Secret History of Rock. The Most Influential Bands You've Never Heard

by Roni Sarig

  Ironically, at the same time the Sex Pistols adopted the Modern Lovers’ classic Roadrunner as a rocking proto-punk anthem of teenage freedom, Jonathan Richman had taken to writing quieter, less aggressive songs. “By the age of 22, having played a few hospital shows for kids and an elementary school or two with just acoustic guitar,” Jonathan later wrote in a record company bio, “I was convinced that high volume was not a necessity but a hindrance to communication and intimacy.”

  In 1976, a few months before the early demos were belatedly released as The Modern Lovers album, Richman had put out his first “proper” record, called Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers, which featured Jonathan fronting an entirely new backing band and singing – with his nasal sincerity – songs like Hey There Little Insect and Abominable Snowman in the Market. Just when he could have embraced the arrival of punk as a movement, Jonathan had opted for something entirely different.

  Tony Goddess, Papas Fritas:

  He offered examples from his world that anyone can relate to, when he sings about the suburbs and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. You think it’s just these kiddy songs, but then you realize it’s much bigger, this whole aesthetic. I like his innocence. And I get along with my parents, I want to be able to play them music that won’t offend them, that won’t make my mom jittery while she’s driving.

  Moving to California in the late ‘70s to record for the Beserkley label, Richman made albums such as Rock ‘n’ Roll with the Modern Lovers and Back in Your Life. In sharp contrast to his rocking early years, the new Modern Lovers – featuring the stand-up bass of Curly Keranen (later Asa Brebner), D. Sharpe’s muted three-piece drum kit, and Leroy Radcliffe’s softer acoustic guitar sound – perfectly captured the wide-eyed wonder of Richman’s songs.

  Tjinder Singh, Cornershop:

  We did a cover of Angels Watching over Me [from Rock & Roll With the Modern Lovers]. It’s a religious, sort of traditional song, and I certainly like a lot of religious stuff, because it inspires people immediately. And it’s very good to see how they’re put together.

  With record sales always minimal, Richman concentrated on touring, and by the early ‘80s he was performing around the world to a growing cult of fans. It was in concert that Richman’s charms shone brightest. A great storyteller and unselfconscious dancer, with a quick wit that made for terrific audience interactions, Jonathan could hold a crowd’s attention with just his guitar and stage presence – sometimes without the guitar at all.

  Marcellus Hall, Railroad Jerk:

  He would just say things off the top of his head, free form ad-libbing, and he relied and trusted in it and it yielded results. That helped me create, because I could trust that kind of stuff when it came out instead of being fearful. He was singing about simple things, the same way Woody Guthrie might. He was trying to grab a hold of the suburban American myth, the greatness and the boredom of it. That was a big influence.

  The next time he recorded, for major label Sire in 1983, it was with an extended band that included keyboards and backup singers. Though the record, Jonathan Sings! contained playful tunes like The Tag Game, the large band wasn’t able to reflect Richman’s spontaneity. For his next two records, Rockin’ and Romance and It’s Time for... , Jonathan stripped down his sound again, with songs like The Baltimores relying more on classic vocal group harmonies than instrumentation.

  By releasing his late ‘80s records on roots label Rounder, Richman completed his devolution from fast rocking garage kid to folk singer/songwriter, although his subject matter – which ranged from childhood remembrances (Harpo Played His Harp) to everyday love (Closer) to hilarious buffoonery (I Eat with Gusto, Damn! You Bet) made him a folkie like none other. He’d also settled into a touring schedule that took him, either alone or with a drummer, around the country once a year or more. His stripped-down live show made touring logistically simple and inexpensive, and also perfectly suited his improvisational, spontaneous performance style.

  Dave Dederer, Presidents of the United States of America:

  I love the way he tours: He just rents a Ford Taunus or something, picks up his guitar, gets in the car, and he’s on tour. I really envy that, it’s total genius in business terms. It’s just so cool and admirable that he’s created this career for himself, because the music business is a total nightmare, and he’s found a way to do it without having to deal with any of the bullshit. And that’s a real life accomplishment.

  Richman has continued touring regularly in the ‘90s; his concerts are frequently sold out, regardless of whether he’s promoting a new album. His recording career has slowed and become increasingly driven by old material and novelties (he’s made Spanish-language and country records). Yet recent songs such as You Must Ask the Heart and To Hide a Little Thought are proof that Richman has not lost his gift for communicating emotional subtleties in disarmingly simple ways. In 1996, Jonathan signed with Neil Young’s record label, Vapor, on which he released Submit to Jonathan.

  DISCOGRAPHY

  The Modern Lovers (Beserkeley, 1976; Beserkley / Rhino, 1986); the belatedly released, hugely influential early ‘70s recordings, featuring Richman’s original band.

  Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers (Beserkley 1976; Rhino, 1986); Richman’s first properly released album.

  Rock’n’Roll with the Modern Lovers (Beserkley, 1977; Rhino, 1986); a highlight of the late ‘70s period, heavy on the children’s songs.

  Modern Lovers Live! (Beserkley, 1978).

  Back in Your Life (Beserkley, 1979; Rhino, 1986).

  The Jonathan Richman Songbook (Beserkley, 1980); a compilation of the Beserkley albums.

  The Original Modern Lovers (Bomp, 1981); a bootleg featuring further material from the Modern Lovers of the early ‘70s.

  Jonathan Sings! (Sire, 1983); a major label effort featuring a fuller band and back-up singers.

  Rockin’ and Romance (Twin/Tone, 1985); a collection of new material, recorded in an intimate live setting.

  It’s Time for Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers (Upside, 1986); a largely acoustic record, heavy on nostalgia songs like Double Chocolate Malted.

  The Beserkley Years: The Best of Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers (Beserkley / Rhino, 1986); another compilation of songs taken from the Beserkeley albums.

  Modern Lovers 88 (Rounder, 1987); a terrific collection of songs played with a small group.

  Jonathan Richman (Rounder, 1989); a largely solo guitar collection of quite varied material.

  Jonathan Goes Country (Rounder, 1990); a novelty, featuring new and reworked songs in a vaguely western style.

  Havin’ a Party with Jonathan Richman (Rounder, 1991); a fine re-creation of Jonathan’s free-flowing live performances.

  I, Jonathan (Rounder, 1992); a ‘90s highlight, featuring Richman’s tribute, Velvet Underground.

  Jonathan, te vas a emocionar! (Rounder, 1994); Richman’s songs done in Spanish.

  Precise Modern Lovers Order: Live in Berkeley and Boston (Rounder, 1994); a collection of two live performances from the early ‘70s’ Modern Lovers,

  You Must Ask the Heart (Rounder 95); a mix of older songs with some great new ones.

  Submit to Jonathan (Vapor 96); Richman’s first for Neil Young’s record label.

  FRAYED ROOTS

  The development of modern rock music has not been a matter of linear progression so much as it has been a path determined by the convergence of disparate styles and the cyclical reintegration of older forms. That is to say that while rock and roll could be called a synthesis of blues and country music, both blues-rock and country rock are after-the-fact outgrowths of rock music. While the artists in this chapter range widely in terms of sounds and associations, each is significant in part for integrating traditional, or roots, music into current rock styles. In doing so, each in effect transformed an older form of music into an expression of their own creativity and their own times.

  Gram Parsons and Nick Drake made music during roughly the same year
s. Though both were born into privilege, made widely influential music based in traditional styles, went largely unsung in their day, and died – within a year of each other – at age 26, their music and lifestyles were very different. Parsons virtually invented country rock by merging the ‘60s rock sensibility of friends and associates like the Rolling Stones and Byrds with the country music he loved growing up in the American South. Drake came out of the late ‘60s British folk revival spearheaded by groups like Pentangle and Fairport Convention, but adapted folk song elements to create intensely personal and remarkably beautiful music.

  The Cramps and the Gun Club both stem roughly from the punk era, but their music reached back to older rock and pre-rock styles. Both bands were based in Los Angeles in the early ‘80s – and even shared a guitarist at the time – but were better appreciated in England. The Cramps came first and updated rock’s earliest and rootsiest manifestation – the wild hillbilly style known as “rockabilly” – by infusing it with punk attitude and a postmodern sense of art and humor. The Gun Club, formed a bit later, went even further back for its references; the band’s leader, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, applied the Delta blues to a post-punk sound in creating music that exposed the dark underbelly of American life.

  Heirs to the music made by Gram Parsons and the Gun Club are often lumped together as representatives of a style most loosely defined as Americana but sometimes called “alt country” or “insurgent country.” Nick Drake’s most direct influence has been on British pop songwriters, though his inspiration has reached much farther. And the Cramps can claim scores of “psychobilly” imitators. Interestingly, Parsons, Drake, and the Gun Club’s Pierce all died prematurely. The ghoulish Cramps, meanwhile, have long been considered among the living dead.

  GRAM PARSONS

  Ryan Adams, Whiskeytown:

  Nothing has impacted on me as hard as that guy. The day I heard him I was like, ‘Oh shit!’ It was really heavy. He had such a sweet voice that betrayed his Southern accent, and the fact that he had Emmylou Harris as a singing partner blew my mind. They just sing like angels together. He was the thing that finally pushed me in that direction, toward country. If I had never heard of that guy, there’s a lot I would never know about music. He understood so much about rock and roll too. For me it was never like I was going country because I considered it cool, it was more that when I listened to him I realized there was so much more to learn.

  Although Gram Parsons hated the label “country rock,” and preferred to call his blend of honky-tonk, hippie rock, and southern soul “cosmic American Music,” he was the single biggest force in forming the genre in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. And though neither the name nor his music ever caught on with a mainstream audience, few musicians have had as direct and substantial an impact on the course of rock music.

  Through his involvement with the Byrds and Rolling Stones, he steered both bands toward a country sound, and then inspired bands like the Eagles and Poco (both of whom have written songs about Parsons) to adopt a countrified West Coast rock that would take them to middle-of-the-road fame and fortune. In the late ‘70s and ‘80s, Parsons’ legacy inspired performers like Tom Petty and Elvis Costello, as well as hipper country artists such as Dwight Yoakam and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. In the ‘90s, with the development of Americana as a radio format and the resurgence of country rock, bands like the Jayhawks, Son Volt, and Whiskeytown claim Parsons as their patron saint.

  Gary Louris, Jayhawks:

  I grew up listening to rock and pop music, and it was something different for me at the time. It was obviously heartfelt music, he wrote great songs and had a lot of character to his voice. He didn’t have big pipes, but I’m attracted to that kind of voice, maybe because I don’t have them either.

  Gram Parsons was born Ingram Cecil Connor III in Winter Haven, Florida; his mother was a wealthy citrus heiress, and his father was just back from World War II. Growing up in Georgia, Gram first heard many of his musical heroes: Hank Williams, the Louvin Brothers, Buddy Holly, and especially Elvis Presley. After his father’s suicide in 1958, Gram returned to Florida with his mother, where she married a man named Robert Parsons who would legally adopt Gram. By his early teens, Gram was playing in rock bands, and at 18 he’d already recorded with a folk-oriented group called the Shilohs. He had just graduated from high school and was headed north to attend Harvard University when his mother died of alcohol poisoning. A trust fund set up to ensure Gram’s financial security allowed him to pursue music without worrying about money.

  At Harvard, Parsons immediately formed a quartet called the International Submarine Band, through which he hoped to integrate his earlier love of country music with his interest in rock and R&B. When the group began performing, Parsons lost interest in school and dropped out after one semester. The quartet relocated to New York, where they recorded one single, then moved on to Los Angeles in 1967. After making a cameo in a Peter Fonda film, The Trip, the Submarine Band recorded their debut album for Lee Hazelwood’s LHI Records. By the time the record was released, however, Parsons had befriended Byrds’ bassist Chris Hillman, who shared Parsons’ desire to inject country elements into his music. Soon, Hillman invited Parsons to join the Byrds.

  Thrilled at the prospect of being part of an already established folk rock group, Parsons left the Submarine Band and they soon folded. When their record, Safe at Home, came out in 1968, the label had no interest in promoting a defunct band and the album went virtually unnoticed. Only in retrospect is Safe at Home significant as arguably the first ever country rock album, and Parsons’ earliest full-length attempt to apply rock’s driving beats and soul singing to country songs.

  With Hillman on his side, Parsons quickly exerted a huge influence on the Byrds. Within months of joining, the band entered a Nashville studio to record Sweetheart of the Rodeo, a classic album which marked the group’s shift from psychedelic folk rock to rootsy country rock. Two Parsons songs, Hickory Wind and One Hundred Years from Now, appear on the record, though some of his vocals were removed due to lingering contractual problems from the Submarine Band. But while Parsons’ impart on the Byrds was substantial, it would not last long. After only three months in the band, Parsons decided to quit rather than join the group on its tour to South Africa (at the time run by a racist apartheid government).

  Jeff Tweedy, Wilco:

  Parsons’ contribution to Sweetheart of the Rodeo, in particular, is undeniably a big part of Uncle Tupelo [Tweedy’s former band with Jay Farrar of Son Volt].

  When Hillman quit the Byrds soon after, the two decided to form their own group, the Flying Burrito Brothers. It was here that their vision of a country band with a rock setup and counterculture attitude was most consciously manifested. Along with bassist Chris Ethridge (from the Submarine Band) and steel guitarist “Sneeky Pete” Kleinow, the Burrito Brothers released a remarkable debut in 1969 called The Gilded Palace of Sin. The album cover perfectly conveyed the image they were after: The long-haired band was dressed in the gaudy Nudie suits that were fashionable among country stars, while Parsons’ suit was decorated with marijuana leaves. Inside, the record collected countrified soul covers (Do Right Woman), straight country originals (Juanita), and tunes about draft-dodging and war protests (My Uncle, Hippie Boy). Like many of today’s alternative country acts, the Burrito Brothers fans (though there weren’t many) came almost exclusively from the rock audience.

  Jay Farrar, Sen Volt:

  The Gilded Palace of Sin album was pivotal for a lot of my ideas. At the time I had been playing rock music, but I grew up around country music. I never put the two together to do both, though.

  By the time the Burrito Brothers released their second album, the similar but less successful Burrito Deluxe, Parsons had lost interest in the group. Hillman would soon follow, as would new guitarist Bernie Leadon (to join the Eagles), though the band would continue in name for decades.

  Parsons, who by then had fallen in with the fast-moving drinking and drugging rock s
tar crowd, took the next few years off. He spent his time hanging out with friends such as Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, either at Richards’ French villa or in Parsons’ favorite getaway, Joshua Tree National Park. Inspired by Parsons’ music, Richards and Mick Jagger wrote the song Wild Horses (which Parsons recorded for Burrito Deluxe) and took a country-influenced approach on their album Let It Bleed (which Parsons helped arrange).

  In 1972, after forming a singing partnership with up-and-coming country star Emmylou Harris, Parsons returned to writing and playing his own music. With Harris and a backing band made up of Elvis’ touring musicians, Parsons recorded two solo albums within a year of each other, GP and Grievous Angel. While the records included Parsons’ most soulful work yet, they toned down the rock elements in favor of a more traditional country sound. Grievous Angel featured covers of Tom T. Hall and the Louvin Brothers, as well as Parsons’ most sophisticated originals, Return of the Grievous Angel and $1000 Wedding. Standing out above all else, though, were Parsons and Harris’s heavenly harmonies; their vocal inflections and arrangements are still imitated by bands like the Jayhawks and Whiskeytown.

  Matthew Sweet:

  Gram Parsons is probably one of my biggest idols. I just love his songs, both solo and with the Burrito Brothers and International Submarine Band. I’ve listened to every little thing. I didn’t care about country music at all until I got into him. I think vocally he had some influence on me, sometimes I’ll bend notes in a way I picked up from Gram. It’s taken out of context, so it might not be easy to spot. But there’s other ways, like hearing Sneaky Pete’s pedal steel guitar made me want to use pedal steel on my records. I would be a good example of Gram’s influence even way outside the realm of country rock.