Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend
This week, we delve into what many contend is the blue print for 1990's power pop, the 1991 LP by Matthew Sweet, Girlfriend. Things were not looking particularly up for Sweet as he worked on his third album. Professionally he had no label, and personally his marriage was falling apart. Having released two competent, but commercial disappointing albums for 2 different labels, no one expected what came next.
Tentatively titled Nothing Lasts, the album was rechristened Girlfriend after actress Tuesday Weld objected to her image being used for an album called Nothing Lasts. Having used a drum machine on his previous albums, Sweet decided to go with real drums and to record most of the album live in he studio. With the help of guitar virtuosos Television's Richard Lloyd, and former Voidoid guitarist and Lou Reed sideman, Robert Quine, Girlfriend is equal parts loud and jangly. Its the perfect soundtrack for Sweet's sweet vocals and harmonies (pun intended) and an unparalleled guitar pop tour de force.
Recommendation for this episode: My Favorite Revolution by Eugene Edwards.
THINGS WE DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE
Matthew Sweet’s first “official” recording was as a bassist on the Sweet penned original for a local Omaha, NE band called the Specs. The song, "Look Out Girl (You Need a Direction)", was rel"Look Out Girl (You Need a Direction)",eased on The KFMQ Homegrown Album and became the most requested song on the compilation.
The Specs pictured (L to R) Sara Kovanda, Rick Morris, Matthew Sweet, Don Holmquist, David Snider
You can listen to "Look Out Girl (You Need a Direction)" below.
After graduating high school, Sweet moved t Athens, GA to attend the University of Georgia. While there he pined the band Oh Ok, who had heard of Sweet through a demo tape that Michael Stipe or R.E.M. had passed on to his sister, Lynda Stipe who sang and played bass with Oh Ok.
Oh OK pictured (L to R): Linda Hoper, Matthew Sweet, David Peirce, and Lynda Stipe.
While Oh Ok was still a going concern, Sweet and drummer David Peirce recorded a side project called the Buzz of Delight. Here is their song “Briar Rose.”
Here is a brief but interesting interview conducted with Sweet n on the Cleveland Ohio local access cable show Alternative Beat shortly after the release of his second LP Earth.
Here’s the video, for “Vertigo” off of Sweet’s, 1989 LP Earth. The song (and the video) feature guitarist Robert Quine.
“Looking at the Sun” was originally recorded during the sessions for Sweet's second album Earth, which was released in 1989. As was th.e case with the tracks on Earth and Sweet’s debut "Inside, the drums were programed on a drum machine. THe song was significantly reworked for its inclusion song Girlfriend.
The video for the song “Girlfriend” utilized clips form the 1982 amine movie Space Adventure Cobra which helped it become one of the most-watched videos on MTV.
In April of 1992, Sweet performed “Girlfriend” and “I’ve Been Waiting” on The Dennis Miller Show. It give you an opportunity to watch Robert Quine work his guitar magic.
Sweet teamed up with Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles for project called “Under the Covers” where there released a series of cover tunes that spanned the rock and roll landscape. Here is their version of the Yes song “I’ve Seen All Good Pep
Sweet and Hoffs were also in a faux 60’s garage/psychedelic band called Ming Tea that performed in between scenes of Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery. He ther are performing their song “BBC.”
