A Tune Tag first! Singer/songwriter, Britta, will only be sending me songs she wrote and performed! I have all of recorded history from which to cull songs I send her! Enjoy Britta's new EP here, too!
Love Sebago Lumbago, both the song and the video, the story behind it and especially the story of creepiness overlaying a beautiful location in Maine. There was a lake cottage in our family and it had a creepy vibe too. Brought up that sixth sense of 'I wouldn't want to be here alone' and running to the bathroom and back (and jumping under the covers as fast as possible) in the middle of the night and all that. And yet on the surface it looks safe and serene. A lot under the surface in that song.
But it was very funny that Brad thought it was about lower back pain. Made me laugh as I read it.
Very fun tune tag. Enjoyed the Bangles reference too.
This was fantastic. I was familiar with some of Britta's songs (She's Wrong is my fave, I think... I have a penchant for cleverly layered background vocals), and I loved discovering others, especially Dangerous Boy.
What particularly impressed me is how "in synch" you both were with each other and with the songs you chose. Not sure if you realise, but you guys were having an actual conversation (with nuance and intricate detail) through these songs.
Britta's energy is contagious, and she can certainly transcend the page... and the recording studio!
Brad, what impressed me the most was the fact you couldn't rely on the who's-who's of the industry, the hidden credits in the liner notes... I mean, not that you had anything to prove to anyone (you're the King of Tune Tag for a reason!), but still, the challenge you set yourself up for meant you were outside of what some readers might perceive as "your comfort zone", or one of your biggest strengths. And yet, you were so on the ball that I even got goosebumps when I clicked play on your response to "She's Wrong", because... it was just too perfect! Thematically, sonically, even rhythmically...
What can I say, Britta and Brad, other than CHAPEAU!
Thanks so much, Andy! You get us! And, you communicate it so clearly and beautifully! As I have the luxury of having all the text together at one time (as I arrange it all into the final product), I can definitely say with certainty that I was inspired by Britta! Her inspiration already happened with her songwriting and recording, but then, HER narration was smart and to-the-point, as well!
But, that's a challenge I happily and proudly present myself each time....trying to communicate using the language of music, across genres and across decades, if that's what's needed.
I've got another one similar to this challenge coming up in a future TT. Another singer/songwriter mixing originals with entries in The Phonolog! Are you familiar with the Phonolog? Back in the day, at record stores, we'd get new pages like almost weekly! What a drag! Look at this thing! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonolog
Needless to say, the Phonolog was made obsolete by the onset of PCs and, especially, the 'net. It was heavy, needless to say, as it housed all recordings since the late '40s! And, like I say, it had periodic updates one of us had to wrestle into its binder loops! One of those, "Well, I did it last time" jobs!!!!
It was all that! Thinking about it over dinner, I remembered that it was actually divided into a dozen or 15 lift-out sections. You'd slide up a section of pages (which was about the size of a large city phonebook), and then deal with a much smaller component to take out and put in pages! Then just slide it back in....it had little pegs that slid into slots in the larger book. Great....now I know where tonight's nightmares will be coming from!!!😂👍
Wow; I had not heard of that -- it's like a library card catalog stored in one binder.
Edit: From the wikipedia page this is an interesting historical note: "the label information provided the store enough information to order either through their corporate system, through their preferred one-stop supplier, or even directly from the label. The latter was especially valuable for smaller indie labels with fanatic, nationwide fan bases in the 1980s and beyond, such as Dischord, SubPop, Lookout, Twin/Tone, and others that would not otherwise have had the means to market to such a diverse number of stores."
Exactly like a library's card catalog! Just thousands of yellow pages, with new ones to add (and, I'm trying to remember....remove!). We'd use it, like Wiki said, as a source from which to order albums. Cactus was owned and serviced by H.W. Daily Co. See "our" paragraph at the end:
By using Britta's music as a stepping stone for 4/8 songs, this makes for a fascinating, creative, out of the box approach to your weekly Tune Tag! I love it!
From Arthur Lee, Steve Marriott, Julia Margaret Cameron, Johnny Thunders, Bangles, Phil Spector, and, of course, Riffindots - this all becomes the perfect visual & audio stew to Britta's "Bad Egg" collage. Kudos, indeed! Very well played, you two!
Thanks, Michael! Happy to promote Britta's music, and her Spector collage is, at once, beautiful and startling! Such a talented lady! I had heard enough of Britta's songs to know I really enjoyed how different she sounded, and how she sounded current without resorting to just synths, a dance beat, and effects! Plus, she sounded retro enough to make it all very listenable, and easy to sing along to (which I do)!
I swallowed hard after I thought of the format, and even harder when I actually clicked "send" on the DM, pitching her the one-of-a-kind proposal! How relieved I was after I heard the songs that I was able to find more than enough songs to make an entertaining Tune Tag out of her original contributions! Which, ultimately, is a testament to her song quality, both lyrically and melodically!
oh boy! I feel like it’s Christmas and I see all the presents and then eat the tree. By the way, this comment is being spoken into my phone as I walk the dog. Obviously I didn’t say eat the tree, but I like that better. I want to sit down and savor this entire piece, but wanted to leave a comment about how excited I am to read this and revisit these Riffindots songs. Im assuming I’ve heard one or more of them. Yes, I did have to fix that auto correct. It typed out ripping dad. Anyway, more to come!
Thanks. I am not that familiar with his solo output, but my general sense is that he's continued touring and recording and making albums that are well done, skillful, not at all flashy and which haven't attracted much attention outside of his fans.
For example Wikipedia quotes a review of one of the albums (Privateering) as "a warm, authentic and durable record: the musical equivalent of a well-worn plaid shirt."[
Thanks, Steve......Britta was a blast to work with, and her music is so unique and melodic, with a pleasingly healthy dose of the evocative past (IMO)!
I just finished your new ReDOGmendations...it's absolutely beautiful. Two words: Tears before breakfast! And, your "maybe he's 35" made me almost laugh out loud (which I rarely do, and certainly not in a slowly-crowding Panera!). I'm apparently leaving all my comments for your post here....
Touching, heart-warming, and a sweet and heart-felt ode to the bow-wows in our lives (with dog-centric songs by the famous and not-so, like the earnest Raoul, the 10-year-old whose small hands are barely able to make the finger-spread to get all the notes on McCartney's "Martha My Dear"! Come for the love of doggos, and stay for the songs, and Steve's clever, funny, and tender ode to our beloved pets!
I know Britta and I look forward to your coming comments on thisi TT! Thanks!--B
I appreciate that, Nick. It’s been a crazy week. I have had no extra time to do more than quick cursory scanning of posts. But I plan to get to this epic song off this weekend. Stay tuned!
It is interesting how it changes the process of getting to know a new song to not have the lyrics easily available (I'd say that this is a sign I'm just getting old, and that I used to be faster to pick up a song -- but I don't know if that's true. One of the interesting consequences of being able to easily look up lyrics on the internet is realizing how many songs I've listened to repeatedly but only approximately processed the lyrics.)
I liked all of Britta's song's and, clearly, the one that I feel like I have the best sense of the twists and turns in "Sebago Lumbago" because I watched the lyrics video.
The description/explanation for "Dangerous Boy" is great.
The most interesting pairing of songs is the first two. I love that Brad was inspired to look up a new-to-him song to reference “There’s no one alive who sends pictures like that” and he found an interesting one (and I'm impressed at the amount of information Brad put in the photo caption).
Impressive the way that Britta worked in the Phil Spector collage, and he does sound dangerous.
The back and forth in the last couple of songs makes me think about the brilliant chorus to Kirsty MacColl's "There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis"
("There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis
Just like you swore to me that you'd be true
There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis
Thanks, Nick............Regular readers (like you) of FR&B will know I'm not a big lyric guy. Let others pound their heads against the wall wondering "what Dylan meant." Growing up with The Beatles (age 8 in '64), I was first mesmerized by their overall sonic wonderment.....that plus songs with "yeah, yeah, yeah"s didn't exactly point a young Brad into the direction of "lyrics are important parts of a song"!
But, I didn't want to know Britta's lyrics, 'cause I wanted to play a completely "on my own" game; even her lyrics might give me more of an advantage than my original offer hinted at. I wanted all of her songs to be new to me!
I hadn't heard the Tracey Ullman version before. She does a good job with it (and the video is well done). I don't think "Guy Works Down The Chip Shop . . ." is Kristy's best song, but the put-down in the chorus is great.
I, obviously, do tend to focus on lyrics, but I don't always get them on first (or third) listening; different styles of production can place different emphasis on the ease of following the words -- sometimes the emphasis is more on the sound rather than lyrics.
On a completely unrelated note, the mention of sailors reminds me that you would probably enjoy the very campy Channing Tatum tap dance scene from "Hail, Ceasar" (I haven't watched the "Step Up" movies, but Tatum did start his career as a dance) -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3PQBHAZ3Rg
Well, it's the production on Tracey's cover of "They Don't Know" (audio and video) that sends it all over the top! Tracey is clearly a fan of '60s Spector/Brill Bldg girl group pop, and she's recreated that ethos to perfection! I love when, say, a Kirsty writes a song, and someone else sees the vision of what can be done to it to make it be ALL it can be, and likely, what it was meant to be in the songwriter's head in the first place!
BTW (and I can't recall if I mentioned it in my piece or not), I believe that's Kirsty's voice (I guess from her recording...not that she came to the studio) that Tracey used in the bridge, the high-pitched "BABY"!
I'm working on an "Inside Tracks" now (hoping to drop Fri) where I focus on another Brill Bldg song, and a couple of notable covers! In fact, it even has the word "know" in ITS three-word title for added symmetry! Stay tuned!
Well, that was different! And now I have a new artist to discover...
Love Sebago Lumbago, both the song and the video, the story behind it and especially the story of creepiness overlaying a beautiful location in Maine. There was a lake cottage in our family and it had a creepy vibe too. Brought up that sixth sense of 'I wouldn't want to be here alone' and running to the bathroom and back (and jumping under the covers as fast as possible) in the middle of the night and all that. And yet on the surface it looks safe and serene. A lot under the surface in that song.
But it was very funny that Brad thought it was about lower back pain. Made me laugh as I read it.
Very fun tune tag. Enjoyed the Bangles reference too.
I bet your creepy family cabin and my creepy family cabin have the same exact smell! And I did actually have lumbago. The issues are in the tissues!
I bet you're right!
This was fantastic. I was familiar with some of Britta's songs (She's Wrong is my fave, I think... I have a penchant for cleverly layered background vocals), and I loved discovering others, especially Dangerous Boy.
What particularly impressed me is how "in synch" you both were with each other and with the songs you chose. Not sure if you realise, but you guys were having an actual conversation (with nuance and intricate detail) through these songs.
Britta's energy is contagious, and she can certainly transcend the page... and the recording studio!
Brad, what impressed me the most was the fact you couldn't rely on the who's-who's of the industry, the hidden credits in the liner notes... I mean, not that you had anything to prove to anyone (you're the King of Tune Tag for a reason!), but still, the challenge you set yourself up for meant you were outside of what some readers might perceive as "your comfort zone", or one of your biggest strengths. And yet, you were so on the ball that I even got goosebumps when I clicked play on your response to "She's Wrong", because... it was just too perfect! Thematically, sonically, even rhythmically...
What can I say, Britta and Brad, other than CHAPEAU!
Thank you for reading!! Happy that you caught the very essence of this TT!! 😁
Thanks so much, Andy! You get us! And, you communicate it so clearly and beautifully! As I have the luxury of having all the text together at one time (as I arrange it all into the final product), I can definitely say with certainty that I was inspired by Britta! Her inspiration already happened with her songwriting and recording, but then, HER narration was smart and to-the-point, as well!
But, that's a challenge I happily and proudly present myself each time....trying to communicate using the language of music, across genres and across decades, if that's what's needed.
I've got another one similar to this challenge coming up in a future TT. Another singer/songwriter mixing originals with entries in The Phonolog! Are you familiar with the Phonolog? Back in the day, at record stores, we'd get new pages like almost weekly! What a drag! Look at this thing! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonolog
Absolutely. Her narration was a lot of fun, as was yours, par for the course!
I was not familiar with the concept of a phonolog but I am already in love!! I would kill to hold one in my hands… what a treasure!
Needless to say, I’m very curious and really looking forward to that one as well! 🥳
Needless to say, the Phonolog was made obsolete by the onset of PCs and, especially, the 'net. It was heavy, needless to say, as it housed all recordings since the late '40s! And, like I say, it had periodic updates one of us had to wrestle into its binder loops! One of those, "Well, I did it last time" jobs!!!!
Definitely looks like a heavy thing to have to be wrestling with all the time. A proper workout! 😂
It was all that! Thinking about it over dinner, I remembered that it was actually divided into a dozen or 15 lift-out sections. You'd slide up a section of pages (which was about the size of a large city phonebook), and then deal with a much smaller component to take out and put in pages! Then just slide it back in....it had little pegs that slid into slots in the larger book. Great....now I know where tonight's nightmares will be coming from!!!😂👍
Your memory is insane 😱😱 the level of detail you capture is mind-blowing 🤣
Wow; I had not heard of that -- it's like a library card catalog stored in one binder.
Edit: From the wikipedia page this is an interesting historical note: "the label information provided the store enough information to order either through their corporate system, through their preferred one-stop supplier, or even directly from the label. The latter was especially valuable for smaller indie labels with fanatic, nationwide fan bases in the 1980s and beyond, such as Dischord, SubPop, Lookout, Twin/Tone, and others that would not otherwise have had the means to market to such a diverse number of stores."
Exactly like a library's card catalog! Just thousands of yellow pages, with new ones to add (and, I'm trying to remember....remove!). We'd use it, like Wiki said, as a source from which to order albums. Cactus was owned and serviced by H.W. Daily Co. See "our" paragraph at the end:
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/daily-harold-w-pappy
By using Britta's music as a stepping stone for 4/8 songs, this makes for a fascinating, creative, out of the box approach to your weekly Tune Tag! I love it!
From Arthur Lee, Steve Marriott, Julia Margaret Cameron, Johnny Thunders, Bangles, Phil Spector, and, of course, Riffindots - this all becomes the perfect visual & audio stew to Britta's "Bad Egg" collage. Kudos, indeed! Very well played, you two!
Thanks, Michael! Happy to promote Britta's music, and her Spector collage is, at once, beautiful and startling! Such a talented lady! I had heard enough of Britta's songs to know I really enjoyed how different she sounded, and how she sounded current without resorting to just synths, a dance beat, and effects! Plus, she sounded retro enough to make it all very listenable, and easy to sing along to (which I do)!
I swallowed hard after I thought of the format, and even harder when I actually clicked "send" on the DM, pitching her the one-of-a-kind proposal! How relieved I was after I heard the songs that I was able to find more than enough songs to make an entertaining Tune Tag out of her original contributions! Which, ultimately, is a testament to her song quality, both lyrically and melodically!
Oh, sing it, Brad Kyle!!! ( I’m blushing)!!
Thank you for reading, Michael!! Brad definitely has a great idea with his innovative Tune Tag idea!!!
oh boy! I feel like it’s Christmas and I see all the presents and then eat the tree. By the way, this comment is being spoken into my phone as I walk the dog. Obviously I didn’t say eat the tree, but I like that better. I want to sit down and savor this entire piece, but wanted to leave a comment about how excited I am to read this and revisit these Riffindots songs. Im assuming I’ve heard one or more of them. Yes, I did have to fix that auto correct. It typed out ripping dad. Anyway, more to come!
Ripping Dad will be my next song title!!! A loving tribute to Dads who love Dire Straits everywhere!!!
And maybe some solo Mark Knopfler as well -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK3Yibs6In0
This seems like the sort of song they would like
"We had no way of staying afloat
We had to leave on a ferryboat
Economic refugees, on the run to Germany
We had the back of Maggie's hand
Times were tough in Geordie land
We got our tools and working gear
And humped it all from Newcastle to here"
I had overlooked your comment, here (and Knopfler solo), earlier, Nick....not heard much, if any, solo Mark! Pretty cool.
Thanks. I am not that familiar with his solo output, but my general sense is that he's continued touring and recording and making albums that are well done, skillful, not at all flashy and which haven't attracted much attention outside of his fans.
For example Wikipedia quotes a review of one of the albums (Privateering) as "a warm, authentic and durable record: the musical equivalent of a well-worn plaid shirt."[
Thanks, Steve......Britta was a blast to work with, and her music is so unique and melodic, with a pleasingly healthy dose of the evocative past (IMO)!
I just finished your new ReDOGmendations...it's absolutely beautiful. Two words: Tears before breakfast! And, your "maybe he's 35" made me almost laugh out loud (which I rarely do, and certainly not in a slowly-crowding Panera!). I'm apparently leaving all my comments for your post here....
FR&B readers, please check out Steve's latest (and, join me in being a satisfied subscriber!): https://earworm.substack.com/p/redogmendations-april-2024
Touching, heart-warming, and a sweet and heart-felt ode to the bow-wows in our lives (with dog-centric songs by the famous and not-so, like the earnest Raoul, the 10-year-old whose small hands are barely able to make the finger-spread to get all the notes on McCartney's "Martha My Dear"! Come for the love of doggos, and stay for the songs, and Steve's clever, funny, and tender ode to our beloved pets!
I know Britta and I look forward to your coming comments on thisi TT! Thanks!--B
Just checking in to say that, if you decide to write additional comments, I'm curious what you'll have to say.
I appreciate that, Nick. It’s been a crazy week. I have had no extra time to do more than quick cursory scanning of posts. But I plan to get to this epic song off this weekend. Stay tuned!
I feel exactly the same way (without the dogs or ripping dad).
It is a great idea for a themed Tune Tag.
It is interesting how it changes the process of getting to know a new song to not have the lyrics easily available (I'd say that this is a sign I'm just getting old, and that I used to be faster to pick up a song -- but I don't know if that's true. One of the interesting consequences of being able to easily look up lyrics on the internet is realizing how many songs I've listened to repeatedly but only approximately processed the lyrics.)
I liked all of Britta's song's and, clearly, the one that I feel like I have the best sense of the twists and turns in "Sebago Lumbago" because I watched the lyrics video.
The description/explanation for "Dangerous Boy" is great.
The most interesting pairing of songs is the first two. I love that Brad was inspired to look up a new-to-him song to reference “There’s no one alive who sends pictures like that” and he found an interesting one (and I'm impressed at the amount of information Brad put in the photo caption).
Impressive the way that Britta worked in the Phil Spector collage, and he does sound dangerous.
The back and forth in the last couple of songs makes me think about the brilliant chorus to Kirsty MacColl's "There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis"
("There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis
Just like you swore to me that you'd be true
There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis
But he's a liar and I'm not sure about you")
Thanks, Nick............Regular readers (like you) of FR&B will know I'm not a big lyric guy. Let others pound their heads against the wall wondering "what Dylan meant." Growing up with The Beatles (age 8 in '64), I was first mesmerized by their overall sonic wonderment.....that plus songs with "yeah, yeah, yeah"s didn't exactly point a young Brad into the direction of "lyrics are important parts of a song"!
But, I didn't want to know Britta's lyrics, 'cause I wanted to play a completely "on my own" game; even her lyrics might give me more of an advantage than my original offer hinted at. I wanted all of her songs to be new to me!
As for Kirsty, I'm aware of a couple of her songs (and her horrific passing), but for me, her lifelong triumph was Tracey Ullman's arrangement of Kirsty's "They Don't Know." ICYMI two years ago: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/audio-autopsy-1983-they-dont-know?utm_source=publication-search
I hadn't heard the Tracey Ullman version before. She does a good job with it (and the video is well done). I don't think "Guy Works Down The Chip Shop . . ." is Kristy's best song, but the put-down in the chorus is great.
I, obviously, do tend to focus on lyrics, but I don't always get them on first (or third) listening; different styles of production can place different emphasis on the ease of following the words -- sometimes the emphasis is more on the sound rather than lyrics.
On a completely unrelated note, the mention of sailors reminds me that you would probably enjoy the very campy Channing Tatum tap dance scene from "Hail, Ceasar" (I haven't watched the "Step Up" movies, but Tatum did start his career as a dance) -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3PQBHAZ3Rg
Well, it's the production on Tracey's cover of "They Don't Know" (audio and video) that sends it all over the top! Tracey is clearly a fan of '60s Spector/Brill Bldg girl group pop, and she's recreated that ethos to perfection! I love when, say, a Kirsty writes a song, and someone else sees the vision of what can be done to it to make it be ALL it can be, and likely, what it was meant to be in the songwriter's head in the first place!
BTW (and I can't recall if I mentioned it in my piece or not), I believe that's Kirsty's voice (I guess from her recording...not that she came to the studio) that Tracey used in the bridge, the high-pitched "BABY"!
I'm working on an "Inside Tracks" now (hoping to drop Fri) where I focus on another Brill Bldg song, and a couple of notable covers! In fact, it even has the word "know" in ITS three-word title for added symmetry! Stay tuned!