Speaking The Language Of Pop: An Interview with Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.

Posted in Current Faves, Interviews, Music |

Roger Manning: For any of you working at a hardware store, I have no desire to insult any of the people in the goods and services field. We’ve all dealt with great hardware store attendants and real jerks. And the great ones are the ones really into their jobs: they know all about the equipment, they’re very eager to help you, and get you on your way.

Peter Gabriel, 1974

Now the world would not go around without them, so don’t take them for granted. I just used that as an example that was quite immediate to me, that there was no way I could align myself with. It was not going to fulfill me. We are all creative beings: the basketball player, the musician, the real estate agent, the banker, they are all creating and expressing themselves through their work. I don’t hold any one job in higher esteem than the other.

It was clear to me early on that when I felt correct, when I felt normal, when I felt like there was a reason to get out of bed in the morning, it involved something musical. And the more I did it, the more fulfilling it became and the better I got at it. So I was like, if I could just figure out the jigsaw puzzle to have my cake and eat it, too.

It was a very weird time because a lot of my heroes were weird bands like the Talking Heads or Peter Gabriel. Who in my opinion were doing very weird music, but it was in the confines of pop. And they were on the radio and they were selling records. They weren’t selling as many records as Madonna, but they were still selling a buttload of records. And they were able to make their weird, Art School pop and still reach middle America.

And I was like, well, if they can do it, I should at least be able to figure out my own version of that. That was my goal. I was like, how do I do what I want to do, which I knew wasn’t middle-of-the-road dance pop. That was my loose game plan getting out of college. That was my dream.

The mere fact that Jellyfish got signed to a major label and we were making our very unpopular, un-trendy pop at the time. We debuted in the middle of grunge and hair metal. The fact that we had gotten even that far, to me, I had almost succeeded right there.

Because I was like, this is a fucking miracle.

(We both laugh.)

Roger Manning: That somehow Andy and I concocted our own unique brand of pop and convinced a major corporation to take a chance on it. And when I walk into some record store in Germany I can see it on the shelf. With our silly picture and it says co-written by me. Fucking miracle.

Test shot from British photo session.

Popshifter: (laughs again)

Roger Manning: That little moment was proof to me that if I just thought it out and was strategic about it, but also simultaneously balanced that kind of business, entrepreneurial side with that very flighty, often-not-grounded creative side, that’s just spouting all kinds of ideas left and right. If you marry the two in some kind of focus, everything I was going to be involved in—as long as I tried to keep Albhy’s words at the forefront—it was all going to take care of itself.

Because I think a fan really picks up on integrity from an artist. The more you value and love yourself and what you have to offer with all of its apparent flaws, or its apparent judgements and incredible uniqueness, once you establish peace with that as an artist, and you really understand yourself and value yourself. . . all these things that I didn’t know how to verbalize or articulate, and I’m still not doing a very good job—

Popshifter: (laughs)

---

Click to read more from Roger Manning on. . .

Bill Bartell and MST3K
Playing well with others: new TV Eyes EP!
Jamming with Beck and Ross Angeles
The importance of humor
Where does Jellyfish fit in?
Movie soundtracks
Favorite kind of music
The music mafia model
“Just do what you’re passionate about. . . “
A reason to get out of bed in the morning
Speak my language

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12