Charlie’s setlist 9-4-09

[Charlie]

[size=14:89c2769e00]Sat in for Glen tonight……

Hour #2 was a tribute to Ellie Greenwich who passed away last week. She wrote (with her husband Jeff Barry and others) a lot of those two and a half minute "teenage symphonies to God" from pop music’s golden age.

Ann Powers of the LA Times wrote "She could write silly and she could write serious. But Greenwich’s key works — such classics as "Leader of the Pack," "Chapel of Love" and "River Deep, Mountain High" as well as more obscure ones like "Out in the Streets" and "Girls Can Tell" — have a particular resonance that goes beyond catchiness or nostalgia.

Their quality has to do with Greenwich’s gift for capturing the frisson of a decision almost made, a change that hasn’t quite come, and which could still go either way. The voices for which she wrote, young and nearly always female, had a natural waver. They belonged to the kids who would change everything: multicultural girls such as Barbara Alston and Dolores "La La" Brooks of the Crystals, Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes and Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las, girls who aspired to certain feminine ideals but also wished for a certain freedom promised by the changing attitudes of their time.

Even a song like the Crystals’ "And Then He Kissed Me," a romance novelette whose impact is as light as a cotton ball, is pulled forward by an undercurrent of uncertainty. "I felt so happy I almost cried," sings Brooks (who was 15 when the song was recorded and, legend has it, had never been kissed), of a love affair that progresses from the dance floor to the altar in 2 minutes and 34 seconds. That ambivalence gently counteracts the song’s dreaminess. There’s a sense that everything is moving just a little too fast.

That mood of irresistible acceleration was more pronounced in the "little soap operas" she created with Barry and producer Shadow Morton for the Shangri-Las. Who hasn’t relished the spin-out at the climax of "Leader of the Pack"? What’s fascinating about that song, and its lesser-known but equally great companion "Out in the Streets," is the conflict subtly presented between the feminine and masculine realms, as damaged heroes struggle to choose between the safe cage of domesticity or the peril of the open road. Though the boys make bad choices, the girls feel responsible. It seems right to credit Greenwich for the message, embedded in the lushly romantic music as well as in the lyrics, that the balancing act girls faced at that moment was nearly impossible.

She and Jeff Barrywrote "River Deep, Mountain High" for Tina Turner after they’d already divorced. ("Divorce was not overly accepted," she told Greig of the split. "It was a major catastrophe.") That song, which Phil Spector considers a masterpiece, is such a glorious starburst that it would seem to have no softer or darker side. And yet, there’s the beginning, in which Tina Turner remembers, "the only doll I’ve ever owned," bringing her voice down just a little in remembrance of a poor childhood’s solitary toy. It’s another drop of sadness in the midst of heart-filling joy, an acknowledgment that giving of yourself, whether as an artist or a lover, always involves pain. Ellie Greenwich was a purveyor of happiness, but she was no fool. What she wrote always ran both deep and high."

[url]http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/08/appreciation-ellie-greenwich-mover-and-shaper-of-american-pop.html[/url]

Friday on My Mind… The Easybeats… Greatest Hits
Deep Forbidden Lake… Neil Young… Decade
There’s a Heartache Following Me… Pete Townshend… Who Came First
America’s Favorite Pastime…Todd Snider… The Excitement Plan
Blue Angel… Roy Orbison… Greatest Hits
Distant Sun… Crowded House… Together Alone
California Blues (Blue Yodel #4)… John Fogerty… Blue Ridge Rangers
Sixty Minute Man… Billy Ward & the Dominoes… 25 Years of R&B

Heigh Ho… Tom Waits… Orphans
The Beehive State… Harry Nilsson… Nilsson Sings Newman
Crying Lightning… Arctic Monkeys… Crying Lightning
Suck Machine Crater… The Young Fresh Fellows… I Think This Is
Stop It Baby… The Reducers… guitars bass & drums
Not That Funny… Fleetwood Mac… Live
Solitaire… Wilco… Wilco
School Days… Chuck Berry… Rock & Roll Diner

Be My Baby… The Ronettes… Back To Mono
Why Don’t They Let Us Fall In Love… Veronica… Back To Mono
I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine… The Ronettes… Back To Mono
Leader of the Pack… The Shangri-Las… Greatest Hits
Then He Kissed Me… The Crystals… Back To Mono
Chapel of Love… Bette Midler… Experience the Divine
This is It… Jay & the Americans… Come a Little Bit Closer
What’s a Girl Supposed To Do… The Shangri-Las… Greatest Hits
Do Wah Diddy Diddy… Manfred Mann… Best of
River Deep Mountain High… Ike & Tina Turner… Back To Mono
Baby I Love You… The Ronettes… Back To Mono
A Fine Fine Boy… Darlene Love… Back To Mono
I Can Hear Music… The Beach Boys… 20/20
When the Boy’s Happy (the Girl’s Happy Too)… The Chiffons… Greatest Hits
Out in the Street… The Shangri-Las… Greatest Hits
Hanky Panky… Tommy James & the Shondells… The Essential
I’ll Never Need More Than This… Ike & Tina Turner… Back To Mono
Da Doo Ron Ron… The Crystals… Back To Mono

Primitive Man… Fruit Bats… The Ruminant Band
Extraordinary Machine… Fiona Apple… Extraordinary Machine
Dickshakers Union… Surf City… Phase 5 NZ Music
Bastards Of Young… The Replacements… Tim
Dust Devil… Madness… The Liberty of Norton Folgate
Plane Crash… Liam Finn & Eliza Jane… Champagne in Seashells
Dream Date… Neil Finn… Try Whistling This
Lightning Strikes the Postman… The Flaming Lips… Clouds Taste Metallic
16 Days… Whiskeytown… Stranger’s Almanac
Wham!… Lonnie Mack… The Wham of that Memphis Man

Big Red Sun Blues… Lucinda Williams… Lucinda Williams
Reason To Believe… Billy Bragg… Workers Playtime
Do Right Woman, Do Right Man… Etta James… Tell Mama
Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone)… Procol Harum… Shine On Britely
We Are Not Going to Make It… The Presidents of the United States of America… Presidents of the USA
Charlie Freak… Steely Dan… Pretzel Logic
Country Girl… CSNY… déjà vu
A Long Time Ago…Dr. Dog…Don’t Mess With Texas SXS Sampler
I Wanna Stay Home… Jellyfish… Bellybutton
My Little Red Book… Love… Love
Rollerskate Skinny… Old 97’s… Satellite Rides

John Allyn Smith Sails… Okkervil River… The Stage Names
Bring It On Home To Me… Van Morrison… It’s Too Late To Stop Now
Good Shepherd… Jefferson Airplane… Volunteers
The Bitterest Pill… The Jam… Greatest Hits
Ricochet… David Bowie… Let’s Dance
Shankill Butchers… The Decemberists… The Crane Wife
Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away… Stevie Wonder… Fulfillingness’ First Finale
Winedark Open Sea… Paul McCartney… Off the Ground
Lullaby Requiem… Neil Finn… One All[/size:89c2769e00]

[Author]

Posts