And from the Thriller 25 Super Deluxe Edition, this early demo of “Billie Jean”.
Just to be clear, tracks like this are “bonus” tracks, meaning you can pay extra to own them.
Billie Jean Early Demo: ‘And I Sit, in a Cup, in a Ride’…or Something.
17 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in General Posts Tags: billie jean, billie jean demo, michael jackson
John Lennon’s ‘Jealous Guy’ as a Beatles White Album-era Demo
17 Nov 2012 1 Comment
in General Posts Tags: beatles, jealous guy, john lennon
It’s interesting to imagine what this very different song’s legacy would be had it been released as a Beatles song at the time.
Anatomy of a Classic: Deconstructing the Raspberries’ ‘Go All the Way’
17 Nov 2012 6 Comments
in Best of the Blog, General Posts Tags: go all the way, raspberries
When Eric Carmen wrote the Raspberries’ first and most timeless hit, the quintessential power pop classic “Go All the Way”, he took inspiration (to say the least) from some other great songs. Let’s have a listen:
Although The Who and Faces are most often mentioned as the templates for the Raspberries’ sound, I think The Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar” is the closest match for Carmen’s opening riff and may have inspired it. This is speculation on my part, but there’s a clear similarity:
The next bit isn’t speculation at all; Carmen has admitted he lifted the staccato guitar in the verses from The Beach Boys’ “Don’t Worry Baby”:
For the chorus, Mr. Carmen said he was aiming for the sound of The Left Banke’s “Walk Away Renee”. This isn’t quite as obvious, but see if you can hear the similarity:
The bridge pretty clearly seems to be nicked from The Beatles’ “Please Please Me”:
Here’s an edit containing all four points of comparison:
Amazingly, this Frankenstein of assembled stolen song parts turned out to be not a mess of ugly stitches, but a seamless pop classic in its own right, perhaps even the equal of those that inspired it:
Even the idea for the song was directly inspired by another song–The Rolling Stones’ “Let’s Spend the Night Together”. When Carmen saw them perform it on TV, forced to sing it as “Let’s Spend Some Time Together”, he got the idea to write a sexually explicit lyric that would be understood by kids but could avoid similar censorship. Carmen also cleverly had the most explicit line, ‘please go all the way’ come from the song’s female subject and not directly from its male protagonist. As you can see by its performance on the Mike Douglas show below, he succeeded in skirting the censors.
Raspberries trivia: the band’s first album came with a raspberry scented scratch-and-sniff sticker. While searching for names for the band, one member rejected another’s suggestion by quoting a line from the old Our Gang comedies saying, “Aw, raspberries”. It stuck.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/03/10/songs-you-may-have-missed-43/
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/04/09/songs-you-may-have-missed-386/
Songs You May Have Missed #241
16 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: fleet foxes, mykonos
Fleet Foxes: “Mykonos” (2008)
Seattle’s Fleet Foxes love to dip their baroque pop into a vat of thick reverb to give it a portentous sound that imitates sacred music, then coat it with rich harmonies. The results can be gorgeous and otherworldly. Another hallmark of the band is songs that veer off in unexpected directions as this one does.
“Mykonos” is from their first release, the Sun Giant EP. Although it was seen as a mere run-up to their full-length debut, and their third release topped the album chart in 2011, this enchanting track is, to my ears, their high-water mark thus far.
This song, along with others I’ve posted about by Tyler Ramsey and My Morning Jacket (below) evoke Neil Young’s most mystical and beguiling work.
Tyler Ramsey: “Stay Gone”:
My Morning Jacket: “Golden”:
Songs You May Have Missed #240
16 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: doug powell, this lion's lamb
Doug Powell: “This Lion’s Lamb” (1996)
From Powell’s debut Ballad of the Tin Men album, his first and last on a major label (due to some weird machinations, he’d actually been with three different majors by the time his debut even got released). Of course, being an appealing melodist with a lyrical quirkiness and a jangle pop sound that leaned toward Jellyfish or Chris Von Sneidern, Powell was a better fit on power pop haven Not Lame Records, where he eventually ended up for a time.
It always amazes me that though there was never much room on the radio for artists and bands who patterned their sound after the Byrds, Beatles, Hollies, etc. it didn’t stop them from making their entire career an homage to those greats of past decades. Placing a track on a medium-profile tribute album to an idol like McCartney or Jeff Lynne might be a career highlight. Clearly the music of artists like this is made for the love of their craft–few guys like this get rich in the biz.
Songs You May Have Missed #239
16 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: allons a grand coteau, clifton chenier
Clifton Chenier: “Allons a Grand Coteau” (1975)
While I enjoy the sound, I don’t own much Zydeco. But I’m pretty happy to have the Bogalusa Boogie album, by the King of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier. And this is my favorite song, a classic of the genre.
Every Moment Has A Song 