Conference tallis::celt

703.0. "Johnny Cunninham & friends - the Raindogs" by TOLKIN::OROURKE () Thu Jan 18 1990 12:57

    What Johnny Cunningham does when he isn't opening for Christy Moore....    
    
    
    This is for all of you who imply that Rhode Island lacks musical
    culture, or is that 'culcha'
    
    DOG TRACKS:  YOU'LL FIND 'LOST SOULS' IN RECORD STORES NEXT WEEK
    ----------------------------------------------------------------
    The single has gone out to radio stations.  The video has been
    delivered to MTV.  The album is due in the stores next week.  With
    their first LP, LOST SOULS (ATCO), the Raindogs are ready to let
    the world hear their music.  Now, it's time to see if the world
    will listen.
    
    While their waiting, the Raindogs are spending their time in a cramped
    Pawtucket rehersal space, decorated in Early Urban Decay, preparing
    for an upcoming tour as opening act to eccentric singer/songwriter
    Warren Zevon.  Over lunch at Tom's restaurant in Pawtucket, fiddler
    Johnny Cunningham, on a diet, looked bleakly at his salad while
    the rest of the band attacked heartier fare.  
    
    Between bites, band members talked about the upcoming tour and about
    LOST SOULS, which was recorded last summer at the Outpost, a small
    studio in Stoughton, Mass.  Originally, the band had a hot producer
    lined up in Neil Dorfsman, who has worked with the likes of Paul
    McCartney and Mark Knopfler.  But after a few weeks, Dorfsman and
    the Raindogs parted ways.
    
    "It was a case of incompatibility," said Cunningham.  "We had different
    visions of where we wanted the band to go, but I think we called
    it a day early enough in the process to save things."
    
    "Neil was trying to manufacture a big hit single, and we were trying
    to fight against that mentality," continued Mark Cutler, the band's
    lead singer and songwriter.
    
    Cutler and guitarist Emerson Torrey had formed the backbone of the
    Schemers, a mainstay of the Providence music scene in the early
    and mid '80's.  In 1986, Cutler left to form the Boston-based Raindogs,
    and in 1987 he was joined by Torrey.  The other Raindogs are former
    Red Rockers Darren Hill and Jimmy Reilly and Scotsman Johnny
    Cunningham.
    
    Now all the band members but Torrey live near Boston, although 
    most locals stll consider the Dogs a Providence band.  "Call us
    a Providence Band who lives in the suburbs of Boston," said Cunningham.
    
    A prolific composer, Cutler had 10 years of material to call on
    for LOST SOULS, but chose to use all fresh tunes on the record.
     "We wanted to show people where the band is now, not where I might
    have been five years ago," Cutler said.
    
    The first single will be I'm NOT SCARED.  Cuter said band members,
    manager Richard "Paco" Zimmer and the record company all felt it
    was a good introduction to the Raindogs' sound, which blends
    guitar-based roots rock with the Celtic fiddle of Cummingham.  "We
    like every song, or they wouldn't be on the record, so whatever
    Atco chose to release, we're not ging to be unhappy," Cutler said.
    
    Steve Gett, head of A&R for Atco, said the company was impressed
    with the Raindogs' demo tapes they heard early last year.  "We were
    surprised no one had already signed them," Gett said.  The album
    was actually ready for release last fall, but Gett said that releasing
    it then would have been "commercial suicide" because too many competing
    records were coming onto the market.
    
    For the single, the Raindogs, shot a straightforward video of the
    band playing - no models, no smoke, no breaking glass - on a barebones
    budget of under $20,000.  That's peanuts when you consider that
    more established bands might spend six figures on their videos.
     "I wrote a script for the video, and when I showed it to the
    record company they said 'That's great, but it's going to cost $200,000
    to do it'" Cutler said, so he scrapped the idea.
    
    Cutler, it turns out, doesn't have cable television, so he never
    watched MTV.  
    
    Zimmer said the record company plans to introduce the Raindogs largely
    through the college radio market, although the Raindogs sound is
    certainly as mainstream as anything you might hear on an album-oriented
    rock (AOR) station such as WHJY.  But there are plenty of bands
    - R.E.M., the B-52's, the Smithereens, all come to mind - who have
    followed the route with huge success.
    
    "We want to build a base, and we're going to try the college audience
    first," said Zimmer.  "To go the AOR route you have to wait in line
    to be heard.  There's something like a three or four month wait
    to get a video on MTV."
    
    But Gett said that the record company also hopes the Raindogs will
    catch on at AOR stations.  "We want to create a groundswell, using
    progressive AOR and college readio, and whatever support MTV will
    give us," Gett said.
    
    So far, Gett added, critical response to the Raindogs has been good,
    with word that an upcoming Rolling Stone review will award LOST
    SOULS an impressive three-and-a-half (out of five) stars.
    
    Gett considers the band's pairing with Zevon a smart move.  Zevon
    hasn't had hits (with the exception of Werewolves of London) but
    does attract critical attention and a devoted following.
    
    "We thought this was a good match, as spposed to opening  for, say,
    Richard Marx," said Zimmer.  "Zevon should draw an older, maybe
    more intelligent crowd, and opening for him is going to be better
    for us than playing in some arena at 7:30 to a half-empty audience
    of 12 and 13 year-olds."

    Good note, but as representitive for many of the 12 and 13 year old
    girls who show up for concerts at the appropiate time, be it 7.30
    or otherwise, I am forced to take exception at the final statement.
    I have seen, on far too many occasions, all these "mature" yahoos 
    showing up seconds before the main act, half cut, a ridiculous grin
    on their faces and a definite swagger in their step.  I sincerely
    hope your not suggesting that this is the example that we are to 
    follow or that these people are considered a more suitable audience 
    for the Raindogs than we are.
                   
                      A clearskinned teenager.
    

    
    Dear Murphy,
    
    I'm not implying anything...the note was a direct quote.  Objections
    should be directed at the musical review department of the Providence
    Journal.  However, I must concur that the more mature audience do
    generally have different tastes.
    
    Let's face it, a 13 year old girl is not likely to swoon at the
    Raindogs, like New Kids on the Block.  A 13 year old boy who loves
    seeing deflamatory t-shirts and thinks it's o.k. to throw beer bottles
    at members of the audience (ala Skid Row) is not going to get too
    hyped listening to the likes of Johnny Cunningham.
    
    The 'critically acclaimed' route can be strange too.  While I like
    Zevon, I wonder about others.  For example, I saw Iggy Pop open
    for the Pretenders and it was the worst performance I've ever had
    the displeasure to have seen.  Not only was he awful, he was obnoxious
    too.  After only a few songs he stormed off the stage because he
    said people weren't applauding enough....please!
    
    Your complaint has been duely noted  and I must say it is very nice
    of you to defind this audience.....seeing as you must be at least
    twice the age in question!
    
    /j
    

    
    
    	ATLEAST twice the age in question ....   :-)
    

    
    
    jen,
    
       Haven't you learned yet?????
    
    Murphy is out to lunch and will probably never return  8*).
    
    I was glad to learn that R.I. has a bit of culcha.  Isn't that the
    town that paints that BIG  three leaved clover in the road on 3-17-??
    
      When do we do Boston again?????
    
    Maybe we should do R.I. one of these times a Sat. afternoon would
    be nice.....
    
    paddy

    
    
    For those of you who haven't planned an activity to start your Memorial
    Day weekend off right....
    
    The Raindogs with Johnny C. will be performing tonight at that 'hip'
    Providence club  the Living Room.