NOBODY’S BABY is the title of the debut album by A-Bones drummer Miriam, produced and recorded by Brookyn’s legendary Sam Elwitt. Now, the studio recordings of stormy lost ballads comes alive at the Bell House October 10!
The long player features a dozen lost diamonds that the pair deemed too cool to go forgotten, including the soaring signature title track, plus an unreleased 1965 Neil Young demo (inked for Cher) -- all cut with more than a nod to the production styles of Andrew Loog Oldham and Jack Nitzsche.
The album was recorded with Sam on all instruments and Miriam on all vocals, with a big studio sound – there was no inkling that they would be called upon to deliver the songs in person. That, however, is exactly what happened, and Nobody’s Babies, the band, was hatched, with David Lindsay (drums), Justina Davies (percussion), Matt Fiveash (bass), and Alec Higgins (keyboards) joining Sam on guitar to blaze through a three date Canadian hazing and a crazed NYC debut last month. Bruce Bennett of the A-Bones will also be playing guitar at this Bell House blast.
Join Miriam and Nobody’s Babies alongside west coast luminaries the Muffs, who are touring with their new CD on Burger Records, and the Upset, featuring members of the Vivian Girls and Hole, who are also touring with a new album.
BROOKLYN VEGAN SAYS! Click the Vegan link for show info, vids and news about Nobody's Babies opening for the Muffs at the Bell House!
KRIS NEEDS SPEAKS! When SHINDIG's Kris Needs said he dug the album, we felt glad all over!
SHEILA B. DIGS NOBODY'S BABY!
CHA-CHA-CHARMING INTERVIEW! Sheila B, like Diane G at Bowery Electric, Glynis Ward at Crayons To Perfume, Debbie D. at Ichiban and Holly Cara Price at Huffington Post were the first people to go ape over NOBODY'S BABY-- THANK YOU LADIES!!!
READ CHA-CHA-CHARMING story!
MIRIAM IS A "CRAYONS TO PERFUME GIRL"
Click to read Crayons/Ichiban story!
CRAYONS TO PERFUME 'S GLYNIS WARD SPEAKS! WFMU'S Ichiban columnist, DJ Glynis Ward digs NOBODY'S BABY! Thank you to top dolls Glynis and Ichiban's excitable and exciting hostess Debbie D!
THE WIRE DIGS "BABY" - BYRON COLEY AT THE WHEEL!
DAN FERGUSON CLICKS BABY AS A HIT PICK!
Nobody's Baby teeshirt is here!
SRIN's DAN FERGUSON SAYS…
The recently departed Gerry Goffin would be flippin’ in his grave if he could give a whiff to the solo debut from A-Bones drummer Miriam Linna. The Brill Building sound comes alive on this 12-track outing of 1960s-styled, ear-pleasing girl pop & roll. As Ms. Linna herself describes, “This album is a collection of personal favorites from the mid-sixties (primarily) featuring unheralded, broody monsters from bubbling-unders (and overs) - we even recorded an original heart-buster which we hope you dig the most. Somewhere along the line, a gust of wind took off with my last name and I became a one-name person, like Cher. Or Rasputin, for that matter.” What began as Miriam cutting a single track with studio ace Sam Elwitt soon after took on a life of its own resulting in the foot-longer called Nobody’s Baby. So here we have Miriam dipping into the catalogues of a wide ranging collection of cool cats from Gene Clark (“So You Say You Lost Your Baby”) to Neil Young (“There Goes My Babe”) to Tim Buckley (“It Happens Every Time”) to the Ramones (“Questioningly”) to Bobby Darin (“Not For Me”) and delivering pure ear candy in the process. The album features Miriam on all vocals with Elwitt handling just about all the instruments. It has this writer hoping there will be more from where this came from.
HOWARD THOMPSON GOES ALL OUT FOR NOBODY'S BABY!
Photo: Jacob Blickenstaff
NOBODY'S BABY hits #1 this week at WPKN with DJ Howard Thompson calling the shots! Last time this happened the Rolling Stones got a call from Ed Sullivan. Or something like that! 'Twas the Wylde Scot LINDSAY HUTTON of NEXT BIG THING fame who heaped H.T. and everyone within a 40 kilometer radius of wherever he roamed to ED-397 (a/k/a NOBODY'S BABY). Thank you Lindsay and thank you Howard!
FRIDAY SEPT. 12 BOWERY ELECTRIC! When Sam and Miriam finished recording the tracks for the NOBODY'S BABY album, they did not figure on blasting through those songs onstage. Then came Diane Gentile of the Bowery Electric-- better known as the Sybil Burton of the 21st century-- asking if they would play her club featuring the songs from NOBODY'S BABY. Being as the album was recorded with Sam on all instruments and Miriam on the vocals, it took a fine tooth comb to pull together a combo that could cut el moutarde. Come hear and meet Nobody's Babies on Friday night at their NYC debut at 8 PM, right between John Cooper Clark (7 PM)and Cheetah Chrome (9 PM)! Pick up the record HERE! Late breakings news: John Cooper Clarke has been held up in customs...
MIRIAM & SAM AT RAMONES TRIB NITE AT BOWERY ELECTRIC
Click to read David Fricke's review of the show
Sunday night brought in the 40th Anniversary of the Ramones first show on the Bowery-- at (where else) the BOWERY ELECTRIC, located just a few steps from where the boys first blew our gourds at CBGB's. Diane Gentile slated Miriam and Sam to the tribute, where they performed "QUESTIONINGLY" from the NOBODY'S BABY album. All proceeds from the show went to LOVE HOPE STRENGTH!
Miriam and Joey 1977 by Roberta Bayley
STEVE TERRELL • BIG ENCHILADA DIGS IT!
Photo by Jacob Blickenstaff
Nobody’s Baby by Miriam. That’s right, just one name, like Cher or Madonna. Or Winger, for that matter. This is Miriam’s first solo album, and it’s a gem. If you’re expecting the same high-intensity, raucous ’n’ roll you find with The A-Bones, you won’t get it on Nobody’s Baby.
Instead, this album reminds me of two previous records, classy efforts both, in the Norton catalog: Dangerous Game, the 2007 “comeback” album by Mary Weiss, lead singer of The Shangri-Las, and All or Nothing by La La Brooks, who used to sing with The Crystals. Like those older albums, Nobody’s Baby is a contemporary take on the classic early- to mid-’60s girl-group sound — an adult update on the teen yearning and, yes, angst of that golden period.
Linna draws from a wide variety of songwriters, including Jeff Barry (who, with partner Ellie Greenwich, wrote “Leader of the Pack,” “Chapel of Love,” hits for The Ronettes, and dozens more songs — many, you’ve probably never heard of), Tim Buckley, Bobby Darin, Gene Clark (formerly of The Byrds), Neil Young (an early, obscure tune called “There Goes My Babe”), and The Ramones (though Miriam’s version of “Questioningly” sounds more like The Chiffons than anyone who ever played CBGBs).
Besides the influence of Shangri-Las, The Crystals, The Ronettes, and The Angels, I also hear echoes of folk rock – at least Jackie DeShannon-style folk rock – here. That’s especially obvious in the opening song, “My Love Is Gone.” And there are traces of British Invasion siren Sandie Shaw on the noirish “So Lonely.”
Currently, my favorite on Nobody’s Baby is “Walking Down the Street.” It’s the closest thing to a real rocker on the album. I thought this might be an obscure Shangri-Las B-side, but it was originally done by a Pretty Things offshoot band called The Electric Banana.
• THANK YOU DISC JOCKEYS EVERYWHERE •
"There's only one thing between a recording artist and the people," said Hasil Adkins, "THE DISC JOCKEY"! Truer words were never spoken- thank you to all the boss jocks out there everywhere for playing NOBODY'S BABY and all the great records that you deliver show after show.
Badges courtesy DJ Gary Schneider of scenic California
