This is a very good acoustic pop song by the Connells.
The Connells were an alternative rock group formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1984 by David Connell (bass), his brother Mike Connell (guitar), Doug MacMillan (vocals) and John Shultz (drums), who was soon replaced by former Johnny Quest percussionist Peele Wimberley. In 1990 they added Steve Potak (keyboards) to their line up.
The band placed some songs in the alternative charts in the late 80s and 90s as they were played heavily on college radio The band released their 8th album in 2001 and since then haven’t done much. They never broke up but would get together and play various concerts… they are about to release their 9th album Steadman’s Wake on September 24, 2021.
This acoustic 1993 song became an unexpected smash hit in Europe, topping the pop charts in a couple of countries. The song peaked at #14 in the UK and was #1 in Sweden and Norway…It was on their Ring album.
The video is pretty cool. It was originally shot at Needham B. Broughton High School in the band’s hometown Raleigh, North Carolina in 1993, and features members of the Class of 1975 showing their yearbook pictures and them in 1993. In 2015 they remixed the song and updated the video to show the classmates they filmed in 1993 originally… and what they looked like now.
’74 – ’75
Got no reason for coming to me And the rain running down There’s no reason And the same voice coming to me like it’s all slowin’ down And believe me
I was the one who let you know I was your sorry-ever-after seventy-four, seventy-five
It’s not easy Nothin’ to say ’cause it’s already said It’s never easy When I look on in your eyes then I find that I’ll do fine When I look on in your eyes then I’ll do better
I was the one who let you know I was your sorry-ever-after ‘seventy-four, seventy-five Giving me more and I’ll define ‘Cause you’re really only after seventy-four, seventy-five
Got no reason for coming to me And the rain running down There’s no reason When I look on in your eyes then I find that I’ll do fine When I look on in your eyes then I’ll do better
I was the one who let you know I was sorry-ever-after seventy-four, seventy-five Giving me more and I’ll define ‘Cause you’re really only after seventy-four, seventy-five
The guitar on this song hooked me…it has a tremolo effect that resembles The Smiths How Soon Is Now.
A band named DMZ broke up in 1979 and from that lead singer and organist Jeff “Monoman” Conolly formed Lyres in Boston. The original lineup of the band featured Conolly, Rick Coraccio (bass), Ricky Carmel (guitar), and Paul Murphy (drums). The nickname Monoman for Jeff Conolly came because of his love of monophonic recordings of the ’60s and in part because of his monomaniacal obsession with vintage rock & roll.
A four-song EP that came out in 1981 called AHS-1005. The EP won the group attention outside of Boston, and a single followed in 1983, “I Really Want You Right Now” with the B side “Help You Ann.” Jeff Conolly wrote Help You Ann.
The band has released 8 studio and live albums and 3 EPs. The band is still together and playing.
The song was included on the On Fyre album released in 1984. From Wiki: Trouser Press called the album “simply the [garage-rock] genre’s apotheosis, an articulate explosion of colorful organ playing, surging guitars and precisely inexact singing. AllMusic gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
In 2018 Jeff Conolly announced that a new album by the Lyres was being recorded.
Help You Ann
There he go and he talk to you just like a fool He’s got no use for you now and that’s why I feel the same way too
Well, he’s done putting you down and as cynical as he can be He spending money on some things that you used to give to me for free
Sometimes I get so mad And I wanna hurt you But I did the best I can And I wanna, I wanna help you, Ann
He’s so bad, he stole up all the money that you made Yeah, he’s got a use for you now An apartment on the choo choo train
Well, he’s no good for you Ann When I kill him, I’ll snatch you one day That’s right, I want you myself Spend up all the money I could save
So I’m back here again ‘Cause I wanted you so Said, I wanna be your man And I wanna, I wanna help you, Ann
And I wanna help you, Ann Said, I wanna help you, Ann And I wanna help you, Ann And I wanna, I wanna help you, Ann Said I wanna, I wanna help you, Ann Just as fast as I can And I wanna help you, Ann Just as fast as I can And I wanna help you, Ann
And I wanna help Said, I wanna help you, Ann Just as fast as I can And I wanna help you, Ann And I wanna help Said, I wanna help you, Ann Just as fast as I can, right
When I see a title like that I just have to listen. I could not just sit by and not listen. I told John at 2loud2oldmusic that some songs and song titles are like big red giant buttons…that you just have push. With that title I had to listen…I’m I’m glad I did.
They have a huge sound. I have to wonder how many bands have gone by the name The Nomads in the history of garage bands? They are a Swedish Garage Punk band founded in 1981. The were founded by by Hans Östlund, Nick Vahlberg, Joakim Tärnström, and Ed Johnson.
They are still together with only Hans Östlund and Nick Vahlberg.
The Nomads released an album with this name in 1983. They released the single in 1987. They have never got big airplay on radio or much TV exposure but they still have a huge fanbase built on releasing albums and touring.
The Nomads have released 19 albums…the last being in 2015…add to that around 40 singles.
Where The Wolf Bane Blooms
I know a place, it seems really strange Some things will never change Thunder and lightning lining my eyes Even though the bats fill up the skies But in the pale light of the moon You’ll maybe see the wolf bane bloom
Ancient voices will appear Call the hunted don’t tread here You may be pure of heart and pure of soul But you’ll become a wolf when the moon is full And in the pale light of the moon You’re gonna see the wolf bane bloom
My next door neighbor while growing up was named Clint. He was a teenager my sister’s age. He would sometimes let me tag along with him and his friends. They would play albums in his room and this James Gang album was one of the most popular. He only let me tag along because he liked my sister…being nice to me didn’t help him in that department but he was a good sport about it.
I knew better than to cause trouble with the guys….I just stayed quiet and listened to the music or I would be kicked out of the room. I was mesmerized by this song as a kid and still am. I was only 7 or 8 but hanging out with older kids was cool and listening to this new…to me…music stirred something in me.
This was about the time in my young life I realized…the Osmonds weren’t cool and I had to tell that to my Osmond obsessed sister…she didn’t give a flip what I thought and continued on with Puppy Love and with her Donny posters.
When I think of the James Gang I think of this simple slower song. Yes Funk #49, The Bomber, and Walk Away are more popular but this song stayed with me. I think Joe Walsh’s guitar tone and voice are absolutely perfect in this song.
In the third verse Joe steps aside and lets Mary Sterpka take it and it works well. When she sings “be mine” and then goes up high…it gives me chills. Joe plays some simple but creative guitar throughout the closing minute but doesn’t over play. I also like the Hawaiian guitar licks which makes the song different than their other songs.
It peaked at #80 in 1971. Thirds was the last James Gang album made with Joe Walsh. It was never a big song but that doesn’t matter…it filled a musical need when I needed it. Walsh wrote the song.
Thank you Clint for letting a little kid tag along and hear this wonderful music…sorry my sister wasn’t interested.
I just realized I have picked two Cleveland picks in a row… The Raspberries and the James Gang both hail from Cleveland…hey Cleveland Rocks!
Midnight Man
I’m the midnight man I do what I can To make sure that I am The midnight man Midnight man’s on time Everything is fine All the words in rhyme With everything
[solo]
Midnight man, you’re pretty Midnight man, you’re fine Midnight man, be careful Midnight man Midnight man, be mine
I hardly ever post #1 songs but when this song came out our radio station liked it. No they LOVED IT. I kid you not it was on every hour. It got to be a running joke with my friends on how many times we would hear this song in an afternoon.
It was either this song or the Outfield song “Your Love”…they were a year apart but they seemed joined at the hip on our rock radio station. The two songs had distinctive openings…Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight and Josie’s on a vacation far away…
Our band was playing in a bar at this time and we would just play the opening line and mock it… Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight It must have been something I ate… everyone applauded and laughed because they were as tired of it as we were.
After a few years I hardly heard it anymore and then something happened…I started to like it…a lot! It is a fun 80s style power pop song that I probably liked when I first heard it but I heard it too many times back then. It was written by Cutting Crew lead singer Nick Van Eede.
They formed in London in 1985 and hit big with their first album Broadcast with two hit singles.
The song was huge…it peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, #1 in Canada, #4 in Canada, and #50 in New Zealand.
Nick Van Eede:“Yes, I cannot tell a lie. It’s a song written about my girlfriend (who is actually the mother of my daughter). We got back together for one night after a year apart and I guess there were some fireworks but all the time tinged with a feeling of ‘should I really be doing this?’ Hence the lyric, ‘I should have walked away.
I know it sounds corny but I awoke that morning and wrote the basic lyrics within an hour and wrote and recorded the demo completely within three days.”
From Songfacts
Richard Branson started Virgin Records in England in 1972, but it wasn’t until 1987 and the release of Cutting Crew’s Broadcast album that Virgin broke through in America. Nick Van Eede told us about his experience with the record company: “We were signed to Siren records which was part of Virgin so we were always a little bit on the outside but it was the ’80s and they certainly put their money where their mouth was. We were flown to New York for the initial recordings of the album and this is where we got a great recording of ‘I’ve Been In Love Before.’ Then we were flown to Australia to shoot videos… all a bit crazy really. We gave them their first US #1 with ‘(I Just) Died In Your Arms’ but the company soon outgrew us as music stars were changing in the early ’90s. We wrote one slightly veiled song having a pop at US A&R antics in our ‘Between A Rock And A Hard Place’ from The Scattering (1989) album. I sang, ‘I got a brick but I can’t find a window,’ as they continually blocked our album’s release for months making us lose so much momentum.”
Mika used a great deal of this song on his 2007 track “Relax (Take It Easy).” Says Nick: “I know as well as any other song writer that these things can happen and its just the way of the composing world. I am completely confident Mika stumbled in to it accidentally and I am proud to be given the co write… Kerching!!!”
This song has been sampled or interpolated by a number of rap and R&B artists. Jay-Z did a remake of the song, and Amerie used it on her track “I Just Died.”
This was used in the Stranger Things episode “Suzie, Do You Copy?” (2019) and the Cold Case episode “Lonely Hearts” (2006). It also appears in these movies:
The Lego Batman Movie (2017) Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) Hot Rod (2007) Never Been Kissed (1999)
In a 2020 Planters commercial that aired during the Super Bowl in 2020, Matt Walsh and Wesley Snipes are riding the Peanutmobile, singing along as this song plays on the radio. Mr. Peanut is driving. When he swerves to avoid an armadillo, the vehicle goes off a cliff and the three are left hanging by a tree. To save the others, Mr. Peanut plunges to a fiery death. His elegy reads: “Mr. Peanut. 1916-2020.”
(I Just) Died In Your Arms
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight It must have been something you said I just died in your arms tonight
I keep lookin’ for somethin’ I can’t get Broken hearts lie all around me And I don’t see an easy way to get out of this Her diary, it sits by the bedside table The curtains are closed, the cats in the cradle Who would’ve thought that a boy like me could come to this
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight It must’ve been something you said I just died in your arms tonight Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight It must’ve been some kind of kiss I should’ve walked away I should’ve walked away
Is there any just cause for feelin’ like this? On the surface, I’m a name on a list I try to be discreet, but then blow it again I’ve lost and found, it’s my final mistake She’s loving by proxy, no give and all take ‘Cause I’ve been thrilled to fantasy one too many times
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight It must’ve been something you said I just died in your arms tonight Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight It must’ve been some kind of kiss I should’ve walked away I should’ve walked away
It was a long hot night She made it easy, she made it feel right But now it’s over, the moment has gone I followed my hands not my head, I know I was wrong
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight It must’ve been something you said I just died in your arms tonight I, I just died in your arms tonight It must’ve been some kind of kiss I should’ve walked away I should’ve walked away
I don’t feature many instrumentals but this one reminds me of the great Telstar. Laika and The Cosmonauts formed in 1987 and was a working band until 2008. The band was named after Laika, a Soviet space dog that died on board Sputnik 2 in 1957. This song came out in 1994 on the Instruments of Terror album…without a hint of the 90s….80s, or 70s for that matter.
They are a Finnish band that take surf rock, ‘60s spy movie music and other twangy influences and give them a spacey feeling.
The song on the album is listed as Psyko (Themes From “Psycho” And “Vertigo”) and they give you an early 60s feel. It seems they take Telstar as a base and go from there.
Musicians who like this band? Del Rey, Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench from the Heartbreakers, and Dick Dale just to name a few.
They released 6 studio albums, 2 compilation albums, and a live album. If you have some time look them up on youtube.
I have heard mostly the 90s music from this band…I recently found this album from 1987 and love it. They formed in 1982 in Glasgow Scotland and are still together today. The only original member left is lead singer Bobby Gillespie. They have shifted in sound through the years. This song was during their power pop period.
This song was on the Sonic Flower Groove album released in 1987. It was met with mixed to bad reviews at the time. The bad reviews caused internal strife within the band. Two members Jim Beattie and Gavin Skinner subsequently resigned. The band then changed directions and shifted to a more rock sound. In the mid-eighties a Byrds sound was not exactly the height of popularity but it would start taking off with bands like REM soon after.
I love the jangling guitar and the overall sound of the song and album. This song, Imperial, Treasure Trip, and many more make this a very good album to me.
Most reviewers now look back on the album with praise. It charted at #62 in the UK charts in 1987. Gentle Tuesday peaked at #87 in the UK charts in 1987.
Gentle Tuesday
Shadow masking matters Can’t conceal the way you really feel It doesn’t fit our souls exist That of they asked me how it is
New morning dew for you Sweet honey hips your lips Hold spells when cast they dwell Like magic in your kiss
Confusion colours cruel designs Unhappy girl, you’re out of time
Gentle Tuesday Sad and lonely eyes Gentle tuesday See yourself tonight
Memories as fat as bees Presents a mess of poison tears A word unkind that tricks our minds We really warned before your time
Happiness, nothing less A universal way Bad seeds but fruit are sweet You choke on empty days Confusion colours cruel designs Unhappy girl you’re out of time
I’ve always liked the Smithereens. They managed to breakthrough to the mainstream with this song and a few more.
Smithereens guitarist and singer Pat DiNizio wrote this as the theme song for the motion picture Say Anything, but DiNizio ultimately withheld the song from the project after he and the film’s producer disagreed on making certain changes to the song. The producer thought it gave away to much of the plot so DiNizio kept it for their next album.
Madonna was originally going to sing the harmony vocals, but failed to show up for the recording session. So the band got Maria Vidal to do the vocals.
This song peaked at #38 in the Billboard 100 and #62 in Canada. It also peaked at #2 in the Mainstream Rock Tracks in 1989. The song was on their third studio album named 11. The album peaked at #11 in the Billboard 100.
The band’s name comes from a Yosemite Sam catchphrase, Varmint, I’m a-gonna blow you to smithereens! They have worked numerous musicians, both in the studio…Belinda Carlisle, Julian Lennon, Lou Reed, Suzanne Vega… and live Graham Parker and The Kinks.
I used to travel in the shadows And I never found the nerve to try and walk up to you But now I am a man and I know that there’s no time to waste There’s too much to lose Girl, you say anything at all, and you know that you can call And I’ll be right there for you First love, heartbreak, tough luck, big mistake What else can you do
I’ll say anything you want to hear I’ll see everything through I’ll do anything I have to do Just to win the love of a girl like you, a girl like you
People talk and people stare, tell them I don’t really care This is the place I should be And if they think it’s really strange for a girl like you To be in love with someone like me I want to tell them all to go to hell That we’re doing very well without them you see That’s just the way it is and they will see I am yours and you are mine, the way it should be
I’ll say anything you want to hear I’ll see everything through I’ll do anything I have to do Just to win the love of a girl like you, a girl like you A girl like you, oh yeah
(Go!)
Now if I seem a little wild, there’s no holding back I’m trying to get a message to you I won’t take anything from anyone I won’t walk and I won’t run, I believe in you London, Washington, anywhere you are I’ll run Together we’ll be Inside, outside, got my pride I won’t let ’em take you from me
I’ll say anything you want to hear I’ll see everything through I’ll do anything I have to do Just to win the love of a girl like you, a girl like you A girl like you, a girl like you A girl like you, a girl like you, oh yeah
I’ll say anything (I’ll say anything) I’ll take anything (I’ll take anything) I’ll say anything, almost anything Except goodbye I’ll say anything (I’ll say anything) I’ll take anything (I’ll take anything) I’ll say anything, almost anything Except goodbye
I have to thank Christian (Christian’s Music Musings) for introducing me to this band and to this song in particular. They resemble some of the roots revival bands I’ve been listening to from the 80s. This small band is a lot of fun.
The band is from Brown County, Indiana. The band consists of The Reverend Peyton, “Washboard” Breezy Peyton, and Max Senteney the drummer. Peyton’s guitar playing is spot on. He uses finger picks to play and also holds the bottom end since they don’t have a bass player. When I saw this video on Christian’s site I went to youtube and got lost in their many songs. They are worth a trip down the youtube rabbit hole. The band can hold a groove and he is an excellent guitar player.
Josh “The Reverend” Peyton first influences were his dad’s records such as Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix, and Bob Dylan. He eventually tried to learn the finger-picking style of artists like Charlie Patton. At the time Peyton was unable to master it, instead playing more pick-oriented blues.
Him and “Washboard” Breezy Peyton were married in 2003 and have been touring ever since. The band has had success…per Wiki: The band released The Front Porch Sessions on March 10, 2017 on the Thirty Tigers label, debuting at #1 on the iTunes Blues chart, and #2 on the Billboard Blues chart
They recorded this album on analog tape which I give a thumbs up to. Dance Songs For Hard Times, was released on April 9, 2021. This is their 10th album.
Reverend Peyton: “I was thinking about all the times where I’ve been somewhere and felt too cool to dance,” “I didn’t want to be that way. Not being able to do anything last year, I had this feeling of, ‘Man, I’m not going to waste any moment like this in my life – ever.’ ”
Too Cool To Dance
I been dreaming about a night like this I been dreaming about your sweet kiss But it won’t happen if we ain’t on the floor And it don’t matter what them folks say They gonna talk some anyway The time is right now What are we waiting for?
We may not get another chance Please don’t tell me You’re too cool to dance Our gift tonight is the circumstance Please don’t tell me You’re too cool to dance
The stars are high above so bright And the song is hitting us just right It may never be this good again It’s rough outside but not in here They’re all fake but we’re sincere And pretty soon this old song will end
We may not get another chance Please don’t tell me You’re too cool to dance Our gift tonight is the circumstance Please don’t tell me You’re too cool to dance
We may not get another chance Please don’t tell me You’re too cool to dance Our gift tonight is the circumstance Please don’t tell me You’re too cool to dance
We may not get another chance Oh, please don’t tell me You’re too cool to dance Our gift tonight is the circumstance Please don’t tell me You’re too cool to dance
Oh please don’t tell me You’re too cool to dance Please don’t tell me You’re too cool to dance
The thing about ZZ Top is they never seem to take themselves too seriously. No concept albums or big love ballads… just good old fashion boogie blues rock.
I saw them in 1983 in Nashville. I remember the light show was incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it since. Near the end they made it look as if the stage was shaking and someone fell out of the lighting rig to the stage. Everyone at first thought it was a real person but it was a stuffed dummy.
They sounded great that night and it’s a concert I’ll never forget. The Little Ol’ Band from Texas didn’t disappoint. Who knew at that time they would be be together over 50 years with the same members they started out with.
The death of Dusty Hill had me to pull out Tres Hombres and give it another listen. Compared to other trios like Cream or the Jimi Hendrix Experience…ZZ Top played more in a groove. Dusty wasn’t all over the place on bass but he kept that bottom end grounded for Gibbons guitar to dance around in while Beard was locked with Dusty.
Tres Hombres was released in 1973. The album had four of their best known early songs such as La Grange, Waitin’ For The Bus, Jesus Just Left Chicago, and this one.
The album peaked at #8 in the Billboard 100 in 1973 and #13 in Canada…thanks to Vic (The Hinoeuma Cosmic Observation) for the Canada info.
Billy Gibbons: “On to a gig in Phoenix, we were driving through a West Texas windstorm. We, the band, were waiting to discover a place with some safe ground cover when the late-night lights of a roadside joint appeared. It was just across the line outside El Paso into New Mexico.
We ducked in quick and came face to face with our kind of folks… those soulful souls seeking solace, not only out of the dust and sand, but out of mind. What chance does one get better than that! We joined the gathering and started scribbling.”
From Songfacts
Group composition “Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers” (with or without the ampersand) is a fun track with the band playing up to their Southern redneck image. Unusually, bass player Dusty Hill supplies the lead vocal, backed up by axeman Gibbons.
It has been suggested that the line, “Baby, don’t you wanna come with me?” means something a little more explicit than, “Would you like to accompany me to the honky-tonk, miss?” If that is indeed the case, then the censor missed it; although it was not released as a single it received considerable airplay, including in the UK, where in 1973 this sort of innuendo would not have been tolerated by the BBC.
The original version runs to 3 minutes 23 seconds, and the song has been covered by both Van Halen and Motörhead, the latter of whom produced a blistering track with some fine and innovative soloing by Fast Eddie Clarke, but as is often the case, the original has not been bettered.
Here is a live version from 1980. I don’t like posting live versions unless they were done around the time of the release…this is as close as I could find as far as a video of them.
Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers
If you see me walkin’ down the line
with my fav’rite honky tonk in mind,
well, I’ll be here around suppertime
with my can of dinner and a bunch of fine.
Beer drinkers and hell raisers, yeah.
Uh-huh-huh, baby, don’t you wanna come with me?
The crowd gets loud when the band gets right,
steel guitar cryin’ through the night.
Yeah, try’n to cover up the corner fight
but ev’rything’s cool ’cause they’s just tight.
Beer drinkers and hell raisers, yeah.
Huh, baby, don’t you wanna come with me?
Ah, play it boy.
The joint was jumpin’ like a cat on hot tin.
Lord, I thought the floor was gonna give in.
Soundin’ a lot like a House Congressional
’cause we’re experimental and professional.
Beer drinkers, hell raisers, yeah.
Well, baby, don’t you wanna come with me?
It’s hard not to like this song. it’s fun and the video should not to be missed. When I was growing up…I don’t remember any friend’s moms looking like Rachel Hunter though.
The song was credited to Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger…but Schlesinger wrote it. Stacy’s Mom was released in 2003 on the Welcome Interstate Managers album.
The intro resembles the Cars Just What I Needed and they even asked Ric Ocasek to be in the video for the song. He never responded but they had some tributes to him in the video. A license plate reads “I ♥ RIC” and a young kid dressed similar to Ocasek with dark hair and sunglasses. They also re-created the scene from the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which featured the Cars’ “Moving in Stereo.”
Adam Schlesinger said that he had Simon & Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson” in the back of his mind when he wrote Stacy’s Mom… “It was a contrast of that story against a track that sounded like ’80s new wave, like The Cars or something.”
Adam also said that one of his friends when he was 11 or 12 was attracted…not to his mom but to his grandmother. He told Schlesinger that she was “really hot.” That incident helped him write the song.
It peaked at #21 in the Billboard 100, #11 in the UK, and #13 in Canada in 2003
The band Bowling For Soup has been misidentified as the band that did Stacy’s Mom. Youtube and even some of their fans even thought they were the band that did the song…so…they covered it! They do sound somewhat like Fountains Of Wayne.
Jaret Reddick (Bowling for Soup leader) said that by finally releasing their own version of the song, “I’ve basically just taken care of a large part of the population that’s been wrong for years, and I’ve made them right.” The cover art for their version of the song release reads: “Finally you can say this is your favorite song by BFS and not look like an idiot!”
Unfortunately Adam Schlesinger passed away on April 1, 2020 from complications of Covid-19…he was only 52 years old.
Songfacts
The Cars’ influence is obvious – just compare the intro of their track, “Just What I Needed,” to the intro of “Stacy’s Mom” to hear for yourself.
This song was a commercial success and reached #1 on iTunes’ Most Downloaded Songs chart. In 2004, it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Vocal Pop Performance. Adam Schlesinger told us “Stacy’s Mom” “is definitely the biggest of my own band stuff.” Schlesinger added to Bullz-Eye.com that he does not think Fountains of Wayne will achieve the same level of success they did with “Stacy’s Mom” ever again: “I think ‘Stacy’s Mom’ was a fluke thing where it was the right song and the right video, and you kind of had the novelty factor, and all that stuff. And you can’t really make that happen again.”
Actress and model, Rachel Hunter, portrayed Stacy’s mom in the song’s official video – directed by Chris Applebaum. Parts of the video bear a striking resemblance to the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High. At one point in the movie, a character named Brad is in a bathroom fantasizing about his sister’s friend and the friend walks in on him. His sister’s name, coincidentally, is Stacy. .
The song featured in a commercial for the Cadillac SRX, which shows a woman picking up her daughter from school. As she does so, men gaze longingly at her “beautifully practical and practically beautiful” …car.
Stacy’s Mom
Stacy’s mom has got it goin’ on Stacy’s mom has got it goin’ on Stacy’s mom has got it goin’ on Stacy’s mom has got it goin’ on
Stacy, can I come over after school? (after school) We can hang around by the pool (hang by the pool) Did your mom get back from her business trip? (business trip) Is she there, or is she trying to give me the slip? (give me the slip)
You know, I’m not the little boy that I used to be I’m all grown up now, baby can’t you see
Stacy’s mom has got it goin’ on She’s all I want and I’ve waited for so long Stacy, can’t you see you’re just not the girl for me I know it might be wrong but I’m in love with Stacy’s mom
Stacy’s mom has got it goin’ on Stacy’s mom has got it goin’ on
Stacy, do you remember when I mowed your lawn? (mowed your lawn) Your mom came out with just a towel on (towel on) I could tell she liked me from the way she stared (way she stared) And the way she said, “you missed a spot over there” (a spot over there)
And I know that you think it’s just a fantasy But since your dad walked out, your mom could use a guy like me
Stacy’s mom has got it goin’ on She’s all I want, and I’ve waited so long Stacy, can’t you see you’re just not the girl for me I know it might be wrong But I’m in love with Stacy’s mom
Stacy’s mom has got it goin’ on She’s all I want and I’ve waited for so long Stacy can’t you see you’re just not the girl for me I know it might be wrong I’m in love with (Stacy’s mom oh oh) I’m in love with (Stacy’s mom oh oh) Stacy can’t you see you’re just not the girl for me I know it might be wrong, but I’m in love with (Stacy’s mom oh oh)
There was quite a big garage band scene in the 80s from all over the world. These bands stuck close to their ancestors so to speak but with a little more punch in the modern recording. They avoided the dated sound unlike some of their more popular peers.
The Cynics were from Pittsburgh and along with the Chesterfield Kings, the Milkshakes, and the Fuzztones were early founders of the 1980s garage rock revival movement. The picked up from where the garage bands from the 60’s garage bands.
This band is not limited to garage rock. I’ve heard everything from power pop to folk from them in songs.
Gregg Kostelich started the Cynics in 1983. The other members were drummer Bill Von Hagen, vocalist Michael Kastelic who joined in 1985, bass player Steve Magee, and keyboardist Becky Smith who debuted with their first album, Blue Train Station in 1986.
Baby What’s Wrong was on their Rock and Roll album released in 1990.
Their first two 45s were released by the Californian Dionysus label, but soon after Gregg had established his own Pittsburgh-based Get Hip Recordings who would release all of The Cynics albums and singles. The label also releases records by fellow garage bands, power pop, and punk bands around the world.
The band is still togehter with members Gregg Kostelich, Michael Kastelic, Pablo González “Pibli”, and Angel Kaplan.
The band released 8 albums between 1986 to 2011 with the Spinning Wheel Motel album.
Gregg Kostelich: “I was maybe 4 or 5 when I started collecting Garage records, and I’ve been listening to that type of music ever since. And I was lucky enough to see a couple of shows I was a little kid…my parents would bring to see bands like THE SONICS and THE BLUE MAGOOS and THE WHO, when I was about 7 or 8! I didn’t know what was going on really, but it was really exciting. I was kinda embarrassed in a way because I was with my parents.” “Yeah, maybe I got brain damage from all the noise!”
I got a lot of info off of their record company’s website…check them out and their music.
You didn’t hear me when I tried to tell you You didn’t see me when I looked so lonely You didn’t answer when I said, “Where you going?”
You didn’t see the way you drive me crazy
Baby what’s wrong with me I can’t seem to turn your head Baby what’s wrong with me I’m always going home to an empty bed
You got my number, you never use it You got my choice, but you never choose it You got those brown eyes, they’re hiding something If I could open up, I’d let you in
Baby what’s wrong with me I can’t seem to turn your head Baby what’s wrong with me I’m always going home to an empty bed
Maybe some day, there will be a full moon We’ll be together, in the same room Open our eyes, see what we’re missing My hard time is maybe they’re dissing
Baby what’s wrong with me I can’t seem to turn your head Baby what’s wrong with me I’m always going home
Baby what’s wrong with me I can’t seem to turn your head Baby what’s wrong with me I’m always going home
Bruce Springsteen:“Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) should go down as one of the great mini-rock-opera masterpieces of all time”
In the nineties I bought the Raspberries greatest hits. I listened with headphones to each song until I heard this one. I stopped and listened to it repeatedly. It’s one of those songs that goes beyond other songs…It is truly a pop-rock symphony. I was amazed that I never heard this before.
Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) is an epic, ambitious, grand, lofty, extravagant, and brilliant song from the Raspberries. They were swinging for the fences when they made this song and they hit it out of the park. It’s on the album Starting Over released in 1974.
Put some headphones on and listen to this completely to the very end… When I hear it, I think this is what it would sound like if The Who, Beach Boys, and Beatles made a song together…this would be it. Musically you have a little of everything. Sliding bass lines, tasteful guitar licks, great vocals, a sax solo that gives way to more lyrics as the song morphs into an AM radio sound… and then comes a solo piano.
Stay until the very end because they dupe you into a fake ending and the drums will come in as if the world is going to end. Then… a Beach Boys final huge crescendo wave will wash over you like a warm summer moonlit night. It’s a wall of sound of ecstasy that you wish would go on forever.
The song is about trying to make it in the music business. It’s Eric Carmen singing with desperation wanting a hit record on the radio. After this album, the Raspberries were no more. This was Eric Carmen at his absolute best before he went solo and became an ordinary pop singer. He would never try anything this ambitious again.
Certain songs we all know are timeless. In a perfect world this one deserves to be on that list. I don’t use the word masterpiece a lot but I would consider this song one. The musical arrangement is second to none in terms of arrangement, production, and harmonies.
Although “Go All The Way” was their big hit of their career…this one is in a different league and they never equaled it. Most people don’t know this song and it’s a musical injustice. I only hope more people discover it.
The three best power pop bands of the early to mid-seventies were Big Star, Badfinger, and The Raspberries. Badfinger were the most successful (and they paid dearly for it), Big Star wasn’t even known, and The Raspberries had one top ten hit with few very good minor ones. All three of these bands were too rock for pop radio and too pop for rock radio…in varying degrees they fell into the cracks of history… none of them had long careers.
John Lennon was said to be a fan of the group. He was producing Nilsson’s Pussycats at the same time The Raspberries were making this album at the Record Plant. John supposedly was blown away by Overnight Sensation.
The song peaked at #18 in the Billboard 100 and #22 in Canada in 1974.
Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) Well I know it sounds funny But I’m not in it for the money, no I don’t need no reputation And I’m not in it for the show
I just want a hit record, yeah Wanna hear it on the radio Want a big hit record, yeah One that everybody’s got to know
Well if the program director don’t pull it It’s time to get back the bullet So bring the group down to the station You’re gonna be an overnight sensation
I’ve been tryin’ to write the lyric Non-offensive but satiric too And if you put it in the A-slot It’s just got to make a mint for you
I fit those words to a good melody Amazing how success has been ignoring me So long I use my bread making demos all day Writing in the night while in my head I hear The record play Hear it play
Hit record, yeah Wanna hit record, yeah Wanna hit record, yeah (number one)
Canadian Bachman Turner Overdrive was one of those bands in the early to mid seventies that just kept pumping out hits.
Randy Bachman and Fred Turner of Bachman-Turner Overdrive got the idea for this song when they were driving to a gig in New Orleans.
They were driving on a highway when a few truckers decided to have some fun with the musicians, who were riding in the little van from Canada. The truckers boxed them in and slowed down to a crawl. When they finally turned into a truck stop, Randy and Fred followed them with the intent of giving them a good talking to…but when they met up with the trucker Randy said “The trucker looked like a Volkswagen with a head.” The truckers had a good laugh and told the band that they needed to learn to “Let it ride.”
Bachman and Turner had never heard that expression before, but they liked the sound of it: it meant to just relax and not let things upset you. When they got to New Orleans, they wrote the song in their dressing room.
The song was on their album Bachman–Turner Overdrive II released in 1973. The album peaked at #6 in Canada and #3 in the Billboard Album Chart.
The song peaked at #2 in Canada and #23 in the Billboard 100.
Songfacts
The distinctive guitar riff in this song is something Randy Bachman came up with after listening to a classical piece by Antonin Dvorak called “Piano Concerto in D.” He transposed a chord progression he heard in the piece to guitar, which sounded great.
Bachman believes that pretty much any piece of modern music is based on something that came before. When we spoke with him in 2014, he said: “You’ve got to get them, reshape them, and hopefully they are reshaped enough that you can call it original.”
All of the background vocals were sung by Fred Turner, which caused a flanging effect that Randy Bachman liked.
Does this song’s intro sound similar to that of “Long Train Runnin'” by the Doobie Brothers? Randy Bachman thinks so. He says that the Doobie Brothers were sharing a dressing room with him and Fred Turner the night they came up with “Let It Ride,” and the Doobies nicked the riff for their song.
Let It Ride
Good bye, hard life Don’t cry would you let it ride? Good bye, hard life Don’t cry would you let it ride?
You can’t see the mornin’, but I can see the light Try, try, try let it ride While you’ve been out runnin’ I’ve been waitin’ half the night Try, try, try let it ride
And would you cry if I told you that I lied and would you say goodbye or Would you let it ride? And would you cry if I told you that I lied And would you say goodbye or would you let it ride?
Seems my life is not complete I never see you smile Try, try, try let it ride Baby you want the forgivin’ kind and that’s just not my style Try, try, try let it ride
And would you cry if I told you that I lied and would you say goodbye or Would you let it ride? And would you cry if I told you that I lied And would you say goodbye or would you let it ride?
I’ve been doin’ things worthwhile, you’ve been bookin’ time Try, try, try let it ride
And would you cry if I told you that I lied and would you say goodbye or Would you let it ride? And would you cry if I told you that I lied And would you say goodbye or would you let it ride?
Would you let it ride Would you let it ride Would you let it ride Would you let it ride
Try, try, try let it ride Try, try, try let it ride Try, try, try let it ride Try, try, try let it ride
Try, try, try let it ride Try, try, try let it ride Try, try, try let it ride Try, try, try let it ride
Try, try, try let it ride Would you let it ride? Would you let it ride? Would you let it ride? Would you let it ride?
The Feelies were an inspiration to REM and many alternative bands in the 80s. They formed in 1976 and disbanded in 1992 having released four albums. The band reunited in 2008, and most recently released albums in 2011 and 2017.
The band’s name is taken from a fictional entertainment device described in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.
The song was released in 1986 on the album The Good Earth with REM’s Peter Buck producing. It was written by members Glenn Mercer and Bill Million. The band toured in support of the album as an opening band for Lou Reed as well as REM that year. The album was one of their most successful albums.
It certainly doesn’t have earth shaking lyrics but it’s a gorgeous over all sound and atmosphere they produce. It reminds me of something that would be on a movie soundtrack…it’s over with before you know it.
Let’s Go
Well alright Well alright Let’s go Let’s go Let’s go Let’s go All night long All night long (spoken?)
Why don’t we ? I know you? Why don’t we ? I know you? Go low (?) Low low (?) Go slow Slow All night long All night long
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 