Van Morrison "Have I Told You Lately"

At its core, the station I work for is a singer-songwriter station. We play lots of different kids of music---we're fairly eclectic---but the home-base sound is made by people who are writers first.

Because we're talking about some of the great songwriters (Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young), it stands to reason that even people who don't listen to mvyradio, know many of the songs we play, because more commercial artists make mainstream versions of their songs.

And here is another place where I need to check my snobbery.

The folks had a big Anniversary coming up, and my Dad (the closet romantic) wanted to take my Mom out on a special date. And to make the scene complete, he wanted me to get a song and put it on cassette for him (cassette! how quaint!), so when the car started up, so would the song.

"Peej, can you get me that Rod Stewart song?"

"Which one?"

"Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?"

"You mean the Van Morrison song?"

"No . . . no, the one by Rod Stewart."

"But the one that Van Morrison did. That one?"

"Oh, I don't know. I'm pretty sure it's a Rod Stewart song."

In my mind, Jack Black appears, for just a moment. Then I dismiss him.

"Yeah, the Rod Stewart song? I'll get that on cassette for you."

My anniversary gift to you, was to not act like an unctuous ass.


See the video on Youtube.


See the video on Youtube.


See the video on Youtube.

Bob Seger "Downtown Train"

On Monday, I was writing about artists putting songs "On Hold," and was saying that it was an term I was not familiar with it.

Turns out, neither was Bob Seger.

In 1989, Seger supposedly had just completed the recording sessions for his new album, at the end of a decade that saw him achieve higher commercial success that ever before.

The story goes that he ran into acquaintance Rod Stewart. He told Stewart about this great Tom Waits cover he had just recorded.

Flash forward a couple of months later, Stewart has gone into the studio, recorded his own version of Waits' "Downtown Train," and gets it released before Seger's version.

It remains is one of the biggest commercial hits of Stewart's career, and even earned him a Grammy Nomination.

Seger, on the other hand, was reportedly PISSED. He pulled the planned album release and went into the studio, motivated to record something that would REALLY knock Rod's socks off. It took him until 1991 to get his next album out, and by that time, Nirvana had hit, and suddenly there was no room for Classic Rockers on Grunge radio.

His version of "Downtown Train" remains unreleased.

But lots of people have recorded it. Here are clips of Waits' original, Rod's remake, and covers from Mary Chapin Carpenter, Everything But The Girl and Patty Smyth.



The Rod Stewart, Pop-Up Video Version, with Seger story


Rarely seen Tom Waits video