Marshall Crenshaw - Whenever You're On My Mind

[stomczyk3]

Love the song. This version, the key that it's in, the recording...not so much. Marshall, come back to MKE. Shank Hall, we'll see you again. I'll bring my pill bottle for shaker on Cynical Girl. Moments dude! Rock!

[theclickbeetles]

Marshall plays a combination of rhythm/lead guitar that wanders off the root notes. You can't hear the bass guitar, which is why things sound a little disjointed. He's clearly singing in key, though.

[Faireweatherfriend]

He had a reputation for being mediocre live, this is way worse than that (not entirely his fault).  But a really good songwriter and recording artist, obviously.

[jackynjimy]

@Faireweatherfriend I think it's more the poor quality of the video sound I took. The show was really good. I should probably take this clip down.

[edwdixon5]

@jackynjimy Leave it up. It's obvious that it's the recording. The music is great and you captured a one of a kind moment. Thanks.

[msxeno]

@edwdixon5

Yes!  A great song is a great song. Period. :)

[earlymtv]

dag, stick to his studio stuff. he really fails live here...

[thirdtender]

can't believe I missed this...

[TIMOTHYSAARINEN]

Anybody seen the original music video of this song on YouTube?

[gibson3524]

I'm shocked. I was a fan of Marshall's way back in the 1980s. I was one of the few people who bought his albums. I thought he was a unique talent. But his voice seems to have suffered and his band is awful. He flunks the line "I never thought I'd be in this situation" of the middle section and that's probably not a coincidence.......... I think Marshall could never have foreseen he'd be in this situation: trying to reproduce his fantastic recordings 25 years later with a mediocre backing band.

[pmgruhn]

@gibson3524 I'll give you that it is not a strong performance. BUT In their defense the audio engineering is ghastly.

[squirrelray1]

When you talk of Marshall understanding the Beatles, he lived it , I believe he played as John Lennon in the Broadway cast of Beatlemania. I sadly only saw the road cast but I'll be he was geat.

[tiaandteddy]

MC is great! I remember feeling so lucky to see him at an ultra-small venue in Philly in the '90 and thinking this guy should be playing the Spectrum!! One of his closing songs was Viva Las Vegas. Wish someone had bootlegged it!!

[houstonveer]

MC is a certified capital figure in the modern rock movement in this country and beyond. Think Big Star, Galaxie 500, The Connells, and all others who understood that the Beatles were more than a great butt-shaking group. They permanently altered the trajectory of popular culture and set a course for others to follow. Thanktully Marshall and the others above grabbed the torch and ran hard. Happy summer.

[mitchellfos]

just discovering marshall crenshaw - love him

[11xzxzxz]

Download or pickup Field Day or this first record. Great stuff , esp first record. What an overlooked artist.

[truekeanefan]

The only thing that kept Marshall Crenshaw from the main spotlight in the 80's were artists like Prince, the Ramones, Bruce, Pat Benatar, Journey and other mainstream artist that swamped the airways in the 1980's. I remember first hearing Marshall on 97.5 WPST in Trenton, NJ and thinking he was cool, great vocals, awesome guitar, but after only a couple of hits he disappeared into thin air. What a shame!!!!

[11xzxzxz]

The other thing, probably most important, is so many people have way too much bad taste. They could hear a great song like this and not recognize it as good. I have played this song for dozens of women and they don't get it ...

[graphophone]

Actually, playing Marshall Crenshaw's music may prove an appropriate Litmus test for gauging datable women. I took a beautiful redhead to see Crenshaw perform on UNC's campus. She was totally bored with his music. As one might imagine, the would-be relationship didn't last much longer than the concert.

[11xzxzxz]

Yeah a sort of Litmus test .. but with a beautiful woman I might spare her the possible boredom and take her to see Brittany Spears or some insipid singer so she'd come home with me. Actually it wouldn't work cause I would telegraph to her that I was so bored. I'm terrible at showing interest in bad music (Imo).

[SconeMason]

Absolutely true, I met my wife on the Marshall Crenshaw website discussion board.

[elvis45687]

sealand12...what's your point with the hit count?

[MarshalltheIrish]

He's pointing out how pathetic it is that so many millions flock to shitty music like Avril Lavigne while ignoring a true pop craftsman like Marshall here.

I agree, it IS sad. Crenshaw is the definition of underrated.

[elvis45687]

Ah....I missed the "Lord help us" tag line. Yes, Marshall is underrated by a long shot. For that matter, so is Graham Parker.

[sealand12]

I guess the juxtaposition of the two was interesting. I am probably a much bigger fan of MC than Avril. No aspersions cast on Avril, but I think MC is one of the great song writers. As

MarshalltheIrish wrote I feel MC is underrated and was putting the number of views side by side to make a point. Glad to see MC views are going up.

[sealand12]

MC  Whenever You're On My Mind 2,357

Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend 106,591,782

Lord help us

[nycdude999]

That statistic has really creeped me out. Whenever You're On My Mind was one of the best songs from 1983. I'll take quality over quantity every time. Fifth years from now people who appreciate music will be playing Marshall Crenshaw songs and others like him, nobody will be playing Avril Lavigne, except perhaps her grandkids.

[80seyeliner]

That's such a shame. =(

[11xzxzxz]

Nice was to clarity a point. This is just one of hundreds of examples of why P T Barnum said there is a fool born every minute. And many of those fools are popular singers like Avril.

[Interview1998]

ManhattanBeefman....is this what Vanessa Carlton told you to say? haha ha ha only kidding.....kidding I have a feeling that, in the parking lot, is not the best place to play.But I am sure in a better acoustical venue and better recording equipment, this will sound a lot better. If you look on Utube, at simular outdoor recordings, the quality is the same. But the benefit of utube is you get a sampling. An example is Better Than Ezra, some Utube vids of them, not great.

[MANHATTANBEEFMAN]

Vanessa's pretty cute....I'd probably date her....

[Interview1998]

ha ha ha....Date Vanessa Carlton?

Yes manhattanbeefman, so would I !!!

And she's rich too......

So we can live LIKE KINGS and retire!

[progresswear]

Yes, he's dropped it from A to G, but he still does a number of other numbers still in the original key.

It's great to see him playing electric.  He had some kicking bands back in the day and is a hell of a player to watch.

[MANHATTANBEEFMAN]

That's what I hear....but I just have no patience for sloppy playing from artists who venture out to play live gigs. It's disrespecful to the audience - especially if they're paying the tab. Plus.......I just miss the 80's and the original VH1 & MTV as a kid.

[MANHATTANBEEFMAN]

....I'm a Marshall Crenshaw fan but whoaaaaa. If this were in a bar....I'd walk out!

[Interview1998]

Thank you jackynjimy, I love Marshall, this is recorded outside, on a cam corder or maybe cell , and I still find Mr. Crenshaw awesome with the recording. Best thing you captured was the intro, and the guitar solo, he is just fantastic, I wish I had footage of him with Beatlemania, but funny, of all the performers, I think he was the only one that ever charted on the US Pop 100, he did so twice, just a real special American artist. -----Cheers, Frankie

[55westend]

He's brought it down a step or two. Haven't heard him do that before. I guess it had to happen eventually - - he sings it so high in the original.

[jimbailey69]

Marshall Crenshaw is incredible. In a fair and just world, he'd have sold 60 million albums in the 1980s and Bon Jovi would have sold only a couple of hundred thousand.

[RollinsCollegeDad]

Berkley Michigan's finest!

[2008ljr]

Is that his hometown?

[KENVAIL]

this man should have like 15 number-one songs by now.

[Jimmers131005]

One of my fav singer/songwriter/guitarists of all time. Try playing those chords and singing that at the same time!

[a1950hotrodcat]

Excellent stuff! Thx.