As most of you probably already know Jonathan Richman is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and founder of The Modern Lovers. However since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key acoustic and electric backing, releasing 20+ albums and even had a few minor hits.
I guess the first time I was exposed to Jonathan Richman’s quirky songs must have been in 1978 when he performed Egyptian Reggae and 6 others on Dutch TopPop tv special (*), which made a bit of an impact.
In 1986 I even saw Jonathan and 1 Modern Lover (on sax) at a a concert in Hilversum, good fun.
Over the years I bumped into his songs from time to time (There’s Something About Mary soundtrack!), had a greatest hits album, etc.
One problem though, Jonathan has become a bit of a cult figure over the years and by now 7 (I’m not kidding!) tribute albums were released:
Baby We Are Richman: A Tribute To Jonathan Richman
Can You Talk to The Dude? Volume 1 & 2
If I Were a Richman - A Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman
Songs from The Astral Plane, Vol. 1 & 2: A Tribute to Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
We, Jonathan (A Tribute To Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers)
However all songs (at least that I’m aware of) were specially recorded for these tributes, which left still plenty of other covers!
As usual there are some favorites that got covered a lot: Pablo Picasso, Road Runner, I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar, Fly Into the Mystery, She Cracked, That Summer Feeling, etc.
But I also found some tracks that aren’t covered often: Back In Your Life, Dancing Late At Night, Dodge Veg-O-Matic, Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste, a.o.
The end results are 2 entertaining Jonathan Richman cover CDs, enjoy!
Artists include: John Cale, The Rubinoos, The Morells, Burning Sensations, The Jazz Butcher, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Galaxie 500, Echo And The Bunnymen,Tsunami, Noise Addict, Fred Thomas, The Rocks, a.m.o.
(*) TopPop was Dutch weekly pop TV show eagerly watched by many. Despite most of the artists just play-backed their latest hits, occasionally there were 'specials' with a few songs performed live in the studio. And this particular special shows Jonathan & The Modern Lovers in great shape playing 7 songs!
As the quality of these TopPop videos was usually very good, do check out Jonathan's 22+ minutes mini set!
Link: https://mega.nz/file/nElAWYCJ#ViguA3gIA7_jOjco1kWy2qK4hDTOmJA03FxOo46VW_w
ReplyDeleteQuestions: What is your favorite Jonathan Richman song? Cover??
I'm Straight is my favorite song of JoJo's - we saw a solo show at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, in 92? Wonderful evening...
ReplyDeleteThanks Alan, seeing him live was a great experience as far as I can remember.
DeleteOf all the songs that did not make the cut in yours, or any compilation (as far as i can see, and correct me if I'm wrong) I have this X-mastime For The Skins from Crucial Youth EP from 1988. Positive Punk as they called it. It had a cover of I'm Straight, it also has the hard rocking Santa Claus is coming (and you're on his list) S.O.D. style
ReplyDeleteI wasn't aware of that one Richard, and probably there are other obscure covers I missed as well, c'est la vie! But if there are a lot I might consider doing a follow-up compilation, who knows...
DeleteGalaxie 500's cover of 'Don't let our youth go to waste' must be one of the best, also Wire's version of 'Roadrunner' is worth a listen (slow it down and it sounds like Wire's 'Strange').
ReplyDeleteJust did, not bad at all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7M-sEUgcXM&list=RDb7M-sEUgcXM&start_radio=1
DeleteOriginal: That Summer Feeling. Cover: Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste (Galaxie 500)
ReplyDeleteThank you for this! Signed, the guy who requested it several weeks ago (I forgot to include my name back then, and accidentally posted as Anonymous)
Glad you like it!
DeleteThanks for this songbook, Koen! One of my favorite Modern Lovers' songs is "I Wanna Sleep", and New Bomb Turks did a great cover version.
ReplyDeleteBack in the days when I had an acoustic guitar, my limited repertoire included "Back In Your Life" and "Party In The Woods".
Cool!
DeleteRoad Runner, of course, followed closely by New England.
ReplyDeleteCoincidence? I just received Jonathan's 2022 EP Cold Pizza & Other Hot Stuff a few weeks ago in the mail. My newer neighbor-an elder lady from Vermont I think she said told me that 'Cold Pizza' was her favorite track by her fave Jonathan Richman. I'll add to my previous and link ya up.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a plan!
DeleteOriginal: Roadrunner
ReplyDeleteCover: Pablo Picasso by Kid Pharaon and the Lonely Ones (1986 EP on Closer records).
Reminds me of when I saw JR live on tour supported by Ben Vaughn way back in 1994.
Cheers.
J from Europe.
Thanks J, that's a great cover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhX_f8D9V-o&list=RDBhX_f8D9V-o&start_radio=1
DeleteThanks! I like lots of JR songs, but my favorite would have to be "Roadrunner," or else "Lonely Financial Zone," if not . . . oh, well, there's lots of them.
ReplyDeleteSome time ago, I noticed over here a certain phrase -- it might have been a line or heading from Jonder -- which reminded me about an anecdote from decades ago. At one stage, I was loosely acquainted with a few of the folks in the Morells /Skeletons orbit, mainly the inimitable Lou Whitney. So Lou was telling me some of his "musician" stories, and he got around to Jonathan Richman, with whom he'd just finished working on the "Jonathan Goes Country" album. Apparently the two of them had been hanging out one evening (whether at the Column One studio or over at Lou's trailer, I can't recall) and they got into a philosophical discussion lasting so long that Lou eventually fell asleep from exhaustion. He woke up at daybreak and sensed, with a visceral shock, that some looming, shadowy presence was hovering about three inches away from his face. It was actually Jonathan, who'd been waiting there all night and who said, in that near-proprietary, adenoidal-sounding voice of his, "Ad another thing . . ."
Thanks for sharing this hilarious story!
DeleteFavourite song: Roadrunner (Once) and That Summer Feeling - depending on the day. Also - check out the tribute song Jonathan, Jonathan by the marvrllous Rockingbirds...
ReplyDeleteThanks pontyboy for pointing out this fun tribute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxqPqnwAZmA&t=173s
DeleteMakes you wonder what Jonathan himself thought of this ;-)
Thanks--this is so fun. I remain a sucker for "Roadrunner"--any version--and have delighted in introducing 33 years worth of students to it; "I'm a Little Airplane" is my close second and playing it first for my kids and now grandkids pretty great. I've seen him several times and each has been great, but in the mid-1980s at First Avenue in Minneapolis with The Persuasions opening we were rocking out to them when suddenly next to us was Jonathan..."they're fantastic!" Uhm, yes, yes they are.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, sharing good music is always a pleasure!
DeleteI thought I'd replied but I guess not. Anyway, it's hard not to sing along to "New England".
ReplyDeleteActually you did Berni, but no worries ;-) Keep on singing!
DeleteI’m with Eric. While my favorite track is “The Neighbors”, the live version of "I'm a Little Airplane" (where Jonathan does several false stops) is hard to beat—as is “The New Teller”! - El Stinkeroo
ReplyDeleteI'm in the Richman cult.
ReplyDeleteOver at the V-Dub, I've posted this very short show:
https://voodoowagon.blogspot.com/2023/07/jonathan-richman-west-coast-live-san.html
and a demo tape I got in the 80s from one of his singers:
https://voodoowagon.blogspot.com/2021/01/jonathan-richman-demo-tape-early-1980s.html
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DeleteHi, Richard, thanks for letting me know...I've put up a new link this morning.
DeleteI updated it, and thank you for letting me know about the link being down.
DeleteThanks so much draftervoi, appreciated!
ReplyDeleteAlso...it looks like I've got a 1977 show that I chaptered from a tape posted by Hans Devente many years ago....I'll see if I can dig that out of my archives...
ReplyDeleteThanks, draftervoi! ViacomCMD also has some Jonathan to share with the world:
ReplyDeletehttps://downunderground.blogspot.com/2025/07/jonathan-richman-jonathan-goes-country.html
Hey, Jonder! This is a tape I downloaded from one of Hans DeVente's websites years ago...maybe 2011, 2012... He would rip each side to one long file. I chaptered it, posted it to one of the Voodoo Wagon offshoots (that's now defunct). A reader designed a cover for it. Anyway....I never reposted it over at Voodoo Wagon....so here you go, you've got it for Jonderblog: https://mega.nz/file/ic4HmDLZ#b4_vXuUnzYQ1QiccHSloY8i3n9ldXwypUbHQCO_wRVY
DeleteModern Lovers from 1977 at the Paradiso in Amsterdam -- wow! Looks like a great set. Thanks again for sharing it here, draftervoi!
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