The Lemon Twigs were instant love when I first came across them in August 2020: Catchy power pop with flavors of baroque pop, classic rock and glam rock, delivered in perfect vocal harmony, and all of it with neat vibes from the ’60s and ’70s. When learning earlier this year they would come out with a new album, I was full of anticipation. A Dream Is All We Know dropped last Friday, May 3, and it’s sweet ear candy.
Behind the group from Long Island, N.Y. are 24-year-old Michael D’Addario and his two-year older brother Brian D’Addario. The multi-instrumentalists, who gained significant stage experience as children, formed The Lemon Twigs in 2014 when they were still in high school. Their first release was a cassette, What We Know, issued as a limited edition in 2015. This was followed by debut studio album Do Hollywood from October 2016. A Dream Is All We Know already is their fifth album – remarkable for artists who are still in their mid twenties!
Michael D’Addario (left) and Brian D’Addario
The group’s Bandcamppage notes A Dream Is All We Know, which comes one year after predecessor Everything Harmony, was made in the brothers’ recording studio in Brooklyn. Between Brian and Michael, they played nearly all instruments on the album (electric and acoustic guitar, mandolin, keyboards, strings, horns, bass, drums), swapping instruments and layering all tracks on top of each other. They also handled mixing and production.
The main exception to the above is the song In The Eyes of the Girl, which was co-produced by Sean Ono Lennon in his upstate New York studio. Lennon also played bass on the song’s recording, while the brothers handled drums and piano and, of course, added their incredible vocals. Another song, Ember Days, features some additional musicians: Otis Harriel and Yuri Kye (violin each), Rachyl Martinez (viola), Doug Machiz (cello), Daryl Johns (upright bass) and Andres Valbuena (drums).
Time for some music! Since I already previously covered the magnificent opener My Golden Yearshere, I’m skipping it and go right to They Don’t Know How to Fall in Place. On their Bandcamp page The Lemon Twigs characterize the song as “bubblegum paradise with its euphoric harmonies and biting clavinet.” I would say it’s a blend between The Beatles and The Beach Boys. Whatever you want to call it, it sounds gorgeous.
Here’s the album’s title track. The Lemon Twigs call it “an existential space age epic.” BTW, just like the previous clip, the official video projects the brothers’ sense for theatrics – likely not a coincidence, given their childhood experience with Broadway performances and Michael’s appearances in a variety of TV shows and films.
In the Eyes of the Girl is the song that sealed my decision to write a review of the album. If you would have told me this gem was written by Brian Wilson, I would have bought it. In fact, I’d be curious what he thinks about it. As noted above, Sean Ono Lennon played bass and co-produced the song.
How Can I Love Her More? is another neat song I covered in my latest weekly new music review, so I’m skipping it here as well. Instead, here’s Peppermint Roses, which features a cool-sounding Farfisa organ and beautiful Beatle-esque harmony singing.
The last track I’d like to call out is the album’s closer. Aptly titled Rock On (Over and Over), the song is a nice rock & roller. As the album’s only such song, it provides a nice contrast to the other 10 tracks.
The Lemon Twigs sound like they would be fun to see live. And, as it turns out, I just missed them, in Jersey City where they played Saturday night – better luck next time! In case you’re interested in catching them, their next gigs are in Raleigh, N.C., tomorrow, May 7; Charleston, S.C., May 9; and Sandford, Fla., May 10. Their full current touring schedule is here.
Last but not least, I’m leaving with a Spotify link to the album. Hope you like their music and check it out.
Sources: Wikipedia; The Lemon Twigs Bandcamp page; The Lemon Twigs website; YouTube; Spotify
Celebrating music with six random tracks at a time
Good morning/afternoon/evening/night – regardless in which time zone you are, I hope you’re feeling great. If you live in a U.S. state that observes daylight savings time and forgot to adjust your watch, don’t worry, you didn’t miss the departure of the magical music time machine that once again will take us to six different tracks from six different decades and in different flavors.
Michael Brecker/Midnight Mood
For our first stop today, we’ll stay in the current century with soothing jazz by saxophone great Michael Brecker. Between 1969 until his untimely death in 2007 at the age of 57, he collaborated with many music artists outside the pure jazz realm, such as Steely Dan, Dire Straits, Joni Mitchell, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon. While Brecker’s recording career as a sideman started in 1969, his solo eponymous debut album didn’t appear until 1987. Midnight Mood, composed by Austrian jazz fusion keyboarder and Weather Report co-founder Joe Zawinul, is from Brecker’s June 2002 studio album Nearness of You: The Ballad Book.
The Replacements/Can’t Hardly Wait
Next we shall head to July 1987, which saw the release of the fifth studio album by The Replacements, arguably one of the best and most influential rock & roll bands of the ’80s despite repeated acts of self-sabotage that hindered their success in the music industry. Pleased to Meet Me, the only album recorded by group as a trio, was well received by critics. In addition to its punk roots, the band got into other genres like soul and jazz. A case in point is Can’t Hardly Wait, penned by Paul Westerberg and featuring ex-Box Tops and Big Star vocalist Alex Chilton on guitar.
Hank Williams/Honky Tonk Blues
Our next stop takes us all the way back to September 1952 and Moanin’ the Blues, the sophomore album by Hank Williams. Like his November 1961 debut Hank Williams Sings, it featured songs that all had been previously released as singles, including the hits Lovesick Blues, Long Gone Lonesome Blues and Honky Tonk Blues. Apparently, Honky Tonk Blues took various attempts to record between August 1947 and December 1951, making it one of the most challenging track for Williams to record. In the end, things worked out well and Honky Tonk Blues peaked at no. 2 on the U.S. Country charts.
Deep Purple/Speed King
Time to push the pedal to the metal with Deep Purple and a hard rock song with some of the coolest lyrics. Speed King, credited to all members of the group – Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Ian Gillan (vocals), Jon Lord (organ), Roger Glover (bass) and Ian Paice (drums), was on the British group’s fourth studio album Deep Purple in Rock released in June 1970. The song, which is made of lyrical bits of rock & roll hits by Little Richard, Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry, also became the albums lead single in May of the same year. Hang on to your seats – ha ha ha ha!
Sting/Shape of My Heart
After some charging high-speed hard rock & roll, I think this would be an opportune moment to slow things down. For this we shall travel to March 1993 and Sting’s fourth solo studio album. Ten Summoner’s Tales is the ex-Police frontman’s Mount Rushmore, in my humble opinion. Here’s the beautiful Shape of My Heart, which Sting co-wrote with guitarist and his long-term sideman Dominic Miller. The song also became the album’s fifth single in August 1993.
The Beatles/Back In the U.S.S.R.
Once again, we’re reaching the final stop of another music excursion, which I hope you’ve enjoyed. Let’s make it count with a song by my all-time favorite band The Beatles from their self-titled November 1968 studio album, aka. The White Album: Back in the U.S.S.R.. The album’s opener was written by Paul McCartney and, as usual, credited to him and John Lennon. The song is a parody of the patriotic sentiments about the U.S. expressed in Chuck Berry’sBack in the U.S.A. and The Beach Boys’California Girls. Take it away, lads!
Of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without a Spotify playlist featuring the above tracks. So long and see you next time!
Jefferson Hamer, Gold Star, Lions in the Street and The Lemon Twigs
Recently, I took a closer look at Spotify’s Release Radar and realized what a neat source it is for finding new music. Thanks again to fellow blogger Lisa from Tao Talk, where I first learned about the algorithmic playlist. Updated weekly, it features new music from artists a listener follows and reflects their previous listening history. As January is coming to its end, I decided to put together this post featuring great new songs that appeared over the course of the month, which I missed in my Saturday reviews.
Jefferson Hamer/Palmetto
Jefferson Hamer is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based singer-songwriter and guitarist. Apart from his solo music, he has a long-running folk duo with Eamon O’Leary, called The Murphy Beds. Hamer’s Bandcamppage also notes collaborations with Anais Mitchell, Session Americana, Sarah Jarosz (who I just featured in New Music Musings) and Kristin Andreassen. Hamer’s new single Palmetto was released on January 19. His vocals remind me of Jesse Colin Young – captivating stuff!
Gold Star/Wild Boys
Gold Star is the Americana-oriented solo project of Los Angeles-based Marlon Rabenreiter who was born in Vienna, Austria. According to this story in Hero magazine, Rabenreiter first gained prominence fronting L.A. punk trio CG Roxanne and The Nightmares before striking out as a solo artist. Since March 2017, he has released three albums under the Gold Star moniker. His latest single Wild Boys appeared on January 16. Call me crazy, I can hear some Dylan in here, perhaps because of the harmonica. In any case, I really dig this song!
Lions in the Street/Lady Blue
Lions in the Street are a ’70s style rock & roll band from Vancouver, Canada, who were formed in 2000 as The Years. After a label deal to release an album had gone sour, they changed their name to Lions in the Street in 2006. Their biggest release to date appears to be On the Lam, a 2013 EP with a dynamite sound reminiscent of The Rolling Stones and Faces. By comparison, their latest excellent single, Lady Blue, which dropped on January 8, is a bit more mellow – so cool listening to a group embracing rock & roll!
The Lemon Twigs/My Golden Years
The Lemon Twigs are a rock band from Long Island, N.Y., formed in 2014 by brothers and multi-instrumentalists Brian D’Addario and Michael D’Addario when they were still in high school. Including their 2016 debut, they have released four albums to date. The band’s retro sound has incorporated classic rock, glam rock and pop. On January 2, they released their most recent single My Golden Years – a neat jangly power pop song sounding like a cross between Byrds and The Beach Boys!
Following is a Spotify playlist of the above songs and some additional tracks from my recent Release Radar. This looks like a goldmine I intend to use going forward!
Sources: Wikipedia; Jefferson Hamer website and Bandcamp page; Apple Music; Lions in the Street website and AllMusic profile; Spotify; YouTube
Happy hump day and welcome to another installment of my midweek feature that takes a closer look at a song I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date. My pick today is what many folks call the best pop song ever recorded: God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. While as a long-time fan of The Beatles my knee-jerk reaction is to question that label, thinking the four lads from Liverpool must at least have one song that’s better than God Only Knows, I have to admit The Beach Boys delivered a true gem that’s certainly more than worthy to explore in greater depth!
Co-written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, God Only Knows initially appeared on Pet Sounds, the 11th studio album by The Beach Boys, released in May 1966. While it is a remarkable record, I can’t resists to opine it’s not “the greatest rock album ever made”, and also have to say I never quite understood all the fuzz about it. Perhaps one of the best things Pet Sounds did is to influence an album that in my humble opinion is way superior: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band! 🙂
Since this isn’t a post about The Beatles, though they were a much better group than The Beach Boys (I know, I know…), we can work it out and get back to God Only Knows. The pop gem also appeared separately as the album’s third single in July 1966, interestingly as the B-side to Wouldn’t It Be Nice. Notably, the single barely made the top 40 in the U.S., peaking at no. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. In other countries, God Only Knows was the A-side, which I guess did the trick: No. 2 in the UK, no. 6 in Norway and no. 17 in Australia!
God Only Knows took an impressive production effort. Over the course of March and April 1966, Wilson gathered about 20 session musicians. Most were associated with The Wrecking Crew, a loose collective of L.A.-based top session cats who played on hundreds of top 40 hits in the ’60s and ’70s. To call out a few, Hal Blaine played drums and the sleigh bells, which give the song a bit of a Christmassy touch. Another quite noticeable instrument is the French horn, which was provided by Alan Robinson. A third key musical feature are the strings by The Sid Sharp Strings, creating a lush Phil Spector-type sound.
While the musical arrangement is notable, to me, the true outstanding aspect of God Only Knows are the mighty vocals. Personally, that’s how I feel about The Beach Boys overall, especially when looking at their surf music, which from a strictly musical perspective was pretty derivative. That said, I still love it – because of their incredible vocals! Going back to God Only Knows, the amazing lead vocals were sung by Carl Wilson, which some consider his finest performance. Brian Wilson and Bruce Johnston provided the song’s beautiful harmony vocals. Here’s a mind-boggling October 2014 star-studded cover produced in connection with the launch of BBC Music.
God Only Knows is among the majority of songs on Pet SoundsBrian Wilson wrote with Tony Asher. BTW, in case you’re wondering, Tony Asher neither is related to actress Jane Asher, Paul McCartney’s former girlfriend, nor English musician, manager and record producer Peter Asher, Jane’s older brother. Tony Asher has expressed his thought that God Only Knows was his most effortless collaboration with Brian Wilson who acknowledged he had not written a song like it before and that Asher was a musical influence.
God Only Knows, rightfully, has received much recognition. To start with, none other than Paul McCartney has called it “the greatest song ever written.” I guess Macca forgot about a few Beatles songs! 🙂 Here are some other quotes noted by Songfacts: Pete Townshend: “‘God Only Knows’ is simple and elegant and as stunning as when it first appeared. It still sounds perfect.”Barry Gibb:“It blew the top of my head off. My first thought was, ‘Oh, dear, I’m wasting my time. How can I ever compete with that?'”Dave Bayley of Glass Animals: “That [song – CMM] just keeps taking on new meanings as you go through life. I often ask people if the world was going to end what three songs would you listen to. I change my three songs all the time, but ‘God Only Knows’ is on there most often.”
In 2004, God Only Knows was included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked it at no. 11 in their list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. I know the Rock Hall and the publication’s lists continue to trigger passionate debate, but as along as I agree with them, I will shamelessly continue to reference them! 🙂
The song has also been covered by god only knows how many other artists. Some include Neil Diamond, Olivia Newton-John, Glen Campbell, David Bowie and even Time magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year, Taylor Swift. Wouldn’t it be nice to hear one of these covers? You bet! Here’s English singer-songwriter and actress Joss Stone who included a beautiful rendition on her September 2044 album Mind Body & Soul.
Following are select additional tidbits from Songfacts:
Brian Wilson wrote “God Only Knows” with Tony Asher, an advertising copyrighter and lyricist Wilson worked with on songs for the Pet Sounds album. Asher came up with the title, but the song reflects Wilson’s interest in spirituality. It was a big departure from previous Beach Boys songs that dealt with girls, cars and surfing.
“It came from God through me,” Wilson told Steve Baltin in the book Anthems We Love. “I was 24 when I wrote ‘God Only Knows’ and the rest of Pet Sounds. All I know is I wrote what was in my heart. And the lyrics and the music just connect with people.”
“God Only Knows” is a pop music landmark and Beach Boys classic, but it went unheralded in the United States when it was released as a single in July 1966. It was first released as the B-side of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” and then as an A-side, but with little promotion. Fear was that radio stations would refuse to play a song with “God” in the title.
In the liner notes to the reissued Pet Sounds album, Tony Asher explained, “I really thought it was going to be everything it was, and yet we were taking some real chances with it. First of all, the lyric opens by saying, ‘I may not always love you,’ which is a very unusual way to start a love song.”
In America, the song peaked at a lowly #39 in September 1966 and would only be truly appreciated much later. It did far better in the UK, where it went to #2 in August behind The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine.” That November, The Beach Boys played the song at some London concerts, which is where they first saw its impact.
Carl Wilson (Brian’s brother) handled lead vocals on this track. Not long after the song was released, he said, “At present our influences are of a religious nature. Not any specific religion but an idea based upon that of Universal Consciousness. The concept of spreading goodwill, good thoughts and happiness is nothing new. It is an idea which religious teachers and philosophers have been handing down for centuries, but it is also our hope. The spiritual concept of happiness and doing good to others is extremely important to the lyric of our songs, and the religious element of some of the better church music is also contained within some of our new work.”
Brian Wilson produced the song, but the only Beach Boy to play an instrument on the track is Carl Wilson, who added guitar. The group used session musicians at this time, and lots of them. Fortunately, the Los Angeles area where they recorded was home to some of the best.
These musicians aren’t credited on the album [deplorable! CMM], but a Beach Boys researcher named Craig Slowinski did the work of figuring out who they were, with some interesting discoveries, especially with the percussion. Hal Blaine played drums but also sleigh bells; another drummer, Jim Gordon, played “plastic orange cups.” There’s also harpsichord by Larry Knechtel, accordion by Carl Fortina and Frank Marocco, and flutes by Jim Horn and Bill Green.
Brian Wilson has cited both “The Sound Of Music” and the works of the composer Tchaikovsky as influences on the melody.
Brian Wilson planned to sing the lead vocal himself, but decided that his brother Carl was better suited for the track. “I was looking for a tenderness and a sweetness which I knew Carl had in himself as well as in his voice,” said Brian.
Asked by The Guardian which Beach Boys song took the least effort to write, Brian Wilson replied: “I wrote ‘God Only Knows’ in 45 minutes. Me and Tony Asher.”
In Al Kooper’s tell-all autobiography Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards, Kooper talks about his evening visiting Brian Wilson only a week before Pet Sounds hit the streets: “Brian played a test-pressing of the record, jumping up and stopping cuts in the middle and starting them over to emphasize his points. He was very proud of his accomplishment, maybe even a little show-offish, but I wasn’t about to argue. Do you remember the first time you heard ‘God Only Knows’?”
Is it really only Wednesday, the oftentimes dreaded middle day of the week that can be a drag? It is but it also depends on what you make of it. One small thing I hope will give you some joy is to read another installment of Song Musings, my weekly feature that takes a closer look at a tune I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date. Today, I have a real treat from an artist I’ve loved for many years: Bonnie Raitt.
Raitt is primarily known for her great interpretations of songs by other writers and of course for her dynamite guitar skills, especially on the electric slide guitar. From time to time, she also pens her own songs. One of the best she’s written to date is the title track of her 10th studio album Nick of Time released in March 1989 – a great song by a great lady!
The album came at the right time for Raitt who had struggled for years due to personal and professional reasons. Both led to depression, excessive eating, drinking and partying. A skiing accident and resulting hospitalization gave her the necessary time to reflect and fortunately, she managed to turn her life around and get sober. She also met Don Was who agreed to produce her next album and was able to get a new record deal with Capitol Records. Raitt’s previous label Warner Bros. Records had dropped her in 1983 over lackluster sales of her 1979 and 1982 albums The Glow and Green Light, respectively.
Nick of Time, which appeared in March 1989, enjoyed significant chart success, becoming Raitt’s first album to top the Billboard 200 in the US. It also was her first record to chart in various foreign countries, including the UK (no. 51), The Netherlands (no. 65), Germany (no. 68) and Australia (no. 58). By comparison, the title track, released as the album’s third single in May 1990, fared more moderately, reaching no. 92 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100, no. 82 in the UK, no. 67 in The Netherlands and no. 73 in Germany. However, it did peak at no. 10 on Billboard’sAdult Contemporary chart. Nick of Time is one of the few songs featuring Raitt on keyboards as the following great live clip shows.
Following are additional insights from Songfacts:
Bonnie Raitt wrote this reflection on love and aging after enduring a personal and professional slump. The decade had been a tumultuous one: She was dropped from her record label, shattered by a failed romance, and addicted to drugs and alcohol. Fast approaching 40, she decided it was time to turn her life around and got clean and sober – just in the nick of time. Not only did the album revive her career, but it was also her first #1 hit on the Albums chart and earned three Grammy awards, including Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and Album of the Year. The title track, a Top 10 Adult Contemporary hit, won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
She told Anatomy of a Song author Marc Myers the midtempo ballad “came from a part of me that hadn’t yet seen the light of day. I wanted to dig deep and honor the changes in my life. Writing it gave me a sense of confidence and self-awareness that helped me break through some stifling self-doubt. While writing the song, instead of comparing myself to greats like Jackson Browne and Randy Newman and then giving up, I was just writing for myself, as a gift for the miracle that had happened.”
The song was inspired by a culmination of observations about aging. The first verse (“A friend of mine, she cries at night…”) was taken from a conversation she had with a heartbroken friend who was nearing middle age and desperately wanting a baby. “At one point she said she saw babies everywhere she went and would just burst into tears in the grocery store,” she explained.
The second verse (“I see my folks are getting on…”) was inspired by observing her elderly father sleeping in the car during a road trip. She recalled: “In his vulnerable state I could see he was getting older and could really feel what it was like for a body to age. This whole idea of time and it being more precious as you age, I realized this would be what I’d write about.”
The third verse (“You came along and showed me…”) pulled Raitt back from the edge of the abyss when love came to the rescue but, she said, it wasn’t about anyone in particular. “It was about a bigger, more universal love.”
As for the song title, Raitt said, “The double-edged meaning was apparent. ‘Nick,’ as in just in the nick of time, and also the wear and tear of time and the nicks it leaves on the body and the spirit.”
Raitt wrote most of the song during a week-long cabin retreat in Mendocino, California, so she had to get creative when it came to recording a demo. Her makeshift setup included her guitars, a portable electric keyboard balanced on a chair, a four-track cassette recorder, a microphone hung from a lamp, and an old compact drum machine that churned out hilarious disco effects.
Nick Of Time was Raitt’s debut album with Capitol Records and was produced by Don Was, co-founder of the group Was (Not Was). The pair met the year before when they collaborated on “Baby Mine,” a cover of the song from Dumbo for the Disney tribute album Stay Awake.
Ricky Fataar, an original member of the Beatles spoof band The Rutles and occasional drummer for the Beach Boys, played drums on the track. Raitt wanted a beat similar to heartbeat pulse on Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” There were no hand drums in the studio, but there were burlap sandbags used to hold down mike stands. Fataar miked one of the bags and played the heartbeat of the song with his hands.
Recently, I came across a post from September 2018 about British boogie rockers Status Quo and felt it deserved to be republished. So here we are and here we are and here we go, all board and we’re hittin’ the road, here we go, with a Spotify playlist added at the end.
Three Chords, Straight Beats And Catchy Hooks
Status Quo have stayed true to their trademark boogie rock for more than 45 years
The other day, I spotted a live album from Status Quo called Down Down & Dirty At Wacken, (a place in northern Germany of an annual open air heavy metal festival), which was released only a couple of weeks ago. While starting to listen, I was reminded what a fun live band they are and how they’ve pretty much stuck with the same formula since 1970 when they changed from psychedelic to boogie rock. This brilliant insight inspired the idea of a post and playlist!
The origins of Status Quo date back to 1962 when high school mates Frances Rossi (guitar), Alan Lancaster (bass), Jess Jaworski (keyboards) and Alan Key (drums) formed a band called The Scorpions in London (not related to and predating the German hard rock band Scorpions by three years). In 1965, Rossi met guitarist Rick Parfitt. They became friends and later that year started what would become a longtime collaboration until Parfitt’s untimely death in December 2016 at the age of 68. The following summer, the band, which had changed their name to The Spectres, got their first record deal, with Piccadilly Records, and released various commercially unsuccessful singles.
By 1967, the band had embraced psychedelic music, became Traffic, then Traffic Jam to avoid confusion with Steve Winwood’s Traffic, and eventually Status Quo in August that year. Parfitt had joined them as rhythm guitarist the previous month. January 1968 saw the release of Status Quo’s first hit single Pictures Of Matchstick Men. This was followed by their debut studio album Picturesque Matchstickable Messages From Status Quo in September – gee, what a memorable title!
Status Quo circa 1977 (from left): John Coghlan (drums), Rick Parfitt (rhythm guitar, vocals), Alan Lancaster (bass, vocals), and Francis Rossi (lead guitar, vocals)
After the release and commercial failure of Status Quo’s second album Spare Parts in September 1969, the band decided to change their musical style to straight boogie-oriented rock – a decision that is safe to assume they didn’t regret! Piledriver, their fifth studio record from December 1972, finally brought the breakthrough, peaking at no. 5 in the U.K. charts. Since then, Status Quo have released 27 additional studio albums. Their impressive catalog also includes 10 live records and nine compilations.
Given the band’s faithful adherence to the three-chord boogie rock formula, their music starts sounding repetitive after a little while. But so do Chuck Berry and The Beach Boys’ surf rock, to name two artists who spontaneously came to mind! Besides, if it’s fun, who cares! Okay, enough of the blah-blah-blah and time for some of that repetitive music!
While the band’s psychedelic phase was comparatively short, it’s still part of their long history, so I’d be amiss not to acknowledge it. My favorite tune I know from that phase is the above-mentioned Pictures Of Matchstick Men, which was written by Rossi. It climbed to no. 7 on the U.K. Singles Chart and reached the top 10 in many other European countries. In the U.S., it peaked at no. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, the only Status Quo song that got noticed in America. In addition to its release as a single, it was also included on the band’s debut album.
Next Up: Paper Plane from the Piledriver album. The song was co-written by Rossi and Bob Young. Since 1969, Young had contributed to writing Status Quo’s music and was often called their unofficial fifth member. He frequently joined the band during live performances in the ’70s and also occasionally thereafter.
Another co-write by Rossi and Young is Caroline, which became a no. 5 hit in the U.K. in August 1973, Status Quo’s highest charting single at the time. The tune was also included on the band’s sixth studio album Hello!, which appeared in September that year.
In November 1974, Status Quo scored their first of two no. 1 singles in the U.K. with Down Down. Yet another Rossi/Young co-write, the song also appeared on the band’s eighth studio record On The Level from February 1975.
Perhaps my favorite Status Quo tune is Rockin’ All Over The World. As a boogie rock fan, how can you not love that tune, which was written and first recorded by the great John Fogerty in 1975! Status Quo released their cover as a single in September 1977. It also became the title track of their tenth studio album that came out in November of the same year. Since this tune is made for live performances, I chose the following clip captured during a 1990 concert in Knebworth, England.
Whatever You Want is another Status Quo classic. It was co-written by Parfitt and keyboarder Andy Bown, who has performed on all of the band’s albums since Rockin’ All Over The World and became a full member in 1982. One of the things I’ve always liked about this tune is the cool-sounding guitar intro.
Status Quo’s biggest hit in the ’80s was their cover of Bolland & Bolland’sIn The Army Now from September 1986, which topped the charts in various European countries, including Austria, Germany, Ireland and Switzerland. In the U.K., the tune peaked at no. 2. Since I’m not particularly fond of it, I’m highlighting another cover instead: The Wanderer from October 1984. Written by Ernie Maresca, the tune was first recorded and released by Dion in November 1961. While I prefer the original, Quo’s cover isn’t bad either.
To make this playlist career-spanning, I also like to touch on Status Quo’s music beyond the ’80s. Since I’m basically not familiar with it, it’s a bit of a challenge. As such, the remaining selections for this playlist are somewhat arbitrary. Here’s Can’t Give You More from the band’s 20th studio album Rock ‘Til You Drop, which appeared in September 1991. Written by Bown, the tune is another typical Status Quo boogie rocker – if you like Quo’s ’70s music, you can’t go wrong with this one.
Jumping to the current century, in September 2002, Status Quo released Heavy Traffic, their 25th studio record, which peaked at no. 15 on the charts in the U.K. and earned them silver status there. Here’s Creepin’ Up On You, which was co-written by Parfitt and then-Quo bassist John ‘Rhino’ Edwards. It’s shuffling along nicely!
The final studio release I’d like to touch on is called Acoustic (Stripped Bare) from October 2014. It’s a compilation of stripped-down versions of previously recorded Status Quo songs. While there’s no new material here, I’m kind of intrigued by this album and will probably further explore it. The record became another success for Quo in the U.K., climbing to no. 5 on the charts and earning Gold certification there – not too shabby for a band that by then had been around for 52 years, if you include their 1962 origins; if you start counting from when they became Status Quo, it still adds up to a mighty 47 years! Here’s Again And Again, a tune credited to Parfitt, Bown and Jackie Lynton, and first recorded for the band’s 11th studio album If You Can’t Stand The Heat from October 1978. It’s got a nice Cajun feel to it!
So what’s going on with Status Quo these days? Well, it’s more three chords, straight beats and catchy boogie rock – in other words the status quo – that was clever, huh? Rossi remains the only founding member. Bown (keyboards) and Edwards (bass) are still around as well. The current lineup, pictured on top of the post, is rounded out by Leon Cave (drums) and Richie Malone (rhythm guitar), who replaced Parfitt in July 2016, after he had suffered a stroke and could no longer perform.
I already mentioned the new live album. In addition, a look on setlist.fm revealed the band has been pretty busy touring Europe since May. The current tour schedule on their website shows upcoming gigs in Lisbon, Portugal (Sep 29); Innsbruck, Austria (Oct 4); Kempten, Germany (Oct 5); and Zurich, Switzerland (Oct 6).
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The original post, which was published on September 7, 2018, ended here. In September 2919, Status Quo released their 33rd studio album Backbone. Remarkably, it debuted at no. 6 on the UK albums chart. Not only was it their highest-charting album of original material since 1+9+8+2 (1982), but it also marked their 25th album in the UK that charted in the top 10. Between February and December 2022, Quo toured Europe. According to Wikipedia, over some 48 years of touring activity, they have played at least 3,700 documented gigs. Including undocumented gigs, the band estimates the real total is over 6,000 shows. Any of the two figures is pretty impressive!
Last but not least, here’s the previously mentioned Spotify list featuring the above and some additional tunes.
Celebrating music with six random tracks at a time
Welcome to another Sunday Six. I can’t believe we’ve already made it through the first month of 2023. I hope you’re feeling groovy and are in the mood for some time travel into the magic world of music. As always, the trip includes six stops in different decades. Fasten your seatbelt and let’s go!
Barney Kessel/A Foggy Day
Our journey today starts in 1956 with American jazz guitarist Barney Kessel, a name I first heard from my brother-in-law in the late ’70s or early ’80s, then still my sister’s boyfriend. Kessel, who was active from the early ’40s until the early ’90s when a stroke put an end to his career, was particularly known for chord-based melodies. He was a sought-after session guitarist who worked with many other jazz greats, such as Charlie Parker, Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown. During the ’60s, Kessel was a member of the prominent LA-based session group The Wrecking Crew, playing on recordings by The Monkees, The Beach Boys and others. Eventually, he left studio work to focus on his jazz career, both as a solo artist and sideman. In 1973, Kessel also co-founded Great Guitars, a jazz supergroup with fellow jazz guitarists Charlie Byrd and Herb Ellis. A Foggy Day, composed by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, is a track from Kessel’s 1956 album Kessel Plays Standards. Check out this amazing guitar tone!
Donald Fagen/The Nightfly
Let’s next jump to October 1982 and The Nightfly by Donald Fagen. His solo debut and first release without his longtime Steely Dan collaborator Walter Becker remains my favorite Fagen album. The Nightfly came 16 months after Fagen and Becker had dissolved Steely Dan in the wake of the Gaucho album, whose recording had been hampered by numerous creative, personal and professional setbacks. Fagen’s first solo album touches on topics from his childhood in the late ’50s and early ’60s, including late-night jazz disc jockeys, fallout shelters and tropical vacations. As such, it is very autobiographical, unlike his earlier compositions for the Dan. Notably, due to writer’s block, it would take Fagen 10 years to release his second solo album Kamakiriad, which was produced by Walter Becker who also contributed guitar and bass. It also led to a supporting tour of Fagen and Becker, their first as Steely Dan since 1974. Coming back to The Nightfly, here’s the great title track.
Etta James/At Last
Time to pay a visit to the ’60s and the debut album by Etta James, an amazing vocalist who over a nearly 60-year career performed in multiple genres, such as gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll and soul. James had an eventful life and career, which included heroin addiction, severe physical abuse and incarceration. In spite of her struggles, except for an eight-year gap in the ’80s, James released albums at a pretty steady pace. Following her 1988 comeback album Seven Year Itch, James received multiple recognitions, including inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1993), Grammy Hall of Fame (1999) and Blues Hall of Fame (2001), as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2003). Sadly, James passed away from leukemia in January 2012, five days prior to what would have been her 74th birthday. Let’s celebrate this outstanding artist with the title track of her very first album At Last! Co-written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the 1941 musical film Sun Valley Serenade, the tune was first recorded by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, becoming a no. 2 on the U.S. pop chart in 1942. James’ beautiful rendition, one of her best-known songs, reached no. 47 on the U.S. pop chart and no. 2 on the R&B chart. What a voice!
Ry Cooder/Little Sister
Our next stop is July 1979, which saw the release of Bop Till You Drop, the eighth studio album by Ry Cooder. If I recall it correctly, the first time I heard about him was in connection with the 1984 Wim Wenders picture Paris, Texas, for which Cooder wrote the score – one of the best acoustic slide guitar-playing I know. Cooder is a versatile artist who in addition to 17 film scores has released a similar amount of solo albums since his 1970 eponymous debut. Over his 55-year-and-counting career, Cooder has also collaborated with numerous other artists like John Lee Hooker, The Rolling Stones, Randy Newman, Linda Ronstadt and David Lindley. Bop Till You Drop, yet another album to which my then-bandmate and longtime music buddy from Germany introduced me, mostly is a collection of R&B and rock & roll covers. This includes the opener Little Sister, penned by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman and first recorded by Elvis Presley in 1961. While I dig that version, especially Hank Garland’s lead guitar, I like Ray Cooder’s soulful rendition even more!
Matthew Sweet/I Belong to You
I don’t know about you, but I’m in the mood for some sweet power pop. This takes us to the current century, more specifically May 2018 and Tomorrow’s Daughter, the 13th studio album by Matthew Sweet. I first came across the singer-songwriter in January 2021 when his most recent studio album Catspaw appeared, and featured one of the tunes in a Best of What’s Newinstallment. After playing in various bands in the ’80s and releasing two unrecognized solo records (Inside, 1986; and Earth 1989), Sweet achieved commercial breakthrough with his third studio album Girlfriend, which came out in October 1991 and to date is one of two records that reached Gold certification in the U.S. Between 2006 and 2013, Sweet collaborated on a series of cover albums (Under the Covers Vol. 1 – Vol. 3) with Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles. I featured two of their great renditions in previous Sunday Six installments here and here. From the above-noted Tomorrow’s Daughter, here’s I Belong to You, a lovely pop rock tune.
Mudhoney/Blinding Sun
Before yet another musical journey comes to an end, let’s visit one more tune. The year is 1992 and the month is October. That’s when American band Mudhoney came out with their fourth studio album Piece of Cake. Formed in Seattle in 1988, the group is viewed as instrumental in creating grunge and an inspiration for many other bands who embraced that genre, as well as alternative rock. Mudhoney are still active and have released 10 studio albums to date. A new one, Plastic Eternity, is in the can and scheduled for April 7. At the time they recorded Piece of Cake, their only charting album in the U.S. on the Billboard 200 to date, Mudhoney featured Mark Arm (vocals, guitar, organ, piano), Steve Turner (guitar, harmonica, banjo, vocals) and Dan Peters (drums, percussion, vocals), who remain part of the current lineup, and Matt Lutkin (bass, vocals) who was replaced by Guy Maddison in 2001. Here’s Blinding Sun, credited to all members of the band at the time. I like their garage sound.
Last but not least, below is a Spotify playlist of the above goodies. As always, I hope there’s something here you enjoy!
Young singer-songwriter from Michigan small town sounds like an old soul who has seen and done it all
Welcome to my second full-album review of 2023. Not only is it music by another contemporary artist, but it’s also brand new – a promising start of the year, which makes me very happy!
When I first came across Myron Elkins last Friday while doing research for my most recent Best of What’s New installment, I simply couldn’t believe I was listening to a 21-year-old artist. Based on his sound and especially his gritty vocals, you could picture this young singer-songwriter from Otsego, Mich. jam with the likes of The Allman Brothers Band, ZZ Top and Tom Petty back in the ’70s!
Photo: Jimmy Fontaine via Sacks & Co
Before getting to some music from Elkins’ debut album Factories, Farms & Amphetamines, released on January 13, I’d like to touch on his background story. According to his website, while being exposed to music as a kid, taught by his grandfather how to play guitar and starting to write his own songs at 14 or 15, Elkins did not set out to become a professional singer-songwriter. Instead, after high school graduation, the then-17-year-old became a welder in a local factory. Then his trajectory changed.
Three years ago, a relative signed Elkins up for a local battle of the bands competition, even though his music performance experience had been limited to the church and a few gigs at local bars. Elkins also had no band at the time, so he quickly gathered three cousins and a friend to join him. They had three weeks to rehearse. While Elkins’ band “only” came in second, the experience started to change his path.
Photo: Anna Sink
For the next three years, Elkins and his band members continued to practice nearly every day while working regular jobs. Recording in a studio was a big step forward for the nascent group, according to his website. Luckily, Elkins and his band were already fans of [producer] Dave Cobb’s live-band production style before signing with Elektra/Low Country Sound, and so they relished the chance to record with him at his studio, Nashville RCA Studio A. Cobb has worked with the likes of Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, The Highwomen and Rival Sons.
Time for some music. Here’s the album’s opener Sugartooth. To me, it sounds a bit like Tom Petty channeling Chuck Berry’sMemphis Tennessee. Check this out!
Since I highlighted the album’s title track in my aforementioned Best of What’s Newinstallment, I’m skipping it here to go right to Hands To Myself. The groovy and soulful tune addresses the touchy subject of domestic use…You can hope you can pray that maybe someday/Someone will love someone will help and put you on some kind of shelf/Oh I swear ill never learn to keep my hands to myself…“I’m writing about where I come from,” Elkins explains on his website. “Things I’ve seen and things I’ve heard. I had only been out of Michigan one time—to Graceland—before I started the band, so that little part of Michigan is all I really knew when writing this album.”
Wrong Side Of The River has a country rock flavor. Elkins’ website notes the tune encourages embracing where you’re from, because a supportive home life can make all the difference even if you’re not living on the so-called right side of town.
On Nashville Money, a nice bluesy rocker, Elkins muses about life as a professional music artist…With that Nashville money/gonna take care of my hopes and dreams/With that Nashville money/Gonna make a big star out of me…
Let’s take a look at one more tune: Machine, a funky rock tune with a cool bass line.
As briefly noted above, Factories, Farms & Amphetamines was recorded live in studio at the storied RCA Studio A in Nashville. In early 2016, Dave Cobb took over the historic landmark for his Low Country Sound record label imprint. Apart from Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell, some of the other artists who worked there include The Beach Boys, Joe Cocker, Waylon Jennings, B.B. King, Loretta Lynn, The Monkees,Dolly Parton, Leon Russell and George Strait.
In addition to Elkins (guitar, vocals), the album also features the members of his touring band: Caleb Stamphler (guitar), Avery Whitaker (guitar), Nathan Johnson (bass) and Jake Bartlett (drums). Here’s a Spotify link to the entire album:
Reflecting on working with producer Dave Cobb, Elkins states on his website: “I came in with probably 30 songs that we had widdled down from 50-60. Dave would just sit down with us and say ‘ok, let’s hear what you got.’ He knew pretty quickly which ones he wanted to dive into, and from there, it was just kind of a Dave Cobb crash course. We’d only been in the studio one time before that, so there might have been a thing or two that we needed to learn.”
Encouraged by the experience, apparently, Elkins is already looking forward to recording more music. “Now when I’m writing songs, I have all these Dave-isms in my head—like, ‘Oh, yeah, there we go. All right, throw this here.’”, he notes. “Before we recorded Factories, Farms & Amphetamines, I thought maybe you had to be a superhero to make a record. Next time, it’s going be a little easier.”
Elkins is off to a great start as a recording artist, and he’s only 21 years old. I think we can look forward to more great music from this talented young artist.
Admittedly, this post was predictable, at least to those who know me well. As a longtime Neil Young fan, I just couldn’t ignore Toast. In fact, you might ask, what took me so long? The simple answer is I didn’t want this post to coincide with any other recently published posts.
Toast is yet another album where Neil was, well, Neil. After he had assembled his backing mates from Crazy Horse in San Francisco in 2001 and worked on music for the album, he decided he didn’t like the outcome and scrapped it. Instead, he called back his Crazy Horse guitarist Frank “Poncho” Sampedro and recorded an album with Booker T. & the M.G.’s, Are You Passionate?
Well, of course, there’s a bit more to the story. This review in Uncut largely unpacks it. In a nutshell, it appears to have been a combination of poor preparation where Young hadn’t prepared any raw material the band could work from, as well as his personal state of mind: His marriage with his second wife Pegi Young (née Morton) was going through a rough patch. Eventually, they got divorced in 2014.
The above Uncut review quoted from Young’s October 2014 biography Special Deluxe: A Memoir of Life & Cars: “I was not happy with it, or maybe I was just generally unhappy. I don’t know. It was a very desolate album, very sad and unanswered.” Rightfully, Uncut also noted it’s remarkable that Young, nevertheless, ended up using three songs written during the Toast sessions for Are You Passionate?: Quit (Don’t Say You Love Me), How Ya Doin’? (renamed Mr. Disappointment and Boom Boom Boom (retitled She’s a Healer).
The above shall suffice for context. I’d say it’s time to get to some goodies. I should point out Toast doesn’t break any new musical ground. Since I dig the “old Neil”, that’s not a problem for me. All songs were written by Neil Young, except for the opener Quit, which he co-wrote with Sampedro. Let’s start with that one, a mellow-sounding tune that starts with a chorus repeating the phrase, “don’t say you love me” – not exactly cheerful!
On Standing in the Light of Love things get crunchy. Young called it “sort of like a Deep Purple hit” in a piece on his website NeilYoungArchives.com. However you’d like to characterize the tune, it’s the type of Neil rocker I really dig!
Next up is Gateway of Love. Clocking in at 10:11 minutes, it’s the second-longest track on Toast. It kind of has an epic feel to it and in that sense reminds me a bit of Cortez the Killer, one of Young’s best-known tracks off Zuma, another album with Crazy Horse, released in November 1975.
The last track I’d like to call out is the closer Boom Boom Boom, which at 13:06 minutes is the longest song on Toast. At about 8:45 minutes into the track, things take an unexpected jazzy turn with trumpet work credited to Tom Brady – obviously, not that Tom Brady. Let the good times roll!
Toast was recorded at Toast Studios in San Francisco, which is safe to assume explains the record’s name. The album was co-produced by Young and his longtime producer John Hanlon. In addition to Young, Hanlon has worked with the likes of Stephen Stills, T-Bone Burnett, R.E.M., Gillian Welch, Dennis Wilson and The Beach Boys. On his website, Young adds that Rick Rubin “was in the control room for a fair amount of time during the recording as a guest.”
The final word shall belong to Neil. “I had forgotten about these songs, put them out of my mind and went on living my life,” he wrote on his website. “It must be said here Crazy Horse shows a depth never seen or heard before on any other Horse recording [CMM – well, I’m not going to argue with the man here, but I could see some folks disagreeing]. For the greatest group I have ever met – CRAZY HORSE, this is a pinnacle. Where they let me go, where they took me, was unbelievable.”
After more than five years and more than 1,000 posts, I’ve decided to launch a new feature. Ingeniously titled Musings of the Past, the idea is to repost select older content that was first published when CMM got lower traffic and/or posts I particularly like.
I don’t necessarily envisage straight reposts, at least not in all cases. In fact, when looking at old content, especially from the early days, oftentimes, I cringe at my writing and/or the execution of the post. As such, I will likely tweak some of the written content and accompanying multimedia. Think of it as the equivalent of album reissues that come with some additional bells and whistles!
If you’re a cynic, as I sometimes like to be myself, you may think, ‘oaky, CMM starting to repost previous stuff means he’s running out of ideas.’ While I can’t deny I’ve had phases during which I found it challenging to come up with new content, thus far, knock on wood, I haven’t encountered full-blown writer’s block – hopefully, I just didn’t jinx myself! 🙂
I will say the timing of introducing Musings of the Past isn’t entirely coincidental. My family and I temporarily needed to vacate our house and move to temporary quarters for about a week due to necessary mold inspection and remediation work. I hope it’ll be more of the former and less of the latter! Anyway, this may impact my time for blogging, so republishing previous content is coming in handy.
Without further ado, let’s get to the inaugural post. Of course, as a Beatles nutcase, I have no choice but to start with a post that’s related to The Fab Four. I bring to you the mystery story of Klaatu – again. Or was it The Beatles, after all? Is Paul really still alive or has he been in the twilight zone for the past 55-plus years?
To be or not to Be-atles
This post was originally published on February 19, 2019. It has been slightly edited.
Just before Christmas, I listened to a refreshing new album that sounded incredibly “Beatlish.” I checked the album, entitled Klaatu, for names or pictures of the musicians but there were none. All credits were given to Klaatu. Curious, I called Capitol Records and was told it was a “mystery group.”
The above is the opening paragraph of a story written by Steve Smith, published on February 17, 1977 in the Providence Journal, a Rhode Island daily newspaper. I was reminded about the album, when it showed up as a listening recommendation in my streaming music service provider this morning. While I first covered the record in May 2017, I felt it was worthwhile revisiting what I would call one of the more intriguing rumors in rock music in an updated post.
In retrospect, it’s easy to dismiss Smith as a writer who seemingly was chasing what would have been a potentially career-defining scoop. British magazine New Music Express, now simply known as NME, was quick to dismiss the piece with a story titled Deaf Idiot Journalist Starts Beatles Rumor. Rolling Stone subsequently called it the “hype of the year.”
I agree while sounding Beatlesque, if you listen closely, it is pretty clear the vocals weren’t performed by The Beatles. Still, Smith made some valid points in his story. For example, I agree with his observation that the tune Sub-Rosa Subway sounds like The Beatles from 1968/69. Plus, something that in my opinion got a bit lost is that Smith didn’t firmly conclude Klaatu were The Beatles. Instead, he identified four possibilities. To quote: 1. The Beatles. 2. A couple of The Beatles with other people. 3. A Beatle-backed band. 4. A completely unknown but ingenious and talented band.
Klaatu (from left): John Woloschuk, Terry Draper and Dee Long
Also, let’s not forget the other actors in this story. The obvious place to start here is Klaatu. Named after the extraterrestrial character in the motion picture The Day The Earth Stood Still, the Canadian trio included John Woloschuk (bass), Terry Draper (drums) and Dee Long (guitar). During a 1980 interview with former Capitol Records editorial manager Stephen Peeples, which is posted on Klaatu’swebsite, Draper said, “I think we were flattered more than anything. Surprised, though, considering that it was totally regardless of us that it happened. We didn’t perpetrate it. It just sorta came to pass by an article written in Providence [Journal] by Steve Smith. We were surprised as everyone else.”
I’m sorry, but I don’t entirely buy the above. While Klaatu may not have planned the plot, they didn’t do anything while the rumors were unfolding. The band essentially attributed their silence to a desire to remain anonymous musicians, which is why they had not included their names, photos or any biographical information on the album cover. Did they think they would generate “Klaatumania” with fans running after them wherever they would go? I feel the following commentary Woloschuk made during the above interview is more insightful: “We got more hype out of that than you could have manufactured with 15 promo records directors. I mean, it backfired on us. While we were looking for anonymity, we got more exposure than we could have dreamed was possible.”
Then there was Frank Davies, president of Klaatu’s label Daffodil Records, which had a distribution deal with Capitol Records. When Smith called him, Davies reportedly told the writer everything “you’ve summarized is pretty accurately all around” and “everything that is there, can and will be identified even without, perhaps them, the people being seen.” Capitol Records certainly added to the rumor by calling Klaatu a “mystery band.” Meanwhile, they were likely laughing their assess off and watching sales of the album pick up.
Eventually, Dwight Douglas, program director at radio station WWDC in Washington, D.C., put the mystery to an end. He checked the records at the U.S. Copyright Office and uncovered the band members’ real names. As soon as Klaatu’s identity became known, the album’s sales started to tumble and started the band’s slow decline. Time for some music.
Here’s the opener of the record, which in Canada was titled 3:47 EST. When Capitol Records released it in the U.S., they decided to rename it Klaatu. Co-written by Woloschuk and Draper, Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft is one of tunes that have a very strong Beatlesque vibe. While it’s fairly obvious to me that the voices aren’t The Beatles, the singing style definitely is reminiscent of The Fab Four. Even more so is the instrumentation. It’s actually a great song you could imagine having been written by John Lennon and appearing on an album like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band or Magical Mystery Tour.
California Jam starts out with a George Harrison-style electric slide guitar. The harmony singing is reminiscent of The Beatles and sometimes also sounds a bit like The Beach Boys. The song was co-written by Woloschuk and Dino Tome, a close friend.
Next up is the above-mentioned Sub-Rosa Subway, also a Woloschuk-Tome co-write. It strikingly sounds like a Paul McCartney style composition, in particular the melody, the piano part and the melodic bassline.
The last tune I’d like to highlight is Doctor Marvello. It has a bit of a George Harrison feel, both in terms of the singing and the sitar. In his story, Smith compared the tune to Blue Jay Way, which I think is a fair comparison.
Here’s a Spotify link to the entire album. If you haven’t listened to it and dig Beatlesque music, I’d encourage you to give it a spin!
After 3:47 EST/Klaatu, Klaatu released four additional studio albums and eventually disbanded in August 1982. They had two brief reunions in 1988 and 2005. In March 2011, Klaatu announced the launch of their own label Klaatunes Records. They reissued a 2009 compilation titled Solology. In addition, Klaatu have released remastered editions of their first three albums 3:47 EST/Klaatu, Hope and Sir Army Suit.
What if anything did the former members of The Beatles have to say about the whole Klaatu saga? A December 2013 story published in music magazine Goldmine quoted Long who recalled an encounter with Paul McCartney in the late ’80s while working as an engineer at George Martin’sAir Studios in London. “Later, when I was working in Studio 5, there was a knock on the door, and in comes Paul,” Long said. “He introduced himself (like he needed any introduction) and said, ‘So you’re the chap from The Beatles clone band.’ He explained that he was on a TV talk show and the host played a bit of ‘Calling Occupants’ and asked Paul if that was him singing! Paul had never heard the song and said so…We talked for at least an hour, and I explained that we were never a clone band but just heavily influenced by The Beatles. We talked about music and life…He came back many times to hang out and jam and talk about writing songs. Again, he was just a wonderful person — easy to talk to, and full of positive energy. An experience I will always treasure.”
During another interview posted on Klaatu’swebsite, which was conducted by David Bradley in September 1997, Woloschuk was asked whether he would have done the Klaatu album again. ” Yeah, I think I would have done it again,” he answered. “When I was 17, I bought my first copy of “Sgt Pepper’s,” and I was blown away by it…And within 10 years, the whole world was claiming the group that I was in was the Beatles. And that’s got to be looked at as an achievement, I think, one way or the other.”
I think Woloschuk is partially right. There’s no question that musicians who write music that could have been created by The Beatles are talented. The album is a lot of fun to listen to. But why conceal your identities? It was incredibly naive to think they could get away with it. Plus, including their names on the record would not have taken anything away from the great music. Yes, it’s safe to assume Klaatu wouldn’t have received the publicity they did. And while it helped the band in the short term, unfortunately, it tainted them and eventually led to their demise.
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Update: After Klaatu dissolved, Terry Draper returned to his roofing business, and launched a career as a restaurateur while continuing music on the side. Starting with a 1997 album titled Light Years Later, which featured his former Klaatu bandmates Dee Long and John Woloschuk, Draper has released a series of CDs. His most recent one, The Other Side, appeared on November 5, 2021. You can learn more about what he’s been up to on his website.
Dee Long also stayed in the music business. According to his AllMusicbio, he initially focused on production work, first at his own studio in Canada, and subsequently after his relocation to England as a project sound engineer. As noted above, this included working for George Martin and meeting Paul McCartney. Since 1998, Long has released various solo albums. Other than occasional appearances on Terry Draper albums, I don’t know what John Woloschuk has been doing post-Klaatu. I haven’t found any obvious traces.
Sources: Wikipedia; Could Klaatu be Beatles? Steve Smith. Providence Journal, Feb 17, 1977; Klaatu website; Goldmine; AllMusic; YouTube; Spotify
Christian's Music Musings 