You sure did sprinkle some fairy dust into the new mix. I like your track note, too.

i love big star, so awesome that you were always in Alex's orbit, must have been quite inspirational, great set of rules to play by, love your music, really nice cover and the mix sounds great, so glad to hear your music again!

Digging the cascading vocal melody…this has some of your distinct polish!

Always love to hear your new posts...never disappoints!

Yes great song and no doubt version of - a genre I can relate to big time

I was always in the orbit of Big Star when I was an active musician in Memphis. Everyone I played with played with someone that played with or dated Alex. We were the next crop of midtown DIYers. We played by their rules: first take best take, rock is for the people, metal sucks, you'll never be better than Elvis so don't try.

There's this one weird batch of songs between The Box Tops and Big Star that Alex cut and this is my favorite of the bunch. Free Again and I Wish I Could Meet Elvis are a couple others to seek out.

I recorded this 14 years ago. I've learned a lot about mixing since then. I've never released a remix (this may go a little beyond the standard definition) but it was a fun experience. It felt like hanging out with the younger, dumber, more exuberant me. Anyway, it kind of feels like cheating, but it's my Soundcloud and I'll smile if I want to.

Original cover: https://soundcloud.com/adam-woodard/the-emi-song-smile-for-me

Love,
Adam

The EMI Song (2024) - Alex Chilton

Baby of the 80s, teen of the 90s, obsessed with the 60s and 70s; an FM wannabe in a Youtube world. I guess I just wasn't made for these times. I like songwriting in the Gershwin, Tin Pan Alley, Lennon/McCartney tradition. I prefer records to singles. I prefer three minutes to ten.

According to my mama, I was whistling before I learned to talk. I played organ in the Memphis garage rock scene between 2000 and 2016. I've done a lot of studio work, adding keys to records by songwriters that I really admire.

I'm now focused on recording my own songs. I have a minimal home recording set up with a laptop, microphones, cheap guitars, drums, piano, and a grab bag of other toys. All my lyrics rhyme with the truth, or at least I think they do. 

Life is short and there are more good songs then there are raindrops. Which is to say: thank you very much for lending me your ears.

Rock 'n' roll is dead, long live rock 'n' roll.
__________
__________
__________


A few of my influences, in no particular order, are:

Sly and the Family Stone 
The Mamas and Papas
Beck
Big Star
The Beach Boys
The Beatles
Smokey Robinson 
Bob Dylan
Buddy Holly
Jack Oblivian
James Brown
Beaulah
Elliot Smith
Hank Williams
Otis Redding
Steve Martin
10CC
Joe Jackson
Frank Ocean
Billie Holiday
Dave Fridman
Joni Mitchell
Tyler, The Creator
The Dirt Bombs
The Cocteau Twins
George Gershwin
Ben Folds
Cornelius
Bjork
Donny Hathaway
The Drifters
Ennio Morricone
Moby Grape
Prince
The Breeders
The Monkees 
Caetano Veloso
Kendrick Lamar
Nina Simone
Pink Floyd
Waylon Jennings
Del Shannon
Booker T and the MG's 
Mott the Hoople
Grandaddy
The Hombres
Philip Glass
Huey Lewis
My Bloody Valentine
David Bowie
David Byrne 
The Pixies
Thin Lizzy
The Clash
Broadcast
Willie Mitchell
Billy Joel
Wilco
Cat Power
Pusha T
Blonde Redhead
Os Mutantes
Al Green
The Kinks
The Animals
Spiritualized
The Zombies
Carol Kaye
Them
Led Zeppelin
The Beta Band
Loudon Wainwright
Leadbelly
Lou Reed
Tom Petty
Tom Waits
Shuggie Otis
The Impressions
Weird Al
Van Dyke Parks
Roy Orbison
Nino Rota
Jack White
Don Covay
Sir Douglas Quintet
Chet Baker
Chicago
Buffy Sainte Marie
Miles Davis
Elvis Costello
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Harlan T Bobo
Nick Lowe
Earth Wind and Fire
Chopin
William S Burroughs
Nina Simone
Ray Charles
Ravel
Electric Light Orchestra
M.O.T.O.
Steely Dan
Willie Nelson
Phish
Charles Mingus
The Grateful Dead
The Cars
Lee Hazelwood
REM
The Replacements
Pavement
Kurt Cobain
Isaac Hayes
Jerry Lee Lewis
Ike & Tina
The Vaselines
Lenoard Cohen
Gilberto Gil 
Air
Alejandro Escovedo
Fats Domino
Little Richard
Buddy Holly
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Groovies
Janis Jolpin
Scott Joplin
John Coltrane
Willie Nelson
Todd Rundgren
They MIght Be Giants 
The Drifters
The Coasters 
Django
Marvin Gaye
Belle and Sebastian
The Delgados
Animal Collective
Curtis Mayfiled
Harry Nilsson
Warren Zevon
Steve Miller
Randy Newman
Carole King
The Isley Brothers
JJ Cale
Nat King Cole
Frank Zappa
The Rolling Stones
The Compulsive Gamblers
Greg Cartwright
The Reigning Sound
Jeff Pope
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Dr. John
Ray Manzarek
Paul Simon
Dan Penn
The Byrds
Badfinger
The Band
Stephen Sondheim
Andrew Lloyd Weber
Stephen Schwartz
The Police
Richard Thompson
Dean Martin
Chuck Berry
Syd Barrett
Rita Lee
Gal Costa
The Specials
2 Pac
Weezer
Squeeze
The Violent Femmes
Wanda Jackson
The Andrew Sisters
The Memphis Horns
The Memphis Jug Band
The Oblivians 
Cole Porter 
Johnny Mercer
Black Sheep
Harold Arlen
The Everly Borthers
The Faces
Neil Young
Charlie Rich
Oscar Peterson
Stevie Wonder
Phineas Newborn
M. Ward
The Lyres
The Troggs
The Velvet Underground
Funkadelic
Donovan
The Doors
Meat Puppets
Brian Eno
The Hollies
Radiohead
Frank Sinatra
? and the Mysterians
Tommy James
Madness
The Seeds 
The Lovin' Spoonful
Carl Perkins
Howlin' Wolf
The 13th Floor Elevators
Yo La Tengo
Love
A Giant Dog
Sparks
Courtney Barnett
Kate Tempest
T. Rex
Outkast
Irving Berlin
The Who
The Searchers
Fleetwood Mac
Allen Toussaint

…and a few others

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