Modern Lovers
 f. in Boston, MA, USA

(Richman only)

 

Formed in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, the Modern Lovers revolved around the talents of Jonathan Richman (b. May 1951, Boston, Massachusetts, USA). The group, which included Jerry Harrison (b. 21 February 1949, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; guitar - later of Talking Heads), Ernie Brooks (bass) and future Cars drummer David Robinson, offered an inspired amalgam of 50s pop. garage bands, girls groups and the Velvet Underground, a style that both engendered a cult follwoing and attracted the interest of ex-Velvet member Jihn Cale, then a staff producer at Warner Brothers Records. However, having completed a series of demos, a disillisioned Richman disbanded the line-up and retreated to Boston, although Cale marked their association by recording his protégé's compostition, "Pablo Picasso", on Helen of Toy (1975). In 1976, the unfinished tracks were purchased by the newly founded Beserkley records label, which remixed the masters, added two new performances and released the package as The Modern Lovers. The company also signed Rcihman, whose new album, Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, was confusingly issued within months of the first selection. The second set revealed a less intensive talent, and his regression into almost childlike simplicity was confirmed on Rock 'n' Roll with the Modern Lovers. Richman's new group - Leroy Redcliff (guitar), Greg 'Curly' Kerenen (bass) and D. Smart (drums) - was purely acoustic and featured a repertoire which, by including "The Ice-Cream Man", "Hey There Little Insect", "The Wheels on the Bus" and "I'm a Little Aeroplane", was deemed enchanting or irritating, according to taste. The Modern Lovers nonetheless enjoyed two surprise UK hits with "Roadrunner" and "Egyptian Reggae"m which reached numbers 11 and 5, respectively, in 1977. However, when the unit was undeniably a vehicle for Richman's quirky vision, the Modern Lovers name was dropped the following year when the singer embarked on a solo tour. He has nonetheless revived the title on occassions, notably on It's Time for Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers and Modern Lovers 88.