Jonathan Richman
(born 16 May 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970 he founded The Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key, generally acoustic backing. He is known for his wide-eyed [1], unaffected and child-like outlook, and music that, while rooted in rock and roll, often draws on influences from around the world.
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JONATHAN RICHMAN TICKETS
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Biography
Born in
Natick, Massachusetts, Richman began playing music and writing his own songs in the mid-1960s. He became infatuated with
the Velvet Underground, and in 1969 he moved to
New York City, lived on the couch of their manager,
Steve Sesnick, worked odd jobs and tried to break in as a professional musician. Failing at this, he returned to
Boston.
While in Boston he formed
The Modern Lovers, a
proto-punk garage rock band. Other notable members of the group were keyboard player
Jerry Harrison and drummer
David Robinson, who later joined
Talking Heads and
The Cars, respectively. Many of the group's songs feature
Boston-based topics.
In 1972 they recorded a series of demos with producer
John Cale (formerly of the Velvet Underground). Among these songs were the seminal "
Roadrunner" and "
Pablo Picasso" which were eventually released on the group's post-breakup album,
Modern Lovers
(1976). The album was unique for its time, featuring Velvets-influenced basic three-chord rock ("Roadrunner" - based on just two chords - is a clear homage to "
Sister Ray" at a time when
glam and
progressive rock were the norm.
Later in 1972 the group also recorded with producer
Kim Fowley; these demos were eventually released in 1981 as
The Original Modern Lovers
. Despite playing live regularly, the Modern Lovers had a difficult time securing a record deal. By late 1973, Richman wanted to scrap the recorded tracks and start over with a mellower, more lyrical sound, influenced by the laid-back local music he had heard when the band had a residency at the Inverurie Hotel in
Bermuda earlier in the year. This stymied efforts to complete a debut album, and led to the breakup of the original Modern Lovers in February 1974.
In 1975, Richman moved to California to record as a solo singer/songwriter with
Beserkley Records. His first released recordings appeared on 1975's
Beserkley Chartbusters
compilation, where he was backed by members of
Earth Quake and the Rubinoos; these four songs also appeared on singles on the independent Beserkley label.
In January, 1976, Richman put together a new version of the Modern Lovers, which included original Modern Lovers drummer,
David Robinson, along with former
Rubinoos bassist, and Leroy Radcliffe, on guitar. The albums produced by the new group found Richman turning away from electric rock music towards gentler acoustic textures, with a strong rooting in 50s rock and roll (
Chuck Berry's "Back in the USA" was part of his repertoire at this time), while his lyrical focus became more self-consciously childlike and naive.
The album,
Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers
, was released in May, 1976 but David Robinson left the group soon thereafter, due to frustration with Richman's quest for lower volume levels, and joined with
Ric Ocasek in forming the band
The Cars
After several months as a trio, Richman found a new drummer, D. Sharpe (aka David) - an accomplished avant garde jazz player on the Boston scene, who later went on to become a member of pianist
Carla Bley's band. D. Sharpe's greater awareness of dynamics and tonal possibilities, in combination with Keranen's use of the acoustic bass during this period, enabled Richman to finally achieve his vision of an acoustic rock band which could offer a greater emotional range by combing quiet tenderness and romanticism alongside the raucous intensity of rock's post-war rhythm and blues origins, without requiring electronics and loud volume levels to achieve its purpose.
Drawing inspiration from such artists as the
Art Ensemble of Chicago,
Paul Motian and
Anthony Braxton, D. Sharpe replaced the traditional rock and roll drum kit with an eclectic assortment of percussion instruments, including a large African three-legged drum covered in zebra skin; a 1947 De Soto automobile hub-cap (cum snare drum); a rack full of various pot lids and bells hanging on strings; exotic cymbals with many tonal 'imperfections'; frequent use of mallets instead of drumsticks, and brushes with which he would sometimes simply 'play the air' (i.e., without hitting anything else), as could be felt more than heard, especially in live performances, of the song "Afternoon."
[2]
Rock and Roll with the Modern Lovers
was released in 1977 and, just as this record began to climb the charts in Europe, Keranen left the group (to attend college). A subsequent live album,
Modern Lovers Live
was released in 1978, featuring Asa Brebner on bass.
In
Great Britain, Richman was recognised as a progenitor of the
punk rock scene, and several of his singles became hits. "Roadrunner" reached Number 11 in the UK pop charts, and its follow-up, the instrumental "Egyptian Reggae", made Number 5 in late 1977. "Egyptian Reggae" was a version of Jamaican musician Earl Zero's reggae song "None Shall Escape the Judgment"; Zero was credited as co-writer on Richman's later versions of the track.
[3] [4]
1979's
Back in Your Life
was released under the "Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers" moniker, but only about half the disc featured a backup band. The rest was solo work. This album was probably the most extreme detour by Richman into eclecticism; after the traditional acoustic rock of the previous albums, this one's solo tracks showed off a string bass and
glockenspiel as main instruments.
Richman went on sabbatical for a few years staying in
Appleton, Maine and playing at a local diner in Belfast, Maine, called Barb's Place. He returned in 1983 with
Jonathan Sings!
, followed by "Rockin' and Romance" (produced by
Andy Paley and engineered by
Daniel Levitin). These were followed up with a series of pop efforts (
It's Time for Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
, and
Modern Lovers 88
from 1985, 1986 and 1988 respectively). After the latter release, the "Modern Lovers" moniker was finally retired, and having begun a true "solo" career, he returned to swooping madly around the musical landscape:
country music with 1990's
Jonathan Goes Country
, and Spanish translations of his earlier work (as well as traditional
Spanish songs) with
Jonathan, Te Vas a Emocionar!
(1993).
Always possessing an ardent
cult following, Richman has become better known in recent years thanks to a series of appearances on fan
Conan O'Brien's show.
Another major profile boost was a key part in the Farrelly Brothers hugely successful 1998 film,
There's Something About Mary
, where he played half of a two-man
Greek chorus that commented on the plot while performing in the framed action itself. He also appeared briefly in a bar scene in a previous
Farrelly Brothers film,
Kingpin
. He also performed a song called "As We Walk to Fenway Park" for the 2005 Farrelly-directed comedy "
Fever Pitch".
Richman has continued his release schedule all along, with
You Must Ask the Heart
(1995),
Surrender to Jonathan
(1996),
I'm So Confused
(1998), and
Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow
(2001). In 1998 a live album of Modern Lovers recordings from the early 1970s was released,
Live at the Long Branch & More
. There is also a
DVD of a live performance
Take me to the Plaza
(2002).
In live solo shows, he frequently tours with drummer Tommy Larkins, the other part of the two-man chorus mentioned above. Richman makes use of the flexibility allowed by the two-man format to keep his shows loose and spontaneous, frequently punctuating his songs with extemporaneous ruminations on life and love, on-the-spot transpositions of songs into any of five languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian and Hebrew), and unaccompanied dancing.
In 2003, Richman married Nicole Montalbano of Chico, California.
[5] [6] She contributed backing vocals to the album
Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love
(2004).
Influence
Richman's work with the first incarnation of Modern Lovers is a major influence on
punk rock. One critic called him the "Godfather of Punk".
[7] Artists as diverse as the
Sex Pistols and
Joan Jett have covered "Roadrunner". Boston ska-punk band,
Big D and the Kids Table, have covered "New England" live and on the Gypsy Hill EP.
Simple Minds' early work contains a track called "Pablo Picasso" with similar chorus lyrics. A version of "Pablo Picasso" performed by
Burning Sensations was included in the 1984 cult film,
Repo Man
.
David Bowie covered "Pablo Picasso" on his album
Reality
.
Velvet Underground founding member
John Cale has a version of the song on his 1975 album,
Helen of Troy
, and continues to include the song in his live shows. Iggy Pop has performed "Pablo Picasso" live and wrote an extra verse for it.
Richman's music has set the tone for many quirky
college rock acts like
Violent Femmes,
They Might Be Giants ("Roadrunner" reportedly inspired
John Flansburgh to become a musician),
Weezer,
Tullycraft,
Jens Lekman, singer
Frank Black (who composed the tribute song "The Man Who Was Too Loud"),
Art Brut, and
Nerf Herder who composed a song about him, titled "Jonathan". It appeared on the band's second album
How To Meet Girls
.
"Roadrunner" is on the soundtrack of
School of Rock
. In the commentary, director Richard Linklater mentions it is often called "the first punk song" and wanted to include it for that reason, along with all the other seminal rock songs in that film.
A tribute album,
If I Were a Richman: a Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman
, was released by
Wampus Multimedia in 2001.
Discography
The Modern Lovers
- The Modern Lovers
(1976)
- The Original Modern Lovers
(1981)
Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
- Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
(1976)
- Rock 'n' Roll with the Modern Lovers
(1977)
- Modern Lovers 'Live
(1977)
- Back in Your Life
(1979)
- Jonathan Sings!
(1983)
- Rockin' & Romance
(1985)
- It's Time For
(1986)
- Modern Lovers 88
(1988)
Jonathan Richman
- Beserkley Chartbusters Vol. 1
(Compilation, 4 songs) (1975)
- Jonathan Richman
(1989)
- Jonathan Goes Country
(1990)
- Having a Party with Jonathan Richman
(1991)
- I, Jonathan
(1992)
- ¡Jonathan, Te Vas a Emocionar!
(1994)
- You Must Ask the Heart
(1995)
- Surrender to Jonathan
(1996)
- I'm So Confused
(1998)
- Radio On/Stop And Shop With The Modern Lovers (2 on 1)
(1998)
- Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow
(2001)
- Action Packed: The Best Of Jonathan Richman (2002)
- Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love
(2004)
- Because Her Beauty Is Raw and Wild
(2008)
- ¿ A qué venimos sino a caer ?
(2008)
Compilations
- "I'm Straight" and "Government Center", from the Modern Lovers' Kim Fowley-produced Beserkley sessions, first appeared on the Warner Bros. Records compilation, Troublemakers
(1980)
- "I Like Gumby"; On the Gumby
compilation album - Jonathan Richman
- Performs "Stop Your Sobbing" on the 2002 Kinks tribute album This Is Where I Belong
.
- "The Origin of Love" on Wig in a Box
(2003)
- "Our Dog Is Getting Older Now"; on the charity album Colours Are Brighter
(October 2006)
- Original Soundtrack to the Film Revolution Summer
(2007)
Live albums
- Live at the Longbranch Saloon
(1992)
- Precise Modern Lovers Order
(1994)
- Live at the Longbranch and More
(1998)
(These three live albums are from the same three 1971-3 performances, but add and subtract a few different songs. The last two, combined, contain all the songs).
Singles
US issues except where stated
- "Roadrunner" / ("Friday On My Mind" by Earth Quake) (Beserkley B-4701, 1975)
- "Roadrunner" / "It Will Stand" (United Artists UP36006, 1975)
- "Roadrunner (Once)" / "Roadrunner (Twice)" (Beserkley BZZ 1, UK, 1976)
- "Roadrunner" / "Pablo Picasso" (Beserkley PA-205, 1976)
- "New England" / "Here Come The Martian Martians" (Beserkley B-5743, 1976)
- "Egyptian Reggae" / "Ice Cream Man" (Beserkley 6.12 217, 1977)
- "Egyptian Reggae" / "Rollercoaster By The Sea" (Beserkley BZZ 2, UK, 1977)
- "The Morning Of Our Lives (Live)" / "Roadrunner (Thrice) (Live)" (Beserkley BZZ 7, UK, 1977)
- "New England (Live)" / "Astral Plane (Live)" (Beserkley BZZ 14, UK, 1978)
- "Abdul and Cleopatra" / "Astral Plane (Live)" (Beserkley 11813, 1978)
- "Abdul and Cleopatra" / "Oh Carol" (Beserkley BZZ 19, UK, 1978)
- "Buzz, Buzz, Buzz" / "Abdul and Cleopatra" (Beserkley 6.12 311, 1978)
- "Buzz, Buzz, Buzz" / "Hospital (Live)" (BZZ 25, UK, 1978)
- "My Little Kookenhaken" / "Roadrunner (Thrice) (Live)" (Beserkley 11819, 1978)
- "South American Folk Song (Live)" / "Ice Cream Man (Live)" (1978)
- "Lydia" / "Important In Your Life" (BZZ 28, UK, 1979)
- "That Summer Feeling" / "This Kind Of Music" (1984)
- "That Summer Feeling" / "This Kind Of Music" / "Tag Game" (Rough Trade RTT 152, UK, 1984)
- "I'm Just Beginning To Live" / "Circle I" (1985)
- "I'm Just Beginning To Live" / "Circle I" / "Shirin and Fahrad" (Rough Trade RTT 154, UK, 1985)
- "California Desert Party" / "When Harpo Played His Harp" (DRD 1D474, Spain, 1988)
- "Egyptian Reggae" / "Roadrunner" (1989)
References
- http://www.popmatters.com/music/concerts/r/richman-jonathan-030624.shtml Concert review
- http://jojofiles2.blogspot.com/2007/05/interview-15-greg-curly-keranen.html
- The Originals© by Arnold Rypens
- Blood and Fire :: View topic - Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman video clip !
- Descendants of Peter Montalbano - aqw03.htm
- CN&R > Music > '2 big sets, 2 big nights' > 01.30.03
- "Brilliant Careers: Jonathan Richman", ''Salon'', September 4, 2001.