"Joanne" by Michael (Mike) Nesmith.

OK, boys and girls, more 70s one-hit wonders: This multifaceted Houston native penned, among many others great tunes, "Different Drum" for Linda Ronstadt. Along with Gram Parsons, he is considered one of the pioneers of country-rock. His only solo hit came in 1970 (#21 Billboard, #17 Cashbox). It was dedicated to his wife at the time. He co-produced cult classic "Repo Man" and won the 1st Video of the Year Grammy in '81. His mother invented Liquid Paper (remember that?), leaving him a sizable inheritance. Artist? Hit? Answer: "Joanne" by Michael (Mike) Nesmith. Obviously, a post-Monkees one-hit wonder. As a teenager in the 60s, I always admired Nez's big ol' custom-made blonde Gretsch 6076 12-string. Fast-forward many years later, I had the privilege of seeing him play it in Minneapolis, along with Micky and Peter. Unfortunately, Papa Nez left us in 2021. ...and The Monkees are STILL NOT in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - don't get me started!!! Only Micky is still alive - what the heck are they waiting for?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gQWfUtrUrA Just in case you needed a little more Papa Nez... Man, oh, man, that is one fine-lookin' Gretsch! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHYRxPWJUnM...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"All I Want Is You" ("The Little Farmer") from the Lay's 2025 Super Bowl commercial. (Posted on FB 6/24/25).

OK, girls and boys, coming at ya from farm (hint, hint!) country: Children's music singer/songwriter Barry Louis Polisar composed and first recorded this catchy, lilting 1977 tune. Featured in the opening credits of the 2007 film "Juno". It was "rediscovered" and recorded under a new title by Caroline Says, becoming the background music for a 2025 Lay's Potato Chips Super Bowl commercial that captured the hearts of the nation and placed the spotlight on agriculture. Speaks of the deep-rooted traditions and noble hard work of the American farming family. Inspired by real-life 5th generation Wisconsin potato farmer Jeremie Pavelski and his kin, especially his 7-year-old daughter. Killer acoustic guitar work on the commercial evocative of the late-great John Prine's trademark fingerstyle picking. Original song? Lay's commercial version? Answer: "All I Want Is You" by Barry Louis Polisar. "The Little Farmer" by Caroline Say...
Read more

"I'll Do My Crying in the Rain" by The Everly Brothers.

OK, girls and boys, back to the 60s: It was 1961 and Brill Building publisher Aldon Music had two killer teams writing for them - Carole King/Gerry Goffin and Howard Greenfield/Jack Keller. On a whim, they decided to "switch partners" for one day. King wrote the music and Greenfield the lyrics for a poignant ballad about lost love. This was their one and only collaboration. First recorded by The Everly Brothers, it peaked at #6 on Billboard's Hot 100. Other memorable cover versions include Tammy Wynette ('81), Carole King ('83), Norwegian group A-ha ('90) and Art Garfunkel/James Taylor ('94). Song? Answer: "I'll Do My Crying in the Rain" by The Everly Brothers. When our dear oldest daughter Lauren Denise was a baby, the only way we could get her to go to sleep was for me to play the guitar and sing to her by the crib. This was one of my go-to tunes. The lion's share of The Everly Brothers' hits were composed by Felice and ...
Read more

"Goldfinger" theme - Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.

OK, boys and girls, back to the 60s: The theme song for the 1964 James Bond film "Goldfinger" was Shirley Bassey's only Top 10 hit. It was produced by Sir George Martin at Abbey Road Studios, accompanied by the John Barry Orchestra. Which two future members of Led Zeppelin played in the recording? Answer: Jimmy Page (guitar) and John Paul Jones (bass). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D1nK7q2i8I
Read more