Mention the name Pat DiNizio to a casual rock fan and perhaps the average person might be clueless as to who was. But mention it to a New Jerseyan and you'd know in an instant. DiNizio was the lead singer of the Carteret-based band The Smithereens and while that band didn't have the success that their fellow Jerseyans Bruce Springsteen or Bon Jovi had, their music, at least for those in the know, was just as important.
DiNizio passed on December 12 at the age of 62, for reasons as of yet unknown, although he had been ill and battling health problems in recent years, a friend who caught the band recently indicated that although he sounded great, that he didn't look good at all. He was part of an elite group of Union County musicians who had made it to the national scene and actually stuck around for awhile. He grew up and attended school in Scotch Plains, and actually had graduated with my cousin Nancy who knew him. In the late 70's he hooked up with three friends from nearby Carteret, and by 1980, the Smithereens were born.
It took several years but they landed a record deal with Enigma/Capitol records and their first major release, Especially For You, made a big impact. It was the summer of 1986, and local radio station WDHA started playing two songs from it, "Blood and Roses", and "Groovy Tuesday". The former also had a video play on MTV in high rotation. Both songs landed on my year end top 100 of that year: "Blood..." came in at #50, while "Groovy Tuesday" checked in at #98. "Blood.." was also featured on an episode of Miami Vice.
Other songs from the album, "Strangers When We Meet", "Time and Time Again", and "Behind the Wall of Sleep" also got album rock play, with the latter two again on MTV and "Behind" making my Top 100 of 1987 at #98. While none of the tracks made the Billboard Hot 100, many of these did make the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The album, while only peaking at #51, spent a full year on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Initially, critical reaction was mixed. They were labeled as power pop, which arguably they were, but pundits felt they were a bit similar to 1960's acts like The Byrds, or even The Beatles. I disagree with that, as I felt they were more in line with jangly-pop like R.E.M. In fact, producer Don Dixon had a hand in both Especially For You, and R.E.M's first two albums Reckoning and Murmur. However, DiNizio had said that he was more influenced by British new wavers such as Elvis Costello, and Nick Lowe (which I can see), along with The Clash and The Who. Regardless, the Smithereens were well on their way.
1988 saw the release of their second album, Green Thoughts. The first single, "Only A Memory" was the first to hit the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #92. It also topped the Mainstream Rock charts, their only song to do so. Other key songs from it were "House That We Used to Live In", and "Drowning In My Own Tears", the former making my year-end 1988 list at #73, and both getting airplay. But, while R.E.M. broke through to the masses by this time, Green Thoughts didn't do quite as well as its predecessor, peaking at #60 and staying on the charts 30 weeks. Still, not too shabby.
It was also in 1988 that they recorded the Christmas standard "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", which shows up on various holiday compilations and was, until this year, on my Christmas Top 100, falling off just this year.
The Smithereens slow ascent continued in late 1989 with their third effort, 11. "A Girl Like You", the lead single, became their first Top 40 hit, peaking on the Hot 100 at #38, and making my Top 100 of 1989 at #90. They followed it with "Blues Before and After" which also made the chart. Both songs were also top 10 on the Mainstream Rock chart and Top 20 on the then-new Modern Rock chart. "Yesterday Girl", the third single didn't make the Hot 100 but was Top 20 on the rock chart and made my Top 100 of 1990 at #93. 11 was their biggest album, peaking at #41 and going gold.
I've always felt that all of these singles should have been big pop hits. With acts like R.E.M., and The Cure hitting it big around the turn of the 1990's., the Smithereens should have been right there. All of the songs I mentioned should have been top 20 in rapid succession. However, with the advent of grunge, the momentum slowed a bit.
In late 1991, Nirvana released Nevermind which changed the course of rock music. While it took its toll on arena rock and hair-metal bands, it didn't stop R.E.M. and U2 from maintaining success. But unfortunately it slowed The Smithereens momentum.
Blow Up, released in 1991 only reached #120 on the charts. There were hits from it, on the rock and alternative charts, at least. "Top of the Pops", "Tell Me When Did Things Go So Wrong", and "Too Much Passion" which actually did become their biggest hit on the Hot 100, peaking at #37 there. But in my opinion, the songs were rather weak than past efforts.
Ironically, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic had indicated that the band listened to Especially For You during sessions for their Nevermind set. But perhaps the grunge movement that eclipsed the band's momentum took its took when the next album A Date With the Smithereens (1994) included a track, "Sick of Seattle", referring to the town where that genre originated. But except for the song "Miles From Nowhere" (#17 on the rock chart), nothing charted, although "Everything I Had is Blue" was a cool song too.
Later that year, the band did a cover of The Outsiders' 1966 hit, "Time Won't Let Me", featured in the John-Claude Van Damme movie Timecop. Their version was a powerful performance and a memorable one for me, winding up my nice summer of 1994. Although it didn't chart, it made my list at #22 for 1994, its highest showing on any of my year-end lists, but it would also be the last one.
The band would no longer chart, but stayed active, with several musical projects, including a song-for-song cover of the Meet the Beatles album, titled appropriately Meet the Smithereens! They stayed active on both the local and national circuit as well.
In the early 2000's, DiNizio tried his hand at politics, running for U.S. Senator on the minor-party Reform ticket, but was not successful. He did also release several solo efforts and toured. I did get to see him opening up for Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant around 2003. He continued to tour with the band, including a headlining stint at the WNTI Summer Stage in 2014 and more recently opened for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers on what would be their final tour.
While Bruce and Jon Bon Jovi will always be mentioned in the same breath as New Jersey rock, The Smithereens, and DiNizio in particular should be in the conversation as well. They were definitely an influential band.
THE MAN AGAIN: Back to the SNS 100 as we wind down the year, and just a month and a half after their last chart-topper, Portugal. The Man is back there once again, this time with "Live In the Moment" in a very close race at the top. It's their second #1 here, and the second consecutive single release to take the crown, although I had also added "Rich Friends" which moves 30-27 this week. It's a very tight jam at the top as only four points separate the top four songs. Hegazy 's "Alive" moves from 4-2, dropping The Palms' "Levitate" from 2 to 3, possibily denying them their second straight chart topper. Cold War Kids featuring Bishop Briggs' "So Tied Up" drops to #4.
Any of these could be on top next week, although I predict it will be Hegazy; however, don't discount The War On Drugs' "Holding On", which could easily take the top spot as well. To be honest, the top 8 could also be considered as well. Nick Waterhouse takes the Impact Award as the top entry into the Top 20 with "Old Place" with Beth Ditto's "Fire" right behind. Both songs are the artists' second in the upper echelon.
Further down, it's all holiday songs, with the two biggest movers being The Hounds of Winter's "Christmas Must Be Tonight" (53-23), and Fitz & the Tantrums' "Santa Stole My Lady" (57-24, Mover of the Week). All of the existing holiday songs make good moves upward as well.
I only add two songs this week, both holiday entries: The very patriotic "Christmas Where You Are" by Five For Fighting (real name: Vladimir John Ondrasik III) who had some success at the turn of the millennium, teaming up with featured vocalist Jim Brickman grabs Top Debut honors. I am glad to see something like this out, as our troops who are stationed overseas during the holidays will not be able to be home with their families. It's a much needed song during these troubled times. It comes in at #53. The other entry are holiday perennials, the acapella group Pentatonix with their take on "Up On the Housetop". The song actually came out in 2016 (their rendition of "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" is their 2017 single, but the former got some airplay on Sirius XM's "Holly" channel.).
GOING FORWARD: As I mentioned, this is a double-week blog covering December 3 and 10. While I have tried to keep them coming out weekly, for some reason, the holiday preparations are more demanding this year and I have been falling behind. Still, I was able to go almost two months without resorting to two-weeks-in-one. With the year winding on down, I had no choice, especially with Pat DiNizio's passing which I wanted to cover in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, it gives the Christmas tunes on my list one less week to move up the chart, although The Hounds of Winter and Fitz & the Tantrums will get into the top 20 next week, as well as possibly Five For Fighting, and maybe some of the others as well.
Thus, I will do one more regular blog dated December 17, however I will not be adding any new music, unless there's a holiday song that stands out. After which will be my Top 100 for 2017. It should be an interesting race. Billboard has already announced their top song of 2017 and it is definitely in contention for my top song as well, which would only be the sixth time that has happened, if it does.
Stay tuned!
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100
December 3 /
10, 2017
| This Week | Last Week | ARTIST-Title | Weeks on List |
| 1 | 3 | NUMBER ONE:
"Live
In the Moment"
Album: Woodstock
|
7 |
| 2 | 4 | Hegazy - Alive | 5 |
| 3 | 2 | The Palms - Levitate | 9 |
| 4 | 1 | Cold War Kids f. Bishop Briggs - So Tied Up | 12 |
| 5 | 6 | The War on Drugs - Holding On | 12 |
| 6 | 5 | Pink - What About Us | 13 |
| 7 | 10 | Ed Sheeran - Perfect | 6 |
| 8 | 9 | Weezer - Happy Hour | 8 |
| 9 | 7 | Pageants - Chai ('n) | 9 |
| 10 | 12 | St. Vincent - New York | 14 |
| 11 | 15 | Phillip Phillips - Miles | 6 |
| 12 | 11 | The National - The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness● | 18 |
| 13 | 8 | Øffguard - Strawberry Moon | 9 |
| 14 | 17 | Lord Huron - The Night We Met | 13 |
| 15 | 21 | TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
"Old
Place"
Album: Never Twice
|
8 |
| 16 | 23 | Beth Ditto - Fire | 5 |
| 17 | 13 | Cold War Kids - Invincible | 14 |
| 18 | 20 | Moon Taxi - Two High | 10 |
| 19 | 14 | Beck - Up All Night | 12 |
| 20 | 16 | Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still▲ | 31 |
|
|
Songs
with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week.
● Songs
with 25 or more plays on my iPod.
▲ Songs with 50 or more plays on my iPod.
The “Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100” is a list
of current and recent song playlist which I am listening to.
Songs shaded in green are Christmas/Holiday-oriented entries.
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