I've got to hand it to Spotify. They definitely don't have everything. But they surprised me with "Close to the Bone," the 1983 sophomore album by the Tom Tom Club that barely got a digital release. My friend Greg and I produced our own version using the original vinyl in the early aughts -- then Island Records finally included it as a bonus disc on the deluxe edition of a re-release of their more-famous 1981 debut LP in 2009. Think of all the time and money I could have saved if I'd just been negligently patient ...
Tickled that the Tom Tom Club decided to celebrate the 35th anniversary of their classic debut by releasing a new video for one of its best songs. The album's second single -- "Genius of Love" -- might be the most-sampled song in the history of music.
Although they've made a handful of good songs in the 30 years since, the Tom Tom Club's nearly perfect first two LPs -- "Tom Tom Club" (1981) and "Close to the Bone" (1983) -- will always be the "real" Tom Tom Club to me, with the chirping female vocals of the Weymouth sisters. The band has just released its first new material in a dozen years, a five-track EP led by title track "Downtown Rockers," an ode to the CBGB's scene from which Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth -- and their fellow Talking Heads -- were delivered. My pal Mark Allen and I were discussing the song last night and can't decide if it's pure crap or pure genius. I'm still on the fence -- the cameos by Richard Hell and Debbie Harry in the video are nice, but I'm still not sure if this constitutes an actual song of not. But Mark has made a 180 on this name-check anthem. He explains:
When I first heard it I was like "Whaaaa...?" I was like: is it a children's song? Is it the most obnoxiously stupid thing ever? But now I think it's kind of minimally genius... sort of post-evrything kind of smart. To just shout out bands' names like that over a beat. It's like some sort of Japanese thing Shonen Knife would do or something.
If you happened to catch the Tom Tom Club on Jimmy Fallon last night, then you got a real treat. They were there to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of their influential debut album -- which featured the classic single "Genius of Love," one of the most sampled songs of all time -- and promote their new live disc. (The debut album was remastered and reissued along with their out-of-print sophomore LP, "Close to the Bone," in 2009.) Tina Weymouth was looking good and sounding better -- all artists should be able to sound THIS GOOD live -- and the whole thing scratching my head in disbelief that it's been 30 years since I opened that LP -- with its crazy illustrated cover -- under the Christmas tree (I was REALLY happy!). So what a surprise to find that Jimmy Fallon's official site had a Web exclusive bonus track, of the band performing their other single from the LP, the delightful "Wordy Rappinghood"!
UPDATE: Video removed. Here's when they did it that same year in Dublin.
They say if you want something done right then you should do it yourself. So having spent considerable time and money, along with my pal Greg Jelinek, in "issuing" my own version of various albums that were never released on compact disc, I tend to be as leery as I am excited when records labels surprise me every so often and actually get around to putting some of these overlooked gems out themselves. Still, when word leaked out that a two-disc reissue of the Tom Tom Club's infectious debut album was in the works, complete with bonus disc of the band's hitherto unreleased-on-CD second record, "Close to the Bone, I was overjoyed. (Not to be a buzz kill -- I know it was part of a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Island Records -- but what IDIOT thought of releasing this album on CD in 2009 -- now that NO ONE buys CDs? Why wasn't this out between 1990 and 2000 when they were flying off the shelves and fans were KILLING for it??? But I digress ...)
Naturally, I'm always thrilled when the old tapes are properly converted to digital as my vinyl transfers -- no matter how talented my friend DJ Joe Ross is -- can hardly compete to the real thing. But more often than not, the record label forgets to dot all of its I's and cross all of its T's, so when the CD version finally comes out it frequently pales in comparison to what I've already come up with. Missing B-sides, crappy artwork and incorrect information are common problems -- Marilyn's "Despite Straight Lines" and the Romeo Void/Debora Iyall discs come to mind -- and you're left thinking, you had 20 YEARS to get this right and this is the best you could do?!
So how does "Tom Tom Club/Close to the Bone," um, measure up? Much to my surprise, I'd have to say it's nearly perfect. The sound is fantastic. (It's so great to finally hear my beloved "Never Took a Penny" and "Measure Up" without the hiss and crackle from my worn-out 1983 album.) And they even included the three remixes of "The Man With the 4-Way Hips" that Greg and I had fastidiously included on our "reissue." While it would have been nice to have the artwork from "Close to the Bone" more fully represented somewhere (see photo above for Greg's flawless replication of the cover mixed in with the other albums, above), the packaging is completely delightful and builds upon the timeless original work of James Rizzi, whose "Genius of Love" video won an MTV award for "Best Animated Video" in early '83. (The inclusion of the singles covers is sooooo Greg Jelinek!) The best part, however, is Ian Gilchrist 's loving liner notes, which fascinatingly detail the recording of the debut album that would influence an entire generation (Jamaican producer Lee "Scratch" Perry was supposed to have the con but he STOOD THE BAND UP as they waited in Compass Point Studios, Bahamas, for weeks! The label had originally ordered just a single but were so blown away that it was turned into an album deal! Grace Jones was recording in the studio next door!) The notes go on to explain the tumultuous recording of the dreaded followup (Babies, vegans and cocaine -- oh, my!) They even got to perform "Pleasure of Love" on "Soul Train," making them only the second white act to appear on the show. (Everyone knows "Genius of Love" has been sampled a million times; but did you know Diddy and LL Cool J made "Pleasure of Love" into songs, too?) The band's subsequent efforts, including the infamous Escape From New York tour with the Ramones and Debbie Harry in 1990, are detailed as well. (Really great stuff, Ian: would have loved to have heard how/why they chose to record "Under the Boardwalk, though; and should mention that Colombian -- as in Colombian-American -- and Combs -- as in Sean Puffy Combs -- were misspelled, and it's LL Cool J, not "Jay"!)
My only complaints about the reissue are this: While the new (non-"Close to the Bone") bonus tracks were a nice touch, why would you REMOVE two of the bonus tracks that were on the original CD pressing -- especially a remix of "Wordy Rappinghood" and a long version of "Genius of Love," two of the band's best-known songs? For one thing, there's PLENTY of room left of the disc for them to be included. And more annoyingly to me, doing this forces me to KEEP both discs instead of replacing the old one with the new. (I'm actually NOT a fan of remixes but I AM very anal.) And secondly, WHY didn't someone -- was that you, Chris Frantz? -- DOUBLE CHECK the sequencing and artwork? Two of the songs are listed INCORRECTLY on the disc AND on the artwork: "On, On, On, On ..." (remix) is really "Under the Boardwalk" and vice versa. (Oh, and the inside descriptions omit the word "remix," so it makes it look like "On, On, On, On ..." is just on there twice for no reason). Still, two rather modest misgivings given the shoddy work I've seen from other labels.
MY GRADE: "A": If you are a fan of the Tom Tom Club, you WILL want to shell out 30 bucks for this wonderful U.K. import.
"As Above So Below" (2017 video)
Here they are doing "Under the Boardwalk" in what looks like a reunion tour
I still remember how excited I was when I got the debut album by the Tom Tom Club for Christmas in 1982. It was wrapped along with Yaz's "Upstairs at Eric's," the Scandal EP (with "Goodbye to You"), and Toronto's "Get It on Credit," which I had stupidly asked for after being sucked in by their MTV hit "Your Daddy Don't Know." But it was Tina Weymouth and Chris Franz's side project -- along with Tina's sisters Lani and Laura and an exciting group of other musicians -- that most intrigued me. After hearing "Genius of Love" I was convinced I'd found my next "fave band ever," and for a short while there they pretty much were. While I'd always liked Talking Heads, the idea of Heads caliber music but with chicks singing (and not so serious!) was just what the music doctor ordered. "Wordy Rappinghood" -- with its opening typewriter "chords" and playful refrain ("What are words worth? WORDS!") -- quickly became my second favorite rap song ever (sorry, Tina. Blondie will always be on top!). And the mysterious "As Above, So Below" and "Loralei," plus the anthemic "On, On, On, On ..." and 10th-grade French lesson "L'Elephant" made for a wonderfully fun and breezy debut, cementing the Tom Tom Club's status in my heart.
Next up, the band released a stopgap a cover of "Under the Boardwalk," which was more fun than a day at the beach (admittedly I hate sand and have a thing for covers sung by the opposite sex of the original recording artist).
"I tell you he was a masterpiece ..."
Striking while the iron was hot, the Tom Tom Club released their sophomore album, "Close to the Bone," in 1983. While it was inevitable that following up such an offbeat and eclectic debut would be difficult, in a lot of ways "Close to the Bone" was the "King" to Belly's "Star": fewer "big" moments, but a much more solid and satisfying effort. The album's lead-off single, "The Man With the 4-Way Hips," kept the party going. Its even better follow-up, "Pleasure of Love," picked up where "Genius of Love" left off (it, too, has been sampled over the years). "On the Line Again," "Measure Up" and "Never Took a Penny" were as good as or better than anything they would ever do, and the album also included the ERA anthem "This Is a Foxy World," which I think may well be their best song to date. The band didn't record again until 1988 and by then they'd moved in a different direction. The albums were less about the Weymouth sisters singing and more about funky experimentation. Occasionally they'd catch my ear again -- "Suboceana" with its "boom boom chi boom boom" refrain and nice covers of Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale" and Hot Chcolate's "You Sexy Thing" -- but for the most part, to me, the band will always be those two glorious albums that came out during that exciting moment in music history that was the early 1980s.
While the band's label, Sire, did a loving job issuing the debut album on CD -- complete with three remixes and the "Under the Boardwalk" single -- they never even bothered to release "Close to the Bone." Therefore, in my never-ending role as the Robin Hood of '80s music (sort of?), I am making available to you MP3s ripped from my very own vinyl collection, complete with bonus tracks (from a 12-inch single) and homemade artwork (in case you're like me and prefer to make a CD). The sound's not perfect, but not having this album at all is far more imperfect. If interested, please e-mail me HERE (put Tom Tom Club in the subject). (This is a limited time offer, until the Feds or, better yet, Tina!, threaten me with legal action.)
Here's the adorable video for the Tom Tom Club's wonderful (and ever-influential) 1981 single "Genius of Love." Did you know that singer/bassist Tina Weymouth's niece was just named publisher of the Washington Post? Wordy rappinghood must run in the family ...
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