CD Review: Harry Chapin: some more stories live

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2020

Images from the Internet

Harry Chapin

some more stories live: Live at Radio Bremen, 11th April 1977

Die Sparkasse Bremen / radiobremen / MIG / MVD Entertainment

www.mig-music.de

www.mvdentertainment.com

Harry Chapin meant a lot to me, starting around 1972 or ’73, when I first heard his song, “Sniper.” Most were drawn to him through “Taxi,” his first hit, but I came from a different place than most folkies (which helps explain my later transition to punk). I saw him play live a number of times, and even had the opportunity to sing with him on stage (HERE). 

Around the time this new release was recorded at the Post-Aula venue for a radio station in Bremen, Germany, in 1977, Chapin’s original live album, Greatest Stories Live was already available, so this is not the “leftovers” from that concert, but a completely different show taped on another continent. There is some overlap between here and the original Stories, but Chapin is one of those singers who does every song a bit differently each time due to his non-technical voice (i.e., unique, like Dylan or Cohen). On the other hand, throughout his career, Chapin’s backing band has been pretty consistent, so you do get a group who is proficient on all the numbers. Plus, the quality of the sound is top notch.

For me, it seems “Shooting Star” is an odd opening for a show, as it is a deep and moving song that seems to come too early, before an audience has a chance to get into the emotional investment needed for Harry’s songs. It tells of a man with some kind of lack of mental agility (perhaps autism?), and the woman who loves him anyway. It’s a beautiful and touching tale.

“W.O.L.D.” was a minor hit for Chapin, and definitely one of his standard live numbers. It’s almost the opposite of “Shooting Star” as the protagonist of the song is an aging disc jockey trying to reconnect with his ex-wife (see video below). It also includes the tale of how he got to where he is today, and subtly why he is in the present situation.

The next cut is titled “Harry Chapin introducing the band,” which is also the prelude to the next number, “Blues Man.” While there is no question Chapin is head of this group, he also has always been open to giving the stage to members of his band, each of whom plays a particular part in the story, especially his bassist, Big John Wallace (who has a five octave vocal range).

Chapin’s specialty – or at least niche – is storytelling, which is not surprising considering his early career was as a film writer and editor. “Corey’s Coming” is a good example of that output, as it’s a story-within-a-story (i.e., meta-story). The song is about a young man listening to a tale told by an old railroad worker, or is it? This is the longer, live version rather than the album release, which is a bit edited (much like Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer”). It’s a beautiful tune, with a lush chorus that both lulls and is dramatically romantic. And a bit sad. I love the melody, right from the opening riffs.

Off his third to last LP (also the album title) is “Dance Band on the Titanic,” an upbeat psudeo-1920s-style mixture of literal and a more metaphysical look at the situation facing the ill-fated ocean liner. Chapin combines “Nearer My God to Thee” (what the band played as the ship sank) and being a situation that feels like the listener is there.

“Mr. Tanner” is another story song with a sad tone, but is just so beautiful it could bring the listener to tears and you could feel the ache as the titular character (Wallace again singing tenor) goes for the ring, risking it all to follow a dream. The final stanza “Tanner” sings just pangs. Another standard for Chapin and crew.

Rather than just singing one of his biggest hits as the encore, he gives us “Taxi” in mid-stream, which is, what Chapin once referred to as “66 percent truth.” The original release was the first Top-40 song to play at more than 4 minutes. Again, it’s a tad sad but has an interesting back story, while also taking a glance into a possible future. Other than the song that ends this collection, “Taxi” is probably Chapin’s best known number; you might say its theme is a less ego-centric and kinder remembrance than Billy Joel’s cynical “Piano Man.”

Not all of Chapin’s songs are great, and the next one is a good example: we only hear part of “Dirty Old Man,” which as an introduction to the next, and much better song. As I said, Chapin tends to run a bit on the lengthy side, but this is the shortest (thankfully) cut on this collection at just under two minutes.

“If My Mary Were Here” truly is a stupor of a song and one of longing and reminiscence. I think it’s romantic, as the protagonist sits in his cups (not sure from liquid or smoke) aching about a lost love. It’s a soft ballad, but someone I know really does not like this because in a way, the central character is indirectly using the heartbreak to try and connect with someone else. I think of it more as being open to finding the proverbial window/door in s sad way.

“Dreams Go By” opened the original Stories live collection, but here it is buried deeper in the collection, though the opening is similar (I came to find that many of Harry’s “ad libs” were pre-planned, but I’m okay with that since it’s the songs I care about, not their introduction). This ia about how time passes and dreams “go by,” taken over by something else. It’s like the John Lennon line, “Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.” But what this one posits is that rather than it being something that got in the way, it’s more that is the way is was supposed to turn out. Fun song about family and a shrug of the shoulders.

Back to story songs, the sad and dusty “Mail Order Annie,” about a farmer meeting a mail order bride for the first time as she steps off the train in the prairies of the late 19 Century. For some reason, it reminds me “Corey’s Coming,” because of the lonely tone. I loved the tune of this tune from the first time I heard it. The harmonies for the back-up band solidifies the emotion, especially on the bridge of the song.

Harry’s brother Steve comes forward with the “’round the hearth” earthiness of “Let Time Go Lightly,” a ballad of being home with kith and kin. It’s also a beautiful look at enjoying and appreciating what you have. Steve’s voice is a bit more lilting than Harry’s and it works for this one. I sing parts of this one to my partner when I’m feeling cozy in front of the fire.

“30,000 Pounds of Bananas” is also a Chapin standard, but it’s also one of the silliest of his songs (and remember, he has “Dirty Old Man”). It’s a good driving melody and gotta say it’s produced an ear worm more than once that lasted a long time. It’s a sad comedy as the C&W rhythm of it matches the bouncing of the truck carrying the said payload. Except for the tragedy involved with the singer, it could be a children’s story, as it’s a kind of twisted singalong.

The last cut is arguably Chapin’s largest hit – and one of my least favorites of his as it feels like pandering to its audience despite it’s relatively deep message, “Cat’s in the Cradle.” (much like Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” or Melanie’s “Brand New Key”).

There is a really nice booklet added with the CD. It’s also humorous to me that Harry is wearing the same outfit on the cover as he wore on “Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert” the year before this was recorded.

And if you'll excuse a private joke between myself and my friend Dennis, "Oh, Colleen..."

Song List:

Shooting Star

W.O.L.D.

Harry Chapin introducing the band

Blues Man

Corey’s Coming

Dance Band on the Titanic

Mr. Tanner

Taxi / Six String Orchestra

Dirty Old Man

If My Mary Were Here

Dreams Go By

Mail Order Annie

Let Time Go Lightly

30,000 Pounds of Bananas

Cat’s in the Cradle

A College Memory: Singing with Harry Chapin

Text by Robert Barry Francos
Images from the Internet

It was primary season during the election year of 1976 while I was attending Queens College that would see Jimmy Carter win the Presidency. I had seen Carter’s son on campus outside the Union Building (student center) at some point, yet the upcoming vote was not on my mind. I already knew I would vote for whoever was running against the Republican candidate and hadn’t yet made up my mind about the Democratic run-off.

Finding a place for your car around Queens College was a challenge. Fellow student Jerry Seinfeld (graduated the year I started) once commented that he earned a Bachelor’s of Parallel Parking. On campus, it was by permit only. That morning, I had found a spot a block away on the southern Melbourne Avenue, and was sauntering diagonally southeast to northwest across the campus towards my class past the Union (or “Onion” as we often referred to it for no other reason than we could). There on a post was a sign announcing a talk that same day by Democratic hopeful Morris “Mo” Udall (d. 1998). To promote him, in a free concert, would be Harry Chapin. I was in.

I’d seen Harry play a number of times in Central Park and the like, and was a fan. Yeah, I was neck deep in the whole New York punk scene, my fanzine was just a year away, but part of me was still holding out for a tad of the folkie. Most people came to punk through rock, such as KISS, MC5, Iggy, and the like. For me, pre-Ramones in 1975, I was listening to Simon & Garfunkel, Peter Paul and Mary, and Phil Ochs. And yet, I could see a correlation between punk and folk: lo-fi, plug & play, and protest music. I felt justified 30 years later when so many punkers started putting out singer-songwriter material, such as Joey “Shithead” Keithley of D.O.A.

Though kicking myself for not having my camera with me that day, even though it was a pre-35mm instamatic that took 128 film, I was excited about it. The event was scheduled for later in the day, after my classes were over.

Waiting to get into small auditorium, I started talking to the attractive student standing next to me. Once we were permitted inside and seated, most of the audience was abuzz with excitement. Not for Udall, but rather for Chapin. In the formal introduction, we were told that Harry would be performing after Udall gave his talk, which included a Q&A with the audience. This made sense, because of a lot of this crowd would not stick around to the Udall part after hearing from The Man. Queens College at the time had a very large Jewish population, and was highly liberal, but c’mon, it’s Harry Chapin.

Udall gave an interesting talk, nothing of which had stuck with me nearly 40 years later (yikes). What I do remember well is one of the questions, asked by a known stoner in the audience: “Hey Mo, where’s Larry and Curly.” I was personally embarrassed to be there that second, but proud of the group as a whole who booed the guy out of the auditorium. Udall was gracious (I’m guessing this was not the first time he’d heard this), and impressively moved on without fluster.

Through it all, I kept the connection going with the woman I met on the line, through occasional quips here and there back and forth between us. Then it came time for Harry. He arrived onstage by himself, sitting on a stool with his guitar. This was his hometown crowd, more or less, having grown up in Brooklyn and lived on Long Island for most of his life. We were about 10 rows back, on the right side, in the center of the row.

He didn’t do many songs, but as most of them were quite long, he probably sang for half an hour or so. I remember him doing “What Made America Famous” and “W.O.L.D.” Most likely his did his top seller (and one of the few I didn’t care for) “Cat’s in the Cradle.” But I will admit it was great seeing him that close in that intimate a setting. There were probably about 200 people there, just about as big as the room could fill.

Between each song he talked up America, and what Udall could do for it as President. Then, he said (and I’m paraphrasing), “Since ‘Big John’ (Wallace) and the gang aren’t here, I’m going to need some help to sing ‘Taxi’ before I go. Anyone wanna come up and sing it with me?” The attractive coed looked at me with an excited smile on her face, and said, “We should go!” Like I was going to say no to her? I probably wouldn’t have gone up there if she hadn’t asked, honestly, but I was trying to make an impression.

About 10 of us ran up on the stage, and I stood directly behind his right shoulder, looking down as his fuzzy hair, guitar, and strumming hand; the woman I ran up with was to my right. I was a lot more nervous about being on stage those days, but I was in the moment. He started the song, “It was rainin’ hard in Frisco…” to a huge round of applause.

After the guitar break, it was time for the “Big John” Wallace solo, where we standing, we few, we honored, were to fill in. Harry tilted his head back and with sotto voce started feeding us the line, “Baby’s so high that she’s skying…” when the guy on the other side of him – essentially standing where I was, except on his left – leaned over and said, also sotto voce, “Shut up, Harry, we know it.”

This cracked Harry up, and as we sang the falsetto part, he was playing and trying to muffle his laugh, especially considering the seriousness of the song, but from my angle I could see a single tear roll down from his eye. Somehow he composed himself, albeit just onionskin-thin on the verge of not laughing out loud, and finished the song.

As the rest of the audience stood and cheered, Harry got up of the stool, turned to us behind him, and shook everyone’s hand, the first being the guy who spoke to him during the song. They exchanged a few words and smiles. Then it was my turn, and I felt much honored.

When I looked around, I saw that the woman I came up with was gone, and I never saw her again. As Harry had just sung, “It was somewhere in a fairy tale…”

Concert Stubs From Long Ago

Text by Robert Barry Francos

Doing some cleaning, I recently came across a stack of ticket stubs from shows and events I had seen in New York. While the shows the tickets represent is hardly inclusive to the shows I have attended, and it mostly certainly does not include clubs like Max’s and CBGBs, here are some of them. Note that I have some with no dates, so I will leave them blank. Notes will be in [brackets]. I have also added who I attended to the shows with, if I remember, or in certain cases, I know but do not want to say. Here they are in order of date:

* NY Rangers vs. Detroit Red Wing, Madison Square Garden, Feb 4, 1970 ($4.00) [My father would occasionally get tickets from the office pool]

* The Kinks, Felt Forum, Nov 27, 1974 ($6.50) [After the first half where they played older material, they returned and did the entire Preservation; attended with Bernie Kugel]

* Marcel Marceau, City Center, Mar 25, 1975 ($7.95) [Was on the guest list after interviewing him earlier in the day; attended with Alan Abramowitz]

* Mireille Mathieu, Carnegie Hall, April 8, 1975 ($5.00) [Beautiful voice; learned about her from the Des O’Connor Show on television; this was just 3 months before the first time I went to CBGB’s and was introduced to the Ramones; attended this show stag]

* Alice Cooper / Suzi Quatro, Madison Square Garden, May 5, 1975 ($6.50) [last row of the balcony, dead center, and he looked like a spec; saw Cooper a total of 4 times]

* Mary Travers / Paul Davis, The Bottom Line, May 19, 1975 ($4.00) [I saw her do the same show twice, and she wore the same dress… other date below; RIP]

* Rolling Stones / Dem Boys, Madison Square Garden, Jun 27, 1975 ($12.50) [Dem Boys was pure torture: a sea of steel drums in an echoing auditorium; it sounded like one long and continuous note, and I have not liked the sound of steel drums since]

* New York Cosmos vs. San Jose Earthquakes, Downing Stadium (Randalls Island), Jul 23, 1975 ($4.00) [Pele was in the Cosmos then; it was a long day, going into double overtime, and by the time we left, my backside was killing me, sitting that long on concrete seats]

* Mary Travers, The Bottom Line, Jul 28, 1975 ($4.00) [Attended with Bernie Kugel]

* Sparks / Mott, Avery Fisher Hall, Nov 19, 1975 ($6.50) [Opening was Mott; note that it was not Mott the Hoople; was on the guest list after interviewing Sparks the evening before: ffanzeen.blogspot.com/2009/04/bad-interviews-lynyrd-skynyrd-and.html; attended with Alan Abramowitz]

* Roxy Music, Beacon, Nov 26, 1975 (?) [Saw them twice, the other at the Academy of Music; attended with Bernie Kugel]

* Linda Ronstadt / Andrew Gold, Beacon Theatre, Dec 4, 1975 ($7.50) [Our seats were the very last row, left side; attended with Alan Abramowitz]

* Patti Smith, The Bottom Line, Dec 27, 1975 ($5.50) [The infamous show that was bootlegged everywhere; RIP Richard Sohl; attended with Bernie Kugel]

* NY Rangers vs. Buffalo Sabres, Madison Square Garden, Dec 10, 1975 ($6.00)

* The Who / Golden Earrings, Madison Square Garden, Mar 10, 1976 ($8.50) [The Who was amazing, of course, and did a large chunk of Tommy]

* Sparks, Bottom Line, Dec 21, 1976 ($4.50)

* Patti Smith Group, The Palladium, Dec 31, 1976 ($8.50)

* The Dictators / The Dead Boys, CBGB Theatre, Dec 18, 1977 ($7.50) [RIP Stiv]

* Patti Smith Group / Richard Hell, CBGB Theatre, Dec 29, 1977 ($7.50)

* Harry Chapin, Central Park, Aug 11, 1979 ($4.50) [Saw Harry a number of times; RIP; attended with Dennis Concepcion]

* Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Club Tomato, Sep [?], 1979 ($4.00) [Attended with Alan Abramowitz]

* Herman’s Hermits [sans Peter Noone], Club Tomato, Sep 20, 1979 ($4.00) [Also saw HH with Noone once, and saw Noone without the HH once; attended with Alan Abramowitz]

* The Uncle Floyd Show, The Bottom Line, Dec 6, 1979 ($5.50) [attended with Alan Abramowitz and Stacy Mantel]

* The Tourists / Speedies, The Bottom Line, Apr 15, 1980 ($6.00) [The Tourists were Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart, soon to be the Eurythmics; attended with Alan Abramowitz]

* Alice Cooper (New York, New York show), Palladium, Aug 15, 1980 ($12.50)

* Dictators, ?, Sep 12, 1980 ($8.00)

* Rockpile / Moon Martin, The Ritz, Nov 24, 1980 ($10.00) [Have no memory of Moon Martin at all; attended with Alan Abramowitz]

* Blotto / Doug & the Slugs, The Bottom Line, Mar 16, 1981 ($7.00) [On guest list; RIP Doug Bennett]

* Franken and Davis, Savoy, May 20, 1981 ($3.00) [The show was a disappointment, despite the famous audience members, and many of SNL members guest appearing; this was the night I insulted David Bowie to his face; attended with Alan Abramowitz]

* Alice Cooper / The Spiders, Savoy, Aug 14, 1981 (12.50)

* NY Rangers vs. Buffalo Sabres, Madison Square Garden, Jan 3, 1982 ($8.00)

* Mireille Mathieu, Carnegie Hall, Apr 10, 1982 ($10) [The whole audience was full of Russians, which I found surprising; didn’t hear a word of English from the audience the whole night; attended with Alan Abramowitz]

* Dave Edmunds / NRBQ, The Ritz, May 17, 1982 ($12.50) [This is around the time Dave Edmunds was a phenomenon, and rightly so; while I respected NRBQ’s talent, I found them so boring, in a Phish kind of way, and my ex-FFanzeen managing editor had quit because I refused to publish an article about them; attended with Alan Abramowitz and Stacy Mantel]

* Let’s Active / Fuzztones, Irving Plaza, Oct 21, 1983 ($8.00) [I had met Lynn Blakey of LA at a party while on vacation in North Carolina a couple of years earlier; the Fuzztones are always great]

* The Animals, Beacon Theater, Nov 12, 1983 ($15.00) [on guest list; night I met them backstage and interviewed Eric Burdon (you can find the interview on an earlier blog); saw the same 2-1/2 hour show on the same tour earlier in the year at Shea Theater in Buffalo, NY; Attended with Mary Anne Cassata]

* Monkees Reunion, Jones Beach Theater, Jul 17, 1986 (14.75) [No Mike]

* Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, Mar 14, 1987 (?) [This may have been the time at the Bottom Line; I’ve seen JR a few times; attended with Dawn Kugel]

* Sweet Honey in the Rock, Washington Irving High School [Gramercy Park], Jan 14, 1990 ($19.00) [Another group I have seen a few times; some of the most magical harmonies; attended with my partner and Tamani Wooley]

How many of these have you attended? Feel free to leave a comment on the blog!

Ode to a Mixed Tape: No Messages Music +1

Text © Robert Barry Francos
Images from the Internet

This is a tape I made for someone else around 1990-91. It’s geared towards things I thought she may like. Below, I put as many of the actual recordings I used (all from albums rather than CDs), though I could not always find the studio version of the song on the ‘Net (came to the closest).
SIDE ONE

Baja Marimba Band - Ghost Riders In the Sky
Along with Herb Albert’s Whipped Cream and Other Delights (for his rendition of “A Taste of Honey”), the BMB was popular in my parent’s collective group. This particular cover has always been a favorite of mine since we got the album in ’66. Johnny Cash’s classic, which many consider the definitive one (along with the Highwaymen) was great, but the BMB’s is an insane rave-up with hoots, hollers and horns (and a xylophone!). There are a number of time changes, all leading up to a fading, happy party.

Lenny Kaye Connection - I’ve Got a Right
If anyone has read my “Ode” series before, they’ll know I champion Lenny’s only solo full release as the LKC. This song has a video somewhere – I know, I’ve seen it – and the song should rightfully have been a breakthrough for him. Aimed at the Religious Right during the Reagan years, Lenny strongly explains that he has the right to keep his “freedom of choice.” He further states, “I don’t mind sayin’ / That I don’t mind prayin’ / But I don’t like to be told how.” Backed by a strong rhythm section and organ, he masterfully builds the song with fierceness and melody. He may be crazy like a fox, but this song is hardly subtle.

Blue Angel - I Had a Love
Before Cyndi Lauper became Cyndi “Girls Just Wanna” Lauper, she fronted this excellent Long Island rock band. As she later proved with her cover of the Brains’ “Money Changes Everything,” Cyndi knows how to rock out. This song is more of a ‘60s style ballad, but it’s beautiful and she certainly shows her range. Though a lot of Cyndi’s early solo stuff has been overplayed, her Blue Angel material deserves to be heard more.
Mystic Eyes - Calm Me Down
Off the Mystic Eyes’ first full lengther on Get Hip Records, this cover of the Human Expression tune is masterfully handled by Bernie Kugel and crew. Solid garage pop out of Buffalo (though this sounds like it could have come from the Pacific NW of the ‘60s), this song is well suited for Bernie’s voice. The production is sparse, as it should be, and backed with Eric Lubstorf’s 12-sting hugging the circular melody, Craig Davison’s bass line and Scott Davison on skins, this brings this tune to a whole new level without drowning it in studio trickery.

Dream Academy - Life in a Northern Town
Speaking of studio-work, this tune is true wall-of-sound gloss. I have to admit, at the time, I liked the song, but for me, I’ve grown a bit weary of it. Its sing-along chant was charming, but now seems to just go on and on. Plus it seems both cheery and overwrought at the same time. Tastes do change. I have the album this came off of, but honestly, I can’t remember a single other piece from it. Like “C’mon Eileen,” it is a one-hit wonder in the ‘States.

Marshall Crenshaw - Someday Someway
Yes, more people know the Robert Gordon cover, and he did a bang-up job, but Crenshaw’s original is still the far superior. His jangly, Beatles-esque guitar holds up the piece, which is extremely catchy, poppy, and bouncy. Though guitar-based, the vocals are right up front, as they rightfully should be. Crenshaw’s career may be overshadowed by this tune, but this is a classic piece of songwriting, and something of which to be proud.

Divinyls - Siren Song
I realize this Australian band is better known for their salacious “I Touch Myself” and “Pleasure and Pain,” but I always thought the material off their earlier album, Desperate, was far superior, including “Boys In Town,” and especially “Elsie.” “Siren Song” is a fun co-shared vocal of love and desperation (as is much of their material), which strangely and effectively includes most of the alphabet. Lead vocalist Christina Amphlett’s transition from off-kilter schoolgirl in this period to later sex-bomb may have been technically successful, but there was something lost. Besides, her dumping a pitcher over her head when she performed this song live is pretty intoxicating: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bCLdMY-hOA

Ray Charles - Busted
It’s hard to say this is one of Ray Charles’ best tunes, as he was amazing so often, but I will posit that this is one of my faves. While sad, this blues number also has a very dark sense of humor (“I went to my brother to ask for a loan / ‘Cause I was busted… / My brother said ‘there ain’t a thing I can do… / And I was thinking ‘bout calling on you / ‘Cause I’m busted’”). Walter Lure also does a great cover of the song, by the way, on his Waldo’s Rent Party. Note that the video below is live, not the studio version on the tape.

Harry Chapin - If My Mary Were Here
While I found this song to be a touching number about loneliness and asking for forgiveness, the person I gave this tape to found it to be an ego trip for the protagonist, who has mistreated his ex- and only wants her back because he’s afraid of being alone, not because he cares about her. I can understand both views, honestly, yet I still find this middle-of-the-night-regret moving. Chapin may be an acquired taste for some, but once you get it, you’re rarely dissatisfied. There used to be a video of this, but now I can’t find it.

Sam Chalpin - Satisfaction
Where to even begin on this one? Sam is the father of Ed, the man who first recorded Jimi Hendrix (and my ex-boss), who was a cantor in his synagogue and felt he was a better singer than most of the music on the radio in the ‘60s. Ed took some background tracks and had his father do sort of a karaoke with them, such as this one, and “Leader of the Pack.” Hearing this elder Jewish man with a thick Yiddish accent singing these songs is truly priceless. Hysterically funny, one also needs to admire and marvel at Sam’s chutzpah. Though easy to laugh at Sam, I respect the man more, and howl in his honor.

Side Two

Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians - What I Am
The New Bohemians were going nowhere until Edie joined them, and then resented that she got all the attention. She left after a couple of albums and then they all disappeared. She married Paul Simon, pushed out a bunch of kids, and put out a failed solo release. But in all of this, Edie and the NB released a few really fine songs, such as “Circle,” “Little Miss S” (for Edie Sedgwick), and this one. While a bit lyrically overwrought with cutesiness (“Throw me in the shallow water / Before I get too deep”), the jazzy melody sustains it, along with her unique sounding voice (and stage stance).

Rutles - Ouch!
They may have been formed as a spoof of the Beatles, but the Rutles produced some mighty fine music in their own right, such as this revisionist / interpretation of “Help!” Neil Innis, known to many Monty Python fans, does a superb Lennon-esque take (as he does a great Dylan take-off with “I Suffered For Your Music Now It’s Your Turn,” or his own “How Sweet to be an Idiot,” both worth seeking out). As a stand-alone, this – er – stands on its own.

Hollies - Bus Stop
Truthfully, the Hollies aren’t one of my favorite Mersey Beat-era bands. “He Ain’t Heavy” is okay, and I detest the nails-on-chalkboard “Carrie-Ann,” but that being said about the band generally, specifically, I love this song. Perhaps it’s the key changes or the harmonious melody. There is a sanctified and stunning video done to this song by a television program called Déjà View (see below) that shows the life of the couple in the song from the bus stop’s perspective (and was clearly ripped off in the Hugh Grant walking through the market scene in Notting Hill, which uses the great Bill Withers’ tune, “Ain’t No Sunshine,” which I’ve also included below as a bonus so you can see what I mean).

Theme to Grand
Grand was a two-season television show from early 1990 that had a killer theme song. I’ve included two versions of it here, first and second season, respectively. The first, season one, is more general (but the sound on the video is better), and the one included on this tape. The second shows the cast and is more championed by the fans of the show (check out the very young Sara Rue!). It had a killer cast, such as Pamela Reed and Bonnie Hunt, but like many of the Hunt sit-coms, it came and went very fast and not appreciated by many. This tune has stayed with me all these years.


Monkees - You Just May Be the One
Is there anyone else left who hasn’t’ realized that Mike Nesmith was the most musically talented of the bunch (and yes, they all deserve to be in the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame)? This, along with his solo efforts of “Joanne” and “The Crippled Lion,” are great country-tinged pop songs that even Mike’s own post-Elephant Parts period hasn’t topped. Boyce & Hart wrote some amazing tunes for the boys, but Mike luckily got to sing some originals. Well, considering how the network felt about the band’s original material, we were lucky to have even heard it. Sadly, the only on-line version I found was this awful live one.

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers - Abominable Snowman in the Market
This reggae-infused nonsense ditty is a perfect example of why JR’s “phase 2” (as it were) was so popular. It’s a great song. Usually I rankle at white guys doing reggae (the Police, the Clash), but this is just so innocent and cute, without being saccharine. It was during this period when I first saw JR and the Modern Lovers play in 1977 on Long Island, and I knew this album before his darker, first one (which contained the breakthrough “Road Roadrunner”). “Snowman” seemed so off the wall to me back then, and charmed me instantly. I’ve had the good fortune of seeing JR a number of times now, and videotaped him getting interviewed for Videowave cable access show. Most of the populace know him from his minstrel bit in the film There’s Something About Mary, but he is so much more than that. JR has had more incarnations than Madonna, and every chapter is unique and noteworthy. The version on the tape is studio-recorded, and the video, obviously, is not.

Roger Miller - In the Summertime
I had an early version of a greatest hits collection during my formative years, which started with his biggest hit, “King of the Road,” but the collection is just chocked full of great music. My enjoyment of old tyme country is most likely rooted in that album, and rests squarely on the shoulders of the brilliant Roger Miller. I mean, “Dang Me,” “England Swings,” “Engine Engine No. 9,” and the list goes on. This particular song is a rave-up with Miller’s often-present country scat. And this is certainly not to be confused with Mongo Jerry’s piece of crap. RIP, RM. Here is a link to a later, live version: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lEC7JsBTxA (embedding was not allowed).

Leon Redbone - Ain’t Misbehavin’
Redbone made his mark on Saturday Night Live and became a hit. Unfortunately, his tendency to sit on stage with his hat over his face sort of had a toll on his career. His distinct voice and style is instantly recognizable. This cover of the Fats Waller classic has remained one of my Redbone faves over the years. The video is a recent live clip; nice to see he still has some career left.

Kimm Rogers - Right By You
I’ve mentioned this song before on this blog. Kimm has had a couple of albums out (that I know of – and own), and her first remains one I can listen to repeatedly from beginning to end. It’s called Soundtrack of My Life, which is a totally appropriate name, as it seems she talks about the minute thoughts that pass through her brain, and it’s usually something that strikes a chord with the listener. I have never had a chance to see Kimm perform live, sadly, but it would please me enormously to thank her for many hours of listening pleasure.

Dave Edmunds - I Knew the Bride
Gee, yet another great song off the Get It album. It’s the record that just won’t end when it comes to astonishing music. I still remember my jaw dropping when I first heard it in the late ‘70s. This rave-up made me think of a friend down south that married a straight good-ole-boy. Somehow, though, I knew she would rock’n’roll again…and she did (and does) – without him. Now she’s married to a rocker, where she belongs. But I digress. This song was on my playlist when I got married, because I wanted something that would raise the roof. The live video version does not match the studio recording on the tape, but it still rocks.

Tribute to a Mixed Tape #3

Text © Robert Barry Francos
Videos and images from the Internet

This was a cassette tape that I believe I put together in the mid- to late-‘80s. The videos (when available) that follow are not necessarily the versions on the tape, but it’s the closest I could find. As usual (but not always), my tapes are a mix with no general theme, just random songs I really liked at the time (and most likely still do).

SIDE ONE:

Tom Paxton - Last Thing on My Mind
This is, indeed, one of folk legend Paxton’s best known songs. It’s a beautiful and melodic heartbreaker, with a lilting minor-key chorus for emphasis. “Well, I coulda loved you better / Didn’t mean to be unkind.” What I like about his is that it doesn’t blame anyone, as he is willing to accept his own fault in the fail of the relationship.

Get Wet - Morton Street
One of the strongest songs on their album, and one of the few not weighted down by bad production, this is another powerful piece about a woman in love with a gay man who leaves her to go cruising. Sherri Beachfront’s voice cuts through the listener like a razor of heartfelt pain as she cries out, “Don’t go down to the piers tonight!” This video was taken at the Ritz at a Girls Nite Out show, and yes, I was there! I was so happy to see that this video existed, and I highly recommend playing some of their other songs, as well. And check out my interview with the band in the preceding blog.

Paula and Carole - Open Window Song
I’m not quite sure what is the appeal to me about the music from this children’s program, The Magic Garden, but it seems I know a lot of rockers who agree. Carole was actually the original Sandy Dumbrowski on Broadway (if you have to ask…). There is just something appealing about their voices. Amazingly, I could find lots of videos from the show, but not this song!

Jennifer - Time is On the Run
Way before she was Jennifer Warnes, she was known simply as Jennifer. I first fell in love with her rich voice during a Smothers Brothers reunion show, and then through her co- and back-up work for Mason Williams and Leonard Cohen. When her breakthrough Right Time of the Night album came out in 1976, I was fortunate enough to see her play at the Bottom Line. This particular song, from her second album, released in 1969, is backed merely with percussion; it bops and bounces silkily along in a nearly a capella staccato.

Keith Carradine - It Don’t Worry Me
This tune is from the amazing soundtrack to the film Nashville. The One of Altman’s best (in my opinion), but the soundtrack is almost its own entity, as these cuts rarely appear in the film in same production. As a “various artists” release, it stands on its own, with gems by the likes of Ronee Blakey, and this subtle slice of Americana. It sounds like it could have been written by Woody rather than the son of John. Right from it’s start, it has a powerful image: “They say this train don’t give out rides / But it don’t worry me.” While Keith had a hit with another song (see later), this one is just as good. Barbara Harris sang it in the film.

Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps
This is as much a Beatles song as is “Yesterday.” It is solid George Harrison at his best, and heaven knows I’m not the first one to expound this. And I certainly feel no need to go on and on; the song speaks for itself.

Harry Chapin - Caroline
Not only could Harry tell a great song story of disenchantment, loneliness, and despair, he could also present a beautiful love ballad. This is, if you will, his equivalent of S&G’s “For Emily Whenever I May Find Her.” He explains how fleeting his relationship with her as she “Whispers her words / Saying she'll always love me / At least when we are together.”

Buffy St.-Marie - Universal Soldier
I first learned this song as a child at Camp HES, around the time the Vietnam “war” was just heating up and protest songs were becoming big (we also learned Phil Ochs “Draft Dodger Rag”). Buffy has an unmistakable voice, but what appeals to me is just the sheer dedication she projects. If you’ve ever seen her perform, the woman is solid sincerity. Her “Now That the Buffalo’s Gone” is just as amazing.

Lucy Simon - If You Ever Believed
While her sister Carly garnered most of the fame, I always enjoyed Lucy’s voice and songwriting better. She came out with two solo albums in the ‘70s, and both are gorgeous. This song is another of longing, as are many on this tape, letting her ex- know, “Hey, if you ever believed / Then come back to me / There’s someone who needs you.” It’s pleading without whining, a rare feat. Recently, Lucy wrote the score to the play “The Secret Garden,” but I’d love to hear more of her as herself.

Get Wet - Single
Shari Beachfront’s beautiful voice is in fine form, as is her “theatricality”. She told me she acts out her songs as she’s singing them, and this is one that shows a wide, wide range as she changes keys upward a couple of times only to be even more mournfully reinforcing that she’s “back to single.” Along with “Morton Street,” this shows her wide range and talent as a performer, as well as singer.

Seeds - Can’t Seem to Make You Mine
Okay, this has to be the whiniest song in the history of rock’n’roll, but also one of the great rhythms. Just recently it started to be used in some TV commercial, though it had also been covered years ago as one of the early solo releases by Alex Chilton (who possibly did it even whinier!). The exclamations of pain between each line of the stanzas are both wrenching and humorous at the same time. When Sky Saxon sings, “Can’t you see what yer doin’ to me / You fill my heart with-a misery / With every breath, every step I take / I’m more in love with you,” the listener can feel it in a palpable way.

Standells - Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White
From the first time I heard this song in the early ‘70s (played to me by Bernie Kugel), I found it to be a better song than “Dirty Water,” which in itself was an amazing release. The Standells were great when it came to musical catch-phrases, and “SGGDWW” is definitely one of them. All you have do is hear that beat and know what song it is. And the use of lyrical rhyme all works, with the tongue-twisting “I’m a poor boy born in the rubble,” as they ask important social questions, such as “Good guy, bad guy, which is which / The white collar worker or the digger in the ditch / Man, who’s to say who’s the better man / When I’ve always done the best I can. ”

Zombies - Tell Her No
I had almost forgotten about this song until I heard a very early version of the Nervus Rex (their first show) play it, and had an “oh, yeah,” moment. I went out and bought it soon after. The Zombs had bigger hits with the trippy “She’s Not There” and “Time of the Season,” and they are both rightfully standards, but this early Mersey Beat-style release is no less interesting (sort of like Deep Purple and “Hush”). ”

Keith Carradine - I’m Easy
This won the Oscar for best song of the year, and while I don’t always like the winners, this one is just fine. Keith’s trembling voice over the melody is sort of like a bird hugging the wind. His musical career never went much further than the Nashville soundtrack, but it’s still a legacy of which to be proud.

Lucy Simon - Pavane
Lucy’s soaring vocals hum along to Gabriel Fauré s classical piece that has no lyrics, but she still makes the piece into a showcase for her voice. One can easily find “straight” versions of this on YouTube, but I still prefer Lucy’s.

SIDE TWO:

Lucy Simon - From Time to Time to Time
Remembrance of a first, innocent, childhood love is explored with fond memories and smoky imagery that is a smile-raiser. She remembers walking along the beach, holding hands, and that he wasn’t very tall, but mostly that she still thinks of him from…well, the title says it.

Get Wet - Just So Lonely
They were just so close to making it, it’s heartbreaking. Here’s a clip of Sherri lip syncing on some TV show. GW looks at the more pop side of “low-wow-wow-wow-wow-nliness” in their playful style. While I was more fond of their more baroque tunes like the two above, they also had a flair for the “bounce.”

Bob Gibson & Hamilton Camp - Well, Well, Well
The version on my tape is a live cut from the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Spirituals were big back then, as were duos like Joe & Eddy. Singers Bob and Hamilton (a Canadian who was also a commonly seen actor in the ‘60s and ‘70s on such shows as a classic The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Love, American Style) blend their voices in a warning and sobbing style that both harmonizes and plays off each other in amazing ways.

The Cramps - Bikini Girls With Machine Guns
One of the last great Cramps songs to show off their rhythmic nuances and flair, this is silly, but remains a true vision of their philosophy (“I’ve got my own ideas about the righteous kick / You can keep the reward, I’d just assumed stay sick”) Ivy’s guitar playing here is in top form, as well. For the video, ironically, some of the lyrics had to be changed (“Drag racer on LSD” to “Drag racer from Tennessee,” and “bare-assed on top of the Sphinx” to “bare-backed”), even though images of bestiality (“I even had a gorilla on the slopes of Kismet”) and the message remain.

Iggy Pop and Kate Pierson - Candy
At the start of the song, Iggy states “It’s 1990…it’s been 20 years.” Well, next year will be 40, but I digress. This is based on a true person in Iggy’s life, and the song definitely shows the soft side of a very hard (i.e., muscular) man. Kate Pierson gives a fine turn as the object of the song and showing her non-B-52’s side (as she also did with REM’s “Shinny Happy People”). She goes full out, as does Iggy, with his limited range. Their work together here is what makes the song for me. And, hopefully, her pretty face isn’t going to hell.

Jefferson Airplane - Somebody to Love
While I’m not into much of the Haight-Ashbury experience, the Airplane had a sound that connected with me. Grace Slick has always said that she has a limited range, but she uses it to full force here. While not as subtle as “White Rabbit,” it’s still a signpost for the love generation.

Lyons and Clark - I Thought I Would Try
A one-album group from the mid-‘70s, this sort of fell into my hands when the record company gave me a copy while I was waiting to interview some douchebag, which made the whole experience worth it. I don’t think it will ever be released in CD form, so occasionally I pull this LP out and just play it from cover to cover. This song is one of the cream-on-top-ers of an album of cream. They remind me of the Murmurs, with lush harmonies and meaningful lyrics, which are sentimental, but rarely mushy. Enjoying singing, writing and musicianship, and yet not over produced. A winner that was lost in the mix, for sure.

Harry Chapin - She Sings Her Songs Without Words
Another Chapin love song that is gentle and melodic, something Chapin used rarely, but effectively.

Roy Orbison - It’s Over
The man has a freakish voice, and I mean that in a positive way. This is such a classic, that all I can say is, just listen.

The Cynics - Summer’s Gone
One of the very early songs by this underrated post-garage band from the Pittsburgh area. Before they went a bit harder toned (and still sounding great), there was this period of psychedelic garage sound that was wispy with lots of middle notes and harmonies. Of that period, this remains one of my favorites of the band. Of course, my middle period topper is “Girl, You’re On My Mind,” but that should be obvious.

Cheepskates - Run Better Run
Shaun Flaubert led this garage band from the ‘80s revival period, and the Cheepskates were one of the key figures on the scene. I saw them often on bills with the likes of the Tryfles and the Vipers. “Run Better Run,” again, has a great musical phrase that will stick to you for long after its listening. Nowadays, Shaun works with Dave Rave and Gary Pig Gold, and is still worth checking out.

Elvis Costello - Alison
I was never a big fan of early Costello, actually, though I saw him play MSG with the Replacements opening for him (Hi, Nancy!). “Watching the Detectives” was okay, but this was the only song of his that I liked from first listen. And of all the many versions of it, his remains my favorite.

The Scruffs - When Donna Romances
This Tennessee band never achieved A-level, but this non-LP single gets played more than their album on my turntable. Again, I don’t know if this will ever see CD-hood, but it’s a good pop-in-a-‘70s-underground-vein listen. They’d make a good double bill with the Slickee Boys.

The Seekers - Another You
Another song I first heard as a child in camp. It was on the radio constantly, and then disappeared. I didn’t remember who did it, so I never sought it out. Eventually, I found out it was the Seekers and went out and got it years after the fact, in the mid-‘70s (around the time I discovered the Ramones). From Australia, they had a distinctive folk-based pop sound, elevated by Judith Durham’s soaring vocals. It’s still a beautiful thing to hear.

Paula & Carole - See Ya

The perfect way to end this tape.