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The Late Movies: Happy Birthday Liberace, Jonathan Richman, Krist Novoselic, Janet Jackson, Richard Page, Robert Fripp, Boyd Tinsley, and "Pet Sounds"
Today happens to be the birthday of tons of famous musicians. Here's a little roundup of tunes by Liberace, Jonathan Richman, Krist Novoselic, Janet Jackson, Richard Page, Robert Fripp, Boyd Tinsley, and The Beach Boys (whose album "Pet Sounds" was released today in 1966). Other notable musical birthdays today -- unfortunately left out of this wrapup -- include Pervis Jackson of The Spinners, Billy Cobham, Barbara Lee of The Chiffons, Simon Katz of Jamiroquai, and Ralph Tresvant of New Edition. I'm telling you, May 16 is some kind of mega-birthday for musicians. Enjoy:
V?adziu Valentino Liberace - 1919
In this 1978 show, Liberace performs "Blue Danube" in Las Vegas, with the colorful Dancing Waters behind him. Sparkly.
Jonathan Richman - 1951
I saw a YouTube comment that summed Richman up nicely: "Either you love Jonathan Richman or you've never heard of him." My favorite song of his is "Vincent Van Gogh." Here's an early version, performed with The Modern Lovers live in Toronto. The sound quality isn't great, but the dancing and 80s sweater are fantastic. See also: this version from "Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love." I prefer the version on the hard-to-find "Rockin' and Romance."
Krist Novoselic - 1965
Novoselic was Nirvana's bassist, and he wrote ultra-catchy bass lines for songs like "Lounge Act," "Heart-Shaped Box," and my favorite, "Sliver." When I was in high school, this was the go-to bass line you learned when you first got your hands on a bass:
Janet Jackson - 1966
Remember this one? You thought I was going to post "Rhythm Nation," but no, I totally went back-catalogue to "What Have You Done For Me Lately":
Richard Page (Mr. Mister) - 1953
Page was the lead singer and bassist for Mr. Mister. It was a real tossup trying to choose between "Kyrie" and "Broken Wings" to post here. I guess "Broken Wings" is the canonical Mr. Mister song, though, so here goes:
Robert Fripp - 1946
Fripp is best known as the only permanent member of King Crimson, though he did amazing work with David Bowie and Brian Eno (among many, many others). Two highlights: he played the iconic lead guitar line on Bowie's "Heroes" and the guitar solo for Eno's "Baby's On Fire." Here's a solo performance of Fripp's "Soundscapes" -- give it a few minutes to get going:
Boyd Tinsley - 1964
Tinsley is best known as the violinist for Dave Matthews Band, though he's been a musical fixture of Charlottesville, Virginia for decades. In "Ants Marching," the second single from DMB's "Under the Table and Dreaming," Tinsley's violin line forms the primary riff, and he takes frequent opportunities to solo. Check out this live performance from Central Park:
The Beach Boys - "Wouldn't It Be Nice" - 1966
Today also happens to mark the release of The Beach Boys' seminal "Pet Sounds" album in 1966. My favorite cut from that record is "Wouldn't It Be Nice"; here's a video set to outtakes of the recording session, explaining how the complex arrangement came together:
See also: "Wouldn't It Be Nice" used in "Roger & Me" to terrific effect. Amazingly, May 16, 1966 also saw the release of Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde." A good day for music.