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A Movie Night

by John D. Lamb

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  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $7 USD  or more

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Lyrics on the inner sleeve. Black and white photos. LP front contains finalized title of the album: A Movie Night. Spine contains the working title: Smoke Alarm. From Mezzanotte Records.
    All songs written by John D. Lamb
    Produced by Jim Bizer
    Engineered & Mixed by Alan Finkbeiner & Jim Bizer
    Recorded at Outpost Studio in Fort Wayne, Indiana, ZoundSound,
    Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and Funky D Studio, Royal Oak, Michigan.
    Mastered by Jim Kissling

    Includes unlimited streaming of A Movie Night via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days

      $23 USD or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Designed by Charlie Auringer, former graphics design editor of Creem Magazine.
    All songs written by John D. Lamb
    Produced by Jim Bizer
    Engineered & Mixed by Alan Finkbeiner & Jim Bizer
    Recorded at Outpost Studio in Fort Wayne, Indiana, ZoundSound,
    Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and Funky D Studio, Royal Oak, Michigan.
    Mastered by Jim Kissling
    Thanks to my brother Sal D’Agnillo, who left me his black Fender Stratocaster. It is the electric guitar on this album. Pretty sure he’d be
    pleased with the way Jim played it.
    Thanks to Michael Camp, Bob Cicchini, Dana Cooper, Lisa Galperin,
    Whit Hill, Joel Mabus, Karen Mal, Joyce Maynard, David Massengill,
    Laurie McClain, Buddy Mondlock, Chuck Pfarrer, Michael Smith, Mark
    Stuart, Natalia Zuckerman, for suggesting these songs. Thanks to
    Suzanne for permission to do a little “Da da da duh, doo da-doo doo…”
    Photos: Mark Foril
    Design: Charlie Auringer

    Includes unlimited streaming of A Movie Night via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.     ... more
    ships out within 3 days

      $15 USD or more 

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    5
    releases

    Get all 5 John D. Lamb releases available on Bandcamp and save 30%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Good Hart, A Movie Night, Feel That, A Novel Day, and Live at Legs. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      $24.50 USD or more (30% OFF)

     

1.
Gig is Up 02:28
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Gig is Up I don’t want to wake you I see you weren’t expecting me to Be home so soon But my gig was up So I drove all night - thinking ‘bout you, baby And the way the moonlight – the way it shines in our bedroom I don’t want to wake you ‘Guess you weren’t expecting me to Pop your balloon But the gig was up So, I drove all night thinking ‘bout your body And the way the moonlight – the way it shines in our bedroom I don’t want to wake you I guess I wasn’t expecting you two ‘Should’ve got a motel room Now the gig is up Gonna make a PBJ With a glass of milk Then I’m gonna slip away Cause the gig is up I don’t want to wake you The gig is up I don’t want to wake you The gig is up You see I drove all night thinking ‘bout your body The gig is up I don’t want to wake you The gig is up 2018©John D. Lamb
2.
I Think I'm in Love With Suzanne Vega 04:17
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I Think I'm in Love with Suzanne Vega She’s the brightest star in the constellation, I’m blowing Bazooka And the alpha in this equation is my omega We’ll I’ve never been a boy But the girl has imagination – Oh Luka You’re a sad song, why do I feel funny? I think I’m in love with Suzanne Vega Hey mama, hey papa, it’s your Natalia Here’s something, there’s something, I got to tell ya I think I might be, yeah I think I might be a folksinger I think I might be, yeah I think I might be a folksinger She’s the brightest star in the constellation, nobody finer And I’m tripping on a revelation in a Brooklyn diner Oh, I’ll never be a boy But the girl has imagination – A capella It’s a sad song, but it can’t be wrong When you think you’re in love with Suzanne Vega Hey mama, hey papa, it’s your Natalia Here’s something, there’s something, I got to tell ya Well, I think I might be Do do do do do do do do do do do do do do Yeah, I think I might be Do do do do do do do do do do do do do do 2018©John D. Lamb
3.
Bound to Talk 03:12
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Bound to Talk Could be Marquette said to Joliet This expedition, well, it ain't done yet They don't speak French, but we will talk We're bound to talk I say, "Who's there?" You say, "Knock knock" This conversation might never stop I say, "Two bits" - "'little off the top" We're bound to talk We're bound to talk, we're bound to talk Sure as this lake takes to Milwaukee We'll get lucky, we won't balk We're bound to talk I might be Jim, you might be Huck Don't change a word, might be bad luck I saw a bird, you saw a hawk That's how we talk It might get mushy, it might get muddy It's a mighty rush on the Mississippi We just might sing, our hearts unlock We're bound to talk We're bound to talk, we're bound to talk Sure as this river, leads to Missouri Don't you worry, we got Peter Falk He'll make you talk, he'll make you talk We'll, you cannot walk on the water But you can talk, be a father You and Joliet, you ain't done yet You gotta talk, you gotta talk And all you gotta do is - take your kayak All the way to St. Louis, yak yak yak I saw a bird, you saw a hawk That's how you talk, that's how you talk 2018©John D. Lamb
4.
R-Rated Night in Redford 03:01
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R-rated Night in Redford This is how you hold it; a cigarette ‘Learned it from an actor, at the drive-in for free He was a spy; he was the guy I wanted to be Up on the movie screen, - the way they smoke After a sex scene, or with a jack and a coke This is how you hold it, this is how you light it, and this is how you swear It was an R-rated night at the Redford that night, I should not have been there No one saw me throw it; the cigarette There was an actress, she was in this flick She was a spy; I was a guy without a chick Up on the movie screen, the way she smoked I want to kiss a girl, yeah, man, I was stoked No one saw me do it; the wind blew it, Smoky was a bear It was an R-rated night at the Redford that night, I should not have been there When the scene unfolded I was a silhouette The director said it’s time to cut Might be a lie, was I the guy who flicked that butt? This is how you hold it, this is how you light it, this is how you swear It was an R-rated night at the Redford that night, I should not have been there 2018©John D. Lamb
5.
Out on a Limb 02:52
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Out on a Limb Your daddy used to climb that tree when he was just a kid He thought I didn’t see him, but I did When I was a boy, I was a lot like him We played hide and seek and I’d go out on a limb Ollie Ollie out come free It was me and my maple tree Out on a limb When we played the game, the game called tag Tree was my safe zone, you can’t tag that Eeny, meeny, miny, moe Tree was bigger than you even know You can’t tag that So, you wanna knock it down – you want it off the grid Didn’t think I’d let you do it, but I did Now, we got a brand-new sidewalk, where I can shuffle my feet You got a brand-new stroller, and a cute little kid, yes you did Another tree will grow, and when your boy’s about ten He’s going to climb it; He might have a girl with him K I S S I N G Someday he’ll be just like me, out on a limb, out on a limb 2018©John D. Lamb
6.
All-American Man (Che) 02:34
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All-American Man (Che) To San Ernesto de La Higuera we offer our hands For the ones you are missing, there’s no ground for kissing You are only a man Aboard the yacht Granma chartered for Cuba You fought from that day Veracruz to Playa Las Coloradas Lives and freedom to save Che Guevara, you are only a man Che Guevara, Central, Southern, Latin or another All American man Felix Rodriguez de la CIA; blood on your hands That Rolex you’re wearing, the tales you are sharing They belong to a man Alberto Korda, your iconic photo with the rebel beret If only for you and the causes so few He lives to this day Che Guevara, you are only a man Che Guevara, Central, Southern, Latin or another All American man Che Guevara, your country is somewhere? Che Guevara , like Roosevelt and Ryan you suffer from asthma You’re fighting for air Che Guevara, you are only a man Che Guevara, Central, Southern, Latin or another All American man If fashion plates could dictate states They’d be a rebel, a fighter, a doctor, a lover Central, Southern, Latin or another All American man 2018©John D. Lamb
7.
Her Curtains 04:01
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Her Curtains Her curtains are really her clothes Blouses on hangers all in a row Hang from the window on the second floor Her curtains are really her clothes You can see through them from below when you walk See her downward facing dog Ya da da da dee da da da da da Ya da da da dee da de da dum dum Ashtanga, niyama, asana The posture is real and pure on the mat The neighbor sees all that From vinyasa with pranayama Breathe through the nose, hold that pose Watch her through those vintage clothes Ya da da da dee da da da da da Ya da da da dee da dee da dum dum Ya da da rechaka, puraka, khumbaka, mula bandha Her curtains are really her clothes Skirting the danger, finding the flow Going where her yogi goes Seems she’s certain that nobody knows But you can see through them - walk real slow You can see her face aglow Ya da da da dee da da da da da Ya da da da dee da dee da dum dum Mm mm mm mm mmm bum 2018©John D. Lamb
8.
Ten Years from Now (Fudge Song) 03:17
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Ten Years from Now (Fudge Song) Ten years from now you won’t see me ‘round I hate this job; I hate the smell of this town But I love my fudge. I eat it by the pound The horses, the tourists, they make me sick If it wasn’t for this one girl who works on the strip You wouldn’t see me ‘round Ten years from now, no how. She give me sugar, she give me all I ask I’m in the store; she’s behind the glass Where all the fudge can be found Ten years from now I’m gonna be fifty If I don’t get that girl, if she don’t go with me If she don’t budge, you won’t see me ‘round Ten years from now, no how. Well, ten years it’s been, here I am Here I am with that girl again She like to make fudge, she make me eat my mound I put it in my salad, I put it in my Wheaties ‘Less I get some diabetes, I wolf it down Ten years from now, no how Ten years from now, who’s gonna miss me? Doctor says I’ll never make sixty Cause I love her so much, I’m goin’ down in the ground Tell the horses, the tourists, the fudge made me sick Tell that woman who works up on the strip See you ‘round Ten years from now, no how Ten years from now, no how 2018©John D. Lamb
9.
Normal by Monday 03:45
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Normal by Monday How could your parents do that to you? Did they have to make such a scene? You would've been normal by Monday morning No trace of mescaline Your mom and dad they’re out of their mind All we did was yellow sunshine Like half a tab of purple microdot One trip and look what you got And by the way, where’s your Martin? The one you played when you were startin' to learn that Dolly Parton song Has it been that long - since you did nothing wrong? How could your parents do that to you? Do they think you are the acid queen? You would've been normal by Monday morning You would have been fresh, you would have been clean Your mom and dad they’re out of their mind Look at me I feel fine I was blotto now I’m not But one trip and look what you got You would have been normal by Monday morn Do they think you are a child of the corn? When are they letting you out of here? I think your boyfriend – he disappeared 2018©John D. Lamb
10.
Wounded Sole (A Fish Story) 02:14
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Wounded Soul (A Fish Story) You caught me on a morning - when I’m not my best Oh you hooked me but I felt blessed Thought I was lost – Thought I was fried Before you threw me over well I thought I died Oh you had me but you let me go Yeah you had me but you let me go Oh you had me now I’m a wounded sole Late evening I was reeled in on the end of your line Oh you hooked me one more time Thought I was cooked but you cut me loose How can one filet take so much abuse? Oh you had me but you let me go Yeah you had me but you let me go Oh you had me now I’m a wounded sole Hook me again – you look alarmed Now you got me and three’s the charm You better keep me – make me a winner Just this once I want to be your dinner If you’ll have me – I will taste so sweet If you release me – I’ll be up a creek Don’t you tease me, Eat me. 2018©John D. Lamb
11.
In the Mirror 03:09
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In the Mirror Here I am naked In the mirror, checking myself out I have this problem, I’m just a boy Making matters worse than before Used to be I’d shave just a little peach fuzz Once a week, whether I needed to And it wasn’t so simple when I was buzzed To leave one blemish, leave it where it was The wounds I make they heal in stages Leaving scars on my face as it ages Here’s a lesson to you, son Look away from the mirror and run, go Here I am naked In the mirror checking myself out I have this problem, I’m just a man Taking matters in my hand And now I shave with some real bristle there Once a day, until I’m bleeding through I like it close, I like it buzzed I’m not the blade that I once was 2018©John D. Lamb
12.
Smoke Alarm 02:21
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Smoke Alarm Smoke Alarm, smoke alarm Do you smell any smoke? Do you work? I don’t mean to poke (but) Will you not warn me, save my possessions? Smoke Alarm, smoke alarm When will your battery die? Is it dead? Do you have one inside you? Will you alarm me with your confession? And all I have to do is Push a button, push a button Stand up on the bed and Push a button Smoke Alarm, smoke alarm Will you make any noise? Will you squawk, will you bring on the boys Down at the station drinking from a thermos? Smoke Alarm, smoke alarm Have you saved anyone? Did they test you; did they probe you just for fun? Hoping to find true reassurance And all I have to do is Push a button, push a button Stand up on the bed 2018©John D. Lamb
13.
Year of the Roses 02:46
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Year of the Roses We lost our dreams We lost at love and the promise love brings Shed our tears, split up our things It was the year, the year of the roses We always hurt, A broken heart never closes My love lies here in the dirt Someone's calling, "Hey, get back to work" It was the year, the year of the roses Then you appeared so sincere And every day was like a moment in dreams Why are you here? Was it the roses? Cause I know that it couldn't be me I've heard the stories of the fabled hypnosis They happen that way every spring When she's near I want to sing It was the year, the year of the roses 2018©John D. Lamb
14.
Ringing of the Bell 03:33
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Ringing of the Bell Oh, the ringing of the bell For whom it tolls, wish them well Miss mom, miss my dad Only brother ever had Oh, the ringing of the bell For whom it tolls, wish them well Wish mom see my wife Dad, brother, see my life Oh, the ringing of the bell For whom it tolls, wish them well See you brother, mom, dad And oh, my wife, life we had Oh, the ringing of the bell For whom it tolls, wish them well 2018©John D. Lamb
15.
Nothing to Say 03:02
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Nothing to Say Well, that’s it, you heard my stuff Should’ve warned you these tracks are rough Kept recording anyway Now you know I got nothing to say Track one was fun for absolutely no one Too late, it can’t be undone Two is my white boy blues; yesterday’s news I bought studio time, let’s play Now you know I got nothing to say Track three is dark, I might’ve jumped the shark Tried snarky but no bite, no bark Four is a lullaby; made your baby cry ‘Bought studio time, a whole day Now you know I got nothing to say Switching gears, we’re on track five No cheers for the jump and jive Six is a reggae with rap; good time to take a nap Bought studio time to fritter away Now you know I got nothing to say Seven is a ballad, kind of pallid Eight is not great, that doesn’t make it valid Nine is my instrumental; so detrimental Sorry to lead you astray Now you know I got nothing to say Well, that’s it, you heard my song Kinda boring, kinda long Kept recording anyway Now you know I got nothing to say 2018©John D. Lamb

about

“With strains of Lucinda Williams and Loudon Wainwright III flowing through it, John D. Lamb’s A Movie Night isn’t simply a thoughtful folk album. It’s a meditation on love, mortality and the passage of time, but with a singular lightness of touch, a gentle musicality and a lively sense of humor.”
-Michael Zadoorian, author of Beautiful Music and The Leisure Seeker


John D. Lamb lives in two worlds.
In his literary life he’s known by songwriters, poets and prose writers nationwide for being the director of multiple Michigan-based writers’ retreats, including the Detroit Michigan Writers’ Retreat, the Lost Lake Writers’ Retreat in northern Michigan, and his popular Lamb’s Retreat for Songwriters, now in its 28th year. And then there’s the life he leads as an award-winning singer, songwriter and recording artist who’s been performing for Michigan audiences for decades.

Lamb’s newest recording project, “A Movie Night,” is the perfect intersection of those two realms. The album features 15 original songs, many of which sprang from the very writing retreats he’s known for directing.

“A Movie Night” is the most recent release on Lamb’s own Mezzanotte label (named for his grandfather Giovanni Mezzanotte, or Johnny Midnight, who was himself an infamous character back in his Italian hometown). It’s no coincidence that “A Movie Night” bookends Lamb’s first Mezzanotte release from the 90s, “A Novel Day,” but Lamb is intentional about revealing his development as an artist and performer since that first album some 20 plus years ago.

As varied as the titles off a marquee, the themes of “A Movie Night” bravely wander the wide-open roads of the storytelling process. Whether it’s the tale of two young girls dealing with the consequences of their weekend revelry in “Normal by Monday,” or the teenage angst of the protagonist in “R Rated Night in Redford” who sneaks into an off-limits movie to explore the forbidden world of smoking, swearing and sex.

While Lamb’s unconventional and often whimsical songwriting provides the record’s framework, his acoustic rhythm guitar drives the feel behind each cut. But it’s the versatility and creativity of Lamb’s longtime friend, producer and guitar player, Jim Bizer, that really bring out the originality in Lamb’s songs. His surfy baritone guitar on “The Year of the Roses” is a fun complement to Len Wallace’s accordion, and gives the tune a cool south-of-the-border groove reminiscent of the Mavericks.

The guitar that Bizer plays is in itself a special guest; The black Stratocaster is an heirloom formerly played by Lamb’s late brother, Sal D’Agnillo, who passed away around the time of Lamb’s 2007 recording, “Feel That.” D’Agnillo, who was a popular and talented guitar player, is featured on “Feel That.” He left the guitar to Lamb.

“Jim made my brother’s guitar sound really good,” says Lamb. “I think my brother would be pleased with the way he played it.”

The record features multiple guests, including some trombone by bugs Beddow. Bizer’s slide guitar and banjo is particularly energized when he’s driving the toe-tapping, side-swaying rhythms behind “Bound to Talk,” which features punctuating background vocals by the distinctive voice of Tino Gross of the Howling Diablos. He also plays drums on the track.

On the ethereal meditation “Ringing of the Bell,” however, the spotlight shines fully and poignantly on Lamb. The song is a beautifully touching lament, perfectly balanced in production and performance.

Although there is a timeless quality to Lamb’s songwriting, there is a sense of nostalgia to “A Movie Night” in that it plays like an album from a time now past. The songs form cinematic vignettes that flow seamlessly from one to the next. There’s a picture in your mind for every song; nothing lays flat.

“I come from the album generation,” says Lamb. “If you sat down to listen to an album, you sat down to listen to the whole thing, side one, side two. I tried to make a record that people will listen to in that way. Something that will make them want to take the time to spin it all.”

credits

released September 18, 2018

All songs written by John D. Lamb
Produced by Jim Bizer
Engineered & Mixed by Alan Finkbeiner & Jim Bizer
Recorded at Outpost Studio in Fort Wayne, Indiana, ZoundSound,
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and Funky D Studio, Royal Oak, Michigan.
Mastered by Jim Kissling
Thanks to my brother Sal D’Agnillo, who left me his black Fender Stratocaster. It is the electric guitar on this album. Pretty sure he’d be
pleased with the way Jim played it.
Thanks to Michael Camp, Bob Cicchini, Dana Cooper, Lisa Galperin,
Whit Hill, Joel Mabus, Karen Mal, Joyce Maynard, David Massengill,
Laurie McClain, Buddy Mondlock, Chuck Pfarrer, Michael Smith, Mark
Stuart, Natalia Zuckerman, for suggesting these songs. Thanks to
Suzanne for permission to do a little “Da da da duh, doo da-doo doo…”
Photos: Mark Foril
Design: Charlie Auringer

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John D. Lamb Detroit, Michigan

Lamb spins a tale of love and woe full of true irony and forlorn humor…Lamb has given us a slice of life in which we find common ground, but is anything but commonplace…
Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

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