- Different Drum
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This article is about the song written by Michael Nesmith. For the Linda Ronstadt album, see Different Drum (album). For the record label, see A Different Drum.
"Different Drum" Single by The Stone Poneys featuring Linda Ronstadt Released September 1967 Genre Folk rock Writer(s) Mike Nesmith "Different Drum" is a 1966 song written by Mike Nesmith and originally recorded by the northern bluegrass band the Greenbriar Boys and included on their 1966 album, Better Late than Never!. The song tells of a pair of lovers, one of whom wants to settle down, while the other wants to retain a sense of freedom and independence. Its narrator is the lover who wants to remain free, telling the other that they "will both live a lot longer" if they part ways now.
The song reached a wider audience when Nesmith rushed through a version of it in a comedy bit while pretending to be Billy Roy Hodstetter, in the Monkees television show episode "Too Many Girls", which aired in December of 1966. Davy Jones mentions this during the commentary track on some DVDs of this episode.[1]
The song is best known for the 1967 recording performed by the Stone Poneys[2] featuring a young and upcoming singer named Linda Ronstadt. The song was Ronstadt's first hit single, reaching #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as #12 on the Cash Box magazine singles chart.[3] Ronstadt's version flips the gender references in Nesmith's original lyric, replacing "girl" with "boy" when referring to the person she's singing to. The Stone Poneys version is noted for the use of a harpsichord played in the baroque style, as well as the use of strings and guitar.
Nesmith later rerecorded the song for his 1972 LP And the Hits Just Keep on Comin'. His version contains four verses, as opposed to the three in Ronstadt's version.
The song has been covered by
- Pete Burns
- Flying Emus - Australian band
- Susanna Hoffs with Matthew Sweet
- The Jayhawks
- The Lemonheads
- Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
- The Pastels
- Victoria Shaw
- Sara Watkins
- Paul Westerberg
- P.P. Arnold
- The Poppy Family with Susan Jacks
References
- ^ "Too Many Girls". The Monkees. NBC. 1966-12-19. No. 15, season 1.
- ^ Show 44 - Revolt of the Fat Angel: Some samples of the Los Angeles sound. [Part 4] : UNT Digital Library
- ^ CMT.com : Linda Ronstadt : Biography
External links
- Linda Ronstadt and The Stone Poneys Alternate take on Different Drum
Stone Poneys albums The Stone Poneys featuring Linda Ronstadt · Evergreen, Volume 2 · Linda Ronstadt, Stone Poneys and Friends, Vol. IIIStudio albums Hand Sown ... Home Grown · Silk Purse · Linda Ronstadt · Don't Cry Now · Heart Like a Wheel · Prisoner in Disguise · Hasten Down the Wind · Simple Dreams · Living in the USA · Mad Love · Get Closer · What's New · Lush Life · For Sentimental Reasons · Canciones de Mi Padre · Mas Canciones · Frenesí · Winter Light · Feels Like Home · Dedicated to the One I Love · We Ran · A Merry Little Christmas · Hummin' to MyselfCollaborations Trio · Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind · Santiago · Trio 2 · Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions · Adieu False HeartCompilations Different Drum · Greatest Hits · A Retrospective · Greatest Hits, Volume 2 · Round Midnight · Boleros y Rancheros · The Linda Ronstadt Box Set · The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt · Mi Jardin Azul: Las Canciones Favoritas · The Best of Linda Ronstadt: The Capitol Years · Linda Ronstadt Greatest Hits I & IIRelated topics The Lemonheads Evan Dando • Vess Ruhtenberg • Devon Ashley • P. David Hazel
Ben Deily • Corey Loog Brennan • John Strohm • Doug Trachten • Jesse Peretz • Juliana Hatfield • Nic Dalton • Dave Ryan • Patrick Murphy • Karl Alvarez • Bill StevensonStudio albums Hate Your Friends (1987) • Creator (1988) • Lick (1989) • Lovey (1990) • It's a Shame About Ray (1992) • Come on Feel the Lemonheads (1993) • Car Button Cloth (1996) • The Lemonheads (2006)Cover albums Varshons (2009)EPs and other releases Laughing All the Way to the Cleaners (1986) • Create Your Friends (1989) • Favourite Spanish Dishes (1990) • Patience and Prudence (1991) • The Best of the Lemonheads: The Atlantic Years (1998)Singles "Luka" • "Different Drum" • "Gonna Get Along Without Ya Now" • "It's a Shame About Ray" • "Mrs. Robinson/Being Around" • "Confetti" • "Into Your Arms" • "It's About Time" • "Big Gay Heart" • "The Great Big No" • "If I Could Talk I'd Tell You" • "It's All True" • "The Outdoor Type" • "Galveston/Balancing Act" • "Become the Enemy"Related articles Categories:- 1967 singles
- Linda Ronstadt songs
- 1990 singles
- The Lemonheads songs
- Matthew Sweet songs
- 1960s rock song stubs
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