As I shoveled our driveway this morning I came across a patch of yellow snow. That quickly got me thinking about the Frank Zappa song in which he warns listeners not to eat the yellow snow. That quickly got me thinking about why a Southern California kid would have written a song about yellow snow, as if he couldn’t have traveled a bit and at least heard of this thing called snow. Then, complete Zappa NON-fan I am, a seemingly important detail crept into my head: Zappa was born in Baltimore.
That explained it, but what explained my knowing the city of his birth, a city I’ve driven through 50 times but barely spent time in? Considering I’ve never had any interest in Zappa beside wondering what it is people like about his music, I had to check whether this trivial fact was true. It’s true. Frank Zappa was born in Baltimore, Maryland, which probably has little to do with his interest in yellow snow but may explain all the more important details that constantly slip from my brain. This is a case of Rock Stuff I Have No Business Knowing.
What rock-related detail that you have no business knowing most likely gets in the way of you remembering something more important?
Jeez, where do I start? My brain is crammed full of useless information:
Billy Joel was the first “artist” to release an album on cd,
Blue Oyster Cult’s first name was Soft White Underbelly,
the Brady kids used the name the Silver Platters to take second place on the Pete Stern Amateur Hour.
I’ve got to think a typical Townsperson’s profile would include knowledge of Soft White Underbelly. I think I can almost remember where I was the day WMMR announced a “secret” show by BOC under their original name.
Mod says: “I’ve got to think a typical Townsperson’s profile would include [that] knowledge”
But that’s like going out drinking with the gang from your AA meeting. Just because we all know it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be using that section of the brain more productively.
My niece just had baby and they named him Declan. They live out of town and the family was asking, “What’s a nickname for Declan.” I said, “Elvis!” They looked at me like I was stupid, I told them, “Like Elvis Costello” and they just went back to whatever else they were discussing. I’m still gonna call him Elvis.
Keith Richards plays every guitar part on Monkey Man. Keith Richards only sings backing vocals on Sway.
That flutey thing in Wild Thing is an ocarina.
X had never played Breathless until Exene or John met the director of that movie and they told him he’d never heard the song until he heard X do it, so they had to come up with it fast, and they got the song in the film.