Pablo Picasso (song)
Encyclopedia
"Pablo Picasso" is a song written by Jonathan Richman
for the proto punk group The Modern Lovers
. The song was recorded in 1972 at Whitney Studios in Los Angeles, and produced by John Cale
, but was not released until 1976, on the Modern Lovers' self-titled debut album
. The recording featured Richman (lead guitar, vocals), Ernie Brooks (second guitar), Jerry Harrison
(bass) and David Robinson
(drums), with Cale playing the repetitive hammered piano part.
The central character of the song is the charismatic 20th Century artist Pablo Picasso
.
Jonathan Richman
Jonathan Michael Richman is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970 he founded The Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key, generally acoustic backing...
for the proto punk group The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970–74 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks with drummer David Robinson and keyboardist Jerry Harrison...
. The song was recorded in 1972 at Whitney Studios in Los Angeles, and produced by John Cale
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
, but was not released until 1976, on the Modern Lovers' self-titled debut album
The Modern Lovers (album)
The Modern Lovers is the first album recorded by the Boston-based band The Modern Lovers. It was released on Beserkley Records in 1976, although the original nine tracks had been recorded in 1972 . Six of the original tracks were produced by John Cale...
. The recording featured Richman (lead guitar, vocals), Ernie Brooks (second guitar), Jerry Harrison
Jerry Harrison
Jerry Harrison is an American songwriter, musician and producer...
(bass) and David Robinson
David Robinson (musician)
David Robinson is an American rock drummer. He has performed with many rock bands including The Modern Lovers, DMZ and The Cars.He attended Woburn Memorial High School....
(drums), with Cale playing the repetitive hammered piano part.
The central character of the song is the charismatic 20th Century artist Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
.
Selected list of recorded versions
- 1972 The Modern LoversThe Modern LoversThe Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970–74 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks with drummer David Robinson and keyboardist Jerry Harrison...
, not released until 1976 on The Modern LoversThe Modern Lovers (album)The Modern Lovers is the first album recorded by the Boston-based band The Modern Lovers. It was released on Beserkley Records in 1976, although the original nine tracks had been recorded in 1972 . Six of the original tracks were produced by John Cale... - 1975 John CaleJohn CaleJohn Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
, on his album Helen of TroyHelen of Troy (album)Helen of Troy is an album by John Cale, the last of three albums for Island Records.This album came out without the consent of Cale, who considered that the tapes were not finished...
(released before the original version) - 1984 Burning SensationsBurning SensationsBurning Sensations was a short-lived Los Angeles area rock band. The group is best known for its MTV hit "Belly of the Whale", the music for which blends a rather unique fusion of rock and calypso styles, and for covering the Jonathan Richman song "Pablo Picasso", which was included in both the...
on the Repo Man soundtrack - 1991 PhrancPhrancPhranc is an American singer-songwriter whose career has spanned several decades.-Biography:She began her performing career in the late 1970s and early 1980s punk scene in Los Angeles...
's version of the song substitutes Gertrude SteinGertrude SteinGertrude Stein was an American writer, poet and art collector who spent most of her life in France.-Early life:...
as the central character; it appears on her album Positively PhrancPositively PhrancPositively Phranc is an album by folk singer-songwriter Phranc, released in 1991.Unlike 1989's polished I Enjoy Being a Girl, Positively Phranc marks a return to her raw acoustic solo work. The song "Gertrude Stein" is Phranc's cover version of Jonathan Richman's "Pablo Picasso". "Tipton" is a... - 2003 David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, on his album Reality; a live version recorded at Riverside StudiosRiverside StudiosRiverside Studios is a production studio, theatre and independent cinema on the banks of the River Thames in Hammersmith, London, England. It plays host to contemporary and international dramatic and dance performance, film, visual art exhibitions and television production.-History:In 1933, the...
, HammersmithHammersmithHammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, London on 8 September 2003 was released on the 'Tour Edition' of Reality - 2007 John CaleJohn CaleJohn Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
, on his live album Circus LiveCircus LiveCircus Live is a 3-disc live album by John Cale released on February 19, 2007. The contents were recorded live on the 2004 and 2006 European tours. One of the discs is a DVD containing rehearsal footage, a music video, and a two audio tracks.... - 2007 Blue PeterBlue Peter (band)Blue Peter was a Canadian new wave synthpop founded in 1978 in Markham, Ontario by Chris Wardman and Paul Humphrey. In their heyday, Blue Peter opened for major international acts such as The Police and Simple Minds...
, on their album Burning Bridges, recorded live in 1980 - 2007 Four Year Beard on the album Hero: The Main Man Records Tribute to David Bowie (2007)