On the Record
By Mark Bailey on Oct. 24, 2007
By Bradford Brady and John Maron
Q: I recently tried to download “Hey There Delilah” and found out there are a few different versions of the song available. Which version was the big hit this summer?
A: Plain White T’s is a band from Chicago, which released two albums on the independent Fearless label. When they released their 2005 album, “All That We Needed,” it included the original version of “Hey There Delilah.” The acoustic ballad was a departure from the sound that the band was known for. In May 2006, a six-song EP titled “Hey There Delilah” was released, which included a version of the title track that was enhanced by the addition of strings. That same year, after years of touring and building a large following, they were signed to a recording contract by Disney’s Hollywood Records. Recognizing that “Hey There Delilah” was a hit, Hollywood Records insisted that the band include it on their major label album, Every Second Counts. The band initially refused and so “Every Second Counts” was issued in September 2006 without the song on it. Hollywood Records continued their plea, and Plain White T’s finally agreed to put the song on the new album. Consequently, “Every Second Counts” was re-issued with the newer version of “Hey There Delilah” on it. It is this strings-enhanced version, sometimes referred to as the “New” or “Newer” version, which reached No. 1 in July.
Q: Can you identify the song in the new Honda commercial that has the lyrics “hold on tight to your dreams?”
A: The new Honda ad features “Hold On Tight” by the Electric Light Orchestra. The British band had twenty Top 40 hits in the U.S. from 1975 to 1986, six of which reached the Top 10. They are best known for 1976’s “Evil Woman” and 1979’s “Don’t Let Me Down.” “Hold On Tight,” from the album Time, reached No. 10 in 1981. It was their last Top 10 hit in America.
Q: There are two different Dell Computer commercials playing now, each with its own “soundtrack.” One soundtrack features a kind of futuristic, New Wave song that is reminiscent of Devo. The other is a psychedelic rock song with a distorted melody line. Can you tell me the names of the songs and the bands that play them?
A: You hit the nail on the head with the first song. The Spud Boys are back! For those of us who believe that 1978’s “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!” is one of the finest pop records ever made (well, at least one of us does!), hearing Mark Mothersbaugh and the boys (Bob & Gerald Casale, Bob Mothersbaugh and Josh Freese) again whips us right back to the early ‘80s when MTV still played videos. They have just released the first new Devo song in years, entitled, “Watch Us Work It.” There are also plans for an album and a world tour. The other song you mentioned is “The W.A.N.D.” by the Flaming Lips, an alternative band from Oklahoma City. They are one of a few bands that are more successful overseas than at home. In Britain, five of their albums have reached the Top 40. “The W.A.N.D.” can be found on last year’s At War with the Mystics, the band’s most successful U.S. release. It just barely missed the Top 10, peaking at No. 11.
u What’s the name of that song? Where are they now? What does that lyric mean? Send your questions about songs, albums and musicians to
or visit http://www.musicontherecord.com. Brady and Maron are freelance music writers based in Raleigh, N.C.
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