John Mellencamp, the #47 Artist of the Rock Era, Part One

"Americana with a shot of nitro."

"John, you're a true poet."

"Thank-you John for all the great music."

"Love John and his slightly rough edgy voice. What a great singer!"

"He's so home grown, to the point, no BS, John Mellencamp is and always will be epic!!"

"He not only has an incredible body of work; he puts on a hell of a concert!"

"John Mellencamp is such a breath of fresh air."

"Been a fan for a lifetime."

"John Mellencamp is arguably the most important roots rocker of his
generation."

"John is a true warrior for rural American."

"John wrote songs that had meaning while maintaining a fun feeling, and not coming off as self righteous or condescending. He's a musical genius."

"This Hoosier is a musical genius."

"He is by far one of (if not the) most progressive musicians of his generation... His music is his art, and it is truly incredible to behold."

John Mellencamp was born October 7, 1951.  He formed the band Crepe Soul when he was 14 and played in several local groups including Banana Barn, Snakepit and Trash. 

Mellencamp graduated from Vincennes University in 1974.  He continued to play in various bands before getting a job installing telephones.  But he yearned to be a recording artist and went to New York City in pursuit of a music career.

After many months of going back and forth from his home to New York and being rejected, Tony Defries of MainMan Management finally was interested.  Defries set John up to record an album on MCA Records called Chestnut Street Incident, but would be released only under the condition that he change his stage name to Johnny Cougar.  John did this, but the album sold just 12,000 copies.

In 1977, Mellencamp recorded the album The Kid Inside, but Defries was not pleased with it and didn't release it until 1983 when John became a big star.  Consequently, MCA Records dropped Mellencamp from its roster.

One door may have been closed, but another opened.  Billy Gaff, manager of Rod Stewart, liked what he heard and helped John sign with Riva Records.  It was a small label, but it was better than his other options.  

In 1978, Cougar released the album A Biography, recorded in London, which spawned the #1 Australian hit "I Need A Lover".  The song quite possibly saved his career, which was struggling at the time.  Can you imagine the vacuum it would have left in our lives if it hadn't gotten airplay?  

 

Although the album wasn't released in the United States, the song was included on the 1979 album John Cougar and became a #28 hit in the U.S., allowing John to record another album.  Mellencamp says at the time, he was worried he was already washed up.

 

Brilliant early work here from John--"Born Reckless".  He was refining his sound and figuring out how his music would best fit in, but his roots are impressive.

"Where The Sidewalk Ends" is another Top Track* on the album.

 

The album also included an undiscovered gem, "Small Paradise".  It is one of many he has among The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*!

 

That same year, Pat Benatar recorded an excellent version of "I Need A Lover" for her album In the Heat of the Night.  In 1980, Cougar released the album Nothin' Matters and What If It Did, produced by Steve Cropper, who produced Otis Redding and so many others while at Stax Records.  Since he was married at age 18 and had his first child shortly afterward, John certainly had the personal experience to write this song.  The single "Ain't Even Done With The Night" reached #6 in Canada but stalled at #17 in the United States.

The album has sold over one million copies.  Another early song that displays Cougar's talent is "Don't Misunderstand Me".

 

The 1982 album American Fool catapulted Cougar into stardom.  John spoke about the song that paved the way on the Plain Spoken DVD:

     When I first started playing in rock bands, I didn't

     realize how crude and mean other fellas could be.

     How crude they were with women and how crude 

     women were.  That led me to write a song called

     "Hurts So Good" because I was playing in these

     bars and I just could not believe the lows

     people would go to with each other.

"Hurts So Good" raced to #2 in the U.S., #3 in Canada and #5 in Australia, sold over one million copies and won a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.  

American Fool has now sold over five million units in the U.S. alone.  Cougar was about to junk this song when guitarist Mick Ronson helped him resurrect it.  John wrote the song about a young couple falling in love as a tribute to life in the rural working class.  "Jack & Diane" reached #1 for four weeks in the United States, selling over one million singles, and also topped the Canadian chart.

 

John pulled another minor hit off the album with the #19 song "Hand To Hold On To".

Cougar won Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist at the American Music Awards and was nominated for Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Producer of the Year.

 

With his breakthrough came some bargaining ability, and John used it to add Mellencamp to his stage name.  In 1983, John Cougar Mellencamp released the album Uh-Huh.  "Crumblin' Down" reached #2 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #9 overall.

"Pink Houses" (#3 MR and #8 Popular) has helped the album go over the three-million mark in sales.  To drive home the point, this song is NOT a celebration of life in America.  To the contrary, and anyone would know if they could interpret lyrics, it is a criticism of life in America, how there are a very few people at the top with five mansions all over the world and everyone else with cheap, "Little Pink Houses".

Another popular track on Uh-Huh is "The Authority Song", a #15 hit.  John has always been a rebel, who, rather than playing the game, displaying the "image" music business professionals wanted and doing whatever they wanted, was having protracted battles with record company executives.  Mellencamp is the perfect person to record an updated version of "I Fought The Law"!

 

Dan Ross, Mellencamp's hairdresser and a musician in a local Indiana band, started this song and John and guitarist Larry Crane polished it.  John's advice to landing women is to "Play Guitar".

Mellencamp was just getting started.  Showing incredible promise with his early projects, he harnessed his best instincts and skills for the top album of his career, which is next on Inside The Rock Era!