Is It Power Pop?!
PART EIGHT: Lori Christian
This is a guest post series about power pop featuring some of my favorite music writers. We’ll be sharing a new installment every few weeks or so (while supplies last). Full series here.
Is It Power Pop?
By
I was born in 1964, about a week before The Beatles landed in the USA.
They appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and that was it. Boys grew their hair long and girls were suffering from hysteria. After all, a Beatle cut is far more attractive than a crew cut. At the time, I remember my brother being dragged from the backseat of our car by my father so that he could get his long hair cut at the barber shop.
My first record was given to me when I was about 5-years-old, my brother gave me The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine. “Baby You’re A Rich Man” is my favorite track, but much less pop compared to previous releases.
I would go shopping at the grocery store with my mother when I was about 10-years-old. I would immediately hit the magazine racks, perusing Tiger Beat and Creem. My first love was Donny Osmond. My pink bedroom walls would soon be covered with Donny Osmond photos and posters. I guess they called that puppy love. On Saturdays there was an Osmonds cartoon, as well as a Jackson Five cartoon.
As I got older my music tastes shifted to Shaun Cassidy, Bay City Rollers, Bee Gees, The Babys, Rasberries and Nick Gilder.
A few years later I would be heavily steeped in The Faces, as well as early Rod Stewart in Steampacket and The Jeff Beck Group. But my all time favorites were The Who. I began to see how pop music fit into my system. Towards the late ‘70s and early ‘80s the new wave bands I was hearing on KROQ put a shift solely towards power pop, especially The Knack, Shoes, The Rubinoos, The Plimsouls and women’s bands like Nikki and The Corvettes and Josie Cotton. I heard most of these bands by listening to Rodney Bingenheimer.
When I was 18, I met Greg Shaw at The Music Machine in Santa Monica. I was there to see a local band called The Numbers. I saw an ad for the show in the LA Weekly and immediately thought of The Who’s original name, The High Numbers. They happened to be opening for Karu, a band that included Woody from Bay City Rollers.
Power pop is an interesting term as Paul Collins is referred to as the “King of Power Pop.” The Nerves and Beat are exceptional, but The Flamin’ Groovies surely defined power pop during the Sire Records days. Perhaps that was the magic of Dave Edmunds’ production on the Cyril Jordan/Chris Wilson written songs.
“Shake Some Action” by Flamin’ Groovies
The Flamin’ Groovies own the power pop genre with their track “Shake Some Action.” Legendary rock critic Greil Marcus’ 2014 book The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Ten Songs says, "I knew from that instant that the first song—the first chapter in the book—would be ‘Shake Some Action.’”
The very first single released on BOMP! Records was Flamin’ Groovies’ “You Tore Me Down” (with the B side “Him or Me”) in 1974. I became an intern at BOMP! Records in 1982. After my first day, I received a long and loving sermon about the band that had pretty much launched Greg’s label. He was their manager and got them signed to Sire Records. Greg then handed me a copy of the album Shake Some Action. This would be my homework.
When I got home I stared at the album, they reminded me very much of The Beatles. I also repeated the intro to “Shake Some Action” over and over again. What a great introduction to my dropping out of college and getting hands on experience at a cool label with records to take home and study. Now my significant other of 11 years just happens to be the song’s co-writer, Chris Wilson.
“Rock N Roll Girl” by Paul Collins’ Beat
Paul Collins of The Nerves and The Beat is often referred to as “The King of Power Pop.” The Nerves included Peter Case and the late Jack Lee. Jack penned their song “Hanging on the Telephone.” Blondie covered that song and Jack Lee stayed out of the public eye after The Nerves disbanded. He was making a living off his royalties until his passing in 2023. Peter Case went on to form The Plimsouls and currently tours virtually non-stop performing solo.
During the pandemic, Paul was working on his memoir I Don’t Fit In (Hozac Books). I emailed Paul my manuscript and asked his permission to title my book Rock and Roll Girl. Of course he said, “Yes!” I asked him because of the song he wrote under the same title. I wanted to be sure it was cool. The impetus behind the title of my manuscript was obvious because that song encapsulates my entire life.
“My Generation” by The Who
My father died in a car accident when I was 13-years-old. He was my rock star, my hero, and the only thing that got me through it was music, mainly The Who. Quadrophenia was my religion and I became a mod when I was 18. Although I had been listening to The Who for 5 years and had seen them in concert a few times.
I had a horrible experience trying to see their “final performance” in 1982. It was a general admission show at Dodgers Stadium. By the time my friend and I got there it was pure hell, many thousands of people. No way you could get near the stage or even have decent sound. Worse yet was trying to leave. I was stuck in the parking lot for hours waiting for other patrons to move their cars surrounding my little Toyota Celica.
I guess the universe was looking out for me though. MTV had these cool concert contests and I entered the one night stand with The Who contest. A week or so later they announced the winner. He lived nearby and I opened the white pages and found him. I called and told him he had to take me because Pete Townshend was my father figure. He had told me people were offering pink slips to their cars, women were offering sex favors, and he had family coming forward he had never met.
We planned to meet outside of a record store and when we did he needed to go to the bank so I walked with him and waited outside. He got to take three guests on the contest trip. When he came out he said, “I have decided I am going to take my sister, her boyfriend, and you.” Needless to say, it was very magical and wonderful. I got to meet the entire band including one of The Faces, their new drummer Kenney Jones.
I was just a little girl and I told Pete he was my father figure and he gave me a loving rub on my shoulder and we took some photos together. At the end of it all I was so emotional I burst into tears. No other rock stars had made me feel this way. Deep down The Who are in my blood. I have a union jack I painted on a sheet and I wrote The Who on it. They all signed it and Pete wrote what would become my nickname for many years, “Luck of the Lucky.”
“Johnny Are You Queer” by Josie Cotton
“Johnny Are You Queer” was initially released as a single on BOMP! in 1981. I grew up listening to KROQ and the song had a heavy rotation. There was a big protest planned outside of the radio station in Pasadena. My punk rock friends and I decided to cut school that day and participate in the protest and lend our support to Josie Cotton. My sign said ‘fk the Moral Majority' and one of the press guys said to me, “I bet your mother is proud of you.” Us little kids were so bad and scary, I just have to laugh. Josie and her band appeared in the movie Valley Girl in 1983 which featured the super power poppy song “Johnny Are You Queer.” Maybe I am old school, but I had a lot of gay friends and nobody was offended by it in my scene. All in all, this is a song that really puts the power in pop!
“American Girl” by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
In 1976, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers released their self titled debut album. I have a thing for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. I used to see them around the valley all the time. Bumping into Mike Campbell and Stan Lynch at concerts like The Animals or Stevie Nicks. I saw Benmont Tench at Jerry’s Deli. A club called The Plant on Ventura Blvd. was a regular hang for me when I was 18- or 19-years-old. I would see The Plimsouls on any given night and The Heartbreakers would often pop into the club. They all lived in the valley and I loved their concerts. I would get tickets from scalpers at unheard of prices like 50 bucks for front row. I used to throw T-shirts on stage with my name and phone number on them. These boys were so sweet to their fans and they would always appreciate my little gifts with a smile and a nod. Needless to say, “American Girl” really feels power pop with that energy and get-up-and-dance vibe, but is also just a classic rock and roll song. I sure miss Tom A LOT.
“This Town” by The Go-Go’s
Every time I listen to this song it reminds me of my birthplace, my hometown of Los Angeles. That was my town and we had so much great music then, I feel so fortunate to have had fun in my youth. I saw the ska band Madness at the Hollywood Palladium and The Go-Go’s came out and danced to one of their songs. It was a huge surprise, but as I saw in their documentary they had been touring with Madness. I did see The Go-Go’s at The Hollywood Palladium during my senior year in 1982. After I graduated and started my internship I was also managing local bands. One mod band in particular who were real power pop were The Corsairs from Long Beach. (I plan on doing a deep dive on this band and the other band that were on my own record label with the guidance of Greg Shaw.) Anyhow, The Corsairs were rehearsing at S.I.R. in Hollywood and I went out to the break room and there they were—The Go Go’s. They were taking a break, and I was in awe, speechless.
Previously On “Is It Power Pop?!”
Is It Power Pop?!
This is a guest post series about power pop featuring some of my favorite music writers. We’ll be sharing a new installment every few weeks or so (while supplies last). Full series here.
Brilliant! Thank you for sharing
"Shake Some Action" is a pretty incredible song and recording. I also like "Yellow Pills" by 20/20. Is that a power pop song? I think I saw your other half's band (Flamin' Groovies) with The Ramones at the Roxy. It was a great double bill. For the past five years, I have listened to The Who's music, from their beginning to Tommy. Pretty impressive and extraordinary. I have always loved The Who, but recently, I have gotten into them, especially the mid-60s version of The Who.