Marshall Crenshaw • Someday Someway & Others

It has been a while since I have featured the music of Marshall Crenshaw on the blog, so I thought this might be just the right time to do it. As I went to visit my sister last week, I was reminded that she and I would go see concerts often, hearing several of our favorite performers. Those shows included Howard Jones, The Cure, and Marshall. Marshall was making music that was very American, and very 'singer/songwriter'. His songs were smart, fun, and bold, with a great awareness and respect for some of the great Rock and Pop performers of the past. To take a look at this wonderful artist, I decided to take songs off his first three album releases from thirty years ago, and share them with you.

Left to right: Album covers for 'Marshall Crenshaw', 'Field Day', and 'Downtown'.

Before Marshall set out to record his debut album, like many songwriters, he made demos of his songs. In 1979, he recorded "My Favorite Waste of Time", using the name Marshall Crenshaw & the Handsome, Ruthless, and Stupid Band. As a song, it is so very much like the kind Marshall liked to make, with smart lyrics that turn a phrase around. It was recorded by Scottish artist Owen Paul in 1986, and it went to #3 on the UK Pop charts. In 1983, it was recorded by Bette Midler for her 'No Frills', which was a great album! Oddly enough, it was never officially recorded by Marshall, but the demo is still around, and was included on the 2000 compilation, 'This Is Easy! - The Best of Marshall Crenshaw'. This is "My Favorite Waste of Time".

A song that still remains one of my favorites from the time was recorded for the eponymous debut, released in 1982. "Someday Someway" had a great sound, a bit retro but never old-fashioned. For me, the song had a sound like a modern day Buddy Holly. The beat is inescapable, and I involuntarily begin to dance the minute it starts to play. Love is never easy, and it is even harder when communication is an issue. This is Marshall singing "Someday Someway" on the David Letterman show in 1982.

Marshall's second album, 'Field Day', was released in 1983, and Marshall avoided any sophomore slump with exceptional songwriting. With songs like "Our Town", Monday Morning Rock", and "What Time Is It?", the great songs seem to line up, one after the other. But it was "Whenever You're On My Mind" that proved to be the hit single, spending 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. I just recently found the music video for the song, which I didn't know existed before. So I hope you enjoy the official music video for Marshall Crenshaw's "Whenever You're On My Mind".

'Downtown' was released in 1985, and is one of my favorite albums from Marshall. It had a stronger Rock vibe, and was a bit more intense than the previous two. The production was also amped up a bit, with more layers to the sound, which I just loved. My favorite song off the album was the first cut, "Little Wild One (No. 5)". The song is delicious, and 28 years later, I still find it addictive. I can't play it just once, I hook myself up several times in a row. Hit play and tell me "Little Wild One (No. 5)" doesn't get you getting your groove on.

As a collection, many artists would love to be able to claim these four songs during their career, let alone in the early part of it. Marshall has an incredible catalog of songs from the last couple of decades, and will continue to wonder why more people don't sing them. But I am also very happy to know that Marshall not only wrote them, but also sang them. And in the 1980s, I was lucky enough to heard him perfom many of them! To learn more about Marshall Crenshaw, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook, and 'follow' him on Twitter.

Memories Fade...

Clockwise: featuring the music of Tears For Fears; Marshall Crenshaw; Barbra Streisand; and Bronski Beat.

When thinking of what to post about tonight, a flood of memories came to me. You know, the musical kind. Songs began began to play, in a random way. And that is when it occurred to me, I should post about memories. You see, so many of our memories are anchored in music. The songs and artists you were listening to at any point in your life begin to play, and you are brought back to a time, to a place, surrounded by the people you knew. How would I apply this to a blog post? I went into my iTunes, and typed in 'memory' and 'memories' and settled on four songs that fit that bill. One of those that did was by Tears For Fears off their 1983 debut, 'The Hurting'. I loved that album, with the dark and brooding music it contained. That could definitely be said about the song "Memories Fade", written by Roland Orzabal, who also took on the lead vocals.

I remember listening to a lot of music by Marshall Crenshaw, brought to me by my sister Kim. Together, we saw him playing live a couple of times, and enjoyed him. I think my personal favorite album was his 1985 release, 'Downtown', a slightly darker collection, with a bit of a raw edge. It also included a wonderful song written by Crendshaw, "Like A Vague Memory".

It was in the early 1980s that I started by love affair with Jimmy Somerville, then singing with the Bronski Beat. I loved every measure of music on their debut album, 'Age Of Consent', one of my favorite albums of 1984. And while many of those songs immediately invoke memories of an apartment in Brooklyn, or going out to a club in the Village, I love it all. So I decided to go by the rules here, and include a song that was included in the reissue of the album. This is the beautiful "Memories", which I swear has mystic qualities. It was written by Jimmy Somerville, Larry Steinbachek and Steve Bronski. I might add that the Bronski Beat and Somerville were the first openly gay musicians I remember listening to, and following. I still follow Jimmy's music today.

And, finally, I decided to bread the rules just a bit, for this song really is all about memories. In fact, the first that is the first lyric of the song. I am, of course, talking about the great song with lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman and music by Marvin Hamlisch, "The Way We Were". It was sung impeccably by Barbra Streisand, the theme song to her 1973 movie of the same name. It is amazing, for it not only discusses how memories are strewn like scattered snapshots in our brain, but it also engages so many memories of listening to that song, when my heart was broken. It was always one of those songs I went to when a relationship ended.

Do you have songs that being back your favorite memories?

Marshall Crenshaw's EP Plan

Now, I have been a fan of Marshall Crenshaw and his music for a ridiculously long time. In truth, I think I was introduced to Marshall by my sister Kim, way back when, over 30 years ago. In an odd way, I kinda consider Marshall to be my first singer/songwriter. While there were others before him, he was one of the first of my own generation, although all helped me develop a taste for music, and a greater understanding how music can speak directly to your heart and soul. I still love listening to his 1985 album Downtown, one of my favorites. It has one of my favorite songs on it, Little Wild One (No. 5), a song which continues to intrigue and beguile me with it's sexy and sultry ways.



When I got an email this weekend that Marshall was not following me on Twitter, I practically squealed with delight. I had to catch up with whatever was up for Marshall, since I last checked him out, which wasn't all that long ago. in 2009, I purchased Jaggedland, a surprisingly good album. However, I discovered he was trying to get the funding together to release a series of six EPs. Well, Why don't I let him tell you about it.



Well, needless to say, I had to jump right on this. You see, it is Marshall, for God's sake! Crenshaw manage to combine the soul of R&B and the storytelling of Country, the classic recipe for Rock 'N Roll. His lyrics were smart, and often funny, something we could use more of in music. That was true on my first listen, and still true today. Check out his first bit hit, Someday Someway, from his eponymous first album in 1982.



So that takes me back to a time when I saw Marshall performing live, and realize it has been way too long since I did that. And so many songs I just loved, like You're My Favorite Waste Of Time, There She Goes Again, Cynical Girl, Blues Is King, I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee), Maryanne, and one off the latest album, Eventually.



So, if you are ready to make an investment in your aural pleasure, I would suggest you step up and check out the incentives on Marshall's Kickstarter page. Don't have the money right now? Post the link on your Facebook or Twitter accounts, and see if someone you know would like to partake. To find it, you just have to click on the widget below.

Marshall Crenshaw • Little Wild One (No. 5)

In an effort to buy myself a little more time to get my 5 on the Fifth post together, I decided to run the video for one of my favorite Marshall Crenshaw songs, Little Wild One (No. 5). Man, Back in the day I was just crazy about Marshall and his music. He was the original adorkable guy, the good-looking and lovable dork up there playing his music. I was already a fan by the time he released the 1985 album Downtown, so I was thrilled with how much I not only loved the album, but the song Little Wild One (No. 5).



Of course, Marshall's 'big' song was off the 1982 debut, the self-titled Marshall Crenshaw. The album itself was such a charming one, with some really good songs on it. The big single from that album was Someday Someway, and here is Marshall performing it live on Late Night With David Letterman, the first season Letterman had hit late night.



There She Goes Again was the first track off the debut album, and was such a well-written song, filled with heartache and charm. This is Marshall performing it live in 2002.



As I sit here and wonder why people haven't covered Marshall's songs, and get back to work on the Five On The Fifth post, I will let you watch and enjoy. You can find out more about Marshall and what he has been up to lately at his official website here.

Worth Another Listen - Marshall Crenshaw

Marshall Crenshaw, then and now.

Oh, I loved me some Marshall Crenshaw in the 80s. I remember being excited when he had new releases, and being able to catch his videos on the TV. He was the first of my 'adorkable' boys. His music is smart, fun, and good. Can't ask for much more than that! After all, even dorky str8 boys need love.



As much as I enjoyed Marshall as a singer, he was a fantastic songwriter, too. Someday, Someway was such a favorite of mine for so long. And there was Little Wild One (No. 5), There She Goes Again, Soldier of Love, You're My Favorite Waste of Time, and the perfection of I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee).



Little Wild One (No. 5) is a great song and video - click here to see it. You can find out more about Marshall and what he has been up to lately at his website.