Chromatics - Dear Tommy

[FetchFugly]

I *think* the album name is just the name of the single and it is another in their weekly Fresh Blood series. There was a youtube comment on one of the recent releases that they were going to compile all these songs on a triple lp at the end of the year - though obviously that was the intention at a moment in time and the plan has probably shifted three times since then.

 

[FetchFugly]

On one of the youtube comments they said that the weekly IDIB single releases will continue until Johnny goes on tour. That could be a while now...

 

[FetchFugly]

https://italiansdoitbetter.com/product/chromatics-dear-tommy-t-shirt/

SHAMELESS

 

[FetchFugly]

Dear Tommy tracklist has been announced and is apparently imminent

Chromatics - Dear Tommy 01. Fresh Blood 02. Glitter 03. Never Tell 04. Just Like You 05. She Says 06. The Moment 07. Time Rider 08. White Fences 09. Teacher 10. Between The Lines 11. Too Late 12. Dear Tommy 13. Melodrama 14. Ultra Vivid 15. Colorblind 16. Sometimes 17. Dream Sequence 18. Endless Sleep

It seems a little CHURLISH to complain about the omission of certain previously confirmed songs, and anyway Johnny apparently has 'a plan'.

 

[Krust]

No "i can never be myself when you're around" - no sale

 

[FetchFugly]

No "i can never be myself when you're around" - no sale

Well the version that apparently was going to be included of that was minus the chorus, and I have the proper version on 12 inch so I can deal with that one. I'm slightly miffed about Black Walls and Blue Girl though.

 

[FetchFugly]

Chromatics DEAD






What has Johnny Jewel done now to piss them off?

 

[win_the_game]

This is devastating. One of favourite bands of all time.

 

[FetchFugly]

So much for me keeping my Ruth avatar until Dear Tommy comes out

 

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaAAaaaA]

SO SAD they are over (and reading through the speculation on Reddit, it's very much a permanent end).
But also, they never really felt like a real, tangible band in the first place - more like a fabulous dream that wafted into your head every few years

I absolutely regret not going to their last UK tour now. I wasn't MAD on the Closer To Gray album so I skipped it (and then they didn't play any of it as part of the setlist ) and now I'll never have the chance again!

 

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaAAaaaA]

And if anybody wants a decent version of what Dear Tommy might have sounded like, this one is really good made up of tracks that have been released in some form -

It splits into clear Cherry/Tommy sides really nicely. I added Toy onto the end of mine because it's such a banger, frankly WHY NOT!

Very annoying the Italians Do It Better site is US based. They had an amazing Vault sale recently with loads of rare vinyl, but the shipping to UK was so expensive I couldn't justify it.

 

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaAAaaaA]

(sorry just RAMBLING TO MYSELF this morning apparently )
The saddest thing about Dear Tommy appears to be that they really should have just RELEASED IT way back when it was originally meant to be released.

The break up seems to be spurred by lots of quite complex/long term legal issues around crediting and royalties. I guess if you've been working on a project for SO LONG that has changed SO MANY TIMES like Dear Tommy has, it gets to a point where nobody can really REMEMBER who wrote which part of which song in the first place.

I guess for a band like Chromatics getting all the legal stuff sorted upfront is so important, as they are possibly one of the most likely bands on this EARTH to get multiple songs licensed to film/TV for syncs over the next 30+ years - which is where all the money REALLY IS. I can't imagine they make a huge amount from streaming/vinyl/CD sales split 4+ ways.
Looking long term it wouldn't make sense to release the album without all this in place. If they couldn't come to an agreement it's so sad that the best solution is to just not release it AT ALL

 

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaAAaaaA]

I haven't been able to STOP listening to Chromatics since the split

I can listen to Shadow for ever. The remix EP which is essentially the song extended over the course of about 20 minutes STILL isn't long enough!
I honestly couldn't call their best song in a career of SO MANY, but this certainly comes to mind for me:



BEAUTY and SADNESS in a song PERSONIFIED! Not to mention the TWIN PEAKS Connection

 

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaAAaaaA]

This (beautiful) Glüme track is a Chromatics track in disguise isn't it
Surely it was written for them originally with Glüme adding her own vocals and lyrics over it.
It sounds like none of her other songs, but a LOT like Cherry-mood Chromatics



A beautiful bonus addition to their legend, if not sung by Ruth

 

[FetchFugly]

And if anybody wants a decent version of what Dear Tommy might have sounded like, this one is really good made up of tracks that have been released in some form -

It splits into clear Cherry/Tommy sides really nicely. I added Toy onto the end of mine because it's such a banger, frankly WHY NOT!

Very annoying the Italians Do It Better site is US based. They had an amazing Vault sale recently with loads of rare vinyl, but the shipping to UK was so expensive I couldn't justify it.

That cobbled together Dear Tommy may well be better than what we would have ended up with. They'd cut half the singles and the bloody chorus of I Can Never Be Myself... on the most recently promised version.

When i first ordered from them they handily ticked the gift box but not more recently, and postage costs do seem to have increased. They were always very generous with freebies though.

They were really very good live in 2019 though they didn't bring any vinyl or t-shirts with them ('next time' they said ).

 

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaAAaaaA]

That cobbled together Dear Tommy may well be better than what we would have ended up with. They'd cut half the singles and the bloody chorus of I Can Never Be Myself... on the most recently promised version.

I've been listening to the version of Dear Tommy I posted above a lot recently, and fuck me if it isn't one of the best pop albums EVER WRITTEN (and no traces of hyperbole found in that statement either)
The world has truly been robbed by not having it released

 

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaAAaaaA]

And my CHROMATICS BINGE of late has really made me appreciate Closer To Grey a lot more. I can see it being an Autumn staple going forward.
Twist The Knife in particular has slowly (several years later ) revealed its charms to me.

It really is the BLACK SHEEP in their discography, especially compared to the three other main albums (and Cherry Deluxe)

 

[FetchFugly]

Lovely. It is quite strange hearing Ruth's voice removed from the usual Jewel synthscape, though otherwise this song could be one of Chromatics' cover selections.

 

[FetchFugly]

https://pitchfork.com/news/did-chromatics-album-dear-tommy-ever-exist-in-the-first-place/

Interesting, though NON SHOCK that Johnny may have taken a few liberties with the truth.

 

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaAAaaaA]

I've made peace in the sense that the various fan versions of the album are as good as we are going to get, and are frankly likely to be much better than the weird re-recorded version rumoured would have been anyway

It does make me sad it won't get the critical acclaim it deserves though, and we won't get a beautiful Italians Do It Better vinyl.
'I Can Never Be Myself When You're Around' is one of the best pop songs of the past decade, probably EVER and it's such a shame its not attached to an album to help bolster its legacy.

 

[krang]

baby

):

 

[the pleasure principal]

Lovely. It is quite strange hearing Ruth's voice removed from the usual Jewel synthscape, though otherwise this song could be one of Chromatics' cover selections.

this is really wonderful, isn't it?
there's something about her voice, i just can't put my finger on it, but it's heavenly.

 

[FetchFugly]

Ruth's voice is magic.

Speaking of post-Johnny projects, I saw on Ruth's IG that Ida No has something in the works.