TS: Rod Stewart's "Young Turks" vs. Robert Palmer's "Johnny & Mary"

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Two British soul-hacks discover the same new wave beat, tackling opposite ends of a "two lovers against the world" story. Allmusic says the latter inspired the former, but which do you prefer?

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Johnny & Mary 22
Young Turks 18


da croupier, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 16:45 (fifteen years ago)

this really boils down to happiest song in the world vs. saddest song in the world

da croupier, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 16:47 (fifteen years ago)

In high school I was seduced by someone who bought me the cassette containing one of these songs. SEE IF YOU CAN GUESS oh never mind.

T Bone Streep (Cave17Matt), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 16:47 (fifteen years ago)

"johnny & mary" by a mile.

and, um, neither one of these gentlemen was a hack.

fact checking cuz, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:03 (fifteen years ago)

"Young Turks" because I've loved it for many more years. Still the best example of old-guy-goes-New-Wave.

Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:07 (fifteen years ago)

Robert Palmer is so weird to me because while it's clear he was a hack, as a youth he wasn't even a remotely successful hack - so his breakthrough in the 80s had some kind of old-guy-makes-comeback vibe even though he'd never made a mark really in the first place

Dr. Morbius' Moist Deployment (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:12 (fifteen years ago)

i thought no more sneaking sally through the alley et al were fairly well-regarded, if not necessarily big sellers

Wishes he picked a cooler name. Fat. (will), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:15 (fifteen years ago)

well I guess SOMEbody bought Vinegar Joe albums but it sure wasn't anyone I knew

Dr. Morbius' Moist Deployment (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:16 (fifteen years ago)

He's what Bryan Ferry would have been had he no vision but considerable songwriting chops, an open mind and ear, and an ability to mix cocktails for Andy Taylor.

xpost

Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:16 (fifteen years ago)

hah that's an interesting parallel - def some similar iconography

Dr. Morbius' Moist Deployment (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:19 (fifteen years ago)

i.e., the jet-setting vacuous vampire gigolo lifestyle

Dr. Morbius' Moist Deployment (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:19 (fifteen years ago)

"Johnny And Mary" by a light year. ("Looking For Clues" would win by a light year too. Neither charted, fwiw. "Young Turks" is okay, though.)

xhuxk, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:20 (fifteen years ago)

Ferry wrote songs about/for a vision of himself, while Palmer, who WAS a jet-setting vacuous vampire gigolo, wrote all kinds of songs because he was bored.

Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:21 (fifteen years ago)

You make him sound so cool.

bamcquern, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:22 (fifteen years ago)

In the Andy Taylor autobiography (which, yeah, I've read), he describes Mick Jagger walking into the studio while recording She's The Boss next door, amazed by Palmer's chops (he was recording the vocal for "Some Like It Hot").

Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:25 (fifteen years ago)

This my first time hearing the Robert Palmer track - not bad. Was it popular in the US?

I've liked Young Turks since it came out, such a nice, wistful track. Easy vote for me.

Moodles, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:29 (fifteen years ago)

"Johnny & Mary" never hit the American top forty.

Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:31 (fifteen years ago)

But it was everywhere on free-form FM radio. Never recall hearing "Young Turks" on radio, just the video on MTV.

T Bone Streep (Cave17Matt), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:32 (fifteen years ago)

Must be why Young Turks is so much more familiar to me: I watched MTV way more than I listened to the radio.

Moodles, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:34 (fifteen years ago)

Also, I had a K-Tel collection with Young Turks on it.

Moodles, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:34 (fifteen years ago)

It depends on your top 40 market. I heard "Young Turks," "Passion," "Infatuation," "Some Guys Have All The Luck," (the first version of which was recorded by Palmer), and the rest, like, all the time.

Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:36 (fifteen years ago)

Me too. Infatuation is another great song. Lots of hot Jeff Beck licks on that one.

Moodles, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:37 (fifteen years ago)

"Johnny & Mary" never hit the American top forty.

Or even the Top 100. ("Young Turks" hit #5; there's really no comparison at all, as far as popularity is concerned.)

xhuxk, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:38 (fifteen years ago)

"Every Kinda People" and "Bad Case of Lovin' You" aside, Palmer couldn't get arrested on mainstream radio until the Power Station (MTV was another story).

Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 17:41 (fifteen years ago)

but hip FM stations were most definitely playing "sneaking sally thru the alley," "every kinda people," "best of both worlds" and some others. and by "hip" stations i mean the same ones that were playing bruce springsteen, who also couldn't get arrested on mainstream radio in those days. and van morrison. and the grateful dead. classic rock when it was current rock.

fact checking cuz, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 19:18 (fifteen years ago)

I love "Young Turks" an awful lot; the video was Pure Joy when I was a kid. It has a nice lyric too, apparently written by Stewart.

Euler, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 19:28 (fifteen years ago)

young heeeeeaaaaaaarts be freeeeeee tonight

imma sb (samosa gibreel), Tuesday, 20 April 2010 19:31 (fifteen years ago)

TS: "Some Guys Have All The Luck" Robert Palmer version vs. Rod Stewart version

(Answer: Palmer = awful. Stewart = One of his best '80s singles.)

Hideous Lump, Wednesday, 21 April 2010 00:09 (fifteen years ago)

rong

Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 01:04 (fifteen years ago)

Palmer's version is batshit in the best way.

Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 01:05 (fifteen years ago)

"Young Turks" because I've loved it for many more years. Still the best example of old-guy-goes-New-Wave.

These are both great tracks, but I'd take Alice Cooper's "Clones" or Phil Lynott's "Yellow Pearl" over both as far as established artist goes new wave.

Voted Palmer.

EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 21 April 2010 01:29 (fifteen years ago)

"Patti gave birth to a 10 pound baby boy" ftw

Bone Thugs-n-Carmody (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 01:45 (fifteen years ago)

BO-YO-YOYYY

Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 01:55 (fifteen years ago)

TS: "Some Guys Have All The Luck" Robert Palmer version vs. Rod Stewart version

I love both but I'll give the nod to Palmer. Wikipedia says stewart started using "the palmer-style arrangement" in concerts after Robert died but none of the youtubes i've seen show that, even the one where he pays tribute by covering "Addicted to love" right after it.

da croupier, Wednesday, 21 April 2010 02:03 (fifteen years ago)

Why do we need a poll when "Johnny & Mary" is by far the more superior cutting?

Brian Keno (King Boy Pato), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 02:06 (fifteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar_TeOWD5Yw

Stilted extemporaneous fake miming by ppl with makeup that gets you mocked at even a goth vlub

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ41hqlV0Kk

Richard O'Brien's beautiful reward of a mirror afterlife in which he is a choreographer of innocence

kissogram powers (Abbott), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 05:13 (fifteen years ago)

YOUNG TURKS BY A COUNTRY MILE!

<3 <3 <3

Aqua Backrat (ENBB), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 05:15 (fifteen years ago)

The R. Stewart joint is a glowing blossoming inner world and the R. Palmer joint is as exciting as the sound of the blinds closing

kissogram powers (Abbott), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 05:16 (fifteen years ago)

Stilted extemporaneous fake miming by ppl with makeup that gets you mocked

lol, but welcome to early 80s vids

#
rad3212001 My name is Gus. I am 43 years old. I weigh nearly 600 pounds. I have no family but my dog and job. I listen to this song, and imagine myself as a teenager with a fast car and a great girl

HAHAHAHA

fat mantis (Hunt3r), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 06:12 (fifteen years ago)

Adore Johnny & Mary and even spent quite some time a few years back desperately trying to figure out what it might after hearing a faint snippet in a bank lobby. That's maybe the perfect way to hear the song: just an aching, distant fragment, overheard by accident. It's easily one of my very favorite songs of its era & style. But the answer here has to be Young Turks. It's a goddam perfect song. I don't hear it often, thankfully, but whenever I do, I'm rooted in place until its over. And i don't think it's any less sad than J&M. It merely disguises its sadness by pretending that the temporary ecstasy of youth will last forever (i.e., I see it as a more subtle version of Alphaville's devastating Forever Young). Even when i was a kid, Young Turks made me want to weep for the loss of youth. Which maybe means I'm crazy, or a sap, but so be it.

contenderizer, Wednesday, 21 April 2010 07:25 (fifteen years ago)

johnny and mary, easily

Ward Fowler, Wednesday, 21 April 2010 07:32 (fifteen years ago)

j+m, even after being bastardized a dozen different ways on a dozen different renault clio adverts.

the big pink suede panda bear hurts (ledge), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 08:23 (fifteen years ago)

The line about how she gave birth to a 10lb baby boy led me to mishear the line about how he drove a pick up like a lunatic for years.

Mark G, Wednesday, 21 April 2010 09:40 (fifteen years ago)

good idea for a TS (so good i'm sure it was done). really would have to toss a coin. Young Turks maybe for being a bit more joyous.

mdskltr (blueski), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 11:15 (fifteen years ago)

da croupier nailed it in 2nd post

mdskltr (blueski), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 11:16 (fifteen years ago)

j+m so expertly constructed, all the different unassuming guitar and synth lines slowly slotting into place all the way through into the second verse.

the big pink suede panda bear hurts (ledge), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 11:22 (fifteen years ago)

Good thread:

Robert Palmer's "Johnny & Mary": C or D?

Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 11:23 (fifteen years ago)

... where i made almost exactly the same two posts i've done here.

the big pink suede panda bear hurts (ledge), Wednesday, 21 April 2010 11:26 (fifteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Sunday, 25 April 2010 23:01 (fifteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Monday, 26 April 2010 23:01 (fifteen years ago)

cool

dispariiiijjjj 'white ppl' (velko), Monday, 26 April 2010 23:14 (fifteen years ago)

and, um, neither one of these gentlemen was a hack.

i think the best of rs is will better than the best of rp, but i think that as whole rp is more listenable than rs.

^^^^also i support this poll result.

fat mantis (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 27 April 2010 02:18 (fifteen years ago)


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