Song of the Day: 'I Got You, Babe' by Joey Ramone and Holly Beth Vincent

 

Longtime readers know I'm a Holly Beth Vincent aficionado, which can be a lonely place. The gifted singer/songwriter is a bit manic in her output -- vanishing for years at a time and then releasing multiple double-disc collections plus online side projects all at once. So it has been comforting during this current quiet period to find Damian taking to her. Last week he was working in the living room (his "office)" when he heard me playing 2007's "Super Rocket Star" in the bedroom (my "office"), which instantly blew him away. (He called it a more accessible P.J. Harvey, which is high praise from this particular P.J. superfan.) When 2009's "Minnesota-California" followed -- I'm a chronological queen -- he asked if this was a collection of "Celebrity Skin" outtakes. (More high praise -- that's one of his fave albums!) 

From there I dabbled in some Vowel Movement (would you believe I tossed that CD out when I went digital and had forgotten to rip it so had to re-buy it used on Amazon Marketplace????) before going deep into "Demos Federico" featuring 29 raw takes and unreleased songs from the lost years. (He feel in love with "Then Carolyn.") Wait till he hears her two classic albums from the Virgin years.

The punk Sonny and Cher

Joey Ramone feat. Holly Beth Vincent - I Got You babe from Jay honeydog on Vimeo.

Song of the Day: 'Standing in My Way' by Debbie Harry and Joey Ramone

Reading Debbie Harry's memoir has me going down a number of rabbit holes, including revisiting "Debravation," which came out shortly after I moved into my first apartment on my own -- an efficiency near Dupont Circle's Ravenel. (SPOILER: Her recollections of this time are wildly off-base in my opinion.) I bought the CD at Kemp Mill Records on Connecticut Avenue and used to play it on my little boom box that served me well for years. I always thought the album was good -- not outstanding but certainly not bad -- but many swore by the version supposedly rejected by Sire Records at the time.

So I dusted off my rarely played copy of the so-called "8 1/2 Producer's Cut" and while I was never convinced it was noticeably better -- it omits my three favorite songs ("Strike Me Pink," "My Last Date With You" and "Teardrops") -- this version of "Standing in My Way" with fellow punk legend Joey Ramone certainly shines.

The alternative lineup ...

'Peanuts' Gang

   I asked my sister to hold off on seeing the new "Peanuts" movie so I could go with A.J. and Ally when I'm home for Thanksgiving. It seems all the cool kids are into it!