PowerPop: The Masses Are Clamoring For Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers!!!

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

The Masses Are Clamoring For Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers!!!

And as a follow-up to yesterday's discussion, here's TP's cover of the great Nick Lowe song "Cracking Up." From the great box set below.

I mean -- what's not to like?

6 comments:

Ken J Xenozar said...: Great song. Nice cover; 4/14/2015 11:58 AM
pete said...: The Confederate symbolism wasn't there at the start. It looked to me at the time as if he were trying to extend his run by reminding the audience he wasn't "just another band from LA." Worked, too.; 4/14/2015 1:47 PM
Anonymous said...: One of Petty's better non-LP B-Sides, but it was better when I saw them do it live. I love Casa Dega too. And that British 12 inch with live versions of "I Fought the Law" and "Route 66," is priceless.

Vickie Rock; 4/14/2015 2:57 PM
Anonymous said...: As long as we're talking about Petty, here's a "You Tell Me" testimonial:

As a hobby, I played keys in a band circa 1980-81 which did what I feel was the definitive cover of Petty's "You Tell Me." The guitarist and me thought it was one of Petty's most underrated songs at the time and chose it as one of the many covers we did. We did an amazing harder edged, less robotic, version of the Cars "Dangerous Type" too which featured guns and garters as props and more than hinted at lipstick lesbianism. But that's another story.

For "You Tell Me" we used a guest vocalist and good friend of mine named Jaimie. She was a drop-dead gorgeous, but tortured looking, brunette with a lot of real demons. Man did she channel that song.

We played it at a few parties. Though it was a downer tune for a party, Jaime sure got everybody's attention. The bitch was riveting. She'd walk on stage, own it, and then cooly saunter off while the audience stood dumbfounded and wondered who the fuck they had just seen. She became a full blown heroin addict around this time and fucked her whole modeling career and life up. I told her to never do it more than four days in a row without taking a break, but she didn't listen. If you wanna take drugs you have to respect them and know your pharmacy facts.

Anyway, "You Tell Me" is one of my favorite Petty album tracks and not just because of those deeply ingrained memories.

A guy I used to see that worked for the rock press in Europe bought me a German 45 which had Louisiana Rain bw You Tell Me and a picture sleeve. I love both of those songs and was surprised to see it was a single in Germany. But, more than that, it was very sweet and touching that he remembered my love of those songs. What a guy.

Vickie Rock

P.S. and OT: I just remembered that that same band did a cover of the Stones' "She's So Cold" with a white bluesy 375 pound vocalist nicknamed "Macker." He was a great singer. All that blubber and those lyrics were perfectly suited for each other.; 4/14/2015 3:16 PM
MJConroy said...: I want to know when Vickie's book is coming out and where I can buy it! SO many great stories.; 4/14/2015 10:01 PM
Peter Power Pop said...: Those deadpan vocals instantly reminded me of George Young (as in Vanda & Young) in the 1970s, when he monotoned his way through two Flash & The Pan hits:

Flash & The Pan - "Hey St. Peter"

Flash & The Pan - "Down Among The Dead Men"; 4/15/2015 1:57 AM