This week, the week of April 25-29, 2016, we will look at songs from real bands...for fake bands.

We call it:  "Don't look behind the curtain..."

April 28, 2016

Throughout musical history there have been those who never got their due credit.  Either they slaved away as session musicians making the stars sound good but never seeing the spotlight or the money from it, or they had their music used by other bands.

Sometimes their music was created to make a fake band.

These are some of those.

In movie filled with great music from talented people one song is probably the most remembered...and the only one to reach the charts

There are different versions of the song throughout the film and the album.

The song made it to #35 on the Country Chart in the US and one a grammy for  Dan Tyminski (lead vocal on "Man of Constant Sorrow"), Nashville songwriter Harley Allen, and the Nashville Bluegrass Band's Pat Enright.

~ Glenn

This week, the week of April 25-29, 2016, we will look at songs from real bands...for fake bands.

We call it:  "Don't look behind the curtain..."

April 27, 2016

Throughout musical history there have been those who never got their due credit.  Either they slaved away as session musicians making the stars sound good but never seeing the spotlight or the money from it, or they had their music used by other bands.

Sometimes their music was created to make a fake band.

These are some of those.

If you are going to make a parody of one of the greatest bands of all time you need a few things:

1) A brilliant mind for comedy
2) Funding
3) Great music

The Rutles documentary "All You Need is Cash", released in 1978, was born earlier in the decade from the minds of Monty Python member Eric Idle and Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band member Neil Innes.

While Idle was (in my humble opinion) the most musical of the Python members it was Innes that brought the sound of the various stages of the Rutles' career to life.

With Idle's writing and musical contribution to Innes the life of the pre-Fab Four was chronicled through their songs and celebrity guests.  One of whom had better insight than most into the source material...George Harrison.

However maybe Innes was TOO good at mimicking the sound of the Beatles as he was sued by the owners of the musical catalog at the time and Lennon/McCartney was added to a few of the original songs as co-songwriters.

In fact Innes said no less than John Lennon himself warned him that one of the songs was a bit too close to the original.

 While the Rutles didn't score any hits in the US (The album went to #63 in 1978) they had one top 40 song in the UK in 1978 ("I Must Be In Love, #39) and there was enough interest that a second album was also released along with a handful of singles from the various members of the band.

~ Glenn

This week, the week of April 25-29, 2016, we will look at songs from real bands...for fake bands.

We call it:  "Don't look behind the curtain..."

April 26, 2016

Throughout musical history there have been those who never got their due credit.  Either they slaved away as session musicians making the stars sound good but never seeing the spotlight or the money from it, or they had their music used by other bands.

Sometimes their music was created to make a fake band.

These are some of those.

Today's entry is not so much a stolen song as a song written by an artist for the film rather than something they would write for themselves.

"That Thing You Do", from the movie of the same name, was released in 1996 and did not crack the Billboard Hot 100...peaking at #41 in November of 1996.

The song was written by Fountains of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger and was one of many submitted for entry in the film.  Schlesinger even sings backup on the track.

~ Glenn

This week, the week of April 25-29, 2016, we will look at songs from real bands...for fake bands.

We call it:  "Don't look behind the curtain..."

April 25, 2016

Throughout musical history there have been those who never got their due credit.  Either they slaved away as session musicians making the stars sound good but never seeing the spotlight or the money from it, or they had their music used by other bands.

Sometimes their music was created to make a fake band.

These are some of those.

Formed in the 1970's Beaver Brown had some local and wider spread success with their music but didn't hit the big time until their songs were featured in a movie about a completely made up group.

John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band's song "On The Dark Side" barely cracked the top 100 (#64) when released as "Eddie & The Cruisers" but when reissued under their own name went all the way to #7 in October of 1984.

They had one more top 100 song chart with "Tender Years" reaching #35 in December of 1984.

~ Glenn