MLT Club Member David Herrick
MLT Club MemberForum Replies Created
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Hi, Andy, and welcome to the club!
Generally if you have a question specifically for Mona and Lisa, it’s best to post it under “Ask the MonaLisa Twins” rather than here. The general discussion forum is basically for dialogues among club members, and although MLT monitors it, they seldom weigh in.
I believe they’ve addressed the topic you brought up on a previous occasion, although I don’t remember where. In principle you could search the archive to find it, or perhaps another club member recalls.
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Mike Nesmith’s most successful solo song, peaking in the Billboard charts 50 years ago this week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5CiOTrRJBw
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Far too many to choose from, but I’ll give a shout-out to my home state:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI_dBarT6UY
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Beatles fans may already know this story, but this song was named for Linda McCartney… when she was just a year old! Attorney Lee Eastman requested that his client, composer Jack Lawrence, write a song about his daughter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ynyn3UQPlWU&t=36s
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So hard to narrow it down, but this has long been one of my favorites:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTCIWLA9vgo
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Jacki, that’s half of all the songs ever written! Could we narrow it down to names starting with one particular letter, or something like that?
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Mike, you can evolve this topic in any direction you like, but my original idea was to find songs with references to specific people, places, songs, and events associated with the group.
I just now discovered another example. In the beginning of the Shangri Las song Leader of the Pack, there is the spoken line “Betty, is that Jimmy’s ring you’re wearing?” The lead vocal in the released version is sung by Mary Weiss, but it turns out in the original demo it was done by her sister Betty.
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Very interesting! Impressive bit of research there, Jung. I guess I had always assumed that the lengthening of songs since the early 60’s was mainly because music evolved from being something to dance to, to something to listen to, and one needs more frequent breaks when dancing than when listening.
My preference is generally for the two-to-three-minute range. I tend to be more into the musical structure of a song than the lyrics, and that’s about how long it usually takes for the structural elements to play out to the point where I feel I’ve absorbed them.
Dirty little secret: when someone posts a song here that’s longer than four minutes, I usually play it at double speed!
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This could go on for a while… and apparently I have nothing better to do.
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown – Jim Croce
You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – Jim Croce
Ballad of Michael – Harmony Grass
Fernando – ABBA
For Pete’s Sake – The Monkees
Michael Row the Boat Ashore – The Highwaymen
Johnny Get Angry – Joanie Sommers
You Can Call Me Al – Paul Simon
Charlie Brown – The Coasters
Danny Boy – various
Bobby’s Girl – Marcie Blaine
Billy Don’t Be a Hero – Paper Lace
Timothy – The Buoys
Hats Off to Larry – Del Shannon
Eli’s Comin’ – Laura Nyro
Little Willy – Sweet
Mickey – Toni Basil
Mack the Knife – Bobby Darin
Don Juan – Dave Dee group
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard – Paul Simon
Carlisle Wheeling – The Monkees
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PzLD8Rjinw
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Not sure if Mama counts as a “real” name, Joe, but a great song nonetheless, with an unusual mix of elements. Maybe I’m overreading it, but I’ve always liked to believe that the line “I’d love it more if it changed” is disguised sarcasm for “I love it, but if anything at all were different in any way, it would be an improvement.”
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Jung, I was going to challenge you on this one, on the technicality that Sloopy isn’t really a name. But I looked it up, and the song title was inspired by jazz musician Dorothy Sloop, nicknamed Sloopy.
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Joe, I know Norman only because it was included on a cassette I once bought, manufactured in the Netherlands, containing an eclectic mix of songs from the late 50’s and early 60’s. It had staying power with me because I’m a fan of professional golf, and the song always ran through my head whenever I saw Greg Norman.
I just checked and found that Sue Thompson is still alive at 95.
