Whatever happened to Fountains of Wayne? (c/d?)

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Is there a good breakdown anywhere of who wrote what in FoW? I can only find "written by" credits that attribute all songs to both.

brechtian social distancing (Simon H.), Thursday, 2 April 2020 00:34 (four years ago) link

I said a few posts ago, there did used to be one on an old FoW message board, but I think it has long gone. Someone on a Facebook group may have it, though.

That debut album was just perfect, really. Head and shoulders above so much of the other major label alt power pop of the era. Although not quite on the same level, Utopia Parkway was an excellent follow-up. They lost me for a bit by Sky Full Of Holes brought it back, for me anyway. Now to finally investigate Ivy.

PaulTMA, Thursday, 2 April 2020 00:36 (four years ago) link

*but. tired emotional etc

PaulTMA, Thursday, 2 April 2020 00:37 (four years ago) link

One thing I remember is that Traffic & Weather is mainly Adam songs, while it is back to being more balanced on the last album

PaulTMA, Thursday, 2 April 2020 00:48 (four years ago) link

The first three albums are some of my favorites of all time.

skip, Thursday, 2 April 2020 00:51 (four years ago) link

One thing I remember is that Traffic & Weather is mainly Adam songs, while it is back to being more balanced on the last album

That's mentioned on the Wiki page; Chris was struggling with alcoholism at the time. But still no song breakdown.

brechtian social distancing (Simon H.), Thursday, 2 April 2020 00:56 (four years ago) link

It took his passing for me to realise that so many songs I've loved from TV and film were written by him.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend definitely has some classics, and also shout out to Way Back Into Love from Music and Lyrics.

triggercut, Thursday, 2 April 2020 01:12 (four years ago) link

Goddamn you coronavirus. Why didn’t you take a politician instead?

✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 2 April 2020 01:44 (four years ago) link

I interviewed the two of them a number of times, and ran into them very often in the late 90s/ early 00s in NYC;… they did not say so specifically when I talked to them, but it is clear to me that the more humorously inclined tunes were his and the more heart on sleeve offerings were Chris's… I think they had a VERY bad breakup, as the final record which I've never heard was allegedly tortuous to produce…

veronica moser, Thursday, 2 April 2020 01:45 (four years ago) link

I think the more overtly character-based songs are nearly always Adam's.

Chris tweeted about Adam's condition just yesterday. I hope they were able to patch things up in recent times.

PaulTMA, Thursday, 2 April 2020 01:49 (four years ago) link

Also somehow missed that Schlesinger co-composed the score to Damsels In Distress!

"...And the Gods Socially Distanced" (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 2 April 2020 01:54 (four years ago) link

Sky Full Of Holes is their third best album for me, easily. Was so pleased with it when it was released. Revisiting all of these is going to be strange.

PaulTMA, Thursday, 2 April 2020 01:58 (four years ago) link

Gonna assume "Haley's Waitress" is an Adam tune. Always loved how the lovely vocal bridge only shows up once.

brechtian social distancing (Simon H.), Thursday, 2 April 2020 02:28 (four years ago) link

Anyone else like Ivy? I love the first two records and EP.

Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 2 April 2020 02:31 (four years ago) link

me!

TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 2 April 2020 02:36 (four years ago) link

List I have kept of who wrote what.

92 Subaru Adam Schlesinger
A Dip In The Ocean Chris Collingwood
A Fine Day for a Parade Chris Collingwood
A Road Song Adam Schlesinger
Acela Adam Schlesinger
Action Hero Adam Schlesinger
All Kinds of Time Adam Schlesinger
Amity Gardens Chris Collingwood
Baby One More Time Max Martin
Barbara H. Chris Collingwood
Better Things Ray Davies
Bought for a Song Chris Collingwood
Bright Future in Sales Adam Schlesinger
Bus Stop Graham Gouldman
Can't Get It Out of My Head Jeff Lynne
Cemetary Guns Chris Collingwood
Chanukah Under the Stars Adam Schelsinger
Cold Comfort Flowers Chris Collingwood
Cry One Tear Chris Collingwood
Denise Adam Schlesinger
Everything's Ruined Adam Schlesinger
Fire In The Canyon Chris Collingwood
Fire Island Adam Schlesinger
Firelight Waltz Chris Collingwood
Go, Hippie Chris Collingwood
Hackensack Adam Schlesinger
Halley's Waitress Adam Schlesinger
Hat and Feet Adam Schlesinger
Hate To See You Like This Adam Schlesinger
Help! John Lennon/Paul McCartney
Hey Julie Adam Schlesinger
Hotel Majestic Chris Collingwood
Hung Up on You Chris Collingwood
I-95 Adam Schlesinger
I Know You Well Chris Collingwood
I'll Do the Driving Chris Collingwood
I Want an Alien for Christmas Adam Schlesinger
I Want You Around Chris Collingwood
Imperia Chris Collingwood
It Must be Summer Adam Schlesinger
I've Got a Flair Adam Schlesinger
Janice's Party Chris Collingwood
Joe Rey Chris Collingwood
Kid Gloves Chris Collingwood
Killermont Street Roddy Frame
Laser Show Adam Schlesinger
Leave the Biker Chris Collingwood
Little Red Light Adam Schlesinger
Lost in Space Adam Schlesinger
Maureen Adam Schlesinger
Mexican Wine Adam Schlesinger
Michael and Heather At The Baggage Claim Adam Schlesinger
New Routine Adam Schlesinger
Nightlight Adam Schlesinger
Peace and Love Adam Schlesinger
Places Chris Collingwood
Planet Of Weed Adam Schlesinger
Please Don't Rock Me Tonight Chris Collingwood
Prom Theme Adam Schlesinger
Radiation Vibe Chris Collingwood
Radio Bar Adam Schlesinger
Red Dragon Tattoo Chris Collingwood
Revolving Dora Adam Schlesinger
Richie and Reuben Adam Schlesinger
Seatbacks and Traytables Chris Collingwood
Sense Into You Adam Schlesinger
She's Got a Problem Adam Schlesinger
Sick Day Adam Schlesinger/Chris Collingwood
Sink to the Bottom Adam Schlesinger
Small Favors Chris Collingwood
Someone To Love Adam Schlesinger
Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart Chris Collingwood
Song Of The Passaic W: John Alleyne Macnab M: Adam Schlesinger
Stacy's Mom Adam Schlesinger
Strapped For Cash Adam Schlesinger
Supercollider Chris Collingwood
Survival Car Chris Collingwood
The Girl I Can't Forget Adam Schlesinger
The Man in the Santa Suit Chris Collingwood
The Senator's Daughter Adam Schlesinger
The Story In Your Eyes Justin Hayward
The Summer Place Adam Schlesinger
The Valley of Malls Chris Collingwood
These Days Jackson Browne
This Better Be Good Adam Schlesinger
Today's Teardrops Gene Pitney/Aaron Schroeder
Traffic and Weather Adam Schlesinger
Trains and Boats and Planes Burt Bacharach/Hal David
Troubled Times Chris Collingwood
Utopia Parkway Adam Schlesinger
Valley Winter Song Chris Collingwood
Workingman's Hands Chris Collingwood
Yolanda Hayes Adam Schlesinger
You Curse at Girls Adam Schlesinger

PaulTMA, Thursday, 2 April 2020 02:40 (four years ago) link

(From a Facebook fan group)

PaulTMA, Thursday, 2 April 2020 02:41 (four years ago) link

What a body of work for both of them though. What a loss.

silby, Thursday, 2 April 2020 02:42 (four years ago) link

Their Baby One More Time is something else

silby, Thursday, 2 April 2020 02:43 (four years ago) link

what a terrible loss. writing a song that makes "that thing you do" work as a movie is a significant achievement on top of everything else he did as a working musician.

call all destroyer, Thursday, 2 April 2020 03:16 (four years ago) link

May his memory be a blessing.

silby, Thursday, 2 April 2020 03:24 (four years ago) link

his marriage to his ex-wife was covered in Vows, what a time capsule https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/14/style/vows-katherine-michel-adam-schlesinger.html

silby, Thursday, 2 April 2020 03:29 (four years ago) link

Nice that maybe my absolute fave ("sick day") is one of the few co-writes.

brechtian social distancing (Simon H.), Thursday, 2 April 2020 03:48 (four years ago) link

Most of those not too surprising except Collingwood doing Hung Up on You and A Fine Day for a Parade.

brechtian social distancing (Simon H.), Thursday, 2 April 2020 03:54 (four years ago) link

Anyone else like Ivy? I love the first two records and EP.

Over here IVY

Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 2 April 2020 08:18 (four years ago) link

RIP. The sound of my tweens.

― coco vide (pomenitul), Thursday, April 2, 2020 12:39 AM (ten hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Fuck, this very much. RIP.

Haven't posted in a minute but ilx was the first place I wanted to come when I heard. This is heartbreaking. RIP

sktsh, Thursday, 2 April 2020 10:53 (four years ago) link

Good reminder of how crazy prolific here was here:

https://music.avclub.com/adam-schlesinger-and-fountains-of-wayne-were-so-much-mo-1842627923

And how he basically had multiple shots at going for the EGOT.

Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 2 April 2020 13:48 (four years ago) link

it is so so dumb that "TTYD" lost Best Original Song

brechtian social distancing (Simon H.), Thursday, 2 April 2020 13:55 (four years ago) link

Funny bit in what I just posted:

“I was up against Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren. You know, all my peers, basically,” Schlesinger said in that 2001 interview of losing the 1997 Oscar to Lloyd Webber for Evita’s “You Must Love Me.” “It was funny, because Diane Warren was sitting right in front of me, and she writes these really sappy love ballads, but her personality does not fit her music. When he won, she was like, ‘That piece of shit won?’”

Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 2 April 2020 14:05 (four years ago) link

Nice post by Sarah Silverman, apparently they were very close and working on a musical together

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ewvzUAfyf/?igshid=1ntfv4wnvihdj

Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 2 April 2020 14:08 (four years ago) link

This morning I was watching this video of Adam and Mike Viola performing "That Thing You Do" and felt myself close to tears. I just can't believe this.

Bougy! Bougie! Bougé! (Eliza D.), Thursday, 2 April 2020 14:32 (four years ago) link

Considering he's one degree away from Superdrag and Nicki Minaj, I suspect "six degrees of Adam Schlesinger" would shame Kevin Bacon.

brechtian social distancing (Simon H.), Thursday, 2 April 2020 14:53 (four years ago) link

If you are interested, Maron moved his 2012 talk with Adam out from behind the paywall. It's actually a pretty good talk.

soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 2 April 2020 16:08 (four years ago) link

i'm listening to it, it's very nice. what a balanced sounding, kind fellow he seems. his persona is slightly less gruff than i'd guessed at. i had no basis for my guess, just like...pictures i guess? i just learned brian young was in the posies for a while. i was surprised, and i also learned now he's drumming for jesus and mary chain.

the quick ween commentary was a minor but wild side note to me.

blather rinse repeat 2020 (Hunt3r), Thursday, 2 April 2020 17:05 (four years ago) link

Sad he lost the Oscar and Golden Globe to that incredibly dull song from Evita. That Thing You Do was a great song that needed to sound credible for the whole movie to even exist.

✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 2 April 2020 17:55 (four years ago) link

otmfm, and which is sort of easy to never even consider (since the song is exactly what it is). what would that movie even be if the song sucked? i mean, the alt take would be for it to be obviously horrible, i guess?

i still love the "oneders" joke.

blather rinse repeat 2020 (Hunt3r), Thursday, 2 April 2020 18:14 (four years ago) link

Me too. I love the movie.

Every so often if I'm in a brainstorming session I'll randomly say "I keep backing back to the Heardsman"

narcissistic sleighride (Neanderthal), Thursday, 2 April 2020 18:15 (four years ago) link

If you are interested, Maron moved his 2012 talk with Adam out from behind the paywall. It's actually a pretty good talk.

http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/repost-adam-schlesinger-from-2012

donald failson (sic), Thursday, 2 April 2020 18:22 (four years ago) link

Is it Adam singing on Everything's Ruined? I always pictured that but never had that confirmed. It could have been the friend who taped me their debut told me so, but that was about 23 years ago so can't remember at this stage.

PaulTMA, Friday, 3 April 2020 00:27 (four years ago) link

"From the night I can't remember / with the girl I can't forget" seems like such an obvious couplet and yet they wrote a perfect song around it and no one else did.

that's not my post, Friday, 3 April 2020 01:06 (four years ago) link

Many xp, Brian Young was the drummer on "Amazing Disgrace," my absolute favorite Posies album. Joe Skyward was the other half of the rhythm section for that one, and when I saw them live the power knocked my socks off.

Bougy! Bougie! Bougé! (Eliza D.), Friday, 3 April 2020 01:08 (four years ago) link

Carl Wilson on Adam

Maria Edgelord (cryptosicko), Thursday, 9 April 2020 17:38 (four years ago) link

"From the night I can't remember / with the girl I can't forget" seems like such an obvious couplet and yet they wrote a perfect song around it and no one else did.

Did this predate the Magnetic Fields song with a similar conceit?

morrisp, Thursday, 9 April 2020 17:57 (four years ago) link

always got them confused with ben folds five...

Can't get my head around this

Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 9 April 2020 18:02 (four years ago) link

Xpost that Magnetic Fields tune was released first. The Girl I Can’t Forget came out a few years later on Out of State Plates.

that's not my post, Saturday, 11 April 2020 06:35 (four years ago) link

CC on Adam:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/adam-schlesinger-fountains-of-wayne-chris-collingwood-980798/

He viewed himself as a craftsman and not an artist, a word he considered pretentious. He worked diligently every day, even when he didn’t feel like it, which is true of a lot of successful people, and probably the greatest single difference between us.

enochroot, Saturday, 11 April 2020 14:24 (four years ago) link

lol that RS photo makes each member of the band look stoned on a different drug.

Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 11 April 2020 14:42 (four years ago) link


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