A strange show this one. A mix of live interview & performance in front of an audience. It starts off with someone mimicking Jonathan and then a bizarre who is the real Jonathan contest happens, add to this some truly dumb ass questions from the interviewer and this makes a very strange tape indeed. The plus side of all this is that intermingled within is a very nice short performance from Jonathan.

WBCN Radio Broadcast (1980)

WBCN Radio Broadcast

Previously listed as 'Studio Session 1982/3'. This looks better identified as the session recorded at Capitol Recording Studios, Los Angeles, in late 1980 (see Tim Mitchell's book 'There's Something About Jonathan' - page 130). By the way, there's a short CD circulating, called 'Jonathan Goes Funky' which is made up of six tracks from this session. 

Studio Session Late 1980 (Jonathan Goes Funky) (1980)

Studio Session Late 1980 (Jonathan Goes Funky)

Also known as "I Can't Stand To See People With Their Feeling's Hurt"

With Beth Harrington, Ellie Marshall, and Ken Forfia. A pretty short show this, at something like 30 minutes long. 

1981 Oct 10 Boston USA Commonwealth Pier Exhibition Hall

With Beth Harrington, Ellie Marshall, Ken Forfia, Michael Guardabascio, and Curly Keranen.

There are a few faults with the recording of "Walter Johnson" on this one

1981 Nov 18 New York City USA The Bottom Line

JR Fan 1

JR is the man!  He lives near my family.  I want to wear his socks

A Bootleg CD circulating on Wild Child Records (?) The cover describes the recording as "unreleased demo version with bonus tracks". It seems likely that these recordings were done at Sunset Studios, Burbank, in Autumn 1981. (see Tim Mitchell's Book, 'There's Something About Jonathan' - page 132). Most of the recordings are very similar to those that were released on "Jonathan Sings!" , though a couple didn't make it onto the record.

Jonathan Sing's Demos (1981)

Jonathan Sing's Demos

A solo show in the main, except for a few songs with 'the Rockin Robins' on each set, joined by Andy Paley on piano for 'Up In The Sky Sometime'.

1982 Mar 2 Boston Cambridge USA Jonathan Swifts

cover files available     This is a great little show! It sounds really intimate and of the 16 songs Jonathan plays 6 that I've only heard here (well maybe one or two exist on a couple of other live shows but the performance here is spot on). This is one of my favorites and listened to lots.

1982 Mar 21 New York City The Other End

I'd have probably graded this one as excellent if it hadn't have been for some very occasional loss of sound in one channel. With a few unusual songs choices that don't get performed too often, and a very unusual end of show poem...

1982 May 5 St. Louis USA Mississippi Nights

Jerry

With  Beth Harrington, Ellie Marshall, and Michael Guardabascio.

1982 May 13 Boston Cambridge USA Jonathan Swifts

With the Modern Lovers. The first track here doesn't sound quite right, but the sound on rest of the recording is pretty good.

1982 Sep 23 New York City USA Lone Star Cafe

Loads of unusual songs here, Jonathan's very chatty and joking throughout and everybody's having a great time. Lots of interaction between him and what is a pretty lively audience. A great show!

1983 Feb 14 Los Angeles USA Uncle Charlies

I believe he is referring to the Roman god "Pan", the god of nature-like things: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_(god). So, maybe the grammar should be: "I'm Your God, Pan". He keeps his Pan-Pipe ready for Pan-Melodies! He lives in the woods...not much to steal...but those colors well, those colors are real (natural)

A super fun show and one of the best we have! Lots of jokes, fooling around, and an unusual song list, plus, towards the end of the show Jonathan's joined on stage by The Baltimores, for a great version of......... well, what else but ........ The Baltimores!Jonathan at his very best!!!!

This show has also been listed as September 27 1985

1983 Mar 19 Santa Monica USA McCabes Guitar Shop

1983 Aug 27 Melbourne Australia Dallas Brooks Hall

The very first JR song I ever heard. I heard Hospital on the radio around 1976 or so. That got me hooked for life.

1983 Oct 7 Amherst Bluewall USA University of Massachusetts

Sweet!!! Someone referenced this page: http://www.boiseweekly.com/Cobweb/archives/2012/06/01/jonathan-richman-is-the-crazy-uncle-you-wish-you-had

Really solid album. One of his best and one of my favorites.Love The Tag Game.

Listening to Jonathan Sings right now. Depending on your speakers this album sounds so good on a decent system. Especially his vocals.

It's funny because I agree with you Jerry...but JR himself would disagree!

There are so many songs that could have ended up on this album but ended up on future albums...Vincent Van Gogh, Miracles Will Start To Happen, New Kind of Neighborhood...

Jonathan Sings! (1983)

Jonathan Sings!

Jonathan Sings! Outtakes (1983)

Jonathan Sings! Outtakes

Excellent apart from a couple of songs where Jonathan's singing away from the microphone. 

1985 St. Louis USA Heartbreak Club

The single version of this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMmSH-628jI

1986 Mar 16 Hoboken USA Maxwells

VinnieQ

i always wanted to hear the full version of CornerStore from the film Kingpin, but i never found it..

1987 Feb 27 Chicago USA Holsteins Folk Club

1987 Aug 21 Davis USA

This song was written in the studio during the recording of "Modern Lover's 88"

With Johnny Avila and Brennan Totten. Brennan's doing the singing on 'Born to be Wild'.

"When I'm Walkin'" and "The Fenway" are performed a capella

Ramon

My copy doesn't have "When I Dance" (it shows up on the track listing as a medley with "This kind of music" but there is no sign of it on the track.  Is your copy different?

Thanks Ramon, I removed that track listing

http://haystackpudding.com/MP3/de27e37a.html

1988 Feb 12 Mezzago Italy Bloom

Good quality solo show, something like  45 minutes long. 

1991 Aug New York City USA Lone Star Roadhouse

A strange JR song. Dark and almost evil sounding at times. Unless I'm missing the point of the song entirely. It wouldn't be the first time!

Yeah, this one and The Neighbors are both dark. Still not completely sure if I really get them...and I've heard them both countless times!

I love it when JR writes songs about real people. Velvet Underground,Pablo Picasso,Walter Johnson, etc.

Quite a good recording until the start of the last four songs, but from there on the recording is pretty flawed, sounds like there was a very bad burn done sometime ago, and because of this the end of the show is pretty much unplayable.

Flawed songs: Let Her Go into the Darkness, A Higher Power, You Must Ask the Heart, Now is Better Than Before

Songs with Beth and Ellie: Down in Bermuda, Somebody to Hold Me

1995 Apr 6 Boston USA Lansdowne Playhouse

She's not so scary she's got all of my records! 

The term "Vampire Girl" has entered into my natural dialect because of this song

ICECOLDNUGRAPE.COM

Somebody To Hold Me