@@rickgehring7507 I wish I couldve met or just seen him but it never clicked with me until recently what a special person and unique talent he was..I went on ebay and found a nice signed item by him and have it on my wall now, closest I can ever get to the real person.
The Smithereens are still one of the coolest bands to ever walk the planet. We need more music like this. Modern top 40 music is such a joke that jokes are offended.
One a the greatest rock songs ever written. A total classic that deserves to be right up there with anything by the Stones or The Who or any other damn band. This song is so damn cool it wants to hang out with itself and get chicks
I saw the Smithereens live at a small venue in Norfolk, VA, called the Boathouse about 1994. I had listened to their albums for a few years beforehand, so I was familiar with their music. It's hard to describe just how good this band sounded live. The opening song just punched you in the gut (it might have been this song), and the sound was spare, tight, and loud. I'm sorry to hear that Pat DiNizio passed away 3 years ago. RIP.
If these guys had hit 7 years later, they woulda been huge (see: Gin Blossoms etc). Great power pop-jangle pop-rock & roll + great melodic songwriting. RIP Pat.
Gin Blossoms definitely drew inspiration from this song and a few other crunchy ones on Especially for You. They just put a SoCal / AZ twist on it. They might've had a long run if that poor guy hadn't taken his own life, the band wasn't quite the same after.
@@joejones9520 In the early 90s I met a guy who played w/ Gin Blossoms on one album + touring. He thought they were a good unit of musicians, good sense of story AND hooks. Guy recorded a few solo albums himself -- Robert Becker.
Extraordinary lyrics. "If she asked me to I'd murder, I would gladly lose my soul." Dinizio wrote some of the most evocative emotionally unforgetable lyrics.
Pat was just about the nicest guy you could ever meet. He ran for state senate a few years ago, and, he chartered a bus from the company my dad drove for to drive him around on his campaign. I was a mechanic for the company, and, my dad ended up being the one to drive him, so, I got to meet him.
Their style was unparalleled. They were the best R&R band from Jersey. I liked their style more than Springsteen, or Bon Jovi. The played straight-up r&r!
I never really started listening to them until recently. I never really got that into any NJ bands and these guys are from my hometown. I went through a phase where I sort of "refused" t like any NJ bands because it seemed to be "expected" of you, lol
I think what appeals to a lot of people about the smithereens is the fact that they just look like regular dudes that walked up on stage and grabbed some instruments. To me that’s the coolest thing about them.
The coolest thing about them to me is this great album. Every single song on "Especially for You" flows and grooves. Has nothing to do with their faces or clothes.
I just heard the sad news today. R.I.P Pat DiNizio. Great singer & fantastic band. I like all of their songs. I did get a chance to see them once in concert. Very good band, and they had great stage presence. It seems like no matter what band or singer that I listen to, I would always come back to listening to The Smithereens. R.I.P Great Music Legend.
Hi Walter. Yes, this is very sad.This is a big shock to me & all loyal Smithereens fans. I saw them at a park in Norfolk, Virginia, where they were doing a free concert a few years ago, and they were really good. I didn't get a chance to meet Pat, but I did meet Jim Babjak, the lead guitarist, and backup vocalist. Very nice guy. I guess we should enjoy these great music artists while they are alive, because tomorrow isn't promise to anyone. "Keep Rocking." MegaRockgirl7
I have never stopped loving this song, along with many others like 'A Girl Like You' and 'Cigarette'. A sad day, indeed. RIP Pat, I loved and still love your music.
Hi George Osborne. Yes, those two songs by The Smithereens were good too. "Cigarette" has a nice acoustic, relaxing sound to it. Their music always had a basic, original rock n roll sound that made them stand out over other bands, that captivated the hearts of true rock n rollers. I hope you had a chance to see them play before this sad incident happen. The Smithereens won't be the same without Pat. "Keep Rocking, George." MegaRockgirl7.
What a great Jersey band. I met Pat back in 2000 at a bar in seaside he was running for senate.He hung out and had drinks with us Hell of a nice guy!!!
so sad to hear about Pat. You know....when I was in college, I actually met Pat and the band. They crashed our dorm room party before the show and drank all of our beer...hahahaahh. A bunch of fun guys. RIP Pat. We loved you.
Saw these guys twice, killer live show every time. Had Pat's guitar pick, lost it in a fire. I miss music like this, no flash or posturing, just great lyrics, great tunes. RIP Pat, this girl will always be a fan.
Got to see these guys once at a small outdoor setting. One of the most underrated bands I have ever see. Pat was such a great songwriter. A big loss to us all. Long live The Smithereens !!!
I saw them play in the late 1980's on the Gold Coast Australia, small venue, awesome night and bonus points one of my friends had met tem at the record store he worked at that day and we not only met them BUT then they got us to show them around Surfers Paradise night life after the show , absolutely coolest musicians ive ever met .
Pat DiNizio is one of the greatest and most unappreciated, brilliant songwriters in the history of rock/pop music. These guys were the REAL American Beatles.
I saw the band at Western New England College in 87 or maybe 88. There were maybe 100 people at the show. It was a life changing night for me....I've loved their music ever since.
One of the things I like best about these guys is that they were holding steady and rocking like this during the vapid, milk-toast 80s when so few bands actually rocked and when even many established great bands had flavored down to music with no teeth.
@@lensosa9828 Same era for references, just the UK take on that era vs US focused. I hate to mention him, but there's a guy who later got really famous who started by referencing the same era. He had a 50s era focus in the early 70s in a small beach town in NJ. The radio biz, MTV and "music industry" biz decide on what will be the next wave. Stray Cats got lucky. X could have ridden that wave, Blasters too, if organic support at listener level drove the bus. But the need fo ever changing, top-dictated "new trends" is perpetual. Smithereens don't fall into a rockabilly category like Stray Cats, or a rural roots rock category like X or Blasters, but instead are more an industrial city roots rock from an industrial city that's had industry for maybe 100 yrs. Check out the Derailers. Look for the "Jackpot" video.
I always thought this group got unusually good sounds from their individual instruments in the studio. Anyone else think that, or am I just more stoned than usual?
Babjak doesn't always play the Ricky, but he always plays it on this song. I'm so sad I'll never see the whole group with Babjak and DiNizio again. I'm so happy I did get to see them.
I read this comments and it makes me smile, because in San Diego back in "the day," 91x FM used to play and promote the crap out of these guys. god, I miss those days...
I remember this video being featured on an MTV show called "120 Minutes", which was a show/block of "alternate music videos" which was anti-pop music at the time. "Only A Memory" introduced me to this great band, and I've since heard a lot of their stuff before and since their "Green Thoughts" album...gotta love the Smithereens!!!!!
The best rocking band to come out of New Jersey. No political bullshit, no fake Oklahoma accents. Just perfectly crafted rock, wonderful chord changes, great musicianship and a melancholy, yearning vocal from Pat. Simply the best and dearly missed.
@@8angst8 There is a famous rocker from NJ with the last name of Springsteen who went from your typical neutral NJ accent to one that sounded like Woody Guthrie singing about the OK Dustbowl. And he's very political these days. Not a dig at all towards OK. I like OK and her people. Sorry if you took it that way!
Simply one of the best videos/songs ever recorded.. Bought the Especially For You album back in 1986, which is amazing, and the start of a great career, they should have been much more huge..
I wore that cassette out. Then I scratched the hell out of the CD. Bought it on the first iteration of iTunes. Now I listen to it on Apple Music. I’m sure in another 10 years it’ll be something different. Hmmmm, I should get the vinyl. Sounds like an excellent plan.
Love this song. I actually sing this in karaoke. I've always loved these guys. I remember them personally from the beginning. I actually hung out with them a few times when I went to Rutgers in the 1980s. Jimmy Babjack used to own a record store called the Flamin' Groovie, on Easten Avenue, and I used to go in there at least once a week to pick up some records. He was a really cool guy. In fact, I bought some rare records out of his personal collection. Really great guys, with a great retro sound.
+Peggy Semingson Thanks Peggy! Blood and Roses is my second favorite of theirs, followed by In A Lonely Place. I recall when the Beauty and Sadness EP came out and a few months later, Jimmy told me that he'd be away from the store for a few weeks because the EP was really hot in Denmark, and they were flying over there to do some shows. A very exciting time for this band, and for me!
"She had hair just like Jeanie Shrimpton back in 1965." I wore the grooves of Especially for You out, so did Kurt Cobain. This band was a huge influence on 90s bands.
They were all a bit odd looking, at least as far as being stereotypical rock stars. Once MTV came along appearance and image became far more important, and pure musical talent wasn't enough to earn the airplay it takes to really make it.
Why didn't I ever hear of this fantastic group?! I grew up during the period when they first formed. I came across this song by accident. Very impressed!!
This song rocks like a mutha! The Smithereens had a five year run of great music. I always thought they would have been extremely popular if they had been around in the mid to late 60's. Their sound just didn't click with the 80's crowd. I'm just glad they made it to MTV so I could enjoy and buy some of their stuff.
Mike rocks the bass in this tune. Right after the solo and into the 3rd verse, "Got your number from a friend of mine who lives in your hometown", listen to the fantastic walk down that lands perfectly into the next note. He does that quite a bit which, to me, helps shapes the band's signature style. Happy Birthday, Mike.
"now, I know I'm one of many who would like to be your friend and I've got to find a way to let you know I'm not like them." my god. pure genius there's not one person in the world who hasn't felt that way about someone.
I also saw them at the Boathouse, Norfolk, VA, and I keep a fond memory of the concert. As a foreigner I had never heard about The Smithereens and I discovered them on the local Rock radio which was playing them on a regular basis. What class. I never quite understood why they were not more famous.
I had just returned home after finishing up my tour in the USMC and my brother had this on a cassette. Couldn't believe how great they sound and how smooth it was, great lyrics and music together. Will probably never get the recognition they truly deserve but they stayed true to their fans and never sold out like some other NJ jerks, Bon Blow Me and Springstain.
What year? Saw them 1991 when I went to Celebrity Theater in Phoenix to see the opening act. The Smithereens were great and Pat gave me a big kiss backstage. Great kisser.
Precisely! These guys play/sing with the kind of simplicity/economy that takes me back to the groups of the mid-Sixties (the best sound out there). Best -- W
Exactly, Walt! The mid-60s were very specific. A sound unto itself. The Smithereens captured that sound perfectly updating it just a touch. 'Yesterday's Girl' is another great example by them.
This band had a heart and they could play! They lived their music. To all who know the "Smithereens" I say "rock on." PS. They were more sincere and talented than the "bad" bands today.
I `ve always been facsinated by these guys, they really are laid back cool without having to corporate up and thier melodies` are for the most part not boring and thier lyrics`are actually education in how to not pine over chicks that may have p.t,ed you for thier own pleasure I. think thier great and I believe "Oasis" used them as an influence in thier musical influences.I`d pay to see them come to Baltimore and I`d see them at any local venue.Rock on SMITHEREENS.Thier drummer is really ,really badass as well as the guitarist and bass player and they have alot to be thankful for when they got thier singer.The SMITHEREENS kick ass!
