When I found that Amanda Marshall CD I also found something else along with it. The Shoe Box EP by Barenaked Ladies. I found it in a shoe box. Would you believe that?
If you were a kid in the mid-’90s you may have heard your parents laughing to a particular song. If you got curious they may have played you If I had a $1000000 by the Barenaked Ladies.
In the ’90s there were only a few ways you could have that song. You could find the song on the Barenaked Ladies (The Yellow Tape) record from 1991. Or you had the Gordon album from 1992. I missed the hype in 1992 you could get the Shoe Box E.P. in 1996.
If I had a $1000000 was popular right up until the late 90’s. The Shoe Box E.P. was a sort of re-release of their million-dollar song. It served as a promotion for their full-length album Born on a Pirate Ship in 1996.
My parents had the Shoe Box E.P. to get their million-dollar fix. They played it a lot during adult parties. After my Amanda Marshall experience, I knew that my parents would only listen to certain songs. I went and got the Shoe Box E.P. to see what else was on there.
Shoe Box (radio remix) by Barenaked Ladies
There were great songs on that EP besides If I had a $1000000. Shoe Box was one of them. It had two versions of the Show Box. One was a radio remix and then the album version released on Born on a Pirate Ship the same year.
Shoe Box was a great tune. It was upbeat and spunky with really great vocal harmonies. Trust was another good one, but I liked Shoe Box a little bit more.
Singer Plus Backup
The Barenaked Ladies have great vocal harmonies in their songs. The reason is that everyone in the band sang. Steven Page was lead vocals along with Ed Robertson, and the rest of the band did backup vocals. Few bands had members that could sing backup. So when you heard a group where everyone could sing it was dynamite.
In the ’80s and ’90s recordings usually had the lead singer performing all lead and back up to thicken up the mix. When you have different people performing back up vocals it creates a different sound. Arguably it is a better sound.
It was a wall of sound like the Beach Boys did with their vocal production in the ’60s. Every voice had a different timbre and when you combine them together you get a huge sound. The Barenaked Ladies had that quality in their music.
Next time you listen to a group take note of the vocal production. Does it have backup singing? If so who is singing? Is it only the lead singer or are other people singing?
This is a musical quality that sets groups apart from others. It’s an undeniable fact. Even if you don’t like Def Leppard there was something about the vocal performance that was attractive. It was because everyone in the band sang back up to support their singer.
Naked Without the Singer
It was surprising to hear Steven Page left the band in 2009. That was the year my band released its debut album Chained to the Sky. I always liked Steven Page’s vocal performance over Ed Robertson. Page had a child-like playfulness to his voice with good technique and vocal power. If you look at Pages work you can see that he was already doing solo albums before he left the group in 2009. The evidence was there that he was ready to move on. Another lead singer leaves the band and goes solo. It’s the same ol’ situation.
You Came Here For The Money Right?
Let’s back up to when Page was in the band. It was good times. If you came here because you were searching for If I had a $1000000. Then here is the yellow tape version that my parents would play at parties. Great tune.
Even though it got overplayed in the household it was still a good song. Take note of the vocal harmonies. They are super killer. Also, it’s hard to not love what the singers would do with the money.
What would you do with a million dollars? I would also build a tree fort in my yard with a tiny fridge in it. I could store snacks and beverages up there. It would be easy to run power into the fort, set up a TV, and then stream Netflix and Amazon Prime through wifi.
Would you still eat Kraft Dinner if you were rich? I know I would. I could use expensive cheeses with it and make the ultimate Kraft Dinner.
Another thanks to my parents for showing me great music during my youth!
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