This one's for the ladies, with decidedly guitar-forward tunes from Big Star, Neil Young, The Searchers, Edison Lighthouse, and The La's! Take the Rickenbacker out of moth balls!
I loved this post, Brad! My husband and I have an ongoing (joking) argument about Neil Young due to one of our years at New Orleans Jazz Fest. My husband refused to go on the last Sunday when Neil was playing because we had already been rained out the previous day walking around in mud and shit, and we'd been there a week already and had no clean clothes. Joel didn't want to go through all the nonsense again. He convinced me that Neil would not even perform as we sat drinking on Frenchman Street, meanwhile I'm texting with a friend who braved the weather. Neil DOES go on and does a 17-minute rendition of Cortez The Killer in the pouring rain and thunder. If I never see Neil Young perform, my husband will never live this down.
On a happier note, I love the La's! When the main band went on for our wedding, their first song was "There She Goes." (Did you know it's also the opening song to the pilot of Gilmore Girls? There were a lot of nods to Gilmore Girls at our wedding, and this coincidentally was one of them!)
Thanks, Jess.....for the note, the kind words, the anecdote, for reading, and enjoying! When I started the post, I had decided on "Cinnamon Girl," completely forgetting about Neil's divorce from Spotify...I only discovered they can make playlists; I got used to just putting ONE song at a time on a post, 'cause I thought that was their limitation (just call me Mr. Tech!!!).
So, I decided to create a new FR&B lane, and join other 'Stackers in the "playlist game," only doing more than just dropping one song and fleeing, like some seem to do!
One thing about researching: Now I know why and how the La's, bless their hearts, only had the one hit (and one album, for that matter)! I got the CD at the time, and don't recall ever even seeing a picture of the band anywhere! The kind of digging I never seem to be motivated to do on my own, I'm happy to do for the 'Stack cause...It's win-win Front Row & Backstage!!
If your Saturday needs a little boost (or it's raining outside...as opposed to inside), I'm dropping GROW BIGGER EARS #3 tomorrow (Sun, 9am CT), and its 5 songs will all have one thing in common: The word "want." See if you can guess/discover/find 5 songs with "want" in the title, and check them against the ones I chose tomorrow!
HINT: One of the "Want" songs was inspired by one of Kevin's "On Repeat" playlists from about a week ago, and gave me the idea for #3's topic focus! I call these "Power Pop Playlists," but as you've seen, "Summer Power Pop," some are not!
They may just be power pop adjacent (like "Cinnamon Girl," and Neil's guitar lick/sound), but every song I curate has some sort of personal connection with me...either an artist I've always dug, or I had the single or album, etc!
Fun stuff, Jess! I never considered you'd drop it here! Thanks! Anybody else, join in!
You got TWO correct (plus, extra credit 'cause you showed your work)! You'll get to see which two mañana! I passed on a couple of yours, 'cause I just never was a fan of the particular artist.
"I Want Candy" was an early selection (from a lot of cover possibilities), but by Aaron Carter. See if it made the cut.
Man, what a hip wedding YOU must-a had (now that I know two of the songs you had played)!!
Thanks again for contributing! Even with a key word, it's amazing A) how many songs are out there, and B) how many different choices people can come up with among the many genres and personal tastes!
I can't stop thinking of them now! Also, "I Want You" by Bob Dylan, "I Want You Back" Jackson 5, "Want Ads" by Honey Cone is a good one! Okay, I'm done.
All of those I perused, too, on my search! I actually have TWO of those on my list, but by title ONLY.....I have two songs with identical titles, but are completely different songs by, of course, different artists!
I wanted to include Marvin Gaye's amazing "I Want You" ('76, I think), which is incredibly sinewy and captivating, and by far my fave MG song! It was just too jarring amid the more rockin' poppy songs in the 'List, and as a former radio jock, segue and mood is everything! You're the best!🎶😁🎵
I don't recall that one, but I don't even think I ever came across it while on radio, or even heard it (I know who they were). I'll go check it out now, just for me! That reminds me of a birthday card I once got from a former paramour. It said, "I need someone bad..........are you bad?"🤣
Thanks, Kevin! Quite a career for The Searchers....their '60s contribution to the horde of Brit Invaders, then, in the '70s, becoming quite the legitimate power pop leaders, holding their own with their fanboys (and carrying on their tradition) of bands like Plimsouls, the Records, 20/20, and so many more. The kids let the granddads into the party, in other words!
Burrows certainly owns a career worth envying...from a talent perspective to the money-earning power earned without the grind of the road!
Sunday (so the gals in Tune Procurement, on the other end of the sprawling FR&B campus, tell me!), we drop GBE #3, with a song I know you'll recognize (wink wink, nudge nudge)!! The topic is "Obsession," but I use a shorter, 4-letter synonym, 'cause it was in the song you used that inspired the Playlist!! But, I've said too much, already! Stay tuned, Kevin!!🎸🎹🎼🎶😁
The "late-period" Searchers (1979) even make an appearance in GROW BIGGER EARS #4, dropping next week, sometime! In hushed tones like a game show announcer, "The Password is 'eyes'!"
Ok, from the title I thought the post would be about all-female rock bands, but this was almost as good 😁 What a trip down memory lane--these songs were my grade school sound track!
Thanks, Charles! I'm glad my little playlist managed to scratch where you musically itch! I just buttoned up GROW BIGGER EARS #3 (also having nothing to do with all-female rock bands), but each song follows the theme of "obsession," in its various intensities! It'll drop Sunday morning!
Thanks for subscribing, too, and I do hope you'll browse the archives while you're here! Chock full of fun from all across the musical landscape! I'm already subscribed to your Zapato's Jam, and I'm hoping our Front Row & Backstage readers will make you feel at home, and subscribe, as well!
Thank you for the sub and for the link! Oh my, obsession...I have a couple of posts on the topic, can't wait to see what you picked. Here's one of mine: "Songs about bad habits" https://zapatosjam.substack.com/p/songs-about-bad-habits-21-08-28 The last clip is completely off the chain 😁
I loved this post, Brad! My husband and I have an ongoing (joking) argument about Neil Young due to one of our years at New Orleans Jazz Fest. My husband refused to go on the last Sunday when Neil was playing because we had already been rained out the previous day walking around in mud and shit, and we'd been there a week already and had no clean clothes. Joel didn't want to go through all the nonsense again. He convinced me that Neil would not even perform as we sat drinking on Frenchman Street, meanwhile I'm texting with a friend who braved the weather. Neil DOES go on and does a 17-minute rendition of Cortez The Killer in the pouring rain and thunder. If I never see Neil Young perform, my husband will never live this down.
On a happier note, I love the La's! When the main band went on for our wedding, their first song was "There She Goes." (Did you know it's also the opening song to the pilot of Gilmore Girls? There were a lot of nods to Gilmore Girls at our wedding, and this coincidentally was one of them!)
Awesome post, as always!
Thanks, Jess.....for the note, the kind words, the anecdote, for reading, and enjoying! When I started the post, I had decided on "Cinnamon Girl," completely forgetting about Neil's divorce from Spotify...I only discovered they can make playlists; I got used to just putting ONE song at a time on a post, 'cause I thought that was their limitation (just call me Mr. Tech!!!).
So, I decided to create a new FR&B lane, and join other 'Stackers in the "playlist game," only doing more than just dropping one song and fleeing, like some seem to do!
One thing about researching: Now I know why and how the La's, bless their hearts, only had the one hit (and one album, for that matter)! I got the CD at the time, and don't recall ever even seeing a picture of the band anywhere! The kind of digging I never seem to be motivated to do on my own, I'm happy to do for the 'Stack cause...It's win-win Front Row & Backstage!!
If your Saturday needs a little boost (or it's raining outside...as opposed to inside), I'm dropping GROW BIGGER EARS #3 tomorrow (Sun, 9am CT), and its 5 songs will all have one thing in common: The word "want." See if you can guess/discover/find 5 songs with "want" in the title, and check them against the ones I chose tomorrow!
HINT: One of the "Want" songs was inspired by one of Kevin's "On Repeat" playlists from about a week ago, and gave me the idea for #3's topic focus! I call these "Power Pop Playlists," but as you've seen, "Summer Power Pop," some are not!
They may just be power pop adjacent (like "Cinnamon Girl," and Neil's guitar lick/sound), but every song I curate has some sort of personal connection with me...either an artist I've always dug, or I had the single or album, etc!
Ready?................................? GO!🎶😁🎼
Fun! I didn't go through Kevin's recent archives, but here I go.
"I Want You To Want Me" Cheap Trick (Another classic from my wedding that The Glad Machine performed. Talk about power pop!)
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" Cyndi Lauper
"I Want Candy" The Strangeloves
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" The Beatles
"All I Really Want To Do" Bob Dylan
Fun stuff, Jess! I never considered you'd drop it here! Thanks! Anybody else, join in!
You got TWO correct (plus, extra credit 'cause you showed your work)! You'll get to see which two mañana! I passed on a couple of yours, 'cause I just never was a fan of the particular artist.
"I Want Candy" was an early selection (from a lot of cover possibilities), but by Aaron Carter. See if it made the cut.
Man, what a hip wedding YOU must-a had (now that I know two of the songs you had played)!!
Thanks again for contributing! Even with a key word, it's amazing A) how many songs are out there, and B) how many different choices people can come up with among the many genres and personal tastes!
I can't stop thinking of them now! Also, "I Want You" by Bob Dylan, "I Want You Back" Jackson 5, "Want Ads" by Honey Cone is a good one! Okay, I'm done.
All of those I perused, too, on my search! I actually have TWO of those on my list, but by title ONLY.....I have two songs with identical titles, but are completely different songs by, of course, different artists!
I wanted to include Marvin Gaye's amazing "I Want You" ('76, I think), which is incredibly sinewy and captivating, and by far my fave MG song! It was just too jarring amid the more rockin' poppy songs in the 'List, and as a former radio jock, segue and mood is everything! You're the best!🎶😁🎵
Did you consider “I Want You Bad” by NRBQ? That just came on my Alexa, lol.
I don't recall that one, but I don't even think I ever came across it while on radio, or even heard it (I know who they were). I'll go check it out now, just for me! That reminds me of a birthday card I once got from a former paramour. It said, "I need someone bad..........are you bad?"🤣
What a list! The Searchers were a new one for me, and I had no idea how much Tony Burrows got around.
Thanks, Kevin! Quite a career for The Searchers....their '60s contribution to the horde of Brit Invaders, then, in the '70s, becoming quite the legitimate power pop leaders, holding their own with their fanboys (and carrying on their tradition) of bands like Plimsouls, the Records, 20/20, and so many more. The kids let the granddads into the party, in other words!
Burrows certainly owns a career worth envying...from a talent perspective to the money-earning power earned without the grind of the road!
Sunday (so the gals in Tune Procurement, on the other end of the sprawling FR&B campus, tell me!), we drop GBE #3, with a song I know you'll recognize (wink wink, nudge nudge)!! The topic is "Obsession," but I use a shorter, 4-letter synonym, 'cause it was in the song you used that inspired the Playlist!! But, I've said too much, already! Stay tuned, Kevin!!🎸🎹🎼🎶😁
Alright! I'm looking forward to it.
The "late-period" Searchers (1979) even make an appearance in GROW BIGGER EARS #4, dropping next week, sometime! In hushed tones like a game show announcer, "The Password is 'eyes'!"
Ok, from the title I thought the post would be about all-female rock bands, but this was almost as good 😁 What a trip down memory lane--these songs were my grade school sound track!
Thanks, Charles! I'm glad my little playlist managed to scratch where you musically itch! I just buttoned up GROW BIGGER EARS #3 (also having nothing to do with all-female rock bands), but each song follows the theme of "obsession," in its various intensities! It'll drop Sunday morning!
BTW, if you missed the kick-off GBE #1, here 'tis: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/grow-bigger-ears-1-the-audio-autopsy where you'll discover Summer Power Pop, and some are not!
Thanks for subscribing, too, and I do hope you'll browse the archives while you're here! Chock full of fun from all across the musical landscape! I'm already subscribed to your Zapato's Jam, and I'm hoping our Front Row & Backstage readers will make you feel at home, and subscribe, as well!
https://zapatosjam.substack.com/ Cheers, Charles!🎸🎹🎼🎵🎶😁👍
Thank you for the sub and for the link! Oh my, obsession...I have a couple of posts on the topic, can't wait to see what you picked. Here's one of mine: "Songs about bad habits" https://zapatosjam.substack.com/p/songs-about-bad-habits-21-08-28 The last clip is completely off the chain 😁