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July 20, 2012 8:14 AM Subscribe
So, I hadn't heard of Jonathan Richman before. A bit more googling and now I'm a huge fan. Thanks for making my day!
posted by sp160n at 8:47 AM on July 20, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by sp160n at 8:47 AM on July 20, 2012 [2 favorites]
Never heard of Jonathan Richman? Dude, he only sung the main theme from the film "There's Something About Mary".
posted by The Confessor at 8:51 AM on July 20, 2012
posted by The Confessor at 8:51 AM on July 20, 2012
Yes, that and being the forefather of all good punk music. He's still playing live (and is awesome live).
posted by zvs at 8:54 AM on July 20, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by zvs at 8:54 AM on July 20, 2012 [2 favorites]
(And live translates songs on-the-fly sometimes, which is pretty awesome.)
posted by zvs at 8:55 AM on July 20, 2012
posted by zvs at 8:55 AM on July 20, 2012
What a charming fellow. Interesting garden, too.
posted by uraniumwilly at 8:56 AM on July 20, 2012
posted by uraniumwilly at 8:56 AM on July 20, 2012
Through the power of google, Jonathan Richman playing the Something about Mary theme song at Joey Ramone's birthday party before the movie was released:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5vHRMtEDZU
posted by sp160n at 8:59 AM on July 20, 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5vHRMtEDZU
posted by sp160n at 8:59 AM on July 20, 2012
At first I read that as "Jonathan Richman... ...in a crazy French garden, circa 1882." and thought "Yeah, that figures."
posted by greenland at 9:02 AM on July 20, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by greenland at 9:02 AM on July 20, 2012 [4 favorites]
One of my friends roomed with a woman who saw 'Repo Man' in its original theatrical run. One night, my friend's roommate A was hanging out with her aunt and her aunt's new boyfriend, and they told him about this funny song in the movie that went "Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole." A's aunt's boyfriend said, "Oh, I wrote that." A was all "yeah, right" and he said "No, really. I wrote that."
My friend L thinks A's aunt might have been the subject of "Abdul and Cleopatra".
posted by pxe2000 at 9:20 AM on July 20, 2012 [6 favorites]
My friend L thinks A's aunt might have been the subject of "Abdul and Cleopatra".
posted by pxe2000 at 9:20 AM on July 20, 2012 [6 favorites]
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
posted by mykescipark at 9:21 AM on July 20, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by mykescipark at 9:21 AM on July 20, 2012 [4 favorites]
Yeah, Jonathan Richman is incredible. He's basically punk rock's laid-back grampa, sitting there in his armchair watching punk rock do it's thing and going: "You crazy kids. Yeah, go wild, just don't break anything. Oh, haha. Well, don't break anything else. I'm just going to be over here writing more songs."
posted by 256 at 9:42 AM on July 20, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by 256 at 9:42 AM on July 20, 2012 [2 favorites]
The presenter of the program was one Antoine de Caunes - he later became well known in the UK as the Presenter of "Eurotrash". Before that he showed of his "is he actually speaking English" approach to presentation with "Rapido" from that here is a sample including a 1988 interview with Tom Waits.
More Jonathan Richman for the non-initiated: The Beach, I'm a little dinosaur (with actions), Since She Started to Ride, Rollercoaster by the Sea.
posted by rongorongo at 9:50 AM on July 20, 2012
More Jonathan Richman for the non-initiated: The Beach, I'm a little dinosaur (with actions), Since She Started to Ride, Rollercoaster by the Sea.
posted by rongorongo at 9:50 AM on July 20, 2012
If there are people out there who don't know Jonathan Richman, I'll post my two favorites:
Roadrunner - the anthem of (Eastern) Massachusetts.
Government Center - A nice song to think about when walking past this.
posted by benito.strauss at 10:03 AM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
Roadrunner - the anthem of (Eastern) Massachusetts.
Government Center - A nice song to think about when walking past this.
posted by benito.strauss at 10:03 AM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
You're lucky if you're just discovering Jonathan Richman. He's the best.
Now go listen to That Summer Feeling.
posted by swift at 10:09 AM on July 20, 2012 [3 favorites]
Now go listen to That Summer Feeling.
posted by swift at 10:09 AM on July 20, 2012 [3 favorites]
If you ever go see him live, head into the men's room of the venue. Every time I've seen him (4), he's posted pieces of paper and pens that say, "What should I play tonight?"
posted by dobbs at 10:13 AM on July 20, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by dobbs at 10:13 AM on July 20, 2012 [2 favorites]
This might explain a little more about why his smooth hollow body Gibson island/beach sound evolved and why some may have be a little confused about his importance in the punk scene in the 70s.
posted by chambers at 10:17 AM on July 20, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by chambers at 10:17 AM on July 20, 2012 [2 favorites]
People, come on! 16 comments deep and nobody's linked to I was dancing in the lesbian bar yet?
posted by ZipRibbons at 10:58 AM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by ZipRibbons at 10:58 AM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
Hey, give us a break! We didn't know until the 12th comment that this was going to turn into a link-fest.
posted by benito.strauss at 11:04 AM on July 20, 2012
posted by benito.strauss at 11:04 AM on July 20, 2012
Yes, that and being the forefather of all good punk music. He's still playing live (and is awesome live).
True. But be warned. See him in the winter. If you see him in the summer and it's exceedingly hot outside he will insist that any air conditioning in the building be turned off. The last time I saw him (in Toronto) I had to walk outside several times to keep from passing out from the heat.
I had been slightly aware of Jonathon Richman throughout the years because of the Jazz Butcher's cover of Roadrunner for one. I had thought that this Sloan performance of Dignified and Old was a Sloan modern original until a friend and fellow Mefite Zetetic started laughing and said "No way!" Having informed me it was a Richman song I had to investigate.
His influence on "punk" is obvious from his very early material, but he quickly changed musical direction obviously. Great stuff. One of my other favourite ahead of its time songs from Richman is I'm Straight.
I find Richman songs almost unique in that I love the originals and I love a lot of the covers.
posted by juiceCake at 11:19 AM on July 20, 2012
True. But be warned. See him in the winter. If you see him in the summer and it's exceedingly hot outside he will insist that any air conditioning in the building be turned off. The last time I saw him (in Toronto) I had to walk outside several times to keep from passing out from the heat.
I had been slightly aware of Jonathon Richman throughout the years because of the Jazz Butcher's cover of Roadrunner for one. I had thought that this Sloan performance of Dignified and Old was a Sloan modern original until a friend and fellow Mefite Zetetic started laughing and said "No way!" Having informed me it was a Richman song I had to investigate.
His influence on "punk" is obvious from his very early material, but he quickly changed musical direction obviously. Great stuff. One of my other favourite ahead of its time songs from Richman is I'm Straight.
I find Richman songs almost unique in that I love the originals and I love a lot of the covers.
posted by juiceCake at 11:19 AM on July 20, 2012
fun fact: Jonathan Richman does not blink.
posted by photoslob at 12:00 PM on July 20, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by photoslob at 12:00 PM on July 20, 2012 [4 favorites]
He looks like he's being attacked by triffids in that garden.
posted by Catblack at 12:32 PM on July 20, 2012
posted by Catblack at 12:32 PM on July 20, 2012
That's cool...
But it ain't no, I'm a Little Dinosaur.
posted by alex_skazat at 2:51 PM on July 20, 2012
But it ain't no, I'm a Little Dinosaur.
posted by alex_skazat at 2:51 PM on July 20, 2012
Oh I see! Someone already linked to, 'Dinosaur. Well, I'll leave you with this,
As My Mother Lay Dying
posted by alex_skazat at 2:58 PM on July 20, 2012
As My Mother Lay Dying
posted by alex_skazat at 2:58 PM on July 20, 2012
Thanks!
"Jonathan Goes Country" is one of my all time favourite albums.
posted by Catch at 5:46 PM on July 20, 2012
"Jonathan Goes Country" is one of my all time favourite albums.
posted by Catch at 5:46 PM on July 20, 2012
Once I gave my number to a (much) older guy, simply because he looked like Jonathan Richman.
Unfortunately, the resemblance ended there, and I realized a Jonathan Richman-looking guy without all the other Jonathan Richman things is not very exciting.
posted by redsparkler at 6:00 PM on July 20, 2012
Unfortunately, the resemblance ended there, and I realized a Jonathan Richman-looking guy without all the other Jonathan Richman things is not very exciting.
posted by redsparkler at 6:00 PM on July 20, 2012
I saw him once at a tiny venue (the Starry Plough in Berkeley). As I remember, we were standing there drinking our beers and talking when a guy walked in and onto the stage with a guitar. He plugged it in, tuned it a bit… and then started playing. Oh, wait — that's not a roadie, that's Jonathan Richman!
Then, at the end, as everybody was clapping madly and cheering, he said thanks, this has been great, have a great night, and bent down to unplug his guitar. Everybody kept cheering and clapping and stomping, unabated. He stood up, leaned towards the mic again, and said oh, uh, I don't do that extorting encores thing, so this really is good night. And the lights came up and everybody kind of looked at each other like oh, wait, he really is that straightforward and on-the-level? Wow.
Great show.
Seriously misquoted from faulty and aged memory.
posted by Lexica at 9:29 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
Then, at the end, as everybody was clapping madly and cheering, he said thanks, this has been great, have a great night, and bent down to unplug his guitar. Everybody kept cheering and clapping and stomping, unabated. He stood up, leaned towards the mic again, and said oh, uh, I don't do that extorting encores thing, so this really is good night. And the lights came up and everybody kind of looked at each other like oh, wait, he really is that straightforward and on-the-level? Wow.
Great show.
Seriously misquoted from faulty and aged memory.
posted by Lexica at 9:29 PM on July 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
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posted by ghharr at 8:24 AM on July 20, 2012