- (I Used To Be A) Brooklyn Dodger
(DiMucci - Beck - Tiernan - Steel)
P 1978 PKM Productions LLC. Licensed by Lifesong Records,
a Division of PKM Productions LLC.
I wrote it with Dan Beck and I'm a real Yankees fan but the Brooklyn Dodger metaphor worked better here. Gil Hodges, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson
- in my day, they were it. I remember when they tore down Ebbets Field, there were some guys in my neighborhood who wanted to go bomb Walter O'Malley's house. He owned the team.
- Spanish Harlem Incident
(Dylan)
P 1978 PKM Productions LLC. Licensed by Lifesong Records,
a Division of PKM Productions LLC.
The reason why I did this song is because there used to be this girl who danced in the audiences at clubs in Manhattan, I mean, spontaneously. Like modern jazz, she used to express herself and she wasn't even on stage. She'd show up at any club and dance whatever she felt like. She was unbelievable! When I grabbed on to this song, I kind of pictured her because she was so free.
- The Truth Will Set You Free
(DiMucci - Tuohy)
P 1980 Dayspring Records. "The Truth Will Set You Free" as
performed by Dion DiMucci appears courtesy of Dayspring
Records (a div. of Word Entertainment).
It's an important song. One thing about rock 'n' roll at its best is that it proclaims your personal freedom and expresses your individuality. It has truth and it has freedom, and if you're a rocker, you care about both of those things. There are a lot of guys who don't even get their own message. They sing about it but they never appropriate it in their lives, they never really grab on to it in reality.
- And The Night Stood Still
(Warren)
P 1989 Arista Records, Inc. Courtesy Arista Records, Inc.
Just reminiscing, remembering.
- Always In The Rain
(DiMucci - Smith - Tuohy)
P 1989 Arista Records, Inc. Courtesy Arista Records, Inc.
There's this girl I used to visit in a drug treatment center who did herself some serious damage. It's hard to see a girl who's gone through that. It's like no matter what you say, she's always in the rain.
- King Of The New York Streets
(DiMucci - Tuohy)
P 1989 Arista Records, Inc. Courtesy Arista Records, Inc.
Self-explanatory. This guy's a legend in his own mind. It's pride all the way, and the last verse is the kicker. It's like "The Wanderer," coming clean on yourself.
- Written On The Subway Wall / Little Star
(DiMucci - Oicone - Tuohy - Venosa - Picone)
P 1989 Arista Records, Inc. Courtesy Arista Records, Inc.
It's saying you can't go back. You can sit around with people and share memories but you can't live in the past.
Paul (Simon) laid "Little Star" down. I asked him and he said, "Yeah, I'll come down." That's all him, all five overdubbed voices and you can tell he listened to The Dells and groups like that. It was really a blessing - really nice of him. I consider him a good friend.
- Mean Woman Blues
(DeMetrius)
Under license from Dion Productions, Inc.
They asked me to do a song for the Presley tribute album, The Last Temptation Of Elvis. We all picked a song for it and that one was free. I was on tour and I went into a studio in Philly and knocked it out in an hour.
- Sea Cruise
(H. P. Smith)
P 1990 Arista Records, Inc. Courtesy Arista Records, Inc.
Don Was called me up and asked me if I'd like to do this song for the movie The Adventures Of Ford Fairlane. So Don came out and we recorded it in Cleveland. I like this song. I remember the original record and felt like there was a buzzsaw in it.
- If I Should Fall Behind
(Springsteen)
P 1992 Dion Productions, Inc. Under license from Dion Productions, Inc.
This is a Springsteen song and I used to close the show with it. I really love this song. He writes so multilevel. It's about relationships, but it could also be about the hereafter. When somebody slips away, someone you love, it's like saying "I'll wait for you and if I should fall behind, wait for me."
- Higher Than Heaven
(DiMucci - Tuohy)
P 1992 Dion Productions, Inc. Under license from Dion Productions, Inc.
This is a metaphor for pure excitement, you know, you can't get any higher than Heaven.
- Turn Me Loose
(Pomus - Shuman)
This was done for another tribute album, this time for Doc Pomus. The song was written for Elvis and they'd given it to Fabian and I said, "Come on. . . !" I loved it, so I finally got a chance to do it - I got my second chance.
- You Move Me (Live)
Dion & The Little Kings
(Kempner)
P 1998 Dion Productions, Inc. Under license from Dion Productions, Inc.
This was done live with a group I had, The Little Kings, in New York. I love a good rock 'n' roll song, you know, cars, girls, music...
- King Of Hearts (Live)
Dion & The Little Kings (DiMucci - Kempner)
P 1998 Dion Productions, Inc. Under license from Dion Productions, Inc.
Scott Kempner and I wrote this one. It's about wanting to champion this girl's cause, get closer to her.
- I Know You Want Me
(DiMucci)
P 1999 Dion Productions, Inc. Under license from Dion Productions, Inc.
I used to sing this one to Susie, you know, with like a sense of humor. The song sounds real dark but to me, it's just funny.
- Shu-Bop
(DiMucci - Barbella)
P 1999 Dion Productions, Inc. Under license from Dion Productions, Inc.
I would say that this one's written about the first time I saw Susan. I recorded this song recently, along with a whole album that includes "Book Of Dreams" with all the same techniques and equipment that I used to record "Runaround Sue" and "Teenager In Love." I wrote all the songs on the album for the movie, The Wanderer, and I wrote them to fill-in the scenes that didn't need any charted records. So "Shu-Bop" was sort of this street corner song. It sounds like a lost track. Bob Cadway helped with the album. I have Jimmy Gallagher, my cousin Louis Colletti and Joe Neary on there singing background.
- Book Of Dreams
(Springsteen)
P 1999 Dion Productions, Inc. Under license from Dion Productions, Inc.
Springsteen liked "If I Should Fall Behind" so much and when he told me I said, "Well, you know, the song I really wanted to do was 'Book Of Dreams."' The one thing about Bruce is that he writes on different levels. This song reminds me of my wedding day. One verse reflected on the past, there's one about the present and another verse projected the future. It's this guy about to get married and he's looking at his bride and seeing his past, present and future in his imagination. It's just beautiful.
You know, you can get into rock 'n' roll because you're lonely or angry. There are a lot of things that kick it off. But when you get over that, you can find that rock 'n' roll at its best is a universal communications tool that can express your thoughts and perceptions worldwide.
|
