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The history of rock\u2019n\u2019roll is littered with artists who — for one reason or another \u2013 never quite got their due. Del Shannon<\/strong> is on that list. Best known as the man who gave the world the 1961 hit \u201cRunaway,\u201d he also achieved permanent trivia question-fodder status as the first American to cover a Beatles<\/strong> song on record, \u201cFrom Me to You.\u201d Shannon\u2019s version actually hit the charts before the original did so.<\/p>\n Shannon enjoyed several hits (albeit mostly in the lower reaches of the charts) in the period 1961-67, and then faded from view for many years, due in large part to his alcoholism. Newly sober by the 80s, he enjoyed a brief return to prominence when the now-cult-status TV show Crime Story<\/em> used \u201cRunaway\u201d as its theme song. Though he was mooted to replace Roy Orbison<\/strong> in the Traveling Wilburys, that never came to pass. A lifelong sufferer of depression, Shannon took his own life in 1990.<\/p>\n His influence has persisted, though, and a new tribute album (with the hopeful subtitle \u201cVolume 1\u201d) is titled The Del Shannon Tribute: Songwriter<\/em>. As the title suggests, this sixteen-track CD focuses on Shannon\u2019s original works. A who\u2019s who of powerpop and established-indie acts participated in this nonprofit, with proceeds going to the Del Shannon Memorial Scholarship Fund in Coopersville MI, the town in which Shannon grew up.<\/p>\n Kelley Ryan<\/strong>\u2019s reading of \u201cDrop Down and Get Me\u201d has a pop-country (in the best way) feel that\u2019s reminiscent of Jackie DeShannon<\/strong><\/a> or Marti Jones<\/strong> (the latter of whom also has a cut on this set). Her arrangement completely removes anything that would peg the obscure song as having been written decades ago.<\/p>\n Randy Bachman<\/strong>\u2019s version of \u201cRunaway\u201d wisely steers clear of the original arrangement; instead, it\u2019s a breezy, acoustic flavored tune that sounds like a modern number as well. Son Tal Bachman<\/strong> (who did \u201cShe\u2019s So High\u201d in 1999 and then all but disappeared) assists. The tune has a toes-in-the sand, cocktail-in-hand vibe.<\/p>\n Pixies<\/strong> singer\/guitarist Frank Black<\/strong> turns in a dark, moody interpretation of \u201cSister Isabelle.\u201d Like most of the artists on this collection, he makes the song his own. It\u2019s a testament to Shannon\u2019s songwriting skills that these songs nearly all up sounding like originals; his song construction allows each artist to sculpt the songs to their own aesthetic.<\/p>\n While Marshall Crenshaw<\/strong><\/a> is an esteemed songwriter himself, he often records thoughtfully-chosen covers. \u201cThe House Where Nobody Lives\u201d is catchy, with subtle flavorings of Vox organ. The result sounds not wholly unlike a laid-back version of \u201cRunaway\u201d (it shares a similar structure and chord pattern).<\/p>\n Dave Smalley<\/strong> will be familiar to powerpop fans thanks to his work with The Choir<\/strong> (\u201cIt\u2019s Cold Outside\u201d) and The Raspberries<\/strong>. But the country flavor with which he imbues \u201cRestless\u201d might come as a surprise. It sounds more like something The Eagles<\/strong> (or Against the Wind<\/em> era Bob Seger<\/strong>) might do.<\/p>\n The aforementioned Marti Jones turn in a two-step countrified \u201cYou Still Live Here.\u201d Her clear-as-a-bell voice shines through on this old-fashioned weeper.<\/p>\n Back in the 90s, Nash Kato<\/strong> was one-third of Chicago scenesters Urge Overkill<\/strong> (that band is back together, sources say). A feedback-drenched high lonesome reading of \u201cSilver Birch\u201d continues in the countrified style that pervades this record.<\/p>\n Carla Olson<\/strong> and Peter Case<\/strong> pick things up with the ebullient \u201cKeep Searchin\u2019,\u201d with all of the energy \u2013 albeit in acoustic fashion \u2013 one finds on Plimsouls<\/strong> records. Yes, it\u2019ll probably remind you of \u201cRunaway,\u201d but it\u2019s great anyway.<\/p>\n The Brittanicas<\/strong> are an American\/Australian act (yup, technology allow such things) that have been covered in this blog before. Guitarist Joe Algeri<\/strong> (working as The JAC<\/a><\/strong>)\u2019s latest EP Love Dumb<\/em> is well worth seeking out. Here they tackle I Got You,\u201d a melancholy number that\u2019s well suited to their jangling approach.<\/p>\n I first met my pal Patrick Potts<\/strong> at 2012\u2019s Americana Music Fest, while together we enjoyed the tribute <\/a>to a band we both love, Big Star<\/strong><\/a>. So it\u2019s no surprise that Patrick\u2019s band The Drysdales<\/strong><\/a> takes on a chiming, catchy number like \u201cI Go To Pieces,\u201d one of the strongest tracks on this entire disc. Listen for a brief yet tasty guitar solo, and lots of George Harrison<\/strong>-esque rhythm guitar work.<\/p>\n I\u2019m totally unfamiliar with husband-and-wife duo StayStillPills<\/strong>, but this Irish band\u2019s take on the riffy rocker \u201cMove it on Over\u201d (a cowrite with Dennis Coffey<\/strong><\/a>) is another contender for the album\u2019s best cut. Note to self: find out more about this act.<\/p>\n Joe Glickman & the Zippity Doo Wop<\/strong> Band are equally unknown to me. Their yakety-sax version of \u201cSo Long Baby\u201d is gimmicky and retro; they sound like a cross between They Might Be Giants<\/strong> and Sha Na Na<\/strong>. Tracks like this are why the \u201cskip\u201d button was invented. The track is redeemed \u2013 if only slightly \u2013 by the participation of Max Crook<\/strong>, Musitron player on the original \u201cRunaway.\u201d<\/p>\n Lovely electric 12-string adorns Richard Snow<\/strong>\u2019s cover of \u201cOver You.\u201d Snow played and engineered every sound heard on the track.<\/p>\n The Rubinoos<\/strong> take a retro approach to \u201cHats Off To Larry,\u201d but in their capable hands, the backward-looking approach works. The tune is a joyous, fun-filled couple of minutes, featuring the par excellence vocals of Jon Rubin<\/strong>, and a tasty horn section. And though it might seem a bit odd, the drum throne is ably filled on this track by Nick D\u2019Virgilio<\/strong>, former drummer\/lead singer for America\u2019s best prog band, Spock\u2019s Beard<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Overlord<\/strong> is the third totally-unknown-to-me act on this set. They turn in a gentle, Merseybeat flavored cover of Del Shannon\u2019s \u201cKelly.\u201d While everything about the tune is well done, it\u2019s the vocal harmonies that truly excel.<\/p>\n Pop auteur Don Dixon<\/strong> wraps up the disc with \u201cDistant Ghost.\u201d The subtle, midtempo number ends the album on a suitably melancholy note.<\/p>\n The Del Shannon Tribute: Songwriter (Volume 1)<\/em> is a belated sampler of the underappreciated songwriting talents of this American artist, as interpreted by an excellent collection of sympathetic acts influenced by him. Recommended.<\/p>\n
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