Speakerspushtheair, December 2004.
As a Speakerspushtheair reader I trust you agree that, when it comes to music, a pleasure shared is a pleasure doubled. If so, here’s a link you should check out http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/SH - the Real Audio archives of radio shows on New York station WFMU hosted by singer, songwriter & self-proclaimed “Rock Superstar” Michael Shelley, a man whose enthusiasm for spreading the word on his favourite music recently had him rising at 3 a.m. on Brooklyn Saturday mornings. As they used to say on rock’n’roll radio, meet one of the Good Guys. Clearly in his element on both sides of the studio glass, Michael Shelley is the kind of rock superstar we need more of - a man obviously blessed with a healthily funky record collection & attitude to creative collaboration:“Some of the most satisfying moments of my life have been collaborating with other musicians in the recording studio or on stage. It’s an amazing thing to see someone else’s idea improve on and feed your own. It’s like in a romantic relationship where two people get together and both become stronger. In some ways a good live audience are collaborators in a good show”. Having embarked on a variety of jobs that could fill a separate article in themselves, Shelley started writing songs for his first band, The Sloppy Joes, in the mid-eighties, releasing The Girl With The Light In Her Eyes/Keep On Truckin on Diesel Only records in 1991.
1997 saw Shelley come to listeners’ attention this side of the Atlantic via the fruits of his collaboration with BMX Bandits, Teenage Fanclub & Radio Sweethearts drummer & Shoeshine label supremo, Francis MacDonald. “I had heard the Shoeshine 45 of “Satellite Girl” by the band Speedboat and I just loved it” enthuses Michael. ” I had visited Scotland twice, as a tourist and drove around and saw most of the country, but that 45 was my first conscious musical connection with Scotland”. The connection expanded into the first Cheeky Monkey album, “Four Arms To Hold You” . “On that album Francis & I really clicked. We made that album in 4 days, and I think the time constraints really kept us focused. I’ve learned a lot from Francis.”
With a Cheeky Monkey song (“Down”) covered by R. Stevie Moore & a Shelley song (“Think With Your Heart”) featured in the movie "Love & Support" does Michael ever imagine another artist singing a song while he was writing (improve) or if got inspired to write or work up a song in the style of someone else? Or imagine a song in a particular scene of a movie?
“I actually have written a few songs for other artists and actually mailed them copies, which seem to disappear into the black holes in outer space. In every case I’ve just felt really inspired and the songs came quickly. Some of those songs have been recycled and end up on my records”. Speaking of cover versions, as well as contributing to a Teenage Fanclub tribute album, Michael has recorded a song for a Gene Pitney tribute. As a fan of the art of the popular song I wonder whether, if Michael could ride the New York subway back to the heady heyday of the early 60s he’d prefer to be working in the hallowed song factory Brill Building? Or would he have been a folkie hanging round the Greenwich Village coffee bars? His answer is as succinct and direct as a Goffin-King classic:“Brill Building. Ernest folkies drive me nuts.”
The Shelley solo catalogue started taking shape when, fresh from releasing Cheeky Monkey’s “Four Arms To Hold You”, Shoeshine & US indie BIG DEAL issued Shelley’s first solo album, Half Empty, an engagingly spare-sounding debut, establishing a template Shelley’s embellished with subsequent releases. “Half Empty sounds the way it does because I had a fixed budget, and tried to figure how I could best put the songs over for that budget, so it’s a sparse rock trio record. The more I learn, the more experimenting I wish I could do, and that takes money. But there are limits; bands that spend $400,000 making one album will roast in Hell for eternity. Having said that – yes I would use more horns & strings, hire Nick Lowe to produce, buy some guitars, build a home studio, and do some experimenting with some of my favourite musicians.”
Sharing his enthusiasm for his favourite musicians comes naturally to Shelley, who introduced BIG DEAL his occasional collaborators Baby Lemonade (who in their latter-day co-incarnation as Arthur Lee’s Love are responsible for three of the finest shows your correspondent has ever seen). And Michael’s A&R abilities have led to his most recent, & quirkiest, release: an 8” vinyl straight-to-lathe super-limited edition e.p. on London label Heliotone: “When the BIG DEAL label was still around I pitched them on the idea of a “best of” The BMX Bandits, which they were going to let me compile. I got in touch with Ed Jung (who runs the Heliotone label) because he was running the BMX Bandits web page at the time, and I asked him for some input. BIG DEAL went under before that project happened, but Ed & I stayed in touch over the years, and he simply made me an offer I couldn’t refuse to do the 8”, and it was my pleasure.” The Heliotone release is graced by a rendition of a classic Shelley song, Baby’s In A Bad Mood, the lead track from Too Many Movies which, following a pattern of globally staggered releases, appeared in the USA in 1998 on the BIG DEAL label, in Japan on Nippon Crown in 2000 & on Shoeshine the following year.. .
No matter what year or continent they first heard it in, Baby’s In a Bad Mood introduced Shelley listeners to his newly- enriched musical palette , suggesting an elegantly rueful Bob Dylan with its thin wild Mercury sound & uncanny nailing of a domestic mini-drama, Michael sharing situations most songwriters struggle to articulate or wrap up in elaborate conceits. “I don’t think I've ever had doubts about sharing personal details although”, he admits, “it has freaked out some folks who I’ve written about. Some people are so crafty they don’t rely on point of view; I’ve always strived for a balance of craft and point of view. Some of my favourite songs are ones that sound both personal to the writer, but universal in the sentiment… but I try not to think about the process too much.” Too Many Movies continued Shelley’s Scotpop Scotpop connections continued with appearances from the likes of Belle & Sebastian’s Chris Geddes & Stevie Jackson as well as the ubiquitous Francis Macdonald plus New York-based Shoeshine country artist & DJ, Laura Cantrell.
The Cantrell/Shelley duet, “Let’s Fall In Hate”, on Michael’s next outing, “I Blame You” again underlined Shelley’s adept touch at portraying a delicate domestic situation (“We can’t make it through a meal much less eternity”). Elsewhere on the record, “Stoop Sale” is a collaboration between Michael & his erstwhile New York house guest Stevie Jackson – a list of items an ex-lover’s shedding after splitting with the singer including a mix-tape he compiled for her, while “Mix Tape” itself the finest paean to a sharing art all Speakers readers can relate to – the music compilation that traditionally heralds the start of a music lover’s new relationship (improve). Michael struck me as an artist who draws inspiration from a wide range of daily situations & popular culture.
“Sometimes an event in my life will spark a song idea. Some times I’ll hear a song or read a phrase or hear a comment and it will suggest a mutation (like “Lets fall In Hate”). Notes get written on scraps of paper while riding the subway, then get washed in my pants pocket in the laundry. Eventually enough fragments in my brain get stuck to each other enough to start a real song idea, then I start writing down any word or phrase that moves that sentiment along, when I’m purged, I see if I can organize the mess into a song. Occasionally an idea pops into my head and a few minutes later the song pops out of the guitar whole, like giving birth to a 30 year old person. But more often I get the chorus and the verse structure pretty quickly and then I take a painfully long time ironing out details.
“With (the title track) “I Blame You” I had the general concept and a lot of words, but I couldn’t figure out a chorus that sounded right following the verse. I showed what I had To Francis and he wrote the chorus in about ten seconds, and the bridge in about five seconds. Amazing! It was originally written with a country-ish feel, and it was drummer Dennis Diken (ex-Smithereens) who suggested the feel we ended up recording it with”.
Michael’s imminent new release is "Goodbye Cheater" recorded, says Michael “mostly live in 2 days in Brooklyn by Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Lemonheads, Apples In Stereo…).” It features my amazing band of the past couple of years: John Lee, Jon Graboff & Steve Goulding, augmented by some old & new accomplices Jay Sherman-Godfrey (guitar) Drew Glackin (Silos, Tandy) Dan Miller (They Might Be Giants) Dave Amels (keyboard ace) Jim Campilongo (guitar genius) and Laura Cantrell (sings a duet). I added vocals and a few more guitars in my basement then Bryce mixed it. I think it’s a new approach sonically, and hopefully there’s some growth as a songwriter… but who knows.”
He's pretty modest for a Rock Superstar but we know one thing for sure: whatever Michael Shelley chooses to share with us will be more than worthwhile: "Goodbye Cheater" is out on Confidential Recordings in January.
As a Speakerspushtheair reader I trust you agree that, when it comes to music, a pleasure shared is a pleasure doubled. If so, here’s a link you should check out http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/SH - the Real Audio archives of radio shows on New York station WFMU hosted by singer, songwriter & self-proclaimed “Rock Superstar” Michael Shelley, a man whose enthusiasm for spreading the word on his favourite music recently had him rising at 3 a.m. on Brooklyn Saturday mornings. As they used to say on rock’n’roll radio, meet one of the Good Guys. Clearly in his element on both sides of the studio glass, Michael Shelley is the kind of rock superstar we need more of - a man obviously blessed with a healthily funky record collection & attitude to creative collaboration:“Some of the most satisfying moments of my life have been collaborating with other musicians in the recording studio or on stage. It’s an amazing thing to see someone else’s idea improve on and feed your own. It’s like in a romantic relationship where two people get together and both become stronger. In some ways a good live audience are collaborators in a good show”. Having embarked on a variety of jobs that could fill a separate article in themselves, Shelley started writing songs for his first band, The Sloppy Joes, in the mid-eighties, releasing The Girl With The Light In Her Eyes/Keep On Truckin on Diesel Only records in 1991.
1997 saw Shelley come to listeners’ attention this side of the Atlantic via the fruits of his collaboration with BMX Bandits, Teenage Fanclub & Radio Sweethearts drummer & Shoeshine label supremo, Francis MacDonald. “I had heard the Shoeshine 45 of “Satellite Girl” by the band Speedboat and I just loved it” enthuses Michael. ” I had visited Scotland twice, as a tourist and drove around and saw most of the country, but that 45 was my first conscious musical connection with Scotland”. The connection expanded into the first Cheeky Monkey album, “Four Arms To Hold You” . “On that album Francis & I really clicked. We made that album in 4 days, and I think the time constraints really kept us focused. I’ve learned a lot from Francis.”
With a Cheeky Monkey song (“Down”) covered by R. Stevie Moore & a Shelley song (“Think With Your Heart”) featured in the movie "Love & Support" does Michael ever imagine another artist singing a song while he was writing (improve) or if got inspired to write or work up a song in the style of someone else? Or imagine a song in a particular scene of a movie?
“I actually have written a few songs for other artists and actually mailed them copies, which seem to disappear into the black holes in outer space. In every case I’ve just felt really inspired and the songs came quickly. Some of those songs have been recycled and end up on my records”. Speaking of cover versions, as well as contributing to a Teenage Fanclub tribute album, Michael has recorded a song for a Gene Pitney tribute. As a fan of the art of the popular song I wonder whether, if Michael could ride the New York subway back to the heady heyday of the early 60s he’d prefer to be working in the hallowed song factory Brill Building? Or would he have been a folkie hanging round the Greenwich Village coffee bars? His answer is as succinct and direct as a Goffin-King classic:“Brill Building. Ernest folkies drive me nuts.”
The Shelley solo catalogue started taking shape when, fresh from releasing Cheeky Monkey’s “Four Arms To Hold You”, Shoeshine & US indie BIG DEAL issued Shelley’s first solo album, Half Empty, an engagingly spare-sounding debut, establishing a template Shelley’s embellished with subsequent releases. “Half Empty sounds the way it does because I had a fixed budget, and tried to figure how I could best put the songs over for that budget, so it’s a sparse rock trio record. The more I learn, the more experimenting I wish I could do, and that takes money. But there are limits; bands that spend $400,000 making one album will roast in Hell for eternity. Having said that – yes I would use more horns & strings, hire Nick Lowe to produce, buy some guitars, build a home studio, and do some experimenting with some of my favourite musicians.”
Sharing his enthusiasm for his favourite musicians comes naturally to Shelley, who introduced BIG DEAL his occasional collaborators Baby Lemonade (who in their latter-day co-incarnation as Arthur Lee’s Love are responsible for three of the finest shows your correspondent has ever seen). And Michael’s A&R abilities have led to his most recent, & quirkiest, release: an 8” vinyl straight-to-lathe super-limited edition e.p. on London label Heliotone: “When the BIG DEAL label was still around I pitched them on the idea of a “best of” The BMX Bandits, which they were going to let me compile. I got in touch with Ed Jung (who runs the Heliotone label) because he was running the BMX Bandits web page at the time, and I asked him for some input. BIG DEAL went under before that project happened, but Ed & I stayed in touch over the years, and he simply made me an offer I couldn’t refuse to do the 8”, and it was my pleasure.” The Heliotone release is graced by a rendition of a classic Shelley song, Baby’s In A Bad Mood, the lead track from Too Many Movies which, following a pattern of globally staggered releases, appeared in the USA in 1998 on the BIG DEAL label, in Japan on Nippon Crown in 2000 & on Shoeshine the following year.. .
No matter what year or continent they first heard it in, Baby’s In a Bad Mood introduced Shelley listeners to his newly- enriched musical palette , suggesting an elegantly rueful Bob Dylan with its thin wild Mercury sound & uncanny nailing of a domestic mini-drama, Michael sharing situations most songwriters struggle to articulate or wrap up in elaborate conceits. “I don’t think I've ever had doubts about sharing personal details although”, he admits, “it has freaked out some folks who I’ve written about. Some people are so crafty they don’t rely on point of view; I’ve always strived for a balance of craft and point of view. Some of my favourite songs are ones that sound both personal to the writer, but universal in the sentiment… but I try not to think about the process too much.” Too Many Movies continued Shelley’s Scotpop Scotpop connections continued with appearances from the likes of Belle & Sebastian’s Chris Geddes & Stevie Jackson as well as the ubiquitous Francis Macdonald plus New York-based Shoeshine country artist & DJ, Laura Cantrell.
The Cantrell/Shelley duet, “Let’s Fall In Hate”, on Michael’s next outing, “I Blame You” again underlined Shelley’s adept touch at portraying a delicate domestic situation (“We can’t make it through a meal much less eternity”). Elsewhere on the record, “Stoop Sale” is a collaboration between Michael & his erstwhile New York house guest Stevie Jackson – a list of items an ex-lover’s shedding after splitting with the singer including a mix-tape he compiled for her, while “Mix Tape” itself the finest paean to a sharing art all Speakers readers can relate to – the music compilation that traditionally heralds the start of a music lover’s new relationship (improve). Michael struck me as an artist who draws inspiration from a wide range of daily situations & popular culture.
“Sometimes an event in my life will spark a song idea. Some times I’ll hear a song or read a phrase or hear a comment and it will suggest a mutation (like “Lets fall In Hate”). Notes get written on scraps of paper while riding the subway, then get washed in my pants pocket in the laundry. Eventually enough fragments in my brain get stuck to each other enough to start a real song idea, then I start writing down any word or phrase that moves that sentiment along, when I’m purged, I see if I can organize the mess into a song. Occasionally an idea pops into my head and a few minutes later the song pops out of the guitar whole, like giving birth to a 30 year old person. But more often I get the chorus and the verse structure pretty quickly and then I take a painfully long time ironing out details.
“With (the title track) “I Blame You” I had the general concept and a lot of words, but I couldn’t figure out a chorus that sounded right following the verse. I showed what I had To Francis and he wrote the chorus in about ten seconds, and the bridge in about five seconds. Amazing! It was originally written with a country-ish feel, and it was drummer Dennis Diken (ex-Smithereens) who suggested the feel we ended up recording it with”.
Michael’s imminent new release is "Goodbye Cheater" recorded, says Michael “mostly live in 2 days in Brooklyn by Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Lemonheads, Apples In Stereo…).” It features my amazing band of the past couple of years: John Lee, Jon Graboff & Steve Goulding, augmented by some old & new accomplices Jay Sherman-Godfrey (guitar) Drew Glackin (Silos, Tandy) Dan Miller (They Might Be Giants) Dave Amels (keyboard ace) Jim Campilongo (guitar genius) and Laura Cantrell (sings a duet). I added vocals and a few more guitars in my basement then Bryce mixed it. I think it’s a new approach sonically, and hopefully there’s some growth as a songwriter… but who knows.”
He's pretty modest for a Rock Superstar but we know one thing for sure: whatever Michael Shelley chooses to share with us will be more than worthwhile: "Goodbye Cheater" is out on Confidential Recordings in January.
Comments