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

Posted in Current Faves, Interviews, Music |

Roger Manning: At least I understand it now. Once you say, “I appreciate this and given the chance, so will you.” I’m not saying everybody has to come to my party, but I’ll bet that there are a lot of you that are going to want to. And that’s exactly what has happened.

I don’t have a huge fanbase anywhere. Jellyfish didn’t either. What we have are pockets of super-dedicated, die-hard fans who get it. All over the world. To this day, those are the people who appreciate what I do. Collectively they add up to a nice little family that I’m trying to figure out ways to increase every day. Trying to get more of that news to the people who may have not heard it yet.

Catnip Dynamite

For every new thing I put out—like the Morrissey record I play on or my alter ego Malibu—how do I take advantage of the new technology to get to the stranger in India who has no idea of what I offer, or what Vicki Berndt offers, or David Markey offers or the Steve McDonald solo band offers?

Because I guarantee there is a population of the East Indian or Chinese or Russian people that are going to dig it. If the Beatles proved anything, they proved that the language of sing-along pop transcends all cultural barriers and language barriers. You could almost argue it’s a religion that people around the world subscribe to

Popshifter: Oh, I wouldn’t argue that it isn’t!

Roger Manning: And that’s the language that I speak: sing-along pop. I’ve been in the top ten on Japanese radio. I was never in the top ten in the English speaking world. So go figure!

I’ve had the best radio success ever in my career with the most recent record that came out in Japan in March. [Catnip Dynamite] I had more top ten Japanese radio ads than Jellyfish ever did. I can’t explain this! Other than I must be speaking a language that a lot of people are relating to.

That just tells me, keep doing more of it! Stay on that path. If that path has meant me taking a chance in foregoing some of the things that I knew were going to be guaranteed money—and they were also creatively pleasing—but I knew that working on my own music was going to be even more creatively fulfilling, and really complete that part of me that felt frustrated, like I wasn’t able to share what was going on inside me with the world musically. That’s what these solo records came out of.

In doing them, I’ve rekindled with these fans around the world. People are coming out of the woodwork, like you: “I saw you guys 20 years ago and my god, I can’t believe now there’s new music for me to check out.” Obviously it’s not Jellyfish, nor is that its goal, but that part of Jellyfish that was my personality, that fan is relating to. They’ve been very complimentary and I couldn’t be happier that at my age, I’m getting to do this.

Additional Resources:

For the latest information on Roger, including where you can purchase Catnip Dynamite and other music, please visit his official site. To order the new TV Eyes EP, Softcore, which also features a limited edition DVD, please visit the CD Japan TV Eyes page.

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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

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