An infinite number of tracks can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. I like that idea so much I wrote a book about it.
Although I have a different book set to be my first book when it's published in the spring, The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) still lives as well. It does not yet have an assured path to publication, but I've been tweaking the completed draft, all in service of the hope that publishing one book can lead to publishing another book. THIS book. THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE!
Since our previous update about two months ago, I've begun another attempt to tweak 'n' tighten the manuscript. In the midst of this rehab, I've actually added five more song chapters, while getting the word count below 116,000. As of last night, it's a little over 115,000 words. It will still get a tiny bit shorter after the current tweak is done, and I'm right about where I think I want to be. GREM! is roughly three times the size of my first book, but that was always intended to be a shorter work. GREM! needs a little bit more room. (And, at under 116K, it's about 40,000 words less than the unwieldy tome I started writing way back when.)
Here's a reprise of the project's history: In 2016, I channeled my embrace of the infinite into a blog series, which commenced with a celebration of "Baby Blue" by Badfinger. I kicked around the notion of turning it into a book, and decided to follow through with that plan in 2018. Work on the book began in earnest in 2019, and hasn't stopped since. Through a series of little advances and larger setbacks (including the loss of my agent and, oh yeah, a worldwide pandemic), I've never stopped pursuing the dream of a GREM! book. It remains a dream at the moment, but the dream has license to continue for now.
And NOW! Here's my current Table of Contents:
FOREWORD
DISCLAIMERS AND DECLARATIONS (A User's Guide To The Greatest Record Ever Made!)
A Fistful Of 45s
OVERTURE THE RAMONES: Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?
1. BADFINGER: Baby Blue
2. CHUCK BERRY: Promised Land
3. DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: I Only Want To Be With You
4. THE SEX PISTOLS: God Save The Queen
5. ELVIS PRESLEY: Heartbreak Hotel
6. WILLIE MAE "BIG MAMA" THORNTON: Hound Dog
7. PATTI SMITH: Gloria
8. LITTLE RICHARD: The Girl Can't Help It
9. NEIL DIAMOND: Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show
10. CRAZY ELEPHANT: Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'
11. WILSON PICKETT: In The Midnight Hour
12. THE HOLLIES: I Can't Let Go
12. THE HOLLIES: I Can't Let Go
13. MELANIE WITH THE EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS: Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)
14. PETULA CLARK: Downtown
15. TRANSLATOR: Everywhere That I'm Not
16. LESLEY GORE: You Don't Own Me
17. THE SHANGRI-LAS: Leader Of The Pack
18. THE SHIRELLES: Will You Love Me Tomorrow
18. THE SHIRELLES: Will You Love Me Tomorrow
19. THE RAMONES: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
20. AMY RIGBY: Dancing With Joey Ramone
21. PINK FLOYD: Wish You Were Here
22. GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS: Midnight Train To Georgia
23.THE BOBBY FULLER FOUR: I Fought The Law
24. MERLE HAGGARD: Mama Tried
25. THE TEMPTATIONS: Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
26. BUDDY HOLLY: Peggy Sue/Everyday
27. ROBERTA FLACK: Killing Me Softly With His Song
28. JOHNNY NASH: I Can See Clearly Now
29. THE RARE BREED/THE OHIO EXPRESS: Beg, Borrow And Steal
30. OTIS REDDING: (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
31. ARETHA FRANKLIN: Respect
32. THE MONKEES: Porpoise Song (Theme From Head)
33. PRINCE: When You Were Mine
34. THE 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS: You're Gonna Miss Me
35. THE ROLLING STONES: Get Off Of My Cloud
36. PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS: Just Like Me
37. BOB DYLAN: Like A Rolling Stone
38. THE KINGSMEN: Louie, Louie
39. BARON DAEMON AND THE VAMPIRES: The Transylvania Twist
40. THE MARVELETTES: I'll Keep Holding On
41. THE WHO: I Can't Explain
42. TODD RUNDGREN: Couldn't I Just Tell You
43. SHOES: Tomorrow Night
44. THE FLASHCUBES: No Promise
45. TELEVISION: Elevation
46. THE RUNAWAYS: Cherry Bomb
47. SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES: The Tears Of A Clown
48. IKE AND TINA TURNER: River Deep Mountain High
49. THE RONETTES: Be My Baby
50. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Girls In Their Summer Clothes
51. KISS: Shout It Out Loud
52. THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Rock And Roll Love Letter
53. THE KNICKERBOCKERS: Lies
54. THE WONDERS: That Thing You Do!
INTERLUDE The Tottenham Sound Of...The Beatles?!
55. THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: Any Way You Want It
56. JAMES BROWN: Please, Please, Please
57. GRAND FUNK: We're An American Band
58. THE FIRST CLASS: Beach Baby
59. THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Summer Breeze
60. THE PANDORAS: It's About Time
61. MARVIN GAYE: I Heard It Through The Grapevine
62. LINDA RONSTADT: You're No Good
63. P. P. ARNOLD: The First Cut Is The Deepest
64. THE DANDY WARHOLS: We Used To Be Friends
65. SAMMY AMBROSE: This Diamond Ring
66. BIG STAR: September Gurls
67. THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET: Take Five
68. THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS: All For Swinging You Around
ENTR'ACTE THE BEATLES: Yesterday
69. THE BEATLES: Revolution
70. YOKO ONO: Kiss Kiss Kiss
71. DONNA SUMMER: I Feel Love
72. RUFUS: Tell Me Something Good
73. HEART: Kick It Out
74. THE EASYBEATS: Friday On My Mind
75. THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS: Time Has Come Today
76. BIG BROTHER AND THE HOLDING COMPANY: Piece Of My Heart
77. THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Shake Some Action
78. THE CARPENTERS: Only Yesterday
79. MATERIAL ISSUE: Kim The Waitress
80. THE 5TH DIMENSION: Medley: Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In (The Flesh Failures)
81. THE JACKSON FIVE: I'll Be There
82. SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE: Everybody Is A Star
83. THE BANGLES: Live
84. HEADGIRL/MÖTOR HEADGIRL SCHOOL: Please Don't Touch
85. MILLIE SMALL: My Boy Lollipop
86. THE FLIRTATIONS: Nothing But A Heartache
87. THE SPINNERS: I'll Be Around
88. THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY: I Woke Up In Love This Morning
89. DAVID RUFFIN: I Want You Back
90. LED ZEPPELIN: Communication Breakdown
91. FREDDIE AND THE DREAMERS: Do The Freddie
92. THE BANDWAGON: Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartache
93. DON HENLEY: The Boys Of Summer
94. BEN E. KING: Stand By Me
95. THE SPONGETONES: (My Girl) Maryanne
96. THE TRAMMPS: Disco Inferno
97. HAROLD MELVIN AND THE BLUE NOTES: Don't Leave Me This Way
98. GRANDMASTER AND MELLE MEL: White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)
99. THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: I'll Be Your Mirror
100. DEL SHANNON: Runaway
101. THE COCKTAIL SLIPPERS: St. Valentine's Day Massacre
102. SAM AND DAVE: Soul Man
103. THE KINKS: Waterloo Sunset
104. HOLLY GOLIGHTLY: Time Will Tell
105. THE SMITHEREENS: Behind The Wall Of Sleep
106. THE COWSILLS: She Said To Me
107. ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS: (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
108. THE FOUR TOPS: Reach Out I'll Be There
109. VERDELLE SMITH: Life Goes On
INTERLUDE Old Time Rock 'n' Roll
110. THE BOB SEGER SYSTEM: 2 + 2 = ?
111. THE JIVE FIVE: What Time Is It?
111. THE JIVE FIVE: What Time Is It?
112. LULU: To Sir, With Love [Museum Outings Montage]
113. FREDA PAYNE: Band Of Gold
113. FREDA PAYNE: Band Of Gold
114. THE CONTOURS: Do You Love Me
115. THE GO-GO'S: We Got The Beat
116. THE SUPREMES: You Keep Me Hangin' On
117. THE BEACH BOYS: God Only Knows
118. THE SELECTER: On My Radio
119. TRACEY ULLMAN: They Don't Know
120. MANNIX: Highway Lines
121. THE DRIFTERS: On Broadway
122. THE COASTERS: Yakety Yak
123. CHEAP TRICK: Surrender
124. TEGAN AND SARA: Walking With A Ghost
125. DAVID BOWIE: Life On Mars?
126. THE O'JAYS: Put Your Hands Together
127. THE GRATEFUL DEAD: Uncle John's Band
128. RITA MORENO, GEORGE CHAKIRIS, SHARKS & GIRLS: America
129. EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS: Do Anything You Wanna Do
130. JOAN JETT: Bad Reputation
131. JOAN ARMATRADING: Me Myself I
132. STEVIE WONDER: I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)
133. MARYKATE O'NEIL: I'm Ready For My Luck To Turn Around
134. EYTAN MIRSKY: This Year's Gonna Be Our Year
135. THE JAYHAWKS: I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
An Infinite Number
INTERLUDE Underrating The Beatles
ENCORE! THE BEATLES: Rain
ENCORE!! THE T-BONES: No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)
Cruisin' Music
CODA THE RAMONES: Blitzkrieg Bop
AFTERWORD
Our favorite records don't live in isolation. Each one has a story to tell.
Repeating my now-familiar disclaimer in bold and all-caps: THIS IS NOT INTENDED AS AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF THE BEST RECORDS EVER MADE! Jesus, no! The chapters in this book cover a number of popular and personal favorites, but it's nowhere near comprehensive, and it's not meant to be. It's a discussion and a celebration of pop's infinite promise--nothing more, nothing less.
This blueprint is now my preferred version of GREM! It cuts out a lot, but seems to flow better overall. It also leaves me with a number of building blocks left over for a Volume 2, but Volume 1 needs to move forward first. Even the infinite has gotta start somewhere.
Before I close here and get back to polishing this pipe dream, I want to repeat some basic supplemental material that's appeared here previously:
You can read the book's foreword, introduction, and first few chapters here. (These are earlier drafts, so some changes have been implemented since these were posted. Still gives you the gist of what I'm doing.)
Here are a few other sample chapters (also in earlier drafts):
I believe very, very strongly in this book. I think a few of you just might dig it, too. The work continues. Into the infinite!
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This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.
Raspberries?
ReplyDeleteWritten, but not in this volume. Maybe Volume 2?https://carlcafarelli.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-greatest-record-ever-made-i-wanna.html
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