Attribution: PhilipRomanoPhoto, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Featuring the Fabulous Dadbots: Dave S., Mark M., Mark O., Dennis C., Paul C., and Geoff Carter
Listening to Fresh Air again—the dark days of December have arrived.
I’ve always cringed, punched the buttons to escape, (back when there were buttons on the car radio), whenever Barry came on…but alas, age softens—or is it wisens?…compassions?…whatever…I’m impressed by the guy as Terry Gross interviews him (mostly a replay of a 2002 interview. Good insights on “I write the songs”—wrote not a single one…He gives credit to his producer…his first song was based on Chopin and was 8 minutes… said producer, explained the 3 minute rule…set him up with, yep, “I Write the Songs”.
Now, At 80 he has a musical out called Harmony—about 6 young Germans…Berlin…1927. I hear so many great things about Berlin…maybe I’ll get there.
I have respect for all “doers”—no matter the trade…(rockstar…local musician, poet, artist…editorial writer…even a languid ppt presenter in a nowhere office, say, in Scranton, PA….) It is so easy to eat popcorn and poke holes—takes so much more—both effort and balls, to get up and perform.
He got his start via the below. Who knew? See…
Unforgettable Jingles Barry Manilow Created (People Magazine)
-D.
Interesting music trivia, Dave. Freaky that Barry Manilow wrote the indelible Good Neighbor State Farm theme song — still sung in their commercials by the likes of Patrick Mahomes. But… What!? Barry Manilow didn’t actually write “I am Music” and “I Write the Songs”? Ahh, so Manilow does not actually consider himself the human embodiment of Music after all? Good to know he didn’t let fame get to his head. So who did write it? “I am Music”, I discovered in my journey down yet another internet rabbit hole, was actually written by Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys.
To further expand ‘bot knowledge of weird trivia about annoyingly insipid hits, here’s the true story behind “I am Music”: Bruce Johnston was a bit disgruntled that for years he wasn’t considered a real Beach Boy. Johston had first joined the band as a hired gun — filling in for the band’s bassist and primary songwriter Brian Wilson (long hailed by critics as a musical genius) after Wilson was incapacitated by a series of nervous breakdowns and bouts of stage fright.
Apparently, one day Bruce Johnston was working in the studio with the “real” members of the band when they dissed a couple songs he was hoping they’d record. Johston drove off in a huff, assuaging his bruised ego by reminding himself that, though he was no Brian Wilson, he had the gift of music, dammit, he had music in him. “What is music? I AM music,” Johnston mused, “I’ll write songs that the whole world will sing…”
Soothing himself with these daydreams of grandeur, Johnston started humming a melody to those words as he drove along and by the time he got home, Johnston had the entire song written in his head. Bruce Johnston quickly recorded a demo of the song and later earned a Grammy for it after Barry Manilow’s version of “I Write the Songs” went platinum.
Why? Why should we care about this? Perhaps because it leads to deeper questions such as: What ARE these sounds recognized as “music” in our brains? And: Do you realize how strongly “Manilow” rhymes with “Mamerow”?
DC
A hoot! And interesting…Johnston was credited on the interview—mentioned as a Beach Boy…and I was like..hmmm…never heard of him…thought Wilson was the genius…?….Now I know.
Dave S.
I know. Right? I had to look up who wrote the dang song and was then like “There’s a Beach Boy named Bruce Johnston?” Then had to look that up — and hence fell into the rabbit hole.
DC
Yah, that list of hits from ol’ Barry is pretty much a nightmare of syrupy saccharine dreck. I just learned that he wrote (but as far as I know, did not have a hit with his own version of) ”It Never Rains in Southern California “. It pours, man, it pours…
Barry apparently got his face fixed by the same guy who did Dick Clark! Full frontal face shots only, please. You could bounce a quarter off those cheeks.
I’m with you, Dave. Until I reel off a list of my own #1 hits, I have to recognize his accomplishments. But I still don’t have to love “Looks Like We Made It” or “Mandy”.
The other ancient Jewish hit maker, of course, is Neil Diamond. Had some better songs, especially in the late 60s and early 70s. I have to say, that was one false note in The Last Waltz, when bosom buddy and musical mentor Neil Diamond came out to croon with The Band. (And to be honest, Ringo looked kinda out of place too.)
Mark M.
“Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there”.
8 words, 9 syllables. An ascending scale, a descending scale. A lifetime of royalties and luxury. Why would anyone work for a living?
Marko
Hmmm…had no idea Neil D. was Jewish. I really don’t care ‘bout ethnicity with regards to most things…but don’t take that as criticism.
Unrelated: Here’s an Indian movie that I recommend:
AndhaDhun | Official Trailer | Tabu | Ayushmann Khurrana | Radhika Apte | 5th October
-D.
Aka: Blind Melody…my rec assumes one is familiar with Bollywood. This one is not over the top as most Bollywood movies. If this happens to be your first—consider it: “very subtle, nuanced”.
Now, if you wish to graduate to full on Bollywood, I recommend academy award wining ‘RRR’ only Lawrence comes close. Such heroes!, such villains!…such singing while being tortured!
RRR
And of course there are (2) others…mandatory bot viewing—Please do not reply stating you have not seen either of the below—I will be crushed:
- Slumdog Millionaire, (perfect shots of the slums…and all the rabid (human), dogs lurking there-in). Pretty sure this was best picture.
- Bend it like Beckham (great coming of age flic… Blondie tune…”On the Rhine”—montage–Dreaming!. Pretty sure this should’ve been…😎 (Excellent Irish actor as coach, also in Woody Allen’s Matchpoint alongside—in more ways than one, (meow—to paraphrase Geoff), S-Jo. (Scarlett Johansson). Ever since Lost in Translation…one of my faves. BTW: a-mini tragedy that all the lucrative Marvel crap sidetracked her from an Ingrid Bergman/Bette Davis/Meryl Streep/Helen Mirren lofty career. To be fair, Helen has succumbed similarly…Reds and many other trash films. If you ever want a great ‘Policer”—check her out as DI Tennyson on British TV “Prime Suspect”.
-D.
Looks great! I stopped watching the trailer because it was giving away too much.
Mark M.
Marko got me to wondering if there is more to the State Farm song, Idk, maybe verses or something? So once again curiosity sent me down a rabbit hole —and, glory be, I do believe I’ve struck pay dirt. Here’s the entire song, for which Barry Manilow was paid $500:
Like A Good Neighbor
[Verse 1]
Whenever you’re driving
And wherever you’re bound
On freeways and byways
The whole country round
[Chorus]
You’ll feel better knowing anytime, anywhere
That like a good neighbor
State Farm is there
[Verse 2]
Your home’s where your heart is
It’s a feeling that grows
The house that you live in
The love that it shows
[Chorus]
You’ll feel better knowing anytime, anywhere
That like a good neighbor
State Farm is there
[Bridge]
We all hope the good times
Never leave us behind
We face our tomorrows
With some peace of mind
No man has a promise of a life without care
And like a good neighbor, State Farm is there
[Outro]
State Farm is there!
State Farm is there!
State Farm is there!
Weezer – Like a Good Neighbor Lyrics
And, that’s not all folks! Wheezer did a cover version!!
Weezer: “State Farm is There”
As for Neil Diamond, his song “Sweet Caroline… bah, bah, bah….” gets me annoyed and cringy every time I hear it as a sing-along at sporting events, etc, but it’s really not a bad song in and of itself. Neil Diamond wrote a few other songs that I actually like, such as “I’m a Believer”, “Cherry Cherry”, “Red Red Wine”…
Hard to say the same about the music of Barry Mamerow, er, I mean Manilow. I can’t think of one of his songs that I even mildly enjoy. Ah. Ok, wait–the Wheezer cover of “Neighbor” has its moments. (Rather poignant the way they sing “No man has a promise of life without care”.) And Barry has sooo many adoring fans. Reminds me a little of my grandmother and her friends’ love for Liberace. I never understood it, but his music and glitz really did give them joy. Hey MarkM, don’t you have a sister-in-law or good neighbor who is a major Manilow fanatic? Barry does seem like a genuinely good guy and yeah, gotta give him his props as a gifted, enduring craftsman of sentimental pop and catchy commercial jingles.
But don’t even get me started on Billy Joel…
DC
Yeah…Liberace…Mr. Vegas.
Tom Jones…I had a yellow shirt with the “furled” sleeves in high school. One day, early in my engineering career, a boring afternoon ahead of us on the drafting boards, while home for lunch I decided on a practical joke—grabbed a gold necklace of my wife’s, a gold chain…so much bling I made noise as I walked. I snuck it into the office, then at peak blood in the stomach 3 pm boredom, I unbuttoned the top four, my bed of chest hair, resplendent with the gold bling upon it. I’d approach different co-workers, with an innocent question…might take more than one to get nose to the grindstone, introverted engineers to actually lift up their heads…and…yuk, yuk, yuk… I’d snap my fingers and put on a bit of cool gait as I cruised around the office.
Elvis, Neil D. were similarly “irresistible” with the open lapel look as opposed to the soft spoken, sensitive singers: Barry, Dan Fogelberg, Hall..(or was it Oats?…or both)….
“Sweet Caroline”…yeah that is our demographic…they played it in Lahti, Finland this August past, while 93 of us in the 65-69 age bracket were getting ready to go for a swim (half Ironman event)…all in wetsuits with the same color swim cap—no mistaking the geezer category. At first I was embarrassed—as it was in Europe…but Americans are the majority—by far (a surprise to me). It still felt a little cruel to be so squarely in the cross hairs.
Apologies if I mentioned this earlier but I was surprised to hear my son shout out the “So good, So good” when a guy was playing it at a beer garden recently—not sure when this started…not a refrain of the song…one of those audience participation things that becomes the norm. Once you hear someone do it…and are thus “in on the deal”, you’ll want to join in…and it comes around 2-3 more times. (I think its after the line….”good times never felt so good”…the audience adlib inserts an emphatic: So good!, so good!…a post coital double entendre.
Keepadiggin’ Dennis.
Dave S.
And Dave,
Speaking of your wife’s panties (which you were no doubt wearing under your Liberace outfit), Tom Jones got his share thrown at him. Room keys, too!
Mark M.
Wasn’t Robbie Robertson (RIP) doing the open shirt thing in The Last Waltz? Not a look reserved for Interstate Holiday Inns or the Vegas strip. Of course, seventies fashion was sort of beyond comprehension anyway.
It was interesting in The Last Waltz that Robertson and Levon Helm were talking at length about Tin Pan Alley and that group of songwriters–which was the introduction to Neil Diamond’s song in the movie.
If you look at Manilow, Diamond, Paul Anka, and I’d even include The Carpenters, yeah, they were totally schlocky songs–but they were well-crafted tunes. I’d contrast that with the junk coming out today (Dose goddamned kids wouldn’t know a good song if it came up and bit ‘em in the ass). At least the old Tin Pan Alley crowd wrote recognizable melodies and not a lot of self-pitying masturbatory crap.
Signed,
Grumpy Old Man
GC