I didn't dare mentioning the band until I had to post a video on the "Clean & sober rock bands"





They only made a few albums, am I right ?
Is it the same band that had a song in the N.Roeg movie " The Man who fell to earth" ?

Thanks for your answers .
Sway.



I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

A very good band indeed Sway. From my area.

Best known for the brilliant Egyptian Reggae! I don't have the album (a friend had) but remember something like that on the record sleeve: Beserkely Records - the most fun you can have with your clothes on!!!

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JJHMick
Best known for the brilliant Egyptian Reggae! I don't have the album (a friend had) but remember something like that on the record sleeve: Beserkely Records - the most fun you can have with your clothes on!!!

TIL there is "Egyptian Reggae". Cool

TIL=today I learned.

Their first album, with Roadrunner, Astral Plane, Hospital and Pablo Picasso is a punk classic - recorded several years before punk even happened.

The one that came out during punk,Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, was so bizarre and sounded like an album made for children that it just worked so well and fitted in perfectly with punk's anti-rock sentiment.

You can see Jonathan Richman in the movie There's Something About Mary...
I met Jonathan a few times, he's a real poet. Sometimes in the stratosphere...
John Cale tells very funny stories about him in his autobiography...

This version of the band features Jerry Harrison later of Talking Heads.

Yes, and Ernie Brooks, later Elliott Murphy, and David Robinson later in the Cars... What a team!

I'm a big Jonathan Richman, ever since I could lay my hands on the first album; and believe me, that wasn't so easy to get in 1976!
I'm trying my best to be humble, but I think the above video for "Egyptian Reggae" is hilarios!

Best know for Pablo Picasso!!

I believe this song was used in the film 'Repo Man'

"Pablo Picasso never got called an @#$%&......Not in New York!"

...and I don't think that this thread is off topic.

Last year Jonathan introduced a new song live titled: Keith Richards !

Joan Jett does a great cover of Roadrunner .

I remember watching that clip when it aired years ago, '86 I believe? Love that Joan hedged her bets and references FM and AM radio. Great version, though. I hadn't listened to the Modern Lovers in a few years but have been back into them with a vengeance lately after picking up the 96 Tears release w/ live stuff from Harvard '71 w/ John Felice, later of the mighty Real Kids, on second guitar. Great stuff and for the most part different than what's on the Longbranch Saloon release from a number of years ago.

Seen Jonathan live solo and with Tommy Larkin a bunch of times and it's been great every time.

You mean, the *great* Jonathan Richman....




in the first bar....

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Rank Stranger





I'm a big Jonathan Richman, ever since I could lay my hands on the first album; and believe me, that wasn't so easy to get in 1976!

If I remember right, that first album (produced by John Cale for WB in '73) with the original line-up was only available as a mail order.

By that time the original group had split and Jonathan was fronting a new Modern Lover lineup on Berserkly.

A rock n roll great no question
My favourite is "Lonely financial zone" from the great self titled album he released in 1976 or so

My favorite album is The Modern Lovers Live, recorded in London, 1977.
The venue was filled with punks(the Clah, Johnny Rotten...). An Jojo came with his stories like the Ice Cream man, or Im a little dinausor, and the incredible "the morning of our lives"... And the audience made a warm success to The Modern Lovers...

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hummingbird
My favorite album is The Modern Lovers Live, recorded in London, 1977.
The venue was filled with punks(the Clah, Johnny Rotten...). An Jojo came with his stories like the Ice Cream man, or Im a little dinausor, and the incredible "the morning of our lives"... And the audience made a warm success to The Modern Lovers...

The version of "Ice Cream Man" on that is epic....something like 18 minutes long!

That Modern Lovers live lp is one of my favourite live albums too.
The only complaint I have about it concerns the record company; in this case Castle Rec. if I remember correctly.
About 10 years ago, a cd-reissue was announced as a double cd with over 40 (!) tracks,
so I looked forward getting both shows from Hammersmith Odeon 1977.
The project was shelved and never heard of again, a real shame!

By the way, I have about 30 minutes live from Amsterdam from the same tour, so if anybody is interested, I can put it up.

Jonathan Goes Country!

A heard a modern lovers tune on the radio coming home from work yesterday. I was bouncing up and down in the car. I miss that type of music. God bless the '80's.

I am very pleased to read your comments & I still need to watch the videos .
I had forgotten that thread of mine but thanks to you.