Tune Tag #64 with Steve Goldberg of "Earworms & Song Loops," Pt. 3: Hall & Oates, Tina Turner, Heaven 17, Blue Öyster Cult, Glen Campbell, Divinyls, Billy Lyall
Tune Tag #64 with Steve Goldberg of "Earworms & Song Loops," Pt. 3: Hall & Oates, Tina Turner, Heaven 17, Blue Öyster Cult, Glen Campbell, Divinyls, Billy Lyall
After some vino and a game of UNO, good friend of FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE, Steve, and I do the Tune Tag tussle, mixing'n'matching tunes 'til the cows come home!🐄
Trick, Treat, or Tune Tag, Steve?
Tune Tag it is, as we welcome back of the unique and entertaining Earworms & Song Loops!
Last week, we enjoyed the Tune Tag company of of The Mixtape:
Next week, tune in for former member of Red Kitchen and The Figurants, songwriter
’s Tune Tag debut!
Steve’s song #1 sent to Brad: Blue Öyster Cult, “Joan Crawford,” 1981
Steve’s rationale: I have no profound reason to start off with this track, other than I believe Blue Öyster Cult is one of the greatest rock’n’roll bands of all time. I hesitate to say they are underrated, as they have had several hit songs and, in their heyday, sold out stadiums. But they are regularly overlooked and are, unbelievably, not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Shame).
“Joan Crawford” is from their 1981 album, Fire of Unknown Origin (produced by Martin Birch), which was the first BÖC album I ever bought (I was 14). “Burnin’ For You” is the giant mega-hit from that album, a song I’m sure everyone knows, but, in my opinion, the entire album is wall-to-wall bangers. The song “Heavy Metal: The Black and Silver” was featured in the R-rated animated sci-fi film Heavy Metal. I remember seeing it in the theater (I must have snuck in), and my mind was blown by all the graphic cartoon violence and sex!
My favorite track on the album, back in 1981 and still today, is “Joan Crawford.” Keyboardist Allen Lanier wrote the music, and musician/journalist David Roter (who wrote songs for BÖC and The Dictators among others) penned the lyrics. I thought Brad might pick another Roter song as his Song #1, but that’s what I get for assuming; it makes an ass out of u and ming. I assumed that joke would work as an infinitive. At least Felix Unger knows how to spell it correctly:
I’ve always appreciated the way Blue Öyster Cult blended sci-fi, pop culture and humor, and this funny, dark, twisted take on the Mommie Dearest book, written by Joan Crawford’s daughter, Christina (now 85), is a perfect example.
Brad’s song #1 sent to Steve: Heaven 17, “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” 2005
Steve’s response: The connection here is pretty obvious: Brad’s giving me a softball to start. I assumed (again) Brad might try for another famous actor-titled song, but instead, he found a serviceable cover of BÖC’s biggest hit song (outside of maybe “Godzilla”).
Now, don’t get me wrong; I’m a big Heaven 17 fan. I simply don’t think their version of “Don’t Fear the Reaper” is up to snuff. I dig the attempt at a dance club remix version, but it sounds dated and not particularly inspired. Give me Penthouse and Pavement over this any day.
Brad’s rationale: I listened to all 81 covers of this song so you wouldn’t have to! One of the best, IMO, is this one by Heaven 17, who had a new wavey career of note in the ‘80s. I’m sure Steve has heard much by them, and will find something good to bounce off them for his next song.
For the…uh, record (and tape, where available), I’ve always said BÖC’s recording of “Reaper” is one of the best records ever put on wax! There are a lot of great songs, with so-so production; there are many crystalline-sounding productions of fair-to-middlin’ songs.
But, to put it all together? Few have beaten BÖC’s combination of gripping song (written by guitarist, Buck Dharma), brilliant performance (on the chosen take) and expert production by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. Does Heaven 17 come close? Hell, no. But, of the nearly 7-dozen covers, theirs is as passable as any. There’s no denying, though: It coulda used a little more🐄🔔:
Steve’s song #2: Tina Turner, “Let’s Stay Together,” 1984
Brad’s response: Wow! Well, we’re clearly doing covers of famous songs…I’d never heard this Tina cover before! What a pick, Steve! The late legend, Tina, covering someone you know she also loved and had great respect for: Rev. Al Green (now 78)! I prefer Green’s smooth original (I used to sing it fairly regularly at karaoke a decade ago), but it’s thrilling to hear Tina take it and make it soul-stirringly hers!
Written by Green, Al Jackson, and Willie Mitchell, Tina’s cover was produced and arranged by Greg Walsh (who also programmed the synths…his engineering skills will lead me to my next song for Steve! Shhh, don’t tell him!) and Martyn Ware. The latter was in Heaven 17 (and co-founded Human League), and that’s got to be Steve’s really smart Tag!
I know nothing about Heaven 17, other than being aware of the name from back in the day, but I figured Steve was familiar with their music, and wouldn’t have had to check to see who made up the band, including Ware.
From Wiki’s Heaven 17 page: “Towards the end of 1983, Heaven 17 (under their B.E.F.--British Electric Foundation—guise, and assisted by Greg Walsh), helped re-launch Tina Turner’s career, producing, and providing backing vocals on her hit, “Let’s Stay Together.” Ware and fellow Heaven 17-er Glenn Gregory contribute backing vocals on this.”
I’d want to know how and why Ware got involved in her career…besides the likely and understandable “fanboy” desire.
Steve’s rationale: There are two main connections to Heaven 17 in my pick for song #2. I figure Brad will get one of them, but will he get both? The first is the unexpected cover song link. Tina’s cover of Al Green is better than it has a right to be, considering the dated synth and percussion sounds.
The other connection is that both Martyn Ware and Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17 sing backup vocals on this song. Private Dancer, Tina’s album, is chock full of ‘80s new-wave royalty: The Fixx’s Cy Curnin and Jamie West-Oram play on several songs on the album, including the video for “Better Be Good To Me.”
A quick concert announcement👉If you’re in the Seattle area November 7, drop by The Triple Door to see FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE subscriber,
(subscribe to his Love Songs Etc Substack!), in “An Evening with Pete Droge,” featuring Elaine Summers! See special concert poster at the end of this Tune Tag!
Brad’s song #2: Billy Lyall, “Us,” 1976
Steve’s response: I did not know this song or the artist. So, I had to do some digging to figure out what the connection to Tina Turner is. I quickly learned that William Lyall was from the ‘70s rock band, Pilot, and that he and Pilot co-founder (co-Pilot?), David Paton, were early members of The Bay City Rollers! I know Brad is aware of this, so I wasn’t going to choose Bay City Rollers as my next choice.
I did learn that “Us” is from Lyall’s first solo album, Solo Casting, in 1976. I also learned at allmusic.com that a particular famous drummer for Genesis, one that has appeared in more Tune Tags than any other artist (I’m assuming again), played drums for Lyall on at least one song (maybe more?)…Phil Collins.
I did consider choosing Supertramp’s “Dreamer” as my #3 song, as the way Lyall sings the word “dreamer” in “Us” is very reminiscent of how Roger Hodgson sings it in the classic track from Crime of the Century.
All that info did not get me any closer to figuring out the connection. There are literally 1,000 musicians playing on Private Dancer, and I cross-checked them with Solo Casting, to no avail. Could it be as simple as “Let’s Stay Together” equates to “Us,” as in “Let Us Stay Together”?
Brad’s rationale: Greg Walsh (above), who produced and arranged the Tina Turner album, was one of the engineers on this Lyall album from 1976! I had this album at the time, and it was never released in the States…virtually every country on the planet, but the U.S.!
I must’ve read about it in either the trades or the rock press of the day. Lyall was an original member of Pilot (as was David Paton, who plays lead guitar on this track). The two co-wrote the hit single, “Magic,” in 1974, which was produced by Alan Parsons. Lyall also played keyboards on The Alan Parsons Project’s 1976 Tales of Mystery and Imagination album.
This’ll seem like a cruel curveball to Steve, but once I saw Walsh’s engineering credit on this Lyall album that I really liked, I had to use it! I wonder if Steve will notice Phil Collins played drums on this track (and 7 out of the ten tracks on the album)!
Steve’s song #3: Grandaddy, “He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s the Pilot,” 2000
Brad’s response: Billy Lyall: With his brilliant and lamentably short career, one could hardly say he was simple or dumb. But, yes, he was in Pilot, singing and playing keyboards and flute. He was a talented and smartly melodic keyboardist, but sadly, being gay in the ‘80s left one susceptible to HIV, and Billy died in 1989 at just 36, and just under 5 stone (70 lbs).
Steve’s rationale: Yes, the initial pick was the inclusion of the word “pilot” in the song’s title, and the fact that William Lyall was from the band Pilot. But, like my love for Blue Öyster Cult, so is my love for Northern California brethren, Grandaddy. I was thrilled to find a direct connection so that I could choose them for Tune Tag!
The band’s 2nd album, The Sophtware Slump (V2/UMG Records), is arguably their best, and the opening track (the album’s third single), “He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s the Pilot,” at almost 9 minutes, is a bold choice to start it off.
Jason Lytle (above), who writes most of the music and lyrics for Grandaddy, has a voice that cuts right through to my heart. He’s got a delicate honesty that belies the sometimes surreal, spacey lyrics. The blend of acoustic instrumentation and electronic effects and synths was revolutionary (to me) back in 2000.
Brad’s song #3: Glen Campbell, “Guess I’m Dumb,” 1965
Steve’s response: I see we are keeping to the dumb theme here. I’m all for that. In fact, now that I’m writing out my notes, I wish I’d followed this up with a song from the band, Dum Dum Club. Or Joe Strummer’s 1986 song, “Dum Dum Club,” (which I’m guessing is what the band, Dum Dum Club, named themselves after).
I’ve learned a lot about Glen Campbell from FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE, namely that Glen worked regularly with the Beach Boys, and even more so with Brian Wilson. This one shows off sides of Campbell’s voice that I don’t think he was ever known for. What a gorgeous song and arrangement!
Brad’s rationale: Dumb and Dumb-er squared. These may be the only two songs with “Dumb” in the title!
Steve’s song #4: Divinyls, “I Touch Myself,” 1990
Brad’s response: Not seeing (or hearing….or feeling) much in common in these two songs separated by a quarter-of-a-century. Both songs were recorded in the L.A. area: The Campbell (produced, arranged, and conducted by Brian Wilson) was likely recorded at Phil Spector’s favorite, Gold Star, while the Divinyls recorded this at several area studios in Calabasas, Santa Monica, and Hollywood (and produced by the band and David Tickle), but not Gold Star.
Steve’s rationale: Now that I’ve done this Tune Tag thing 3 times, I really want to stump Brad with at least one song choice. But, what I’ve done instead is stump myself! You see, I sent Brad my songs a couple of weeks before writing my notes for our songs, and with my short-term memory pretty much unreliable if not useless, I’ve had to dig into the interwebs to remap my brain!
Would touching myself help solve this riddle? I'm willing to do whatever it takes, but I’m going to maintain professionalism and keep my hands on the keyboard.
Okay, I just did a Wiki search on Glen Campbell. Not much here to work with. I try “Guess I’m Dumb.” I see that it’s been covered by The Wondermints and Jules Shear. Did Jules Shear record with Divinyls? Not that I can find. Let’s dig deeper.
“I Touch Myself” was co-written by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, who wrote or co-wrote many top hits, such as “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles, “Alone” by Heart and Celine Dion, “Like a Virgin” by Madonna, and “So Emotional” by Whitney Houston. But, they had no connection to Glen Campbell as far as I can tell.
Aha! My memory bounced back into place when I saw that “I Touch Myself” was featured in the soundtrack to the film, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997). It’s all becoming clear to me now!
Here’s the connection to Glen Campbell: The Wondermints, about whom Brad has written extensively, and were Brian Wilson’s solo backing band for a time, released a cover of Campbell’s “Guess I’m Dumb.” They also happen to be on the same Austin Powers soundtrack as Divinyls! Their song for it is even titled, “Austin Powers.”
I feel so much better now.
Brad’s song #4: Hall & Oates, “Out of Touch,” 1991 (live, Tokyo)
Steve’s response: I assume (can you sense a theme here?) that Brad chose this gorgeous earworm track by the legendary Hall & Oates because of the dual “touching.” But, it would be wrong for me not to check the credits to find out if there are other connections!
Brad and I both share a love for Yacht Rock, though it’s controversial whether H&O counts for the genre. I unreservedly say yes. “Out of Touch,” from their Big Bam Boom album (1984), is, I must say, subpar compared to their Voices, Private Eyes, and H2O. But, it’s got a few excellent tunes, of which “Out of Touch” is my favorite.
I’m not seeing any other personnel connections to Divinyls, so I’m going with the word “touch” as the connection.
Brad’s rationale: An easy Tune Tag match, but, sometimes (every time?), it’s about the music, not the Tag. This 1991 performance I was so taken by, I had to include it (regular Tune Taggers will know I, typically, include the original studio recording, with a live version as a bonus, if called for).
This one’s for those who weren’t aware of Daryl Hall’s musicianship (in fact, John Oates, too), and the proficiency of their band. There seems to be a small army of mic-ed (or plugged-in) acoustic guitars, and a stand-up bass?! That’s Tom “T-Bone” Wolk on the far left guitar, with of course, John Oates to Hall’s left, and another (far right).
Back to Steve: This was, as always, a blast! I love to put off doing chores around the house to “work” on research for Tune Tag. Now I must return to the dirty dishes!🍽
A special and fitting Tune Tag Finale, featuring “beautiful swelling harmonies and instrumental experimentation reminiscent of The Beach Boys’ iconic Pet Sounds album, the beautiful, track exudes optimism despite its heartbreaking lyrics—much like putting on a strong face for your loved ones.
“GLEN CAMPBELL DUETS – Ghost on the Canvas Sessions, the first album recreated completely as duets posthumously, reimagines Campbell’s critically acclaimed, ‘history-making 2011 farewell album.’ (Rolling Stone).”—Surfdog Records
GLEN CAMPBELL DUETS – Ghost on the Canvas Sessions, released April 19, 2024: “Strong,” written by Glen and the album’s producer, Julian Raymond.
“Glen was a great singer and a great guy,” says Brian Wilson, who contributed vocals on this track. “Our intention in doing ‘Strong’ was to echo back to ‘Guess I’m Dumb,’ and the times that Glen and I worked together. It’s kinda got that vibe to it and I dig the sound of it.”
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Nicely done, gents.
BTW, Before there was the Blue Öyster Cult, there was the Stalk-Forrest Group. The band was signed by Electra and actually recorded an album's worth of material in 1969/1970, but it was never released. However, the tapes remained and were once the stuff of legend for psych collectors. I somehow got my hands on a cassette tape of the tracks in the 90s from a collector I was trading with, and then pirated/bootlegged LPs started to show up (of which I still have one). It was officially released in the early 2000s by Rhino Records. Musically, S-FG features crisp, West Coast psych rock with fluid, dueling, acidic guitars somewhat remindful of Quicksilver Messenger Service but less blues-based than QMS. However, some songs that would later show up on BÖC albums are here under different names. Personally, I love the record, and I also dig the first couple of BÖC albums.
Good Tune Tag, but the deep-dive into Blue Oyster Cult in the comments is really my favorite part!
BOC were always 'hometown heroes' to me growing up in the NYC area, & I saw them play a great Schaefer Fest show in Central Park in 1973.
I agree with Steve that they are somewhat over-looked (if not under-rated) - some people regard them as run-of-mill '70s stadium rock but they were so much more than that (even though they did kinda tap into that zeitgeist at the time.) Imo their first album is a near-perfect LP, and "Agents" ain't far behind it. And really, who can resist "Godzilla"? Might be the most intelligent Big Dumb Rock ever!