Jonathan Richman

[Big John Gooly]

I will begin by pointing out a fundamental shame - that there remains no (that"s no) live film footage released of the original Modern Lovers in popular circulation. Nothing on You Tube, nothing on the net. Nothing 'out there'. There remains a common misconception that no footage exists. Not so. Quite a few figures at music's top table own footage and yet for some reason refuse to let it see the light of day. Even a tiny scrap of it. Why? Does anybody here know the answer, coz I bl--y dont?

This is the band which brought the world 'Road Runner', for goodness sake! Wouldn't there be an outcry if noone could access what film there is of the Velvets or the Elevators or even early Talking Heads? In fact, older films of Jonathan Richman and indeed any of his subsequent incarnations of the Modern Lovers, are in such short supply on the net it borders upon a crime of embarrassing preportions - especially in these times of absolute availability. The same camera phone films (which begin when camera phones became ubiquitous - i.e. in the new century) of his recent tours (great though many of those gigs have been) overpopulate You Tube like a rash, while the many bits and bobs of film (rare though they were compared to some artists oeuvres) and full concerts linger in people's private collections, leaving just a few poorly presented scraps.

Is Jonathan himself the obstacle one wonders? Are they all waiting for Jonathan to pop his keds before we get treated to seeing 19 year old, be-business suited Jonathan, rolling out his chops on stage in New York supporting The New York Dolls? I so hope not.

Am I alone in thinking this desultory behavior from the music loving world?

Anyway, your thoughts about Jonathan, please. I would be happy to hear any and all.

p.s. I first saw Jonathan play supporting Orange Juice in 1984. Put simply - and these are not idle words - I knew immediately I had found my captain. I followed him through his 1980's purple patch and on into the early nineties (where he seemed to slip back and forward for while) and continue to await his new material, although with some tredipidation occasionally. I still think of him as a musical treasure for the most part criminally overlooked by music fans everywhere. Much, much more than the sum of his first album in 1973, its time the Cult of Richman was rescued and returned to its rightful place among the true originators and greats of Rock n Roll.

Recommended album: Rock and Roll with The Modern Lovers

[Charlie O.]

I first saw Jonathan play supporting Orange Juice in 1984. Put simply - and these are not idle words - I knew immediately I had found my captain. I followed him through his 1980's purple patch and on into the early nineties (where he seemed to slip back and forward for while) and continue to await his new material, although with some tredipidation occasionally.

That's me, more or less (I first saw him in '85). I consider him a hero, yet I do tend to take him for granted anymore. I still haven't listened to his most recent album, in fact.

[Neige]

Welcome Big John.

You should have put this post up in Yakety Yak (even though Jonathan Richman's neither prog nor progressive ). There's not much traffic in these lower realms.

Or better still, say hello on the newbie thread.

As for JR, his naivety gets on my tits after a while...

and my favourite moment is this:

[Big John Gooly]

Thanks Alpine Numpty, I'll take your sound advice and enter the fray elsewhere next time.

As for Jonathan, even if you dont enjoy everything he does, its hard to argue with his seminality. I just wanted to make the point somewhere that no one else in the music press has made thus far; where is all that early footage of the original Modern Lovers and who exactly is bogarting it for themselves? Kim Fowley? John Cale? Jonathan himself, maybe? Anyone else this influential, and im sure there would have been the proverbial 'questions in the house' by now. Maybe I'll run that question over on the main street thread you mentioned.

Good to hear from ye anyway.

P.S. Pan's People dancing to Egyptian Reggae - its almost my dream porn flick!

[Minnie the Minx]

The American dropped off the pace
The American dropped off the pace with a wayward discount golf equipment 73 on Saturday, but after hanging in on the front nine, rolled home some stunning putts on 13 and 14 for birdies followed by an eagle at the next from 15 ishiner feet

Hello Edison! Great to have a newbie.
Do you like Teenage Fanclub?