Thunderclap Newman was formed by Who mastermind Pete Townshend (who also produced their work) and its manager, Kit Lambert, in 1969 to showcase the talents of John "Speedy" Keen, a former roadie extraordinaire for the Who. The band had a short history--by 1971 they were done, having released just one album and embarking on just one short tour...and having a hit single that even nearly fifty years later is almost universally recognized. Sadly, all three of the band's original members--Speedy Keen, Andy "Thunderclap" Newman, and Jimmy McCulloch are no longer with us.
Fun Fact: Townshend played bass for the band on its recordings, under the pseudonym Bijou Drains (you got me...).
Released in 1969, "Something in the Air" was originally written by Keen for the movie The Magic Christian. It would go on to become #1 in England for three weeks, and hit #37 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100. Thunderclap Newman's only album, Hollywood Dream, was released nine months after the single, and had virtually no commercial success. The band did have another minor hit in England with the song "Accidents"--which is most noted for rivaling only "Softly As I Leave You" for having the saddest subject matter of any song ever written....
"Something in the Air" is a literal and figurative call to arms--the world was changing and it was time to take it upon ourselves to make the world a better place. The music and instrumentation has an almost otherworldly quality to it--its boldness matches the boldness of the call to revolution. There's some nice guitar work by McCulloch (who was all of 16 at the time), and Keen's drumming helps to add to the song's power. There's a dandy piano break by Andy Newman about two thirds of the way into the song that is at times both beautiful and chaotic before the song breaks on through to the other side (to quote a phrase) and closes with an almost hopeful, somewhat prayer-like plea for us all to get it together and embrace the moment. It was a one-off moment of genius for Keen who had the good fortune to have Townshend's as a Muse--and they created a pop classic for the masses.
Liner Notes: "Because the revolution's here, and you know it's right/And you know that it's right/We have got to get it together/We have got to get it together now..."
Enjoy:
Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee
emaycee
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