Props To Paul: Two McCartney Tribute Albums Due

21 Aug 2001 07:58:00 EDT

Matthew Sweet, Semisonic, Barenaked Ladies members, others cover McCartney songs on new compilations.
By Joe D'Angelo

Paul McCartney
Photo: Kevin Mazur

The first-ever tribute to Paul McCartney's post-Beatles career is taking off.

Listen to What the Man Said: Popular Artists Pay Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney, scheduled for an October 9 release, focuses on McCartney's work since leaving the Beatles, both in Wings and as a solo artist. The compilation includes interpretations by artists such as Robyn Hitchcock, Matthew Sweet, Sloan and They Might Be Giants of the former Fab Four bassist's popular hits, as well as little-known gems, according to the album's publicist.

Singer/songwriter Owsley covers the classic "Band on the Run," the title track from Wings' 1973 third album, while pop-punkers SR-71 offer their take on "My Brave Face," a tune McCartney wrote with Elvis Costello for Paul's 1989 solo album, Flowers in the Dirt. Semisonic take "Jet" for a spin, and rockers Virgos, fronted by temporary Creed bassist Brett Hestla, deliver their rendition of the heart-wrenching "Maybe I'm Amazed," from Sir Paul's 1970 solo debut, McCartney.

A companion disc of McCartney covers by lesser-known artists arrives October 23. The 15-track Coming Up: Independent Artists Pay Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney features a few Mac nuggets, like the Andersons' version of "Temporary Secretary" (from 1980's McCartney II) and Band on the Run's "Helen Wheels" interpreted by the Shazam, alongside a trio of tunes — "Every Night" (Mark Bacino), "My Brave Face" (Star Collector) and "Maybe I'm Amazed" (Gadget White Band) — that are also covered on Listen to What the Man Said.

The LP also marks the return, after a 28-year absence, of Emitt Rhodes, who duets with Ray Paul on "Oh Woman, Oh Why." Rhodes was the frontman of late-'60s Brit-pop sound-alikes the Merry-Go-Round, whose "Pardon Me" closely resembles McCartney's Beatles composition "Fool on the Hill." He hasn't released an album since his 1973 solo LP Farewell to Paradise.

A portion of the proceeds from both albums will benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Paul's late wife Linda lost her battle with the disease in 1998.

Track list for Listen to What the Man Said: Popular Artists Pay Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney, according to the album's publicist:

Owsley - "Band on the Run"
SR-71 - "My Brave Face"
Barenaked Ladies' Steven Page and Kevin Hearn with the Lilac Time's Stephen Duffy - "Junk"
Semisonic - "Jet"
The Merrymakers - "No More Lonely Nights"
Robyn Hitchcock - "Let Me Roll It"
Finn Brothers - "Too Many People"
The Minus 5 - "Dear Friend"
Matthew Sweet - "Every Night"
Sloan - "Waterfalls"
World Party - "Man We Was Lonely"
The John Faye Power Trip - "Coming Up"
Virgos - "Maybe I'm Amazed"
Judybats - "Love in Song"
Linus of Hollywood - "Warm and Beautiful"
They Might Be Giants - "Ram On"

Track list for Coming Up: Independent Artists Pay Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney:

Starbelly - "Let 'Em In"
The Jellybricks - "Take It Away"
Mark Bacino - "Every Night"
Cliff Hillis - "This One"
Star Collector - "My Brave Face"
The Andersons - "Temporary Secretary"
Kyf Brewer - "Mull of Kintyre"
The Masticators - "With a Little Luck"
Phil Keaggy - "Somedays"
Michael Carpenter - "Getting Closer"
Gadget White Band - "Maybe I'm Amazed"
The Shazam - "Helen Wheels"
Ray Paul with Emitt Rhodes - "Oh Woman, Oh Why"
Cherry Twister - "Another Day"
Cockeyed Ghost - "Back on My Feet"

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Fountains Of Wayne Tap Imperial Teen, Owsley For Tour

9 Jun 1999 09:45:00 EDT

Adam Schlesinger & Chris Collingwood

After wrapping a string of appearances at various radio-sponsored shows across the country, the Fountains of Wayne will strike on its own for a summer tour beginning on July 2 in Ortley Beach, New Jersey.

The Fountains of Wayne will be joined by Imperial Teen and newcomers Owsley for the month long, 17-date tour. When the tour winds down, The Fountains will then head over to Japan in order to take part in this year's Fuji Festival, slated for August 1.

Playing in front of the kind of crowd that the Fuji rock festival annually draws will be nothing new for the Fountains, as the band opened for the Smashing Pumpkins back on its ill-fated tour in 1996. And as the band's Chris Collingwood recently told MTV, the group actually feels more comfortable at the large shows than the kind of club gigs the Fountains will hit on its upcoming tour.

"I don't think that either one of is particularly uncomfortable playing in front of giant crowds," Collingwood said. "We kind of got thrown into that pretty early on the Smashing Pumpkins tour."

"And in a way," he continued, "it's kind of less intimidating than playing in front of small audiences, because it's just this blanket of people, and you really can't see any of their faces. They can't see you either, to be honest. There's something oddly more anonymous about that than playing in a small club. It's a little bit easier." [RealVideo]

Dates for the Fountains of Wayne's upcoming North American tour:

7/2 - Ortley Beach, New Jersey @ Joey Harrison's Surf Club
7/4 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin @ Summerfest
7/8 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
7/9 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
7/10 - Boston, MA @ Paradise
7/12 - Montreal, QC @ Cabaret Music Hall
7/13 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
7/14 - Detroit, MI @ Shelter
7/15 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
7/16 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
7/19 - Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Cafe
7/20 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Grill
7/22 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
7/23 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Coach House
7/24 - West Hollywood, CA @ Troubador
7/26 - Santa Ana, CA @ Galaxy Concert Theater
7/27 - San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick

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