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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZRICHMAN, Jonathan(b May '51, Boston MA) Singer, songwriter, leader of the Modern Lovers, a US new wave act with cult following, described as a naive genius. Heard the Velvet Underground at 15, emulated them; it was said that he went to more of their gigs than they did. Kim Fowley claimed he discovered Richman and band '72 in Boston; Richman disputed this in sleeve note to The Original Modern Lovers '81, compiling early demos incl. 'Road Runner', 'She Cracked', 'Hospital'. An early champion was Jack Nitzsche; the demos were hawked around uninterested record companies at a time when singer/songwriters like James Taylor and Joni Mitchell were the rage and Richman's dark and brooding rock was out of step: some critics claimed that if they'd been released then the records would have changed what came after. But they weren't. Early lineup of band incl. Talking Heads' Jerry Harrison on keyboards, Cars' David Robinson on drums. Debut LP was prod. by John Cale, who did Richman's 'Pablo Picasso' in concert, but it was rejected by WB, not released until The Modern Lovers '76, by which time the climate was more receptive, but Richman's style had turned twee: Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers '76 incl. 'Here Come The Martian Martians' and 'Hey There Insect'; Rock And Roll With The Modern Lovers '77 incl. unlikely UK hit 'Egyptian Reggae' (no. 5 '77); The Modern Lovers Live '77 had Richman emphatically refusing to play 'Roadrunner'; Back In Your Life '79 took tweeness further with 'Abdul And Cleopatra' and 'I'm Nature's Mosquito'. 'Roadrunner' was no. 11 UK '77, 'Morning Of Our Lives' '78 top 30; no hit singles in USA. Reissues on Rhino in USA; later (solo) work on Rounder incl. Having A Party, Goes Country, Te Vas A Emocionar! (in Spanish) '94, You Must Ask The Heart '95. His live shows were said to be recovering earlier fire, then Surrender To Jonathan '96 on Vapor/WB (Neil Young's new imprint) to be badly over-produced. |