Monday, July 28, 2008 - 
6 comments
6 comments
New Music Monday
Here's the facts on Pink Houses by John Cougar Mellencamp,(yeah I still use the Cougar) released in 1984 on the multi hit album, Uh-huh. Pink Houses was one of two top ten songs from this album, the other song was Authority Song.
Many of Mellencamps songs have come from his own true life experiences. Born October 7th 1951 in Seymour Indiana. At age 17 Mellencamp eloped with his pregnant girlfriend and had his first child (Michelle) six months after graduating from high school in 1970. In 1974, he graduated from Vincennes University, a two-year college in Vincennes, Indiana, and started working at the telephone company in his hometown before deciding to go to New York to try to land a record deal, which he finally did do in late 1975. He still continues to give back to his roots in Indiana and still calls the state home.
After his first two albums were slightly successful, he finally hit it big with I Need A Lover which was first released on A Biography, the record wasn't released in the United States, only in Europe, and it was a number 1 hit in Australia. Mellencamps label, Riva Records added "I Need a Lover" to his next album, 1979's John Cougar (which did see domestic release); and it became a No. 28 single in the United States in late 1979. From then on his songwriting and musical skills improved with each album released, then in 1982 he hit it big with American Fool.
John Mellencamp is rooted in the blood of most Americans, as he has shared his stories with us and brought us to our feet. While there are many stories of his political agenda, he is just a songwriter who has sung the truth of so many American's and has done it with real knowledge of love, life, heartache and pain.
From Wikipedia, I found this great tidbit of information...
Recorded in a farmhouse in Brownstown, Indiana, the song was inspired when Mellencamp was driving along an overpass on the way home from Bloomington, Indiana from the Indianapolis airport. There was an old black man sitting outside his little pink shotgun house with his cat in his arms, completely unperturbed by the traffic speeding along the highway in his front yard. “He waved, and I waved back,” Mellencamp said in an interview with Rolling Stone. “That's how 'Pink Houses' started.”
More interesting, is that several presidential candidates and one president have tried to or did use Pink Houses in their campaigns and were denied or asked to stop use of the song by Mellencamp himself.
For me, this song is pure raw American life. It reminds me of what I have and what I don't have and it inspires me to live the life I want to lead. Until next week....Enjoy a great American song!
6 comments:
John Cougar Mellencamp (I grew up in the 80's...that's his name as far as I'm concerned) is HOT!!! I love him. He's right up there with Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty on my list of favorite male musicians.
You know who else I am shamelessly in love with?! Steve Tyler of Aerosmith....SEXY!!!
Another great pic...this song reminds me of high school!
I always look forward to your Music Monday....
I love John Cougar Mellencamp. This song takes me back ... WAY back!! :)
Thanks for sharing the tidbits on JCM as well.
Love it! Love music Monday!
Lea
xo
Taking me back to high school!!
My husband plays this and it reminds me of my first college party! hahahah
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