Tag: Jay Ferguson

Sloan – Keep Your Name Alive

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 lieI should have thought it overThere was a timeI opened with a closerI flew away, away, awayKept my composureAs she wavedDid I become another castaway?

If I simply turned aroundOr counted one to fiveDo you have to leave your homeTo keep your name alive?

Well, I guess I had to find out for myselfThe house remained dividedLocked the doorAre mirrors all one-sided?But the day went after dayAnd still no furtherBreaking wavesRendered me another castaway

If I simply turned aroundOr counted one to fiveDo you have to leave your homeTo keep your name alive?Whether you float far awayWhere it’s too deep to diveFailing further mention ofKeep your name aliveKeep your name alive

La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la(I flew away, away, away)La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la

If I simply turned aroundOr counted one to fiveIs there need to travel farIn order to arrive?Whether you float far awayWhere it’s too deep to dive(It’s too deep to dive)You don’t have to leave your homeTo keep your name alive

Keep your name aliveKeep your name alive (keep your name alive)Keep your name alive

…

Jo Jo Gunne – Run Run Run

I was reading an article by Dave about Jay Ferguson and he mentioned this band. I thought the band’s name sounded familiar. When I heard it I remembered this song on A.M. radio as a kid.

They formed in Los Angeles in 1971 by Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes after they left the band Spirit. They were known for their hits like I Got A Line On You, Nature’s Way, and the song “Taurus” which Spirit claims resembles Stairway To Heaven a little too much.

In the early seventies, David Geffen tried to get someone to sign Jackson Browne. He was turned down by almost all of the record companies. What is that old saying? “If the Mountain won’t go to Mohammed, then Mohammed must come to the Mountain.” So Geffen made his own record company to sign Jackson Browne. He called this record company Asylum.

His first signing was, of course, Jackson Browne. His second signing was Jo Jo Gunne. After Jo Jo Gunne came The Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Judee Sill, Bob Dylan (for two albums), Linda Ronstadt, Tom Waits, and Warren Zevon. That is a hell of a roster.  The band included Jay Ferguson (vocals, keyboards) and Mark Andes (bass), the original lineup of Jo Jo Gunne included Matt Andes (guitar) and William “Curly” Smith (drums).

Jo Jo Gunne debut album

This song peaked at #27 on the Billboard 100, #30 in Canada, and #6 in the UK in 1972. The song was on their self-titled debut album. They released 5 albums altogether and the last one was in 2005 called Big Chain.

Despite the initial success of this song… Jo Jo Gunne did not achieve lasting mainstream popularity and they are often considered a one-hit wonder. Jay Ferguson went on to have hits on his own hit, Thunder Island peaked at #9 in America in 1978, and Shakedown Cruise #31 in 1979.

Run Run Run

Doo doo dooDoo doo doo dooRun Run RunRun Run Run

Doo doo dooDoo doo doo dooRun Run RunRun Run Run

You’d better ride on baby,You was born outside of the lawRunRun

Doo doo dooDoo doo doo dooRun Run RunRun Run Run

Oh load up your mama,W’ll ride on out to the lineRunRun

RunOhRun

Doo doo dooDoo doo doo dooRun Run RunRun Run Run

Oh welcome to the party,We’re all just papers in the windRunRun

…

Sloan – Spend The Day …. Power Pop Friday

My friend Deke got me into this power pop band from Canada. Deke and Dave have introduced me to many Canadian artists that I hadn’t heard of before like Blue Rodeo, The Moist, Justin Bieber (Just Kidding Guys!), Tragically Hip, and more.  It still puzzles me why some very successful Canadian bands in the 80s-90s didn’t translate in the US.

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.

Hearing this band is encouraging for Power Pop. A few weeks ago I posted a song about The Beths and now Sloan who have new albums out. Their influences have been listed as The Beatles, Sonic Youth, Fleetwood Mac, and more. In this song, I hear a little Beatles and Who.

This song is on their new album called Steady released on October 21, 2022. It’s their 13th album to date. Guitarist Patrick Pentland wrote this song. There is a great review of this album here. I would recommend giving this power pop band a try.

Spend The Day

It’s not like living in your real worldIs better than my life on The Other SideI’m sick of wired and I’m tetheringAnd weathering somewhere out of my mind

Hide awaySpend the day in here with me a whileHide awaySpend the day in here with me a while

It’s not like every time your wide eyesLook at something that it’s full of liesYou’re gonna try and findThe who what why whereI refuse to recognize

Hide awaySpend the day in here with me a whileHide awaySpend the day in here with me a while

It’s not that living in your real worldIs better than my life on The Other SideI’m sick of wired and I’m tetheringAnd weathering somewhere out of my mind

Hide awaySpend the day in here with me a whileHide awaySpend the day in here with me a whileHide awayHide awaySpend the dayHide awayHide awayWith me a while