Wow! Barry and the Buzzcocks! Two Kenny R's! Harlem Shakes?🍓Make mine strawberry! The mind boggles at the possibilities in this Tune Tag, and Jared the Curator doesn't disappoint!
Thank you, Jared.........it was a fun one, definitely. There's so much about Barry that few know, and one of them is his love and knowledge of various kinds/eras/genres....goes perfectly with his arranging skills, as he'll employ big band and jazz elements into his orchestrations (and, one only has to look no further than "Copacabana" for another nod to Latin rhythms...and, there are others in his catalog!).
He's really underrated in that regard, but he certainly belongs in the convo when masters like Claus Ogerman, Walter Murphy, Gene Page, Thom Bell, Richard Carpenter, and other arrangers/orchestrators in rock and pop are discussed!
Thanks again, Jared! Until we Tag again, I'll keep my turntable warmed up!
This story doesn't have anything to do with the article really, but y'all mentioned Kenny Rogers, so you brought it on yourself.
When I was a little kid, probably 6 or 7, I went to the dentist to get my first filling. Understandably, I was nervous, but the dentist had a walkman and a selection of tapes to help put patients at ease. He asked me what I wanted to listen to, but I was young and I didn't know very many artists' names. At the time, I only owned a couple of tapes myself, but one of them was the Top Gun soundtrack, so I knew Kenny Loggins, and I threw his name out there. The nurse misheard me though, and put on the Gambler. So for the next 45 minutes or so, I sat there listening to Kenny Rogers, thinking the rest of Kenny Loggins' stuff was way different than Danger Zone. When I mentioned this after the filling was done, they explained the mix-up and had a good laugh.
Strangely enough, this did not turn me against Kenny Rogers. I've had many unpleasant visits to many sadistic dentists since that day, but my first dentist was the exception. (Unfortunately, he was forced to retire and passed away due to cancer only a year or two after that. I wanted this story to be amusing, not a downer, but that part of the story sucks, I'm afraid.) In fact, it's given me a soft spot for the Gambler that persists to this day. Generally, Kenny Roger's style of music is not my thing, but I'll never turn him off the radio, thanks to a minor misunderstanding at the dentist nearly four decades ago.
That's an hilarious story, Patrick! I appreciate you telling it.....My takeaway from your dental chair adventures is that, of the available Kennys, you may have been far more reassured and calmed by a couple mellow album sides of Kenny Rankin! But, your hearing Rogers thinking it was Loggins is 🤣! "Well, he sure SOUNDS different, but.....OK!"
My research helped me solidify some '60s memories of just how Kenny fit in with my family memories. I think Rogers was not at all solo then, but was always in groups...from the Bobby Doyle Three to New Christy Minstrels to The First Edition. When Rogers got famous solo, my mom would tell me she used to book him, and I think she was referring to the Doyle Trio!
Now, what I'd love to hunt down is just how/when his solo stardom rocket started! I do know I once "served" his manager, Ken Kragen, at Cactus Records/Houston, once, in the late-'70s! I can't recall if he bought any LPs or cassettes of his key client!
Haven't listened to any of the tracks yet but loving the Manilow love! And the Carpenters as well. Looking forward to listening to the tracks I don't know. Great job on this one!
Thanks, MK! Longtime Fanilow, so there ya go! Enjoy your repeated visits back to this one! I know I always find myself revisiting and listening, not only to old faves, but to all the new songs our guests bring! Looking forward to your guesting next week!
What a great Tune Tag, lads! I particularly liked how open your minds were (are). Not only in terms of being imaginative and accepting, but also how you let your own personal associations of certain songs/artists/sounds shine through, and how you celebrated your respective “sound adventures”! I did not know that version of Spanish Harlem, I remembered Santana’s masterful Supernatural album, and learned something knew about Manilow and the Carpenters singer! From blog rock to the Carpenters, through the Spanish Harlem and the buzz of the city that never sleeps! Not sure if you guys realise what a ride this one was. Well done!
Thanks, Andy! Whenever I can toot my Fanilow horn....well, let's just say he's my Mariah...minus the curves! Jared was kind enough to share with me that his wife and kiddo dig "New York City Rhythm," too! And, when I found that 20-minute Manilow medley, I had to include it (linked in a sentence....I didn't want to festoon the page with YouTube video rectangles)!
I also enjoyed the new artists (to me) that Jared brought to the TT! And, the jewel I'm happy I stumbled onto.....LaBouche and their "Fallin' In Love"! Glad you enjoyed!
Minus the curves 🤣🤣 You crack me up! That 20 min medley is awesome, and not an easy task to accomplish. I liked how you drew attention to the fact he’s made the arrangements himself. Mariah tends to do similar stuff with her songs and doesn’t often get enough credit (mainly because people don’t know about it). It’s good to acknowledge the hard work behind the scenes because that’s what holds everything together!
An artist can want to (understandably) control his/her art, and that carries over onto the stage presentation of their creative "product." But, so few have the knowledge/talent and where-with-all to pull it off.
Call it megalomania, Type A personality, OCD, whatever....if an artist gets to the point of writing (or arranging a suitable cover), recording and "packaging" their product, they're certainly going to want to have that same control over how that product is presented for the paying concert-going public!
Barry can't sew, I'm guessing, so he hires a pro to create custom stage outfits. For artists who don't have the skills for specialty-arranging, they hire someone. Obviously, I have no idea the extent to which Mariah can arrange, so I appreciate your schooling us, yo, on her skillz! I sense enough about her (at this very least) that she'd want the best for her fans, and to wow them in concert, and hire the best lighting, staging, musicians, etc for her shows. I know THAT much! But, it's cool to hear that she's musically adept to the point of arranging anew for shows!
I will state categorically that her Christmas song is a stone-cold legit centuries-long classic that is as culturally massive as "White Christmas" and others at the top of the pop culture holiday canon!
What made seeing Barry in the '70s to learn first-hand and for the first time ('cause no one was touting this!) his acumen and love for arranging, was truly jaw-dropping, and what made seeing him multiple times so rewarding. One time, he could do a full-on "Could It Be Magic" with 8-minute scope, and the next year, for the tour, he might simply have a snippet of it in a medley like what you saw here! Staggering.
So many other artists are content (and lazy and unimaginative) to just rubber-stamp their hits and their song-library and trot it all out, as it is on record, for each and every tour!
Somehow/someway, my Vinyl Room custodian, we should have a Barry/Mariah tune-off of some sort. Or, a Barry/Mariah featured Tune Tag....you pitch this or that MC song, and I counter with a Barry tune that is similar, say, in tone/approach/rhythm....whatever! We both know our musical faves' catalogs inside and out. With nary a gauntlet to be found, I'm throwing down the mic! What say, Andy?
I couldn’t agree more with everything you said. It’s also true that with very talented and successful artists, the control freak/OCD tendencies become a lot stronger, for several reasons (not least the need to keep certain standards, as you rightly point out).
MC can’t read music, but she creates all her melodies and “guides” her co-writers in the direction she wants to go. And in her concerts she’s the one who decides what to merge with what, what she wants the band to do at this or that particular section… She’s an obsessive producer, and I guess her perfect pitch makes up for any gaps in her music theory knowledge.
I looooove that Tune Tag idea! Count me in. And Happy 4th!
Never heard Phantogram or La Bouche before and they were both great. Agree with Jared -- that Phantogram song is addictive.
This Tune Tag is a reminder of what great entertainers the Carpenters, Kenny Rogers, and Barry Manilow were /are. There's a reason they're so popular and beloved. They all get you in the heart and gut. Karen Carpenter often leaves me in tears. So glad you guys shared these, and also enjoyed hearing the other songs for the first time.
Glad you like, Ellen! Most of Jared's selections were new to me, too, including Phantogram and Harlem Shakes. LaBouche was a happy accident, I must say. I was looking for covers of that Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds song, and they popped up. Pretty impressive!
And, you're right about Carpenters, Rogers and Barry, too....great performers with great songs and production! We missed so much with Karen's far-too-early passing. Thanks, Ellen!
I was able to read this Tune Tag while on a bus making its way through the mountains, reaching 4444 meters high (14,500 feet). It took an age to read as the wifi was spotty, but I finally got to Rod Serling. Looking out at llamas, alpacas, indigineous market outposts, and pristine mountain lakes also made the thin-air, lightheaded journey easier.
Fun TT. Well done, gents. I love the Headhunters inclusion. Did you know the original HH band is touring? I have tickets to see them in Portland, Oregon in September. Their two albums are favorites of mine.
Wow, Michael! Talk about brand loyalty.....I (and the entire FR&B staff😉) appreciate your mile-high spirit and dedication! Aside from naming one of my favorite bodies of water that make me giggle, I LOVE traveling vicariously, and it's so cool imagining your surroundings as you made that jaunt!
I was at least that high (no, not at my first-attended concert...Led Zep in '70!) in 1968 (I was 13), when my family road-tripped from Houston to Colorado, and Denver in particular. We took a tram ride to the top of Pike's Peak (at least 14,000 ft, as I recall), and Dad pointed out a marmot--running beside our tram in the snow--my first introduction to that furry critter!
I'm glad you caught our Serling Easter Egg! I didn't know the Headhunters were touring. I'm sure they'll put on a good show for you!
Thanks again, Michael! It was great hearing from you from your Peruvian outpost!
As someone who has gotten out of the habit of listening to new music (as I've mentioned, substack has been a good prod to remember what that's like), I enjoyed both "Strictly Game" and "Fall in Love" which are both very approachable without feeling too over-produced. Particularly "Strictly Game" is great.
I started the Herbie Hancock thinking, "9 minutes may be a bit too much to ask" and then listened all the the way through.
Kenny Rankin's version of "Spanish Harlem" is lovely.
"New York Rhythm" was good, and I enjoy Brad's enthusiasm for Barry Manilow.
Thank you, Nick! I'll see your linked-in-comments Jami/Buzzcocks article, and raise you a link in the Tune Tag, itself! It's just been installed, and I hope all will enjoy! But, we'll leave your link here, too....thanks again!
Glad you like the Kenny Rankin.....he's enjoyable in everything he's done...oh, so mellow.
I enjoyed the new things Jared came up with, too, and I'm glad you liked my Manilow musings!
Great episode again. And what a surprise that you are a Barry Manilow fan Brad :-) Nothing bad about Barry. I haven’t seen him live (I don’t even know if he ever did concerts in Europe, let alone Belgium), but he has a few songs that I keep in my favorites playlist. New York City Rhythm and the twelve inch version of Copacabana (have a banana :-)) are def on the list
Thanks, PeDupre! Shouldn't be a surprise I'm a Fanilow.....after all, I'm the only person on the planet (this one) to have seen both Judy Garland ('65 at the Astrodome...I was 10) and The S*x Pistols live in concert ('78, San Antonio) in the same lifetime! To paraphrase "Wide World of Sports": "Spanning the globe" and the musical landscape......!
As for European concerts...I gotta think Barry did, as his hits, I believe, were worldwide. A decade ago, when I did nightly karaoke for a couple years, I did "Copa" couple times a week, and when I did (I colluded with a friend), he'd start a conga line throughout the club!
I'd never heard that story about Karen Carpenter auditioning for The First Edition. I always thought she was more interested in playing the drums early in her career than singing.
By the way, Anne Murray had a minor hit with "I Just Fall in Love Again."
I vaguely remember Murray's "I Just Fall in Love Again." Plus, I'd never heard that Karen tidbit, either. That's why I included the discussion link I did....they seem to have some validity, and readers can feel free to dig a little deeper for more, if they'd like.
I agree with your mention of Karen needing to be prodded, early on, to take the stage as a singer (that's what I recall). A little stage fright, maybe, but also understandably proud of her drumming ability! It makes sense, geographically, though, as The First Edition were already in L.A. at the time (whether or not signed, yet, by Warner Bros.), and we know she and Richard grew up in L.A. suburb, Downey.
Absolutely thrilled to be Tune Taggin with Brad, diving into these picks were a blast. Who knew Manilow had Santana vibes?
Huge thanks to all you music lovers for reading, keep those records spinning!
Thank you, Jared.........it was a fun one, definitely. There's so much about Barry that few know, and one of them is his love and knowledge of various kinds/eras/genres....goes perfectly with his arranging skills, as he'll employ big band and jazz elements into his orchestrations (and, one only has to look no further than "Copacabana" for another nod to Latin rhythms...and, there are others in his catalog!).
He's really underrated in that regard, but he certainly belongs in the convo when masters like Claus Ogerman, Walter Murphy, Gene Page, Thom Bell, Richard Carpenter, and other arrangers/orchestrators in rock and pop are discussed!
Thanks again, Jared! Until we Tag again, I'll keep my turntable warmed up!
This story doesn't have anything to do with the article really, but y'all mentioned Kenny Rogers, so you brought it on yourself.
When I was a little kid, probably 6 or 7, I went to the dentist to get my first filling. Understandably, I was nervous, but the dentist had a walkman and a selection of tapes to help put patients at ease. He asked me what I wanted to listen to, but I was young and I didn't know very many artists' names. At the time, I only owned a couple of tapes myself, but one of them was the Top Gun soundtrack, so I knew Kenny Loggins, and I threw his name out there. The nurse misheard me though, and put on the Gambler. So for the next 45 minutes or so, I sat there listening to Kenny Rogers, thinking the rest of Kenny Loggins' stuff was way different than Danger Zone. When I mentioned this after the filling was done, they explained the mix-up and had a good laugh.
Strangely enough, this did not turn me against Kenny Rogers. I've had many unpleasant visits to many sadistic dentists since that day, but my first dentist was the exception. (Unfortunately, he was forced to retire and passed away due to cancer only a year or two after that. I wanted this story to be amusing, not a downer, but that part of the story sucks, I'm afraid.) In fact, it's given me a soft spot for the Gambler that persists to this day. Generally, Kenny Roger's style of music is not my thing, but I'll never turn him off the radio, thanks to a minor misunderstanding at the dentist nearly four decades ago.
That's an hilarious story, Patrick! I appreciate you telling it.....My takeaway from your dental chair adventures is that, of the available Kennys, you may have been far more reassured and calmed by a couple mellow album sides of Kenny Rankin! But, your hearing Rogers thinking it was Loggins is 🤣! "Well, he sure SOUNDS different, but.....OK!"
My research helped me solidify some '60s memories of just how Kenny fit in with my family memories. I think Rogers was not at all solo then, but was always in groups...from the Bobby Doyle Three to New Christy Minstrels to The First Edition. When Rogers got famous solo, my mom would tell me she used to book him, and I think she was referring to the Doyle Trio!
Now, what I'd love to hunt down is just how/when his solo stardom rocket started! I do know I once "served" his manager, Ken Kragen, at Cactus Records/Houston, once, in the late-'70s! I can't recall if he bought any LPs or cassettes of his key client!
Thanks again, Patrick!
Haven't listened to any of the tracks yet but loving the Manilow love! And the Carpenters as well. Looking forward to listening to the tracks I don't know. Great job on this one!
Thanks, MK! Longtime Fanilow, so there ya go! Enjoy your repeated visits back to this one! I know I always find myself revisiting and listening, not only to old faves, but to all the new songs our guests bring! Looking forward to your guesting next week!
I saw Barry live twice in the 80s, but not the tour the clip is for. Looking forward to next week as well. It's going to be fun!
What a great Tune Tag, lads! I particularly liked how open your minds were (are). Not only in terms of being imaginative and accepting, but also how you let your own personal associations of certain songs/artists/sounds shine through, and how you celebrated your respective “sound adventures”! I did not know that version of Spanish Harlem, I remembered Santana’s masterful Supernatural album, and learned something knew about Manilow and the Carpenters singer! From blog rock to the Carpenters, through the Spanish Harlem and the buzz of the city that never sleeps! Not sure if you guys realise what a ride this one was. Well done!
Thanks, Andy! Whenever I can toot my Fanilow horn....well, let's just say he's my Mariah...minus the curves! Jared was kind enough to share with me that his wife and kiddo dig "New York City Rhythm," too! And, when I found that 20-minute Manilow medley, I had to include it (linked in a sentence....I didn't want to festoon the page with YouTube video rectangles)!
I also enjoyed the new artists (to me) that Jared brought to the TT! And, the jewel I'm happy I stumbled onto.....LaBouche and their "Fallin' In Love"! Glad you enjoyed!
Minus the curves 🤣🤣 You crack me up! That 20 min medley is awesome, and not an easy task to accomplish. I liked how you drew attention to the fact he’s made the arrangements himself. Mariah tends to do similar stuff with her songs and doesn’t often get enough credit (mainly because people don’t know about it). It’s good to acknowledge the hard work behind the scenes because that’s what holds everything together!
An artist can want to (understandably) control his/her art, and that carries over onto the stage presentation of their creative "product." But, so few have the knowledge/talent and where-with-all to pull it off.
Call it megalomania, Type A personality, OCD, whatever....if an artist gets to the point of writing (or arranging a suitable cover), recording and "packaging" their product, they're certainly going to want to have that same control over how that product is presented for the paying concert-going public!
Barry can't sew, I'm guessing, so he hires a pro to create custom stage outfits. For artists who don't have the skills for specialty-arranging, they hire someone. Obviously, I have no idea the extent to which Mariah can arrange, so I appreciate your schooling us, yo, on her skillz! I sense enough about her (at this very least) that she'd want the best for her fans, and to wow them in concert, and hire the best lighting, staging, musicians, etc for her shows. I know THAT much! But, it's cool to hear that she's musically adept to the point of arranging anew for shows!
I will state categorically that her Christmas song is a stone-cold legit centuries-long classic that is as culturally massive as "White Christmas" and others at the top of the pop culture holiday canon!
What made seeing Barry in the '70s to learn first-hand and for the first time ('cause no one was touting this!) his acumen and love for arranging, was truly jaw-dropping, and what made seeing him multiple times so rewarding. One time, he could do a full-on "Could It Be Magic" with 8-minute scope, and the next year, for the tour, he might simply have a snippet of it in a medley like what you saw here! Staggering.
So many other artists are content (and lazy and unimaginative) to just rubber-stamp their hits and their song-library and trot it all out, as it is on record, for each and every tour!
Somehow/someway, my Vinyl Room custodian, we should have a Barry/Mariah tune-off of some sort. Or, a Barry/Mariah featured Tune Tag....you pitch this or that MC song, and I counter with a Barry tune that is similar, say, in tone/approach/rhythm....whatever! We both know our musical faves' catalogs inside and out. With nary a gauntlet to be found, I'm throwing down the mic! What say, Andy?
I couldn’t agree more with everything you said. It’s also true that with very talented and successful artists, the control freak/OCD tendencies become a lot stronger, for several reasons (not least the need to keep certain standards, as you rightly point out).
MC can’t read music, but she creates all her melodies and “guides” her co-writers in the direction she wants to go. And in her concerts she’s the one who decides what to merge with what, what she wants the band to do at this or that particular section… She’s an obsessive producer, and I guess her perfect pitch makes up for any gaps in her music theory knowledge.
I looooove that Tune Tag idea! Count me in. And Happy 4th!
Never heard Phantogram or La Bouche before and they were both great. Agree with Jared -- that Phantogram song is addictive.
This Tune Tag is a reminder of what great entertainers the Carpenters, Kenny Rogers, and Barry Manilow were /are. There's a reason they're so popular and beloved. They all get you in the heart and gut. Karen Carpenter often leaves me in tears. So glad you guys shared these, and also enjoyed hearing the other songs for the first time.
Glad you like, Ellen! Most of Jared's selections were new to me, too, including Phantogram and Harlem Shakes. LaBouche was a happy accident, I must say. I was looking for covers of that Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds song, and they popped up. Pretty impressive!
And, you're right about Carpenters, Rogers and Barry, too....great performers with great songs and production! We missed so much with Karen's far-too-early passing. Thanks, Ellen!
Greetings from Lake Titicaca, Peru!
I was able to read this Tune Tag while on a bus making its way through the mountains, reaching 4444 meters high (14,500 feet). It took an age to read as the wifi was spotty, but I finally got to Rod Serling. Looking out at llamas, alpacas, indigineous market outposts, and pristine mountain lakes also made the thin-air, lightheaded journey easier.
Fun TT. Well done, gents. I love the Headhunters inclusion. Did you know the original HH band is touring? I have tickets to see them in Portland, Oregon in September. Their two albums are favorites of mine.
Cheers!
Wow, Michael! Talk about brand loyalty.....I (and the entire FR&B staff😉) appreciate your mile-high spirit and dedication! Aside from naming one of my favorite bodies of water that make me giggle, I LOVE traveling vicariously, and it's so cool imagining your surroundings as you made that jaunt!
I was at least that high (no, not at my first-attended concert...Led Zep in '70!) in 1968 (I was 13), when my family road-tripped from Houston to Colorado, and Denver in particular. We took a tram ride to the top of Pike's Peak (at least 14,000 ft, as I recall), and Dad pointed out a marmot--running beside our tram in the snow--my first introduction to that furry critter!
I'm glad you caught our Serling Easter Egg! I didn't know the Headhunters were touring. I'm sure they'll put on a good show for you!
Thanks again, Michael! It was great hearing from you from your Peruvian outpost!
Wow, that was fun.
As someone who has gotten out of the habit of listening to new music (as I've mentioned, substack has been a good prod to remember what that's like), I enjoyed both "Strictly Game" and "Fall in Love" which are both very approachable without feeling too over-produced. Particularly "Strictly Game" is great.
I started the Herbie Hancock thinking, "9 minutes may be a bit too much to ask" and then listened all the the way through.
Kenny Rankin's version of "Spanish Harlem" is lovely.
"New York Rhythm" was good, and I enjoy Brad's enthusiasm for Barry Manilow.
If I see a song that that has been covered on Songs That Saved Your Life I feel obligated to link to that: https://songsthatsavedyourlife.substack.com/p/no24-ever-fallen-in-love-with-someone
Thank you, Nick! I'll see your linked-in-comments Jami/Buzzcocks article, and raise you a link in the Tune Tag, itself! It's just been installed, and I hope all will enjoy! But, we'll leave your link here, too....thanks again!
Glad you like the Kenny Rankin.....he's enjoyable in everything he's done...oh, so mellow.
I enjoyed the new things Jared came up with, too, and I'm glad you liked my Manilow musings!
"Through the Years" was my wedding song in 1983. My late-wife loved it.
That’s pretty cool, Jim! A great wedding song, for sure!
Great episode again. And what a surprise that you are a Barry Manilow fan Brad :-) Nothing bad about Barry. I haven’t seen him live (I don’t even know if he ever did concerts in Europe, let alone Belgium), but he has a few songs that I keep in my favorites playlist. New York City Rhythm and the twelve inch version of Copacabana (have a banana :-)) are def on the list
Thanks, PeDupre! Shouldn't be a surprise I'm a Fanilow.....after all, I'm the only person on the planet (this one) to have seen both Judy Garland ('65 at the Astrodome...I was 10) and The S*x Pistols live in concert ('78, San Antonio) in the same lifetime! To paraphrase "Wide World of Sports": "Spanning the globe" and the musical landscape......!
As for European concerts...I gotta think Barry did, as his hits, I believe, were worldwide. A decade ago, when I did nightly karaoke for a couple years, I did "Copa" couple times a week, and when I did (I colluded with a friend), he'd start a conga line throughout the club!
I'd never heard that story about Karen Carpenter auditioning for The First Edition. I always thought she was more interested in playing the drums early in her career than singing.
By the way, Anne Murray had a minor hit with "I Just Fall in Love Again."
I vaguely remember Murray's "I Just Fall in Love Again." Plus, I'd never heard that Karen tidbit, either. That's why I included the discussion link I did....they seem to have some validity, and readers can feel free to dig a little deeper for more, if they'd like.
I agree with your mention of Karen needing to be prodded, early on, to take the stage as a singer (that's what I recall). A little stage fright, maybe, but also understandably proud of her drumming ability! It makes sense, geographically, though, as The First Edition were already in L.A. at the time (whether or not signed, yet, by Warner Bros.), and we know she and Richard grew up in L.A. suburb, Downey.