RiffRaf

Lost Gems: "Driver's Seat" by Sniff 'n' the Tears

             

                                                                                                                        By Jim Pace

Song: Driver's Seat

Artist: Sniff ‘n’ the Tears

Released: 1978

Genre: Power Pop

In the car, some songs get you there quicker, but you still arrive late.

We've all felt it; you're driving along, oblivious to everything, when a certain song comes on the radio and suddenly, it all looks different. The day opens up, you drive faster and you're sure that things are going to change from that moment on.

"Driver's Seat" by Sniff 'n' the Tears is one of those songs. You need to be driving when you listen to it. If the cops chase you, oh well, it's a small price to pay for a bit of euphoria.

In 1972, singer-songwriter Paul Roberts played the London pubs with an early incarnation of Sniff 'n' the Tears. They were unable to land a record deal, so in 1974 Paul left the band and moved to France to pursue his painting. Two years later, a French record company allowed him to cut some demos in London.

His former drummer, Luigi Salvoni, brought in some musicians from his band Moon, and they recorded some of what would become Fickle Heart, with Salvoni producing. The demos sat for a while, but Salvoni gave them another listen and thought they had potential. Roberts' painting career was heating up, but Salvoni smelled a hit and talked him into starting a new band.

Roberts (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Salvoni (drums) were joined by Loz Netto (guitars), Mick Dyche (guitars), Chris Birkin (bass), Alan Fealdman (Keyboards) and became Sniff 'n' the Tears. Keyboardist Keith Miller played the Moog synthesizer on "Driver's Seat."

They finished the album in 1978 and were signed by Chiswick Records. "Driver's Seat" was the obvious hit. The song moves along, driven by an acoustic guitar and accented by power pop guitars and those fantastic Moog riffs. The song caught fire and by August 1979, it was #15 on Billboard's Hot 100 in the U.S.

Sniff 'n' the Tears went from playing nightclubs to touring Spain and Germany, but some of the band members weren't prepared for that type of lifestyle. Birkin and Fealdman left the band. Then Salvoni quit right before a three month tour, opening for Kansas and Kenny Loggins in the States. He felt it wasn't the right kind of tour for Sniff 'n' the Tears.

A few albums followed with several different lineups, Roberts remaining the only constant. They were moderately successful, and Roberts painted each fantastic album cover himself, but "Driver's Seat" was a tough act to follow.

The song pops up every few years in a movie or TV show, and in 1991 was the #1 record in the Netherlands after it was featured in a commercial.

You probably won't hear it on the radio these days. So get it onto the Ipod, or better yet break out the old 8-track cassette, roll down the windows and get in the driver's seat.

Every once in awhile, for a couple of minutes, anything is possible.

Grab the keys. Let's go.

             

(Jim Pace is a musician and filmmaker living in NY.)

Lost Gems: "Plenty is Never Enough" by Tenement Halls

                                  

                                                                                        By Jim Pace

Song: Plenty is Never Enough

Artist: Tenement Halls

Released: 2005

Genre: Indie Pop/Rock 

Tenement Halls slipped by me and that makes me want to send the car stereo bouncing across the highway. Let me explain.

I like to think I'm always hip to the latest and greatest when it comes to music. The fact that I just used the word "hip" should clue you into the reality of the situation. But I do try. Because I get bored. So I need new music constantly. And I hate it when I miss something good. 

These days if you want to hear something other than Rihanna, you best be Sherlock "Effing" Holmes on the internet or you're screwed.

Tenement Halls is actually Chris Lopez, the former lead singer of the acclaimed or slandered - depending on who you talk to - 1990s Atlanta Indie band, Rock*A*Teens. 

I only had a brief encounter with the Rock*A*Teens in the 90s because a) I didn't live in Atlanta, and b) I was on dial up. I thought they were okay, but they never became an obsession. 

Then in 2009, I heard The Shins' cover of "Plenty is Never Enough," and I really liked it. So I went looking for the original and found the Tenement Halls' version, which was recorded in 2005. It's much more in your face than The Shins' version - kind of a "noisy" record - and I haven't stopped listening to the thing. 

No one is really sure if Chris Lopez is going to record again, or if he even wants to. But the word is the guy has a day job, wife and kid. And those are the three main ingredients of "you ain't making it stew." And this brilliant single was recorded seven years ago! 

So if you see a stereo skipping by, you'll understand.

If it is the end of Tenement Halls, at least in my book, he actually did leave while on top of the world.         

                 

(Jim Pace is a musician and filmmaker living in NY.)

Lost Gems: "Keep on Knocking" by Death

           

                                                                                                                                    By Jim Pace

Song: Keep on Knocking

Artist: Death

Released: 1976

Genre: Proto Punk

In the early 70s, the Hackney brothers were playing R & B in their parents' garage, but after seeing Alice Cooper and The Who, respectively, they decided to become a hard rock band. Bobby handled the vocals and bass, Dannis was on drums and David was the group’s guitarist and primary songwriter.

As an African-American hard rock band who called themselves Death, living in a mostly black Detroit neighborhood, their shows were often met with an unenthusiastic response. The more they gigged, however, the more popular they had become, but the band's primary focus was to make a record.

After literally throwing a dart at the yellow pages studio listings, they settled on Groovesville Productions, which was owned by Don Davis, a successful producer for Stax Records. Groovesville signed the band, and in 1974 they began recording a 12 song demo. They would complete only seven songs.

Don Davis brought the demo to Clive Davis at Arista, who liked their music but wanted them to change the band's name otherwise there would be no deal.

David Hackney’s response was quick and to the point, "Hell, no!" They were young, brash and confident they would get another deal.

It is this middle finger moment, combined with the great demos, that have made the band true underground legends. In a business where artists will pretty much do anything to get signed, including firing its members, Death walked away, artistic integrity intact.

With the demo sessions dead in the water, the Hackneys pressed 500 copies of “Politicians in My Eyes” b/w “Keep on Knocking” under their own Tryangle label, and sent it to the local radio stations.

But in 1976 Donna Summer was catching fire, Don Davis was producing Johnny Taylor's soon-to-be number one single, "Disco Lady," Saturday Night Fever was around the corner, and a tidal wave known as disco was about to wash away any black artist who was not laying down dance beats.

Dejected, the Hackney brothers relocated to Vermont to clear their heads, eventually recording two albums as a gospel rock band called 4th Movement. David became homesick and returned to Detroit in 1982, while Bobby and Dannis stayed in Burlington and formed a popular reggae band.

A year before his death in 2000, David gave Bobby some old demos. When Bobby told him he had enough of their stuff already, David said, “No, Bobby, you gotta do this. Listen, the world's gonna come looking for this music. I know that you will have it.”

In 2009, Bobby’s son Julian was at a party in San Francisco, when he recognized his father's voice on a song that was playing. His father never talked about his music, but had mentioned the band's name. Bobby Jr. Googled "Death" and was shocked to learn the Tryangle single had achieved mythic status.

Bobby’s sons started a Death tribute band. Drag City Records released a seven song demo For the Whole World To See to universal acclaim, including Jack White of the White Stripes, who wrote, “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Ahead of punk and ahead of their time.”

The documentary A Band Called Death debuted at The LA Film Fest in June 2012 to critical success. Bobby and Dannis reformed Death and released another album of demo material.

Just as David Hackney had predicted, the world came looking for their music.

Today, many artists market themselves as “rebels," but only if it’s profitable. In truth, they themselves have become the establishment. They will sell shoes, water, headphones, cologne, hair dye, etc. And if you happen to be a thirteen year old fan who got a hold of that 99 cent single without paying for it, they will attempt to have you shipped to prison.

These so-called "rebels" talk a lot about artistic integrity, but let’s be serious, 35 years from now will anyone be talking about how badass that hair dye commercial was?

So enjoy the Rolls Royce and all the perfume money. But if you're looking for the type of respect and admiration that Death has found, you can keep on knocking.

But it's not for sale.

          

(Jim Pace is a musician and filmmaker living in NY.)

Best of Lost Gems: "Starry Eyes" by The Records

                                                                                         By Jim Pace

Song: Starry Eyes

Artist: The Records

Released: 1979

Genre: Power Pop

"The British Big Star." Those four words have already sent some of you racing over to iTunes. The rest of you are asking, "Who's Big Star?" That's unfortunate. Not as unfortunate as some younger folks asking, "What the heck is a record?" But that's my issue, so we'll move on.

To power pop fans, Big Star, The Beatles, Raspberries, and Badfinger are the Holy Grail. When a band is compared to them, you pay attention and hope they stick around.

However, the rise and fall of The Records was so swift, the band should have sued everyone in sight for whiplash. But knowing these boys, they would have eventually sued each other. 

After a brief stint together in Kursaal Flyers in 1977, Will Birch asked John Wicks if he wanted to write some songs; he had been impressed with Wicks' sense of pop melody. Wicks, the rhythm guitarist in Kursaal Flyers, would become the singer of The Records; Birch would stick to his drums.

Bass player Phil Brown answered Birch and Wicks' ad in Melody Maker. They placed a second ad, and two hundred guitarists later, they found the left-handed, Huw Gower.

In 1978, Dave Edmunds put music to some lyrics Will Birch had written called "A1 on The Jukebox." Around the same time, a Wicks/Birch song, "Hearts In Her Eyes," was recorded by The Searchers, and still another song was recorded by Rachel Sweet. None of the songs were hits, but it didn't matter.

The Records recorded a new song called "Starry Eyes" and the band rose like a comet. 

The new single was a power pop masterstroke, and the band knew it. The song features ringing guitars, memorable hooks and great harmonies. What's not to like? The record companies noticed and came after them hard.

By 1979, they were signed to Virgin Records, and a young hotshot producer was brought in, Robert "Mutt" Lange, whose credits included the Boomtown Rats and would soon become one of the most successful producers in the history of pop music (Def Leppard, The Cars, Shania Twain). 

Their U.S. debut, The Records, was well received, and the band was taken on a whirlwind promotional tour. Bands they loved, like the dB's opened for them. They met celebrities, went to parties in limos, opened for The Cars in Central Park, they were giving dozens of interviews and Billy Joel even gave them ties. It looked like nothing could stop them.

According to Birch, after the 1979 U.S. tour, the band made "two big mistakes." The first was the firing of Huw Gower. The second mistake was not bringing back Mutt Lange to produce the second record. But as Birch notes, "I'm not sure he would have stuck around." He probably wouldn't have. In the next eighteen months, Lange would produce AC/DC's Back in Black, Def Leppard's High 'n' Dry and Foreigner's 4.

The second album, Crashes, and the 1980 tour wasn't as much fun. There were no limos, they had to ride public transportation, carrying their own instruments. In seven weeks they did not give a single interview and Billy Joel did not show up with any ties.

After a third record, Music on Both Sides (1982), was shelved by Virgin, the boys went their separate ways. Phil Brown passed away earlier this year; Will Birch became a music critic and published a biography of Ian Dury in 2010; John Wicks still plays with a version of the band and Huw Gower has recorded for his own label.

Maybe this should serve as a cautionary tale of some kind. Don't take others for granted? Appreciate what you have? Maybe. But I say screw it, put on some headphones, turn up the volume and listen to this great, great single.

Just do it. I don't want to argue. 

           

(Jim Pace is a musician and filmmaker living in NY.)

Best of Lost Gems: "Crying in the Night" by Buckingham Nicks

              
                                                                                                                                By Jim Pace

Song: Crying in the Night

Artist: Buckingham Nicks

Released: 1973

Genre: Pop/Rock

Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks have always been that good looking couple from high school who we all thought would be together forever, but never made it past senior year. We always root for that couple. If they can make it, then maybe we can hold on to some of our unrealistic, romantic dreams a little while longer.

They first met at a party where Stevie saw Lindsey sitting alone, playing "California Dreaming." She thought he was "beautiful," so she walked over and sang the harmony, which impressed Lindsey. Soon after, her family moved to Chicago and they would not see each other for two years when they met up in college, and Lindsey asked Stevie to join his band, Fritz.

Fritz was a popular local band that would go on to open for Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, CCR and Chicago, but they couldn't secure a record deal. Frustrated, Lindsey and Stevie quit the band in 1971 and forged ahead as a duo.

Lindsey used his inheritance to buy an Ampeg 4-track tape machine; they locked themselves in a small office space at a coffee plant where his father worked, and recorded all night, every night for about a year.

They recorded seven songs and headed to Los Angeles to score a record deal. They were turned down by every record company in town except for Polydor Records, who eventually signed the duo in 1973.

Keith Olsen, who was Curt Boettcher's whiz kid engineer and collaborator, was brought in to produce the album. He showed up with a gaggle of session players, including legendary drummer Jim Keltner, Waddy Wachtel on guitar and Elvis Presley's famed TCB band. But make no mistake, the album is dominated by Lindsey Buckingham's unique guitar sounds and the duo's strong vocals. They were seasoned pros by the time they recorded their debut record and it shows.

What makes Buckingham Nicks special, however, are the songs. "Crying in The Night," which has Stevie already warning Lindsey about the dangers of other women, could have been the lead track on the album Fleetwood Mac. Buckingham's "Without a Leg to Stand On" would have felt right at home on Rumours, while "Don't Let Me Down Again," is a long time Fleetwood Mac concert staple. Nicks' "Crystal" packs a bigger wallop here than it does on the Mac version, and "Races Are Run" is Stevie's first kiss-off song, a mean little middle finger to her old Fritz bandmates. This album could have been titled Rumours, the Prequel.

The critics loved the record, but the early sales figures were poor and Polydor dropped the duo. Within weeks they were living in Richard Dashut's house; Stevie began cleaning Keith Olsen's apartment and waitressing to make ends meet, whereas Lindsey raised some cash, touring with Don Everly. Meanwhile, they began recording a second Buckingham Nicks album. The songs included such Fleetwood Mac hits as "Rhiannon," "Monday Morning," and "Landslide."

Fate stepped in when Mick Fleetwood stepped into Sound City Studios, looking for a place to record the next Fleetwood Mac album. He was also looking for a new guitar player to replace Bob Welch. Olsen played Fleetwood a copy of the Buckingham Nicks' track "Frozen Love" to demonstrate the studio's and his capabilities. Fleetwood loved the guitar work and offered Buckingham the gig but had no interest in Nicks (good call, Mick).

Buckingham told him they were a package deal. After talking it over with John and Christine McVie, they agreed to let them both join. They rehearsed for a month, recorded the Fleetwood Mac album in three months and went on the road. By the end of 1975 they were superstars.

Before the venom, the affairs and the mountains of cocaine, there was Buckingham Nicks. Their sole record has never been released in any digital format; it's a “classic” album we’re not sick of yet, like your old high school sweetheart, showing up after so many years, looking exactly the same, without the baggage, without thirty years of life's bruises. Still fresh-faced, filled with hope, dreams of the future, before everyone went their own way.

And you had nothing but time.

           

(Jim Pace is a musician and filmmaker living in NY.)

Lost Gems: "Tomorrow" by Strawberry Alarm Clock

          
                                                                                        By Jim Pace            
    Song: Tomorrow

Artist: Strawberry Alarm Clock

Released: 1968

Genre: Pop/Rock

The old saying goes, "You want to make God laugh, tell him your plans."

The Strawberry Alarm Clock had plans to make it big and hit #1 on the charts. In 1967, that's exactly what they did with “Incense and Peppermints”…sort of.

The song hit the top of the charts, but the guy singing it wasn't in the band, and though Strawberry Alarm Clock wrote most of the music, they've never been credited and have never seen a dime of royalties.

The Strawberry Alarm Clock were Ed King (lead guitar, vocals), Michael Luciano (vocals), Lee Freeman (rhythm guitar, harmonica, vocals), Gary Lovetro (bass), Gene Gunnel (drums) and Steve Rabe (guitar, vocals), who was replaced by Mark Weitz (keyboards, vocals).

While recording the first album, Incense and Peppermints, Weitz and King wrote an instrumental track that was going to be used as a B-side. Producer Frank Slay, who was also the band's publisher, sent the track to one of his clients, John Carter, who had a title, “Incense and Peppermints,” and instructed him to write lyrics to Weitz and King's music.

Mark Weitz and Lee Freeman didn't appreciate Carter showing up to oversee the handling of his lyrics, so they gave lackluster efforts on the lead vocal, then decided to give 16 year old Greg Munford of The Shapes, who was there to sing back up, a shot at the lead vocal, and that's who you hear on the finished record.

Slay planned to credit Carter, his songwriting partner Tim Gilbert (because of a previous contractual obligation) Weitz and King as the writers. But the band's manager, Bill Holmes, insisted that his name be added. Slay refused to list more than four names, so he released it with Carter and Gilbert (who had nothing to do with it) as the songwriters. To this day they are the only people who have received royalties.

When it came time to record the next album, Wake Up...It's Tomorrow, Weitz and King were determined to write a hit. They wrote the words and music to "Tomorrow," and this time they didn't let anyone near it. 

Mark Weitz plays a tasty little organ solo and Ed King plays a quick, nasty guitar solo, holding the last note so long, you could hear the guitar practically screaming, "Take that, you bastards!"

King, who co-wrote and played the guitar solo on "Sweet Home Alabama," while he was a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, considers the guitar and bass on "Tomorrow" to be his best work ever.

The song has a crazy ending, rich harmonies, and while it has some psychedelic trappings, it's more straightforward than "Incense and Peppermints" and less of a timepiece. Allmusic called it "very possibly the band's finest moment."

The song hit #23 on the Billboard charts, and if they felt vindicated, they had every right to.

Isn’t that what we’re all waiting for?

Truthfully, how many times have you thought about it?

You'll see, "Tomorrow," things won't be the same.

           

(Jim Pace is a musician and filmmaker living in NY.)

Lost Gems: "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle" by Cake

           

Song: Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle

Artist: Cake

Released: 1994

Genre: Alternative

How do you afford your rock and roll lifestyle?

It's a simple question, really. But it all depends on what constitutes a rock and roll lifestyle. For some it's sex, drugs, rock and roll and a "bad Moto Guzzi." For others, it's diapers, Desitin, Enfamil and strollers. It doesn't get more rock and roll than that!

This is just one of several questions Cake's singer/leader John McCrea asks throughout the four minute song:

"How much did you spend on your black leather jacket?" "How much did you pay for your rock 'n' roll t-shirt?" "How much did you pay for your bad Moto Guzzi?" 

So many questions. Is this a test? Are they simply rhetorical or does Mr. McCrea want me to answer them all? I'll give it a shot:

a) I don't own a black leather jacket, and I've never purchased one in my life. b) I have purchased concert t-shirts, but I don't usually pay more than $25 for one. There are two in my closet right now. c) I don't know. I'll get back to you on that one. 

Did I pass?

Does Mr. McCrea want me to reflect on my chosen lifestyle, which is anything but rock 'n' roll? Is he trying to teach me something about economics? Why all the questions?

                                             

Do you detect sarcasm here?

Why is Mr. McCrea singling me out? I didn't even know what a Moto Guzzi was until I looked it up just now. (It's an Italian motorcycle, by the way.)

Or is he targeting you?

When Cake released their first studio album, Motorcade of Generosity, I was one of the first to buy a slice of "cake." Did I buy the record just "to prove that I heard of them first"? Looking back, was that wrong? Because according to McCrea, "I was just drinking what they're selling." But I like Cake, still do. Does that mean I'm a sell-out?

Like me, other consumers must have loved the postmodern, ironic "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle," that we had to own a copy of it. We must have loved Cake's lo-fi charm and McCrea's deadpan delivery. We must have loved the white-boy funk that reminded us of Soul Coughing. In fact, we loved it so much that the song climbed the charts to #35 and the video was featured on MTV's 120 Minutes. That's how much we loved it.

To be honest, Mr. McCrea, my cd collection is shiny and costly, but I've never purchased a chunk of a rock star's guitar. How much does something like that go for anyway? I guess it depends on the guitarist. Pete Townshend might fetch a few quid more than the anonymous guitarist who smashed his Flying V at the end of the Brooklyn Bowl gig.

Oh, and thanks Mr. McCrea for the philosophical aphorism (despite the poor grammar): "Excess ain't rebellion." I'll be sure to keep that in mind the next time Cake releases an album. And why do you think buying music is self-destructive anyway? Funny, I never thought of it that way. I guess it all depends on the band.

I apologize for beating you up, John McCrea. I really like Cake. I really like you. And I really like your songs, particularly "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle"? 

Do you detect sarcasm here?

               

Lost Gems: "Hourglass" by Squeeze

    

Song: Hourglass

Artist: Squeeze

Released: 1987

Genre: Pop/Rock

The Zodiac Killer. Jack The Ripper. Amelia Earhart & Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance. These mysteries have confounded the general public for years and have gone unsolved. But there's another towering mystery that involves the English band Squeeze that you may not have been aware of. Let me fill you in.

For a band that was wildly popular in England, Squeeze was unable to generate the same admiration and adoration in America. Why is that? It's a mystery that still boggles the mind.

Squeeze had all the tools that every great band possesses: great songs (obviously!), unique vocals, outstanding musicianship, sublime harmonies, a sense of humor (not in all cases), clever lyrics and a cool, defining look. Unfortunately, the little band from London never really found superstardom in The States. (We'll take a look at the top five UK bands that failed to find superstardom across The Pond on Wednesday (8/8), but until then we'll focus our full attention on the pop group Squeeze.)

Perhaps the songwriting team of Glen Tilbrook (guitar, vocals) and Chris Difford (guitar, vocals) buckled under the pressure of living up to the lofty title of the "New Lennon and McCartney." Such enormous expectations could very well have intimidated the talented duo.

Along with Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Gary Numan and XTC, Squeeze were part of the British New Wave of the late 70s. With the exception of Elvis Costello, the aforementioned groups/artists received only a lukewarm reception in America.

Chris Difford recalled the group's invasion of North American shores: “When we arrived in America, we turned on the radio and it was ‘Baker Street’ and REO Speedwagon and Styx and Zeppelin. Not that there’s anything wrong with hearing Zeppelin, obviously. But that was the bulk of radio. It did change, though. College radio became huge, and we managed to sort of wing our way through college radio and do lots and lots of U.S. tours.”

In 1985, after several albums, lineup changes and moderate success, the five musicians that recorded the classic Argybargy (1980) - Glen Tilbrook, Chris Difford, Jools Holland, John Bentley and Gilson Lavis - reformed to do a charity concert. The event was such a smash that they all agreed to reform Squeeze and head back into the studio. The result? Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti, which received positive reviews and sold fairly well. 

Then came Babylon and On in 1987, their seventh studio album, which reached #14 in the U.K. The single "Hourglass," must have given Squeeze a glimmer of hope. It was the highest charting song the band ever had in the United States, reaching #15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Hourglass" was assisted by a creative video that was placed in heavy rotation on MTV when the channel was still playing music videos. Chris Difford said, “We made a fantastic video, and it was getting played constantly in rotation on MTV and VH1. So there was a lot going on, and it sort of helped steamroll the track onto radio.”

Babylon and On was a minor hit, but the band's success wasn't long-lasting. Squeeze's next album, 1989's Frank, wasn't given much support by A&M Records. Consequently, it floundered in both the U.S. and the U.K.

Although Squeeze has managed a handful of hits, their biggest-selling album in The States is not one of their thirteen studio albums but their early ’80s greatest-hits collection, Singles—45′s and Under.

The band is still playing, however. The classic lineup that included the charming pianist Jools Holland is no longer intact, but Tilbrook and Difford continue to march on with a revolving door of supporting musicians.

In an interview with Rolling Stone in April 2012, Tilbrook and Difford confirmed that they plan to record an album of new material for release in 2013.

           

Lost Gems: "Circles" by Soul Coughing

  
                                                                                                                                    By Jim Pace

Song: Circles

Artist: Soul Coughing

Released: 1998

Genre: Alternative Funk Rock

In the '90s, I headed to Nevada with my brother and a couple of friends to jump out of an airplane. It's not often you get to stand on the outside of a moving plane, and in an instant find yourself plummeting towards the desert. It was an extraordinary experience. 

When it was over, they handed me a video of the jump, complete with soundtrack. That was the first time I heard Soul Coughing.

It was "Super Bon Bon," and they were singing, "Move aside and let the man go through, let the man go through," as we walked towards the plane in our jumpsuits, in slow motion.

Cut to us jumping at about 15,000 feet...."Let the men go through." It was an action movie moment. I have never felt cooler than when I first I watched myself on that video. 

Except for that dude strapped to my back. 

Some time later, after a rotten week, I was sitting around flipping channels, and stopped on what looked like a music video for the old Hanna-Barbera cartoons on Cartoon Network’s classic Boomerang channel.

When the video was over, I learned it was "Circles" by Soul Coughing. The song was catchy, and the video was flawless. So I spent the rest of that day watching old cartoons. And a bad week started getting better. Immediately, I set out to learn about the band and bought all three albums they recorded.

Soul Coughing was started by singer/songwriter/music critic Mike Doughty, who met the other members while working as a doorman at the Knitting Factory in NYC: keyboard /sample player Mark Degli Antoni, bassist Sebastian Steinberg and drummer Yuval Gabay.

Degli Antoni’s experimental sampling and Doughty’s beat-influenced lyrics and singing style gave the band a unique jazz and funk sound. They set up shop in CBGB Gallery, and were soon signed by Warner Brothers' subsidiary, Slash.

The first two albums, Ruby Vroom and Irresistible Bliss, contained a couple of minor hits, including “Super Bon Bon.” But the breakthrough came with El Oso and the single “Circles," which hit #36 on the charts, thanks to the Cartoon Network groovie. Of course, the band was fighting over royalties by then, and another good thing ended over the green.

There were good songs on all three albums, and I liked more than a few of them. But my favorites are still "Circles" and "Super Bon Bon." Are these their best songs? I'm not sure. Would a 13 year old girl, or a 45 year old woman, for that matter, really relate to "move aside and let the man go through"? Their entire catalogue seems like it was made to be a soundtrack. 

For a guy watching a video of himself standing on the wing of a moving airplane, or someone thinking back to a happier time, they were just right.

It’s as if Soul Coughing was writing songs just for me.

It turns out artists are right. We need art in our lives. But before Kanye busts in and demands more money, it’s important to note that art needs us more.

It’s a great circle.

          

Lost Gems: "Red Rubber Ball" by The Cyrkle

Song: Red Rubber Ball

Artist: The Cyrkle

Released: 1966

Genre: Pop

Millions of songs have been written about the usual things: love, girls, cars, drugs, even god. Some songs have been written about unusual things too like the "YMCA," "Purple people eaters" and "Bicycles."

So why not a rubber ball?

Don Dannemann (guitar/vocals) and Tom Dawes (bass/vocals) met while studying at Lafayette College. They formed a band (that would later become The Cyrkle), and in 1965 were discovered and managed by the same dapper gentleman who had managed The Beatles, Brian Epstein. 

In fact, John Lennon provided the band with its unique spelling (Cyrkle), which is an allusion to the circle located in downtown Easton, Pennsylvania where Lafayette College is located.

The Cyrkle's big break came in early 1966 when they opened for Simon and Garfunkel. Paul Simon offered the group "Red Rubber Ball," a song he had co-written with Bruce Woodley of The Seekers.

In a recent interview on The Colbert Report, Steven Colbert asked Paul Simon if there was a particular song that almost didn't make it into his songbook, Lyrics 1964-2008. Simon replied "Red Rubber Ball," and that he wrote the song while he was living in England in order to get an advance from The Seekers. 

"Red Rubber Ball" might not have been worthy enough for Mr. Simon, but the song turned out to be The Cyrkle's biggest hit, climbing all the way to #2 on the Billboard charts, selling over one million copies and going gold. 

In the summer of '66, on the strength of their hit single, The Cyrkle opened for The Beatles during their U.S. tour. They would even take part in Beatles' history as they opened for the Fab Four on their final concert at Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966.

The Cyrkle had one more Top 20 hit, "Turn-Down Day," later in 1966. They recorded a second album, Neon, a movie soundtrack, The Minx, a few singles then disbanded in late 1967.

Both Tom Dawes and Don Dannemann went onto write jingles. Dawes wrote the famous "plop plop fizz fizz" jingle for Alka-Seltzer, while Danneman wrote jingles for Continental Airlines and Swanson Foods, eventually writing the original 7Up "Uncola" ditty.