Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. XCIX--Rickie Lee Jones: Chuck E.'s in Love

As I've noted a time or two here on FNJ, I grew up on what back in the day we used to call top 40 radio (and thanks Corporate America for fucking up another good thing and bringing us stale regurgitated tripe--all the same, all the time--as its replacement) wherein AM radio stations played the living shit out of Billboard's top forty or so singles, and spliced that with what used to be called oldies but goodies and a few songs that, someday when they grew up, just might make the top 40, too.  It had its drawbacks--really big hits would get played hourly and there's only so many times you can hear "You Light Up My Life" before you're looking for an ice pick to pierce your eardrums.  But one of the real thrills--and so much different than now when you can hear a favorite song instantly, and again and again, without waiting until the next time Mom and Dad went to the mall so you could get that 45 single at the record shop--was driving to school, or listening while you did your homework, or just killing time in godforsaken Kokomo, Indiana and waiting, waiting, waiting, until that song that you really loved finally came on WLS 89 out of Chicago and you savored every second because you just didn't know how long it would be until you might hear it again.

As you may have guessed, one such song for me was this week's tune, "Chuck E.'s in Love" by Rickie Lee Jones.  Truth be told, I was twenty when it was released and could have driven myself to the mall, but I was engaged to be married in less than a year and if I was going to justify to my fiancee spending $3.99 (yes, you read that right kids, $3.99 for a brand spanking new LP) for an album, I needed to make sure it was really worth it.  "Chuck E.'s in Love" most certainly was (well, at least to me, not so sure about my fiancee).

Rickie Lee Jones burst onto the music scene in 1979 with her aptly titled debut LP Rickie Lee Jones and a star making appearance on Saturday Night Live.  Her album would go on to reach #3 on the Billboard 200 and she would win the Grammy (her first of two) that year for Best New Artist.  Her second album, Pirates, would reach #4...and that was pretty much the end of Jones's commercial success.  Much like Joni Mitchell, Jones ventured heavily into jazz and some experimental music, neither of which has much captured the hearts of the music buying public.  Still, as noted above, Jones did secure a second Grammy, and is still releasing LPs and touring thirty-seven years later.

"Chuck E.'s in Love" had its genesis in a phone call--in the late 1970's Jones was dating singer/songwriter/actor Tom Waits and making music with both Waits and his friend Chuck E. Weiss.  Eventually Weiss up and disappeared only to call some time later and tell Waits that he'd moved to Colorado because he was in love with his cousin--as he listened, Waits turned to Jones and said, "Chuck E.'s in love" and voila, a song was born.  It would go on to to reach #4 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains one of my all-time favorite songs to this day.

A pop song with jazz overtones and not just a little soul, "Chuck E.'s in Love" documents the transformation of Chuck E. from a confused young woman's dork friend to a man in love and Jones chronicles this with some touching little descriptions ("He don't stutter when he talks" "Christ, I think he's even combed his hair").  Musically, the song is acoustic guitars, some bass, and some drums with some nice dramatic pauses and the melody is catchy as all hell, but the true and absolute wonder of the song is Jones's vocals.  She nails the young girl who's wondering just what the hell is going on with Chuck E. and does so with a drawling jazzy style that I'm not quite sure I've heard before or since (even by Jones).  And when you get to the end, and realize--spoiler alert!--that son of a gun, Chuck E. just happens to be in love with the "little girl singing this song"...well, let's just say I've been listening to it for thirty-seven years and never fail to get a lump in my throat.  Jones vocals captures both the confusion and sheer joy of youth and new love, and turns what could have been just another love song into a one of a kind love song.

Rap sheet:  "It's true! It's true! He sure is acquired a cool and inspired sorta jazz when he walks..."

Enjoy:

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