"Joey" by Concrete Blonde

Thanks for dropping by, Dialophiles! 

Today, the Dial serves up an early 90s one-hit wonder and signature song from a trio composed of Johnette Napolitano on bass and lead vocals, James Mankey on guitars, and Paul Thompson on drums. Better known as Concrete Blonde, we present “Joey”.

“Joey… baby… don’t get crazy. Detours… fences… I get defensive.”

A beautiful and mature alt-rock ballad about being in love with an alcoholic, Johnette has confirmed that “Joey” (the person) is actually Marc Moreland, guitarist of Los Angeles’ Wall of Voodoo, best known for their MTV classic “Mexican Radio”. Johnette struggled with Moreland’s alcoholism during their relationship, and wrote the song as a catharsis for the emotional roller-coaster she was dealing with.

“Joey” (the song) was the lead single from Concrete Blonde's 1990 LP Bloodletting, and it would prove to be their only top 40 hit, when it peaked at US #19. It fared much better on the US Modern Rock chart, where it held the top position for an impressive four weeks.

Though they are a “one hit wonder” by the definition of the Top 40 charts, Johnette and the guys charted an additional seven tunes on the US Modern Rock chart including “God Is A Bullet”, “Ghost of a Texas Ladies Man”, and their cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows”, a #20 hit on that same chart.

“I know you’ve heard it all before… So I don’t say it anymore… I just stand by and let you fight your secret war…”

Johnette’s vocals are at once soothing (the verses are sung softly much like a lullaby), yet the chorus possesses a subdued anger which is clearly bubbling right below the surface. A wide range of emotions are touched upon either through the lyrics directly or by the tone in which they are sung, ranging from frustration, helplessness, sympathy, and the resignation that “Joey” will never conquer his demons, even with Johnette's true love by his side. Given that the song deals with an alcoholic lover... this is perfectly understandable. Understandable, tragic, and beautiful.

“Oh, Joey, if you’re hurting, so am I...”

By the time the 90's began, I was quickly losing interest in a majority of the songs being played at Top 40 radio. I was burned out on pop rappers Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer, the New Kids on the Block were also getting wayyy overplayed, and a lot of the hard rock (“hair metal”) was quite derivative and rather “yeah me too” sounding as well. During pretty much all of the '80s, I could honestly say that I enjoyed 95% of the songs being played on top 40, regardless of genre. However, once the new decade arrived, that number had dropped to around 50% for me, and would continue to drop as the '90s progressed.

“Joey” was one of that 50% that I really appreciated... it's elegant and emotional story was unlike anything else on radio at the time, and it still sounds fresh to my ears today, 25 years after it's release. Give a listen, and see if you agree.

“And if you’re somewhere drunk and passed out on the floor… Oh Joey, I’m not angry anymore.”

“The More I Learn (The Less I Understand About Love)” by Ronna Reeves

Good evening, Dialophiles!

Tonight, the Dial broadcasts a minor country chart hit from a singer who deserved a much greater presence on our radio airwaves. Let’s all lend our ears to Miss Ronna Reeves as she echoes a sentiment that I believe all of us have said or thought at one point in our lives, “The More I Learn (The Less I Understand About Love)”.

"You think you know him... then you don't. He says he'll be there... but then he won't"

Pulled as the lead single from Ronna’s 1992 “The More I Learn” LP, which features ex-Eagle Bernie Leadon on guitar and country favorite Sammy Kershaw on the duet “There’s Love on the Line”, along with covers of John Anderson (“Honky Tonk Hearts”), and the modern country standard “I’ll Be Faithful to You”, originally recorded in ’84 by the legendary Don Williams.

Detailing one woman’s observations surrounding love and relationships, the song simply and succinctly sums up how there are no “set in stone” rules to love, you just have to figure it out as you go, regardless of how confused you may become.

I came to learn of this song in an unusual way. At the time of the release of “The More I Learn”, I was working in Square Circle, a mall record store. Our “new release” display wall was directly opposite the registers, so if you were ringing in customers, you could look over their shoulders and see the latest brand new Aerosmith or Mariah Carey releases on that display on the other side of the store. For a time, Ronna’s album (in convenient cassette and CD formats) was featured on that new release wall. After a week or so of noticing her lovely visage every time I rang in customers, I had to snag the cassette (even though country music was not really my bag), just to see if the voice matched the face.

“It goes back and forth… up and down… got my head spinnin’, all around…”

I found Ronna to possess a vocal quality that is both classic and classy, playful and sweet, and well worth the purchase price. The title track in particular, continues to pop into my head from time to time, as it reminds me of something Dolly Parton or Barbara Mandrell might have sung in their late 70s to early 80s pop crossover heydays, or maybe even Tammy Wynette or Brenda Lee, if we go farther back along the country music timeline. For years, I was convinced that this had to have been a cover tune, but as of yet, I’ve found nothing concrete to support this theory.

Ronna’s classic country sound never really caught on with the country or pop audiences of the ‘90s, which is a darn shame, and undeserved for such a great singer. “The More I Learn” was the closest thing to a hit she recorded, peaking at US #49 on the country singles charts in 1992. She posted four more singles on that chart, but every last one of them ended up landing between positions 70 and 75, and became footnotes in music history. Ronna retired from recording after her fifth album, 1998’s pop/rock leaning “Day 14”.

Interestingly enough, Ronna made a grab for Top 40 acceptance (or at least the adult contemporary audience), when she duetted with former Chicago lead vocalist Peter Cetera in a cover of Abba’s 1975 pop classic “S.O.S.”, taken from Peter’s 1995 LP “One Clear Voice”. I heard this on the radio a few times back then, but it doesn’t appear to have charted anywhere.

“My heart’s been cared for, my heart’s been used… it only makes me more confused…”

I’m really surprised this composition hasn’t been recorded by anybody else since 1992. Even though Ronna’s recording didn’t make waves, who’s to say that Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, or Jennifer Nettles wouldn’t have had a successful version, or maybe even let a pop singer that occasionally skirts country take a crack at it, like Kelly Clarkson, or Sheryl Crow. Perhaps somebody should put a bug in the ear of songwriters Karen Staley and Steven Dean that this classic cut should be shopped around again.

But until that happens, we invite all of our Dialophile friends to enjoy Ronna’s observations on the back-and-forth of love, and to rediscover this bouncy and fun forgotten track.

“Just when I’m sure I’ve gotten wise… that’s when I realize… the more I learn, the less I understand about love.”