Tune Tag #77 with Chris Bro of "Chris's Shaped By Sound": Janet Jackson, Replacements, Black Taxi, Tracey Ullman, Bangles, Talking Heads, Doug Kershaw
A little rock, a little pop, and a little soul meets a little classic, a little retro, and a little bit new. Chris brings his unique point of view to today's Tag...let's jump in!
Welcome, Chris! Ghost Tag….You’re IT!
Tune Tag welcomes of !
Last week, we had tons o’ fun with of The Ryry Rundown:
Next week, we welcome back of Kalowski's Substack, for his Part 2! His Part 1 can be enjoyed by clicking here!
Chris’s song #1 sent to Brad: Black Taxi, “Shoeshine,” 2009
Chris’s rationale: Thank you again for the Tune Tag invite, Brad! Quite excited. So many choices to start off. After a heartbeat or so it was clear that a Black Taxi song would be my first choice. Why?
First, on my deathbed, I will still be telling people about this band. Sadly, they’ve broken up and I still feel everyone should listen to them!
Next (see what I did there? NEXT is the name of the new music show I host…I’m on week 794) - what song? Now the major bummer about them being broken up is the fact that you will never get a chance to see them live. AMAZING is an understatement. I've seen 100s of bands live, and Black Taxi is one of the greatest live bands I’ve ever seen/experienced.
The song I picked, “Shoeshine,” is brilliant live. Sometimes, the guitar solo would go on and on (never boring), and then the trumpet hits after the guitar solo. Chills. So bloody good. So I’ve got the band and the songs.
One more part of the reasoning - people might not listen to all of our songs. I want them to listen to this band. So it’s the first. A higher possibility of listening!
Oh, and one last reason: I picked Black Taxi because I was hoping against hope that maybe you saw them as you are in Austin, TX (I think I remember that correctly👍), and they played SXSW (South by Southwest) a few times…it would be crazy cool if you were familiar!
It’s possible too, since they were very good friends with Austin band, Bright Light Social Hour (BLSH). I was, in my head, going to follow up Black Taxi with BLSH. They pair so nicely in a sonic/fun/brilliant live way.
And, there’s a lot of ways one could follow up this song. Lyrics: about a Bad Dad (parent)—plenty of those songs around. Guitar with trumpet songs—yes, there are those, too. Songs that reference golf. Now, that would be something! Off the top of my head, I can’t think of one. I’d have to Google. Oh, Caddyshack. “I’m Alright” by Loggins. Are there any others? I’m not Googling.
I can’t wait to see what is suggested. Quite exciting!
Brad’s song #1 sent to Chris: Janet Jackson feat. Q-Tip and Joni Mitchell, “Got ‘Til It’s Gone,” 1997
Chris’s response: It’s Janet Jackson with Q Tip sampling Joni!!! Whoa. I did not see that coming. That’s the point, Chris (duh). I can’t wait to see/hear how this came about! Could be this: While Mitchell’s original track is largely concerned with environmental decay, Jackson uses the “You don’t know what you got ’till it’s gone” line in reference to a relationship, bringing up a fraught romance…becoming aware of that when it was too late to go back. Like the husband in Black Taxi looks back after falling for bad love and a lot of drugs that maybe he didn’t choose well.
Brad’s rationale: I bet Joni never saw this coming! I wonder if Chris did! I found the song here.
Janet samples Joni’s “Big Yellow Taxi,” and it’s a delicious, non-obvious tag that’s borderline, but unintentionally cruel to throw at Chris right out da box! But, Joni’s Big Yellow🚕and the “Shoeshine” group’s Black🚕gives us a small armada of Taxis that are a first for Tune Tag…and, it’s fun to be here for it! (Chris, now it’s time for you to say, “That’s fare!”)
Chris’s song #2: The Replacements, “I Don’t Know,” 1987
Brad’s response: I’m afraid I’ll have to cop this song’s title as my immediate response: “I Don’t Know.” The Replacements don’t happen to have a song called, “You Got Me, Chris,” do they? Or, “Whatchu Talkin’ ‘Bout, Willis”? We’ve got a solid decade between this one and the Janet tune. That’s not long enough to NOT have like liner-note-credits, but I’m not seeing any session player from one to the other.
If Steve Douglas played bari sax on Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” (as he did on this Replacements track), I’d be stunned at Chris’s wildly outrageous Tune Tag-in’! Alas, Jim Horn played bari sax on Joni’s Ladies of the Canyon 1970 album. I’m back at Square One. Whatcha got, Chris?
Chris’s rationale: So many different ways to go: As soon as I saw Q Tip, I knew I was going to play a Tribe Called Quest song. Too easy? Yes. I’m just moving in a straight forward line. I was thinking about continuing the love-gone-bad route. And no. I must play Tribe. Now, which song? “Can I Kick It?” It’s one of the greatest ‘90s raps - hell, songs of the ‘90s! Now, that’s too easy. I’m digging just a bit deeper (not much) into that same album. I’m going - Wallet: “I Left My Wallet In El Segundo.”
And, just as I was about to send this DM to you, I couldn’t. So I deleted it. Too straight of a line. I need to do the giggle or the hand clap. Hand clap, I’m thinking: Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” or Cars, “My Best Friend’s Girlfriend.” OutKast, “Hey Ya!,” or Steve Miller, with “Take the Money and Run.” “My Boyfriend’s Back,” by The Angels. Mellencamp has one.
And, while I was thinking of clapping songs - one my favorite laugh/giggle songs popped into my brain. And from one of my all-time favorite bands...win-win. It’s the manic (almost demonic?) laugh at the top of “I Don’t Know” by The Replacements. Done and done. I feel a bit better about that direction.
How will this one go? Another band banned from SNL (1986). Another band that coulda/shoulda/woulda been HUGE if they’d gotten out of their own way! Maybe another tune written about being in a band. Maybe a Minneapolis band? SOOOO many good ones. I’m sure I’ll be surprised.
Brad’s song #2: Tracey Ullman, “They Don’t Know,” 1983
Chris’s response: Holy balls. “Surprised” is an understatement! I can’t bloody wait to read/hear this reasoning behind Tracy Ullman’s “They’ll Never Know.” The Replacements’ love of the ‘60s? The giggle as Ullman is a comedian. Great show way back in the day...where am I going?
Do I play off the comedy part? Weird Al or Sam Kinison? Or, does Paul McCartney being in the video give me an excuse to play a “joke” Paul or Beatles song? I’m looking at you, “Temporary Secretary” (from Paul’s 1980 McCartney II album). Or really, any cover song.
Brad’s rationale: If “I Don’t Know,” and “They Don’t Know,” then who’s got the scoop?
Chris’s song #3: Bangles, “In Your Room,” 1988
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