Pat Dinizio was an authentic pop rock musical genius, but a poor promoter. He cared about the music, not much attention paid to the rock business BS. Total respect for that, and we the fans understand, and will never stop playing this amazing music. This tune is one of the top pop rock songs of ALL TIME. Pat was a true Jerseyite.
Yeah it's because the mixing and production on this track is pretty much perfect especially for the time. everything has balance and control in the mix. tonality is fantastic also. my goal is to make my next record close to this.
I have loved this song since it came out. It epitomizes what I felt at the time I was dating my wife back in '71-'72. We've been married for 52 yrs come June. And I still feel the same.
This song was written for John Cusack’s movie “Say Anything” but was rejected because the director and producers felt it gave away too much of the movie. Bad call
... loved this whole album mowed a lot of lawns, shoveled a lot of walks, painted a lot of fences and houses listening to this on my Sony CD Walkman lol 😅
I miss Pat. He was a good guy. He and my husband and daughter and I became friends after meeting at the Stone Pony in 2009. He used to heckle me from the stage, and we went to several of his Barbeques. Even had my daughter, who was 16 at the time, sing at one of them with some of his buddies playing back up. Great bunch of guys, these Smithereens.
Good old Pat. Bobby was cool, too. They sure loved to barbeque! It's hard to not miss old friends and the good times. One of my kids was born on the band's tour bus-eastbound on Interstate 15. Supposedly my kid. I paid to raise him, anyway. It was my copy of Lovecraft that Pat was reading, when he got the inspiration for "Behind the Wall of Sleep." Later I asked for it back. But he didn't hear me. He wasn't the greatest listener.
Thanks to a coworker I rediscovered this song. They mentioned the band and the name sounded familiar but couldn't place it. Once they started singing it recognized it immediately
Damn straight! Rock, straight forward, well written and phenomenally played. I will be willing to bet real rock fans will recognize and appreciate this 30 years from now instead of the bubblegum crap of boy/pop bands and shit rap that clutter the airwaves.
@@JAP42 Disagree. Jim Babjak was a favorite of mine. Not too fancy, no ego driven solos, just good straightforward Rock N' Roll. Some referred to The Smithereens as "Dad Rock" but that's pure Bull S#!T. BTW, what's wrong with Fuzztone. The legendary Billy F. Gibbons made that sound his trademark. He and his band, ZZ Top, are in the R n' R Hall of Fame. Not bad for "That Little ole' Band from Tejas!"
I caught on to the Smithereens kinda early in NJ. Saw them several times, but my two favorite shows were: - The Tide, Beach Haven NJ off season. Small club with a small stage not even 6" higher that the rest of the floor. I'm 6'8" tall and at one point found myself up front with my friends standing right in front of Pat, actually looking down at him. I realized that had to suck for the rest of the crowd, so I danced my way to the back. - I was in London, England with my GF, her brother and his GF visiting their parents who lived there. Saw a poster on a phone pole for The Smithereens playing at The Town & Country while we were there. GF and I went, got up front and yelled a few venue names and town names from NJ. The band was looking, pointing and giving thumbs up with smiles. There was actually a mosh pit the entire show with everyone around it just bouncing up and down, pogo style. The next day my GF couldn't walk because her calves were so sore, lol.
RIP Pat. I met him and the rest of the band when they did a free show in Rahway NJ . He was a really cool down to earth guy. I’ll always be a fan for the rest of my life. Your music will always live on.
Modern Day Warrior, RIP Pat. I met them twice-Detroit '89 @ The Ritz and actually missed most of BOC, headlining, to get my Smithereens 11 Laserdisc jacket autographed by the band in '02.
I turned up at a venue they played in St Kilds Melbourne on a Friday after work in 93 . Nobody at the door . We walked in and watched about 1 hour of Smithereens doing a sound check . Blew us away . It was a great night at the Palace .These guys are in my personal top 5
God what a loss...the day that Pat Dinizio passed away. LIkely the most down to earth, underrated pop music genius of the 80s. What a band, at the top less than a decade, but never to be forgotten. One of NJ's finest. So cool he could sport a turtleneck in this music video in 1990. I hope he finally gets his deserved recognition someday. That music is Hall of Fame caliber, for 6 solid years they ruled the world of pop rock.
I was in the Army from 1984-88, and releases lagged getting to Germany where I was stationed. Upon my return to the USA I found this band and they immediately became my favorite; outstanding music!
I would say that most 1980's music has aged remarkably well & that probably goes for a good chunk of 90's music as well; by contrast, 50's, 60's & 70's music may be good & still worth listening to but is definitely showing its age by now. Post 2000 pop/rock is also generally good but IMO there are far, far fewer high quality singers & bands post-2000 as there were in the 1980's & even into the 90's. Those of us who were lucky enough to be in our teens & 20's in the 1980's were truly blessed.
Now that was a balls-out rockin' dude. Not vulgar, not preening, but a man who spent too much time doing what he loved to pose for others. RIP Pat, you left a gaping hole but you also left some amazing music.
In '99 The Smithereens came to a club called "Unknown Jerome's" here in Mobile Alabama. GOD...WHAT A SHOW...They opened with this song & closed with "Behind The Wall Of Sleep"...I don't think many people were sitting during the entire concert!!! Much love from Mobile Alabama.
I heard this song for the first time back in 1989 when the Smithereens were the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. I became an instant fan. Two days later on the Monday, I went to Sam the Record Man after work and picked up their CD "11". In my opinion, that whole album is amazing.
@Jeff-zx6st, Smithereens 11 is my favorite album/CD/tape of theirs and they have a number of other excellent albums as well. I picked up my copy (cassette tape) at "The Warehouse" records and tapes in Tucson Arizona, in 1989.
This was a great song by a great band, and it's really stood the test of time for the last 30 years. Watching the band's antics during the video makes me realize they're not only talented, but they also seem to have great senses of humor. I unfortunately just learned of lead singer Pat Dinizio's passing, and I'm sorry to hear the news. Though he has passed, his music lives on!
What hurt Pat and The Smithereens was the competition in Commerial Radio. Pat said they wanted it real bad! I know, I was in Rock Radio then. We had Michael Jackson and Prince, and these 'Lite" Heavy Metal Bands like Motley Crew, Poison, Cinderella, the big hair bands, and Metallica was coming on the scene. Pat and The Smithereens was as Heavy of a Rock Band at the time, but the Commercial Top 40 and AOR Stations wouldn't play them, just the College Stations. I seem to remember this in the Nashville Market. Today, after Pat passed away, I was shocked of the adults my age, mid 50s, were listening to them to get away from the Bubble Gum Rock/Top 40 and Madonna, of course!
@@sabbracadabra8367 It may suck to me and you, but they wanted to go to the world that made them money. I don't like Taylor Swift at all, but the woman is making money. What's the point if you can't make it pass playing small clubs, venues, etc.? I heard Pat say they wanted to have hits on the mainstream Top 40/Pop Charts. Back then, it was possible. Today, it's not because Pop/Top 40 is mostly Hip Hop, and moving into being taken over by Latan and Latino Groups. I saw the 2020 MTV Awards and I was shocked! Lady Gaga is a rip off of Madonna!
@@scottbailey1560 I think shit pop sucks but good pop is cool. I mean The Beatles were a pop band and I love everything they did. Blondie are one of my fave bands. Black Sabbath had a number 1 hit which blows my mind but that's the 70s. Cobain from Nirvana said it was a good idea to get a major label deal and get songs on MTV etc, it is the only way to do it as a career and live off it. Even famous bands are usually only famous for a short time, so aim big and hope you get enough to keep the band going for life. Or you end up like PIL, having to do controversial tv work to afford to make the next album. But that was all the pre-internet world when you could make money from selling an album. Now music is free so.. You gotta fill arenas full of screaming kids and their parents instead. I'm fine with that shit existing but it is sad that real music has died out. The music business was making so much money off Michael Jackson and whatever else to afford 'smaller projects' like Black Sabbath, REM, Van Halen, etc. Bands like that got a record deal and a chance to thrive and grow an audience. It was maybe only 1 in 20000 bands that even got the chance to do this but at least it happened and the public was the winner.
I stumbled across this song in 89-90', my Jr year of high school. Instantly fell in love. Such a great sound. They should've been more popular. Such great memories of a better time.
Haven't heard this on the radio in ages. The last time I did was right when my Grandmother passed away. Therefore, this one's for my awesome Grandmother.
I PLAYED THIS TUNE WITH MY BAND ON MY FIRST SHOW EVER !!! IT WAS VERY WELL DONE , AND EVERYONE LOVED IT , EVEN MY SUPERVISOR (who told me not to be out that day ), TOLD THE STAFF THAT IT WAS A VERY GOOD SHOW . I OWE MY STRENGTH TO THEM .
Downstairs in the Court tavern is where I watched these guys play back in the late 80's. I bought records from Pat when he worked at All Ears records when I was a kids in new brunswick. God saved the Smithereens!! Thank you for the music - its such a powerful force in our lives and when I listen the universe shifts to another. This is true Jersey rock.
Give your heart to the Lord Jesus either way. Let him be your Lord and Savior. He would have gone to the cross for you alone, even if no one else excepted his gift of eternal life. You can't find a better or truer love than that. No man hath greater love, than that he lay down his life for his brother.
In 1990 I saw them with Berlin and Howard Jones in San Diego. Smithereens played first and I was up singing and dancing to every song! I brought my brother who was visiting and had a blast ❤ Days of the garage band!
I interviewed Pat and Dennis in Memphis in '91 and I think in early '93 for my cable access show (yeah, a Southern version of "Wayne's World"). They were fun to interview and just down-to-earth gentlemen. Pat gave me his number at home and I called him one time many years later to see how he was doing. He just picked up like your next-door neighbor would and we chatted for 15 minutes or so. Pat suggested that I come up to his home for a Halloween party that year but I didn't have the time to do so. I'm a big fan of the Boys from NJ and have been since about '86. These guys knew how to ROCK! RIP Pat!
I loved this band in the 1990's and still love their music even more now! Jim Babjak is one of my favorite lead guitarists from that era, mid 80's to mid 90's. Quiet and unassuming Jim would tear it up with his bitchin' decorated Rickenbacker and occasionally his Fender Telecaster. RIP Pat DiNizio. Your one of a kind voice and writing style will never be forgotten by your Many Fans!
I saw them at a place on Landsdowne in the late 80s, and it was an amazing show. I would have *killed* to see them at Toad's, that club had a ridiculous list of acts.
