Coulda-shoulda made it B-I-G bands

The post about great lost songs made me think about bands that really should have made it big, but didn't. I'll toss a few out for you to think about: Bus Boys - think about that bar scene in 48 Hours where that band dressed like restaurant staff is pounding out a solid rockin' groove - man, why didn't these guys hit the jackpot? The Boys Are Back in Town is a killer tune, yet it didn't even receive a release when the movie came out. Their album Minimum Wage Rock and Roll is tonsa fun - find a copy and let 'er rip!!! Pretty Things - howcum didn't these British Invaders cash in over here??? There early R&B fueled rock is grungy and pounding, so why no big buzz in the U.S.??? Last one - Smithereens - yeah, they had some chart action, but why, oh, why aren't they household names? Your turn - start adding!!!

 

Joe Ely - criminally underappreciated!!! However, my fave Joe tune is Cool Rockin' Loretta, from that wacky Joe-goes synth album Hi-Res that everybody hated... Say, those boys were on MCA back in the day - any good stories about them, Steve???

 

Television is my pick. Not enough people know of them. Marquee Moon sounds like it could have been released yesterday (or tomorrow!).

 

Paul Westerberg / The Replacements (an obvious one, I know)

Mike Scott / The Waterboys

Maria McKee/Lone Justice

(Funny how the band usually cracks under the "coulda/shoulda been" label and the "star" goes it alone....)

 

Tom Waits - an absolute genius that certainly never got his due. Always seem to be close but no cigar. "Small Change" a masterpiece. So many great albums although by Swordfishtrombones his music was less interesting. The earlier albums produced by Bones Howe (I think) were the best. "Blue valentine" (w/Rickie lee Jones on the cover), "Nighthwaks at the Diner", so many classics!

 

I just bought this CD last week after many years of curiosity - as in, "why do critics always pick this album for their greatest-of-all-time lists?"

I can kinda see why, but it's going to take more listens for me to truly appreciate the record.

 

A band that i really liked at the time who i just the other day saw again on an SNL rerun: Hot House Flowers. Their first lp was terrific.

Another singer who i thought was going places was Tanita Tikaram. Her first album, produced by Rod Argent, remains one of my favorites from the late 80s. She was only like 19 at the time, but wrote songs with great emotional depth. Unfortunately, her albums grew increasingly weaker...

Ray

 

Kym,

Great album! I loved it from the 1st play, but it's grown on me more over the years. The CD actually introduced the extended (or complete) version of Marquee Moon, as my original vinyl copies have a big chunk missing from the end. The CD version is much better.

Just thought of another band begging mention: Meat Puppets. Cruelly underappreciated by the masses.

 

And from the female 'singer/songwriter' division:

Rosanne Cash: had some country hits, but starting making much more personal and challenging chamber pop, falling on deaf ears.

Nanci Griffith: huge cult artist, never broke through, and unfortunately has stalled creatively.

Iris Dement: her Arkansas twang is probably too thick for mass acceptance, but "My Life" was a quasi-hit as a TV theme song.

Aimee Mann & Lucinda Williams: both have mass critical raves, but only now are breaking through in sales (and are still not "big").

Liz Phair: might be too coarse to be "big", somewhat inconsistent albums, but again a critical favorite - interesting to see how her album this year is received.

 

Totally absolutly agree!!!
But can you really even dream of hearing a Tom Waits song on commercial radio Nooooooo. sigh.

Let me add Matthew Sweet. Good God, can songs get more catchy and smart than this?
Perhaps, if they're by Marshall Crenshaw. Did he ever make it 'Big'? He was a critic's darling for a short while.

Fountains Of Wayne. Len's annoying 'Steal My Sunshine' is on the radio for what seems like years, but FOW's incredibly witty 'Red Dragon Tatoo' isn't. No, there's no justice in the world.

I listen to The Jayhawks and Son Volt and then compare that to the slick overproduced feelgood clap trap on 'country radio' and I want to scream.

And don't forget the likes of Squeeze, Crowded House and XTC, who managed to fly under the commercial radar for years.
Ugh.
Dan C

 

We have a real good radio station here in Chicago,WXRT 93.1 so most of the artists mentioned get decent airplay or more than they would in most places. But my nomination for this topic would be Mike Henderson out of Nashville,a country and bluesrock musician who gets no airplay here either.

 

Here's another one: Daniel Lanois. I don't own Acadie, but I remember hearing it when it came out. I figured he'd be really big someday. Well, I guess he is! But as a producer & not a performer.

 

Wow Henry - WXRT was where I picked up on Joe Ely's Cool Rockin' Loretta!!!! I was able to get it because the cable company in West Lafayette, IN (home of the Purdue Boilermakers - yea!!!) carried it. I'd get a tuner again if I could get swell stations like XRT...

 

The Beautiful South--huge in the UK, couldn't buy a hit here. Excellent pop/rock songs.

They Might Be Giants--just too smart for mass consumption, I guess. If the Malcolm in the Middle song couldn't get them a Top 40 hit, it's hopeless.

Steve Forbert--Many would consider him a one-hit wonder ("Romeo's Tune"), but he's made consistently good albums for 25 years now, for a dedicated audience.

New Order--a bit of a cheat, they have had some success, but why they're not huge escapes me. Depeche Mode finally broke big, but not New Order.

 

A few more:

Big Country - deserved more than the one-hit wonder they are now considered. Adamson's tragic death last year ends that story.

Michael Penn- too bad he might now be better known as Mr. Aimee Mann instead of the great songster that he is.

World Party- great Beatlesque music falling on deaf ears - is now similar to the Waterboys with patchwork distribution, albums being released in the UK without simultaneous US release.

Richard Thompson - critical darling, too late now for real mass acceptance, but is a classic "shoulda".

Marshall Crenshaw - already mentioned, still cranking out great albums (check out his last live album recorded at the Stone Pony). His mom was my English teacher in high school - pretty cool walking into a classroom and seeing huge Marshall Crenshaw posters next to the blackboard.

 

From Modern Era: Leona Naess - Comatised

From Yesteryear: Crack The Sky - S/T


I know this was "bands" but I took liberties (to include a solo artist) and threw an album in, just in case someone needs a title to check out!

 

Big Star
Marvelous 3
Wilco (maybe this time )

 

Motown division:

All underrated, had a few hits, did not make the top tier of the Motown stable, and shoulda been bigger -

The Marvelettes
The Velvelettes
Brenda Holloway
The Originals
David Ruffin solo

 

John Prine, Steve Goodman (both well acclaimed singer-songwriters but never got a top 40 hit)

John Hiatt-Yes he did get some chart success but isn't quite the superstar either. Great guitarist and songwriter

Delbert McClinton-He did get a pop hit with Giving It Up For Your Love and sells moderately well but isn't the superstar he should be either. Great harmonica player as well

The Highwaymen (the folk group) should have had more songs in the Hot 100 than just 5 Hot 100 hits with only 2 of them making it in the Top 40 the biggest hit being Michael Row The Boat Ashore. They are as talented as the Kingston Trio who did make it big, of course. Get the Legendary Master Series Best of comp or the Collector's Choice twofer of their first 2 albums

J. J. Cale-only had 1 top 40 hit but a great guitarist and songwriter and a major cult figure

Tom Paxton, Laura Nyro-although their songs are well known via covers, they didn't become household names in their own right

Gordon Lightfoot's United Artists material-Yes there are many best of albums taken from the UA albums, but his UA material should have made it big in the US which unfortunately it didn't although much of it has been often covered by others and made into hits.

Red Simpson-He only had 3 top 40 country hits (Roll Truck Roll, Highway Patrol and I'm a Truck) but his influence in country music is very profound and was a major part in pioneering the truck driver's country craze.

Billy Joe Shaver-Great writer, guitarist and singer. The true "king of the outlaws" although Waylon & Willie get that honor by the masses.

Amazing Rhythm Aces-A fine country-rock band that is still making music today with all the original members, except for Butch McDade, the original drummer who died yet they only had 1 major hit: Third Rate Romance (from Stacked Deck).

 

Coulda-shoulda made it B-I-G bands

By "make it big" do you mean selling zillions of records and then succumbing to record company pressures and suffering artistically?

If so I'm glad most of the people mentioned above never made it big, although they do deserve far more financial reward.

It's absurd that people like Richard Thompson and even Van Morrison still need to keep gigging to make a living (although I'm sure they love it).

My vote goes to Brian Protheroe who should've been bigger than Elton John.

 

I think there was a MOJO article a ways back about the richest/biggest money making musicians. I remember being surprised at some of the results. Put it this way - Van definitely does not need the gigging....

 

Lucinda Williams
Pete Droge
Seven Mary Three
Jessica Williams

 

Someone on the Van mailing list mentioned this and I believe he was worth around 30 million or so. Can't remember however if it was dollars or pounds. Once it gets up that high I guess it doesn't really matter anymore.