On KCRA 3 in Sacramento, Dave Walker and Lois Hart co-host the evening news. Offscreen, they're married, but you'd never know it from their awkward chemistry behind the anchor desk. They come off as one of those badly mismatched couples who stay together because it's the easy thing to do. Lois appears to be no stranger to the Botox needle, and I think Dave has a nip or two before most broadcasts. Why do I bring this up? Because being married doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be a potent creative team. This week's topic is betrothed singers who managed to make beautiful music together.
In 1997, Aimee Mann and Michael Penn were married. Michael is the singer of the 1989 hit "No Myth," which you probably thought was called "Someone to Dance With," like the rest of America. Aimee's old band, 'Til Tuesday, scored big in the '80s with "Voices Carry." They met while working on one of Aimee's acclaimed solo albums, and he was not frightened by her hair, and it was love at first sight.
Besides recording their own albums, both husband and wife are popular soundtrack contributors, thanks to Michael's film scoring work and Aimee's Oscar-nominated music from Magnolia. In 2001, they were invited to record a song for the film I Am Sam, starring Michael's brother Sean Penn.
I Am Sam is the story of a retarded man who at least has enough sense to like the Beatles. The soundtrack saw contemporary artists singing Beatles tunes. Aimee and Michael recorded a cover of "Two of Us," a smart selection from Let it Be. The song was one of the last Lennon/McCartney duets ever released, and one of the most undervalued.
When sung by John and Paul, "Two of Us" is a touching ode to friendship. "You and I have memories/Longer than the road that stretches out ahead," Paul sings, and considering the group's fragile unity at the time, it's easy to assume he was offering an olive branch to his increasingly distant childhood friend.
Aimee and Michael give it a different spin. In their hands, "Two of Us" isn't just about a pair of buddies, but lifelong companions enjoying each other's company in the simplest moments. Spending their lives together, Sunday driving, not arriving, on their way back home. Aimee has had other duet partners, and good ones. Elvis Costello, Jon Brion and Roger McGuinn have all backed her up. But with hubby Mike at the mike, there's a rare smile in her icy, sardonic voice. Michael has always been a solid singer, his voice like George Harrison's, only richer. But Aimee's is prettier, and she adds the needed touch of grace.
The Penn-Manns have duetted several other times, including a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Reason to Believe" and Michael's own "Christmastime." But "Two of Us," in sound and sentiment, best expresses their wedded bliss. Dave and Lois could really learn something from these two.
TODAY'S RECOMMENDATION: "Two of Us" by Aimee Mann and Michael Penn
AVAILABLE ON: I Am Sam Soundtrack; iTunes
Besides recording their own albums, both husband and wife are popular soundtrack contributors, thanks to Michael's film scoring work and Aimee's Oscar-nominated music from Magnolia. In 2001, they were invited to record a song for the film I Am Sam, starring Michael's brother Sean Penn.
I Am Sam is the story of a retarded man who at least has enough sense to like the Beatles. The soundtrack saw contemporary artists singing Beatles tunes. Aimee and Michael recorded a cover of "Two of Us," a smart selection from Let it Be. The song was one of the last Lennon/McCartney duets ever released, and one of the most undervalued.
When sung by John and Paul, "Two of Us" is a touching ode to friendship. "You and I have memories/Longer than the road that stretches out ahead," Paul sings, and considering the group's fragile unity at the time, it's easy to assume he was offering an olive branch to his increasingly distant childhood friend.
Aimee and Michael give it a different spin. In their hands, "Two of Us" isn't just about a pair of buddies, but lifelong companions enjoying each other's company in the simplest moments. Spending their lives together, Sunday driving, not arriving, on their way back home. Aimee has had other duet partners, and good ones. Elvis Costello, Jon Brion and Roger McGuinn have all backed her up. But with hubby Mike at the mike, there's a rare smile in her icy, sardonic voice. Michael has always been a solid singer, his voice like George Harrison's, only richer. But Aimee's is prettier, and she adds the needed touch of grace.
The Penn-Manns have duetted several other times, including a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Reason to Believe" and Michael's own "Christmastime." But "Two of Us," in sound and sentiment, best expresses their wedded bliss. Dave and Lois could really learn something from these two.
TODAY'S RECOMMENDATION: "Two of Us" by Aimee Mann and Michael Penn
AVAILABLE ON: I Am Sam Soundtrack; iTunes
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