Louie Louie, Johnny B. Goode, and Wild Thing belong in a list that are staples for any garage band. Wipe Out belongs with them and your 15-year-old nervous singer doesn’t need to sing. It’s a song that everyone has heard and always was a popular one to play live. I also love that manic laughter intro.
The Surfaris were a surf rock band formed in 1962 in Southern California. That was absolutely the perfect time and place for a surf band. This song was not intended to be an A-side. They were recording a song called Surfer Joe and decided they needed to write something for the B side. Ron Wilson’s drumming is often hailed as one of rock’s most famous. It’s one that beginner drummers can actually do with a little work.
The song was written by band members Bob Berryhill, Pat Connolly, Jim Fuller, and Ron Wilson. It was released in 1963 and did very well for a song meant to be a B-side. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard 100, #5 in Canada, and #5 in the UK in 1963.
It’s been covered by 106 different artists per secondhandsongs. One cover was by The Fat Boys featuring The Beach Boys in 1987 and it peaked at #2 in the UK, #2 in New Zealand, and #12 on the Billboard 100 and Canada.
Here is the single…Surfer Joe and the B side…Wipe Out.
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 radio They might be fast or they might be slow But every song they play’s got me thinkin’ ’bout you I see a fella walkin’ down the street He looks at me and he smiles real sweet But he don’t matter to me ‘Cause I’m thinkin’ ’bout you
Every little dream I dream about you Every little thought I think about you Drives me crazy when you go away I oughta keep you locked up at home And like a wild horse I want to break you I love you so much I hate you Every little thing reminds me of you Honey when you leave me here all alone
My tongue gets tied when I try to talk My knees get weak when I start to walk So I might as well stay home and keep thinkin’ ’bout you “the young and the restless” on my tv set That’s just like us when we first met And when they start to kissin’ Got me thinking bout you
Every little dream I dream about you Every little thought I think about you Drives me crazy when you go away I oughta keep you locked up at home And like a wild horse I want to break you I love you so much I hate you Every little thing reminds me of you Honey when you leave me here all alone
Every little dream I dream about you Every little thought I think about you Drives me crazy when you go away I oughta keep you locked up at home And like a wild horse I want to break you I love you so much I hate you Every little thing reminds me of you Honey when you leave me here all alone
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?
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 with With some girls it don’t matter how you talk And some girls they are easy to be yourself with But the one girl that I want Ain’t easy to please with what I’ve got
With some girls it don’t matter where you’re aiming With some girls it don’t matter how you act And some girls they don’t care what car you came in But the one girl that I want She wants that one bit of geography I lack
Yeah, she don’t want me ‘Cause I’m not where it’s at Yeah I’m not where it’s at
And some girls they will worry about reactions And some girls they don’t give a damn for that But somehow I ain’t ever in on the action ‘Cause the one girl that I want She wants that one little quality I lack
Yeah she don’t want me ‘Cause I’m not where it’s at Yeah I’m not where it’s at
I don’t have my finger on the pulse of my generation I just got my hand on my heart I know no better location
Yeah she don’t want me ‘Cause I’m not where it’s I’m not where it’s I’m not where it’s at Yeah I’m not where it’s at
Sometimes I forget that my blogs name is powerpop…well today I’m picking two excellent Power Pop songs.
I want to thank Christian for including this in his Chris & Max picks from 2022. I listened to this album when it was released and I loved it. Deke is the first person to get me into them. Between Deke, Dave, Randy, and CB… my Canadian music love has spread. They are a modern-day power pop band that started out as grunge. In my humble opinion, they made the right choice of switching.
They do put the power into their pop. Melodic but loud guitars along with catchy harmonies and a throwback band presence. Bands like Sloan, Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, and others just couldn’t get traction in America for some reason.
Sloan got its start in Halifax during the early ‘90s. The band played around the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design before moving to Toronto. They got their name from a pot-smoking musician they knew in Halifax. He worked in a restaurant as a busboy and used to be known as “the slow one.”
The band made their recording debut on the Halifax, Canada CD compilation “Hear & Now” with the song “Underwhelmed” before releasing their debut EP “Peppermint” in 1991 on their own label Murderecords. In 1992 Sloan signed with Geffen Records and released their full-length debut “Smeared”. The album had somewhat of a grunge style. They soon switched to power pop and they have some fantastic songs.
This song is on their album Steady released on October 21, 2022. This song was written by Jay Ferguson plays rhythm guitar but like his band mates…can play bass and drums as well.
Keep Your Name Alive
I cannot lie I should have thought it over There was a time I opened with a closer I flew away, away, away Kept my composure As she waved Did I become another castaway?
If I simply turned around Or counted one to five Do you have to leave your home To keep your name alive?
Well, I guess I had to find out for myself The house remained divided Locked the door Are mirrors all one-sided? But the day went after day And still no further Breaking waves Rendered me another castaway
If I simply turned around Or counted one to five Do you have to leave your home To keep your name alive? Whether you float far away Where it’s too deep to dive Failing further mention of Keep your name alive Keep your name alive
If I simply turned around Or counted one to five Is there need to travel far In order to arrive? Whether you float far away Where it’s too deep to dive (It’s too deep to dive) You don’t have to leave your home To keep your name alive
Keep your name alive Keep your name alive (keep your name alive) Keep your name alive
An unfortunate true-to-life song by Firefall. I was at my friend Dave’s site a few days ago and he featured one of their bigger hits. I like their big hits so I enjoyed Dave’s post but this is the song I think of when I think of Firefall. It’s a dark song that I remember well because my sister had the single.
This song peaked at #34 on the Billboard 100. Some of the band members were from other bands. Drummer Michael Clarke was from the Byrds, Jock Bartley played with Gram Parsons, and Rick Roberts was formerly with the Flying Burrito Brothers. Cinderella was released in 1977.
It was written by Firefall’s guitarist and vocalist Larry Burnett, the song stands out for its unfortunate realistic tone. This wasn’t the recipe for a hit song but was a hit. It was on their self-titled debut album released in 1976 which also included You Are The Woman.
Dave said this in his Just Remember I Love You post: They’d had one prior top 10 hit in “You Are The Woman” the year before and one more sizable hit the following year with “Strange Way.“, which was written mainly by Atlantic Records producer Tom Dowd. Thanks, Dave!
Larry Burnett: “I certainly didn’t have a wife or a girlfriend who was pregnant and I was working my butt off trying to support us. None of that was going on. But it was certainly happening around me in other people’s lives.”
According to the interview below…Larry wrote it when he was 16 years old and in high school but he didn’t live it.
Cinderella
Last December I met a girl
She took a likin’ to me
Said she loved me
But she didn’t know the meaning of the word
She imagined love to be grand
Me holdin’ her hand and
Whisperin’ sweet things and
Cooin’ softly like a song bird
Then one mornin’ she came to me
With a tear in her eye and a
Sigh on her breath Lord she said
“Hon I’m heavy with child”
I said “god damn girl can’t you see
That I’m breakin’my back
Just tryin’ to keep my head above water
And it’s turnin’ me wild”
Cinderella can’t you see
Don’t want your company
You better leave this mornin’ leave today
Take your love and your child away
Rockin’ chair on the front porch
I’m thinkin’ about all the things that I did
As a young man
Now that I’m old
I remember her and the boy
Did he have all the toys and the joys
That a young man should have
Before he gets too old
Cinderella couldn’t you see
Didn’t want your company
Shoulda left that mornin’ left that day
Took your love and your child away
I was driving my 1966 Mustang back in 1983 and I had a cassette tape player with a tape I made. This song and Cloud 9 was on it and it went with me everywhere. Later on, while going through breakups with girlfriends…the Temptation songs were with me all the way.
It was written and produced by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White (both members of The Miracles), and the song became a breakthrough for The Temptations and Motown Records. Smoky supposedly wrote the song for his wife Claudette. It was written for David Ruffin’s voice and it worked perfectly. They had some hits before this one but none were #1 in the Billboard 100 and R&B charts.
The recording featured the one and only Funk Brothers, Motown’s house band, who laid down the smooth, soulful track like always. The song’s most memorable musical features are James Jamerson’s bassline and Robert White’s guitar riff…I would throw in David Ruffin as well. It’s a simple riff but sometimes simple is the best…it sticks with you. The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard 100, #1 on the Billboard R&B Charts, #6 in Canada, and #43 in the UK in 1964-65.
The song has been used in countless films, TV shows, and commercials. It’s one of the most well-known songs of the 20th century. In 2017, it was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or artistically significant.”
My Girl
I’ve got sunshine, on a cloudy day When it’s cold outside, I’ve got the month of May (ooh) I guess you’d say What can make me feel this way?
My girl, my girl, my girl Talkin’ ’bout my girl, my girl
I’ve got so much honey, the bees envy me I’ve got a sweeter song, than the birds in the trees Well, I guess you’d say What can make me feel this way?
My girl, my girl, my girl Talkin’ ’bout my girl, my girl
Ooh, ooh Hey-hey-hey, hey-hey-hey Ooh, ooh, yeah
I don’t need no money (ooh), fortune, or fame I’ve got all the riches, baby (ooh) one man can claim Well, I guess you’d say What can make me feel this way?
My girl, my girl, my girl Talkin’ ’bout my girl, my girl (Talkin’ ’bout my girl)
I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day (whoa, whoa) with my girl I’ve even got the month of May, with my girl (talkin’ ’bout my girl) Talkin’ ’bout, talkin’ ’bout, talkin’ ’bout my girl (ooh) Ooh, my girl (talkin’ ’bout my girl) That’s all I can talk about is my girl (ooh) Why don’t you believe she’s all my girl? (Talkin’ ’bout my girl)
This song to me is a pre-power pop song. You have the jangle, harmonies, and the melodic touches throughout it. It inspired later artists, including The Byrds and Tom Petty, with its chiming guitars.
Jack Nitzsche and Sonny Bono wrote this song. Nitzsche was a producer who worked on a lot of movies. Bono married Cher, but before he was known as her husband, he was a record producer who made a name for himself working with Larry Williams on songs like “Bony Maronie” and “Dizzy Miss Lizzie.” Jackie DeShannon first recorded the song in early 1963. Her version stalled out on the charts because it didn’t get play in the US then.
This song peaked at #13 in the Billboard 100, #1 in the UK, and #14 in Canada in 1964. Great song and the first time I really noticed it was when Tom Petty did a live cover of it.
The Searchers heard British performer Cliff Bennett sing this at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany and wanted it to be their next single. Two 6-string guitars are playing in unison in the intro – it sounds like a 12-string guitar because an engineer accidentally left the echo switch on but liked the result.
Many artists have covered Needles and Pins, including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Stevie Nicks, Smokey, Ramones, and many more.
Needles and Pins
I saw her today, I saw her face, it was a face I loved, and I knew
I had to run away, and get down on my knees and pray that they’d go away
But still they’d begin, needles and pins
Because of all my pride, the tears I gotta hide
Hey I thought I was smart, I’d won her heart
Didn’t think I’d do, but now I see
She’s worse to him than me, let her go ahead
Take his love instead, and one day she will see
Just how to say please, and get down on her knees
Hey that’s how it begins, she’ll feel those needles and pins
A-hurtin’ her, a-hurtin’ her
Why can’t I stop and tell myself I’m wrong, I’m wrong, so wrong
Why can’t I stand up and tell myself I’m strong
Because I saw her today, I saw her face, it was a face I loved, and I knew
I had to run away, and get down on my knees and pray that they’d go away
But still they’d begin needles and pins
Because of all my pride, the tears I gotta hide
Oh needles and pins, needles and pins, needles and pins
Dave at A Sound Day invited me to write a post in his series Turntable Talk. He wanted to know either our favorite Beatle or someone close to them. I picked the only choice I could.
Ever since I was 8 years old I was always drawn to the long-haired guy with those round glasses on the album cover. When I heard his songs and heard about his personality, I knew he was The Beatle I looked forward to in interviews and songs.
On the surface the reasons are many. The man’s voice was one of the best rock voices I’ve ever heard. I favored his voice over McCartney, Harrison, and Starr. He probably could write better rock songs than the other Beatles and he also had a great sense of melody that could keep up with Paul and at times surpass him on ballads. Yes, he could be witty, sharp, and downright hateful at times. A little about his childhood will say a lot.
His childhood was tragic in many ways, but he wasn’t poor. He was the most middle-class out of all of the Beatles. He was abandoned by his father and then his mother gave him to her sister and brother-in-law to raise. John drew close to his aunt and uncle, especially his Uncle George. They were building a strong bond but when John was 14 Uncle George died suddenly at age 52.
He then just had his Aunt Mimi, and she was very strict…and strict didn’t go well with Lennon at that time or anytime. Uncle George was friendly with John while the black or white Mimi didn’t stand for anything out of line. Lennon’s mother came back in his life when John was 16. He got to know her more and they visited each other. As soon as they were getting close in 1958, she was hit by a car by an off-duty policeman walking back home from Mimi’s house.
Later on, one of his best friends was Stuart Sutcliffe who played bass for the Beatles and was one of the best artists in Liverpool at the time. Stuart would stay close to John even when he quit The Beatles. Stuart would die at 21 years old when John was 21. He felt like when people got close to him they would die or be abandoned. This can help explain the rude and crude Lennon of the sixties. By the seventies, he seemed to be much calmer and more relaxed. By many fans’ accounts…he was the most fan-friendly out of all of them. There are multiple stories of him inviting fans into his home talking to them and showing them around.
The main reason though…I just think his songwriting was the most powerful out of them all. Yes, Paul was the most successful after The Beatles, but you are only as strong as your weakest album tracks. That is where John had Paul beat, to me anyway. It’s not all about hits. Songs like Working Class Hero, God, Gimme Some Truth, and I Know (I Know) were better than many of his and Paul’s hits. John was the leader, the muscle, and the architect of The Beatles.
I always liked the late sixties and early seventies soul and R&B…this one fits the bill.
Otis Clay, born in Mississippi and raised in Chicago, started his career in gospel music before transitioning to soul music in the mid-sixties. His move into soul followed a trend among gospel artists of that era, like Aretha Franklin and Sam Cooke, who carried over the powerful vocal styles to soul music.
In 1957, Otis Clay sang with several gospel groups, including the Golden Jubilaires, the Blue Jays, and the Pilgrim Harmonizers. However, it was with the Gospel Songbirds that he made his first recording in 1964, Jesus, I Love to Call His Name. Shortly after its release, Clay accepted an offer to join the renowned Sensational Nightingales, with whom he toured until mid-1965. He then decided to cross over into the R&B genre and signed with the One-derful label. “That’s How It Is (When You’re in Love)” took Clay onto the R&B charts in 1967.
The follow-up, Lasting Love, was also a hit, but Clay’s contract was sold to Cotillion Records as One-derful faced bankruptcy. His releases there included She’s About A Mover and Do Right Woman—Do Right Man (both of which were recorded at Muscle Shoals), as well as a searing version of Pouring Water On A Drowning Man.
The song peaked at 131 on the Billboard 100 and #34 on the Billboard R&B Chart in 1967.
His version of Pouring Water On A Drowning Man. He does a great version but my favorite version is by James Carr.
That’s How It Is
Please, somebody take your hand and slap some sense into me
Open my eyes, ’cause I’m too blind to see
I’ve got this woman and she’s messin’ my mind around
She knows that I love her, but still she’s tryin’ to put me down
I know I’m just a fool, someone she can use
But I can’t help myself, ooh, I can’t help myself
Ooh, now listen baby, I know I’m just your fool
But I love you, and for you I’ll break every rule
Now I’ve broken hearts before of the ones that love me
But now I’m in love, too, place no one above you
The Lord knows I love you, always thinkin’ of you
But I can’t help myself, I can’t help myself
Ooh no, please don’t look down on me
Because I’m weak. When you’re in love, it’s easy to be
I know I’m being abused
Misused and confused
But that’s how it is when you’re in love
That’s how it is now
I know that’s how it is now
When you love someone that don’t love you
Oh yeah, keep on being abused
Misused and confused
But that’s how it is when you’re in love
Make you feel so fine, yeah now
All right, oh yeah, keep on being abused
Keep on being misused
But that’s how it is
It ain’t a doggone thing you can do
No, now, oh no
Got to keep on holdin’ on, yeah
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 Nuggetscompilation 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.
I first heard Kristofferson as a kid with Why Me on the radio during the seventies. I also remember him on SNL with his then-wife Rita Coolidge. You could tell Kris had been having some fun but it sounded good. Then I found Janis Joplin’s Me and Bobby McGee and I found out that Kris wrote that song…I became a fan. Plus he was one of the Outlaws in country music that I really liked.
In the sixties, Kris was working as a janitor in Nashville while living in a run-down tenant house. He was also a janitor at Columbia Records at the same time. This might seem normal for a songwriter who was trying to make a mark but the man had something else as well. He was a Rhodes Scholar who studied at Oxford University earning a master’s degree in English language. He also served as a captain in the U.S. Army, where he became a helicopter pilot, in addition to having completed U.S. Army Ranger School. The guy was highly talented and very smart.
He befriended Johnny’s wife, June Carter. June liked Kristofferson, and would often sneak demo tapes of his songs in her purse to bring home to Johnny. At night, she’d play the tapes for him in their bedroom above Old Hickory Lake in Tennessee. Every night Cash would listen and throw them out the bedroom window into the lake below.
There are many stories about how Johnny got the song…but this is the version that Johnny told. At the time, Kristofferson was also working part-time as a helicopter pilot for the Army Reserve. On a routine flight training mission, Kristofferson veered off his course and headed for Cash’s home. After landing the chopper on Cash’s lawn, he walked up to the home with the demo of “Sunday Morning Coming Down” in hand. Cash said he heard the chopper land and walked out to find Kristofferson walking up to him.
“As I approached, out stepped Kris Kristofferson, with a beer in one hand and a tape in the other,” Cash said. “I stopped, dumbfounded. He grabbed my hand, put the tape in it, grinned and got back into the helicopter and was gone, a bit wobbly, but almost straight up, then out high above the lake where all his songs lay on the bottom. He disappeared through the clouds. I looked at the tape of “Sunday Morning Coming Down” and “Me And Bobby McGee.”
The first version of this song was not by Johnny Cash. Ray Stevens did the first version of the song. Ray’s version peaked at #55 on the Country Charts in 1969. Johnny Cash did the most successful version releasing it in 1970. The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Country Charts, #1 on the Canada Country Charts, and #30 in Canada on the RPM charts.
Kris passed away on September 28, 2024.
Sunday Mornin’ Comin’Down
Well I woke up Sunday morning, With no way to hold my head, that didn’t hurt And the beer I had for breakfast, Wasn’t bad so I had one more, for dessert Then I fumbled through my closet, For my clothes and found my cleanest dirty shirt And I shaved my face and combed my hair, And stumbled down the stairs to meet the day
I’d smoked my brain the night before on cigarettes and songs That I’d been pickin’ But I lit my first, and watched a small kid cussin’ at a can That he was kickin’ Then I crossed the empty street and caught the Sunday smell Of someone fryin’chickin And it took me back to somethin’ that I had lost somehow, Somewhere along the way
[Chorus] On the Sunday morning sidewalk, wishin’ Lord that I was stoned Cause there is something in a Sunday, makes a body feel alone And there is nothing short of die’n, half a lonesome as the sound On the sleepin’ city sidewalks, Sunday morning coming down
In the park I saw a daddy, With ‘w(?)’ laughin’ little girl who he was swingin’ And I stopped beside a Sunday school, And listened to a song that they were singin’ Then I headed back for home and somewhere far away A lonely bell was ringin’ And it echoed through the canyons like the disappearing dreams Of yesterday
[Chorus] On the Sunday morning sidewalk, wishing Lord that I was stoned Cause there is something in a Sunday, make a body feel alone And there is nothing short of die’n, half a lonesome as the sound On the sleepin’ city sidewalks, Sunday morning coming do
This song has a little of everything. Great crunchy guitar sound and an incredible bass that starts carrying the song in the middle. I love the harmonies on “Radio On” and he goes into what sounds like a slight ad-lib that I love. When you listen to it…listen to the complete song…it changes in the middle and it rocks. It’s very loose but that bass keeps it glued together.
I first heard of Greg Kihn in 1981 when The Breakup Song (The Don’t Write ‘Em) was released. This was a power pop dream song. It was catchy, had some good guitar, and was immediately catchy. I just assumed the guy just came out with this on his debut album. I was totally wrong about that. He looked like a guy that would live next door to you but he had some great songs that weren’t heard. CB sent me this song and I had to looked twice at Greg Kihn…I never realized he had so many good songs.
Kihn wasn’t just a musician either. He was also a novelist and disc jockey. He was born in Baltimore Maryland and stayed there until he was 23 and he moved to San Francisco to check out their music scene. He had regular jobs starting out but also formed a band and played in clubs. The guy released an album a year from 1976 to 1986. He would go on to release 12 more after that…he was very prolific.
He was first on the 1976 compilation album of many bands called Beserkley Chartbusters Vol. 1 with the songs All The Right Reasons and Mood Mood Number. The last track mentioned is very Nick Lowe sounding and I really like it. After that, he released his self-titled debut album in 1976. He kept releasing albums…in 1977 with Greg Kihn Again, Next of Kihn came in 1978 and was his first album that charted. It charted at #145 on the Billboard Album Charts. In 1979 it was With A Naked Eye that peaked at #114, and in 1980 Glass House Rock that charted at #167.
The next album, RocKihnRoll would do much better thanks to The Breakup Song. That album peaked at #32 and the song peaked at #15. He had his most successful release in 1983 with the album Kihnspiracy which peaked at #15 and the smash single Jeopardy which peaked at #2. His albums were a mix of original and cover songs. He covered Springsteen (Rendezvous and For You), Buddy Holly, Curtis Mayfield, and many more. Kihn was a good songwriter as well.
This song was written by Jonathan Richman of the band Modern Lovers. Their version was released in 1976. I like the Modern Lovers version but it doesn’t have the kick Greg puts into this song. This song was on Greg Kihn’s 1979 album With The Naked Eye.
I’m going to post a bonus song…Kihn covering For Your Love live…
Roadrunner
one, two, three, four, five, six Roadrunner, roadrunner Going faster miles an hour Gonna drive past the Stop ‘n’ Shop With the radio on I’m in love with the modern world I’m in love with the modern girls Massachusetts when it’s late at night I got the radio on Just like the roadrunner
Said welcome to the spirit of 1956 Patient in the bushes next to ’57 Well the highway was my girlfriend cause I went by so quick Suburban trees were out there it felt like heaven So I said And I say roadrunner once Roadrunner twice We’re in love with rock & roll so lets be out all night
(Radio On!) I got the AM (Radio On!) I got the modern sound rock and roll (Radio On!) I got the power I got the magic now (Radio On!) Fifty thousand watts of power now (Radio On!) Going faster miles an hour, Lets Go
(Bass carries the song here)
Alright Can’t you hear out in Cleveland now? USA when it’s late at night Out on Route 128 down by the power lines It’s so exciting at midnight It’s cold here in the dark I might explode nowhere near I feel in touch with the modern world I feel in touch because
(Radio On!) I’m in love with the AM (Radio On!) Cause I’m feeling so alone at night (Radio On!) I got the power I got the magic now (Radio On!) Fifty thousand watts of power now (Radio On!) I’m alone in the cold of night (Radio On!) I feel in touch I feel alive I feel alone I fell so alive, alive in love (Radio On!) I’m in love with rock n roll (Radio On!) I got the, I got the, I got the (Radio On!)
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.
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
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 ride Away from places we had known If I stay around, I’ll just remember I’m alone There’s someone in my memory making me move on What was grey and hazy, is black and white, now I have gone
Drive me up to London Now it’s got too dark to see My waiting is over, there’s no visitor for me Never let me talk to you Destroy the frozen past It’s a different time, now things are moving much too fast
Float by today, now it’s turning to grey Raining my doubts Let my thoughts slip away You must have something and What it is, I don’t know You must have something ’cause I can’t let you go
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 