10 Songs is a weekly list of ten songs that happen to be on my mind at the moment. The lists are usually dominated by songs played on the previous Sunday night's edition of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl. The idea was inspired by Don Valentine of the essential blog I Don't Hear A Single.
This week's edition of 10 Songs draws exclusively from the playlist for This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 1288
TOM KENNY AND THE HI-SEAS: Welcome To The Working Class
Tom Kenny is an international treasure, and he was born 'n' bred right here in our beloved Syracuse, NY. You may know him as the voice of SpongeBob Squarepants, Plastic Man, The Penguin, and a zillion others across a zillion animated credits. In live action, he was the evil Binky the Clown in his hometown buddy Bobcat Goldthwaite's 1991 film Shakes The Clown. To my daughter, he was the voice of both the Mayor and the narrator on The Powerpuff Girls. I tell that story here and here.
But as I like to point out and repeat: Before Tom Kenny was your SpongeBob Squarepants, he was our Tomcat, one of us, a participant in the same vibrant late '70s/early '80s local music scene that Dana and I loved so much, the scene that gave the world the Flashcubes, Maura Kennedy, Chris von Sneidern, the Penetrators, and many others. He found fame as a talented and celebrated voice actor; to us, he's so much more than that. He's a music fan from way back, and he channels that passion as a magnificent live performer. From local faves the Tearjerkers in the early '80s through the simply sublime Tom Kenny and the Hi-Seas today, international treasure Tom Kenny remains solid gold on stage and off.
So yes, of course we wanted Tom to record a track for our forthcoming compilation Make Something Happen! A Tribute To A DIY Power Pop Band Called THE FLASHCUBES. And man, did he and his superlative and uber-tight band o' Hi-Seas deliver. And then some! Credit 'Cubes bassist Gary Frenay for suggesting his song "Welcome To The Working Class" as the perfect Cubic choice for Tomcat and company to tackle, and a more perfect match of artist and material will not be found anywhere. Not even in Bikini Bottom, nor in Townsville, nor Gotham City itself.
I have heard that "Welcome To The Working" is the first recording the Hi-Seas have completed since the November passing of their music director, the great Andy Paley. Beyond the blow of personal tragedy, having to overcome the loss of Paley's enormous talent was no doubt a daunting task. From this bittersweet transition, one hopes there will be many more new Tom Kenny and the Hi-Seas recordings yet to come. An international treasure. Welcome, indeed.
GRAHAM PARKER: Back To Schooldays
As I recall, my first awareness of Graham Parker's song "Back To Schooldays" was in 1981, when I read that none other than Rick Nelson had covered it. Even then, I didn't hear Nelson's version nor Graham Parker and the Rumour's 1976 original until a little bit later in the ol' timeline. I caught up eventually. Although we've played a more recent live performance of the song by Graham Parker and the Goldtops, I'm amazed that this is the TIRnRR debut of the studio version, from Graham's album Howlin' Wind. Looks like our trip back to schooldays merits a spell in detention, but consider this a good-faith attempt at extra credit.
(Have we mentioned yet that Graham Parker has also recorded a Flashcubes cover for the much-anticipated Make Something Happen! tribute album? No? Well, I'm sure we'll get around to mentioning it soon. I tell ya, all this detention can slow ya down.)
JIM BASNIGHT: All Summer Long
We love playing new music from Jim Basnight, and we're therefore delighted to add his new single "All Summer Long" to the TIRnRR playlist. Though the song shares its title with a Beach Boys classic, it's all original all the time, so grab the Coppertone and get set to frolic already. Sure, we'll be frolicking on the Bayou, but don't quibble: It's SUMMER!
Andrew Curry has compiled a number of superb tribute albums, each one full of accomplished and compelling interpretive salutes to its designated subjects: lite rock, the second British Invasion, the music of 007, Paul Williams, and Andy Gibb. Can't go wrong with any of them, which is why we've played 'em all on TIRnRR.
Second By Second By Minute By Minute: The Songs Of Rick Springfield is the newest release from Curry Cuts, and I won't be surprised if this winds up getting even more Dana & Carl airtime than its illustrious predecessors.
In 1981, "Jessie's Girl" was Springfield's first breakout hit in the US. He'd been a star in his native Australia, and he played himself in animated form on the 1973 American TV cartoon series Mission: Magic! As an actor, he did a lot of TV work, achieving wider notice in '81 on the soap opera General Hospital. The soap stint coincided with his ascension on the pop music charts.
Is "Jessie's Girl" Springfield's signature tune? I think it is, so we begin our recognition of this magic mission with Brother Eytan Mirsky, coveting his best friend's girl with unashamed longing and aplomb. We follow with Robbie Rist fronting his nom de bop Ballzy Tomorrow for a supercool performance of "Old Gangsters Never Die," a Springfield tune I did not know prior to this.
A great tribute album can do that: Introduce you to deeper cuts and expand your awareness and appreciation of lesser-known gems to be found within an artist's body of work. I have, at best, a slightly better than cursory knowledge of the Rick Springfield canon, going beyond the hits into his lovely 1972 debut single "Speak To The Sky" and partial memory of his 1973 album Comic Book Heroes. Clearly, I have some homework to do. But we have this fine Rick Springfield tribute album to get us started.
(Ballzy Tomorrow also has a track on our Flashcubes tribute album, as do a few other artists on Second By Second By Minute By Minute. The best tribute albums demand the best talent!)
Both Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin and Arthur Alexander are among the acts covering the Flashcubes on Make Something Happen!, the latter with his ace combo Sorrows. In the mean time, Rob and Arthur are covering each other! A brand new split single pairs Skin-Tight Skin's cover of Arthur's "Why Can't You Come" with Arthur's rendition of Rob's "Red Beans And Gasoline." Now there's a high-octane meal!
THE MONKEES: I Never Thought It Peculiar
The Greatest Record Ever Made!
LISA MYCHOLS: What Kind Of Fool Am I
One more from Second By Second By Minute By Minute: The Songs Of Rick Springfield, courtesy of Lisa Mychols. This is just fantastic, and yeah, it just so happens that Ms. Mychols will also be on the Flashcubes tribute, collaborating with Super 8. Ain't no fools to be found here.
THE FLASHCUBES WITH MIKE GENT: Reminisce
The Flashcubes' new digital single is out on June 27th, and available for preorder now in advance of its appearance on the Flashcubes tribute album in September. Reminisce AND look forward. It's the most effective way to make something happen.
If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.
My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available, and you can order an autographed copy here. You can still get my previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.
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, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. You can read about our history here.
No comments:
Post a Comment