Bird and Animal Names In Rock And Roll History- part thirty-one
by Robert Benson - September 11, 2009
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| John Cougar Mellencamp |
Let’s continue our article series about bird and animal band names and individuals in rock and roll history:
Born in Seymour, Indiana, John Cougar Mellencamp’s early career was not exactly what his first record company envisioned. He was a client of David Bowie’s manager Tony Defries, who billed Mellencamp as Johnny Cougar, a name he detested. And as that name, Cougar’s first three album releases were not well received, although he did manage three Billboard Top 40 hits, including the chant like “I Need A Lover” in 1978.
However, John Cougar Mellencamp’s big commercial breakthrough release in 1982 called “American Fool” thrust Mellencamp’s music into the mainstream MTV audience with fan favorites, “Hurts So Good” (which spent twenty-two weeks on the Billboard Top 40 charts) and the #1 Billboard hit (for four weeks), the catchy “Jack & Diane” as well as “Hand To Hold On To,” (which peaked at #19 on the Billboard charts and remained on the charts for eleven weeks).
Furthermore, these songs proved that Mellencamp’s music could be taken seriously, as a singer and more important, a song writer. Additionally, his national fame allowed Mellencamp to reclaim his actual last name, although he did keep Cougar as a middle name.
His next album release, “Uh-Huh” in 1973, provided fans with more Stones meets Springsteen fusion-rock and roll. Songs like the emotional depth of “Pink Houses,” an ode to middle America and the working class and the dynamic, rock and roll number called “Crumblin Down.” Mellencamp was always a rebel (he was kicked off the high school football team for smoking and hated authority figures with a passion), and he took this emotion and immeasurable passion and wrote the punk-flavored tune “Authority Song.”
And once again capitalizing on his heartland rock flavored songs, Mellencamp released the powerful and expressive album in 1985 called “Scarecrow.” The LP had four charted singles, the galloping riffs of the title song, the number six hit, “Small Town,” which again saw Mellencamp relating to small town middle America. The other two Billboard Top 40 tunes, “Lonely Ol’ Night” and the hard rocking ode saluting the 60's artists called “R.O.C.K. In The USA (A Salute To 60's rock),” proved that Mellencamp could provide his audiences with string, blue-collar rock and roll.
The follow-up LP in 1987 called “The Lonesome Jubilee” used the same formula, as Mellencamp continued to strike a chord with working America and saw him adding fiddle, accordion and more acoustic guitar to his eclectic mixture of pop/rock. Mellencamp added fiddle player Lisa Germano to his band to accent and deepen his overall sound.
"At one point, ‘The Lonesome Jubilee’ was supposed to be a double album," related Mellencamp. "But at least 10 of the songs I'd written just didn't stick together with the idea and the sound we had in mind. So I just put those songs on a shelf, and cut it back down to a single record. Now, in the past, it was always 'Let's make it up as we go along' – and we did make some of The Lonesome Jubilee up as we went along. But we had a very clear idea of what we wanted it to sound like, even before it was written, right through to the day it was mastered."
The album produced several hit singles including songs like the fun and playful “Cherry Bomb,” “Paper In Fire” and the creative groove of “Check It Out.”
Mellencamp released the LP "Big Daddy" in 1989, which was a quieter, mostly acoustic venture filled with introspective songs reflecting his mood of the time. The album contained standout cuts like "Jackie Brown," "Big Daddy of Them All" and "Void in My Heart," along with the top 15 single "Pop Singer." At the time, Mellencamp referred to the album as the most "earthy" record he'd ever made and it is also the last to feature both the "Cougar" moniker and the innovative, fiddle-based Appalachian sound he first tried with "The Lonesome Jubilee."
He followed this up with the back to basics, hard-rocking "Whenever We Wanted" in 1991 which yielded the Top 40 hits "Get A Leg Up," and "Again Tonight" along with the mainstream rockers "Last Chance," "Love and Happiness" and "Now More Than Ever." It's the first whose cover was billed to just John Mellencamp, the Cougar was now gone.
In 1993, Mellencamp cut what some believe was his strongest album to date and one of his most critically-acclaimed albums "Human Wheels;" although there were no Top 40 hit makers. The next LP, 1994's "Dance Naked," yielded Mellencamp more Top 40 fame with a cover of Van Morrison's "Wild Night" (as a duet with Me'Shell NdegeOcello) and the tile song (just making it at #41).
A minor heart attack slowed him down a bit and he made a concerned effort to become healthier. A confirmed heavy smoker, his health improved after he cut down on his habit and in 1995 he began working on the next LP, 1996's "Mr. Happy Go Lucky." The album saw Mellencamp enjoy his last Top 40 hit with the cut "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)." He also hit #41 with the exuberant cut "Just Another Day."
Mellencamp signed a four-album deal with Columbia Records (though he wound up only making three albums for the label) and in 1998, his self-titled debut for Columbia Records included the singles "I'm Not Running Anymore" and "Your Life is Now," which peaked at #62 on the charts. Mellencamp stayed very active in the music business, teaming up with young artists such as Chuck D and India.Arie and releasing a duet with Trisha Yearwood.
In 2003, he covered a collection of blues and folk covers by artists such as Robert Johnson, Son House, Lucinda Williams and Hoagie Carmichael for an album that was dedicated to his late friend, Billboard magazine editor-in-chief Timothy White, who died from a heart attack in 2002.
You see, in October 2002, Mellencamp had performed the Robert Johnson song "Stones In My Passway" at two benefit concerts for White. Columbia Records executives were at the shows and were so impressed by his performance of this classic blues tune, that they persuaded him to record this album of vintage American songs. The album "Trouble No More" spent several weeks at #1 on Billboard's Blues Album charts.
In 2004, "Words & Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits," was released and the retrospective LP contained 35 of his radio singles (including all 22 of his Top 40 hits) along with two new tunes, the socially conscious, R&B-tinged single "Walk Tall" along with "Thank You" (both produced by Babyface). In 2007, he released the critically acclaimed "Freedom's Road," an LP that peaked at #5 on the Billboard album chart. Notable cuts included "Jim Crow" — a duet with folk icon Joan Baez, and the acoustically arranged "Rural Route," among others.
"Life, Death, Love and Freedom" (his 18th album of original material) was released in July of 2008 and was produced by T Bone Burnett. At the end of 2008, Rolling Stone magazine named it their #5 album on its list of the 50 best albums of the year. Characterized by Mellencamp as a collection of "modern electric folk songs," and "The best record I've ever made" his career has come full circle, as his biggest honor came when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2008.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Mellencamp has even more music in him, adeptly mixing rocking-riffs, rough-edged rock, authorative singing and gritty folk-rock, as he continues to entertain the masses with his distinct musicianship.
Nate Dogg, (Snoop’s cousin) also made his rap debut with Dr. Dre’s 1992 album “Chronic” and is one of the few hip-hop stars who primarily sings his rhymes instead of the rapid-fire rapping that most rap artists adhere to. This style has served him well as of 2004 Nate Dogg (Nathaniel Dawayne Hale) has been featured in or contributed to more than sixty chart singles.
Nate Dogg’s albums include “G-funk classics (vol. 1 and 2)” in 1998, 2000's “The Prodigal Son” and in late 2001 the album “Music and Me,” which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hip-Hop charts. The album received a fair amount of critical and commercial success upon release. Its popularity was led by the hit single "I Got Love" which reached #33 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart. The album's success was also because of its various vocal guest appearances from Dr. Dre, Xzibit, Kurupt, Fabolous, Ludacris, Pharoahe Monch, Snoop Dogg, Tha Eastsidaz, Jermaine Dupri, B.R.E.T.T., and Lil' Mo. According to SoundScan it has sold 400,000 copies to date.
His other albums include 2002’s “Essentials” and the 2004 self-titled album where he continued his stellar work and collaboration with many of hip hop and r&b’s elite personnel. On December 19, 2007, he suffered a stroke and on January 18, 2008, it was officially reported that the stroke had rendered the left side of his body paralyzed, however doctors believe there will be a full recovery, and his voice was not affected. Despite rumours to the contrary, his health has improved and in 2009, he and his cousin Snoop Dogg releases the album "Tha Bosses."
He continues to work on new projects (solo and collaborations) and is a unique voice in rap and hip-hop music.
Look for more next week when we explore some more bird and animal band names and individuals in rock and roll history.
John Mellencamp Tidbits:
Mellencamp has been working on a musical with horror author Stephen King, entitled Ghost Brothers of Darkland County (originally titled “Mississippi Ghost Brothers”) since 2000.
Mellencamp has made several forays into acting over the years, appearing in four films: Falling from Grace (which he also directed) (1992), Madison (2001, narration only), After Image (2001), and Lone Star State of Mind (2002).
During the 1987-88 Lonesome Jubilee Tour, Mellencamp was joined onstage by surprise guest Bruce Springsteen at the end of his May 26, 1988 gig in Irvine, California for a rousing duet of the Bob Dylan classic "Like a Rolling Stone," which Mellencamp performed as the penultimate song during each show on that tour.
Mellencamp has won one Grammy Award (Best Male Rock Performer for "Hurts So Good" in 1982) and been nominated for 12 others.
Mellencamp helped organize the first Farm Aid benefit concert with Willie Nelson and Neil Young in Champaign, Illinois on September 22, 1985. The Farm Aid concerts remain an annual event and have raised over $33 million for struggling family farmers through 2009.
Selected Cuts: Buy John Cougar Mellencamp Music:
1979 John Cougar
1980 Nothin' Matters and What If It Did
1982 American Fool
1983 Uh-Huh
1985 Scarecrow
1987 The Lonesome Jubilee
1989 Big Daddy
1993 Human Wheels
Nate Dogg Tidbits:
One of Nate's biggest collaborations was with recording artist Shade Sheist on the #1 Billboard single "Where I Wanna Be" in 2001. Also Nate Dogg sang the hook for 50 Cent's "21 Questions", which became a #1 hit in 2003. As of 2004, Nate Dogg has featured in and contributed to over 60 chart singles.
In 1991 Nate Dogg, his cousin Snoop Dogg, and their friend Warren G, formed a rap trio called 213. 213 recorded their first demo in the back of the famed V.I.P record store in Long Beach, the demo was later heard by Dr. Dre at a house party and he was instantly hooked on the soulful voice of Nate.
Selected Cuts: Buy Nate Dogg Music:
2001 Music and Me
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 | | Robert Benson
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music, vinyl record collecting and operates Collecting Vinyl Records, where you can pick up a copy of his FREE ebook called "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting." You can also have your vinyl records appraised at Vinyl Record Appraisals
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