Where's That Sound Coming From Presents: Questions But No Answers with Brian Marchese
Where's That Sound Coming From?
Dateline December 30 2023. The spinoff is now the main event. Welcome to Where's That Sound Coming From Presents: Questions But No Answers! Yes, WTSCF has become what might be the only podcast centered on the musical career of a person whom I consider to be one of the most creative, if underrated and misunderstood, musical minds of the mid-late 20th Century: the late, great Michael Nesmith. I made a list of 75 songs he recorded between 1965-2016 which I feel support my opinion (mostly original, but I had to include a handful of wonderful cover versions) and I intend to devote a 30...
Ep. 12 David MacKay Interview
I'm starting off 2025 by interrupting the chronological flow of this series, but it's well worth it. This is an interview I conducted in 2022 with bassist David MacKay, whose playing, in my opinion, is as responsible for the sound of late 70's Nez as Red Rhodes' steel was to early 70's Nez. Why did I wait three years to publish this? A timeline might be in order: --Spring 2019-No longer with Videoranch but still on good terms with the boss, I interview Nez about The Prison and spend the next mon
Ep. 11 Happy Nez Year and Preview of 2025
Happy 2025 to all! Especially to those of you who have been digging QBNA and telling your Nezhead or Nezcurious friends. Who doesn't love an unplanned quickie? Here's a five minute rundown of what I've got planned for 2025. Enjoy. HOWEVER... shortly after recording this I listened to an amazing, eye-opening, heartwarming interview that I conducted in 2022 with a very important, yet seldom mentioned player in the Nez story, particularly in the latter half of the 1970's. Why I've been sitting on t
Ep. 10 Sunny Girlfriend
Nesmith sneaks a Byrds-y country rocker about better living through chemistry onto an album marketed to 11 year olds. He also borrows the intro to a Stones song. With Nesmith on 12-string rhythm guitar, Tork on 6-string lead guitar and John London on bass (and Dolenz on drums) I kinda wish this was the touring lineup. Woulda been a more versatile, impressive sounding band with a fuller sound. I meant to riff on this thought but forgot, so I'm leaving it here,
Ep. 9 You Just May Be The One
I'm back! Is anyone still here? Sorry about the longer-than-intended break. Life happens. Also, excuse the fact that I introduce this as Episode 9, disregarding the summer reruns. I'll be taking those down so it's not so confusing. This episode traces the life of one of the best, most concise pop songs Nesmith ever wrote and I think the only song in the Monkees catalog that was released in a session musician version as well as full band version ("Words" and "She Hangs Out" don't count as Micky's
Ep. 12 - 2016 Sandoval Interview PT 2 (request/rerun)
Two reruns in one day? Well, I didn't wanna leave you hanging. By request, here's part two of my 2016 interview with Andrew Sandoval, conducted before a Monkees show on an insanely hot July day. Here are my original 2016 notes. (The pic is from when I visited his office when I was in LA for the FNB show in Jan 2018). Prolific is the new unprolific (at least for now). And so, right on the heels of Part One, I give you Part Two, or the conclusion, of my conversation with Andrew Sandoval. More stor
Ep. 11 - RERUN/REQUEST Andrew Sandoval Interview from 2016 PART 1
A devoted listener has been nudging me to repost my two-part interview with Andrew Sandoval from 2016. Here's part one....(I took the accompanying photo later on, Jan 2018 in his offices) ORIGINAL NOTES FROM 2016: Veering away from the regular format, this is part one of a two part interview with producer/engineer/historian/author/singer-songwriter Andrew Sandoval. In 1990, at the age of 17 he wrote the liner notes for and sequenced The Monkees' Missing Links 2 album for Rhino Records. Since the
Ep. 10 - How Insensitive (SUMMER RERUN of a 2013 episode of Where's That Sound Coming From)
Now that summer's almost over, here's the second rerun. "How Insensitive" was written by Antonio Carlos Jobim, but inspired by Chopin. Its English lyrics aren't a translation of its original Portuguese lyrics, but both tell a bleak story of love gone wrong. Besides Michael Nesmith's 1968 country fusion interpretation, we'll also hear versions by Astrud Gilberto, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra (with Jobim), Judy Garland, William Shatner (!), Sinead O'Connor (RIP), Iggy Pop and more!
Ep. 9 - She Thinks I Still Care (SUMMER RERUN of a 2014 episode of Where's That Sound Coming From)
Overcome with the need to keep my audience engaged I realized that there are a few episodes of my old podcast that I could re-post, which deal with songs that most Nezheads should know well. Without bias, I still say that the Second National Band version is the best version of this heartbreaking song. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't check out all the other versions featured here! Listening to this episode ten years later was a little mindblowing. I was bracing myself for some cringey moments
Ep. 8 - You Told Me
I decided to sneak one more in before my summer break! It's short, like the episodes were supposed to be when I started this series.....What a perfect little power folk pop song this is, and the first song on the legendary Headquarters album (Nez thought up that title, ya know). The four Monkees, plus Chip Douglas, jangleburst their way through the door into real band-ness, saying "here we come, but FOR REAL this time!!". More Beatles talk on this episode, and if you know this song, you might
Ep. 7 - The Girl I Knew Somewhere
A song described as “A Breezy Little Pop Tune” by its author, Michael Nesmith, “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” was too poppy for Jon Herald, too sloppy for Don Kirshner, but just exactly perfect to be the world’s first taste of The Monkees performing as a real band when it was released on March 8, 1967, as the B-side to “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You”. The A-side represented the past, the B-side, the future (at least the very near future). Did it change all the haters’ and skeptics’ opinions? I
Episode 7: Ep. 6 - Mary, Mary
Where is Mary going to? Is she safe from the persistent creepo who won't leave her alone? Is this the same Mary as in "Walkin' the Dog"? Was Michael Blessing much more of a manufactured image than Monkee Mike? Is Bloomfield's guitar solo the best part of the Butterfield version? Why isn't Micky ready? How great of a live band were The Monkees on the 1968 fall tour? When is the only time that Nez seriously pissed off your host, Brian? Did Nez try to make "Mary, Mary>Circle Sky", The M
Episode 6: Ep. 5 - Sweet Young Thing(ah)
Q: What happens when the most stubbornly independent Monkee is forced by a man he dislikes to do something he dislikes, such as co-write a song with strangers who happen to be one of the most successful songwriting teams of the century? A: We get a great song with a lot of versions to hear and discuss. What we don't get is a lot of facts, so this episode, while guest-free, does have some voice-acting and creative nonfiction. I try, semi seriously, to suss out who wrote what in the song.
Episode 5: Ep. 4 - Papa Gene's Blues
"Papa Gene's Blues" is one of Michael Nesmith's most endearing and enduring songs. I didn't set out to make this a 90 minute episode, but it's an important song with a lot of history; plus I had two guests and they were both full of so much insight. Firstly there's Lynda Wiles of Cornwall (UK), a Nezhead since the BBC debuted the Monkees television series on New Years Eve 1966. She runs multiple Nez-related web destinations that everyone should check out. Then there's Ryan Quinn, a Mass
Episode 4: Ep. 3 - All The King's Horses
"All The King's Horses" seems like a song that Mike Nesmith would've written specifically for a Season One Monkees TV show romp (and indeed it was used as such), but in fact, he wrote and recorded it during the Mike and John and Bill period. It also seems like an instant bubblegum pop classic that Don Kirshner would have wanted to include on either of the first two Monkees albums, but it never found its way onto an album until 1990's rarities compilation Missing Links Vol 2 (one of the
Episode 3: Ep. 2 - Propinquity
Use two four-syllable words that each contain a "q" in a sentence. Oh, that's easy. Ready? Michael Nesmith's composition "Propinquity" is one of the most ubiquitous in his catalog. How ubiquitous? There are three studio versions, five live versions and many cover versions. I don't cover them all in this episode but I do my best to play and discuss most of them. The first version of it that I ever heard gave me a very misguided picture of what Nez's solo career was all about.Propinquity
Episode 2: Ep. 1 - How Can You Kiss Me?
Happy 2024 and welcome to the first episode of Questions But No Answers. Before he auditioned for, and got the part on The Monkees television series, thus altering the course of his music career and indeed his life, Michael Nesmith was an ambitious, industrious and prolific new singer-songwriter trying to make a name for himself, first as a folkie on the San Antonio, TX scene and then as a "folk n' roller" in his new home of Los Angeles. This episode is focused on the catchy, danceable
Ep. 0 - Welcome to Questions But No Answers! Introduction and Statement of Purpose
Dateline December 30 2023. The spinoff is now the main event. Welcome to Where's That Sound Coming From Presents: Questions But No Answers! Yes, WTSCF has become what might be the only podcast centered on the musical career of a person whom I consider to be one of the most creative, if underrated and misunderstood, musical minds of the mid-late 20th Century: the late, great Michael Nesmith. I made a list of 75 songs he recorded between 1965-2016 which I feel support my opinion (mostly original,
Ep. 28/FOITA Ep. 2 - Live 1967
Brian and Joeman are back, this time to discuss what each of them truly believe to be one of the most exciting live albums, right up there with Buck Owens' Carnegie Hall Concert, The Rolling Stones' Get Yr Ya-Ya's Out and KISS Alive! The album in question? The Monkees' Live 1967, released with little fanfare by Rhino in the summer of 1987, and compiled from three concerts in August '67, during a two month summer tour during which they played as a self-contained psychedelic/garage/jangle-pop quar
Ep. 27/FOITA Ep. 1
The pilot episode of Freaking Out in the Afternoon, a Monkee-centric podcast produced by Where's That Sound Coming From and cohosted by myself and my old friend Joeman. In this first episode we discuss how we first discovered The Monkees, what reeled us in, concert stories from '86-97 and, well, why in the world would two well-educated, well-travelled, well-read, musically well-rounded grown men continue to heed the call whenever the great Monkee Signal appears in the sky. We grapple with that c
Ep. ## - Introducing FREAKING OUT IN THE AFTERNOON
"And now, from the elegant pump room of the magnificent Palmer House..." This is not a real episode, but a mini 10 minute announcement (with fun soundbites). I'll explain. Wanting to keep podcasting, but not jazzed about going back to the old format, I finally entertained the great suggestion of my old friend, and fellow rock geek, John Hendrickson, that he and I team up and co-host a "sidecast" which deals in seldom-explored aspects of...THE MONKEES. Their final tour was announced recently, and
Episode 26: Ep. 26 - The Beach Boys and The Grateful Dead Part 3: Honest. Not Perfect.
In Part Three (of three) of this miniseries on The Beach Beach Boys and The Grateful Dead, we finally reach our destination in space and time--the Fillmore East on April 27, 1971. This is a two hour episode, and in it, I compare and contrast the career arcs of each band leading up to the gig. In 1970, The Beach Boys released a single, "Add Some Music To Your Day", which only reached #64 on the US pop chart. This was embarrassing for them because it reaffirmed how unpopular they'd become
Ep. 25 - The Beach Boys and the Grateful Dead Pt.2: R(h)onda, 1974 and Pregaming for the FillmoreEast
So it looks like there’s going to be a Part 3 to this madness, since we haven’t arrived at the Fillmore East yet. My apologetic tone is facetious, of course, because this has been nothing but fun for me. I hope my self-indulgence is slightly more entertaining/enlightening than annoying? Anyway, this episode takes a look at the evolution of the song “Help Me, Rhonda” through all its changes between 1965-80, from its spelling to its instrumental and vocal arrangement to the lyrics to who
Ep. 24 - The Beach Boys and The Grateful Dead Part 1 or Are You Kind? I Know They Must Be Kind
Initially, this was supposed to be a straight forward episode in which I'd examine what occured on April 27, 1971 at the Fillmore East, and what led up to it. This was the night that Jerry Garcia invited "another famous California band" up onstage and out came...The Beach Boys! A seemingly unlikely combination of bands, their off-the-cuff mini set sounded a lot more listenable than the vast majority of "come on up and jam" type situations I've heard, either live or on tape. Why? Well, t
Ep. 23 A Conversation with Michael Nesmith on The Prison
Episode 23 of WTSCF has been a long time coming, basically due to life getting a bit derailed. But I hope you'll agree that it was worth the wait. What we have here is not your average interview with Michael Nesmith. This is sort of grad-level Nez. Spirituality. Metaphysics. Creativity. Psychedelics. Turning away from the darkness of that era. Not a word about The Monkees. No MTV. No Country Rock Pioneer. No Liquid Paper. Have you noticed that most bios and interviews with Nez seem to
Ep. 22 Reason to Believe
New episode! Note to self: think twice before doing another one with 25+ cover versions. That was a haul. "Reason to Believe" is a thoughtful and mature Tim Hardin song from 1966 in which the singer is fully aware that he's choosing to carry on a relationship with someone who deals in dishonesty and disrespect. The song's timeless theme struck a chord with many artists (and countless listeners) upon its release, and it was covered by about a dozen artists in 1967 alone. This episode features ove
Ep. 21 The Long Black Veil
Conceived of (successfully) as an "instant folk song" in the age of instant mashed potatoes and instant coffee, "Long Black Veil" is a tale of murder and infidelity, yes, but is it also a tale of (I hate to say it) "bros before hoes" taken to its senseless, meaningless extreme? The narrator of this song, singing from The Great Beyond, may have wanted to go down a hero by admitting to a crime he didn't commit (murder) so he wouldn't have to admit to a crime he did commit (sleeping with b
Ep. 20 Michael Nesmith's The Grand Ennui: An Exploration of its meaning and its musical evolution through seven "iterations" 1971-2013.
This episode had quite an evolution of its own. It began as a written piece intended for the forum on Nesmith's Videoranch website during my brief, experimental stint working for the site. Once the experiment was abandoned and I was back writing for myself, I decided to turn this into a podcast. In retrospect I should have cut much of the armchair psychoanalysis contained in the first 15-20 minutes, and if you agree, you can always skip to the musical analysis. I'll just say in my defense that I
Ep 19 - An Alternate History of The Monkees 1967-1969
Truth is at least as strange as fiction. Fact intertwines with my flights of fancy in this episode. At its core is an analysis of the fifth album The Monkees SHOULD have released. I was asked to contribute something to the excellent blog, Monkees Live Almanac back in May of this year to help celebrate the band's 50th anniversary. I thought about it intermittently for two months, wrote it sporadically over the course of the next two months and recorded/produced it in fits and starts over the last
Ep. 18 A Conversation with Andrew Sandoval Pt. 2 of 2
My conversation with Andrew Sandoval continues and concludes in this episode. More stories, revelations and insights into the life and career of one of the hardest working people in the music industry. I admittedly turn into a bit of a chatty fanboy in this half but pull myself together and stick with my planned questions. Enjoy.
Ep. 17 A Conversation with Andrew Sandoval Part 1 of 2
Veering away from the regular format, this is part one of a two part interview with producer/engineer/historian/author/singer-songwriter Andrew Sandoval. In 1990, at the age of 17 he wrote the liner notes for and sequenced The Monkees' Missing Links 2 album for Rhino Records. Since then he's produced countless reissues and rarities collections (Big Star, The Kinks, Bee Gees, Turtles, Beach Boys....), was nominated for a Grammy in 2010, has authored two books and countless liner notes and has bee
Ep. 16 Let's Spend the Night Together
A belated tribute to David Bowie as well as my final podcast before an official hiatus. Not many notable cover versions of this song, but Bowie covered it and that's all that matters. I may have overcompensated for the small amount of cover versions with too much yapping, but hey, I haven't talked to you in a long time and won't be talking to you for a few months. So enjoy. We can have fun just _______ around, can't we?
Ep. 15 The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game
Ever pursue a love interest only to find that he or she has been simultaneously pursuing you? Yeah, rarely do things work out so conveniently, but it can happen; and that's what Smokey Robinson chose to write about in his 1966 composition, "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game". It's a little pocket masterpiece, both lyrically and musically, and the spectrum of artists who have covered it is quite wide indeed. More quality than quantity. Enjoy.
Ep .14 Morning Dew
A barely-known Canadian folk singer wrote this cautionary post-apocalyptic song (her first song) in 1962. In 1967 a somewhat obscure folk rocker rearranged it, wrote an additional verse and sneakily claimed co-authorship-an injustice that often goes unnoticed in the history books. Cruelly, most covers are based on this arrangement. The same year, the leader of a not-yet legendary band more radically rearranged it on his band's debut album, and added a key final line, but knew enough to
Ep.13 Moon River
Sorry for the long time between episodes, but in the interim, I became a father. Audrey Ruth was born Dec 15, and so I wanted to celebrate by featuring a song first made famous by another lovely Audrey. I skipped over many of the biggest versions of this song and went right for the most interesting (for the most part). Enjoy!
Ep. 12 She Thinks I Still Care
A cry-in-your-beer classic told with a healthy dose of irony, "She Thinks I Still Care" has been covered in a wide range of styles since its initial release in 1962, has gender-role-flipped a few times, but never fails to deliver a sentiment that most of us has felt at one time or another.
Ep 11. Without Her
From Harry Nilsson's RCA debut LP, Pandemonium Shadow Show (1967), "Without Her" is a perfectly written, perfectly sung and perfectly arranged and produced (by Rick Jarrard) song that perfectly evokes the empty, lonely feeling in the wake of a breakup. Did I mention how perfect it is? Several of the cover versions you'll hear aren't too shabby either.
Ep. 10 It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
It's the TENTH episode of WTSCF, the first of the summer, and the first one to feature a song by Bob Dylan. And thus, it's by far the longest and most self-indulgent. But what amazing versions you'll be turned on to! Dylan is known for his verbose songs, and so I thought it only appropriate to make this a long-winded episode. I will not be offended if you listen to it in a couple/three installments. Enjoy!
Ep.9 I Saw Her (and Him) Standing There
A bit late to cash in on the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles arriving in the USA, but better late than never. "I Saw Her Standing There" is unquestionably a timeless classic pop-rocker, and unquestionably much more McCartney than Lennon. Lennon even chose to cover it at what would be his final big concert appearance. You can hear that version, and the story behind it, as well as many other versions and the stories behind those (by everyone from Bob Welch to Mary Wells to Daniel Johnson.
Ep.8 Dirty Old Town
A folk song written by an Englishman for a play about his home town, but which has become most popular in the hands of a couple of Irish acts. Yet all the featured versions from the last decade have been by Americans. This underscores the song's timeless, universal appeal, especially at the end of winter as many of us look out the window at our own dirty old towns.
Ep.7 Searchin'
Not the most impressive song in the Leiber and Stoller oeuvre, but one that an impressive and amusing bunch of artists has covered.
Ep.6 These Days
A teenage Jackson Browne wrote this world-weary classic (some know it as a Nico song; some know it as a Gregg Allman song...) while living in sunny southern California. Since then, it has been covered in a variety of styles, undergone some drastic changes, and seems to have returned to its owner in a matured, but similar state as it was in when he first gave it to the world. Browne can now sing his jaded words with some wisdom instead of teen angst. We'll hear several treatments of the song from
Ep.5 (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
A celebration of one of the best pop singles of all time, and the many cover versions it has spawned. Enjoy.
Ep.4 Insenstatez/How Insensitive
One of the first bona fide classics from the mind of Antonio Carlos (Tom) Jobim--as well as from the genre he helped to create, Bossa Nova. With a melody partially lifted from Chopin, lyrics in both Portuguese and English--that have totally different meanings but are both equally sad--and cover versions by a surprisingly wide range of artists from Shatner to Iggy, what's not to love? A couple of technical glitches threatened to waylay this episode, but I think I succeeded in nursing it back to h
Ep.3 Dancing in the Street
As promised, a summer theme. This is one song to which I don't feel any improvements are needed. The original is perfect, and only a few of the covers featured do I feel succeed in doing something new and exciting. I think the Everly Brothers and Van Halen win the cup this time. See what you think. In researching this episode, I discovered something interesting, which became the sub-theme of this episode: That both The Who and the Grateful Dead both began covering this song in a straigh
Ep.2 To Love Somebody
This episode looks at The Bee Gees' 1967 single, "To Love Somebody" and cover versions from The Upsetters, The Animals, Roberta Flack and more--some expected, some not so...I should put forth the fact that my commentary on these episodes comes from the viewpoint not of a music critic, but of someone who has had a hand in writing, arranging and producing music for the last decade and a half. Also, from the viewpoint of a music lover and historian. Enjoy, and if you find out where that sound's com
Ep.1 Around and Around
The first in a long series (I think) examining songs that have been covered by wide ranging and sometimes unlikely artists. This episode: Around and Around by Chuck Berry. Some expected and not so expected versions of this 1958 classic.