Jonathan Michael Richman (born May 16, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970, he founded the Modern Lovers, an influential

proto-punk Proto-punk (or protopunk) is rock music played mostly by garage bands from the 1960s to mid-1970s that foreshadowed the punk rock movement. The phrase is a retrospective label; the musicians involved were generally not originally associated w ...

band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key acoustic and electric backing. He now plays only acoustic to protect his hearing. He is known for his wide-eyed, unaffected, and childlike outlook, and music that, while rooted in

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...

, is influenced by music from around the world.

Biography

Early life

Born into a

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family in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

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, and raised in Natick, Massachusetts, Richman began playing music and writing his own songs in the mid-1960s. He became infatuated with

the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...

and, in 1969, he moved to New York City, lived on the couch of their manager,

Steve Sesnick Stephen Eugene Sesnick Jr. (September 8, 1941 – October 27, 2022) was an American rock club and rock band manager, and later an inventor and businessman. Early life Sesnick was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, on September 8, 1941. He was educated ...

, worked odd jobs, and tried to break in as a professional musician. Failing at this, he returned to Boston.

The Modern Lovers

Richman formed the Modern Lovers, a

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

band, in Boston, Massachusetts. Other notable members of the group were keyboard player Jerry Harrison and drummer David Robinson, who later joined

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...

and

the Cars The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek ( rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr ( bass guitar), Elliot Easton ( lead guitar), Greg Hawkes ( keyboar ...

, respectively. In 1972, they recorded a series of demos with producer

John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer, songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various sty ...

(formerly of the

Velvet Underground Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...

). Among these songs were the seminal " Roadrunner" and "

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

", which were eventually released on the group's post-breakup album, '' The Modern Lovers'' in August 1976. The album was strange for its time, featuring Velvets-influenced basic three-chord rock ("Roadrunner" – based on just two chords – is an homage to " Sister Ray") at a time when glam and

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. I ...

were the norm. Later in 1972, the group re-recorded some songs, along with other material, with producer

Kim Fowley Kim Vincent Fowley (July 21, 1939 – January 15, 2015) was the American record producer, songwriter and musician who was behind a string of novelty and cult pop rock singles in the 1960s, and managed The Runaways in the 1970s. He has bee ...

. These demos were eventually released in 1981 as '' The Original Modern Lovers'' LP. Despite playing live regularly, the Modern Lovers had a difficult time securing a

recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...

. By late 1973, Richman wanted to scrap the recorded tracks and start again with a mellower, more lyrical sound, influenced by the laid-back local music he had heard when the band had a residency at the Inverurie Hotel in

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

earlier in the year. These stymied efforts to complete a debut album led to the breakup of the original Modern Lovers in February 1974.

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers

In 1975, Richman moved to California to record as a solo singer/songwriter with the independent Beserkley Records label. His first released recordings appeared on 1975's ''Beserkley Chartbusters'' compilation, where he was backed by members of Earth Quake and the Rubinoos. The four songs on the compilation also appeared on singles released by Beserkley. In January 1976, Richman put together a new version of the Modern Lovers, which included original Modern Lovers drummer David Robinson, former Rubinoos bassist

Greg 'Curly' Keranen Greg is a masculine given name, and often a shortened form of the given name Gregory. Greg (more commonly spelled " Gregg") is also a surname. People with the name * Greg Abbott (disambiguation), multiple people *Greg Abel (born 1961/1962), Canad ...

and Leroy Radcliffe on guitar. The new group, now billed as Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers, found Richman turning away from the harder, Velvet Underground-influenced electric rock of the original Modern Lovers, toward a gentler sound mixing pop with 1950s rock and roll, and including a bigger emphasis on harmony vocals. During this period Richman recorded a mix of original songs and material by other writers, including

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

's "Back in the USA", the traditional spiritual songs "Amazing Grace" and "Angels Watching Over Me", and older pop songs like "Emaline", "Buzz, Buzz, Buzz", and "Lydia". Richman's own songs continued to mix straightforward love themes with more whimsical themes like Martians ("Here Come the Martian Martians"), Leprechauns ("Rockin' Rockin' Leprechauns"), the Abominable Snowman ("Abominable Snowman in the Market"), and mosquitoes ("I'm Nature's Mosquito"). Richman's 1977 recording of the

children's music Children's music or kids' music is music composed and performed for children. In European-influenced contexts this means music, usually songs, written specifically for a juvenile audience. The composers are usually adults. Children's music has hi ...

standard "

The Wheels on the Bus "The Wheels on the Bus" is an American folk song written by Verna Hills (1898–1990). The earliest known publishing of the lyrics is the December 1937 issue of '' American Childhood'', originally called "The Bus", with the lyrics being "The whe ...

" made explicit his interest in making music for listeners of all ages. The album ''Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers'' was released in May 1976, three months before the older '' The Modern Lovers'' sessions were finally released. Drummer David Robinson left the group soon thereafter, due to frustration with Richman's quest for lower volume levels, and joined with Ric Ocasek in forming the band

. After several months as a trio, Richman found a new drummer, D. Sharpe, an avant-garde jazz player on the Boston scene, who later went on to become a member of pianist

Carla Bley Carla Bley (born Lovella May Borg; May 11, 1936) is an American jazz composer, pianist, organist and bandleader. An important figure in the free jazz movement of the 1960s, she is perhaps best known for her jazz opera '' Escalator over the Hill'' ...

's band. ''Rock and Roll with the Modern Lovers'' was released in 1977 and, just as this record began to climb the charts in Europe, Keranen left the group to attend college. A subsequent live album, ''Modern Lovers Live'', was released in 1978, with Asa Brebner on bass. Jonathan-richman

In the United Kingdom, Richman was recognised as a progenitor of the punk rock scene, and several of his singles became hits. "Roadrunner" reached number 11 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, and its follow-up, the instrumental "Egyptian Reggae", made number 5 in late 1977. "Egyptian Reggae" was a version of Jamaican musician

Earl Zero Earl Anthony Johnson (born 1953), better known as Earl Zero, is a Jamaican reggae singer whose career began in the 1970s. He is the uncle of Toronto rapper Raz Fresco. History Born 1953 in the Greenwich Town area of Kingston, Johnson was the ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

song "None Shall Escape the Judgment"; Zero was credited as co-writer on Richman's later versions of the track. '' Back in Your Life'' was released in 1979 under the "Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers" moniker, but only about half the disc featured a backup band. The balance of the album was Richman playing solo. Following this version of The Modern Lovers' final breakup, Richman went on sabbatical for a few years, staying in Appleton, Maine, and playing at local bars in

Belfast, Maine Belfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 6,938. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River estuary on Belfast Bay and Penobscot Bay. Belfast is the county seat ...

. By 1981, Richman was recording and touring once again with various combinations of musicians under the band name Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers. The touring band was as large as five backup musicians during parts of 1981, when the group had bassist Curly Keranen once again, along with drummer Michael Guardabascio, keyboard player Ken Forfia, vocalist and guitarist Ellie Marshall, and vocalist Beth Harrington for a gig at New York's

Bottom Line In business and accounting, net income (also total comprehensive income, net earnings, net profit, bottom line, sales profit, or credit sales) is an entity's income minus cost of goods sold, expenses, depreciation and amortization, interes ...

. This expanded Modern Lovers group would go on to record much of the music on the ''Jonathan Sings'' (1983), ''Rockin' & Romance'' (1985), and ''It's Time for Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers'' (1986) albums. From 1981 to 1984, Richman most often played live in a trio with Keranen and Marshall. In 1985, the group was reconfigured, and consisted of bassist Asa Brebner and drummer Andy Paley. From 1986 to 1988, most of Richman's concerts were played with guitarist Brennan Totten and drummer Johnny Avila. Signing with

Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Ali ...

in 1987, Richman recorded his final album using the "Modern Lovers" group name ('' Modern Lovers 88''). After this, the "Modern Lovers" moniker was retired.

Solo

From 1988 to 1992, Richman performed mostly as a solo act to support his Rounder albums ''Jonathan Richman'' (1989), ''Jonathan Goes Country'' (1990), and '' Having a Party with Jonathan Richman'' (1991). Around the time of his ''I, Jonathan'' album (1992), he formed his performance duo with drummer Tommy Larkins (

Giant Sand Giant Sand is an American musical group from Tucson, Arizona, United States. Its most constant member is singer-songwriter Howe Gelb. The group started as Giant Sandworms in the late 1970s post-punk and paisley underground scenes. They later s ...

, Yard Trauma, Naked Prey, et al.), who would continue to play and record with Richman for more than 25 years. In 1993, he contributed the track "Hot Nights" to the AIDS-benefit album '' No Alternative'' produced by the

Red Hot Organization Red Hot Organization (RHO) is a not-for-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture. Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilati ...

. Always possessing an ardent

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

, Richman became better known in the 1990s thanks to a series of appearances on '' Late Night with Conan O'Brien''. Another career boost came with the

Farrelly Brothers Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly, collectively referred to as the Farrelly brothers, are American screenwriters and directors. They have made eleven films together, including ''Dumb and Dumber'', '' Outside Providence'', and ''There's Something ...

' 1998 film '' There's Something About Mary'', where Richman and Larkins served as a two-man

Greek chorus A Greek chorus, or simply chorus ( grc-gre, χορός, chorós), in the context of ancient Greek tragedy, comedy, satyr plays, and modern works inspired by them, is a homogeneous, non-individualised group of performers, who comment with a collect ...

, commenting on the plot while performing their music within the framed action itself. He also appeared briefly in a bar scene in a previous Farrelly Brothers film, '' Kingpin'', and performed the song "As We Walk to Fenway Park" for their 2005 comedy, '' Fever Pitch''. Richman continued to release albums throughout the 1990s and 2000s, with the Spanish-language ''¡Jonathan, Te Vas a Emocionar!'' (1994), followed by ''You Must Ask the Heart'' (1995), ''Surrender to Jonathan'' (1996), '' I'm So Confused'' (1998), ''Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow'' (2001), and '' Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love'' (2004). In 1998, a live album of Modern Lovers recordings from the early 1970s was released, ''Live at the Long Branch & More''. A live filmed performance, ''Take Me to the Plaza'', was released on DVD in 2002. Richman's most recent albums are on the

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

, Ohio, based Blue Arrow Records: 2016's ''Ishkode! Ishkode!'', 2018's ''SA'' and 2022's ''Want to Visit My Inner House?''.

Musical instruments and technique

Richman's minimalist songwriting style has been described as whimsical and childlike. He himself has stated, "I don’t write, really. I just make up songs." Richman has played a variety of electric and acoustic guitars throughout his career. In promotional and concert photos from the early 1970s (such as those reproduced in the album ''Precise Modern Lovers Order''), Richman is frequently seen using a white Fender Stratocaster. He later wrote a song ("Fender Stratocaster") expressing his affection for the Stratocaster design. In the late 1970s, working with his group The Modern Lovers, Richman often played a Fender Jazzmaster. He can be seen playing this guitar in the Dutch TV program ''TopPop'' filmed on September 16, 1978. A contemporaneous stage photo used on the cover of the "Egyptian Reggae" single shows Richman playing a sunburst Stratocaster. Late-1970s studio recordings, such as the ''Rock and Roll with the Modern Lovers'' album, also featured Richman playing nylon-stringed acoustic guitar. On a 1979 performance on French television, and in the cover photo of ''The Best of Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers'', Richman plays a late-1970s Ibanez model 2453CW hollow-body electric guitar, a guitar similar in style to the Epiphone he would use extensively a decade later. In the early- and mid-1980s, working with The Modern Lovers, Richman was frequently photographed playing a Harmony Hollywood hollow-body electric guitar. This guitar is seen on the back cover of Richman's ''It's Time For'' album. By the late 1980s, Richman was frequently performing solo concerts using a blonde 1980s Epiphone Regent hollow-body electric guitar. He can be seen holding this guitar on the back cover of the ''Having a Party with Jonathan Richman'' CD. Richman was still using his Epiphone Regent on stage when he began performing as a duo with drummer Tommy Larkins in 1992. After a short stint playing other electric guitars on stage including a Gibson SG, Richman switched to exclusively playing nylon-stringed acoustic guitars (of the classical and flamenco styles) in concert. Richman has played a number of different nylon-stringed guitars since the mid-1990s. After switching to nylon-stringed acoustic guitars, Richman initially used a pick and played in a style close to that of his electric guitar playing. Eventually, he stopped using both a guitar pick and a guitar strap in concert, preferring to play only with his fingers, and to move frequently between playing guitar, dancing, and playing percussion instruments. Richman has also been photographed playing a Fender Telecaster and other electric and acoustic guitars, and he does not consider any specific instrument to be essential to his sound. In a 2006 interview with musician Chuck Prophet, Richman said "It's not the guitar, it's the player. In fact, my most recent Flamenco guitar isn't even a real Flamenco guitar. It's not made out of the right woods. Made out of walnut. It's twangy. I bought it and I like it." During the early- and mid-1980s, Richman frequently played tenor saxophone during his concerts with The Modern Lovers. He can be heard playing the instrument on "California Desert Party", a song on his '' Modern Lovers 88'' album. The album also shows him holding the instrument in the cover photograph.

Personal life

His first marriage was to Gail Clook of

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

, in 1982, with whom he has a daughter, Jenny Rae, and son, Jason (Gail's son from a previous relationship). This marriage ended in divorce sometime shortly before the release of ''Surrender to Jonathan'' (1996). In 2003, Richman married Nicole Montalbano of Chico, California. She contributed backing vocals to the album '' Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love'' (2004). Richman also runs a business, Arcane Masonry, in Chico, making pizza ovens as well as other projects.

Influence

Jonathan Richman of the Modern Lovers, 2009

Richman's work with the first incarnation of Modern Lovers is a major influence on punk rock. One critic called him the "Godfather of Punk". On his second solo album, Brian Eno made mention of Richman's band in his lyrics, and the

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...

and Joan Jett were among the first artists of note to

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of copy ...

the song "Roadrunner" in the 1970s. A version of "Pablo Picasso" performed by Burning Sensations was included in the 1984 cult film, '' Repo Man''.

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

covered "Pablo Picasso" on his album ''

Reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, re ...

''.

founding member

has a version of the song on his 1975 album, ''

Helen of Troy Helen of Troy, Helen, Helena, (Ancient Greek: Ἑλένη ''Helénē'', ) also known as beautiful Helen, Helen of Argos, or Helen of Sparta, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believe ...

'', and continues to include the song in his live shows.

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the " Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band The Stooges, who w ...

has performed "Pablo Picasso" live and wrote an extra verse for it. Echo and the Bunnymen covered "She Cracked" in concert in 1984 and 1985 and

Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. ''Q'' magazine ...

have a version of the song on ''

Downside Up ''Downside Up'' is a four-disc box set collecting B-sides and bonus material from the catalogue of Siouxsie and the Banshees. Also included (on disc four) is '' The Thorn'' EP, originally released in 1984. Most of these songs (only present o ...

''. Richman's music has set the tone for many

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...

bands, such as Violent Femmes,

Galaxie 500 Galaxie 500 was an American alternative rock band that formed in 1987 and split up in 1991 after releasing three albums: '' Today'', '' On Fire'' and '' This Is Our Music''. The band was made up of guitarist/vocalist Dean Wareham, drummer Damon ...

They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a dr ...

("Roadrunner" reportedly inspired John Flansburgh to become a musician),

Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backing ...

Tullycraft Tullycraft is an American indie pop band from Seattle, Washington, that formed in 1995. They have been associated with the genre of twee pop; in fact, they are considered to be one of the true pioneers of the American twee pop movement. They are ...

, Jens Lekman, singer Frank Black (who composed the tribute song "The Man Who Was Too Loud"), Brandon Flowers,

Art Brut Art Brut are a Berlin-based English and German indie rock band. Their debut album, '' Bang Bang Rock & Roll'', was released on 30 May 2005, with its follow up, '' It's a Bit Complicated'', released on 25 June 2007. Named after French painter J ...

Craig Finn Craig Finn (born August 22, 1971) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the frontman of the American indie rock band The Hold Steady, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums. Prior to forming The Hold Steady, Fi ...

of the Hold Steady & Lifter Puller,

Mac DeMarco MacBriare Samuel Lanyon DeMarco (born Vernor Winfield MacBriare Smith IV; April 30, 1990) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. DeMarco has released six full-length studio albums, his debut '' Rock and Roll Night ...

and

Nerf Herder Nerf Herder is an American rock band from Santa Barbara, California, formed in 1994 by Parry Gripp (vocals, guitar), Charlie Dennis (bass) and Steve Sherlock (drums). They describe themselves as a " geek rock" band, and are known for simplisti ...

who composed a song about him, titled "Jonathan", which appeared on the band's second album '' How To Meet Girls''. British country rock band

the Rockingbirds The Rockingbirds are a British country rock band, formed in London in 1990. They disbanded in 1995, but reformed in 2008 for the Heavenly Records 18th-anniversary shows. They began to tour again in spring 2009 and played the 2009 Glastonbury fest ...

released the single "Jonathan, Jonathan" in tribute to Richman in 1992. The Silos also covered the Modern Lovers' "I'm Straight". Boston

ska-punk Ska punk (also spelled ska-punk) is a fusion genre that mixes ska music and punk rock music together. (sometimes spelled skacore) is a subgenre of ska punk that mixes ska with hardcore punk. Early ska punk mixed both 2 tone and ska with hard ...

band

Big D and the Kids Table Big D and the Kids Table is a ska punk band formed in October 1995 in Boston, Massachusetts when its members converged in college. Their first release was on their own Fork in Hand Records label, but have since teamed with Springman Records and ...

also covered Richman's song "New England" for their ''Gypsy Hill'' EP. A tribute album, ''If I Were a Richman: a Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman'', was released by Wampus Multimedia in 2001. The Modern Lovers’ song "Roadrunner" appears on the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrac ...

to the film ''School of Rock''. In the commentary, director

Richard Linklater Richard Stuart Linklater (; born July 30, 1960) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for films that revolve mainly around suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. His films include the comedies ' ...

mentions it is often called "the first punk song" and wanted to include it for that reason, along with all the other seminal rock songs in that film. Rapper M.I.A. featured the opening lyrics from "Roadrunner" in the song "Bamboo Banga" on her 2007 album, '' Kala''. As a producer himself, Richman and drummer Tommy Larkins produced Vic Chesnutt's final album ''

Skitter on Take-Off ''Skitter on Take-Off'' is the final album by Vic Chesnutt. It was his only album for Vapor Records. A different version of "Sewing Machine" was originally included on brute's 1995 release ''Nine High a Pallet'' (brute consisted of Vic Chesnut ...

'' in 2009 which appeared on Vapor Records. Chesnutt opened for Richman at concerts many times during his later years.

Discography

Studio albums

The Modern Lovers

* '' The Modern Lovers'' (1976) * '' The Original Modern Lovers'' (1981)

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers

* '' Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers'' (1976) * '' Rock 'n' Roll with the Modern Lovers'' (1977) UK No. 50 * '' Back in Your Life'' (1979) * '' Jonathan Sings!'' (1983) * '' Rockin' and Romance'' (1985) * ''It's Time For'' (1986) * '' Modern Lovers 88'' (1987)

Jonathan Richman

* ''

Jonathan Richman Jonathan Michael Richman (born May 16, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970, he founded the Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key acoustic an ...

'' (1989) * '' Jonathan Goes Country'' (1990) * '' Having a Party with Jonathan Richman'' (1991) * '' I, Jonathan'' (1992) * ''¡Jonathan, Te Vas a Emocionar!'' (1994) * ''You Must Ask the Heart'' (1995) * ''Surrender to Jonathan'' (1996) * '' I'm So Confused'' (1998) * ''Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow'' (2001) * '' Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love'' (2004) * '' Revolution Summer'' (2007) * '' Because Her Beauty Is Raw and Wild'' (2008) * ''¿A qué venimos sino a caer?'' (2008) * ''O Moon, Queen of Night on Earth'' (2010) * ''Ishkode! Ishkode!'' (2016) * ''SA!'' (2018) * ''Want to Visit My Inner House?'' (2021)

Live albums

* ''Modern Lovers 'Live (1977) * ''Live at the Longbranch Saloon'' (1992) * ''Precise Modern Lovers Order'' (1994) * ''Live at the Longbranch and More'' (1998) (These last three live albums are from the same three 1971–3 performances, but add and subtract a few different songs. The last two, combined, contain all the songs.)

Compilations

* ''Jonathan Richman Songbook'' (1979) * ''The Beserkley Years: The Best of Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers'' (1986) * ''Mega Hits'' (1988) * ''23 Great Recordings by Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers'' (1990) * ''A Plea for Tenderness'' (1995) * ''Radio On: Stop and Shop with the Modern Lovers'' (1997) * ''I Must Be King'' (1998) * ''Roadrunner'' (1998) * ''The Best of Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers'' (1999) * ''Egyptian Reggae'' (2000) * ''An Introspective'' (2000) * ''Action Packed: The Best of Jonathan Richman'' (2002) * ''Roadrunner, Roadrunner: The Beserkley Collection'' (2004) * ''Vampire Girl'' (2006) * ''No Me Quejo De Mi Estrella'' (2014)

Various artists compilation appearances

* Alternate versions of "Roadrunner" and "Government Center", along with "The New Teller" and "It Will Stand", first appeared on ''Beserkley Chartbusters Vol. 1'' (1975). * "I'm Straight" and "Government Center", from the Modern Lovers' Kim Fowley-produced Beserkley sessions, first appeared on the Warner Bros. Records compilation ''Troublemakers'' (1980). * "I Like Gumby", on the tribute album '' Gumby'' (1989). * "Hot Nights" (live), on the

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

benefit album '' No Alternative'' (1993), produced by the

. * "Mustapha" and "Mustapha (Instrumental)", on ''Think About Mustapha'' (1994). * "Broken Promises", on the Rainer Ptacek tribute album ''The Inner Flame'' (1997). * "Stop Your Sobbing", on the Kinks tribute album ''This Is Where I Belong'' (2002). * "The Origin of Love", on ''

Wig in a Box ''Wig In A Box: Songs from & Inspired by Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' is a charity tribute album featuring versions of songs from the musical '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch''. It was released in 2003 through Off Records, and proceeds benefited the ...

'' (2003). * "Our Dog Is Getting Older Now", on the

charity album A charity record or charity single is a song released by musicians with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity. George Harrison's " Bangla Desh" single in 1971 is commonly acknowledged as the first ever purpose-mad ...

'' Colours Are Brighter'' (2006).

Singles

US issues except where stated * "Roadrunner" / "It Will Stand" (United Artists UP36006, 1975) * " Roadrunner" / (" Friday on My Mind" by Earth Quake) (Beserkley B-4701, 1976) * "Roadrunner (Once)" / "Roadrunner (Twice)" (Beserkley BZZ 1, UK, 1976) UK No. 11 * "Roadrunner" / "

" (Beserkley PA-205, 1976) * "New England" / "Here Come The Martian Martians" (Beserkley B-5743, 1976) * "Egyptian Reggae" / "Ice Cream Man" (Beserkley 6.12 217, 1977) * "Egyptian Reggae" / "Rollercoaster by the Sea" (Beserkley BZZ 2, UK, 1977) UK No. 5, AUS No 50 * "The Morning of Our Lives (Live)" / "Roadrunner (Thrice) (Live)" (Beserkley BZZ 7, UK, 1977) UK No. 29 * "New England (Live)" / "Astral Plane (Live)" (Beserkley BZZ 14, UK, 1978) * "Abdul and Cleopatra" / "Astral Plane (Live)" (Beserkley 11813, 1978) * "Abdul and Cleopatra" / "Oh Carol" (Beserkley BZZ 19, UK, 1978) * " Buzz, Buzz, Buzz" / "Abdul and Cleopatra" (Beserkley 6.12 311, 1978) * "Buzz, Buzz, Buzz" / "Hospital (Live)" (BZZ 25, UK, 1978) * "My Little Kookenhaken" / "Roadrunner (Thrice) (Live)" (Beserkley 11819, 1978) * "South American Folk Song (Live)" / "Ice Cream Man (Live)" (1978) * "Lydia" / "Important in Your Life" (BZZ 28, UK, 1979) * "That Summer Feeling" / "This Kind of Music" (1984) * "That Summer Feeling" / "This Kind of Music" / "Tag Game" (Rough Trade RTT 152, UK, 1984) * "I'm Just Beginning To Live" / "Circle I" (1985) * "I'm Just Beginning To Live" / "Circle I" / "Shirin and Fahrad" (Rough Trade RTT 154, UK, 1985) * "California Desert Party" / "When Harpo Played His Harp" (DRD 1D474, Spain, 1988) * "Egyptian Reggae" / "Roadrunner" (1989)

References

External links

*
Jojo Blog – long running community-authored blog

Live recordings of rare songs not found on studio albums
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richman, Jonathan 1951 births American male singers American rock guitarists American male guitarists American rock singers Jewish American musicians Living people Jewish singers Natick High School alumni People from Natick, Massachusetts Protopunk musicians Rough Trade Records artists Singers from Massachusetts Sire Records artists Songwriters from Massachusetts The Modern Lovers members Warner Records artists Jews in punk rock Guitarists from Massachusetts People from Knox County, Maine 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American Jews American male songwriters

Biography

Early life

The Modern Lovers

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers

Solo

Musical instruments and technique

Personal life

Influence

Discography

Studio albums

The Modern Lovers

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers

Jonathan Richman

Live albums

Compilations

Various artists compilation appearances

Singles

References

Further reading

External links