Taking Sides: The Runaways & Del Shannon's "Runaway" VS Everything else ever

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The Runaways were the best band ever in theory, while "Runaway" is the best song ever in fact.

Merely a coincedence? I don't think so!

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 8 November 2002 22:26 (twenty-three years ago)

if the runaways had covered "RUNAWAY" the world would have ended

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 8 November 2002 22:28 (twenty-three years ago)

"Runaway Train" = dud

― wl (wl), Friday, 8 November 2002 22:34 (twenty-three years ago)

true, but we don't really name everything else that is a dud in relation to The Runaways & Del Shannon's smash hit "Runaway". We can all just agree that these are the tops. OK?

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 8 November 2002 22:38 (twenty-three years ago)

What about the Delfonics?

― Yancey (ystrickler), Friday, 8 November 2002 22:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Look, can't we all just just get along for once!

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 8 November 2002 22:44 (twenty-three years ago)

if we can unite behind my runaway coalition, and set aside all the partisan infighting I think we might be able to make some real progress.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 8 November 2002 22:48 (twenty-three years ago)

**********LAME JOKE************

But what about the runaway deficit spending?

― Yancey (ystrickler), Friday, 8 November 2002 22:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Was "Runaway" progabilly?

― Curt (cgould), Friday, 8 November 2002 22:49 (twenty-three years ago)

I've already declared "Little Town Flirt" the greatest song ever (and I stand by that assertion). Del Shannon OWNZ this board.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 8 November 2002 22:52 (twenty-three years ago)

we're edging toward consensus...

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 8 November 2002 23:01 (twenty-three years ago)

See also: *The Accidental Evolution of Rock 'n Roll,* pp 299-310 (or so). The Temptations "Runaway Child (Goin' Wild)," Sly Stone "Runnin' Away," Iggy Pop "Billy is a Runaway," Slade "Run Runaway," U-Roy "Runaway Girl," New York Dolls "Lonely Planet Boy" (which quotes Del Shannon's "Runaway" at the end), John Lydon saying "run aahhhh-way run aaaaah-way" in "Albatross" by PiL, Gino Soccio "Runaway," Pat Benatar "Invincible" (from the runaway movie *Billie Jean*), Flipper "Get Away," Bronski Beat "Smalltown Boy," John Cougar Mellencamp "Small Town," Girlschool "Nowhere to Run" and "Running Wild" and "Running For Cover," Supremes "Run Run Run," Velvet Underground "Run Run Run," Jo Jo Gunne "Run Run Run," all of Donna Summer's *Bad Girls* and Guns N Roses *Appetite for Destruction,* pretty much every hair metal song ever written, and so on and so forth, into eternity, amen.

― charles joseph eddy, Saturday, 9 November 2002 01:09 (twenty-three years ago)

you're right until begin to consider "little diane" by dion

all bets are now off

― adam b (adam b), Saturday, 9 November 2002 01:12 (twenty-three years ago)

What about "Walk Away Renee"?

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 9 November 2002 01:15 (twenty-three years ago)

too slow!

― charles joseph eddy, Saturday, 9 November 2002 01:48 (twenty-three years ago)

I think "everything else ever" wins this one.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Saturday, 9 November 2002 01:50 (twenty-three years ago)

and the runaways uk "classic tales" is still one of best lost gem hip-hop albums of the late 90's. especially the 2lp vinyl... seems like the cd has different tracks or something.

but damn... badass.
m.

― msp, Saturday, 9 November 2002 02:33 (twenty-three years ago)

you all are forgetting Bon Jovi's runaway. yes, hair metal was mentioned, but this track deserves special treatment.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Saturday, 9 November 2002 03:19 (twenty-three years ago)

that poor girl in the video maybe

― James Blount (James Blount), Saturday, 9 November 2002 03:24 (twenty-three years ago)

yes because jon was fucking one of the runaways at the time too. OOOOOOh, just a litell runaway

leading on to perhaps fallen Angel

― Queen G (Queeng), Saturday, 9 November 2002 10:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Argh, you just mentioned the song, and now I've got that bloody Ondioline (or whatever the fuck primitive keyboard it is) solo in my head. Run-run-run-run-run-runaway.

Had this on a Best Of Bubblegum compilation that ... goddmammit, where is it? I think my housemate in NYC stole it! Kill kill kill...

― kate st.crass, Saturday, 9 November 2002 12:25 (twenty-three years ago)

I think it's an electric violin, Kate.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Saturday, 9 November 2002 13:22 (twenty-three years ago)

NO, I remember reading some sort of studio making of notes, and it was definitely some kind of crazy keyboard. Wish I could remember where I read it, though, so I could confirm...

― kaet, Saturday, 9 November 2002 13:41 (twenty-three years ago)

You're right!

http://www.delshannon.com/runaway.htm

"The Musitron is a three-octive, monophonic (single-note playing) keyboard with a slide on it that will allow me to play at a range of two-cycles-per-second up to beyond human hearing. Also, I can bend the notes, which was something uncommon at the time for mini-keyboards ... I built the Musitron out of a variety of things. A clavioline was part of it, but I also threw in some resisters (too early for transistors), tubes from television sets, parts from appliances, and other such household items. That's basically what it consisted of."

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Saturday, 9 November 2002 14:02 (twenty-three years ago)

this is nice too: "Del Shannon took the very first single of 'Runaway' that was pressed back with him to Battle Creek where he presented it to his carpet store boss, Peter Vice, for allowing him to write "Runaway" on company time."

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Saturday, 9 November 2002 14:13 (twenty-three years ago)

I actually preferred the B-side, 'Jody,' over 'Runaway.' I love slow ballads and country music. 'Jody' was so good that we decided to name our third child after the song."

Awww!

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 9 November 2002 16:45 (twenty-three years ago)

I guess its covered by the hair-metal crack, but let's not forget Janie's Got A Gun. Ruuuuuun ruunn awayeeyaaaeeeyaaeeeyyaaeeyyeah!

I'm having a hard time thinking of another "Runaway" song that gave the act some horror.

Also, there's "Runaway Wind" by Paul Westerbeg. The lyrics are too silly-ly poetic by half, but instead of mourning or commenting on the runaway, he declares that he's her spark and that if she becomes the said "Runaway Wind" they'll burn us all down or something. In other words, he'll Clyde her Bonnie.

― Anthony Miccio, Sunday, 10 November 2002 00:23 (twenty-three years ago)

The Wildcat likes the 80's Michael Mann TV project "Crime Story." "Runaway" was the song in the opening credits. "Crime Story" is up their with "Miami Vice" in hour-long 80's greatness. It is also cool because Abel Ferrara did some work on the show. The star, Dennis Farina makes that lardass Dennis Franz on NYPD Blue eat his own feces.

I can also remember some 80's cover of "Runaway" by Luis Cardenas. It was on "Nick Rocks" often. He had the largest drum set in the Guiness Book of World Records too with a stupid tiger on a kick drum.

― wildcat wendell cooley, Sunday, 10 November 2002 05:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Del Shannon's 'Runaway' is one of the first few songs I remember hearing. When I was about 5 yrs old in the car on the way to my grans on a Sunday afternoon. And the car always had this horrible perfumey smell that made me feel ill and then that nauseating swirling solo would rise up and I'd turn green in the back seat. I fucking hated that song. Love it now though.

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Monday, 11 November 2002 14:10 (twenty-three years ago)

I actually preferred the B-side, 'Jody,' over 'Runaway.' I love slow ballads and country music. 'Jody' was so good that we decided to name our third child after the song."

What, it wasn't good enuf for kids 1 and 2?

― H (Heruy), Monday, 11 November 2002 14:15 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

Glad that all of you are loving Del Shannon and "Runaway" - let's not forget Dion's "Runaround Sue" and the Dixie Chicks "Ready To Run". Hey, "Runaway Bride"!

― Brian Young, Thursday, 11 November 2004 07:38 (twenty-one years ago)

"Runaway" is a great song, but I'd still choose everything else ever. :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 11 November 2004 16:47 (twenty-one years ago)

"The Streak"

― dave q (listerine), Thursday, 11 November 2004 16:51 (twenty-one years ago)

five years pass...

god this fucking song is just so amazing.

― insatiable appetite for cock (the table is the table), Friday, 12 February 2010 07:43 (sixteen years ago)

so sad!

― dog latin, Friday, 12 February 2010 10:53 (sixteen years ago)

two years pass...

I can't stop whistling it!!

― wolf kabob (ENBB), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 00:03 (thirteen years ago)

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