Album Liner Notes
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When God Smiled On Ronald Coyne- Album Liner Notes
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“The idea for this album came to me after being unexpectedly and miraculously smiled on by God. Though I’ve always been a self-professed legendary singer, before my new ‘friend’–Ha! It still feels so weird calling him that!–flashed those pearly whites of his on me, I never really had much to sing about.
But after that momentous–albeit slightly awkward–event, I suddenly found the inspiration I needed to record this album.
I hope you enjoy it.
-Ronald Coyne
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Music Journalist Sam Davis:
When God Smiled On Ronald Coyne” is one of the most underappreciated albums of all time. Released six months before Bill Thompson’s double-platinum album “He Touched Me” hit the shelves, Coyne’s songs were just slightly ahead of their time, regarded by critics as being “a little too risqué” and “a lot too far-fetched”. Which was a shame, seeing as it was the best (not to mention only) Ronald Coyne album ever made.
In fact, had the critics actually sat down and listened to the album from cover to cover, they might have come to appreciate Coyne’s no holds barred lyrics, and perhaps even believed that God really did smile on Ronald Coyne, even if it was in a slightly mocking and mildly sarcastic manner.
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The following is a list of tracks from this album:
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“Are You Smiling On Me? Or On The Guy Behind Me?” -4:04
Lead Vocal: Ronald Coyne
This song describes how Ronald Coyne first felt when he being was smiled on by God. Set to a simple, unassuming beat, he sings about the questions running through his mind, turning the most boring of internal conversations into an eclectic style of music.
The delightful chorus (“He’s probably smiling on that guy over there / The one with the sandals and Jesus-like hair / Should I smile back on him?/ Or would that make me look dim? ) and the semi-instrumental humming aptly describes the feelings of uncertainty Ronald was trying to express.
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*****
“I’m Pretty Sure The Smile Was On Me” -3:27
Lead Vocal: Ronald Coyne
The track “I’m Pretty Sure The Smile Was On Me” has sweet harmonies, an interesting vibratto effect and ends with a terrific fade-out by the McDonald Sisters (two inspirational and confident young ladies who claim they were also smiled on by the diety).
*Historical Note: The lyric “At least God didn’t smile on them”, refers to Ronald’s obnoxious sister Helen, second-cousin Marty, and Doug Miller, the high-school bully who terrorized Ronald on a daily basis, thus making his adolescent years a living hell.
*****
“Does This Mean We’re Friends Now?” -3:45
Lead Vocal: Ronald Coyne
“Does This Mean We’re Friends Now?” proved that Coyne could make completely satisfying music without turning it into a major production. The only problem being that judging by the meek and reticent lyrics, it certainly doesn’t sound like self-confidence was one of Ronald’s strengths.
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*****
“I Wish A Girl Would Also Smile On Me” -2:52
Lead Vocal: Ronald Coyne (BackgroundVocals: Alice Coyne)
The combination of Ronald’s beeseeching voice and his mother Alice melodiously pleading in the background, truly makes this a song to remember.
*****
“When God Smiled On Ronald Coyne” (Title Track) -5:21
Lead Vocal: Ronald Coyne
Sung in third person, Ronald shows off both his impressive vocal range and emotive phrasing. Unfortunately, even the fine melody couldn’t elevate this track, and it became his lowest charting single since “Maybe It Was Just A Facial Twitch,” the first release that was sung and then later recanted by Coyne, after certain critics claimed that it ”painted God in a negative light”.
It’s really too bad. The catchy lyrics such as “Smilin’ Right Back On ‘Ya!” along with the clapping sounds Ronald makes as he repeatedly high-fives himself, are definitely one of the highlights of this album.
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*****
“When God Smiled On Ronald Coyne” (Instrumental) -64:34
Same as above, only without the lyrics. And much longer.
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Special Thanks To:
God, for smiling on Ronald Coyne (aka. me), my Mom/Manager/Producer Alice Coyne, and last but not least, the venacularly gifted Alan Truitt, whose previous ‘album liner-note type commentary’ inspired me to create my own.
*Recorded live in Shreveport, Louisiana on December 9, 1974
Recording Engineer: Alice Coyne Photography: Alice Coyne Art Direction: Alice Coyne Cover Photo by: Alice Coyne
(P) 1974 FAREFIELD STUDIOS. 1610 Farefield Avenue. Shreveport, Louisiana 71106
Copyright © 1974
“semi instrumental humming” – now that is brilliance!
I can sooo understand why Ronald’s mother was involved in that track. I think it was super kind of her to make her pleading melodious. I hope God smiles on her, too!
Ha!
I agree, Talon. In fact, if I hadn’t left home early to move in with the first financially stable guy who “smiled on me”, I’m sure my Mother would have done the same thing.
But she would have used more of a yelling-type voice. And it would have been more directed toward me.
Shreveport. You are so bad.
Why? Is there something wrong with Shreveport?
I have to be honest, Pamela. Call me naive (or Canadian), but in situations such as this, I make it a point to know as little background information as possible with regards to the subject matter I’m posting on.
It may make me seem somewhat ignorant (or even dim-witted) at times, but not only does it keep me from being biased, it’s the only way I can let my conscience sleep with me at night.
Oh, so it was my interpretation…Louisiana is often used as a joke, and there isn’t much to do in Shreveport (no offence meant to any Southerners. It’s also fairly conservative and Bible-belty.
Bottom line, you made a good pick.
Ha! The funny thing is that after reading your comment I googled Shreveport, and all I kept thinking was “Geez, this place seems kind of boring…”
(Er, no offense to any Southerners either).
Re track #4? That wasn’t his mother… remember Anthony Perkins in Psycho?
I’d rather not!
I only saw about 10 minutes of that movie when I was flipping through channels once, and it still gave me nightmares for years…
God smiled on Ronald Coyne? Sure, that’s why he gave him cross eyes! He smiled then LHfrigginAO. I think God was messing with Ronald.
I think you may be right, FL.
BTW, is LHfrigginAO the same thing as ROfrigginFL? I’m still trying to get up to speed on my IfrigginM chat lingo…
Where oh where do you find such praiseworthy entertainment (oh, a pun!) B?!?! Maybe God is smiling upon you and you don’t even realize it. Do you sometimes have ‘blind spots’ in your vision? Maybe you should go see an ophthalmologist/faith-healer or an optometrist/faith-healer, I’m sure there are plenty to choose from.
I’m sure that God was smiling upon Ronald Coyne. I mean look at him; how can you not fall in love with him? Not in a gay way…then God wouldn’t be a-smiling, he’d be a-smiting, but in a way that you would love your half-tard brother. You take one look at Ronald and just want to take him to Chuck E. Cheese or buy him slinky.
That being said though, I believe that the city of Shreveport may have had something to do with it too. As well as their stellar civil rights record, they must just have a special…..je ne sais quoi that turns God’s frown upside down. I think the city itself makes him just BEAM!
After all, God did see fit to bless them with such holy and wonderful movies such as Wonderful World, Disaster Movie, W, Blond Ambition (starring Jessica Simpson) and I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, all filmed within the city limits. The city is also the birthplace of such notables as Terry Bradshaw (Steelers Yay!) Barney Cannon, D.L. Dykes JR, and John S. Hunt III. –You tell me that Shreveport isn’t touched by God himself!
You’ve inspired me to think about a life altering, cross country move to the holy land B! Also, I plan to rush out today…..well rush onto Amazon or EBay, buy that album, and buy Mr. Coyne a slinky.
God Bless you B, God Bless you!!
No, God bless you, Scott.
Not only are your guffaw worthy puns heaven-sent (Ha!), they are also anti-secular, something you just won’t find in Peter Pauper’s chuckle-inducing (though not quite as guffaw-worthy) one-liners.
I don’t have any blind spots in my vision, however I have been known to “lose chunks of time” every so often (especially on Saturday nights.) Do you think perhaps God is smiling on me then?
If so, I have to be honest and say that I’m not sure I like his good-humored acknowledgements. Not only do they leave me feeling nauseous for two days afterwards, every time I regain consciousness I find that my head is pounding and my hand has somehow become lodged in a tube of Salt and Vinegar-flavored Pringles.
Maybe his smiles are an acquired taste…
Regardless, I have to agree. Based on what you’ve said, this Shreveport place really does sound like it’s been smiled, touched, and heavy-petted on by God. So if you do decide to move to Louisiana, keep your eyes open for a basement suite for me. (That way I can still be smiled on by God, but because I’m lower to the ground, it won’t feel so harsh the next morning.)
Thank-you for the anti-secular comment, Scott. Needless to say, your God-tested (and approved!) words are like miniature slinkies to my ears.
(???)
I am thinking god smiled on Ronald AFTER that pic was taken.
Or maybe it was during?
At least that would explain the dumbfounded expression…
A fascinating artefact, Bschooled.
I remember Ronald quite well. His written lyrics were among the finest of the day. For a while in the 70s it was considered quite a compliment if someone told you that you really knew how to “Coyne a phrase.” But that got tired really fast.
It’s interesting that the album cover places so much emphasis on the fact that this particular record was recorded “LIVE.” I can only assume it was because in performance, Ronald tended to be a little stiff. (Hard to believe, I know). In fact, I believe he continued to tour for a full 9 months after his death. Apparently to some of his finest reviews.
Your friend.
Don
Don,
I know I’ve said this before, but you never cease to amaze me.
Not only do you have an amazing gift for recollecting homonymic terms (which, believe it or not, is something I’ve never told anyone before) your knowledge of little-known lyricists truly boggles my mind.
I can only imagine what a deadhead you must have been back in the day. (A Coyne deadhead mind you, not a grateful one.)
Anyway, Don, thank-you once again for “sharing your wisdom on me”. It’s the kind of gift that I wouldn’t trade for a million smiles…not even if they were Joker-sized ones.
Your wisdom-drenched friend,
Bschooled
I have my smile on because I am pretty sure Ronald is my 10th grade gym teacher. I totally thought he was still in jail.
Fine work Ms B, I think someone is smiling on you right now, I just hope his pants are not down around his knees…cause that would be like clown creepy. I know, I know.
FJ,
Swear to the spirit who smiled on Ronald Coyne, my Grade 9 teacher did some time for smiling (only lower down) on a few girls himself. Only he looked more like a bulkier version of Jon Arbuckle.
Thank-you for the tremendous comment, FJ. And even if my “smiler” does have his pants down, as long as he’s not smiling directly on top of me, it’s all good.
(You knew, you knew.)
True story, God smiled on Raymond while he was enjoying his rest at the Shreveport Institute for the Criminally Insane. He also smiled on Raymond during Ray’s sojourn at The Shreveport Maixum Seciurity Prison (come for the murder charges, stay for the shanking and prison rape). And, of course, God smiled on his ill fated TV movie of the week, “Everyone Fears Raymond, Even Though God Has Smiled On Him” (starring John Goodman as Raymond Coyne and Rosie O’Donell as his ill mannered, poorly dressed, and long suffering wife, Alice).
Anyway, my point is… Wow. Thanks so much for the name check. It’s very kind of you for giving me credit for that thing I did. I’m truly honored. I don’t know what to say… Fortunately, I brought a speech.
“The problem with young people today is that they’re all fucking naked.”
Whoops! Hah. Sorry, wrong speech. I stole this one from an old guy I know. It’s his yearly address to The Shriners. Or is it The Kiwanis? No, wait, sorry, he wrote it for their mortal enemies – the Calgary Elks Club.
DISCLAIMER: The Calgary Elks Club is a semi-private golf club located just northwest of the junction of Deerfoot Trail and the Trans Canada Highway. Its 18-hole chumpionship golf course is open to the public (damned weather permitting). The Pro Shop sells crack cocaine and crack cocaine hookers. Open all year. Visit today. Have your life illusions shattered while you get felt up.
Okay, so… The name check speech… Here we go…
“Hi everyone. Before I get started, I’d like to use some of my favorite swear words. (coughs and clears throat) Um, fuck. Of course. Shit. Fuck again. Balls. Or to be more profanely graphic, “fucking balls.” Lets’ also throw in a cunt, an asshole or two, some scrotum guzzlers, the occasional cuntastic dipshit, a flatulating fuckaphobic groin mauler and more than a few merkin sniffing cock-smokers…”
Whoops, sorry! That was also the wrong speech. I stole that one from my profane pen pal, CLT.
Here’s my speech…
“Organized religion needs to get better organized. Hi, I’m a teamster and I’m starting what should have been started years ago – the Church of the Unionized Christ. Yup, it’s just you, God and the union. Now that’s a kick-ass trinity. Every member of the church is a brother in God and a brother in the union. That means if you die and don’t get accepted into heaven, we go out on strike…”
No, that’s not it either.. I found that speech lying on the street beside a used condom. Both of them served me well.
Sorry, bschooled, I forgot my speech!
Alan,
You have absolutely no reason to be sorry. Your comment was like a large bouquet of miniature one-word speeches, all rolled up into several clever and thought-provoking paragraphs. And believe it or not, I’ve never said that to anyone else before.
I mean, I’ve said things that sounded similar, like “Your comment was like a large bucket of minotaur one-toed sloths, all rolled up into several clovers and hallucinatory pantomimes,” but that was only because I had broken jaw.
Not to mention the fact that I was high on the drugs.
Now before I go on (and on and on and on squared), I do have one question. Do you know if Shreveport is hiring any ad writers? Because let’s face it. Although “Come for the murder charges, stay for the shanking and prison rape” is extremely catchy and wit-ensued (who doesn’t laugh at the thought of a good shanking?), I think it may appeal more to the black and blue-caller types, you know?
If they want to attract more of the blue-blooded criminals, they really need to kick their wording up a notch.
Perhaps something along the lines of “Come for the unlawful death charges, stay for the impalements and unsolicited fornication!”
I just think it would appeal to a more well-bred demographic of criminals, that’s all. (Not to mention that the well-placed exclamation mark adds a certain level of excitement to the mix.)
Anyway, I guess my point is that the problem with young people today is that they’re all fucking naked. And the problem with old people is that they’re all fucking Kiwanis. Or Shriners for that matter.
Oh, and my other point is that if you do find your speech, could you throw in some scrotum guzzlers, the occasional cuntastic dipshit, a flatulating fuckaphobic groin mauler and more than a few merkin sniffing cock-smokers? I know it’s kind of like plagiarism, but those words never fail to make me smile on them.
And in the end, being smiled on is what it’s all about.
Next week on Bschooled’s comment thread: Find out what the “it’s” in the above phrase really is.
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Ha!
Big news! The Shreveport Maximum Security Prison is looking to hire ad writers. And I think you’re just the right person to nail this ad campaign right in the, um, well, wherever it is prisoners nail each other (I think it’s in the weight room with a candlestick, but let me double check that with Warden Colonel Mustard…).
I’m impressed by your insight into the need for a new and perky prison ad campaign. You’re really on the cutting edge of prison.
Apparently the old ad slogan just isn’t driving in the thugs, hooligans, career criminals, wayward dregs and unrepentant monsters of society that it used to.
It makes me wonder what the world is coming to. (But that’s my issue and I’ll try and work it out some day.)
Anyway, I did a little digging and one of the key ad points for The Shreveport Maximum Security Prison is to get onboard with new social media (twitter a thug, facebook friend a lifer) as well “beefing up” a new campaign to start driving reformed criminals away from their lives of being well adjusted members of society and back to lifetime criminals with no future. That means a new aggressive ad campaign with fun accompanying visual images.
This could be your big break. (I have no doubt there is a prison joke here, but I can’t stop to think of it, I’m just excited for you!)
According to the screws (now referred to as The Social Organizers & Gatekeepers) a few ideas for Shrevport’s new tag line have been pitched and rejected. So when you start building your ad campaign, you’ll want to avoid the following themes and concepts.
The Shreveport Maximum Security Prison – Come for roommate Bubba, Stay for his gopher stew and endless physical assaults
The Shreveport Maximum Security Prison – Murder free since… Oh look, someone just decapitated Little Frankie…
The Shreveport Maximum Security Prison – All the bitches you could ever want. And free food!
The Shreveport Maximum Security Prison – The coldest toilets in the business – and that means quality homemade hooch
The Shreveport Maximum Security Prison – Intimate settings. New friends. Whether you like it or not.
The Shreveport Maximum Security Prison – If you were incarcerated here, you’d be home by now.
I think the key points and images that they want to convey is “fun” “musical” “whimsy” “dangerous in a non threatening androgynous boy band way” “zany” “wacky” “it hurts but I think I’ll survive” “comfort” and “security” (but don’t make it sound like Maximum security.
Good luck!
Thank-you Alan!
I can hardly believe this is happening! Here I went to bed just a regular-type person (you know, two arms, two legs and one strategically placed Adam’s apple), and I woke up a potential big wig advertising writer!
I swear, this must be how that grey-haired dude who won American Idol felt. “I have the world at my fingertips! The sky’s the limit! Never say Never! You can’t prove that I’m not in my 20’s!”
I promise I won’t let you down, Alan. Or up. Or wherever it is that you don’t want to be. (And you don’t even have to worry about me leaving you dangling off a balcony, because trust me–it’s ain’t gonna happen.)
I’ll get to work on new ad ideas right away. But only because my old ones sounded a lot like the ones you just mentioned.
The Shreveport Maximum Security Prison- The most fun you can have with your shackles on!
Ps. I really hope you work out that issue of yours someday, Alan. If not for yourself, then at least for your Country. (uh oh! Trip down memory lane alert!)
I think this could be a good collaborative effort between you and that Ram guy who has fallen off the face of the earth. Maybe you should go and visit him over at his place, that is, if he’s still alive. I’m sure he’d be happier than a merkin to work with you. And, what could be better for an ad campaign than having a partner on the inside!
“The Shreveport Maximum Security Prison – If you were incarcerated here, you’d be home by now.”
Brilliant, Allan. Hysterical comments!
T’is true. Mr. Truitt’s advertising wit is beyond compare.
The only reason Alcaltraz closed it’s doors was because Alan wasn’t born yet.
“When God smiled on Ronald Coyne, his eyebrows connected.”
You just know Ronny was working that shrimp boat with Forest Gump down in Shreveport, trading quips like, “Is he smiling at you or me this time? Life is like a bowl of cherrys, yada yada yada . . .”
[“Are You Smiling On Me? Or On The Guy Behind Me?” --- HYSTERICAL, Bschooled!]
Where the bejesus do you find these gems? That guy looks like a lineman I played football with back in the seventies, after his helmet came off and a goalpost fell on his skull.
God is not smiling on me right now, B. I’m afraid he’s doing something else . . . ON me.
I’m not worthy! This post is a beaut, and you are the master! Triple exclamations!
It was box of chocolates. “Life is like a box of chocolates.”
Damn movie trivia misquotes . . . the ghost is in the details, B! Not in my Coors Light!
Just wanted to stop by and say that you have a gift for writing truly fantastic posts. To be able to write a post that blurs the line between fact and fiction to the point that you don’t know that you’re reading fact or fiction, is a rare talent indeed.
Thanks for being able to put a smile on my face whenever I stop by. I may not comment all the time, but I do enjoy reading your blog.
Thank you G!
Coming from a talented writer such as yourself, I take that as a wonderful compliment.
(Although truth be told, I think it may have less to do with talent and more to do with the fact that I tend to blur the lines between fact and fiction in my day to day life.;))
It’s always nice to see you, G,
Bschooled:)
That’s a great idea, Yang!
The only problem is that I went over to his last known address and turns out he’s not there anymore. So I’m thinking he either escaped or was sent to a maximum security facility somewhere upstate.
I really hope it’s not the latter. (Only because I have no idea which province “somewhere upstate” is in).