Johnny Eaton

Here's a proper wintry tune for you:

'Whoever Will Love Us', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', January 28th, 2022.

Whoever Will Love Us 'Whoever Will Love Us', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', January 28th, 2022.

I've produced enough album art and chronicles to give it its own Instagram page, so here it is (I'm going to re-post them chronologically):

https://www.instagram.com/johnnyeatonsbands/

The Grumpy Butterflies was my post-prog rock band in Augusta in 1978. We were rebelling against disco but failing miserably due to our inability to play a rhythm that anyone wanted to dance to, let alone listen to.

After seeing our live show, one critic likened us to "riding in a car with a squirrel running rampant on the floor, periodically bouncing on the gas or brake. You'd have to pay me a king's ransom to pick up their album, which I sincerely hope they never make."

It was a fair assessment, but still, we were miffed.

So, fittingly, we called our first (and only) album, 'King's Ransom'. I hope that jerk got a chuckle, at least.

#1978

Sometimes a moment in time is something you want to recall forever. Sometimes enthusiasm and hope and faith are things that make a wish come true. That's what this song is about:

'This Lovely', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', March 12th, 2022.

This Lovely 'This Lovely', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', March 12th, 2022.

In June of 1973 I joined a band with a very brief tenure, born out of a very odd crossing of paths at the 20 Grand club in Detroit. I was DJing there one night- this was a pretty new thing. They paid me $50 on a Tuesday night just to see if they could get the kids dancing on an off-night. As it turned out, George Clinton and some pals were there to assess whether this new DJ thing was a threat to their performing, and later in the night, in walked Art Garfunkel, who was in town for some reason and was looking for where the cool people hung out.

So there I am, switching dance records, stressed about how many kids are dancing, when I witness George call Art over to his table. And they hit it off. Why? Because they're pretty cool and easy-going dudes.

Anyway, the night ends and they are still there, talking. I get my fifty-bucks from the owner and say, "Wild night, eh? Never thought I'd see those two together."

The owner says, "They want to talk business with you."

I nearly s**t my pants right there, I'm not going to lie.

I go over to the table and thus begins talk about an experimental recording project involving live funky instruments, soaring gorgeous vocals and harmonies, and slick DJ beats. And then I was there, in the studio with them, watching and being part of the birth of Partliament Garfunkedelic (P-Gunk for short).

Sadly, the audio engineer got drunk and high and passed out with his joint over the tapes. I don't even understand how that happened, but there was spilled booze and the heater from the joint and well, the flames woke him up.

I remember Art being really upset. He said, "That was it, man. That was going to be my opus, the best work I ever did."

Anyway, this is the album art made by Phinealeus Groove, a.k.a. "Phinny" who really caught the spirit of the age, so I thought I'd share it here after keeping it secret for so long.

- we love you, dude.

F**k Fish was the name of my band in Winooski in 1984. We formed because we were tired of hearing about that frikkin' jam band across the river who were supposedly "soooooooo much better" than us. That's what my girlfriend at the time said, anyway.

I mean, maybe she was right, but... you just don't tell your boyfriend that his nemesis band is better than yours, right?

Sheesh.

It's not quite Christmas yet, but this Rodriguez song always plays:

'Cause', a song written and recorded by Rodriguez, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', February 5th, 2022.

Cause (Rodriguez) 'Cause', a song written and recorded by Rodriguez, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', February 5th, 2022.

The day you realize. Sadly, still very relevant today.

'The Term', a poem written by Johnny Eaton and performed on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', August 26th, 2021.

The Term (poem) 'The Term', a poem written by Johnny Eaton and performed on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', August 26th, 2021.

Remember when there was a full-on pandemic and we weren't even allowed to leave our homes except for exercise and even then we had to keep a distance from everyone else? This song was written then:

'Scared of Nothin'', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', March 12th, 2022.

Scared Of Nothin' 'Scared of Nothin'', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', March 12th, 2022.

Back in the late 90s, I was in a band called Topsoil. The name was inspired by a desire to subliminally get people thinking about the band, and there being a lot of signs advertising topsoil for sale around Perth, Ontario, Canada, one of many excellent Daniel Logan and Elijah Robertson ideas were brought to fruition.

The band was pretty well-established before I joined, but when I did join, well... I'd like to say things got even weirder. I had this Korg multi-effects pedal that turned my Epiphone Les Paul into much more than a guitar. It had 'agent of chaos' potential. This was highlighted in our song 'Fur Coat' (penned by Eli) in which Dan let his bass rip in a way only traumatized ear drums can attest. While this was happening, I had the joy of making the weirdest, most messed up noises I could pull out of that Korg and those whose ears weren't broken might notice all that weirdness beneath the weirdness of noise. We were a pretty cool band, if I do say so myself.

Now, one song we never got to finish or play live was 'Mind Control', which was kind of a joke of Eli's at the expense of techno music, but also a fun idea worth following, and we actually had a number of jams on it in our jam shed at Dan's place, with the band grooving to a loop/delay/modulation/space thing that I tickled from the Korg.

I rarely thought about that song that never saw the light of performance day until I heard the following song, which pretty much fulfills the promise of Eli's joke, and is actually a pretty cool tune. Enjoy, if you can:

Give Chance A Trance (Original Mix), by Moderna Y Theus Mago from the album Give Chance A Trance

Kick off your new week by Fighting the Weather!

'Fighting the Weather', a song written by Chris Culgin, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', August 28th, 2022.

Fighting the Weather (Chris Culgin) 'Fighting the Weather', a song written by Chris Culgin, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', August 28th, 2022.

I May Struggle

All my life
feeling Sisyphus
like there's a drive
a creative impulse that goes
for some purpose I don't know
because
my mind thinks
I do not, have not, will not
fit in,
and whatever I'm doing
is not "it".

Why make the art, though?
Why create
for only but it's own sake?
Is this some Buddhist s**t?
Some lesson of ego abandon?

I can do that, but f**k,
damn,
I'd like that feeling once
of NOT being the kid in class
that everyone else
looks at or doesn't look at
because he's a damn weirdo.

I don't like the same s**t.
I just never have.
Or maybe I like it all, I like more,
just a little less,
because my soul is divided
across all the awesome I can take in.

I don't know.
I don't know the secret.
I don't even know if I want the recognition.
I think I do, then,
I wish,
more than anything,
that what I did meant something
to more than a someone,
to many someones-
that any of it would somehow enrich,
inspire,
bring a smile
to waiting, thoughtful, sad
lips.

2023.12.09

A livestream performance of track #9 on my album 'here's the thing', which released back in June:

'Lost in Manitoba', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', March 12th, 2022.

Lost in Manitoba 'Lost in Manitoba', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', March 12th, 2022.

Here's a little Robert Johnson for your Friday:

'Malted Milk', a song written and recorded by Robert Johnson, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', April 30th, 2022.

Malted Milk (Robert Johnson) 'Malted Milk', a song written and recorded by Robert Johnson, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', April 30th, 2022.

[Edit: the description to the second linked video has now been edited to include an acknowledgment of the original artist. The point still very much stands, though.]

It's so disgustingly disrespectful when musicians don't give other musicians credit. It's like a code has been broken. We all know it isn't easy. The least we can do is give a tip of the cap to those who inspired us, did it before us, or flat-out wrote it.

This is from 12 years ago. I'm not even sure this guy received or receives any money for this video: https://youtu.be/fRYNKlEsQyw?si=-km_n0jU-KX1R4jf

This is from 2 years ago. They gave no credit to the man in the video from 10 years prior. No tip of the cap. Nothing: https://youtu.be/N4oFPJoaGtE?si=-6TnfY8dQ5bh5Ieo

If you're a musician and you value music at all, please, give credit where it is due. It's the least you can do.

Spoon Slide Guitar - YouTube.mp4 Slide guitar spoon tech

Things got weird tonight.

Digital Watercolour #151 - a glimpse of the 'Birdmen' Inspectors of dystopian '22

How's about Track 5 off of my album 'Here's the Thing' for your Saturday afternoon?

'Flint and Steel', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', March 12th, 2022.

Flint and Steel 'Flint and Steel', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', March 12th, 2022.

It's bandcamp.com Friday today!

Here were my purchases, with 100% of the proceeds going to the musicians who need them:

Francis 11 LBS was my ironic, esoteric trip-hop band in Milan in 2007. One critic who came to a show said, "I... I... there's just no words." I took that as a compliment and assumed our music was cool. Big mistake.

You feelin' alright, this Thursday night?

'Feeling Alright', a song written and recorded by Dave Mason, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', February 9th, 2022.

Feeling Alright (Dave Mason) 'Feeling Alright', a song written and recorded by Dave Mason, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', February 9th, 2022.

This would've been better to post on Remembrance Day, or the day Robbie died, but it'll be fine today, too:

'Twilight', a song written by Robbie Robertson, recorded The Band, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', January 15th, 2022.

Twilight (The Band) 'Twilight', a song written by Robbie Robertson, recorded The Band, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', January 15th, 2022.

The best process I've gone through as a songwriter and musician has been to intentionally suppress my critical impulses toward other songwriters and musicians, and focus on my appreciation.

This process has opened me up to possibilities I had not imagined.

Front-Load the Baby was the title of my band Forklift Osculator's EP in 1997. We played locally around Pittsburgh and we were just... awful. We didn't have any good songs to even front-load an EP with. Our 'hit' was the song that made the fewest people leave the show.

One critic said, "I dig their aesthetic. While the black and yellow is hardly original and could easily be called pandering to the sports crowd around these parts, they do look like a hive of demented bees. But, I'm reasonably sure that the sports crowd would pummel them into a pulp if ever subjected to the racket they call their 'music'. They lean so heavily on their various effects pedals and sequencers one has to wonder if any of them can actually play their instruments. Perhaps they are being merciful and sparing us from hearing such torture. One thing is for sure, this music appreciator will not be appreciating their music anytime soon, if ever."

I mean... damn. I cried with one of my bandmates down by the river because of that, and to rub salt in the wound, some jocks walked by and did indeed beat us up.

#1997

This one's the title track, and the last track, off of my newest album:

'Here's the Thing', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', March 12th, 2022.

Here's the Thing 'Here's the Thing', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', March 12th, 2022.

After a little mix-up, it is revealed that Jon Stein's 'Hootenanny Cafe' Radio Show is in fact on at 10 PM EST both Nov 9 & 10 (today and tomorrow) on www.bellbuckleradio.com - have a listen and enjoy the tunes! Thank you!

here's a live solo version of track 6 on my album, 'here's the thing' (the album version includes the wild talents of Noah Zacharin, Clayton Yates, and Jeff Asselin):

'Ouroboros', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', March 19th, 2022.

Ouroboros 'Ouroboros', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', March 19th, 2022.

Sometimes one song just comes to mind as you finish another...

A medley of 'I Heard it Through the Grapevine', a song written by Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield for Motown Records and first recorded by Gladys Knight and the Pips, and 'Down by the River', a song written and recorded by Neil Young, performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', April 2nd, 2022.

Medley: I Heard it Through the Grapevine (Gladys Knight) and Down By The River (Neil Young) A medley of 'I Heard it Through the Grapevine', a song written by Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield for Motown Records and first recorded by Gladys Knight ...

Track 1 off of my album 'here's the thing'. We delved into old soul with this one on the record:

'No-Way Train', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', March 19th, 2022.

No-Way Train 'No-Way Train', an original tune written, copyright, and performed by Johnny Eaton on 'Tunesdays with Johnny', March 19th, 2022.

Beautifully Strewn was my band from Olympia that played Lilith Fair in 1999. We played just before Sarah McLauchlan, so not a lot of people were listening. They were getting drinks. Or talking. Or smoking. Or toking. You get the drift. I felt really cute in my dress, though. So there's that.

An appropriate seasonal tune:

'Autumn I Fall', written by Johnny Eaton, played live on 'Tunesdays with Johnny' on 2021.11.24

Autumn I Fall An original tune written by Johnny Eaton, played live on 'Tunesdays with Johnny' on 2021.11.24