Different Drum

Cover version of the month #23

Different Drum by The Lemonheads

Different Drum is a song I discovered via The Lemonheads when they released an acoustic version as a b-side to the It’s A Shame About Ray single in 1993, although the band had originally released it as a 7-inch single back in 1990. I’ve been fortunate to see Evan Dando play it live on lots of occasions. I love the lyrics, melody and the way it flowed. I soon discovered that The Pastels had also covered this gem of a song, as had many more, including The Jayhawks and PP Arnold.

The origins of Different Drum date back to 1965 and Mike Nesmith of The Monkees! Nesmith wrote the song the year he joined The Monkees and it was originally recorded and released by a band called The Greenbriar Boys in 1966. LISTEN HERE

The Stone Poneys (featuring Linda Rondstadt) covered the song and released it in the fall of the summer of love in September 1967 (incidentally the year that Dando was born).

The lyrics, structure and melody are very clever and there is real humour as well. Dando has a long history of cover versions and Different Drum fits him like a glove. It could have been written for The Lemonheads.

There are a number of versions of Evan/The Lemonheads playing Different Drum on YouTube but this is my favourite from the b-side.

And this is the original electric version that The Lemonheads released;

You and I travel to the beat of a different drum

Oh can’t you tell by the way I run

Every time you make eyes at me

You cry and moan and say it will work out

But honey child I’ve got my doubts

You can’t see the forest for the trees

Oh don’t get me wrong

It’s not that I knock it

It’s just that I am not in the market

For a boy who wants to love only me

Yes and I ain’t saying you ain’t pretty

All I’m saying is I’m not ready

For any person, place or thing

To try and pull the reins in on me

So good-bye, I’ll be leaving

I see no sense in this crying and grieving

We’ll both live a lot longer

If you live without me

Previous covers of the month

Previous covers of the month

1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' 

2. Going Back To My Roots

3. Nirvana play The Vaselines

4. Slip Inside This House

5. Top 10 covers by Teenage Fanclub

6. Only Love Can Break Your Heart

7. Time For Livin' 

8. Sound and Vision 

9. All Along The Watchtower

10. I Am The Walrus 

11. Guiding Star

12. You’ll Never Walk Alone

13. Hurt
14. This Guy's In Love With You

15. I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine
16. California Soul
18. Wonder wall 
19. Dancing In The Dark
20. Always On My Mind
21. Ceremony
22. Heroes

May 2016 podcast

Everything Flows Podcast #8 - May 2016

I don’t tend to put a great deal of thought into what I am going to play on my monthly podcast. I tend to have one song in mind and take it from there. I do try and stick in a couple of Scottish artists.

This months podcast all stemmed from Indiepop Ain’t Noise Pollution by The Pooh Sticks (great song title, as is I’m In Love With A Girl Who Doesn’t Know I Exist) that popped up on my iPod when I stuck it on shuffle. The song appears on a brilliant boxset I bought and blogged about back in January 2014 - Scared To Get Happy - a story of indie pop.

That led on to a couple of other songs from the boxset and some classic indie pop by The Pastels, Sebadoh and The Vaselines, along with a classic by The Beach Boys from their Pet Sounds album that celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Enjoy, LISTEN HERE

Indiepop Ain’t Noise Pollution - The Pooh Sticks
This Brilliant Evening - In Embrace
I’m In Love With A Girl Who Doesn’t Know I Exist - Another Sunny Day
Thank You For Being You - The Pastels
Dusseldorf - Teleman
Hang On To Your Ego - The Beach Boys
Different Drum - Stone Poneys
Soul and Fire - Sebadoh
The Day I Was A Horse - The Vaselines
Inky Spies - The Vaselines

Previous Everything Flows Podcasts

Podcast #1 featuring Teenage Fanclub, David Bowie, Dr Cosmos Tape Lab, Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, JR Green, The Undertones

Podcast #2 featuring The Troggs, Happy Meals, Rose McDowall, The Frank Popp Ensemble, Fun Boy Three, Jo Mango and The Pictish Trail, Miaoux Miaoux, Yo La Tengo

Podcast #3 featuring Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Marlena Shaw, Natalie Prass, November Lights, Molly Nilsson

Podcast #4 featuring The Chemical Brothers with Beck, The Charlatans (Brian Jonestown Massacre mix), BMX Bandits, Edwyn Collins, The Parliaments, K-Klass, White

Podcast #5 -Tim Peaks Electric Fields line-up featuring The Charlatans, Yucatan, Blueprint Blue, Documents, TeenCanteen, Horsebeach, Hot Vestry, Riding the Low, Tim Burgess

Podcast #6 featuring JR Green, Hinds, The Groove, Doug Tuttle, Second Hand Marching Band, Emma Pollok, David Bowie, Lesley Gore

Podcast #7 featuring Catholic Action, Primal Scream, Super Furry Animals, The Supremes, George Carrow, Prophets, LCD Soundsystem