Then and Now #4

Four Feelies (from left, Glenn Mercer, Stanley Demeski, Bill Million, Brenda Sauter) in Something Wild, Jonathan Demme, 1986

Three Feelies (Mercer, Demeski, Million), Battery Park, July 4, 2008

Damn. Is Bill playing the same guitar in both shots?

Incidentally, did you know that the film that became Stop Making Sense began its life as a Feelies concert movie? Demme had been a fanatical Feelies man for years and was dying to film the band in its natural habitat—Haledon, New Jersey. Possibly at this joint called the Peanut Gallery, which my own band, Artificial Intelligence (which briefly counted Stanley D. as its drummer) had christened as a rock venue. Demme wanted to shoot in black and white and a possible title was Night of the Living Feelies. Given the band's extreme cult status at the time (early '80s) the search for financing was quite the slog. Talking Heads' then-manager Gary Kurfirst was looking to expand into film at the time; I'm not sure who approached whom, but Kurfirst said he wouldn't back a Feelies film but would of course back a Talking Heads film. Demme, a Heads enthusiast (as who wasn't back then?), ran with it. At least that's how I heard it. In any case, Demme remained a stalwart Feelies supporter, casting them as the high school reunion band in Something Wild and directing the Maxwell's-shot video for "Away." I understand he and his son attended the Wednesday night Feelies show at Maxwell's. Could the dream be alive again?

Comments

[Sam Adams]

Demme was there all right, a couple feet to my right, up at the front, enjoying himself enough to shout out in between songs. I was sort of tickled by the fact that the director of Heart of Gold couldn't place the band's cover of Neil Young's Barstool Blues. (I was happy to fill in the blank.) Dare we hope there's a complete take of "I'm a Believer" lurking somewhere in his vaults?

[vadim]

"a Heads enthusiast (as who wasn't back then?)"

Just curious...is such enthusiasm no longer Kenny-endorsed? Cuz I still think Fear Of Music and More Songs are pretty close to perfect.

[Glenn Kenny]

No, those are GREAT albums, and the Heads were a great band. My meaning was that at that time enthusiasm for the Heads in the tri-state area was ubiquitous—they were beloved by bohos and bankers alike.

Although I have some friends who saw them live on a regular basis before they recorded, and some of them believe Eno really screwed up their sound, particularly with respect to the rhythm section. But that's another story.

[Jason]

I'd forgotten that The Feelies were in Something Wild (due for a viewing soon). I'd love to see Demme tackle such a dream project!