rain songs

I spent most of yesterday moving bricks in the rain. I couldn't help but thinking about songs that mention rain in the title. So if I were making a mix disc for rainy weather...

1. Crying in the Rain (The Everly Brothers)
2. I Wish it Would Rain (Wreckless Eric)
3. Raining Raining (Nick Lowe)
4. I Love a Rainy Night (Eddie Rabbit)
5. Mandolin Rain (Pam Tillis)
6. Walking in the Rain (The Partridge Family)
7. It's Raining Men (The Weather Girls)
8. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head (BJ Thomas)
9. Have You Ever Seen the Rain (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
10. Rainy Jane (Davy Jones)
11. Purple Rain (Prince & the Revolution)
12. Freeway in the Rain (Sean Tyla)
13. You Don't Have to Walk in the Rain (The Turtles)
14. Thunder and Rain (Graham Parker and the Rumour)
15. Here Comes the Rain Again (Eurythmics)
16. The Rain (Oran "Juice Jones)

Your mileage may vary

i don't eulogize much anymore

There have been a few recent high profile deaths in the music world, and I havenm't commented on them. When I started this blog, early this year, and I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I commented on the deaths of Johnny Otis and Etta James -- two figures who were very influential but not exactly household names any more.

Now, we have Robin Gibb, Adam Yauch and Donna Summer all died within a short period (and Dick Clark died a bit ago. And I failed to note any of those deaths or eulogize them. I did, of course, eulogize Davy Jones when he died.

So why the difference? Well, to a certain degree it was that I was no longer quite as bright-tailed and bushy-eyed. Add to that the fact that these were three musicians about whom I didn't have a lot to say (and about whom others had already said much).

My thoughts on them?
1) Donna Summer: Of course I know the name and some of her music, but it was never my thing. My strongest association is to the song "Disco Suicide" which Mad Magazine put out sometime around 1980 as part of a disco special. There was a couplet. "If that truns out to be a bummer / I'll swallow a casette of Donna Summer."

2) Adam Yauch: I kind of liked the Beastie Boys, especially some of their early stuff. The Licensed to Ill album had some really good tracks. I also liked "She's On It," which predates that album. Oh, also, their original drummer -- Kate Schellenbach -- was in my high school class. But we didn't know each other. I wouldn't recognize her on the street and she, of course, wouldn't recognize me either. That was true when we were in high school too.

3) Robin Gibbs: Yes, I know the BeeGees were huge. But they have never really been part of my consciousness, except maybe for the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever.

So now you know why I didn't eulogize them.

a bit on the songwriting talent at the janey street concert

Of course, the highlight of the Janey Street concert last week, was, of course, Janey Street herself.

But this was also an NSAI event (whether officially or not), so most of the people in the room were songwriters of one sort or another*. I didn't take a survey, but my impression was that most, if not all, of the songwriters there are more accomplished than I am. Of course, anyone who is active in NSAI is, pretty much by definition, more serious about it than I am. Many, however, were much more accomplished, either as musicians, or singers, or -- hell, I'll just say it -- as songwriters.

One of people who played songs after the concert was Freddy Monday. I had talked to him earlier, during the imtermission. That came about because he -- and I forget why -- said "China clipper calling Alameda," which I recognized from the Monkees' "Zilch." We got to talking about singwriting and the Monkees. One of his songs is "I Wanna Be Your Davy Jones." He managed to get Davy Jones to appear in the video:

It kind of reminded me of Eytan Mirsky's "I just Want to Be Your Steve McQueen."

Another songwriter there was Randi Drucker (who hosted the concert). She played a beautiful tearjerking song about an absent father. I'm not sure of the exact title, although I believe it was something along the lines of "Make the Monsters Go Away."

If I can find the time, I need to go to NSAI events in New York.

*I say "of one sort or another" because I want to use a loose enough definition of songwriter to include myself. I briefly described my songwriting in the first post on this blog.

UPDATE: I should have noted this: One of my favorite aspects of "I Want to Be Your Dav Jones" is that the song begins with a rif that's pretty much an exact copy of the opening riff of The Monkees' version of "Mary Mary."

the monkees as a gateway band

One of the more interesting articles that I saw in the wake of Davy Jones' death was by David Hinckley, a writer for the Daily News. Hinckley argued that one of the Monkees' important roles in pop music was as an entry point for young people:

But Jones and the Monkees were more important on a different level. As quintessential teen idols, they were the main entry point into popular music for millions of teenagers

Joke, if you will, that this is like calling marijuana the gateway drug to heroin. But it’s the way music works.

Just as we go from lullabies to Barney to the Wiggles to “Sesame Street,” at some point almost all of us find pop music, the pop music of the moment, the pop music that will become our own.

We don’t start with Kanye West or Taylor Swift. We start with something that’s catchy, simple and friendly while it embeds the hook that starts the ride.

For millions of listeners, the teen idol is the first point where the music feels like the listener’s own.

You can read the whole thing here.

Interesting thesis. For me it's true in many ways. Certainly the Monkees were my first entry into pop music, although it'snot as if I transitioned to them from some other, more-juvenile, interest. Like many others, I got interested in them through their TV show. I used to keep a portable tape recorder next to the set so I could record the musical sequences. Then I'd walk around the neighborhood holding that recorder, playing these bad quality recordings. I specifically remember having "Sometime in the Morning" and "Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)." And my sister and I bickered over whether "Monkeemania" or "Partridgemania" made more sense as a phrase,or sounded better.

Gnerally, though, I didn't get into other, more-adult, groups directly through the Monkees. But So when, on shabbatons with other teens during my early high school years, there was a group singing Rolling Stones, or Bob Dylan or Simon & Garfunkel (while one or two played guitar), I was there enjoying it. I remember declaring myself a fan of "sixties music." And I'm sure that part of what was going on was that my brain had started preparing the wiring for this (in part) because of the time I had spent time listening to The Monkees.

There was, however, one group that I got into in a big way as a direct result of the Monkees influence on me. That group was...The Monkees. Now, here I am drawing a distinction between the early bubble gum Monkees of the TV screen, and the later Monkees. In actuality, there were arguably several phases in which the group (or nongroup, as the case may be) had an identity different than it was in the other phases. I won't go into the detail now. But I am thinking of songs such as "Oklahoma Backroom Dancer," "Never Tell a Woman Yes" and "Circle Sky." While I certainly enjoy the early hits that had the major airplay and dominate the compilation albums, in some ways these later songs were much more interesting.

Here to illustrate is the video of "Circle Sky" from the Monkees' movie, Head. I'll note that this liver versio used in the movie was vastly superior to the studio version put in the soundtrack album.

gotta get album: shonen knife's osaka ramones

I see Shonen Knife put out what is, for me, a "gotta get" album last year. It's called Osaka Ramones.

Shonen Knife, for the uninformed, is an all-female pop-punk trio from Japan. Their music has that hard grungy guitar sound of contemporary punk, but they manage to give it a certain childish charm and happy poppy energy. One thing that helps is that a lot of their songs are innocent ditties about food. There's "Sushi Bar" "I Wanna Eat Chocobars" and "Banana Chips."

But what I like best is when they do cover versions. My favorite is "Daydream Believer," which (heresy though it is for a Monkees fan like me to say) I like better than the Monkees version. Another one is "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head," which they did for a various artists Burt Bacharach tribute album.

Osaka Ramones is Shonen Knife's album-length tribute to the Ramones. I actually found it as a result of Davy Jones' death. After I wrote a post about it (here), a friend emailed me a video of Davy performing "Daydream Believer" onstage with U2. I responded with Shonen Knife's version. But in looking for that on Youtube (in order to send my friend the link), I noticed a bunch of covers of Ramones songs. Watching them, I got confused, seeing "Osaka Ramones" listed with some of them. I wondered if that wasn't the name of a Japanese tribute band, and if these weren't their renditions. However, Amazon confirmed that Osaka Ramones is an album by Shonen Knife.

Gotta get it.

davy jones, rip

Before I say anything, let me turn it over to Micky Dolenz:

I find myself at a loss as to how to discuss Davy Jones' death. What to say about it.

It's no secret that I'm a big Monkees fan. And Davy Jones was, in many ways, the iconic Monkee -- the first one who comes to most people's mind, and the face that seems to represent the group. And because of that, there are a bunch of articles and Youtube videos that identify him as the Monkees' frontman or as their lead singer.

To be sure, Jones did sing lead on some songs -- most notably on "Daydream Believer." But to the extent that there was one person who could be called the lead singer, it would be Micky Dolenz, who sang lead on "Last Train to Clarksville" and "I'm a Believer." Frontman? I think it's hard to say there was a definitive frontman, though I guess if I had to name one it would be Davy.

That's not because of his singing or his musical ability, but because he was cute. And he had the British accent. He, more than the others, made the girls go ape. And so he, more than the others, became the defining face of the Monkees. But of the four, I think he ranks third (behind Dolenz and Mike Nesmith) in terms of importance to the Monkees sound and style. But maybe without him the TV show wouldn't have taken off, and the music (directed by Don Kirshner, who was the real creative mind behind the music early on) wouldn't have sold, and the Monkees wouldn't have ever become a real band. So maybe he was the crucial element, just for that.

Davy had charisma, and a good sense of timing as a singer. But he was not a rocker. He was a song and dance man with a background in (and, I can only assume, a love for) musical theatre. To me he never seemed right singing rock and roll.

This isn't coming out as a eulogy. And maybe that's proper. I'm just trying to get across my conflicting thoughts and feelings. But I never knew Davy Jones. I never had a relationship with him. So I can't talk about what a nice guy he was. I want to, because his death does sadden me (more on that in a bit), but to do so would be dishonest. That's why I included the video above. Micky Dolenz knew him and has the standing to talk about him. I suppose I can go into the customary discussion of what a great talent he was. But others are doing that. So instead I'll post some videos below, with some comments.

So I'm back to the fact that I am saddened by his death. I watch the videos of him and think "this guy is dead." And since he was a childhood idol, this is a reminder that I am no longer a child. I'm no longer a young adult. Yesterday, after hearing the news I said to my boss "I'm officially old." Maybe that's too strong, but Davy Jones' death makes me feel that way.

So now, a few videos to reminisce:

Davy was the Artful Dodger in the cast of Oliver! on Broadway. Here, the cast appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. Coincidentally, this was the same episode that introduced the Beatles to America.

Davy does a screen test for the Monkees.

The video for "Daydream Believer" from the TV show.

The video for "Valleri" from the TV show.

Davy doing what he did best -- a song and dance routine for "Daddy's Song" from the Monkees' movie, Head

After the TV show was cancelled and the group broke up, Davy's star was sinking. He appeared as a guest on The Brady Bunch

An attempt at reuniting the Monkees for their tenth anniversary resulted in Dolenz, Jones, Biyce and Hart. This is the video for "I remember the Feeling"

Consumate performer that he was, Davy never let high winds stop a show.

 Davy evades the question of whether The Monkees should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

musical guests on tv shows

The celebrity guest appearance is an easy ploy for TV shows to use. There's a certain excitement to the guest star that can boost ratings, and the guest star gets some additional exposure. It's easy. Almost as easy as a blogger posting a list of things such as celebrity guest appearances on TV shows.

Anyway, the following are ten memorable appearances by singers or bands on regular TV shows. The order of presentation is not meant to imply an preference. These are in alphabetical order by the name of the show.

1) Batman: Chad and Jeremy

This harmonic duo has their voices stolen by Catwoman. Funny how nobody seems to notice as she and her henchmen stroll onto the stage. FWIW, Paul Revere and the Raiders appear in another episode of Batman, trying to rally electoral support for Penguin. Also, Chad and Jeremy also performed on The Dick Van Dyke Show. But that was as "The Redcoats." Here, though, are Chad and Jeremy on Batman:

2) The Brady Bunch: Davy Jones
Usually the first such guest appearance anyone of my demographic mentions. This was after the Monkees had broken up and Jones' stock was at an ebb. Still, a credible song.

3) The Flintstones: Ann-Margret (as Ann-Margrock)

In this list I not willing to include performers' appearances in which they play characters other than themselves. That's why Suzi Quatro's appearances on Happy Days (as Leather Tuscadero) don't count. I make an exception here only because the Flintstones had a pattern of renaming people and places to include some geologic reference. For the purposes of that show, appearing as Ann-Margrock is essentially the same as appearing as herself. In one part of the episode she sings Pebbles to sleep. As good as that lullabye is, it can't hold a candle to "Ain't Gonna Be a Fool":

4) Here's Lucy: Donny Osmond

Donny performs two numbers (the first as a solo, exciting an obviously-enamored Eve Plumb. The second, as a duet with Lucie Arnaz). He reminds me of a second-rate Vegas lounge crooner.

5) I Dream of Jeannie: Boyce and Hart

Best known as the songwriting duo behind some of the Monkees' biggest hits, Boyce & Hart were also performers in their own right and had some chart success of their own.They were also not above making guest appearances, having done so on The Flying Nun, Bewitched an I Dream of Jeannie. The last of these is my favorite because of the way they managed to subtly milk their Monkees connection. The covers of the first three Monkees albums are shown within the first fifteen seconds of the first clip below (The Monkees is the album that Bobby Hart is holding when Jeannie blinks him to her home -- you can see that at 13 seconds; At five seconds in, both More of the Monkees -- in the rightmost bin -- and Headquarters -- above his right shoulder -- are visible at 5 seconds in. Meanwhile, a jazzy version of "Last Train to Clarksville" is playing in the background. In the second clip, you can see the cover of Davy Jones' pre-Monkees solo album attached to the wall. It's above and to the right of Jeannie's head at the beginning of the clip It's clearly visible again, in front of Jeannie's face as she plays the drums, 53 seconds in:

6) The Munsters: The Standells

This was before the Standells' big success with "Dirty Water," which I suppose is why they performed a Beatles song for this guest appearance. Oh, and that's writer/actor/director/producer, Zalman King, as the bearded man:

7) The Odd Couple: Jaye P. Morgan

You know, I agree with Felix. Jaye's interpretation of the song is way too slow.

8) The Simpsons: The Ramones

The Simpsons featured a bunch of musical segments over the course of its run. There was the time Homer managed singer Lurleen Lumpkin. There was Homer's old vocal group, the Be Sharps. And there was the psychiatric patient who nthought he was Michael Jackson. This was my favorite:

9) Square Pegs: The Waitresses

New wave music was a big part of this Square Pegs. Devo appeared in a later episode. And in one episode, Johnny Slash formed a band (called Open 24 Hours), including John Densmore (formerly the drummer for the Doors). Throughout that episode, Densmore is referred to as the drummer from the Doors. But I liked the Waitresses's appearance best:

10) What's Happening!!: The Doobie Brothers

Raj and company take on the thorny issue of music piracy. Who says What's Happening!! didn't have gravitas? This appearance is noteworthy because of its shear length. Rather than one song and out, the Doobies did a miniconcert.