On the Record for 7-26
By Jon Busdeker on Jul. 26, 2007
Q: Can you identify the song in the diamonds commercial in which a woman sings “I’m always thinking of you but I can’t think of the right words to say”? It’s the ad where the man puts the diamond necklace on the woman while she’s asleep.
A: The song is “How Can I Tell You” by Chan Marshall. Born in Georgia in 1972, Marshall has been recording music since 1995 using the stage name Cat Power. She has released seven albums including last year’s critically acclaimed “The Greatest.” “How Can I Tell You” was written by Cat Stevens and included on his 1971 album “Teaser and the Firecat.” The diamonds ad is not the first time Marshall has recorded music for a TV commercial. She has also been featured in ads for Cingular and TIAA-CREF. If you want to purchase a full-length version of the song, you’re out of luck. Marshall only recorded the 30 seconds of music that’s heard in the ad.
Q: I recently saw the trailer for the movie “Fred Claus.” Can you tell me the name of the song playing in the scene in which Vince Vaughn is dancing?
A: Vaughn and the elves are dancing to Elvis Presley’s “Rubberneckin’.” Recorded in January 1969, it was issued as the B-side to “Don’t Cry Daddy.” It was also included in Elvis’ last feature film, “Change of Habit.” A remixed version of the song by London-based producer and mixer Paul Oakenfold was included on the compilation album “2nd To None” in 2003.
Mimicking the success of the prior year’s remixed version of “A Little Less Conversation,” the remixed “Rubberneckin’” peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. dance charts and reached the Top Ten on the U.K. singles chart.
Q: What are the lyrics of the song “My Eggs Don’t Taste the Same Without You” and who sings it?
A: Unfortunately, we cannot reproduce a song’s lyrics in this column due to copyright considerations. However, we can tell you that the song was written and performed by a late-’60s band from Cape Cod called the Fabulous Farquahr. If you put the band’s name and song title in your favorite Internet search engine, you should find a few references to the song and its lyrics.
You will also find that there is little biographic information about the band, so if any of our readers can provide further information, we’ll be glad to share it with everyone else. We found information suggesting that the band was comprised of brothers Frank, Dennis and Bob McGowan, as well as Doug Lapham. Individually, they were known as Barnswallow Farquahr, Hummingbird Farquahr, Flamingo Farquahr, and Condor Farquahr (although we’re not sure which member was which bird). Their music has been described as a mix of Irish folk music, bluegrass, psychedelic rock and comedy.
They apparently released two albums, “The Fabulous Farquahr” (1968), and “Farquahr” (1970). We also learned that Frank McGowan passed away in October 2004 at the age of 65. We found copies of their records and singles available at several online used record dealers, including ebay, should you wish to purchase them.
By Bradford Brady and John Maron. What’s the name of that song? Where are they now? What does that lyric mean? Send your questions about songs, albums, and the musicians who make them to
or visit us online at http://www.musicontherecord.com. Brady and Maron are freelance music writers based in Raleigh, N.C.
COMMENTS
Dennis McGowan was Condor Farquahr. I think Frank was Flamingo. Bob was Hummingbird, and Doug was Barnswallow.
I saw them many times in the late 1960s at a place in NYC called Charlie Bates Saloon on 1st Ave. They were great! They were the official troubadors of the Hubert Humphrey Presidential Campaign in 1968 (he lost!).