Stuck in My Head

My Alex Chilton kick continues, this time with an early 90s band deeply influenced by Chilton's Big Star. Scotland's Teenage Fanclub were critical darlings in their day, but I didn't exactly like them at the time. I've gone back and listened to 1991's Bandwagonesque, which is full of power pop gems that sound like carbon copies of the standout tracks from Radio City or #1 Record. Here's one of them -- "Star Sign".

Stumbling Upon Gold

Did you ever have one of those times when you fell down a YouTube rabbit hole and discovered something truly great? It just happened to me.

I'm reading the new biography of Alex Chilton, and as a result listening to a lot of Box Tops and Big Star. One of my work colleagues came of age in the late 60s, and knew the Box Tops, but didn't realize Chilton was 16 when their classic single "The Letter" was released.

So then I tried to explain Big Star, and how Chilton went in a completely different direction with that band. I played "September Gurls" (which is probably in my Top 15 all-time) and he thought of Marshall Crenshaw. So I went looking for Marshall Crenshaw songs -- other than "Someday, Someway" which everyone of a certain age knows -- and found this:

I realize I'm late to the game: the song was used in the movie D.E.B.S. and covered by everyone from Freedy Johnston to Bette Midler and to Owen Paul and even Ronnie Spector, but the original is truly great song.

Song in My Head

There are only a few more days left in September, and the song in in my head (for a few days now) is "September Gurls" by the great Alex Chilton and Big Star.

Big Star's Big Reach... (And Where Are They Now... Kurt Ralske Edition)

Listening to "September Gurls" by Big Star reminded me of a favorite song from my college years -- "Special One" by Ultra Vivid Scene. UVS was fronted by Kurt Ralske, who was clearly influenced by the Jesus and Mary Chain -- at least stylistically. But the verses in "Special One" (which was the underground band's best-known song and featured Kim Deal of the Pixies) sound a whole lot like "September Gurls" to my ear. Listen for yourself.

After I initially wrote this post, I did a little research and found that others have made the connection, too. Allmusic.com spotted it in their review of UVS's Joy 1967-1990 (saying Alex Chilton could sue for royalties) and there's a whole thread about it on a Teenage Fan Club forum here. 

Now, onto the Where Are They Now portion of the post. Kurt Ralske is a visual artist working in the medium of digital video and programming. And he's now a professor at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Song in My Head

One of the greatest, unheralded bands would be Big Star.  Sure, some of you might know them from their song, "In the Streets" which was the theme song for That 70's Show.  They used the original for the 1st season, and then  Cheap Trick performed it from there on.  I feel Big Star, and more specifically, key songwriter, guitarist, and singer Alex Chilton is one of the great originators of the power pop genre.  Their 1974 song, "September Gurls" is one of those great lost classics. It's one of those songs that when you hear it, you can tell the influence it had on so many other musicians.  Even today, Katy Perry's producer was such a fan, that he asked her to spell out her song "California Gurls" with the "U" as a tribute to the band.

The song is ranked in the top 200 songs of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, but seriously, how many of you truly know it?  I like the studio rehearsal version best, but here is the record version.

Enjoy.