Oct 312016
This LMS invites you to submit rock songs by rock bands /musicians that directly reference other rock band members / rock musicians by name. This being the ROCK town hall, I am specifically including the aforementioned requirements. More specifically:
- It’s gotta be rock on both sides: a rock artist mentioning a rock artist. I think Abba mentioning Joan Baez would be straying too far afield, if it happened!
- It must be a mention of person; mentioning a band not does not count.
- It can be just a first name or last name if it’s clear who it’s talking about. “The walrus was Paul” would count, except that:
- It cannot be a band mentioning a member of that same band, unless it’s about an ex-member.
- Also, Bob Dylan is out as a mentionee. There was already a whole thread dedicated to Dylan mentions!
Here’s my starter submission to kick things off:
The Smithereens’ “Behind The Wall Of Sleep”:
“and she stood just like Bill Wyman / now I am her biggest fan”
One mention at a time, please!
In “The Lines You Amend,” by Sloan, there’s a reference to “the one about photographs, sung by Ringo Starr.”
LMS!
Bowie/Mott reference rockers in All the Young Dudes
Man I need a TV when I’ve got T. Rex
And my brother’s back at home
With his Beatles and his Stones
Nother Bowie one
Now the workers have struck for fame
‘Cause Lennon’s on sale again
“Used to have a red guitar until I smashed it one drunk night
Smashed it in the classic form as Peter Townsend might”
“Red Guitar” by Loudon Wainwright III
Dylan as mentioner ok? “I’m listening to Neil Young / I gotta turn up the sound / Someone’s always yelling ‘turn it down,'” from Highlands.
Those are all great!
(Not directly for this thread, but Tonyola mentioning Loudon Wainwright III mentioning Peter Townsend, and Mondo mentioning Bowie/Mott mentioning T. Rex, brought to mind The Who’s “You Better You Bet” where Pete mentions drinking “to the sound of old T. Rex and Who’s Next”. That could be another LMS….)
https://youtu.be/Aa-MWFP0qgE?t=51s
First one that comes to mind is Kevin Gilbert’s song, “Joytown” with the lyric, “Lennon never has to sing, a Paul McCartney song.”
I can’t believe I’m the one who is coming up with this one: The Replacements mention Alex Chilton in the song of the same name.
See, you all rubbed off on me.
How about Dylan as mentioner? Will eliminate his reference to Alicia Keys as non-rock but Roll On John from his recent album Tempest is about Lennon.
“Got my Kiss records out” Cheap Trick
Oops, I just read the rules more closely and realized that my entry doesn’t count.
“And I’m yelling at the kid in the back cause he’s banging like Charlie Watts” John Hiatt Slow Turning.
Nice! I am in love with that song.
I don’t know that one, but I knew Kevin in high school and very briefly played in a band with him. Super talented guy and nice guy.
No way! His album “Thud” is a pretty solid listen and is sonically really good. I read he was in line to join Genesis, which could’ve been interesting. Too bad.
“this is the story of Johnny Rotten.”
you know who…
Mott The Hoople’s Honaloochie Boogie – “Wanna tell Chuck Berry my news”
Weezer has a catchy little tune called “Buddy Holly”
“I hope Neil Young will remember, a Southern man don’t need him ’round anyhow.”
Pavement’s “Stere” mentions “the voice of Geddy Lee.”
Stereo, that is.
And one more: Bongwater’s “Nice Cave Dolls.”
LWS!
Ok, Weezer mentions most of the Kiss guys by name in “In My Garage.” I can’t take credit for this deep Weezer knowledge: this answer was provided by Friend of the Hall Hammertime.
How about REM’s Man On The Moon, mentioning Elvis.
Could probably do a whole thread on Elvis songs too.
“She stood just like Bill Wyman” Smithereens
Another song by Bongwater (why not?): David Bowie Needs Ideas.
Jimmy Page makes an appearance in Paul McCartney’s Rock Show. He also makes an appearance in some live versions of The Stones’ Starfucker, but not everyone has heard those so I’ll stick with Paul’s song.
Nice call on “Rock Show”!
My radiator growls like Elvis after Sunday dinner – Maria McKee
Doesn’t Maroon 5 have a song called “Moves Like Jagger,” or something along those LMS lines?
“Lookin’ Out My Back Door” by CCR.
“A dinosaur Victrola list’ning to Buck Owens”
***Off Topic***
Leon Russell died today.
During last night’s three-hour show, Jesu/Sun Kil Moon performed the song Fragile.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaKdI7v8XxU
“I think of John Paul Jones and John Entwistle and the great bass players of that time. But the guy who cut through like no other guy was the guy who played his Rick with a pick, Chris Squire.”
Also mentioned: Jon Anderson, Steve Shelley, and (indirectly) former Yes replacement singer Benoit David.
“And I saw Yes back in Ohio, then at the Warfield in San Francisco. And Jon Anderson had so much energy, he was jumping around and hitting every note. But when we came home my girlfriend learned it was some other guy they found on YouTube, from Ontario. We were pretty far back, that shows you what I know.”
Jail Guitar Doors by the Clash mentions Wayne Kramer, Peter Green, and Keith Richards — but only by their first names.
History Lesson Part II by the Minutemen name-checks Bob Dylan, E. Bloom, Richard Hell, Joe Strummer, and John Doe.
David Byrne also figures prominently in that one.
Gilda Radner as Candy Slice singing “Gimme Mick.”
LMS!
“All of Chuck’s children are out there playing his licks” Bob Seger.
Are the Mamas and the Papas some hyphenate of rock? That Creeque Alley song name checks half the folkies going rock or pop or whatever. Jim/Roger McGuinn as the guy of many hyphenates would be name checked as well as John Sebastian etc.
I think that surely qualifies. LMS!
Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing from Double Nickels on the Dime.
Sweet Gene Vincent by Ian Dury and the Blockheads.
LMS!
1977 by The Clash. “No Elvis, Beatles or The Rolling Stones!”
I think Elvis fits the rules.
LMS!
We shall award LMS to 2000 Man since time has long expired. As a coda, I will add the following non-winning entry that I just heard on my car stereo: Tom Petty’s “The Same Old You” from Long After Dark
Yeah I remember you back in ’72
With your David Bowie hair and your platform shoes