Podmaxxing

We’re lengthmaxxing this 95-minute episode! Billy Idol’s “Mony Mony” and The New Radicals’ “Get What You Give” compete in our thirteenth matchup of the Jacktical Magic tournament.

Amelia explains the concept of shopping malls to Cooper. Cooper makes a new frenemy. Amelia takes a daughter of the Iranian revolution to Universal CityWalk.

Which song is Jack FM vibemaxxing the hardest this week?

Your vote decides.

Cast Your Vote:  Each week, vote for the song you think has the most Jack FM vibes at instagram.com/jackticalmagic/

Call the Hotline: Tell us which song you think should win next week’s matchup. Leave a voicemail at (424) 666-1711.

Email Us: Send your Jack FM stories, questions, memories, or music anecdotes to jackticalmagic@gmail.com.

Theme Song: ‘Heavenly Pop Hit’ by The Chills. Used with permission.

Transcript

Amelia 0:10

Welcome to Jacktical Magic. A critical examination of North America's most baffling radio station, Jack FM. My name's Amelia Scannell, and I'm joined, as always, by my co-host, Cooper Willis.

Cooper 0:26

Hi, Amelia. That was a much more grammatically correct sentence.

Amelia 0:29

So Yeah, I was gonna I was gonna do the by always. But I kind of forgot what you had said. I thought it made sense right away.

Cooper 0:40

Well, that's just because we speak the same. We have that shorthand.

Amelia 0:44

We can just we know what we mean. We grew up in the womb together, so that's right. Yeah.

Cooper 0:50

But how how are you?

Amelia 0:52

I'm well. Um I got a lot to say about the song I uh researched. It's got a lot of fun stuff. If you don't have any little banter, uh I mean I can't it's like pulling teeth with you today. I'll uh I'll proceed. So let's get going. You want to do the recap?

Cooper 1:18

Sure thing. So for those of you who uh have been joining us, you might recall that we are doing a little tournament of 64 songs. It's a little bracket. We're trying to figure out which song has the biggest Jack FM vibes. We have 64 songs, 32 matchups. Last week, Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runner set the clashes should I stay or should I go packing? Today's matchup, our 13th matchup of the bracket. We got Mone Mone covered by Billy Idol versus you get what you give by The New Radicals.

Amelia 1:54

You had to say covered. You couldn't give you couldn't give Billy Idol his credit for nailing that song. I mean, I guess I'd that's fine. It's true. I mean, we've had covers before.

Cooper 2:08

And we didn't say covers. You're right, you're right. Okay, so Mony Mony by Billy Idol.

Amelia 2:13

That's okay. I mean, it is, I can't, it is a cover. It's just you're kneecapping Billy right off the bat.

Cooper 2:22

You're yeah.

Amelia 2:23

It's little underhanded.

Cooper 2:25

I'm showing my cards. I'm showing my cards. Um the only reason, and the only reason why, and I'm curious because in my research, I find that the version that I believe we're talking about is not only a cover, but also not a studio recording. Is this true? You know what?

Amelia 2:48

Yes. Okay.

Cooper 2:54

Right.

Amelia 2:55

But yes, there are, it's a little confusing, but there are a couple versions. Okay, so I'm gonna tell you about William Broad. He's from uh Stanmore, which is like a posh suburb of London. Okay, a Sloan Ranger, as they call themselves. Like Princess Diana before she became princess. You know how she just looked real preppy and shit? Yeah. Polo boots and things. That's that's them.

Cooper 3:24

This whole town.

Amelia 3:26

I mean, it it's it's kind of an affluent suburb of London. Yeah.

Cooper 3:29

They go on fox hunts?

Amelia 3:31

Hmm, yeah, sure.

Cooper 3:33

That's my measurement for how wealthy something is.

Amelia 3:36

If they no, they probably they probably do more like Pakistani hunts. Oh, cool. Yeah, they're probably yeah, they're probably not the friendliest groups. So William, when he's like a little teen, he joins the Bromley contingent. And the Bromley Contingent is an influential crew of Sex Pistols fans who go to all their shows. They're very style and fashion forward. They're kind of like early Vivian Westwood clads, safety pins, torn clothing. Speaking of sellouts, Vivian Westwood.

Cooper 4:13

So I don't know who Vivian Westwood is. Enlighten me.

Amelia 4:16

A very famous designer, but like uh an uh an Alexander McQueen. More of the the kind of newish, not classic couture. You got the old shit. What's the plaid one? Burberry. Yeah, Burberry. You got Chanel, you got, I don't know. I just know them from I couldn't pick some out. I could pick out Vivian Westwood. It's just punk looking. It's like it's like uh Tartan and Kilt and Doc Martin's. Uh she turned that into high-end fashion. Right. So these kids looked real cool. They looked, they looked how you would think a group of British punks would look. And they were they were part of the shows themselves. The Sex Pistols were the concert, and then you had this group of little clicky shitheads who made everybody feel excluded and stuff. Well, Billy was in that.

Cooper 5:17

Okay.

Amelia 5:18

And it was like a tight scene. You you belonged or you didn't. And the music, it was secondary. They were just scensters. Sure. And yeah. Like they're juggalos without the kindness and the now you're speaking by language. Yes, right? They're the without the mutual aid and the sense of family. Right. I'm pro-juggalos.

Cooper 5:41

Yeah. Let it be let it be said, this podcast, pro juggalo.

Amelia 5:46

Yeah, right? They're sweethearts.

Cooper 5:48

You're safe here.

Amelia 5:49

Yeah.

Cooper 5:49

You guys are safe here.

Amelia 5:50

I feel like I could go to a concert and they would be. I feel like I'd be home. I don't I don't know a single thing about Insane Clown Posse, but I feel like the juggalos are great people. So anyway. Billy eventually wanted to make music of his own. He started a band called Generation X. He found a book in his mother's bookshelf called Generation X. It is, we're talking mid-70s. So the Gen X that we know would have been like at the oldest, maybe 10. So we weren't calling them slackers and shit yet. Generation X did not mean the Generation X that we are we now know. Billy just picked it. So it was like a little pop punk band, but it also had a little a touch of pop. And not like in a bad they they just weren't noise. They Billy liked Billy liked the stones. He liked the Beatles. Of course, he liked the Sex Pistols, but the songs were a little, they weren't bad. It was catchy and it was pop, but it wasn't pop punk.

Cooper 6:58

Okay.

Amelia 6:59

It was just good sounding punk.

Cooper 7:01

Melodies. Hooks.

Amelia 7:03

They were the first punk bands to go on Top of the Pops, it's which is like a huge show where all the great bands go on and you made it. They it's it's Ed Sullivan.

Cooper 7:15

Right. It's there, Ed Sullivan.

Amelia 7:17

Yeah. I don't know who the host is, but I can guarantee you he's more charismatic.

Cooper 7:23

Yeah. If he's a plank of wood, he's more charismatic than he's got more charisma.

Amelia 7:29

And I'm assuming it was a guy, but yeah.

Cooper 7:31

How long was that show on? Was that show from like the 60s or it's still on to today?

Amelia 7:38

Everybody's on it. Oh yeah. I swear.

Cooper 7:40

Graham Norton's gotta be involved somehow now.

Amelia 7:43

I don't know why, because he's he's got his own shit to do.

Cooper 7:47

Yeah, but he's like he's their he's he's their John Carson, kind of. He's just their like host guy.

unknown 7:54

Yeah.

Cooper 7:55

He's been around forever, it feels like.

Amelia 7:57

A lot. He's just so good at getting these little conversations going.

Cooper 8:01

You know who's the best at that for us? Byron Allen. Who's Byron Allen? Byron Allen from the host of Comics Unleashed that comes on after all those shows.

Amelia 8:11

Oh boy, he's very good at setting up not conversations so much as setups to let comedians do a bit.

Cooper 8:21

Yeah, it's it's one of my favorite formats because it's clear that he has just been given the prompt for what he has to say. But he tries to make it. There's four comics, and he is the host, the moderator, I don't know. But yeah, when he throws to somebody new, he's like, so you ever go grocery shopping with your grandma? Just a normal thing to say to another human that is definitely not a prompt.

Amelia 8:49

Do y'all have have you been to an exotic pet store uh lately?

Cooper 8:53

Who's man? Exotic pet stores, though. You and I. We can't yet.

Amelia 9:01

We got too much to talk about this episode.

Cooper 9:04

Okay, yeah. You're you're right. This is a real teaser.

Amelia 9:07

Promise, when we have a slow day, I will tell everyone the pet store story. So anyway, it's like that Colin Quinn show on Comedy Central, or like the old politically incorrect where it was two chairs facing two chairs, and he would stand in the middle, kind of leaning on a desk or something. That's what Byron Allen did, right?

Cooper 9:29

Yeah. Or does he? Is it still around? Oh, it's still around. Byron Allen owns the weather channel and outstanding. Yeah. They're on the weather. So he does he hosts Comics Unleashed, and then there's like a fake America's Funniest Videos, but then they're on the weather channel late at night. There's funniest weather bloopers, which is a great. He's like, I'm a comedian, and I have to figure out a way to get funny on the weather channel. So just some good old-fashioned weather bloopers.

Amelia 10:00

Awesome. I didn't know this about him.

Cooper 10:02

He's a most I will I promise I will let you get back to it, but I do want to say it is funny to me these last couple weeks. These episodes where I was not excited about them at all are just rich with information.

Amelia 10:19

Exactly. Yes. I don't know. The the big songs, I kind of want to go on vibes and opinions, and and I don't like this show, doesn't set out to do research on an artist, but it informs the Jack FM-ness of it. And and my and my defensive Billy I or my ultimate uh opinion on the who's got the most Jack FM vibes, they come from research of both of these songs. Yes. And so I I I will back my shit up, but and you will too. Yeah, so as the first punk band on Top of the Pops, care to take a guess at how punks felt about this?

Cooper 11:10

I'm guessing they were gung-ho and all for it, and said, We love to see our mates doing so well.

Amelia 11:18

They're biggest cheerleaders. Uh I did look up, I did look up bands that punks do not consider sellouts. The number one is Fugazi.

Cooper 11:30

I was just gonna say probably Fugazi.

Amelia 11:33

Uh I've heard the word never knew they were punk, or I thought they were maybe like a 2000s, not like pavement or built of spill, but I thought they were just a super indie, hard rock indie.

Cooper 11:46

But okay.

Amelia 11:48

Then minor threat. Okay. And then it's debatable, but dead Kennedys and Black Flag.

Cooper 11:56

Okay, yeah.

Amelia 11:58

They're cool with they get they still get respect. Especially Fugazi.

Cooper 12:03

Fugazi sounds like something that Tony Soprano might say. Give me some Fugazi. What does give everybody everybody on the street talking to Fugazi over here? It's Fugazi Bunts.

Amelia 12:14

Uh the I I don't know. I Fugazi. So anyway, they did a few appearances on Top of the Pops. They had a few good songs. Billy was getting the attention though. It was kind of a Harry Styles, Justin Timber-like situation where the band was still going on, and there was one of them looking for a way out. When are you gonna ditch these 30-year-old fatties and go on your own? These guys are in the back for a reason. Billy he moved to New York. Generation X, for all intents and purposes, is over. He got Bill Acoi ne, who was the manager of KISS. Now you know how cool and special and unique KISS looks. They're literally, well, not literally, but they're superheroes. They're comic space gods or something. I don't know what their lore is.

Cooper 13:16

But yeah, we got a demon, we got a cat ping a cat, the other guy.

Amelia 13:21

What's the other guy? The part I think it's just lines. Like just just like baseball picture lines or something.

Cooper 13:28

Oh. He's like the Michael Collins of KISS.

Amelia 13:32

Who's Michael Collins? Oh, the astronaut, yes.

Cooper 13:36

The astronaut who had to stay back from the moon. Like there's four people, and we can name three of them by their makeup, but we have no idea what the last guy is.

Amelia 13:47

Yeah.

Cooper 13:49

I think he has- Or is Ace Freeling not the star child?

Amelia 13:54

I don't know. I think he's the star child. Gene is the demon. Uh, who had Back in the New York Groove? Oh, that's good. Great song, but who had it?

Cooper 14:11

The other guy just c kind of looks like the Ultimate Warrior.

Amelia 14:14

Doesn't Gene look like the Ultimate Warrior?

Cooper 14:16

No. Gene's got Jean's Gene's makeup goes up, and the other guy's just like centered. The other guy really looks like the Ultimate Warrior.

Amelia 14:25

Oh, okay. I thought he had geometric rectangles on his face. Maybe I'm thinking of the cat. Like as whispered. The cat, the cat definitely has that. That's the whisper. Okay. Yeah. Okay. My uh brother's best friend and well, they're a married couple. They went on a Kiss Cruise. They got tattoos on the cruise. They loved it. It was so fun. Good for them. I love that they're into shit. If I were married and childless and what is that called? Dual income.

Cooper 14:56

Um no kids. A dink.

Amelia 14:58

Dinks. I'd be going on cruises with shit. I would live on a boat. Okay, so this Bill a coin. He can market people. He created the Billy Idol persona, the the snarled lip, the blonde spiky hair, the the jewelry, the sleeveless jackets and vests, and just Billy Idol. That's him. He also partnered him up with a guy named Steve Stevens, who is a really talented hair metal guitarist. He's got a lot of flair. And together, uh Billy's punk style and Steve's arena rock style was a just a partnership made in heaven. These guys got along like gangbusters.

Cooper 15:49

Okay.

Amelia 15:50

But Billy was the name. Like Wham, or I mean Wham was the name, but George Michael was George Michael didn't ever ditch that other guy. He just he just kind of went solo, but never stopped paying him and working with him. He he just kept that guy. But yeah, like or Daryl Hall and John Oates, which they've been in a big fight the last few years because Daryl thought he was the lead, and John Oates was just like a guest on every album.

Cooper 16:21

Right. That's sad. Yeah, especially it's in the name, Daryl. You are supposed to be a partnership.

Amelia 16:29

Well, it was never Hall and Oates. It was always Daryl Hall and John Oates. I don't understand what Daryl's problem is. He's had to have they had to be personal friends in some way.

Cooper 16:41

Yeah.

Amelia 16:42

Okay, so Billy and Steve, great little partnership. Billy puts out his first EP called Don't Stop. That album includes the songs Dancing with Myself, which was originally a Generation X song, but you know, since he wrote it, he he used it, used it again.

Cooper 17:04

Sure.

Amelia 17:05

And then it had the and then it had Mony Mony on it as well. Now, Mony Mony is a Tommy James and the Shandells song from 1968. Shondell's, you know him. Hanky Panky, as in My Baby Does It. Crystal Blue Persuasion. Crimson and Clover. And I think we're alone now. Remember that one, audience, listeners. Okay. Mony Mony. Tommy James wrote it. He needed a memorable word that really didn't mean anything. He was writing, he looks out his window and sees the Mutual of New York building with like a big red lit up sign that says M-O-N-Y. That's how we got it. It's hilarious to think that a songwriter lived in a Manhattan high-rise, but good for him.

Cooper 18:00

Yeah. This is that period of the late 60s where there's still a big divide in music. You have the Beatles and the counterculture happening. And the rest of music is still trying to hold on to that weird late 50s kind of thing, like do I did it? Like that kind of vibe. Yeah, Tommy James and the Chandels are kind of right in the middle of that with things like hanky panky. You know, I think Hang on Sloopy was still popul. Like it's so weird to think about that happening at the same time as Sgt. Pepper. It seems like that must have been before.

Amelia 18:38

And Mooni Moni was kind of late. By the time of Moni Moni or Crimson and Clover and Crystal Blue Persuasion, they had the Nehru jackets, they had the long hair, but making songs like Moni Moni, which Mony Moni is fantastic. I don't give a shit what version you're talking about. I love Mona Moni.

Cooper 18:59

It's cool song.

Amelia 19:01

It's so good. Love the background singers. Love the breakdown. Billy's version of Moni Moni is fantastic, but it was overshadowed by the next album that came out within the same year, which is Billy Idol's first full album, his first LP. Okay. That had White Wedding. Wow. That had another one of his big ones. Then we're gonna skip several years of success. You know Billy. You know all of his hits. He was a huge MTV guy. Like he the 80s were his. Now Billy's on his Whiplash Smile tour. Whiplash Smile was an album uh just peak Billy.

Cooper 19:50

Okay.

Amelia 19:50

Height of his career. He's on tour. His tour's huge. Arenas, sellout. The record company gets a professional crew to film a concert just for promotional material. Like a TV commercial would come on and like Billy Idol coming. Maybe fourth, fifth, and sixth. Whatever. Yeah. And they filmed this concert in Dallas. Now, that Dallas show, I don't know if it was because of the cameras, or I don't know if this was an everyday occurrence for a Billy Idol concert, but that crowd was fucking raucous. You had you had Billy doing his shit, just the crowd eaten out of his hand. You had Steve Stevens, white leather jacket, no shirt, tight white leather pants, just doing the best guitar moves. You know that like windmill?

Cooper 20:44

Mm-hmm.

Amelia 20:46

Is that what it's called? How you like the Pete Townsend?

Cooper 20:49

Yeah.

Amelia 20:50

Yeah. Like you hit the strings after going a full swing. The Don Quixote. Um and then he's got like big long hair metal curly hair. He's like a cool slash and a fun slash. So it's arena rock to the max. They were they were arena maxing, as the kids say. They were crowd maxing. Okay, so now, audience, this is amazing what I'm about to tell you. The live version of Money Money was released, and the song it knocked out, Cooper, what do you know what song it knocked out of the number one spot?

Cooper 21:31

This is what year?

Amelia 21:34

November of 87. The the concert was filmed in summer of 87.

Cooper 21:41

Is Madonna? No, I don't I don't know.

Amelia 21:43

Uh it was a Tiffany song called I Think We're Alone Now. Oh you know who wrote I Think We're Alone Now?

Cooper 21:53

Oh my god. That what okay, so yes, Tommy James wrote I Think We're Alone. No. That's wild. That's crazy.

Amelia 22:03

It's the only time ever that a cover was beaten by a cover of the same artist. What a what a in what an insane musical thing. What a cosmic kiss.

Cooper 22:19

I wonder what that felt like for Tommy Jane to know that he had.

Amelia 22:24

He was he was dining out on that shit. You know it.

Cooper 22:27

When when those songs came out, were they even top of the charts? His songs, like the original groups?

Amelia 22:33

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They sure were. Yeah, Tommy James, they did great. And there are wild stories about Tommy James' career that I would love to get into someday. It's a bummer, and it involves the New York five family mob wars. Yeah.

Cooper 22:53

Oh.

Amelia 22:54

He's like caught in the middle.

Cooper 22:56

So wait, did you say that this it knocked it out of like number one? Like it went to number a live version of Moni Moni went to number one.

Amelia 23:06

Tiffany was number one, and then when Moni Moni was released, that beat Tiffany for the number one spot. Now like I said, that is some sort of cosmic kiss. That is that's kiss maxing, if if you ask me. But time out, let's go back a few months. Okay. Tiffany, she was gaining quite a fan base from all of her mall tours. That's when you send an artist literally to shopping malls, they put on a free concert in like the food court, or like those that part where like all four of the concourses split off, and there's like a fountain or something. You know, malls.

Cooper 23:52

Yeah, I've been to the mall. But you go ahead, explain malls a little bit more.

Amelia 23:57

So a mall is like an indoor main street where a community would go to shop, but it was, you know, built around car culture, huge parking lots, people could park and come to the basically an indoor main street.

Cooper 24:16

And blowing my mind right now.

Amelia 24:18

It was a place where you could get the latest fashions. Teenagers and youth would love it. They loved the malls. They had their latest fashions. You go to the arcade. They had food courts, which is like a main street for food. Right. Sometimes they had little teen concerts.

Cooper 24:41

Sometimes sometimes the turtles came out of their shelves at a mall. I saw the turtles come out of their shelves.

Amelia 24:47

Yes, pizza power. You know, sometimes they're multi-level, they have escalators, they have elevators, they have skylights to let in sunlight. It's basically an indoor main street. I think that was how they originally planned it. Almost like uh what Montreal's got going underneath, underground. Right. Uh and Tiffany was gaining a lot of fans, quite a fan base with these mall tours. But her first single, Danny, not a hit. DJ's new, all right, this isn't much, but she's got, I think we're alone now on the album. They started playing that. And Billy's record company, The Suits, they saw the momentum of Tiffany and Tiffany's song. So you would think Billy's, you know, Billy's record company would sign their own teenage girl and send her on mall tours. But no, their thought process was the public must be hungry for Tommy James covers.

Cooper 25:49

So they're not thinking the teeny girl has anything to do with it. It's the source material.

Amelia 25:56

It's it's they figured these teenagers loved this late 60s bridge from 60s pop to psychedelic raw. Yeah. This is what the audience, this is what the public wanted. Well, they didn't need that promo material anymore from the Billy concert. They got what they needed out of it. So they dusted that shit off and released Monim. They rushed it out, and I'll be damned, it worked. Number one.

Cooper 26:28

That's crazy.

Amelia 26:30

The the public truly was hungry for Tommy James covers.

Cooper 26:34

Yeah. Poor Madonna got stuck with doing a turtles cover, and they were like, it didn't work. Nobody wants the turtles. It was Tommy James. Those guys are right.

Amelia 26:45

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Michael Jackson tried to get a small faces song off the ground. Anyway. And so, so really that cosmic kiss was kind of reverse-engineered. Well, I mean, it's pretty amazing that Moni Moni went number one, but I gotta go back a little further and then we're we're wrapping it up. Billy's 1982 version of Moni Moni, the one on that little EP, that in the meantime had been inspiring an unofficial chant, you know, started in clubs or spread to frat parties and other clubs. Uh the the chant is explicit. Uh, there are a lot of versions existing, but I think that I think that hey, say what, get laid, get fucked is the one that works the best. There are some that are like, hey, you get laid, get fucked. I think hey, say what, get laid, get fucked really works. Kind of like a cheer.

Cooper 27:52

Well, and you didn't say, but it's happening in that like two measures of music between each other, like, here she comes now, and more, money, hey, say what.

Amelia 28:05

Yeah. It's happening on that bump, bump, bump, bump. And yes, schools all over the country were banning it, like high school dances. They were banning it because the kids would absolutely say that during the song. And you know where it wasn't banned was that Dallas stadium full of 20,000 fans. And that picked up on the recording of Money Moni.

Cooper 28:31

On the live version that's on the radio?

Amelia 28:34

Yes. They had to hide it in very weird way. Like it was, it was not even like you could hear it. It was like a physical force. This audience was like, I I I can't imagine it had to have been a force of nature coming into the speakers or microphone. Things don't go into speakers, they come out of speakers. And so the engineers had to kind of like a little warble the crowd. So it just kind of sounds like this homogeneous, wow, I still remember how the crowd sounds in NBA jam. It's like hurrh!

Cooper 29:14

And uh that was very accurate. That brought me right back.

Amelia 29:20

They pumped up Steve's guitar. So the the live version you hear, you cannot hear the audience say it. They like removed little consonants of places where it spiked. Sure. And so if people had a problem, they were just like, ma'am, they're just they're just saying woo. I don't know what ma'am, I don't hear it. They were gaslighting. They were they were gas maxing.

Cooper 29:50

I'm gonna episode is max maxing.

Amelia 29:53

But I know what you're thinking. This Dallas concert, I bet the album, I bet that live album sold millions. No. No, it didn't, because there is no live album.

Cooper 30:05

It's just this one recording.

Amelia 30:07

It's this one recording that the record companies put it out on a reissue of Vital Idol. Now that was a remix album of Billy's songs. Billy put it out two years prior. It was, you know, it was for fans, but it didn't light the world on fire. So the record company was like, well, this didn't really sell that much. So let's just reissue it and put the song that everyone wants, just stick it on that album. So they reissued it, and you had to buy that one in order to get your Money Moni live version. Back then, apparently, they were trying to sell CDs. CDs were really kind of like the THX beginning, where they just want to prove that they sound good. Like CDs would want just really clean sounds. Back then, live albums just kind of seemed like a losers thing to do. I I mean it seems counterintuitive, but especially when you got you got a tiger by the tail, or you got this whole concert that people loved.

Cooper 31:16

But anyway. Well, I'm curious, did they actually have more recordings from that concert, or was it just they happen to have this?

Amelia 31:24

They've they recorded the whole concert and they they did not record that concert thinking Moaning Moaning is going to be the single. They didn't do that until Tiffany, until somebody caught her at the mall. Um let's move on to the early 90s. You know, people weren't sick of him yet. Uh in 91, he got into a really bad motorcycle accident. He broke a leg and they might have had to amputate. This caused him to miss out on playing the bad guy in T2 Judgment Day, a role that James Cameron wrote specifically for him.

Cooper 32:03

Oh, he'd be a cool T1000.

Amelia 32:05

Oh, yeah, T1000, that's his name. I remember all kinds of characters' names, but I never remember like what is the Arnold Schwarzenegger character named?

Cooper 32:13

Uh T100? He's uh he's definitely he's definitely low T. Yeah. Compared to the T1000.

Amelia 32:21

He needs he needs to T-Max. Oh boy. Just before the accident, his album Charmed Life came out, which was kind of the last pure Billy album. Okay, and since that just came out, he had time to recover. So while Billy was recovering, he bought himself a Macintosh computer. And this was this was like '92 or '93. And he was seeing, you know, the internet. He was getting on the world wide web, and he made an album completely on his Mac using early digital tools and internet noises and just sounds, and he called it Cyberpunk. And he was actually the first artist to put his website on the back of his album. And this was so like ahead of its time. He would market it in message boards and hacker groups, and he was being completely made fun of by the actual cyberpunks. They were like you're a poser cyberpunk. So apparently, it's not just normal punks who are intolerant of phonies. The cyberpunks are right up there with them. There are there's no punks that are there's no there's no punks seeker, please. That are kind.

Cooper 33:56

That's funny. Don't even get me started on the steampunks.

Amelia 34:00

Oh my god. Do you know about Toothom's Chocolate Emporium?

Cooper 34:05

No. Okay. Why is this something that I should know about?

Amelia 34:11

Uh well, it's this, it's this, okay, so it's this restaurant, it's a theme restaurant in Universal City Walk. There is one in Florida, and there's one here in LA.

Cooper 34:25

Okay.

Amelia 34:26

Uh couple years ago, before transitioning, I was dating this wonderful Persian girl. Her name was. We had some amazing dates. I think, I think we first started because I had a Palestinian flag on my profile, which back then you had to, you had to friggin' know. If you knew, you knew. People would ask me, like, what flag is that? Are you where are you from? I'd be like, no, that's a Palestinian flag. So we went on two or three great dates. We were having a great time. I I could see a future with her. So I decided to introduce her to one of my favorite pastimes, which is doing things ironically. And I made us reservations at Toothom's Chocolate Emporium. Now, this is a steampunk-themed restaurant where everything on the menu contains chocolate. They have cork tenderloin with chocolate.

Cooper 35:29

Okay.

Amelia 35:30

They have a pasta with chocolate, they have a hamburger with chocolate. And you know they have desserts and drinks, but we went.

Cooper 35:38

No, I think it'd be better if they just didn't have those things. Like, no, we don't have desserts.

Amelia 35:43

Like, you have to eat your chocolate in uh in these other foods, but we don't have just we feel we feel like we'd be gilding the lily if we did chocolate desserts.

Cooper 35:55

They'd be selling out for the steampunks.

Amelia 35:57

We'd be chocolate maxing, and we don't want to, we don't want to be doing that.

Cooper 36:00

Gotta get out of this maxing somehow.

Amelia 36:05

I meet her there, and I can already tell she's like, what the fuck is going on here? Her now, her parents, and I learned this maybe two dates ago, that her parents were rebels in the 70s Iranian revolution. And her parents were friends with Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, and we were totally socialist, like kindred spirits. And she did not find the humor in a theme restaurant in Universal City Walk.

Cooper 36:47

Sure.

Amelia 36:48

She could not have been less happy that day. So we wrap it up. I walk her to her car in the Jurassic parking lot, and she dumps me right there.

Cooper 37:03

Hey, game recognized game. Fair as fair.

Amelia 37:07

Don't take anyone to Tucsom's Chocolate Emporium.

Cooper 37:12

Unless you are 100% sure they are on the same ironic spectrum as you.

Amelia 37:19

I okay, so I was thinking like this would be a fun, late-stage, capitalist, dystopian experience where like they have a person in a robot costume, a steampunk robot, come and greet diners, and they didn't come, they didn't come to our table.

Cooper 37:36

That could have made all the difference.

Amelia 37:38

Yeah, that might have helped. Costume characters are great wingmen. They're always real good at livening shit up. Uh uh, it's a beautiful, it's so beautifully designed. Uh, the inside of Tusom's. It's an open circular floor plan. Like you're dining along a tower, along the outside of a tower. And there's screens of flying machines and hot air balloons, and there's gears turning. It's so cool. But also fucked up City Walk restaurant. Oh, they even have a okay, you know those army killer robots that look like dogs, they go really fast and are scary as hell. I think there was a black mirror about them.

Cooper 38:24

Um terrifying.

Amelia 38:26

They have one of those out in front dressed like a steampunk robot dog. That's how fucked. They're using defense weaponry as mascots. This food was not.

Cooper 38:39

That's right next to the bubble gums.

Amelia 38:41

Yes, it's it's yeah. And the food wasn't good, but and it got me dumped. Uh so where was I? Okay, cyberpunks, steampunks. Um but anyway, he's alive and well. He still plays with Steve Stevens. Uh, he stopped doing drugs, he's fucking fit. He's been body maxing, and that's a real one. Body maxing is real.

Cooper 39:12

That's the real one.

Amelia 39:14

He looks great. He this isn't a boy George Robert Smith situation where they're they've doubled in size, but are still putting on makeup. Um the he he looks great, he sounds great. Um, and the last thing is, like I said, he had a band in 1976 called Generation X, and he had an album in 1993 called Cyberpunk. Neither of those terms were commonly used when he came out with those things. The key has great timing. They let's see. Uh yeah, uh Generation X was not uh a common in common use until the you know, until Generation X got old enough and became the reality bites kind of thing. And Cyberpunk is like a series of sci-fi novels, but like sci-fi wasn't mainstream at that time. So like he's got great instincts. And he was the first to sell t-shirts and merchandise that said generation X on it. So he holds the trademark for all clothing that says generation X on it. You can't get a Generation X t-shirt without going through Billy first.

Cooper 40:41

Wow. Next time I see those Generation X shirts at Cole's, I'll remember that money is going straight to Billy's pockets.

Amelia 40:50

Yep. But not really, because I made that up. I made that thing up about the trademark.

Cooper 40:57

Um sorry. Okay.

Amelia 41:01

Yeah, I was goofmaxing, and I'm sorry. We we have a responsibility to our listeners, and I apologize. That's all I got. Billy Idol, I think he's great. He's so interesting. I'll save my opinions about its Jack FM qualities for later.

Cooper 41:22

Okay.

Amelia 41:23

I'm actually glad we didn't go into commercial or go into break because we're kind of getting low on those bumpers.

Cooper 41:30

Well, and at this point, the show's over. We're at an hour and seven minutes already.

Amelia 41:38

Um, we're gonna make a super.

Cooper 41:39

So that's been our show. Uh we we'll maybe we split this one up. This will be a cliffhanger episode. I think it's funny because Money Money is written at this time where everybody wants to talk about sex and they have to come up with dumb words to describe it. It's funny that you know Billy Idol's first song, Dancing with Myself, is the rumor is that it's about masturbation. And he loves the song Money Money, and I did read that his affection for it is because of some losing his virginity in a park or something when he was 14. So it's funny that it's just this private memory sexual encounter. It's really endured the radio, the airwaves for so many years, thinking somebody popping the cherry. Little Billy popping his cherry.

Amelia 42:36

And I think we're alone now. I heard that that is about Tommy James and his like he had a crude sex doll, like a 60s sex doll. And he would he sang that song to it.

Cooper 42:49

Is that true? Are you goofmaxing again?

Amelia 42:52

I'm goofmaxing on that one.

Cooper 42:54

Uh yeah. Yeah, I do think that Crimson and Clover is legitimately such a sexy, cool song. It kind of feels like they can finally let go a little bit. Everybody else is doing it. They don't have to sing Moni Moni.

Amelia 43:12

No, it is a fuck song for sure. I love it.

Cooper 43:16

Like you said, we'll save our opinions for later, but here we have a cover. It's not our first cover, but this is our first live performance in the bracket. And it's interesting that this song had a second life, and this is already this is the second life of that second life. Yeah. And it goes to number one, it's a song that's really truly about nothing. I mean, it's about boning, but it's a with a goofy title. So yeah, it's uh but it is a great song, and you're right. There it's a wonderful song, it's gets me pumped, and yeah.

Amelia 44:00

So uh what version of those three versions, what's your favorite?

Cooper 44:07

I would probably still go with uh Tommy James's, but Tommy James really gets a party going, but like it's it's loose and good. I I agree. It just has that same something about that 60s energy feels more I don't know, authentic for when you're getting the party going.

Amelia 44:30

Yeah, like like you can tell it's definitely recorded together in studio. Um I personally I think the I think the 90 1982 Billy Idol version is like very good. The live version I like the least, honestly. Uh but it is the most uh popular one. And um no, I love like I love the Tommy James. I think my favorite is the 1982 first version from Billy.

Cooper 45:08

Is the 87 one only as popular as it is because of the loot chanting? Like, is that something that had been building since 82 to 87? So by the time that song hits, everybody's uh familiar with what to do. Like it's a you know sweet Caroline thing, but uh much more crude.

Amelia 45:31

Sweet Caroline, the bum bum bum is so cringe.

Cooper 45:35

Oh yes, it's cringy.

Amelia 45:37

It's cringe, it's a jester. It's it's cringe maxing. You knew that was coming.

Cooper 45:44

I was gonna say it, but yes.

Amelia 45:46

Yeah, uh, you say it. It's cringe. It's it's a jester.

Cooper 45:52

It's cringe maxing. Yes, it is. It certainly is. But I'm sure that you know that song gained popularity both from people wanting to shout that dumb shit. Yeah is that the same thing? Is that the same case with Moni Moni Live?

Amelia 46:18

What do you mean, is it the same case? I don't know how I don't know how Sweet Caroline, I don't know how that shit started.

Cooper 46:25

But I'm saying Sweet Caroline was probably popular when it came out. It is now much more popular because people want to do that dumb shit.

Amelia 46:34

Yeah.

Cooper 46:34

Did the 87 Money Money really only go off because people wanted to do chant the loot shit?

Amelia 46:42

I don't know, like no. I mean, uh of his, I'm sure it's like in the let's I would say top six or seven most popular Billy Idol songs. So at the concert, it's gonna it's gonna be great. Plus, I have not I like I'm learning through this podcast the power of clubs, the power of like club music. So like people, these these weren't just obscure little mixing electronic sounds. They DJs people went to clubs and DJs played great music and it had a life outside of radio, outside of MTV. Um even in Dallas. But why is what is it about the bop bop bah that is so chooggy, so cringe.

Cooper 47:39

I mean I don't know, it's just it always it feels very I don't know when that started. I feel like the first time I remember it was maybe in like Fever Pitch or something, like it feels very that era Boston Red Sox um like they would do it.

Amelia 48:06

Um no, at my sister's wedding, which came out before I think Fever Pitch came out in 2004. I know because we watched it several times a week. Johnny Damon, greatest ass in the league. No, no, Nanette. I would never see that play. Uh Johnny Damon Carl Yes Remsky. I bet. Yeah. This means nothing. Nathan Lane.

Cooper 48:40

Nathan Lane, my uh fever pitch.

Amelia 48:42

This is Fever Pitch is my favorite romantic comedy.

Cooper 48:45

Oh it's the best. We watched it so much.

Amelia 48:48

It's very funny. But anyway, my sister got married in 2002, and they fucking bowled that shit at the wedding, at the reception.

Cooper 49:02

Yeah, I don't know what it is either.

Amelia 49:05

In Dallas.

Cooper 49:06

So maybe Dallas.

Amelia 49:10

I can't get enough of Chugi ass. No. The the the Billy Idol one. The mony money's not shoogy. That's not that's not great. That's pretty crazy.

Cooper 49:24

Um what's the uh what's the other famous one? The Margaritaville. There's a Margaritaville one. That's like where's the salt? Where's the goddamn salt? Yeah. I gotta find out where it's a good one.

Amelia 49:40

I also don't like the I also don't like the the additions to Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Like a light bulb.

Cooper 49:52

Yeah. You know what I mean? If yeah, if artists wanted other parts in a song, they would have added them. Like why who are these people who are like, we need to add something? I I as a listener can't just sit here and enjoy this song for two minutes. I have to add, I have to contribute to it. These friggin' Dallas narcissists. I bet you it's all it's all Dallas.

Amelia 50:21

It's very white privilege. It reeks of white privilege. Did I read like a BuzzFeed article about Gen Z?

Cooper 50:30

Well, reeking of white privilege is actually a great place to leave off for our next segment. If we want to take a quick break and come right back. Let's do so. Alright. When we get back, I'm gonna discuss the new radicals. You get what you give. If you think that this is just another radio station, then you don't know Jack. And we're back. Alright. Okay, so the new radicals, Greg Alexander. It's really just him. He's a man of many hats, but specifically one bucket hat. Bucket it kind of ruined bucket hats for me because I don't really like I never liked looking at this album cover. I never something about him I just always kind of detested.

Amelia 51:20

Yeah. Even Jamiraquai was take off that fucking hat.

Cooper 51:24

That's Maud Thang Might.

Amelia 51:25

Jamiquai, by the way, have you seen him recently? Yeah. Uh he's like a hot dude. He did a duet with Dua Lipa. Wait, what were you saying? Yeah.

Cooper 51:35

He's a hot dude.

Amelia 51:36

He is.

Cooper 51:37

He's like Brad Pitt.

Amelia 51:39

Even in the virtual insanity video, he's got a very Mark Wahlberg face.

Cooper 51:45

Yeah. But did not know he was white.

Amelia 51:48

No, me neither.

Cooper 51:50

Yeah.

Amelia 51:50

Uh yeah, he's blonde and has a little beard or something now. But yeah, his duet with Dua Lipa, I should go to Wembley Stadium. I'm not a Swifty, I'm not Swift Maxing, but Dua Lipa, I love her.

Cooper 52:05

Love her to death. Yeah.

Amelia 52:06

God, she's she well, one, she's one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen.

Cooper 52:10

She's gorgeous.

Amelia 52:11

She also loves music and does great music.

Cooper 52:14

I don't remember if her was actually her first single, but the the one about the rules, that song rips.

Amelia 52:21

The New Radicals album cover, it's giving a little wiki feed. It does it. Or it gives like a giantess, a giganticism fetish.

Cooper 52:32

It gives me like a it's just sketchers ad or something. It just looks like very good. Very good. Anyway, okay, so he's from one of the wealthiest suburbs in America, Gross Point. And he has this whole career prior to the New Radicals. So I'm gonna get into a little bit of his backstory. He was raised a Jehovah's Witness. I think he kind of leans into that more than maybe is it's accurate. It does sound like his mom was just kind of shopping around for religions all the time. Hold on, hold on.

Amelia 53:02

What if there was a brand power for Jehovah's Witness? I would love that. She was just shopping around and needed, she didn't know where to go for religion.

Cooper 53:15

Greg eventually started a band with his brother and then moved to LA after he heard Prince's The Beautiful Ones, which one of my favorite songs. That's maybe the end of the things that I will have in common with Greg Alexander. Um that's the one place that I will see eye to eye with him. He goes to LA and he gets hooked up with this producer, and he puts out two albums. They are completely ignored. One of them is called Intoxifornication.

Amelia 53:48

You made me listen to that.

Cooper 53:50

Yeah.

Amelia 53:51

It's the funniest and worst thing ever made.

Cooper 53:55

Yeah. He's clearly trying to do Prince, but it sounds like Brian Adams with like rat and a drum machine as the backing band. And he's got this long mane of hair, and in the videos, his shirt is missing most of its buttons, and there's a couple unhoused trash can fires in a warehouse and some scantily clad ladies dancing around.

Amelia 54:21

Amongst all the boxes?

Cooper 54:23

Yeah, can you believe that?

Amelia 54:25

Stored goods?

Cooper 54:26

Yeah, always in a warehouse. Everything dangerous in the 80s and 90s was happening in a warehouse with some trash can fires.

Amelia 54:34

When people think about warehouses, I think we all think of empty warehouses. But probably warehouses have a bunch of boxes.

Cooper 54:42

Yeah, most of them are probably brimming with goods. So consumer good. Like, okay, but hold on, move the trash can fire because it's a little too close to those Bopets. The Bopet warehouse. All of this takes place in the Bopet warehouse. Yeah, so I don't know. These songs, I want to redo the lyrics to one of these songs. In in, it feels so good when I go under your hood. I don't mean to talk dirty. I respect you like a slap in the face. But baby, I'm in this for the kill, not for the thrill of the chase. This guy sucks. It's very problematic in many ways. Again, it sounds like Prince. Uh, here's another one. This one's less problematic. I'm a Jew, a Jew. You're my Hitler. So come on and take me alive.

Amelia 55:35

Is he though? No, he's witness. He's JW.

Cooper 55:40

Yeah, he's just being confrontational. This same song that he says that, then it later in the song, it it has this like sexual build of like, it's coming, it's coming. Are you ready? It's coming. Here comes the lawsuit. And then the song just turns into Slowride by Foghat, like just drops into Slowride. This guy, like everything he does is just trying to be like provocative, I guess. Yes. But nobody cares. These albums get zero traction. But he does get the attention of that producer, Rick Knowles, who wrote Heaven is a Place on Earth for Beautiful. Summertime Sadness for Lana Del Rey. Wow. So he is in Greg's corner. And no one else is. Nobody else, but Well, wait a minute.

Amelia 56:37

Wait a minute. Did you mention, like, how did he go from moving to LA with his brother to having records?

Cooper 56:43

No, he's so he didn't move with his brother. He just moved to LA and kind of somehow got hooked up with this guy. To be honest with you, there's some moments like this in this story that I couldn't find, and it almost feels very industry plant to me because when I listen to that album, I'm like, how did this happen? How did you get a record deal making these songs? Because they're bad. Those are some real bad songs on that intoxic fornication. Like the chili peppers would be like, I don't know, man.

Amelia 57:16

I like that word though. You know, he comes for money. He might have gotten his dad to write a check or something.

Cooper 57:22

Maybe. That's probably the case. But this career ends and he's dormant from 92 to 97. He somehow gets another record deal, but this time it's under the New Radicals. It's still just him. He shaved off his long mane and replaced it with a bucket hat. And this record label gives him a $600,000 advance as the New Radicals. Greg rips up the rules of these failed albums. It's just gonna be him playing most of the instruments, but he does bring in his longtime collaborator, Danielle Risbois, I believe is how you say her name. She was an actress who was on All in the Family in the later years. She was like the niece or something, great niece.

Amelia 58:07

So pretty young, like a baby.

Cooper 58:09

Pretty young.

Amelia 58:10

I never saw All in the Family. So I it seems like it came on a long time ago.

Cooper 58:14

It lasted forever because then there was a spinoff called Archie's Place, and she's on that a lot more regularly. She goes on later to write Unwritten and Pocket Full of Sunshine for Natasha Beddingfield.

Amelia 58:26

Love Natasha Beddingfield.

Cooper 58:27

Me too. So it's really the two of them.

Amelia 58:30

You know what? Throw in her brother Daniel. I don't give a shit.

Cooper 58:32

Yeah, absolutely. So the two of them and Rick are writing all these songs. Everybody else who's on the album is called in as a favor. Greg's down on his luck. Let's help him out. And they pen this album. No, first, I did want to say. So he writes the song Murder on the Dance Floor, but he does. Greg Alexander.

Amelia 58:53

Yes. This guy just That's in his favor. I gotta put that one in the win column for him.

Cooper 59:00

He writes that first and is considering putting it on the album, but ends up giving it to Sophie Ellis Baxter. Oh yeah, Sophie Ellis Baxter. I believe it first comes out in 2001 on her album and then had a major resurgence a couple years ago.

Amelia 59:16

Yeah, when I was into Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue, I really sang her praises. And also Girls Aloud, I really loved British pop for a minute.

Cooper 59:29

Yeah, you were really into British pop.

Amelia 59:31

Yeah. Sophie, Sophie was great. Okay, go on. I don't want to get ahead.

Cooper 59:37

So, you know, being from Gross Point and not really ever having a worldview. He sees the injustices of the world and how corporates are just selling us this American dream, and it's turning him bitter. And here he's tried to put his heart and soul into intoxifornication. And he's coming at this new album, like, no, I want to shine a light on this. Um the album's called Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too. He has a very big opinion of himself. He's really up his own ass, yeah. And so yeah, the first single is You Get What You Give. He and Rick produce it. It's ultra polished, it's very well made. Very well-made song. I've heard worse albums. I'll be I'll be honest. Yeah. Yeah. I agree. But something, this song, when it came out, I was convinced it must be some 80s artist taking a victory lap or something. Like the first time I heard it, especially even just the intro to the one, two, three, ow, all of that stuff. That stuff just doesn't feel like you should be allowed to do that on your debut. Yes. You should be required to have like three albums under your belt before you're allowed to yow right at the beginning of a song. The it's just the audacity of coming out of the gates like this. Greg says the song was inspired by a dream he had about Joni Mitchell. He heard this music coming from in the house, so he walked in and she was in there and she was like, take a seat. Let me tell you what we need to fix in the world. And so he penned this song. And most of the song is all about inspiration. You could really look at his life and say, he never gave up. He had this failed career, but he's got the music in him. He kept going. A lot of the song is incoherent, doesn't really pick a lane, but yes, but like Billy Idol, Greg coined a term. Sure, Billy Idol has Generation X and Cyberpunk, two big ones, but without Greg Alexander, we would never have frenemies. Frenemies. So that's awesome. I mean, I if that's not enough. I could just stop there, I think, but I'll keep going a little bit more. So he makes this claim that this song is like a Trojan horse. He m packaged this ultra-pop song that will be on the radio, and he can put in his politically charged outro and tack on some celebrity diss track, and people aren't going to hear what he has to say about all these political issues. Kind of like John Popper saying, I can say nothing as long as it sounds good. Greg is kind of taking the approach, you won't hear what I say so long as it sounds right. So he's kind of already making this song with the idea that he's above us. If we like this song, it's our fault. We're Philistines if if if we like this thing. So then he ends the song by saying, health insurance, rip off line, FDA, big banks buying, cloning while they're multiplying. Like he's talking about things that we still are dealing with, but then drops in fashion suits with Beckin Hanson, Courtney Love, and Marilyn Manson. You're all fakes, run to your mansions, come around, we'll kick your asses, we'll kick your asses, we'll kick your asses. And yeah, he predicted that nobody would focus on that stuff and that we'd all focus on the celebrity callouts. And he's kind of right, but it's also, I don't know, this bugged me since the day it dropped. Because who are you to say these things? And especially the people who he's calling out. It's like back at this point, just released mutations and is showing he's one of the most relentlessly original artists there is. Doesn't do a ton of fashion shoots. I could say that. Yeah, not doing a ton of fashion shoots. Corny Love at this point feels kind of reckless and dangerous, and Marilyn Manson is a provocateur. None of them feel manufactured at all. So this is these are very weird people to call out. And you know, if he's kind of right, I guess, because that's what people focused on, and maybe that's helped propel the song in the way that Billy Idol's those lewd call-outs did.

Amelia 1:03:57

I don't know, probably not, but well, it songs of this period loved being super specific about people. Remember that Rockaby where it had like Dennis Hopper and Bob Seeger and Sonny and Cher? Sonny Bono's very great, by the way. I'll we'll talk about him some other time. Or there would be like, she likes me for me, hang out with Leonardo, that guy in Fargo.

unknown 1:04:25

Yeah.

Amelia 1:04:25

Uh what else? Well, I mean, there's LFO, there's Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, Aphrodite. I mean, those are a little more broad.

Cooper 1:04:35

I mean, in in their other single, he's talking about whatever happened to Amelia. Um, yeah, is that is that specific to the 90s that we needed stuff to reference directly? Like, is that not happening in older music? I guess it's not really. Interesting. That is weird.

Amelia 1:04:56

No songs, not only do they call out contemporaries, I don't even think I don't think other songs even mention anybody. The only one I can think of is Chairman Mao in Revolution. But yeah, no, this was this was maybe a new phenomenon.

Cooper 1:05:13

Well, you know who probably started it. Our old buddy Billy Joel with his We Didn't Start the Fire, just naming everybody. And then REM with End of the World. It's funny that just mentioning those songs because this part of the song is that like da-da-da-da. It's the fast like I'm gonna name a bunch of crap right now, really fast. It's wrong. But yeah, he he himself says that none of these were meant to be specific call outs, but then why'd you do it? Yeah, a little backpedaling. Marilyn Manson said, I don't mind him saying that he'll kick my ass, but he should never mention my name in the same sentence as Courtney Love again. And if I ever see him, I'll bash in his skull.

Amelia 1:05:55

Okay, well, fuck him, because one, Courtney Love was the first. Person to call Harvey Weinstein out, and people ignored her, ruined her acting career. She at this time had done some great performances in like people versus Larry Flint and Larry Flint, yeah. Man on the Moon, and Harvey crushed her and blacklisted her. And also Marilyn Manson is a rapist. So Courtney's on the right side of both of those. So maybe Marilyn Manson should shut the fuck up. Oh, also Marilyn Manson's a bad actor.

Cooper 1:06:29

And I guess he did apologize to Beck in a grocery store. Who Greg did? Yeah, Greg's like, hey, oh hey, Beck. Uh, it's he probably had to like say who he was. Beck was like, oh, I didn't notice you without the bucket hat. And then he did work with Hansen, and they were like, he's crazy, but he seems cool. So all these people, yeah. I don't know. Greg just to me seems like his whole life is shouting at somebody from the safety of inside your car, like shouting at another driver from with your windows rolled up.

Amelia 1:07:00

You get to maybe like pushing someone and then running behind your mom's legs or something. You can't touch me.

Cooper 1:07:08

Yeah, being a provocateur, but not really. This is the fog hat thing all over again. They're gonna sue me because I'm gonna drop my song into Fog Hat, but but that's not it's not cool. Like what you're doing isn't worth anybody's time. Including, so then you know, this song comes out, big hit. They start touring. It's like literally months after this song comes out. He starts calling the bucket hat a costume because he needs it to hide his lack of enthusiasm, having to sing this song over and over again. The second single has a release date. They shoot a video for it. Someday we'll know. Before it even drops on the radio, he announces New Radicals is done. He's disbanding the band. He doesn't want to be stuck being this one-hit wonder, but he hasn't even given himself a chance to have another single yet. But maybe he saw the writing on the wall because that song barely charts in Brazil. That's the only country that it even got close to doing anything. And it's the same song. That's the same. Someday we'll know is just the same song as you get what you give. You get The Captain of the Titanic cry. You got the music in you. It's the same. It works. Someday we'll know if love can move them out. It's the same song. It's and what's interesting though is the rest I say I notice I say what's interesting too much.

Amelia 1:08:41

So I'm trying to I say I like whenever I'm making fun of something a lot.

Cooper 1:08:47

Sure.

Amelia 1:08:47

Like I like how you need to pick a different starter.

Cooper 1:08:52

The rest of that album is nothing like either of those songs, I feel like. The rest of that album, there are moments of it that are kind of cool, and then there are moments that are really bizarre. Yeah. I just find that ultimately somehow he had this career, failed, got a second chance, got this big advance, made something that he was promoting as, you know, railing against corporate brainwashing, but then just kind of fled the scene before anybody could accuse him of anything. He seems like the ultimate con man coming, coming to town, changing his entire look, bucket hat, everything, getting his piece and running. And then for the rest of his career, he's been behind the scenes. He has been a writer on a lot of big songs. He won a Grammy for what's the the Santana song?

Amelia 1:09:46

It's not the Michelle, or it's the second Michelle Branch one, right? Then the Game of Love.

Cooper 1:09:51

Yeah, Game of Love.

Amelia 1:09:52

Yeah.

Cooper 1:09:53

Yeah. So he wins a Grammy for Game of Love, which is also kind of the same vibe as you get what you give. Like the verse of that is very much his song. But yeah, so he works with Rick. They just write songs now. He wins a Grammy for that. He's Academy Award nominated for a song that he wrote. I forgot which one. After 20 years of refusing to reunite, although who's asking? That's my question. Who's asking you to reunite? Yeah. The New Radicals did perform You Get What You Give at Biden's inauguration. That was the first time since 1998 that they performed it, because it was Bo Biden's quote favorite song. Bo Biden, big time fan of that song.

Amelia 1:10:40

So the one, okay, Bo died of cancer, right? While while Obama was in office. Here's what's weird. Remember that the Obamas had a dog named Bo.

Cooper 1:10:54

Yeah, that is weird.

Amelia 1:10:55

Come here, Bo. What a sec.

Cooper 1:10:56

Sorry, I was I was actually calling the dog. Uh Bo, get down. Sorry. Sorry, Joe. That's not your son. Oh no, actually, Bo, you can stand up. I was referring to the dog again. So, yeah, so they did it as a tribute to Bo Biden. It took the Bidens to get him to put back on the bucket hat. They got it, they got the wrong bow. Um, let's see, what else? When the song came out, funny enough, Joni Mitchell praised this song, saying it rose from the swamps of Mick Music like a flower of hope. The Edge from You Two says it's one of the songs that he wished he wrote. Sure, it's fucking pretentious as hell. Yeah. Yeah. Ice T was once quoted as naming only this song when asked what else he listened to other than rap. I like the picture. You only get what you give. I love that one song by the New Radicals. So, yeah, that's kind of my journey with Greg Alexander. I do not feel like I like him very much. My research. He's just he's very pretentious, very up his own ass. I don't think this song. Yeah, I don't know. What are you what are your thoughts?

Amelia 1:12:09

He is absolutely a complete asshole. He is talented, but I'd say more lucky than hardworking. He is really what happens when a person is born with complete confidence and a feeling of everything being his for the taking. Right. Where we all are filled with self-doubt and self-criticism. And he strikes me as someone who completely lacks that. And that might be his talent. That might be his superpower. And I'm sure his mom and dad paid for his LA apartment the first several years, maybe his first album. And yeah, he is someone who could probably walk away from money and fame because I just think maybe he just really wanted he wanted love. Or he wanted, I don't know, maybe not. But this song, get what you give, I really don't know how you said pick a lane. I kind of know what he's saying, but I don't know what he's talking about.

Cooper 1:13:16

Right.

Amelia 1:13:17

Is it like a youth anthem, or is it just personal beef with things like bitching? It almost feels like he has equal beef with frenemies and health insurance killing people. And then computer crashing and politeness. These are all sticking in his craw. But yeah, the pick a lane shit. Yes. We've got the dreamers disease. But then he says you feel your dreams are dying, hold tight. So are dreams a disease you want us to hold on to?

Cooper 1:13:51

Right.

Amelia 1:13:52

But I do, I do now get the early indoctrination, the brainwashing, the creating as a child, creating the system, creating obedient little workers. I guess he I guess he puts his money where his mouth is with being anti-Mercedes-Benz or but then he says, hey, we do it in style. But like, aren't fashion shoots doing it in style?

Cooper 1:14:20

I'm just reaching at this point, but you know, it is one of those things where you want to give him credit for standing up and doing these things, but I don't feel like leaving right after you have a smash hit. I don't feel like that's it. That's not fully putting your money where your mouth is. That's just coming it through town, being a snake oil salesman and getting what you need and then hitting the bricks. Really true.

Amelia 1:14:45

Okay. Last thing I need to say is the music video. We all know exactly the music video. Him in a mall, him with a bunch of rowdy kids. Probably the Tiffany concert got canceled and they're pissed about something. But he's doing like this slide on the floor. That video is very problematic. There's people in cages, people getting chased by dogs and security guards. There is a woman who is straight up assaulted by teenagers. They surround her, tackle her, they tear off her clothes and put her in a fast food uniform and send her to a food court. And she's now making food for all these teenagers who are yelling at her. And it had to have been an absolutely traumatic experience for this woman. And we're supposed to be like, hey, look out, world. You could expect this from us. Just because those people wore suits that were professionals.

Cooper 1:15:48

Yeah. Those people didn't have the dreamer disease.

Amelia 1:15:52

As far as the song goes, it always had a bad taste in my mouth. And I found it like you said, making fun of somebody from their car or like whatever you said. It's it's safe rebellion. It's it's it's a lot of big talk, but and back, back being my favorite artist, I was like, he didn't even get that right. And you know, Courtney Love was very vilified for I don't know what pe what are people thinking? Like she encouraged Kurt Cobain to commit suicide? Is that what people think?

Cooper 1:16:28

Yeah, I guess.

Amelia 1:16:29

I don't understand the benefit of that. She was already in the conversation as his wife. Why kill the golden goose?

Cooper 1:16:37

Look how it turned out for our buddy Dave Grohl.

Amelia 1:16:40

Yeah. Where was he? Where was he?

Cooper 1:16:42

Where was he?

Amelia 1:16:42

Where was he?

Cooper 1:16:43

But yeah, this is uh safe rebellion, big talk, big bark, no bite. That's that sums up Greg Alexander perfectly, in my opinion.

Amelia 1:16:53

Yeah, I don't love the song, I don't love him. I will say the album's not terrible, but there is some super cringe, shoogy shit in there. He's a phony.

Cooper 1:17:07

I had never listened to the album until this week. I only knew these two songs. So this week was my first time ever listening to this album and then going down the rabbit hole and finding Intoxic Fornication and immediately sending it to you because it's like you said, it's laughable but not intentional. That really painted the picture for me because I did always feel, like I said, that you get what you give sounds like a victory lap of an older artist that nobody asked for. It's not something that we wanted, but it doesn't sound like it could possibly be the first song from an artist. And I some of that I was wondering if that's just because of the age we were when these songs came out. Like I kind of feel that way about Bittersweet Symphony, closing time. These these things feel like they can't possibly be these bands' first songs. They're just they're bit they're really big. Certainly Bittersweet Symphony I like more, but I've kind of always boxed it.

Amelia 1:18:11

Didn't Bittersweet Symphony also call it quits after that song? I don't I think they also just were like, we're out.

Cooper 1:18:19

Maybe, maybe that's true. Although they have definitely gotten back together since then. But I also get them confused because the verve and the verve pipe same time. But yeah, this is a weird debut for a band. And last song, it's weird for a band to do one song and be like, that's it, that's all I got.

Amelia 1:18:38

You're right about the uh the industry plant kind of feeling. I listened to that album, maybe we've been brainwashed too, maybe three or four years ago for the first time, because everyone on Reddit or whatever subreddit I was on, everybody was like, maybe the one of the best albums of the 90s. And then I listened and I was like, no, it's not. I said it's okay. Well, I didn't say anything. And then I remembered that I've never gotten a good music recommendation from Reddit. Right. I can learn a lot of things by searching on Reddit, but music taste. Reddit is not where I go for music recommendations.

Cooper 1:19:17

I would say any recommendations. I did go on Reddit, I searched Reddit. Does Greg Alexander suck? Just to see. Because I was like, somebody must have bad stories about him. Nobody really does, which is interesting. But no, yeah, then I kind of stumble onto Reddit really fluffing his butt over this album and saying the same stuff still to this day. Best album of the 90s.

Amelia 1:19:43

Yeah, I might have seen the same butt fluffing.

Cooper 1:19:46

People buying into that Trojan horse story. So anyway, shall we take a quick break?

Amelia 1:19:51

We'll come back and Cooper and I will figure out and then we will hear what you say. See you soon.

Cooper 1:20:00

This is 93.1 Jack FM.

Amelia 1:20:02

Jack, you want to come over?

Cooper 1:20:03

I'll have the dull beverages.

Amelia 1:20:05

Okay, welcome back. We did do a little time jump so we could get the results. But first That's right, we did.

Cooper 1:20:15

We're welcome back. What?

Amelia 1:20:17

We're in our fallout shelters. So Money Money. Here's why it's Jack FM. It's a cover, so you got cross-generational appeal. The Tommy James version was not unpopular. Gen X probably went to frat parties and school dances and know that chant. Again, it's safe rebellion. It's like, remember when we cussed in school? Yeah, again, it's safe rebellion, Jack FM, Merry Pranksters, shooting spitballs from the from the back, a class. And you know, most of all, the fucking wedding singer. Just Adam Sandler movie, 80s songs, and an old lady who raps. Like, should I stop naming Jack FM things?

Cooper 1:21:07

Now hold up.

Amelia 1:21:08

I'm Jack Maxon over here. No, the wedding singer thing alone is what takes Moni Moni over the top for me.

Cooper 1:21:16

I well, I have a lot of nice, fond memories of the wedding singer, but I think that Billy Idol was kind of amazing in that movie, and he's playing himself, and he looks great and he's cool. And but yeah, I'm I'm with you, Adam Sandler. This is Adam Sandler pre his little tribe of Happy Madison, Adam Sandler.

Amelia 1:21:36

No, no, no, no. This is pre-Waterboy, definitely pre Lil Nikki, definitely pre. I think Big Daddy was 99. What was that?

Cooper 1:21:49

But I mean, there's no Rob Snyder, there's no Robert Smeigle. Well, yes, they're not in this. Kevin James, like it's a different movie, yes. Right. Has legs of its own. But yeah, I can I understand what you what you mean. And I agree with you on all of those points because I do think those things really do build a strong case for money money, Billy Idol's money money to be in this tournament and to move forward. For me this week, I'm totally kind of at a split decision because of that, because I think those things do really lend themselves to Dijactical Magic. But I think at the end of the day, I have to go with the new radicals because while trying to be this revolt of commercialism is just 100% the epitome of a capitalistic uh song. It's supposed to be the youth anthem, but it doesn't feel like that completely worked. It does just feel like the frat boys and the karaoke crowds took to it and it didn't have the results that it was meant to have, but I also don't really think it was meant to have them. I think it was meant to line Greg's pockets so he could leave the scene. Felt like this was his revenge for people not caring about his Jew and Hitler lyrics in Intoxic Fornication.

Amelia 1:23:15

Intoxic fornication, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Cooper 1:23:17

So I think that there is this reinvention, which we didn't know about, but he completely reinvented who he was. If you watch those videos, he's cosplaying Warrant. Mm-hmm. And now he's a shaved-head guy with the bucket hat who literally thinks of the bucket hat as part of his costume. And if you go on Instagram and see any reels of him in the past few years, he will wear the bucket hat in a way where it's clearly saying, I am the new radicals guy. Like he wants to be remembered for this. So at the end of the day, I think I am going with the new radicals this week, but it really was a toss-up.

Amelia 1:23:57

Okay. So we are split on this. But yeah, the wedding singer, like, I don't even consider that a cameo. I consider that like a small role that steals. I've only seen The Wedding Singer once, and I absolutely remember that. Same with the Bill Murray Zombieland. It was bigger than a cameo. It's just not on the poster.

Cooper 1:24:18

It's a definitely scene stealer.

Amelia 1:24:21

Yeah, it's a scene stealer playing themselves.

Cooper 1:24:24

Okay, so we told you last week we're not gonna beg you for voicemails, and that's gonna be true. But once again, we didn't get one this week. So I'm gonna take matters into my own hands and like the radio jockeys who do not exist on Jack FM, I'm gonna cold call some friends.

Amelia 1:24:42

Okay, do you do you know who? Or do you have somebody in mind already?

Cooper 1:24:46

Because I'm into I've got somebody. I've got the perfect guy for this episode. Because he's from the same neighborhood as Greg, and we're gonna see what it was like growing up at Gross Point.

Amelia 1:24:59

Oh, good. Okay. Oh, it's ringing? Okay.

Cooper 1:25:03

Hello, Michael. You're on the air. Uh who is this?

unknown 1:25:11

Uh it's Cooper. What? Okay. What I'm what on the air? What was?

Cooper 1:25:17

Uh I'm recording you for the podcast. I hope that's okay.

unknown 1:25:22

Oh, oh. What which which what podcast? Oh, well, aren't you a good friend?

Cooper 1:25:28

Uh I host a podcast uh called Jactical Magic.

unknown 1:25:31

Um, yeah, okay, yeah, okay. Yeah, right. I'm sorry. I I haven't I haven't actually listened to it, but wait, are you serious? Are you actually recording me for real?

Cooper 1:25:39

Yes, I am. I'm cold calling you. Um specifically because we have an artist this week, and they are from Gross Point, and you are the only person that I know who is from Gross Point, so I was calling to see what it was like growing up in Gross Point.

unknown 1:25:57

Oh, okay. Uh I'm not really okay. I'm I'm just caught off guard. I was in the I is it can we I mean sorry, I feel like I'm screwing. Can you cut this out? Like you can cut it out, right? You can edit stuff. No, I'm just really caught. I'm just really confused about uh what I mean. Wait, who's the artist? Is you are you saying I know him?

Cooper 1:26:29

No, it's just I just want to know. I'm just trying to get like a fun, like impromptu feel of what it was like in Gross Point. That's all.

unknown 1:26:38

I mean, I know we haven't talked in a while, but like I know, it's just a little, I mean, I don't want to get it's a little weird. I haven't heard from you in like four years, and like you get a I I don't know. Okay.

Cooper 1:26:50

I uh I understand I I do I I I hear that. I hear that. And my my therapist says that I should acknowledge people's feelings when they say them, but I think it's I think it's really good that you're in therapy.

unknown 1:27:04

I think that's that's that's like a positive step. Okay. Um, but if this is supposed to be like part of it, like I'm not prepared to participate in your healing journey right now. So I really uh I wish you the best. I hope the podcast does well. I don't really understand what it is, but you know, all the best. I mean, no hard feelings.

Cooper 1:27:28

Okay, okay, just just don't hang up. Okay, just tell me everything you know about the new radicals.

unknown 1:27:36

Uh isn't that the band with uh Tina Yathers in it from the Am I wrong about that? You're close, it's not Tina Yethers.

Cooper 1:27:45

Yeah, that's right. Yeah, you know, but it's it's Danielle Brisbois, not Tina Yathers.

unknown 1:27:54

Oh, okay. I yeah, that's I don't even know that. I I you that's the sum total of Knowledge is about is the wait. I don't sorry, I don't want to get off. Is the podcast about therapy too? Like, is that part of your therapy?

Cooper 1:28:08

Uh no, the the the podcast is not about therapy at all. Um, other than like maybe it's therapeutic to go through the back catalog of a Jack FM playlist to figure out what the most jactical magic song of all time is. Um yeah, you really have to listen to it. I uh you know, it it was wrong of me to assume that you had been listening to it. So um I do apologize, I guess.

unknown 1:28:34

Uh this goal is big, it's it's it's big of you to say that you're wrong and that you apologize because I agree. Um so I guess we'll just leave it at that. And like, you know, if you want to contact me again, you can always reach out to my lawyer.

Cooper 1:28:50

Okay. Uh well that's great. And I believe that was a vote for the new radicals, correct?

unknown 1:28:58

I don't know what you mean.

Cooper 1:29:00

Okay. Uh I'll talk to you later. All right. Uh okay. Well that um that didn't go quite as I had planned.

Amelia 1:29:11

Yeah, that you said that's your friend. It's uh it just it seemed like honestly he seemed like he hated you. Yeah, maybe you did not appreciate that call. I like you less from that. Yeah.

Cooper 1:29:27

Yeah, I understand. I get it. Yeah, maybe I will downgrade him to frenemies.

Amelia 1:29:33

Hmm. No, I think he's a straight up enemy.

Cooper 1:29:36

Yeah, maybe.

Amelia 1:29:37

Or you're an enemy of him.

Cooper 1:29:39

I think I'm the enemy.

Amelia 1:29:41

You probably think you're still friends, yeah. Yeah, boy.

Cooper 1:29:44

Okay, well, gotta shake that one off. Yeah, so maybe just call us next time, and then we don't have to deal with that. What do you think? Right.

Amelia 1:29:53

I'm not gonna lie, that was pitiful.

Cooper 1:29:56

Yeah. Yeah, leave leave voicemails. Yeah, so save us this embarrassment. And I do say us because that was clearly both of our ideas and both of our executions, not just me. So help us out by sending voicemail next time. And uh at least now I have something to talk about in therapy this week. Finally.

Amelia 1:30:16

Yeah, you're kind of making things up to your therapist, and once she hears this, well, okay, so listeners, you can vote on Instagram in the wait a minute, no, I gotta I gotta give you the results for fuck's sake.

Cooper 1:30:30

Yeah, what are you doing?

Amelia 1:30:31

All right, so in the winner of this week's matchup, which was Billy Idol's Moni Moni versus the New Radicals, get what you give. And the winner with an even 61% of the vote, the New Radicals, get what you give. Billy Moni Moni only got 39%. Feel like you guys are wrong, but whatever. It's not about like it's it's not win or lose. The songs, it's it's win or lose for them, but yeah, no, I'm fine.

Cooper 1:31:05

I think it's it's tough because you know, I don't really want to have to talk about the new radicals again. And I think that Moni Money is a better song for sure. Some listeners might still just be lumping in what's worse as the most jactical magic of the two, which is often the case. Wasn't last week. We we both unanimously agreed that Come On Eileen is a kick-ass song, and we both agree that Money Money ass song and get what you give is lackluster, but it moves on, and that's that.

Amelia 1:31:39

Yeah. It's it's it's fine. Maybe in the next round, I'll we'll talk about the Tommy James mob war story.

Cooper 1:31:50

Sure.

Amelia 1:31:50

And we'll um we'll try Mike again. I really want to know about Gross Point, Michigan.

Cooper 1:31:56

Yeah. Yeah. Maybe, maybe he'll maybe he'll I don't know, be a decent friend and listen to the podcasts and hear that that could have been a great segment about Gross Point. You know, that could have I'm sure the mayor of Gross Point would have appreciated a little segment on a podcast talking about their great city and one of their greatest exports, Greg Alexander.

Amelia 1:32:17

Okay. Well, everyone, you know, you can vote on Instagram in the stories. Our handle is at JacticalMagic. You can vote there, and then if you call us and leave us a voicemail, well, one, you'll be safe from us reaching out, and we will mask our phone numbers. So we'll make it look like it's your mom. Right. Oh, so if you leave a voicemail with which song you think has the most Jack FM vibes, we will count that as an extra vote. That has been the crucial tipping point for a few songs. And yeah, and then try to leave us a voice veil.

Cooper 1:33:03

All right.

Amelia 1:33:03

Well, I've been I've been working on this melody pop all day.

Cooper 1:33:07

Yeah. Listeners, Amelia has been really lipping the hell out of this melody pop the entire episode. Makes me wish that I had one. I I don't think I've ever had a melody pop in my life.

Amelia 1:33:19

The green, the sour apple is the best. We have we have green apple, we have watermelon, and blue raspberry. I don't like blue raspberry at all.

Cooper 1:33:28

Okay, so we'll be saving those for the bits at end. But so that if we're bringing up melody pops, that means we're on to talk about next week's matchup, our 14th matchup of the bracket. We have Queen slash David Bowie under pressure.

Amelia 1:33:55

That hit okay, I shouldn't I shouldn't let's suck on these for two hours. Because that hit that's gonna damage your ears. I'm sorry.

Cooper 1:34:06

Yeah, that definitely some some new uh frequencies on that one. Uh versus Aerosmith living on the edge. I don't know. I like when at first I have no clue where we are in the song, but then something happens where the phrasing is perfect and I'm right there with you.

Amelia 1:34:32

Okay, you gotta fucking admit that Moni Moni last week was perfect.

Cooper 1:34:38

Yeah, the Moni Moni one was really good.

Amelia 1:34:40

That was the best one I've ever done.

Cooper 1:34:42

This is great for podcasting. Just chopping on a melody pop.

Amelia 1:34:46

Yeah, now I'm now I'm just biting it. I guess I love every version of Moni Moni, including my own.

Cooper 1:34:52

Yeah, look at that. Maybe that's a goal for this week to find there's gotta be a bad version out there. Find the worst version of money money and expose it. Expose it? Yeah. Okay. Maybe that's a Patreon sub podcast, a sub bracket of money monies. Money money money. So, yeah, so go vote on our Instagram at TacticalMagic, all one word. I don't think Amelia gave the phone number, but it's 424 666 1711. Until next week, I'm Cooper Willis.

Amelia 1:35:24

I'm Amelia Skinell.

Cooper 1:35:26

And this has been Tactical Magic.

Amelia 1:35:30

Bye. Bye.