Listening Room Blog

I have to confess that, before this week, I hadn’t thought of this song for years. Now that Jones has died of a heart attack at age 66, I’ve heard it a half dozen times. Not surprising, since Jones and The Monkees touched a lot of hearts for quite a few folks a while back.

Monkees classics aside, one of Jones’ biggest solo singles was “Girl,” a song he performed on “The Brady Bunch” after the group disbanded. And through all the talk and nostalgia that his death inspired, I found myself with this pop tune in my head.

So, I’m putting it in your head in honor of the man who made Marsha Brady’s day way back when.

There was a brief time when the Monkees outsold the Beatles in the U.S., and Davey Jones was the face of the band.

Now comes word that Jones, 66, has died of a heart attack in Florida while on a solo tour. Granted, the band is a thing of the past for modern-day music fans, many of whom don’t realize that the Smashmouth song “I’m a Believer” on the Shrek soundtrack was a cover of one of the Monkees’ biggest hits. They’re on the oldies stations, and few remember that Marsha Brady was a huge fan and president of the Davey Jones fan club on the hit show “The Brady Bunch” – another baby boomer sensation.

But give Jones and the Monkees credit for the impact they had in their day.

The Monkees’ TV show lasted three years, but they recorded their music for two more years, until 1970. They started as a promotional gimmick, hired in 1965 for the cast of a TV show about a mischievous but well-intentioned rock band. It was cast with four hand-picked performers from varying backgrounds. Band member Peter Tork, for instance, was a legitimate musician, and reportedly interviewed for the gig after his friend Stephen Still was turned down. Jones was a child actor from Manchester, England, when he was hired to join the band – the boyishly handsome frontman who was the Monkees’ most recognizable face.

But the band wasn’t just a musical sensation – albeit briefly. They were a marketing jackpot well before Kiss perfected it. Their TV show, which borrowed liberally from the Beatles “Help” flick, was a hit and continued to be so on re-runs. Their merchandise included action figures, lunch boxes and more. And their music – much of it written by producer Don Kirshner and others at the outset – included catchy pop tunes like “Daydream Believer,” “Stepping Stone” and “Last Train to Clarksville,” all of which became hits.

After the group disbanded Jones continued to enjoy celebrity status, both in cameos like the one in “The Brady Bunch” and in solo appearances. He remained a recognizable face at oldies shows, and continued to tour, as he was doing at the time of his death. Last year the Monkees even reunited briefly, although a full-fledged reunion seemed unlikely – nor was there a guarantee that there was enough of a fan base left to make it lucrative.

Still, Jones continued to find an audience. And in a little-known bit of trivia, Jones is also responsible for the stage name of one of rock’s most accomplished songwriters and performers. Jones and the Monkees were in their prime when an up-and-coming British performer named David Jones was hitting the scene and appeared destined for musical fame in his own right. Fearing he would be confused with the Monkees’ singer, he changed his name to David Bowie.

So, we here at the Listening Room pay our respects to Davey Jones, for his contribution to pop music and all else he contributed to rock and roll. We can only guess that somewhere in TV land Marsha Brady has shed a tear. Rest in peace Davey.

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Alternative rockers Radiohead long ago established themselves as one of the world’s premier bands, with a crazed and loyal following that makes tickets to their live shows a precious commodity.

It all began with “Creep.”

The song, reportedly written by singer/songwriter Thom Yorke years before it was recorded, was the band’s first single in 1992, and later made its way onto their debut album “Pablo Honey.” Initially overlooked by mainstream fans, the song’s re-release in 1993 made it an international hit. The song became so popular at Radiohead shows that Yorke and the band, whose music rapidly progressed into more groundbreaking styles, stopped performing it.

Despite the self-imposed boycott of “Creep” – which ended in part at the end of the last decade – it remains one of Radiohead’s signature songs for many of the band’s more casual fans, and continues to get significant airplay on rock stations. Like any great tune, it has also been covered a few times.

Artists like Prince, who did a live version of the song at the Coachella festival several years ago, have done covers of “Creep.” But one of my favorite and lesser-known versions was done by The Pretenders, who recorded a mellower acoustic version. I like the alternate feel of it. See what you think.

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Guitar geeks, the gods are smiling on us today. George Harrison’s son, Dhani, has developed an app for the iPad that gives you, me, anyone with access to an iPad, a stunningly intimate look at several of the late Beatle’s now-iconic guitars. The app is available today and costs $9.99. Here’s a preview.

What do you get for your 10 bucks? Well, you hear George talk about his instruments, recalling, for example, how he paid a sailor in Hamburg 75 pounds for that black Gretsch we all know so well. You get feature-by-feature descriptions of the Strat he painted in the tripped-out style of the day (who knew it started out as light blue?) and the 12-string Rickenbacker he played on so many of the Beatles’ early records.

There’s lots more. Judging from the aforementioned preview, you’ll learn about that rosewood Telecaster he used on Let it Be (my personal favorite Harrison guitar). You can listen to song samples to hear which guitar was used for which song. People like Mike Campbell, the guitar player for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, show up to pick and strum the guitars, giving us an idea how the instruments sound in non-Beatle hands.

According to this article in the New York Times, Dhani plans to add more guitars to the app (for free) as time goes on. That’s a great idea. And he’s got plans to develop similar apps for the collections of his dad’s pals. Like Eric Clapton. That’s another great idea. Even though Clapton auctioned off much of his guitar treasure last year, my hunch is he’s still got a few decent pieces.

The Listening Room generally steers clear of politics, but it being Presidents’ Day season and all, we couldn’t let this go unnoticed. Like him or dislike him, President Obama isn’t all that bad a singer—at least with BB King, Buddy Guy and Mick Jagger backing him up on his home court. Watch:

I type this post listening to a track from Bruce Springsteen’s soon-to-be-released album, Wrecking Ball. The tune’s called “Shackled and Drawn” and it’s not bad at all. A whole lot better than anything on his previous album, Working on a Dream, which I thought was generally lousy.

Springsteen’s marketing team is doing something interesting this time around: Beginning yesterday (Monday), they’re previewing one song on one of several websites every day until the album is released on March 6. Today’s song is streaming at Rollingstone.com. For a complete guide to the one-track-a-day release schedule, stop in at Backstreets.com.

I saw the Dough Rollers play Brooklyn Bowl, in Williamsburg, Monday night. If you like crisp blues done right and tight, you’ll like these young guys. From what I’ve read about them, the core of the band is singer/guitarist Malcolm Ford (Han Solo’s son, for real) and lead guitarist Jack Byrne (son of Ellen Barkin and Gabriel Byrne, also for real), though at Monday’s show they had a bassist and drummer in tow as well (no idea who their parents are).

Nothing revolutionary here, only really solid blues played with just the right amount of swing and no effect pedals to get in the way. Ford sings with an effective rasp and growl that borrows a bit from Tom Waits, and he seems completely plugged into the emotional core of the band’s songs. That’s important. The problem with The Blues, and this is no fault of the genre, is if the singer misses, even slightly, that emotional core, the songs flop. With so many people playing the same three chords over the same 12 bars, the ability to find that emotional truth matters. Lots of people don’t or can’t, which is why there’s so much cheesy blues out there.

As for Byrne, he can play. Nothing flashy, no light-speed flourishes. Just the kind of touch that would make the late Hubert Sumlin smile. All in all, fine stuff.

Here’s a recent story about them that ran in Interview. It’s a good, quick read.

Fun feature from Rolling Stone magazine, which has posted a quiz to test fans on their Van Halen trivia skills.

Check for the link to the quiz farther down below.

But just a few quick notes. The hit rockers recently reunited, with David Lee Roth and brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen, and are hitting the road this year for their first tour in years. So, it seemed like an appropriate time to throw something out there for the band’s fan base.

The one change in the band’s original lineup is on bass. Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie’s son with actress Valerie Bertinelli, is again taking over for original bassist Michael Anthony. This will hardly be Wolfgang’s first stint on bass, but it’s worth nothing that fans won’t see the entire original band if they catch the shows.

Anyway, enough delay. Follow this link to Rolling Stone’s Van Halen quiz.

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J.J. Cale has long been one of the most overlooked musicians and songwriters in the country. But while mainstream music fans may not be familiar with the Oklahoma-born guitarist, other artists certainly are.

Cale is a Grammy Award winner, and his work has been covered by some of the biggest names in the business, including Carlos Santana, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kansas and Widespread Panic.

But no Cale song has gotten more acclaim than “Cocaine,” a song he wrote and recorded, and which was later covered with great success by Eric Clapton. Clapton, by the way, also covered Cale’s tune “After Midnight” and others. Clapton once described his attachment to the song, noting that it is typically misunderstood by fans – it’s actually an anti-drug song.

Cale himself said he started writing the song as a jazz tune, but later changed gears and gave it more of a rock/country feel which was the foundation for Clapton’s later version.

As with any great song, Clapton has hardly been the only one to cover it. In fact, one of my favorite versions comes from the Scottish rock band Nazareth, probably best known for their hit version of “Love Hurts” and, to hard rock fans, for their tune “Hair of the Dog.” They take a very different approach to “Cocaine” than Cale and Clapton did.

So, check out the three versions below.

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Truly tragic news today that music pioneer Don Cornelius was found dead in his California home early this morning, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot.

Cornelius, 75, was the founder and host of Soul Train, a long-running television dance show that revolutionized the music industry by providing the first national TV venue for R&B music. The show, which ran from 1971 to 2006, provided scores of black musicians and artists their first national exposure in an era when American Bandstand was doing so for traditionally white rock and pop performers. It changed the musical landscape.

(photo courtesy of the Associated Press)

Recent years provided some controversy for Cornelius, who was arrested on domestic violence charges in 2008 and eventually was sentenced to three-years of probation.

Los Angeles police haven’t released any further details on Cornelius’ death. Authorities said officers were dispatched to his Mulholland Home mansion at 4 a.m. today and found Cornelius suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:56 a.m., police said.

His legacy, however, lives on, as well it should. Rest in peace, Don.

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It could be one of the more covered tunes in rock over the past four decades, and yet many modern-day listeners don’t really know where it came from.

“Hard to Handle” became a big hit for American rockers The Black Crowes, coming off of their 1980 debut album, “Shake Your Money Maker.” It has since been one of the highlights of the band’s live shows, even as the group has gone on to amass quite an impressive resume of music.

It’s hardly the only version of the song. “Hard to Handle” has been covered repeatedly over the years, including by The Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Tom Jones, King Floyd and Gov’t Mule.

The original tune was recorded in 1967 by Otis Redding, who co-wrote it. But he never got a chance to hear the final product. Redding died in a plane crash in December of that year, and the song was released posthumously the following year. It became a Top 40 hit for Redding.

The Crowes’ version does borrow from a more recent Buddy Guy tune, but is generally true to the original. Obviously, the band also gives it a raunchier rock edge, particularly on stage. So, here are the tunes. Enjoy.

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Sad news today with word of the death of Etta James at age 73.

James was truly one of the most under-appreciated R&B singers of her era, mostly remembered for her hit “At Last.” But she had an amazing voice and made a significant contribution to the world of blues and R&B music.

I saw her live downtown several years ago, and simply marveled not only at how remarkable her voice remained, but also at the energy she still possessed. Here’s how Rolling Stone magazine covered her death:

By Andy Green – Rolling Stone

Etta James, one of the great voices of the 20th century who fused R&B with gospel and blues, and scored landmark hits with “At Last,” “Tell Mama” and “All I Could Do Was Cry,” died today  from complications related to leukemia. She was 73. James had been battling health problems for many years. 

James had an enormously turbulent personal life with numerous periods of drug addiction and poverty, but she channeled all of that heartache into her music. “There’s a lot going on Etta James’ voice,” Bonnie Raitt told Rolling Stone in 2008. “A lot of pain, a lot of life, most of all, a lot of strength. She can be so raucous and down one song, and then break your heart with her subtlety and finesse the next. As raw as Etta is, there’s a great intelligence and wisdom in her singing.”

Born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles in 1938, James was largely abandoned by her teenage mother at a young age, and was raised by her grandparents and foster families. She formed the the doo-wop singing group Creolettes with her friends in the early 1950s, and they even scored a minor hit with “Roll Me Henry” in 1955.

James signed as a solo act to Chess Records in 1960, kicking off the first great period of her long career. Working with producers Harvey Fuqua and Ralph Bass, she landed on the charts with “My Dearest Darling” and “All I Could Do Is Cry.” Leonard Chess heard tremendous potential in her voice, and in 1961 had her record the ballad “At Last” with a string section. The song became a massive hit, and remained her signature song for the rest of her career.

Despite her incredible success, James started to use heroin in the mid-1960s and it began to have serious effects on her career. At various points she was committed to a Los Angeles psychiatric hospital, though she still occasionally scored hits – most notable the R&B classic “Tell Mama” in 1967.

In the 1970s, James hit the club circuit to support herself. The Rolling Stones took her on tour in 1978, which exposed her music to a whole new generation of rock fans. That same year she signed to Warner Brothers and cut the classic LP Deep in the Night with Jerry Wexler. Her drug habit resumed in the 1980s, but a 1988 stay at the Betty Ford Clinic set her on a much better course. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. 

James continued to tour until illness sidelined her a couple of years ago. She made headlines in 2009 when she criticized Beyoncé’s performance of “At Last” at President Obama’s inauguration, but the public didn’t realize that she was suffering from dementia at that point. 

In 1997, James spoke with Rolling Stone about her life. “Life’s been rough,” she said. “But life’s been good. If I had to go back and do it all over again, I would live it the exact same way.”

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Sad news for the local music scene, with word that the Towne Crier Café will be shutting down at the end of February after 40 years as a premier venue for top-rate music.

Towne Crier owner Phil Ciganer broke the news in an open letter to patrons on the Crier’s home page. For those of you that know the place, this is truly bad news – although Ciganer does leave the open the possibility of a new location.

But at a time when the northern ‘burbs are lacking quality venues, this is a big blow.

In his message to customers Ciganer says business isn’t an issue – he’s got a few sold-out shows in store before closing the doors. But with an expiring lease and the building for sale, it looks like he’ll need to pack up.

He got into the business in the late ‘60s, giving up a successful job as a floor trader at the New York Stock Exchange to explore other avenues. He found himself in Brooklyn and later moved the business upstate, setting up the Towne Crier at the site of a former general store and stagecoach stop – first in Beekman and, 23 years ago, on Route 22 in Pawling.

Over the years the Crier featured an impressive lineup of folk, blueglass, blues and jazz artists, with acts like Pete Seeger, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and Pat Metheny. David Byrne and Richard Thompson once showed up to jam, as did members of David Letterman’s band. My first time there was many years ago, when I got hooked after an amazing New Year’s Eve show headlined by Johnny “Clyde” Copeland.

So, hopefully Ciganer will re-open. If the current roster of sold-out shows is any indication, he should take the crowds with him wherever he goes. Good luck, Phil.

Here’s his open letter to patrons:

Dear Friends,

After 23 years on Route 22 in Pawling, we are closing our doors after the end of February. Our lease expired and the building is on the market. Despite a string of recent sellouts, it’s time for us to move forward.

The good news: We’re exploring the possibility of relocating to a new and better location, and we hope to make an announcement in the near future.

Until the end of February, we’ll continue to operate as we always have. We have some great shows scheduled, plus open mics every Wednesday and Thursday. After that, until we’re in our new location, we hope to present concerts at a variety of other venues, celebrating 40 years of The Towne Crier Cafe in the Hudson Valley.

What I want to express most, though, is my enormous gratitude to all of you for your ongoing support over the years, and for having made the Towne Crier the cultural landmark it has become. Many careers have been launched here. Bands have formed here. Couples have met here, married and had children—and grandchildren. Some of you have been regulars since we opened in 1972, and I think of you as family.

Again, I want to stress that this is not the end. The Towne Crier has relocated twice before in its 40-year history. I look forward to welcoming you to a new and better Towne Crier location soon.

I wish you all the best for the New Year. We’ll be here—operating as usual—until the end of February, so please check out our calendar and drop by for a show, a meal and our famous desserts!

With heartfelt thanks,

      Phil

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While this blog tends to focus on the guitar-related aspects of the music scene (for good reason: the founder plays guitar as does this contributor), here’s a treat for the drum geeks out there. The L.A. Times has a really interesting Q&A with Glenn Kotche, the drummer for Wilco.

Here’s my favorite excerpt: “We were on tour in Leeds, and there was a fire drill that went off in the middle of the night, and they had a roll call. They evacuated everyone. I recorded it. I record constantly. I have a digital recorder with me all the time. If I go on a walk, it’ll be with me. Anywhere I go, if there’s an interesting sound, I hit record. I’m always cataloguing sound. It’s all percussion, whether it’s a baby crying in an airplane, or an amazing escalator vibrating thing.”

I love the idea of finding sounds, hearing everything as music and using it to create songs. Tom Waits does that, too. In a recent interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air he talked about putting rocks in a garbage can, dragging it around his yard, recording it and using that rhythm as the basis for a song. Cool stuff.

We here at The Listening Room love music – specially when it’s free.

And sometimes it comes from some unexpected places. So, hats off to the National Automatic Merchandising Association for reaching out to music fans with a musical bit of gratitude – 17 downloadable tunes. NAMA is the national trade association for the food and drink vending and management industries, and they tell us they wanted to thank Gen Y customers in particular for being, well, good customers.

Anyway, here are the details right from the association’s mouth, so to speak:

CHICAGO - Following its successful seven-city Gratitude Tour, the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) announced that it is continuing to thank Gen Y by giving away a free music sampler as a special holiday gift. The Gratitude Tracks consist of 17 free downloadable original songs, written and performed by the local artists featured on the vending industry Tour. The Gratitude Tracks is now available on the following sites:

• TuneCore


• CD Baby


• The Vend.Love.Win. Facebook page

The Gratitude Tour took vending on the road this fall to convey thanks to Gen Y (ages 18-29) and other loyal consumers for preferring vending and to reinforce that vending delivers what consumers want, when they want it and where they want it. A major catalyst for the Tour was recent NAMA research indicating that Gen Y prefers vending over convenience stores and grocery or drug stores for snacks and cold beverages. Tour stops featured the latest in vending machines, products and technology, thousands of free product giveaways and entertainment from the local bands and performers featured on the new music sampler.

“The idea behind The Gratitude Tracks is to continue showing appreciation to Gen Y with a key staple in their lives: music,” said NAMA Interim CEO Dan Mathews. “As the current and future users of vending, these are tech-savvy consumers who will appreciate free music downloads. We thought this would be a great way to say ‘thank you’ and extend the Tour to others who may not have participated in it.”

The Gratitude Tour is one element of a larger ongoing program initiated by NAMA and the vending industry earlier this year, all designed to boost awareness and generate excitement among consumers about the vending experience. Other elements of the program include a Facebook contest (http://www.facebook.com/vendlovewin), a broad media relations program targeting social media and other online destinations where young consumers “hang out” on the Internet, a mobile nutrition app that will be launched in the coming months, and other vending-related surprises involving consumers’ mobile devices.

 About The Gratitude Tracks

Boston

Aloud: This high-energy rock ‘n’ roll band is known for its entertaining live shows, powerful vocals and impressive songwriting. In support of its latest album Exile, Aloud has engaged crowds at almost 100 shows in 42 states. The band consists of married couple Henry Beguiristain (lead vocalist, guitars, keys) and Jen de la Osa (lead vocalist, guitars, keys) along with Charles Murphy (bass, backing vocal) and Mike Tucker (drums).

New York

Zak Smith: Often described as “haunting indie rock,” Zak Smith’s music is filled with emotional highs and lows. This prolific songwriter is influenced by artists such as Leonard Cohen and Elvis Costello. Although Zak mostly plays around New York City, his recent album, Haunted Feet, has generated some nationwide buzz.

Under the Elephant: With a unique mix of pop, rock and electronic sounds, Under the Elephant features melodic lyrics and dance-worthy beats. In 2011, the band released its debut album, The Eleventh Hour, which received recognition on NBC in New York.

Emily Brooke: Emily Brooke is a talented singer/songwriter who has been active in the New York City music scene since the age of 17. More than just a pop singer, Emily writes inspirational songs with a deeper meaning behind them. Her music has been compared to Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette and Fiona Apple.

Atlanta

Rollie: With a diverse sound that blends pop, acoustic and hip-hop, Rollie is a dynamic force in the Atlanta music scene. Rollie is currently filming for the premiere season of the potential MTV reality show, Rising Stars.

Austin, TX

Marmalakes: This dynamic folk-pop trio plays lyrical songs with rich harmonies. Marmalakes is comprised of Austin natives Max Colonna (bass/vocals), Josh Hapern (drums/vocals) and Chase Weinacht (guitar/vocals). On November 15, the band released its latest album Even Clothed.

Minneapolis

GABE: Louisiana-born recording artist GABE writes lyrics and melodies on a daily basis. Influenced by artists such as Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross and The Temptations, GABE has a diverse mix of songs about love, relationships and overcoming challenges. He has toured with popular recording artists including Chris Brown and Trey Songz.

Madison, WI

What Moves: Milwaukee-based funky rock band What Moves has a unique sound that doesn’t fit into any one genre of music. That’s why the band doesn’t categorize itself into any category and prefers its fans to decide what the music sounds like. What Moves consists of Noah Snyder (bass), Flo Rida Sunrise (percussion), Jamie Hollenberger (vocals & keys), Taylor Jarocki (vocals and guitar) and Panro Smithe (guitar).

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