Ep. 130 - MARSHALL CRENSHAW ("Someday Someway")

The Golden Globe and Grammy nominee whose self-titled debut release was named one of the 100 Best Albums of the Eighties by Rolling Stone joins us to chat about his wide-ranging career, from self-penned hits as an artist such as “Someday Someway,” to co-writing the Top 10 hit "Til I Hear it from You" with the Gin Blossoms, to writing the theme for the parody film Walk Hard. PART ONE  Scott and Paul pay tribute to “Day-O” writer and former Songcraft guest Irving Burgie, who recently passed away at the age of 95; reflect on other Songcraft guests who are no longer with us; talk about the importance of Patreon in preserving the important stories of songwriters; and announce two winners of the Marty Stuart book contest.  PART TWO - 6:46 mark The guys dig deep on why nobody knows the name of lead guitar players anymore PART THREE - 14:36 mark Paul and Scott get on the phone with Marshall Crenshaw, who discusses his eclectic range of musical interests that have led him to dig in the Capitol Records vaults for forgotten 1950s country recordings AND to tour as a guest guitarist with MC5; why he got sick of the Beatles for a while; how the simple act of flipping over a cassette tape altered the course of his career; how he wrote one his best known songs in 15 minutes; the only one of his albums he didn't want to make; how he managed not to meet one of the co-writers of his biggest hits until after the song was on the radio; the reason he asked his record label to drop him; whose version of "You're My Favorite Waste of Time" is his favorite; what it's like listening to Phil Spector records on acid; and why he's reissuing his three underrated Razor & Tie albums, even though he's vowed to never release another new album again.  ABOUT MARSHALL CRENSHAW Detroit native Marshall Crenshaw’s debut self-titled album spawned the Top 40 pop hit “Someday Someway” and was named one of the Best Albums of the Eighties by Rolling Stone magazine. Establishing him as a critical darling, Crenshaw went on to release a series of eclectic studio albums that spawned classic songs such as “Whenever You’re on My Mind,” “Better Back Off,” and “You’re My Favorite Waste of Time.” The latter went on to be covered by Bette Middler, Ronnie Spector, the duo of Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs, and Owen Paul, who had a Top 5 hit with it in the UK. Crenshaw carved out a special relationship with Hollywood, appearing with his band in the Francis Ford Coppola film Peggy Sue Got Married, portraying Buddy Holly in the Richie Valens biopic La Bamba, and writing a book called Hollywood Rock: A Guide to Rock ‘n’ Roll in the Movies. Additionally, he penned the title track for the John C. Reilly comedy film Walk Hard, which earned Crenshaw Golden Globe and Grammy nominations. A highly respected writer, Marshall’s songs have been covered by Kelly Willis, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Freedy Johnston, Robert Gordon, Marti Jones, and the Gin Blossoms, with whom he co-wrote the Top 10 single “Til I Hear It From You.” Ronnie Spector recorded an entire five-song EP of material from the Marshall Crenshaw catalog, and his work has earned him induction into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.  

American Songwriter Podcast Network