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Song Club #1 'I'm Straight' continued ... |
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I
much prefer the live version to the studio versions, with the extra righteousness
and bile in the delivery and the extra words (i knew you for a while, and
i tried to bring out the nicer and the smarter things you have inside...
but you walked by the computer centre with this kid who's not up to your
level at all... you should have me walking by your side.) which rhyme "inside" with "side". I don't know why that impresses me but it does. Though I like the rage of it, I love just as much the nervous tentativeness of the opening. Haven't we all felt that way when trying to say something important by telephone or letter? I felt it this very day, hence my remembering this song and wanting to talk about it. I've mentioned this before, but my friend Emil said to me that if I ever say an advert for a singer in a Jonathan Richman tribute band, I should call the number and when they answered, sing straight out "I.... called this number.... five times already, today.... but.... I, I got scared and I put it, I put the phone back in place...." Malary: I used to know -- but which does he use first and why -- "Hippie Ernie" and then changes to "Hippie Johnnie?" And I remember the Ernie isn't Ernie Brooks, but who are the names biographical for again? Timmybear: Well, the liner notes to the Modern Lovers cd reissue certainly suggest the Johnny was Mr. Felice, and that Ernie got annoyed when it was hippy Ernie. I was going to do that song at a coffeehouse once, but I was sure people would start laughing at me singing 'I'm straight', so I didn't. :) Part of the reason I could relate to the song is that, unrealistic as this may seem, I wouldn't date anyone who drank alcohol or did drugs. I grew up around that stuff, and I don't want to commit my heart to anyone who does them in ANY QUANTITY. I know that probably sounds harsh... I'm not even against drugs, and I don't care if FRIENDS drink... I just don't want boyfriends who do - if you can stand my face and my personality with no chemical barriers, you're probably good for me (if not necessarily for yourself ;) ). I suppose that's why it took me over ten years to find one... ;) Timmybear (who has done 'Corner Store' once, and will someday pull out 'Dignified and Old') Jacques Ball: Back in the old list times, I had edited an interview with John Felice, I paste below some part concerning his involvement in the Modern Lovers and who is behind Hippie Ernie/Johnny : John Felice (in 1998) : .... The Modern Lovers was my first band, playing Jonathan's crazy "When you get out of the hospital" nonsense and "Astral plane" and shit ... So I quit, because I had to go to school and these guys were like taking gigs on the West Coast. So I said I need to take some time off, I'm going to put together a little band. I said it wasn't permanent, y'know, we'll be back together and you guys make a record y'know, I'm there. And everybody liked the idea of two guitars in the Modern Lovers. It didn't sound as good when Jonathan was by himself. Ernie, Jerry and David really liked the idea of having another guitar because it gave the band so much more power... I : - Yeah, I wondered how you felt about his songs and his direction. There's a Modern Lovers live thing with you on , I guess you've heard it , and there's one song which he introduces as a song you hate - "Wake up sleepyhead" on Longbranch Saloon- and then he gives you the mic and you give your little speil about it. What did you think about him putting himself up, like in "Someone I care about", as this guy with really pure intentions. F :- See that's when things were starting to rip us all apart. Me and Jonathan, as close as we were, you know, I was like a punk, I was a wise-ass kid. I liked to do drugs, a lot of drugs, I liked to drink, and Jonathan was like this wide-eyed, no-drugs, ate nothing but health food, fucking carrot juice kind of guy... I : - So he was true to his word ? JF :- Oh fuck yeah. He was the fucking honest-to-goodness article. He was everything that he pretended to be. He was never false in his presentation of what he did. And.. it wasn't me, y'know ? I : - Is it true that you were Hippy Johnny (in "I'm straight') ? JF :- Yeah. It was originally Hippy Ernie. That was before Ernie was in the band. After I left it became Hippy Johnny, and the song became more timely, because , y'know, of my drugs... It was just the way I was. It made more sense because Ernie wasn't into doing drugs. --- - whatever Felice says , Ernie Brooks was not Hippy Ernie according to Jonathan.. but Hippy Johnny might really have been John Felice who answered to Jonathan in the classic Real Kids song "Who needs you "--- I : - So you were pretty much into all that at that early age ? JF :- Yeah. I was like 17.. I was a hellion, I just didn't fit in. I had a 100 watt Marshall, I had a Les Paul. Jonathan was trying to turn down all the time, and now he's succeeded in turning down into a complete accoustic. Him and me, our paths were growing further apart all the time.. We continued our friendship for years and years, during and after the Beserkley thing, he was back living again in Boston after that for several years. and we're still friends I guess, even though we don't stay in touch with each other.. I guess we're friends. So.. hope this clarifies a bit the matter... For those interested in John Felice nowadays, there is an hilarious single by the Lyres ("My buddy Felice") released last year. Felice yells at one of the Real Kids on an answering machine for ages. The guy kept the message and it is used as the backbone of the Lyres song. Kevin Lahey: I love this song, how come I never hear it live? Is it just that "straight" means something so much different now? Ian (responding to Kevin): I can't remember when i heard this anecdote, whether it originates from a friend of a friend or from a radio article or something, but appaerently someone once requested "I'm Straight" and Jonathan said something like; "NO! Absolutely NOT! My God, I was such a JERK back then!" It wasn't that the meaning had changed (it can still mean not on drugs if the context is made clear) just that the song's narrator is so self-righteous and judgemental. Or can seem so to the person who wrote it. It was obviously a very sincere song, probably written about a real incident, and maybe Jonathan feels squeamish remembering the incident now, let alone the song. Joel Gartland: This is somewhat similar to his response to requests for Roadrunner the first time I saw him... way back in 1980/81... A number of people yelled for it, and eventually he said something along the lines that he couldn't do it now, because he wrote that song when he was 18, and he was older now, and couldn't do the song with the same feeling, and it wouldn't be right for him to do it without feeling it. He didn't mention anything about being a jerk, but then again, Roadrunner isn't putting anyone else down like I'm Straight does.. Boy, I'd pay for a boot of that show... Imagine my surprise the next time I saw him when he did a good version of it. When you've got the feeling, go with it, I guess..... one of the things we like about the man... Kevin Lahey: Yup, I guess it is kinda earnest and silly and immature. But I really, really enjoy it! To my surprise, I found that I don't have a recording of "I'm Straight". I have seven different Jonathan albums, not counting the weeds, but not one of them has it on there -- I must've heard it before on one of my SO's old tapes. Strangely enough, someone didn't think it qualified to appear on _The Best of Jonathan Richman_. Hmmm. What's the best of the many, many reissues to get to ensure I have this gem available? It seems like the ML stuff has been issued and issued and reissued countless times. Which I guess is a pretty good thing. Brian Crawford: It's on the first ML album. I've never been able to tell which version of that is which mix. There is also a terrific version by a band called The Silos on an album called "Susan Across the Ocean." Goran Kraft: I think that the best way to include I´m Straight in your collection is to buy the very fine reissue from 2003 on Castle Records of the original "The Modern Lovers" album. It includes all the songs from the original album+3 bonus tracks. Bob Spencer: I'd also look into getting hold of 'Precise Modern Lovers Order', a great sounding live recording from 72/73 that includes a 6.30 minute recording of 'I'm Straight', with a intro into the song too - A great CD, well worth searching out! Ian: I have "I'm Straight" on "The Modern Lovers", though it wasn't on the original release. I think it's been on every reissue. It was produced by Kim Fowley. I also have it on "23 great recordings by", (which is not an especially well-chosen compilation in other respects.) It seems the live versions on "Live at the Longbranch" and "Precise Modern Lovers Order" are different from each other. Paul Campbell: Wasn't on the uk version. First released on 23 great songs by etc (uk) i think. precise modern lovers order is the definitive place - as well as essential for anyone who's not got it. is it on long branch? i guess so.... |
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