Popdose - Latest Comments in Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

JP — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:49:50 -0000

strangely enough, i remember hearing "dancin' shoes" more times in a k-tel commercial than i do on the radio

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

GW — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:13:17 -0000

I discovered Jason's old site yesterday and eventually found my way here. I laughed so hard at the "bearskin rug" line in the review of David Gates's "Goodbye Girl" I had wait 20 minutes before brushing my teeth.

Some impressive knowledge amidst the levity -- I bow down before you who can credibly discern "key changes" and "middle eights" in pop songs. Oddly, I see I have almost *never* payed attention to rock-era love-song lyrics in any kind of serious way. My bad. I missed out on years of cheap entertainment, as these "Adventures" amply demonstrate. But now I am paranoid. Are "Whole Lotta Love" and "Baba O'Riley" wimp songs in disguise? How about "We're An American Band"? Juuuuuust kidding. Time to revert back to semiconsciousness ...

A history of mellow gold is definitely called for. When did she-men start giving away their balls? There is a fine line here. One can be devastated from an actual or impending breakup and still retain some dignity. When did watching TV as an OK alternative to sex even become a possibility? Inquiring minds want to know. I came up with Terry Stafford's "Suspicion" (not to be confused w/ Eddie Rabbitt's song) ca. 1966 an early mellow gold candidate. I am sure there are earlier ones. Which brings us to ...

Go to the front of the class, those of you who recalled mellow HoF'er Paul Davis's "breakthrough" being "A Little Bit of Soap" in 1970. Did it make the national top 40? It made the local top 30 in Boston for a few weeks -- one of those deals where a song goes from 30 to 27 to 25, and then the musical director goes "WTF?? Outta here!"

The original version of "Soap" has a catchy '50s-ish arrangement. The words say "you broke my heart and the scars may never heal entirely" but the music says there will be joy again. Davis's version, OTOH ... Long before he hit the mellow motherlode with "I Go Crazy" and "Cool Night" his "Soap" remake registered a 98 on the wimp-scale. That Nigel Olsson basically re-remade Paul Davis's remake is inexplicable. Or *was*. Now made aware of all the self-titled LPs, it suddenly makes sense in a weird kind of way.

As for "Dancing Shoes" ... always liked the song well enough. It certainly never suffered from overexposure. The comparison with the Eagles version of "Ol' 55" is a good one. Did not notice that before ... which I find I am somehow able to forgive myself for.

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

Stephen — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:10:22 -0000

Just so glad this feature is back. I'd almost given up checking on it! Great work, as always.

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

breadalbane — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 03:00:34 -0000

Nigel's version is there too. As is the hit version by UberMellowGoldenMensch Paul Davis. But exercise caution -- too much Mellow Gold in one sitting may cause inadvertent harshing of your mellow.

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

breadalbane — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:46:36 -0000

What, no embedding allowed? Drat!

Okay, go to youtube and type in "Little Bit Of Soap". The original Jarmels version is actually a cool little tune. You'll also find a not-bad version by Garnet Mimms.

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

breadalbane — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:40:48 -0000

Keep it to myself? Faugh, I say! While the dangers of Too Much Mellow Gold can't be overemphazised, there are not one but TWO hit Mellow Gold versions of the song! Mellow Gold Guru Paul Davis had his first hit with the song in 1970.

Nigel's 1979 version, meanwhile, sneaks a little "What A Fool Believes" riff into the proceedings.

For those who want to hear how far the material deviated from its source material, here's the original Ben E. King-like hit, by the Jarmels from 1961:

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

jasonhare — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:07:54 -0000

Bite your tongue, Sharon.

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

what the what — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:07:05 -0000

I don't know about you, but I think Jason may be a closet Fozz fan. He can't seem to stay/get away from Foster. I believe Terje is creating a movement (not like a Jarreaumas movement) on Popdose.

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

what the what — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:59:01 -0000

I just love this Mellow Gold Genre, it conjures up my childhood. I grew up on this crap. I'm all about the cheesy. But oddly (or not), I have absolutely NO recollection of this song. Very forgettable.

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

Ted — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:13:53 -0000

I've never heard the Faith Band version before, and I gotta say that it really did nothing for me. So, thanks for that!

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

DwDunphy — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:11:35 -0000

Drum solo. Bappadebappaboopadoopa.

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

CarlosRamirez — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:52:10 -0000

I am a HUGE Music Mike fan! You guys should interview him...seriously!

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

JonCummings — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:36:44 -0000

Damn! I saw that you were featuring Nigel an hour before I actually read the post, and the whole time I was singing to myself--"A Little Bit of Soap!"

Well, I'm happy for the opportunity to cringe at this song, but as for not hearing the other one...well, a little bit of soap will never wash away my tears.

See what I did there, Jason? I didn't keep it to myself.

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

Beau — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:52:24 -0000

You're all missing the artistic accomplishments of this song. The drum fill with 45 seconds left resembles a heart stumbling into an arrhythmia that would surely be fatal. But with his new love acting as a defibrillator, he bounces back, just as lively as before and one key higher!

In terms of subtext, only "Close to the Edge" is richer.

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

DwDunphy — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:43:11 -0000

I'm also hearing "Let Me Love You Tonight" in there. Do you realize how much it pains me to say that?

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

David_E — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:35:40 -0000

You nailed it with the comparison to "Ol' 55." NAILED it. But why couldn't you nail it harder, to something like a crucifix?

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

DwDunphy — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:00:28 -0000

I thought I never heard this song before. On listening to it, I think I may have once. That's the power of repression I suppose.

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

Terje Fjelde — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:43:41 -0000

I'm chiming, but mostly because I'm celebrating the return of Adventures Through the Gold of Mellow Mining. I also feel obliged to mention that David Foster composed and arranged a total of 17 tracks on "Nigel Olsson", "Nigel Olsson" and "Nigel". And yet I don't own any of them.

Re: Adventures Through the Mines of Mellow Gold 49

Mike — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:43:16 -0000

A few Nigel-related mathematical equations.

"Sad Eyes" - falsetto = "Dancin' Shoes" (to my ears, anyway)

"Nigel" album cover + brown paint + cowboy hat + random babes= Rick James

Yikes.