll be out of here by July
Won’t you kiss my kids on Christmas Day?
Please don’t let ’em cry for me

I guess the brothers are driving down from Queensland
And Stella’s flying in from the coast
They say it’s gonna be a hundred degrees, even more maybe
But that won’t stop the roast
Who’s gonna make the gravy now?
I bet it won’t taste the same
Just add flour, salt, a little red wine
And don’t forget a dollop of tomato sauce
For sweetness and that extra tang

And give my love to Angus, and to Frank and Dolly
Tell ’em all I’m sorry, I screwed up this time
And look after Rita, I’ll be thinking of her
Early Christmas morning when I’m standing in line

I hear Mary’s got a new boyfriend
I hope he can hold his own
Do you remember the last one? What was his name again?
Ahh, just a little too much cologne
And Roger, you know I’m even gonna miss Roger
‘Cause there’s sure as hell no one in here I want to fight

Oh, praise the Baby Jesus, have a Merry Christmas
I’m really gonna miss it, all the treasure and the trash
And later in the evening, I can just imagine
You’ll put on Junior Murvin and push the tables back

And you’ll dance with Rita, I know you really like her
Just don’t hold her too close
Oh, brother, please don’t stab me in the back
I didn’t mean to say that, it’s just my mind it plays up
Multiplies each matter, turns imagination into fact

You know I love her badly, she’s the one to save me
I’m gonna make some gravy, I’m gonna taste the fat
Ahh, tell her that I’m sorry, yeah, I love her badly
Tell ’em all I’m sorry, and kiss the sleepy children for me
You know one of these days, I’ll be making gravy
I’ll be making plenty, I’m gonna pay ’em all back

Yeah, do-do-do-do, do-do
Do-do-do-do, do-do

…

Chris Isaak – Round ‘n’ Round

In 1993 Chris Iaasak released the album San Francisco Days. I’ve had this album playing at work, where I listen a lot. It is well-balanced and very likable. I picked this song for the guitar sound of James Wilsey, it’s a little different from his reverb playing because it has more crunch to it. He is the guitarist who played the guitar for Wicked Game and made it memorable with that dreamlike quality.

San Francisco Days was his fourth studio album, was inspired by the city, and features some rock, blues, and his unique singing style. He is a guy that I know because of Wicked Game but like Greg Kihn, there are more things to like but the hits by him. He did have a hit on this album called Can’t Do a Thing (to Stop Me) that peaked at #7 on the Billboard Alternative Charts and #36 in the UK. I will post it above Round ‘n’ Round at the bottom.

When Chris was growing up he was influenced by 1950s rock and roll and country music. Two of the artists that influenced him were Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison. You can hear those two artists in his work, especially Orbison. He developed a unique singing style and he can be called a crooner. He released his first album, Silvertone, in 1985. He did get some critical acclaim but not much commercial success. That all changed with this third album Heart Shaped World with the single Wicked Game which was featured in the David Lynch film Wild At Heart.

Chris Isaak on making San Francisco Days: “I kind of set out to make this one a little bit different, People did say that the other albums were very similar. But I’ve always felt like I had something legitimate to say with that style. Otherwise, it would be like a painter saying, ‘I already used blue in my early paintings, so I’m not using it anymore.’ Still, I always want to learn some new tricks.”

Round ‘n’ Round

Here we go round & round.
State your case and then sit down.
Tell me why you want to go,
I don’t love you anymore.

Here you go mad again.
Tell me that your just a friend.
Tell me something I don’t know.
I don’t love you anymore, I don’t love you anymore, yeah.

When I do go, I’ll let you know.
It might hurt you, but I don’t think so.

Here we go round & round.
State your case and then sit down.
Tell me why you want to go,
I don’t love you anymore, I don’t love you anymore, I don’t love you anymore.

…

Max’s Drive-In Movie – Jurassic Park

In 1993 I went to see Jurassic Park and was blown away. I returned two more times and took my Dad to one of the showings. This movie has become part of pop culture and is considered a classic movie. It’s odd thinking of a classic movie that I saw at the theater in real-time.

I’ve always liked dinosaurs since I was a kid but on film, they never looked like I imagined. They usually were claymation or men in suits. I really like claymation a lot on most things but the dinosaurs just never looked right. I do not crave great special effects…the original Star Trek is great to me with its red beams stunning people. They were always able to convey the story and that is enough for me…but dinosaurs were not beams of light or the transporter.

When this movie was released it was shocking. It was a game-changer in so many ways and brought CGI to the forefront. Today younger people can not imagine what it was like seeing dinosaurs come to life that actually matched our imaginations. This is what we were used to.

To see a T-Rex with the new DTS surround sound in a theater was frightening…in a great way though. The most significant change was the way the dinosaurs interacted with their surroundings. This movie benefitted from the new technology…where I think the original Star Wars was not improved by Lucas’s tinkering with CGI trying to improve them.

The movie now is considered a classic for good reason. An island full of dinosaurs who terrorize people… a simple plot but extremely well done. From beginning to end this film is just an enjoyable watch. Back in 1993 when it was released these never-before-seen effects wowed audiences, and even now it still holds up with the animatronics and CGI combo to most things today. When the Brachiosaurus first appeared on the screen, the movie was sealed.

I do believe that CGI can be and has been overused at the expense of a story. In Jurassic Park, they got it right. It still stands up today but now we are so accustomed to CGI that this movie doesn’t get noticed as much…but when it was released everyone took notice and it upped the game in special effects.

Spielberg made the movie after the book Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. I just read it and the movie doesn’t follow the book exactly but does keep the spirit of it. I’ve noticed that the three Jurassic Park movies used some scenes from this book as well. The book was much more bloodier than the film by a large margin.

The reason for the success other than the CGI was that Spielberg kept the plot simple. There were not 100 subplots that you had to follow. Billionaire John Hammond creates a groundbreaking theme park with live dinosaurs cloned from ancient DNA. Before the park opens, Hammond invites expert paleontologists Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler, mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm, and his grandchildren for a preview tour. However, when a greedy employee sabotages the park’s security systems, the dinosaurs escape containment, creating chaos.

The actors were good and the children didn’t over act too much at all. It was a balanced cast and a well-made film.

Quotes

John Hammond: All major theme parks have delays. When they opened Disneyland in 1956, nothing worked!
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but, John, if The Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don’t eat the tourists.

______________________________________________

John Hammond: I don’t think you’re giving us our due credit. Our scientists have done things which nobody’s ever done before…
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.

The trailer was fantastic. They showed you just enough of the dinosaurs to make you want to see the film.

…

Bethel Dipper

No music, movie, or TV Show today on this post. Let’s do Americana…not the music but the places. I love older buildings that represent the style of the era they were built. What’s more Americana than a milkshake, cheeseburger, and fries?

When I grew up we had a place named Strattons that was the dairy dip downtown in our small two red light town. It was the kind of place where you walked up to the window, ordered, waited, got your food, and then either sat on a picnic table or ate in your car. I remember doing that in the mid to late 70s with my sister. It was a very 70s-looking building but in the 1980s it was torn down and rebuilt. It became a 1950s-themed restaurant which was cool…but I missed the original dairy dip. Anyway, here is a picture of it before it right before it was torn down to make room for a Walgreens. Oh, how great progress is…NOT.

Below was the 1950s-themed Strattons before Walgreens in 2010.

I was in Russellville Kentucky yesterday and I went to this establishment called The Bethel Dipper. I have been there a few times in the past and it looks really good at night with the carnival-type fluorescent lights. I like Russellville and want to move there one day. This place is kinda off the beaten path but not too much. It’s like walking into the past and I just wanted to share this.

I have tried to find the history of it but my guess is it started in the 60s. When you see the picture below take your best guess. Not only is the building really cool looking, I love the roof jetting out, but you will not believe the prices. I have the menu below the building. I asked them how they were able to keep it so cheap and they told me that they only take cash. The debit card companies wanted so much for each card swiped. They also don’t have an expensive POS system to pay monthly on. They also keep their menu simple and very good.

Strattons right before it was torn down.

…

Art Bergmann – Bound for Vegas

I’m learning more about Canadian musicians as the years go by and I love what I’m finding. I have some Canadian followers and I appreciate all of your insights. CB suggested Bergmann and I’ve been listening to him this week. He is all over the map and gives you a great variety and he rocks. The more I heard the more I think of Paul Westerberg.

He has some quirky and deep lyrics throughout his songs. He also doesn’t always play by the music business rules. One band he formed was called the f**k band which turned into Los Popularos for a short time.

Art Bergmann is a Canadian singer/songwriter and a pioneer of punk rock in the country. Born in Vancouver…he was in the punk scene in the late ’70s, playing with bands like the Young Canadians (originally The K-Tels). Their track “Hawaii” (I love this surf punk song) became locally popular and set the stage for Bergmann’s career.

In the 1980s, Bergmann went solo, and his music started to change, blending his punk roots with elements of rock, folk, rockabilly, and even country. His debut solo album, “Crawl with Me” (1988), produced by none other than John Cale of The Velvet Underground, put him on the map. His songwriting kept getting edgier with albums like “Sexual Roulette” and “Art Bergmann” in the early ’90s. He has recorded a total of 12 albums with his last one coming in 2023 with the name of ShadowWalk: Legacy of Love.

Bound for Vegas is off the 1990 album Sexual Roulette. One critic wrote that the album is“Art Bergmann in Paul Westerbergish form” and then he described The Replacement’s new album All Shook Down as “Paul Westerberg in Art Bergmannish form.” I do get a heavy Paul Westerberg vibe or is it the other way around? Either way, he is good…listen.

Bergmann was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2021. He said this about it: I just thought it was a joke by maybe some friends that have grown up through the years and now work … at the Governor General’s office. I have been toiling in the underground for years, and awards like this are kind of anathema. So, you know, this would be the ultimate leg-pulling, I would think.

Art Bergmann: “People always say, ‘You’re so angry, and your words are so dangerous.’ And I say, ‘Does everybody forget Jimi Hendrix and the Stones and the Who and all the great rock and roll stuff?’ Everybody forgets what it is, you know.”

Art Bergmann: “I sort of grew up with music all around, my parents were heavy into classical —my dad thinks music died after Beethoven, so there was a lot of that around the house. And I had to sing in church; that’s where I got to know harmony from, I guess, and melody. And then my older brothers were greaseballs, and they had all the great stuff like Eddie Cochran and Elvis and Buddy Holly.”

Below is another song I was going to pick…Unfaithfully Yours.

Bound For Vegas

Load up the trucks
Don’t forget the make-up
We’ve got the six semis
For the money
None for the show
We’ve got our costumes ready
Got to go go go

Bound for Vegas
Bound for Vegas

Who’s got the map
Who’s gonna navigate
We’ve got six shows
On the strip
It’s a sellout
Wayne Newton doesn’t
Want us to be late

It’s in my heart
I’m making a financial start

They call me the performer
I guess they always will
Call me the entertainer
Don’t retire me yet
I ain’t over the hill
I ain’t had my fill

It’s in my heart
I’m making a financial start
I’m a never was
Trying to be a has-been
A has-been on the come-back trail
Come-back to me
On the Vegas scene
By the age of fifty

Good-bye Vancouver, Good-bye Toronto
Good-bye New York
Even the St. Louis blues
I said buy Detroit, buy New York
Ain’t going Route 66
Give me I-85

Bound for Vegas
Bound for Vegas

…

Carlene Carter – Every Little Thing

Thank you run-sew-read for making a comment and including this song. I have had this one in the draft section for a year. I started to really pay attention to Carter in the late 80s and early 90s.

I first heard her album C’est C Bon and it was alright but it had a pure 80s pop sound. By the time the ’90s came around, I could hear a change and I liked it. I heard a little more of her country roots plus a bit of pop in the best way possible.

Carlene Carter was the daughter of June Carter Cash and her first husband Carl Smith. She later married Nick Lowe. She grew up as part of the Carter Family legacy which strongly influenced her musical style, blending traditional country with contemporary pop.

Every Little Thing was released in 1993 as the lead single from Carlene Carter’s album Little Love Letters. It was produced by Howie Epstein and released by Giant Records. The song peaked at #3 on the Billboard US Hot Country Songs and #3 on the Canada Country Charts.

The song was on her Little Love Letters album released in 1993. It peaked at #35 on the Billboard Country Charts and #2 on the Canadian Country Charts.

Every Little Thing

I hear songs on the radioThey might be fast or they might be slowBut every song they play’s got me thinkin’ ’bout youI see a fella walkin’ down the streetHe looks at me and he smiles real sweetBut he don’t matter to me‘Cause I’m thinkin’ ’bout you

Every little dream I dream about youEvery little thought I think about youDrives me crazy when you go awayI oughta keep you locked up at homeAnd like a wild horse I want to break youI love you so much I hate youEvery little thing reminds me of youHoney when you leave me here all alone

My tongue gets tied when I try to talkMy knees get weak when I start to walkSo I might as well stay home and keep thinkin’ ’bout you“the young and the restless” on my tv setThat’s just like us when we first metAnd when they start to kissin’Got me thinking bout you

…

Paul Westerberg – Dyslexic Heart

I know much more about The Replacements than Paul’s solo career but I’ve been listening and I’ve liked what I’ve heard. This song has catchy guitar riffs running through it and is accessible. It’s a good one to introduce him solo on here. During the 1980s Westerberg’s songwriting was second to none. I’m finding a lot of his solo work the same.

This song was used in the 1992 movie Singles and appears on the soundtrack along with tracks by Jimi Hendrix, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Chris Cornell, The Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, and more. Another Westerberg song, Waiting For Somebody, is also on it. The album peaked at #6 on the Billboard Album Charts. Dyslexic Heart peaked at #4 on the Billboard Alternative Charts. The album helped open up grunge to the mainstream.

Cameron Crowe (a huge Replacements fan) had asked Westerberg to contribute a couple of songs to the soundtrack. He made this song right after the Replacements disbanded. The following year, he would release his first solo album called 14 Songs.

The Replacements started out as a punk band. They eventually switched over to a more rock approach with rock songs and ballads. Westerberg remained a true punk in spirit with his irrelevant attitude.

The Singles soundtrack played a key role in popularizing grunge, and some even referred to Paul Westerberg as the “Godfather of Grunge.” Westerberg responded to this label with humor and humility:

“I don’t know… I guess I wore a plaid shirt, and yes, I played real loud, but… what is grunge? I don’t know. I don’t hear a lot of melody in what they’re doing on the West Coast. Nirvana, I suppose, has some hooks, I can see that, but a lot of it sounds to me like Boston with a hair up its ass. The Ramones probably have more to do with it than we did. Play Ramones records on 16 and you’ve got grunge!”

That response is one of the reasons I’m such a fan of him.

Here is a fuzzy video of him live in 1993.

Dyslexic Heart

You shoot me glances and they’re so hard to read
I misconstrue what you mean
Slip me a napkin and now that’s a start
Is this your name or a doctor’s eye chart?

I try and comprehend you but I got a dyslexic heart
I ain’t dying to offend you, I got a dyslexic heart

Thanks for the book, now my table is ready
Is this a library or bar?
Between the covers I thought you were ready
A half-angel, half-tart

I try and comprehend you but I got a dyslexic heart
I ain’t dying to offend you, I got a dyslexic heart

Do I read you correctly, you need me directly
Help me with this part
Do I date you? Do I hate you?
Do I got a dyslexic heart?

You keep swayin’, what are you sayin’?
Thinking ’bout stayin’?
Or are you just playing, making passes?
Well, my heart could use some glasses

Are you stayin’?
What are you sayin’?
Well are you swayin’?
Are you just playing, making passes?
Well, my heart could use some glasses

I try and comprehend you, I got a dyslexic heart
Do I read you correctly, I need you directly
Help me with this part
Do I love you? Do I hate you?
I got a dyslexic heart?

…

Del Amitri – Not Where It’s At

I first heard Del Amitri in the 90s. I remember hanging out in West End of Nashville at that time. It’s near Vanderbilt University and was a really hip place to be. I was looking for some Roger McGuinn glasses. Those small rectangle glasses that were very popular in the ’60s. I searched shop after shop and could not find them. I finally found them around closing time. Anyway…boy that was a long story but I remember that is when I heard Del Amitri for the first time…hey it stuck with me!

Some songs I hear and I think…I wish so much I would have written this song. This is one of those songs because it’s catchy without being too sweet. Not a profound lyric (teenage angst) in this one but clever and it’s the overall sound…right up my cobbled power pop alley. The crunchy and jangly guitars mesh with each other. This wasn’t as big as their other song Roll To Me but I always favored this one by a long shot.

I would have never guessed this wasn’t an American band. They formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1980. The band was larger in the UK than here. This song is from the album Some Other Sucker’s Parade which peaked at #6 in the UK and #160 on the Billboard 100 in 1997. This song was played on our main rock station and got quite a bit of alternative play…if it came out today I would buy it.

The band was started by Justin Currie (vocals, bass) and a group of schoolmates. Currie became the constant band member over time. When they started they were influenced by Joy Division and The Cure. They switched to power pop and released their self-titled debut album in 1985. Waking Hours (1989) was their commercial breakthrough, featuring the hit single “Nothing Ever Happens”, which became a chart success and fan favorite. They have had 5 top-ten albums in the UK. They also had an astounding 15 top 40 hits in the UK. A shout out to CB who sent me a few of their songs and I’ve been happily getting reacquainted with this band.

It’s funny how some bands can get back on your radar. The Replacements are one of those bands that I rediscovered because of blogs. When I hear Del Amitri I think of a modern Badfinger because of the crunch and jangle of the guitar that feeds my inner power pop soul.

They took a break in 2002 but reunited in 2014 for a series of live shows. They continued to tour periodically in the following years. In 2021, they released Fatal Mistakes, their first studio album in nearly two decades, which was well-received by critics and fans alike.

Justin Currie: We’ve never pretended we didn’t want to be in the mainstream. I don’t mean in terms of sales, but in terms of everybody should be able to get our music. To me, that’s one of the functions of pop music. You bring everybody together in a room to sing along to a catchy tune.

Rhythm Guitar player Iain Harvie: “Probably about 80 per cent of the songs on this record don’t have overdubs, apart from the vocals obviously, with all the harmonies, and maybe the guitar solo if there was a really dreadful mistake in the middle that we just couldn’t live with. Wherever possible, we recorded with our live format of bass, drums, two guitars and keyboards for most of the songs.”

Not Where I’m At

With some girls it don’t matter who you hang withWith some girls it don’t matter how you talkAnd some girls they are easy to be yourself withBut the one girl that I wantAin’t easy to please with what I’ve got

With some girls it don’t matter where you’re aimingWith some girls it don’t matter how you actAnd some girls they don’t care what car you came inBut the one girl that I wantShe wants that one bit of geography I lack

Yeah, she don’t want me‘Cause I’m not where it’s atYeah I’m not where it’s at

And some girls they will worry about reactionsAnd some girls they don’t give a damn for thatBut somehow I ain’t ever in on the action‘Cause the one girl that I wantShe wants that one little quality I lack

Yeah she don’t want me‘Cause I’m not where it’s atYeah I’m not where it’s at

I don’t have my finger on the pulse of my generationI just got my hand on my heart I know no better location

Yeah she don’t want me‘Cause I’m not where it’sI’m not where it’sI’m not where it’s atYeah I’m not where it’s at

…

Mouse and the Traps – You’re Gonna Miss Me

I want to thank Aphoristic Album Reviews for featuring this band in his Nuggets series. I loved the song he posted so I found a few more that I like from this band. I am guilty of having too much trivia in my head, but I never heard of this band, not in reading about obscure bands or their music. I like their music and the sound of their lead singer. I would have liked them no matter what just because of that name.

Mouse and the Traps is an American garage rock band from Tyler, Texas, active mainly during the 1960s. They gained a cult following for their gritty sound that represented garage rock well. The band is best known for their 1966 hit single, A Public Execution, which is really Dylanesque plus some Byrds thrown in.

They began their career releasing “A Public Execution” under the name of Mouse. That was the nickname of their lead singer Ronnie “Mouse” Weiss. Their second single in 1966 was called Maid of Sugar-Maid of Spice and they added “And the Traps.” They have had different members through the years but a constant from their original lineup is Ronnie Weiss, Dave Stanley, and Ken (Nardo) Murray.

Much like Phil from Notes From The Cactus Patch did in the 1960s…Mouse and the Traps toured around Texas, especially Dallas. They toured around the state feverishly, playing clubs, colleges, parties, and even proms. There were occasional touring dates out of Texas, but, for the most part, they remained a very popular regional band.

They have released a bunch of singles and a few collection albums that were released in 1982, 1995, 1997, and 2009. They finally released an album in 2020 called Walking In Dylan’s Shoes. In 1972 they were added to Lenny Kayes Nuggets compilation album of different garage bands.

Graham from Aphoristic Album Reviews wrote: Mouse and the Traps surely hold the record for the longest gap between a debut single and a debut album. ‘A Public Execution’ was released in 1966 (although it was credited solely to their frontman). Their debut album, Walking in Dylan’s Shoes, was released in December 2020.

I’ve listened to their 2020 Dylan cover album Walking In Dylan’s Shoes and I have to admit…it’s really good!

The song I picked, You’re Gonna Miss Me, is off of their Lost Sessions Album released in 2009. I’m not sure which era it’s from although because of the quality…I would guess the 80s or 90s. They were together off and on in the 1960s – 2020. I’m also posting the song that Graham did with Maid of Sugar-Maid of Spice (1966) along with You’re Gonna Miss Me (?).

I’m also going to post Mouse and the Traps Lost Sessions album…give a listen to a few of them…they are awesome! Hit The Bricks and Bottom Line got my attention right away.

…

Matthew Sweet – Girlfriend

When I first heard this song I thought of Jimi Hendrix a little with the intro and then it dissolved into one of the best power pop songs of the 1990s. The song has a little of everything… noisy guitar, loud drums but with a pop melody. Just like I thought with Lone Justice and some others…I just knew he would be cranking out hits for the rest of his career. He has cranked out some great songs but not many hits…but that is ok.

Great power pop song by Matthew Sweet. The song reached #4 on the US Alternative Chart in 1991. This was the title cut-off of his 3rd album…it was Sweet’s breakthrough album.

The song and the album were written during a bad period in Sweet’s life, following his divorce. The themes of longing, heartache, and new beginnings pervade the lyrics, reflecting his personal struggles and growth.

The video featured scenes from the 1980s anime Space Adventure Cobra, which caught viewers’ attention and became famous in its own right. The success of Girlfriend helped establish Matthew Sweet as a power pop alternative figure in the 1990s.

A trivia question…who is that girl on the album cover? I know it because I watched a certain older show recently.

Here is some sad news about Sweet right now from https://variety.com/2024/music/news/matthew-sweet-stroke-tour-gofundme-1236187225/

Singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet suffered a debilitating stroke while on tour in mid-October, it was revealed on Tuesday, when a representative for his management company posted a fundraising appeal on GoFundMe to support his recovery.

Sweet had been out on tour opening for the group Hanson when he was stricken in Toronto Oct. 12, in advance of a date that was to have taken place there the following night.

Catherine Lyons, who represents Sweet at Russell Carter Artist Management, posted the GoFundMe on Tuesday afternoon, with a stated goal of raising $250,000 for the rocker’s medical care. The effort got off to a good start. As of 6 p.m. PT Tuesday, about 770 individuals had contributed almost $50,000, and by 8 p.m., it was up to $85,000 from 1,400 donors.

Girlfriend

I wanna love somebody
I hear you need somebody to love
Oh, I wanna love somebody
I hear you’re looking for someone to love

‘Cause you need to
Be back in the arms of a good friend
And I need to
Be back in the arms of a girlfriend

I didn’t know nobody
And then I saw you coming my way
Oh, I didn’t know nobody
And then I saw you coming my way

Don’t you need to
Be back in the arms of a good friend?
Oh, ’cause, honey, believe me
I’d sure love to call you my girlfriend

Alright

Don’t you need to
Be back in the arms of a good friend?
Oh, ’cause, honey, believe me
I’d sure love to call you my girlfriend

‘Cause you got a good thing going, baby
You only need somebody to love
Oh, you got a good thing going
You’re only looking for someone to love

‘Cause you need to
Get back in the arms of a good friend

And I’m never gonna set you free
No, I’m never gonna set you free

Ride – Chelsea Girl

I just found this band a while back when I heard Twisterella, a great power pop song.

This song is one of the early tracks by the British shoegaze band Ride, from their debut EP titled Ride, which was released in January 1990. It reached #71 on the UK singles chart. The song helped establish Ride as a pioneer in the shoegaze genre, which combines elements of power pop, post-punk, and rock. The band consists of Mark Gardener (vocals, guitar), Andy Bell (vocals, guitar), Steve Queralt (bass), and Loz Colbert (drums).

Ride was formed in 1988 in Oxford by school friends Andy Bell and Mark Gardener, before recruiting drummer Loz Colbert at the Oxfordshire School of Art & Design and local bassist Steve Queralt.

They broke up in 1996 because of differences between Andy Bell and Mark Gardener. Gardener wanted to go forward in a more dance style of music…Bell didn’t but both wanted to go more contemporary style. Bassist Steve Queralt said: The band had two future directions open to them, and they chose the wrong option.

They reunited in 2014 and released their first album in 21 years in 2017.

Chelsea Girl

Take me for a rideAway from places we had knownIf I stay around, I’ll just remember I’m aloneThere’s someone in my memory making me move onWhat was grey and hazy, is black and white, now I have gone

Drive me up to LondonNow it’s got too dark to seeMy waiting is over, there’s no visitor for meNever let me talk to youDestroy the frozen pastIt’s a different time, now things are moving much too fast

Float by today, now it’s turning to greyRaining my doubtsLet my thoughts slip awayYou must have something andWhat it is, I don’t knowYou must have something ’cause I can’t let you go

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Detroit Cobras – Ain’t It A Shame

CB sent this band to me and they are raw and powerful with a unique singer. I really love garage type bands. Bands like this were big in the sixties and turned toward punk in the 70s. They made a comeback in the 80s against the synth based mainstream at the time. The alternative rock scene was born which I liked more than the then top 40 with The Replacements, REM, The Dead Kennedys, and more.

The hardest part about this post was picking out which song to highlight. The album I’ve listened to is The Detroit Cobras: The Original Recordings which rocks. All of their covers are loud raw and catchy like garage rock is. I loved how they picked the songs they covered. Songs that went under the radar when they were originally released.

This song…not to be confused with Ain’t That A Shame was originally recorded by Question Mark and The Mysterians. The song was written by their drummer Robert Martinez and released in 1969.

The Detroit Cobras were known for their reinterpretations of classic R&B, rock, and soul songs. Guess where they are from? They emerged in the mid-1990s and added to the garage rock revival movement of that era. They came out of the same Detroit scene as the White Stripes did.

The band was formed in 1994 by guitarist Steve Shaw and drummer Jeff Meier but lead vocalist Rachel Nagy and guitarist Mary Ramirez would become the core of the band. The Cobras set themselves apart by reimagining lesser-known songs from the 1950s and 1960s rather than writing their own original material.

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Max’s Drive-In Movie – The Truman Show

When I saw this 1998 movie I did with trepidation because of Jim Carrey. There is only so much of his comedy I can take at once but this was completely different. He did more of a serious turn in this movie and I must admit he was great. I’m not the world’s biggest Jim Carrey fan at all but this movie is brilliant.

Carey plays Truman Burbank, a man who unknowingly lives his entire life in a meticulously crafted, 24/7 reality TV show, with his every move broadcast to a global audience. I try to find themes in movies and this one explores themes of manipulation, personal freedom, commercialism, and the power of free will that wins out.

This movie was like looking into the future…a bleak near future. The Kardashians and others followed showed “real life” (heavy sarcasm) and delivered Warhol’s 15-minute fame theory in the worst possible way. To be honest…I’m honestly amazed that this movie’s plot hasn’t been tried.

Truman Burbank lives a seemingly perfect life in Seahaven, a fictional island town somewhere that is mixed between the 1950s and the 1990s. He was unaware that his entire existence was being broadcast to millions around the world. Every person he interacts with, including his wife, best friend, and co-workers, is an actor playing a role. As Truman begins to notice inconsistencies and strange events like a stage light falling from the “sky” and his wife advertising products mid-conversation…he starts to question his reality.

The film builds towards a powerful climax as Truman embarks on a journey of self-discovery and challenges the artificial world he has been confined to, sailing across the set’s ocean (which he is scared of) in search of freedom. Funny, he wanted to see the world but didn’t know the world was watching him being born, his first step, his first kiss, his marriage, and his escape.

This is a SPOILER but the most poignant thing about the movie to me is when he decides to go to the real world and the show ends. All of those people who bought Truman merchandise and tuned in through the years applauded and said hmm… what’s on another channel? They moved on quickly without a thought or care…and hopefully, Truman did the same.

I have so many feelings about this movie. After I watched it for the first time I took a second look in the mirror and the consistent things in my life and thought hmm what if? And you know what? There IS something called The Truman Syndrome… Psychologists later identified a phenomenon called “The Truman Show Delusion” where individuals believe their lives are being staged and broadcast.

..,

Blue Harlem – Hallelujah! I Love Him So

CB recommended this band and it’s fresh sounding and I like their choice of covers. When I heard Imelda May sing…that was all I needed. I heard Hound Dog first and it sounds very 40s but yet modern. They now have a different singer but she is also great…Sophie Shaw. This is different for me and I like it…it’s nice to switch up occasionally. When I heard Hallelujah! I Love Him So it got me into them much more. I know this song very well…it was one of the first songs Quarrymen recorded and that led me to Ray Charles who wrote and recorded the song.

Blue Harlem has been one of the top swing/jump-blues bands on the London scene for over 25 years. They have become regular favorites at venues such as the world-famous Ronnie Scott’s, The 100 Club, The Hippodrome, Hideaway, Jitterbugs, and more. They have been invited on three occasions to perform at Highgrove House charity balls for the Prince’s Trust.

They are a British band formed in 1996 by tenor saxophonist and arranger Al Nicholls. Known for blending jazz and rhythm and blues, they take inspiration from the swing and jump blues styles of the 1940s and 1950s.

.They have also enjoyed international recognition, performing at festivals across Europe and the Middle East. Blue Harlem played a huge role in launching the career of vocalist Imelda May, who gained fame and success after performing with them. Sophie Shaw now serves as their lead singer, bringing a new feel to the band’s sound.

Imelda May left the group in the early 2000s. After leaving, May quickly rose to fame in her own right with the release of her debut solo album No Turning Back in 2003, followed by her breakthrough album Love Tattoo in 2008.

Hallelujah! I Love Him So was on the album Talk To Me released in 2005 with May lead singing. I added Hound Dog by Blue Harlem as well…it was on their Me And My Radio album released in 2011.

I have three songs. The bottom two feature Imelda May singing Hound Dog and Hallelujah! I Love Him So. Below is Sophia Shaw singing Swing Brother, Swing. She is a very good singer as well but I like May a little more.

Hallelujah! I Love Him So

Let me tell you ′bout a boy I know
He is my baby and he lives next door
Every morning before the sun comes up
He brings my coffee in my favorite cup
That’s why I know, yes I know
Hallelujah I just love him so

When I′m in trouble and I have no friends
I know he’ll go with me until the end
Ev’rybody asks me how I know
I smile and tell them he told me so
That′s why I know, yes, I know
Hallelujah I just love him so

Now if I call him on the telephone
And tell him that I′m all alone
By the time I count from one to four,
I hear him on my door
In the evening when the sun goes down
When there is nobody else around
He kisses me and he holds me tight
He tells me “baby everything’s all alright”
That′s why I know, yes I know
Hallelujah I just love her so