Feeling Mighty Fab
Smithereens Cover an Entire Beatles Album
by Chris M. Junior
Thinking outside the box is essential these days to sustain a career in the music industry, especially for veteran acts.
In recent years, Smithereens leader Pat DiNizio has developed a knack for finding ways to keep his band's name and music in the public's consciousness.
Last summer, ESPN2 aired a baseball/rock and roll special dubbed 7th Inning Stretch, which starred DiNizio and featured re-recorded versions of Smithereens songs.
And when DiNizio came up with the idea to dip into the Beatles catalog for a new Smithereens CD, he called Koch Records and delivered his pitch, which he says was given the green light "within 10 seconds."
DiNizio explains, "Originally, it was supposed to be different [Beatles] songs. I [spread the word] on my website, and our friends and supporters e-mailed me with their favorite Beatles songs that they wanted to see us do. It was all over the map—everything from 'I Am the Walrus' to 'All My Loving' to 'I'll Be Back.' It would have made for an interesting album, but it wouldn't have made any statement because anybody could do that."
Instead, DiNizio and company chose to cover the entire Meet the Beatles! album, calling their version—naturally—Meet the Smithereens!
"It blew the lid off rock and roll music for entire generations of music fans," says DiNizio of that Beatles album, which was released in 1964. "I remember living it and being in third grade when Meet the Beatles! came out and hearing 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' for the first time on the radio. Even on my little red transistor radio, it sounded like something from another planet, and it's still an amazing sound."
The Smithereens recorded their track-by-track cover album (due this month on Koch) at the House of Vibes studio in Highland Park, N.J., paying strict attention to detail.
"There are a lot of things that we did that were unique to the Smithereens style, and there are a lot of things that we did that are exactly the way the Beatles did it," says DiNizio. "As a band, you approach Beatles material in much the same way a classical musician approaches Beethoven or Brahms or Mozart. You play the notes as written, in a sense, but a discerning ear can tell a musician who lends something of his own style to it."
He adds, "I think the main difference, beside the fact that it's us playing and not them, is the vocals. I'm not trying to replicate what they sang note for note. I establish that original vocal and melody line, but by the second verse, I'm taking it somewhere else."
DiNizio handles the majority of lead vocals on the disc. Guitarist Jim Babjak takes the lead on "Don't Bother Me" and drummer Dennis Diken does the same for "I Wanna Be Your Man," while DiNizio, Babjak and Diken handle the singing on "This Boy." (The album features Sevenbsp; "There are a lot of things that we did that were unique to the Smithereens style, and there are a lot of things that we did that are exactly the way the Beatles did it," says DiNizio. "As a band, you approach Beatles material in much the same way a classical musician approaches Beethoven or Brahms or Mozart. You play the notes as written, in a sense, but a discerning ear can tell a musician who lends something of his own style to it."
He adds, "I think the main difference, beside the fact that it's us playing and not them, is the vocals. I'm not trying to replicate what they sang note for note. I establish that original vocal and melody line, but by the second verse, I'm taking it somewhere else."
DiNizio handles the majority of lead vocals on the disc. Guitarist Jim Babjak takes the lead on "Don't Bother Me" and drummer Dennis Diken does the same for "I Wanna Be Your Man," while DiNizio, Babjak and Diken handle the singing on "This Boy." (The album features Severo "The Thrilla" Jornacion playing bass in place of Mike Mesaros, who is "on hiatus" from the band, according to DiNizio.)
"There's a lot to live up to with this particular project," says DiNizio. "There will be people who will love it; there will be people who won't accept it. But it's still a tough act to follow. I think we did a very good job."
The Smithereens are scheduled to perform Jan. 13 at the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, which has become a regular stop for the New Jersey-bred band in recent years. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $27 in advance and $30 day of show.
The club is at 237 W. 42nd St. Call 212-997-4144 or visit www.bbkingblues.com for more information. Visit www.officialsmithereens.com to learn more about The Smithereens.
Here, There and Everywhere
Anyone who hears New Yorker Noam Weinstein's great ballad "Sail On" shouldn't take the opening lines literally: "I once loved a city/I once had a home/Now I'm a sailor, sailing alone."
The singer/songwriter says he hasn't found another metropolis that excites him quite like New York City. "But for better or for worse, I don't generally feel loyal to the places I love, only to the people," he says. "So I guess if the other 8 million New Yorkers move, I can't promise I'll stay behind just to clean up."
On We're All Going There, which features "Sail On" as well as 12 other songs, the 29-year-old Weinstein continues to make great strides as a writer and as a performer. His Manhattan performances this month include a Jan. 13 show at John St. Grille, 17 John St., and a Jan. 24 gig at Rockwood Music Hall, 196 Allen St.
For more information about Weinstein and the aforementioned shows, visit www.enoam.com.
To contact Manhattan Sounds columnist Chris M. Junior, e-mail chrisjr@mindspring.com.
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