Marshall Crenshaw
Encyclopedia
Marshall Crenshaw is an American
singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his song "Someday, Someway".
, he grew up in the northern suburb of Berkley, Michigan
. Crenshaw graduated from Berkley High School
in June 1971. Crenshaw began playing guitar at age ten. From 1968 to 1973 he led the band Astigafa (an acronym for "a splendid time is guaranteed for all", a lyric from The Beatles
' "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite"). He got his first break playing John Lennon
in the off-Broadway touring company of the musical Beatlemania
.
While in New York, he recorded a single, "Something's Gonna Happen", for Alan Betrock's Shake Records, after which he was signed to Warner Bros. Records
. Retro rocker Robert Gordon
took Crenshaw's "Someday, Someway" to #76 in 1981, and Crenshaw's own version made #36 the next year; it would be his only Billboard
Top 40 'Pop' hit. On the Cash Box magazine chart the song reached #31.
Throughout the rest of the decade Marshall enjoyed considerable airplay on AOR (Album-Oriented Rock) stations nationwide with many tracks and became very well known in his native Michigan. Spongetones
member Jamie Hoover lists "Someday, Someway" as one of his 10 favorite songs of all time.
Crenshaw's eponymous first album
included the US hit Someday, Someway. His second album, Field Day, released in early 1983 sported a somewhat heavier sound, as evidenced on "Whenever You're On My Mind," that displeased some listeners, but which is regarded by many critics as Crenshaw's best, and one of the classic power pop
statements, although Crenshaw's work, like Alex Chilton
's, transcends the genre. "Some of the stuff I've done you could call power pop," he told an interviewer, "but the term does have sort of a dodgy connotation."
Marshall Crenshaw's music has roots in classic soul music
, British Invasion
songcraft, Burt Bacharach
and Buddy Holly
—to whom Crenshaw was often compared in the early days of his career, and whom he portrayed in the 1987 film La Bamba
. Crenshaw is also a noted guitarist who uses offbeat chord progressions (almost verging towards jazz) and tight leads.
In 1989, he compiled a collection of Capitol Records
country performers of the 1950s and '60s called Hillbilly Music...Thank God, Vol. 1, which was extremely well received.
In 1993, he made an appearance in the cult TV show The Adventures of Pete and Pete, in the role of a guitar-playing meter reader, and in 1994, he published a book, Hollywood Rock: A Guide to Rock 'n' Roll in the Movies.
He continued to record in the 1990s and 2000s, and, in 1999, released the critically acclaimed #447.
In the 2000s, Crenshaw played guitar as a special guest with the reunited members of the MC5
.
Crenshaw penned the title track from the 2007 film Walk Hard starring John C. Reilly
; the song, as sung by Reilly, was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
.
Jaggedland, was released in June 2009 on his new record label 429 Records.
In 2011 Crenshaw began hosting a radio show called The Bottomless Pit on WFUV
in New York, featuring his vast collection of recorded music.
Being of short stature, Crenshaw refused to hire taller musicians for his bands early in his career.
s of Crenshaw's songs, including:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his song "Someday, Someway".
Biography
Born in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, he grew up in the northern suburb of Berkley, Michigan
Berkley, Michigan
Berkley is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is an inner suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the total population was 14,970.-Downtown, Dream Cruise, etc.:...
. Crenshaw graduated from Berkley High School
Berkley High School
Berkley High School is a public high school in Berkley, Michigan with a 2005-2006 enrollment of 1,348 students. Berkley High's colors are Maroon and Blue and the school's mascot is the Bears. Berkley is well known for its college prep courses, high standardized test scores, and teachers and...
in June 1971. Crenshaw began playing guitar at age ten. From 1968 to 1973 he led the band Astigafa (an acronym for "a splendid time is guaranteed for all", a lyric from The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite"). He got his first break playing John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
in the off-Broadway touring company of the musical Beatlemania
Beatlemania (musical)
Beatlemania was a Broadway musical revue focused on the music of The Beatles as it related to the events and changing attitudes of the tumultuous Sixties...
.
While in New York, he recorded a single, "Something's Gonna Happen", for Alan Betrock's Shake Records, after which he was signed to Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. Retro rocker Robert Gordon
Robert Gordon (musician)
Robert Gordon is an American rockabilly musician. Gordon rose to fame performing in several genres including alternative rock, punk rock, and rock and roll.- Early days:...
took Crenshaw's "Someday, Someway" to #76 in 1981, and Crenshaw's own version made #36 the next year; it would be his only Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top 40 'Pop' hit. On the Cash Box magazine chart the song reached #31.
Throughout the rest of the decade Marshall enjoyed considerable airplay on AOR (Album-Oriented Rock) stations nationwide with many tracks and became very well known in his native Michigan. Spongetones
Spongetones
The Spongetones, formed in 1981, are a power pop band from Charlotte, North Carolina. They formed from a Beatles cover act that had been playing at a local Charlotte bar....
member Jamie Hoover lists "Someday, Someway" as one of his 10 favorite songs of all time.
Crenshaw's eponymous first album
Marshall Crenshaw (album)
Marshall Crenshaw is the debut album by Detroiter Marshall Crenshaw. It featured his breakthrough classic hit, "Someday, Someway", which reached #36 on Billboard's Hot 100 in the summer of 1982, as well as #31 on the Cash Box singles chart. The album spent over six months on the chart, peaking at...
included the US hit Someday, Someway. His second album, Field Day, released in early 1983 sported a somewhat heavier sound, as evidenced on "Whenever You're On My Mind," that displeased some listeners, but which is regarded by many critics as Crenshaw's best, and one of the classic power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
statements, although Crenshaw's work, like Alex Chilton
Alex Chilton
William Alexander "Alex" Chilton was an American songwriter, guitarist, singer and producer, best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star...
's, transcends the genre. "Some of the stuff I've done you could call power pop," he told an interviewer, "but the term does have sort of a dodgy connotation."
Marshall Crenshaw's music has roots in classic soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
songcraft, Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
and Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
—to whom Crenshaw was often compared in the early days of his career, and whom he portrayed in the 1987 film La Bamba
La Bamba (film)
La Bamba is a 1987 American biographical film written and directed by Luis Valdez. The picture features Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales, Rosanna DeSoto, Elizabeth Peña, Danielle von Zerneck, and Joe Pantoliano...
. Crenshaw is also a noted guitarist who uses offbeat chord progressions (almost verging towards jazz) and tight leads.
In 1989, he compiled a collection of Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
country performers of the 1950s and '60s called Hillbilly Music...Thank God, Vol. 1, which was extremely well received.
In 1993, he made an appearance in the cult TV show The Adventures of Pete and Pete, in the role of a guitar-playing meter reader, and in 1994, he published a book, Hollywood Rock: A Guide to Rock 'n' Roll in the Movies.
He continued to record in the 1990s and 2000s, and, in 1999, released the critically acclaimed #447.
In the 2000s, Crenshaw played guitar as a special guest with the reunited members of the MC5
MC5
The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...
.
Crenshaw penned the title track from the 2007 film Walk Hard starring John C. Reilly
John C. Reilly
John Christopher Reilly, Jr. is an American film and theater actor, singer, and comedian. Debuting in Casualties of War in 1989, he is one of several actors whose careers were launched by Brian De Palma. To date, he has appeared in more than fifty films, including three separate films in 2002...
; the song, as sung by Reilly, was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
.
Jaggedland, was released in June 2009 on his new record label 429 Records.
In 2011 Crenshaw began hosting a radio show called The Bottomless Pit on WFUV
WFUV
WFUV, 90.7 FM in New York City, is Fordham University's 50,000-watt, non-commercial radio station, with studios on campus and its antenna atop nearby Montefiore Medical Center. First broadcast in 1947, WFUV has an airstaff which includes such New York radio veterans as Pete Fornatale , Dennis...
in New York, featuring his vast collection of recorded music.
Being of short stature, Crenshaw refused to hire taller musicians for his bands early in his career.
Covers
Many notable artists have recorded cover versionCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of Crenshaw's songs, including:
- "Brand New Lover" – covered by Lou Ann BartonLou Ann BartonLou Ann Barton is an American blues singer based, out of Austin, Texas since the 1970s.-Biography:...
- "Communication" - covered by Ronnie SpectorRonnie SpectorVeronica Yvette "Ronnie" Spector is an American rock and roll and popular music vocalist, and was the lead singer of the 1960s hit-making girl group, The Ronettes, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. She is known as the "original bad girl of rock and roll."-Personal...
- "For (Her) His Love" - covered by Ronnie SpectorRonnie SpectorVeronica Yvette "Ronnie" Spector is an American rock and roll and popular music vocalist, and was the lead singer of the 1960s hit-making girl group, The Ronettes, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. She is known as the "original bad girl of rock and roll."-Personal...
- "Some Hearts" - penned by Diane WarrenDiane WarrenDiane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
, covered by Carrie UnderwoodCarrie UnderwoodCarrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005... - "Someday, Someway" - covered by Robert GordonRobert Gordon (musician)Robert Gordon is an American rockabilly musician. Gordon rose to fame performing in several genres including alternative rock, punk rock, and rock and roll.- Early days:...
and S Club (then known as S Club 7S Club 7S Club, formerly known as S Club 7, were a pop group created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, consisting of members Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh, de facto lead singer Jo O'Meara, Hannah Spearritt and Rachel Stevens. The group rose to fame by starring in their...
) - "Something's Gonna Happen" - covered by Robert GordonRobert Gordon (musician)Robert Gordon is an American rockabilly musician. Gordon rose to fame performing in several genres including alternative rock, punk rock, and rock and roll.- Early days:...
and Ronnie SpectorRonnie SpectorVeronica Yvette "Ronnie" Spector is an American rock and roll and popular music vocalist, and was the lead singer of the 1960s hit-making girl group, The Ronettes, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. She is known as the "original bad girl of rock and roll."-Personal... - "Til I Hear It From You" - written with members of and performed by Gin BlossomsGin BlossomsGin Blossoms is an American pop rock band formed in 1987, in Tempe, Arizona. They took their name from a photo of W.C. Fields which bore the caption "W.C. Fields with gin blossoms", referring to what appeared to be the actor's gin-ravaged nose, but was actually a skin condition known as rosacea...
- "Whatever Way the Wind Blows" - covered by Kelly WillisKelly WillisKelly Willis is an American country music singer-songwriter, whose music has been described as contemporary country, alternative country and new traditionalist.-Early life:...
- "Whenever You're on My Mind" - covered by Marti JonesMarti JonesMarti Jones is a singer and painter originally from Uniontown, Ohio.Jones was initially a member of the band Color Me Gone, who recorded one EP for A&M Records in 1983. Her first solo album, 1985's "Unsophisticated Time" , was produced by Don Dixon...
and Ronnie SpectorRonnie SpectorVeronica Yvette "Ronnie" Spector is an American rock and roll and popular music vocalist, and was the lead singer of the 1960s hit-making girl group, The Ronettes, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. She is known as the "original bad girl of rock and roll."-Personal... - "You're My Favorite Waste of Time" - covered by Freedy JohnstonFreedy JohnstonFreedy Johnston is a New York City-based singer-songwriter originally from Kinsley, Kansas.Having scored several minor hits since the early 1990s, Johnston's songs are often about troubled loners, and cover topics like heartbreak, alienation and disappointment...
, Bette MidlerBette MidlerBette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, Owen PaulOwen PaulOwen Paul , is a Scottish singer, best known in the UK for his 1986 #3 hit single, "My Favourite Waste of Time", a cover version of a song that was originally written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Marshall Crenshaw...
, Ronnie SpectorRonnie SpectorVeronica Yvette "Ronnie" Spector is an American rock and roll and popular music vocalist, and was the lead singer of the 1960s hit-making girl group, The Ronettes, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. She is known as the "original bad girl of rock and roll."-Personal...
and Kevin Johnson and the Linemen
Studio Albums
- Marshall CrenshawMarshall Crenshaw (album)Marshall Crenshaw is the debut album by Detroiter Marshall Crenshaw. It featured his breakthrough classic hit, "Someday, Someway", which reached #36 on Billboard's Hot 100 in the summer of 1982, as well as #31 on the Cash Box singles chart. The album spent over six months on the chart, peaking at...
(1982) - Field DayField Day (Marshall Crenshaw album)Field Day is the second Marshall Crenshaw album.Shortly after the release of Field Day, Marshall released an EP in the UK with five songs, four of which were remixes of the Steve Lillywhite produced songs on the album and one which was a live tune....
(1983) - Downtown (1985)
- Mary Jean & 9 Others (1987)
- Good EveningGood Evening (album)Good Evening is a 1989 album by Marshall Crenshaw.Track number one, "You Should've Been There", has a longer outro on this album than on This is Easy! The Best of Marshall Crenshaw.-Track listing:...
(1989) - Life's Too Short (1991)
- Miracle of Science (1996)
- #447 (1999)
- What's In The Bag? (2003)
- Jaggedland (2009)
Live Albums
- WRIF LIVE At Hart Plaza - Rare Detroit radio station Promo (vinyl only) - Performed "Soldier Of Love", an Arthur Alexander song
- Live...My Truck Is My Home (1994)
- I've Suffered For My Art...Now It's Your Turn (2001)
Compilations
- A Collection [Promo Only Release] (1991)
- The 9 Volt Years: Battery Powered Home Demos & Curios (1998)
- The Best Of Marshall Crenshaw: This Is Easy (2000)
- Bug Music Presents: 14 High Class Tunes (2001)