Funnsylvania

03 Feb ' 16:16

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2012

February

3

3

The 1st 2+ paragraphs of the most read article on The Review, "Mid-Michigan's Leading Publication of News, the Arts, Community and Culture":

Juice Newton penetrated the dharma and found that still point between inertia and action when she formed what proved to be a long-term collaboration with guitarist/songwriter Otha Young. Together they penned Sweet Sweet Smile intended for their band Silver Spur but picked up by the Carpenters who rode it to the top of the charts. It put Juice Newton on the map.

By 1978 she went solo and never looked back. Her first solo release Well Kept Secret was a rock & roll album of the first degree that put Newton’s versatility on display and hit you like a punch. Though it didn’t chart, it created a buzz that persisted even as she shifted her focus to country music. In retrospect it was a clever strategy as evidenced by the success of her one off single Let’s Keep it That Way. It was a great song and climbed up to the Top Ten in the Country Charts.

The release of the LP Juice in 1981 proved to be a sentinel event for Newton as it spawned three consecutive Top Ten Pop Hits...

[More:]

And the hits kept on a coming.

The exquisitely arranged Loves Been a Little Bit Hard on Me reached #1 on Billboards Adult Contemporary Charts. Newton’s vocal was playful and note-perfect. Her stoned immaculate remake of Break It to Me Gently won her a Grammy for Best Female Country Performance.

...

In October 2010 she released Duets: Friends and Memories with guest appearances by such luminaries as Willie Nelson, Melissa Manchester and Frankie Valli.

It’s been quite a ride. I first saw Juice Newton perform in the eighties. She was long and lean with hair down to her waist and enough energy to fill up a stadium. She had spunk and a bit of the devil in her eyes but she sang like an angel. She didn’t take crap from non-believers, rack jobbers or the press. She was nobody’s fool. Juice Newton is an original that walks her own musical path whether it’s rock & roll, country, or pop. She’s a rebel with a cause who is stubborn enough to keep on singing with just enough spark and strut to heat up a stage with some of the best music in the business. Juice Music.

....

And the interview portion, minus Juice's answers (except for the last one):

Juice, I first saw you in Saginaw opening for Mickey Gilley in the 80’s. You stole the show. What was that tour like for you?

So you enjoyed working with Gilley? He was a country artist and I thought of you as kind of a rocker at the time? You had all those hits that spanned genres.

You had a lot of spunk at that show and you sang your heart out. I loved your response to a TV interviewer who asked you to describe your music, you simply said, “Juice Music” – can you describe “Juice Music”

What is your favorite type of music?

The first time I saw you I felt you had some rebel blood – like a countrified Kid Rock – Did you see yourself as outside the mainstream?

I thought you were a great rock & roller. You leaned in that direction a few times. Why did you let it go?

Juice, you have some great pipes. How do you rate yourself as Singer?

What was your lucky break?

What happened when you first went out on your own? Were you accepted right away?

You’ve had a long prosperous career. What are your most precious memories, proudest achievements?

You did a great version of Hank Devitos’ Queen of Hearts right around the time Dave Edmunds released his LP version. Did you hear it? Were you inspired by Edmunds?

Do you have favorite road story…that you can talk about?

[Juice:] Hmm…no. Weird stuff happens. It’s not for everyone. You travel across country and you go to the wrong hotel. You have no place to sleep and nothing to eat. You would get lost or go to the wrong venue. It’s grueling and it’s tiring.

THANKS!

3

Well, it turned February 3rd, which means the groundhog did not see his shadow. In other news, I've decided to reclaim my e-dentity. Stuff I'd been putting on Tumblr Twitter and Facebook will now go here instead. Fuck trying to make my voice heard among the din. You want me, you come find me. Here, out on my own, where I belong, where I'm not ashamed to make lousy Groundhog Day jokes.

Anyway, I make no promises. For you nostalgic types, I warn you that this will never be what it was. But maybe, by removing the pressure of needing it to be great on a daily basis, this will be a much more fun place to be. Or maybe it will suck. Or probably I'm only even thinking about this now because I just finished the first draft of something and am awaiting further instructions and am at what our English chappies overseas might call, "a bit of a loose end, what what." So this will probably go nowhere. But I am committed to reclaiming this site from the Tumblrs and Blogspots and Angelfires of the world, and returning it to the hardcore punk rock, DIY ethos traditionally associated with "classic era" Funnsylvania. Either way, it's certainly bound to be better than it's been the last, what, 6 years?

So settle the fuck down and strap on them reading glasses, you goofs. We in my parlor now.

p.s. Temper your expectations.

p.p.s. Comments and rss feed coming eventually, hopefully.