“Stacy’s Mom,” Fountains of Wayne and the Many Imaginary Hits of Adam Schlesinger
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- čas přidán 10. 06. 2024
- Despite its name, Power Pop as a genre has often failed to accrue the popularity necessary to set the charts ablaze. Fountains of Wayne’s brand of detail-rich storytelling and bittersweet character study twinned with a sugary 90s alt rock crunch did little to change that.
They were the bizarro Weezer, loved by critics but underrated by the general music listening public. That was until they created the “second-catchiest song ever written about a girlfriend's parent." [Ben Greenman, The New Yorker, June 2003] By that point though, one of their songwriters had already racked up his fair share of fantasy pop gems for Hollywood. This is the Story of “Stacy’s Mom” and the Many Imaginary Hits of Adam Schlesinger.
#stacysmom #fountainsofwayne #musicdocumentary
Soundtrack
Luar - Citrine ( / luarbeats )
Jesse Gallagher - The Golden Present
Luar - Anchor ( / luarbeats )
00:00 Introduction
00:41 The Beginning: Fountains of Wayne
05:59 Faking 60s Pop: "That Thing You Do!"
10:59 Utopia Parkway & Josie and the Pussycats
18:59 That First Real Life Hit: "Stacy's Mom"
26:00 The Aftermath of "Stacy's Mom"
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Fact-checking by Serenity Autumn.
Hearing the "you're playing the wrong chords" story made me laugh. I knew Chris Collingwood in High School and I've never met anyone as arrogant about their musical knowledge/taste/talent. But as I got to know him better I realized it's not bragging if you can back it up.
"Lead us not into Penn Station" is such a great lyric
Adam was singularly one of the most extraordinary human beings I’ve had the good fortune to call my friend. There are few days that pass that I don’t think of him at least once. Thank you for producing this fantastic piece. One thing that’s overlooked here is, one of Adam’s first breaks into the music biz was being hired by Jody to play bass in his band The Belltower, who had helped usher in the Shoegaze/BritPop movement in the late 80’s and early 90’s. That band eventually dissolved following the divorce of Jody and his then wife, Britta Phillips (Luna/Dean & Britta).
It was in the wake of that divorce that Adam sent the demo for the FoW debut to Jody and asked him if he’d like to join the band. Bri later came onboard as he stepped off The Posies train, and was positively the only drummer this band could have ever had. Jesus, Brian Young is one of the best drummers in rock. Together, this was very much a band, not just Chris and Adam working in a vacuum (although they handled all the songwriting). In the end, this video certainly left me in quiet tears, as I appreciated the tone and treatment of the news of Adam’s passing and his imprint on so much of pop culture.
FoW will live on forever
@@michaeldutko2383 yep. In one form or another. Jody’s new solo record is great, btw.
@@Queensizemusic love waterways!
Thank you for posting such a beautiful ode to your friend. We loved Adam’s music (as Gen Xers we adored his take on pop culture), and we were just amazed at his brilliance and versatility. Reading about his very untimely death in those early days of the pandemic was just so brutal.
In 2021, I finally got around to a long-in-development book about the Josie and the Pussycats movie, and I’m heartbroken how little Adam ever talked about his role and thus how little he is featured in the book.
I am a lifelong mega Monkees fan.
When I heard "That Thing You Do!" back in the day, I immediately thought "this guy gets pop. He should produce a record for the Monkees!" When I told people that they looked at me like I had a horn growing out of my head.
It took twenty years, but he ultimately did.
And it was fantastic! Monster good, a classic!
Thanks Adam, for all the melodic music and smiles.
Welcome Interstate Managers has a place of pride on red vinyl in my collection right next to my teal blue vinyl copy of the Monkees Good Times, and Psonic Psunspot by the Dukes of Stratosphere. What higher compliment can I give?
Rest in Peace Mr. Music Man.
Stacy's Mom, Hackensack, Leave The Biker, Radiation Vibe, Sink To The Bottom, Red Dragon Tattoo, Mexican Wine, Richie And Ruben, Denise, those were all played a lot on Dutch speaking Belgian radio. I love them all and it's so sad Adam had to fall victim to covid19 at such a young age... Thanks for this delightful documentary.
Studio Brussel.. ah., to be young again.
Didn't realise how much music Adam wrote. Way back into love is such a brilliant song, as are most in this video. What a shame he died.... and from Covid, at such a young age. You will be fondly remembered.
I was playing fire island in my studio when I got the news of his passing. He lives on in all our hearts!
Welcome Interstate Managers is such a criminally underrated album. It's an incredible run of pop songs wrapped in different genres and built around amazing miniature screenplays. It's magnifying glass critique of suburban America was about 5 years before 'The Office', and I think it was just overlooked, partially because of Stacy's Mom.
Hackensack, Halley's Waitress, All Kinds of Time, and Hung Up on You are tracks that I'll bump forever and it sucks that they're stuck in the towering shadow of the third song on that album.
You are 100% right. Its the most underrated record of all time
It’s been one of my Desert Island Discs (That’s not a thing anymore, is it?) since the day it came out. Stacy’s Mom is probably my least favorite song on the album, but I still love it.
I think the first 12 tracks are a perfect album. Just sublime. The last four are a nice bonus LP. (Taken altogether it’s a bit long IMO.)
@@bro9991 "Valley Winter Song" is another I'd add to that list. I don't know that I've ever heard another song that captures the melancholy of being stuck inside on a grey winter day quite like that one.
I was in the same college class as both Adam and Chris. Everyone who attended a party in college knew them, because they were always playing music, but with the typical paths of law, medicine & Wall Street for most Williams grads, I don't think anyone realized music would be their full-time careers. I still remember seeing them playing back up in a quick scene on the first season of "the Real World" for one of the cast members and thinking "are they doing music full time?" then not realizing Radiation Vibe was them for the longest time. I will die mad, though, that "That Thing You Do" didn't win the Oscar, because it's not just period perfect & right for the film, making it pivotal to the plot; after 11 renditions in less than 2 hours, you don't hate it. As for my favorite songs, with Fountains of Wayne, it's Hackensack, because it's like a Neil Simon play in miniature. For his comedy songs, I have to go with "It's Not Just for Gays Anymore," because it was side-splitting hilarious. Oddly, my favorite Fountains of Wayne song is a Collingwood creation, "Valley Winter Song," because it so perfectly evokes the Berkshires. When the news came of Adam's passing, so early in the pandemic, it was a gut punch to everyone in our class, and oddly made us all come together in various virtual ways, which was a perfect tribute to him. My favorite memory, though, is at our 25th reunion, in 2014, when Adam walked into the dorm that was our headquarters and various classmates started doing the Wayne's World "we're not worthy" bow, and he couldn't quite accept we all thought of him as a superstar.
Thanks so much for sharing.
I was in your class too, @CPTDoom. I saw Adam pretty often in the 90s when we both lived in NYC, but one time I remember especially, I was walking somewhere in Midtown and my path was blocked by the Pope's motorcade coming through, and then Adam was there too, also just walking somewhere. I asked him what he'd been up to, and he said "Well, I wrote this song that Tom Hanks is thinking about putting in a movie. I don't think he will, though. It's not that great...it rhymes 'do' with 'do'."
Thanks for bringing me in to do VO!
Fountains Of Wayne Deep Disc Dive?
A Blink 182 Deep Disc Dive would be really cool
I knew it!
Great reads, dude.
His work (alongside Rachel Bloom) in crazy ex girlfriend is remarkable. More than 150 original songs in a 4 year run.
I am re-watching Crazy Ex-Girlfriend now. I adore it. Also, last month I watched Rachel Bloom's new live show, wherein she shares a lot of her feelings about Adam and his passing. It's a brilliant and painful show.
Whenever Trash Theory post one of their mini documentaries I click and click like and then I get round to watching it. Even if it is about something I've not previously been a fan of. They are that good, always informative, interesting, and usually a bit of fun. Sometimes I have even gained a new appreciation of an artist or song. Supposed what I am trying to say is keep up the good work, I hope it brings you as much joy as it brings me.
Trash theory is one of the best creators in CZcams imo. And I spend way too long on CZcams it's basically an addiction.
Because you are homosexual, but you just can't admit it to yourself, everyone around you probably suspect's it but you deny it.
Their videos are so well created that they always give me something even if I am not a fan of the artist or genre. But when they do video about something I like those videos are absolute pleasure!
Haha most of their videos I don't know who it's about and I still watch them very intently
@@josefacundo6140 Must admit I hit my teens in the early 80's, kind of musically aware late 70's (then acts like the Boomtown Rats, Blondie were new) so as a music nerd I know most of them. However if you are younger than me, many of these are probably new to you, or more like ancient Greek hero's, often referenced, when spoken of directly, it's in hushed reverence .If you pick up on an artist through these, welcome aboard, I'm a bit jealous as you have all "That" (points to discography) to enjoy discovering.
“Welcome Interstate Managers” is an absolute underrated classic: “Mexican Wine”, “Bright Future In Sales”, “No Better Place”. If there was true justice in this world, FOW would’ve been hailed as the heir to the portraiture style writing of Ray Davies.
couldn’t agree more!
"No Better Place" is, in my opinion, one of the best-written songs in the past 20 years; the lyrical rhythm alone elevates it to "legend" status.
@@mooniejohnson Absolutely! Quite possibly my favorite song off the album.
@@mooniejohnson The bridge of that song is absolute fire
So right about that. FOW's cover of "Better Things" is just perfect -if you can find it.
Very nicely done; i wasn't familiar with much more than "Stacy's Mom" but by the end I felt that I was mourning the loss of a genuinely multifaceted talent. Few can create the kind of sheer number of good songs he had a hand in.
I had no idea of the band at all, but, wow, as you say, by the end… what a loss
Look up the band TINTED WINDOWS !! Taylor Hanson James Iha , Adam and Bun E Carlos of Cheap Trick. Power pop BLISS
Very strange that he died of covid, and that so many people died of covid. I caught covid at age 66, and it was no big deal. Not much worse than a cold or flu. Maybe I was helped by the fact that I had received two vaccination shots prior to catching it. Now I've had four shots, and I will take a fifth shot if it is available. Get vaccinated, everyone.
stacy's mom has always randomly come to mind in random time, such an addictive song. I need to look up for their other song!
THIS MAN SAID WEAPONS GRADE POWER POP, THAT'S FIRE
This channel is genuinely phenomenal. Thank you so much for all of the well sourced, written, voiced and edited videos.
When God returns to rain fire and brimstone down on CZcams he will see this channel and let CZcams live.
Incredibly Clever. Unbelievably Talented. Terribly Missed.
Dear Adam🌹Thank You For Your Gifts.
I won’t pretend, I absolutely love the Josie and the Pussycats songs. I bought the cd back in the day. My 18 year old self had to often times defend it for having it in my collection.
Top 10 all time for me, no joke
One of the best power pop albums of that period.
Ivy's "Apartment Life" is still one of the best records of the 90's.
Yeah, great album. Reminds me of Saint Etienne a lot.
ivy is my fucking jam
I liked their debut album “Realistic” even better, but was already a fan when I heard the “Lately” ep even before that.
GREAT album
@@hexagonsun33 Ivy was f'n awesome. So good.
Fountains never got it's due. RIP Adam. Your music will live forever.
About time Fountains of Wayne got the recognition they deserve. I have all their albums and each one is all killer no filler😀😀😀😀😀
I heard "that thing you do" in a Kohl's one time and thought a lot about how even though it's a fake 60s jangle hit, it slotted in perfectly with the actual songs they used to put on the muzak. Dude wrote a song that not only sounded like a certain era, but like one you'd been hearing on oldies stations all your life. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend just proved he could do one of those for every imaginable genre. Unbelievable talent and my personal Tri-State hero.
Not even those AI-generated "oldies" they're pumping out these days are as perfect for the period as that song.
I loved Ivy and, when I wrote reviews for a weekly rag in Savannah, made Apartment Life one of my top 10 of '97. Of course, I also loved That Thing You Do.
What an unexpected and sweet tribute this video was. Thank you, TT.
Ivy's '97 album Apartment Life is a classic. IMO Adam Schlesinger's best work. Think Rick Beato almost joined Ivy in the mid 90s.
Thank god he didn't..
I had only started to appreciate the breadth of Adam's talent through CXG. I am a huge fan and it is a very important show for me personally. Through behind the scenes stuff I found out 'oh that's the Stacey's Mom guy' and 'oh the Stacey's Mom guy also wrote That Thing you do'. I realised he must be a stupidly talented songwriter to be on that team and to write such varied hits. It was a total shock when he died. I still can't believe it. It was only after he died that I realised he'd written on Josie and the Pussycats too. It's so weird how 1 writer can be involved in so many of your fave songs and you don't even realise it. Thanks for this video, he deserves the appreciation. 🖤💜🖤💜
Loved “Radiation Vibe” from the first time I heard it, it was like a blast through the sludge of 90s grunge…but “Sick Day” is a masterpiece of the mundanity and sadness running through the lives of anyone in a meaningless office job. A Poignant and honest window into a real-life character’s thoughts and feelings.
Radiation love song had a bouencey others at the time didnt
When I was a kid my favorite band was REM. The response to that answer was always "oh the band that plays Stand" or "Shiny Happy People", and I was always like "yeah...but..." And then they went on become one of the biggest bands in the world.
Nowadays when asked and I say Fountains of Wayne the response is "oh that band that plays Stacy's Mom." And I'm like "first of all, that's a great song...but..." I always hoped they'd follow the same trajectory, like maybe that would draw enough attention for people to pull back the curtain.
Fountains of Wayne, and particularly Adam Schlesinger, will go down as one of the most criminally underrated artists in history, IMHO.
You know, I like the movie “music and lyrics” and always thought the music was phenomenally well suited for it. Now I know why…Adam had a super talent for being able to write music…both ballads and songs with humor. The soundtrack and High Grant make it a pretty fun movie!
I never really liked this band that much, but the title of this video was really good and lured me in. I found myself being really inspired by the story you told about this band. Great job!
THANK YOU for doing this episode on such a remarkably gifted writer, doing this man's legacy justice, and in turn, putting a spotlight on a criminally under-acknowledged band. I was crying by the end of the episode. As a fan of his work AND of Fountains Of Wayne, I'm just grateful that he left behind a hell of a catalog that all of us can listen to, admire and celebrate. RIP Adam Schlesinger. Thank You, for all of what you did.
I love that the music analysis community is collaborating with each other. I hear your voice "MicTheSnare"
In that initial couple months of the pandemic news, I had completely forgotten Adam had passed away. I'm not a fan of musicals in general, but Crazy Ex Girlfriend is one of the most brilliant TV shows ever created. The musical numbers are just top notch throughout its run. And to think they were doing that with the typical TV show deadlines you always hear about. His life was too brief, but wow, what a genuinely amazing list of accomplishments.
Adam is possibly one of the best American songwriters in rock and pop. I'm so glad a video exists to show how much impact he made on modern pop music and his excellent soundtracking. He's the Danny Elfman of the 00s and I mean that in the best possible way.
Hey Julie and almost every song off Traffic and Weather live in my head forever. Rip Adam
Adam with his absolute genius, and the great original lead singer of The Cars (the band Adam admired so deeply), Benjamin Orr, left us waaaaay too song. Decades apart but both were way too young…I cried when I read the news about Adam - the early days of the pandemic were just so horrible but Adam’s death (a fellow Gen Xer) just seemed so personal.
“Too soon” sigh.
I liked "Hey Julie" so much I named my kid after it.
I only saw Fountains once. Last time they played in Belgium. I only knew "Welcome Interstate managers" and im glad they played A LOT from their first album. It was a véry magical concert and it broke my heart when i heard the news that mister Schlesinger passed. Thanks for the docu!
Hey Julie, is not only my favorite Adam Schlesinger song, it is one of my favorite songs ever. It never fails to put a smile on my face with its beautiful melody and lyrical combination of funny observations about working m in an office and sweet sincerity of missing your significant other.
My favorite Adam Schlesinger (and Dominique Durand) song is "Edge of the Ocean", from the Ivy album 'Long Distance'. That song is a strong contender for my favorite song ever.
There are so many great Ivy songs! I love this one, too.
It’s right up there with I’ve got a Feeling.
What a talented couple of guys.....I have a soft spot for anyone from Williams Collage, as my Dad was alumni class of 42! Great video and a lot of research you are incredible!
I knew Fountains Of Wayne from Stacy's Mom, first and foremost. I'd heard snippet of Mexican Wine here and there, but when I REALLY got into them was while going through an "anything remotely John Hughes-esque" phase. I found a movie called Trojan War and I've Got A Flair was on the soundtrack for that and my true love for them started. Truly one of their most underrated songs. I bought their self-titled and wore it out. I think I've bought it used, three or four times now, until the advent of streaming, just because it'd constantly be in my car CD player. From there, I got into all their other records. Welcome Interstate Managers was ALWAYS a must listen when my cousin and I went on a roadtrip. I've seen them live more than any other band, including a weird performance where they were a back up band for Brooke Shields as she relayed the story of a one off date with George Michael.
It hit me like an atom bomb when Adam died. The last show I went to, they busted out I've Got A Flair and I nearly cried.
Their debut album is one of my personal favorites. “Barbara H.” is one of the most perfect power pop songs ever written, and very few know of it.
I'm a big FoW fan and if you had to force me into nominating one song of theirs as an all-time favourite it would be Barbara H.
I might pick that as well. Great one!
@@tassherb Oh, god, that's like choosing between my children. Barbara H is wondrous though. The whole album is. Sick Day, I guess, if I had to pick - from that album, at least - would probably pip it, but fortunately I don't have to pick!
I remember it being one of the first CDs I owned, when I finally moved over from tapes, and so I was more able to just start listening from the beginning every time I put it on. Naturally the first few songs got more play, so became more familiar...but I remember my little sister saying at the time that whenever we did listen all the way through, it was full of songs that all made us both say "Oh, and this one's incredible too! It's all amazing!" And it still is.
Maureen
I love that debut album. It remains very high in my own best-albums-of-all-time list.
I've always like FoW, but had no idea of their musical journey or Adam Schlesinger's role in the band. Nor of his role in so many other amazing songs. Thanks!
i love She's Got a Problem, Hackensack, I-95, Fine Day for a Parade, & of course "That Thing You Do!"
RIP Adam Schlesinger.
Love this video, Fountains are one of my favourite bands and Collingwood/Schlesinger deserve to be spoken in the same breath as Lennon/MCCartney. Always been a huge fan of Bright Future in Sales, 92 Subaru and New Routine but there are so many to choose from. Probabaly the COVID death that upset me the most, RIP Adam.
I can't believe it's the Fountain of Wayne video that finally got me. I was teary-eyed at the end for sure.
My and my two daughters (19 & 15) went to the airport to pickup my wife and my old daughter had a random playlist when "Buddha's delight" came on this led to a discussion of Adam and his songs. My girls were just amazed at his output and when I told them he passed away early from COVID-19 they were sad to hear it as they never realized how many songs o his they loved. It will started with my playing FOW in the car when they were young.
Adams songwriting in Ivy was amazing. So many good songs.
Jeff Rosenstock and Mic the Snare being featured in this video are easily worth the Like
In my teens, the tiny fortnightly local alternative night used to close with "sink to the bottom" - so it's always had a deeply nostalgic and melancholic vibe for me.
Later is life I got really into Crazy Ex Girlfriend, which completely sidestepped my usual ambivalence to musicals. Each pastiche was so brilliantly realised that they could just swing from Death Metal to the Spice Girls without missing a beat. It was clear that they had a lot of affection for what they were trying to emulate. Then, eventually I started to clock just what other projects Adam had been involved with and it blew my mind.
His passing was my first real gut-punch of 2020.
It just sucks that he’s gone, it really does.
I remember playing That Thing You Do to death and having no clue who wrote it, everything else I liked continued in that way too come to think of it.
My favourite song of his is actually Hackensack. Katy Perry did it on her MTV unplugged and she announced where its from and it genuinely shocked me that the Stacey's Mom dudes did Hackensack. But that's the point isn't it. That's their song and you'd hope people find them and look past it.
I am so happy this video exists!
Also; "Apartment Life" by Ivy is fucking BRILLIANT!
R.I.P. Adam Schlesinger♡
Before coming upon this video I only knew of _Stacy's Mom_ and not the guys or even band behind that catchy song that is so obviously so well etched into the cultural memory of the collective consciousness that I had recently paraphrased it to make a smart-ass joke online and therefor wound up eventually looking up the song again for a listen to refresh my own memory, ultimately leading me to this beautiful and genuinely appreciative and loving video essay. Now I can whole-heartedly say that I am very glad to, through this heartfelt tribute and memoriam of a reportage, have gotten a bit more familiar with Adam Schlesinger, the band Fountains of Wayne and the other guys behind it and to thus have learned about the important and meaningful contributions they all made to popular culture and music. The whimsical yet covertly serious (by slight of word rather than hand) _lightness of being_ that emenated from their boys/guys-next-door's perspective driven kind of investigations of the humanity, human condition and woes of mundane, average and often rather uneventful people is portrayed as very sincere here and speaks to their personable integrity! So it seems to me that this tribute is very well deserved and that I would have loved to ever gotten to meet Adam Schlesinger in person, had I ever gotten the chance to do so. So may all of you who did personally know him in a favourable way keep him in your hearts and minds and not allow the world to forget about his person and his works for a long time to come!♡☆🙂
My late Mom loved "That Thing You Do" & I loved Fountains of Wayne covering The Kinks' "Better Things" on Conan. He died on my birthday just like Marvin Gaye so I will always think of those 2 guys on that day. RIP Adam.
Totally worth the happy cry fountains of Wayne is one of my favorite underrated bands and losing Adam was such a big blow so many even this fan don't know how incredibly accomplished he was God damn everybody who appreciates fantastic pop music should listen to fountains of Wayne I don't understand how their wonderfulness is missed and disregarded by so many. A genuine treasure of a band.
A really beautiful homage to a criminally underrated band. Thanks!
It's hard to do Adam (and Fountains of Wayne) justice in 30 minutes. But you did an excellent job, thank you.
For those who know Fountains of Wayne for only one song, you are missing so much.
One thing that didn't get mentioned here was Adam's production work with various artists. The Monkees thought so highly of him for example that he was brought in to produce their Good Times! album, marking their 50th anniversary, which was both critically acclaimed and a success in the charts.
Although Stacey's Mom is a banger, I have a undying love for That Thing You Do! Adam's talent is truly missed.
Thank you for doing this doc about a criminally underappreciated band and writer.
That Thing You Do! was one of my favorite childhood movies, so I'm shocked to only learn now that it was written by Schlesinger. Great tribute to pop songwriter who loved looking at pop in the past for inspiration.
I've always been a big They Might Be Giants fan, but I never knew Fountains of Wayne. I first heard of Adam Schlesinger when I saw Music & Lyrics and loved the whole soundtrack (including the tracks by Andrew Wyatt of Miike Snow). Thanks for this video - I hear a lot of the offbeat cleverness of TMBG in Fountains of Wayne and Schlesinger's other songs.
Troubled times will always be one of my favorite songs.
Thank you for telling the story of the most under appreciated song-writers in rock and roll
when he said, "but with more hooks than the best of Cheap Trick", I felt that.
I had just moved to a new country when COVID hit and there was a massive lockdown in your new place. It was weird, hard to understand. When Adam died, it was like a kick in the gut., This was real. I was heartbroken. I got to meet them in 2002 or so in Vegas. Very nice guys. Crap, we lost him too early. The band lasted just long enough, and I hope they will be appreciated more as time goes on. Thanks for this video.
Absolutely effing brilliant! Never really liked “Stacey’s Mom” so never thought about it as anything other than a naff pop single, usually just making up the numbers on every second power pop/indie compilation release, but eyes and ears are opened (again) by an incisive and thoughtful Trash Theory rockumentary. Thanks. Again.
Ironically, because it was featured in a Cadillac commercial, it's probably paying the future cost of his kids' college.
I've always loved "That Thing You Do!" movie. Adam is a genius!
My other faves from Fountain of Wayne are the songs "Traffic and Weather" and "Strapped for Cash".
"Traffic and Weather" is really underrated as an album.
This video, from the analysis, to the writing, to the editing/compilation of footage, is just outstanding. A “ like” didn’t do it justice so I just wanted to tell you that.
I heard a song on a commercial for the Texas Lottery and thought to myself it sounded like a Fountains of Wayne song. So after digging around a bit I discovered yes indeed, Adam had written it!
Crazily, I had no knowledge of the existence of "Stacy's Mom", or even of Fountains of Wayne. Instead, I've always known Adam Schlesinger as one of the key forces behind the Monkees' 2016 album "Good Times". He didn't just write the one song, he produced the whole thing (and in fact Jody Porter and Brian Young did some session work on some of the songs). Let me tell you, it's one of the best production jobs in the Monkees' catalog. That is to say, Schlesinger's work as a musician and songwriter is phenomenal, but he was also a great producer, and that shouldn't be left unsaid.
@Tom Wardle Not only that, they actually made it onto the charts with it. How many other bands can do that after fifty years?
This was amazing. Thank you.
And I bloody love Stacy's Mom. It's a great song.
So well put together it doesn't matter if you have any interest/knowledge of the topic at hand, you always learn and appreciate the content. Thanks for your effort and keep them coming. Always come here to learn about bands/genres I've never really had a previous appreciation for. Outstanding work... 🤝
Ooh that last line gave me chills - beautiful tribute to Adam’s incredible work
Hello Ash! This episode is truly a gift to all the subscribers! I could not appreciate enough your work while watching 👏👏👏 I was so curious where this song by Wonders came from and was so pleasantly surprised to discover it was connected with Fountains of Wayne! Definitely one of the most magnificent and outstanding, state of the art episodes on the channel, provided them all being superior!
This band and the work of Adam Schlesinger is so incredibly underrated. So glad you made a video documenting this.
I discovered FoW many years ago when "Sky full of holes," came out on an independent music downloading service. I went back through the catalogue of Adam's work with the group loving every album. When I got news of Adam passing away in 2000, I was shocked and saddened by the news. I still have FoW's songs on my playlists for my 45 minute commute into work everyday. I really appreciate Trash Theory's documentary on him and the band. Never knew he wrote "That thing you do," until I watched this video. I've always enjoyed that song, and it makes sense now.
I was a huge FoW fan from the moment I heard their first album right after it came out. In the late '90s they were one of those bands that was like a secret that you wish weren't. (Beulah is another one that comes to mind.) In a better, alternative universe, "Red Dragon Tattoo" and "Leave the Biker" were smash hits. Schlesinger's death, early in the pandemic, was deeply sad. He had so many great songs left in him.
I dearly love both FoW and Beulah too. I still occasionally check to see if Miles Kurosky is up to anything new. There are literally dozens of us!
I completely agree with all of that.
Whoa, a Beulah shout out? That makes me so effing happy. I still occasionally get the chorus of A Man Like Me stuck in my head randomly when I wake up in the morning. I have a whole shelf of CDs from the mid 2000s that all have a very specific, jangly glitterblack sound to them. That Beulah record, Doves Some Cities, Nada Surf's Lucky, there was this sound I was very specifically in love with in my mid 20s.
What I love about your videos: A little while ago I started to get into FoW and dig deeper by doing some light research to find out more about them... Then you release this video that's so thorough, easy to follow, and does such a good job filling in gaps that I never knew about the band/Schlesinger, and now I have a MUCH deeper appreciation for the band and their music... Truly a treasure on CZcams, thank you Trash Theory!! 🤘😋
Radiation Vibe is just a fantastic song.
THANKS a lot for covering one of my favourite bands of all time. I fell in love with “Denise” since the first time I heard it. Not trying to be pedantic or anything, but “Stacy’s mom” never catched my ear like “Hey Julie” or “mexican wine” in that album. I was able to talk to them and get my copy of “Traffic and Weather” signed by the band when they toured here in Spain.
Any chance you could cover, even briefly, his parallel project Ivy or the superband Tinted Windows?
R.I.P. Adam Schlesinger. A true pop genius
"Hey, Julie" is so much fun. 🎈
"The Girl I Can't Forget" is probably my favorite song. I really think every man in their early 20's can relate to the circumstances... and FOW songs are built on relatability. The music is up beat and suits the story. Plus, our nervous, drunk hero wins in the end.
‘Stacey’s Mom’ was the first song I heard by them and I didn’t think much of it. But quite a few years later I heard ‘Radiation Vibe’ and I was like, wow. This is so much better.
This is a great resume of Adam's work and the history of his band. Quite the genius we lost.
I had no idea he wrote That thing you do and Pretend to be nice. Man this guy basically wrote 2 of my favorite songs growing up. What a talent. RIP
Yep, I only knew him from CEG, where one could only gape in wonder at the quality of the pastiches. So it was a shock that immediately made complete sense to learn that he was involved in the fantastic J&tP movie. What an amazing grasp he had of what guitar pop is/should be. So sad he's gone :( RIP Adam.
"Lead us not into Penn Station" is amazing lmao
Well written and worthwhile. It was a shock when he died. I had just posted my song of the day on Facebook that week. … his song Sick Day as Covid loomed darkly over the world. Rip Adam.
This deserves more views. It's extremely well done and a very interesting story.
The song 'End of the movie' from crazy ex girlfriend, Adam's demo recording of it specifically, always makes me tear up and laugh at the same time.
I mainly knew of him through that show, and of course I knew of his band, but wow, he had a hand in so many of the things I've grown up on and I didn't even know! He really was a talented guy.
Really glad you made this video. Fountains of Wayne and more generally Adam’s songwriting has been largely overlooked but Fountains have so many amazing, catchy tongue in cheek songs that you have to listen closely to really understand the brilliance of. This is a great honor to Adam’s legacy and genius. Gone way too soon, Rest In Peace Adam.
Stacy's Mom was relatively big in the UK but that's it as far as FoW so I did not realise the discography they had and their connection to that thing you do. This was a great documentary
I've been an Ivy fan for a long time, listening to all their songs and researching their history. Adam really is a great songwriter, and I knew he'd had some success writing songs for hollywood films, but I didn't know the extent until sort of recently. I was so shocked when I heard he died a couple of years ago; they had his music featured on the front page of spotify to commemorate his life. Later I found out his bandmate Andy Chase wrote a song about him and put it on youtube. It's so bittersweet. They really were close.
I keep seeing people comment about how much they love Apartment Life; hell yeah, my favorite album. Realistic is underrated imo. All their music is good, but I just like the 90s sounds the best. It had a more lush and rich alt feel to it. Hell, talking about it's making me want to listen right now. I think "Over" is my favorite song of theirs.
I have no idea about FoW beyond "Stacy's Mom" and I just started to watch the video even though the topic at hand is not that interesting on it's own to me - but that's just TT for you. With the consistent output and it's quality, even if I don't 'get' the band or the movement - for whatever reason - it's simply always a treat to delve deep into the unknown. I might not end up loving them after this one but damn it, I'm here for a ride I know I will enjoy even if the subject matter never has been interesting enough for me to check out on my own. The only other musical channels to get me hooked like that were Todd and Deep Cuts - and truth told, as much as I love both to death, you've definitely beaten them for me these past three years. Now on to the video.
Holy crap I loved Josie and the Pussycats and Stacy’s Mom! Need to go look into more stuff!!
His work with Ivy was so under appreciated…”Hideaway” is easily one of the best power pop ballads you will ever hear! 4 in the morning, Ocean City Girl, all of the songs used on the Something about Mary soundtrack. Just a phenomenal songwriter who is often not taken 100% seriously probably because he had a sense of humor and put that into some songs that snobs would say aren’t serious enough for the music biz. Guy was a genius. RIP Adam. ❤️
One of two great writers in a great band. Anyone who bothered to listen past their biggest hit knew that FoW could not only craft songs as well as as anyone, but deliver an emotional punch to the gut than better-known bands. The Kinks is an apt comparison, and I’ll put No Better Place against anything in terms of lasting, aching melancholy.
Love your reference to The Kinks. So spot on.
Thank you for this video! Adam's (and Chris') songs have meant a lot to me. I'm a big fan of both Ivy and FoW, especially the slice-of-life stories and great harmonies. RIP Adam.
Mind blown.
Nice video about a GREAT band... great songwriters!
I love Fountains of Wayne. I stumbled on them quite unexpectedly. When Ohio State (I'm a huge Buckeye football fan) got a commitment from HS quarterback Terrelle Pryor in March 2008, the website I subscribe to that covers OSU football then had a weekly audio show call the Bucknuts Radio Hour, and that week the big story was Pryor's commitment. They opened the show that week with FoW's "All Kinds of Time," which I heard right then for the first time and fell in love with the song. I had to find out who did the song, realized they were the Stacy's Mom guys and the rest was history for me. I love both Interstate Managers and Traffic and Weather. I think my favorite song is "92 Subaru," the lyrics in the bridge are just incredible.