Jamie's Cryin'

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"Jamie's Cryin'"
Single by Van Halen
from the album Van Halen
B-side"I'm the One"
ReleasedJuly 1978[1]
Recorded1977
GenreHard rock
Length3:30
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Ted Templeman
Van Halen singles chronology
"Runnin' with the Devil"
(1978) 		"Jamie's Cryin'"
(1978) 		"Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love"
(1978)

"Jamie's Cryin'" is a song written by the band Van Halen that was first released on the band's 1978 debut album. It was subsequently released as the third single from the album but did not chart. It has also been released on a Van Halen compilation album and was sampled for Tone Loc's 1988 song "Wild Thing".

Writing and recording

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Some of the songs on Van Halen were written before the band was signed and appeared on a demo the band prepared to secure their contract.[2][3] "Jamie's Cryin'" was written later, after the band was signed and while they were recording the album.[2][3] Guitarist Eddie Van Halen played the riff for the song and producer Ted Templeman and lead singer David Lee Roth thought it had potential for a song that could be a single from the album.[4] Roth remembered that "We heard Edward fooling around with his guitar between takes, and we yelled 'Hey man, that's just what we need on the album.'"[4] According to Templeman, when it was time to record the song they had most of the melody completed, but not the melody for the bridge and none of the lyrics were written. Roth had the idea to write the lyrics about a high school romance that didn't last. Templeman believes he got the idea from a two-note lick Eddie Van Halen played in the song that sounded like someone crying.[3]

Templeman stated that:

At first I was worried that the lyrics were too reminiscent of a fifties white pop breakup song, but eventually I realized Dave's lyric was a lot like those wonderful Holland-Dozier-Holland Motown tracks like "Where Did Our Love Go?" Those songs sounded happy, but were about heart-rendering breakups. The way it came off was in keeping with that heavy-metal-with-a-smile, upbeat sound, this teenage thing. It ended up being one of the singles off the record.[3]

Roth has claimed that in addition to writing the lyrics he also structured the guitar solo for the song by singing it out.[5][6]

As with other songs on Van Halen that did not use vibrato (e.g., "Runnin' with the Devil", "You Really Got Me"), Eddie Van Halen played his rhythm guitar part on "Jamie's Cryin'" on an Ibanez Destroyer.[7][2]

"Jamie's Cryin'" is one of the few songs on Van Halen on which overdubs were used.[2][8]

Lyrics and music

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Classic Rock critic Dave Everley described the lyrics to "Jamie's Cryin'" as being "about the aftermath of a one-night stand that’s surprisingly sympathetic."[9] The Vincennes Sun-Commercial said that it "told the age-old story of how a girl falls in love, but knows the guy only wants a one night stand."[10]

Roth describes "Jamie's Cryin'" as a pop song. Roth stated to the Cleveland Plain Dealer that "I don't consider it bubblegum. It ain't. It's a pop tune. I grew up with that stuff, with the Dave Clark Five and the Beatles."[4] He also described the song as a "cosmic cha cha" and said that "We're the band that sold a Ricky Ricardo rumba in 'Jamie's Cryin.'"[4]

The song's hook is similar to that on the Kiss song "Christine Sixteen".[4] Eddie Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen had played on the demo for "Christine Sixteen."[11]

In choosing Eddie Van Halen as the sixth greatest "pick squealer" of all time, the staff of Guitar World said that "With his aggressive pick attack, Ed sounds almost as if he’s using some weird wah-wah effect when he pinches the strings in the hyperboogie riffs of 'I’m the One' and 'Jamie’s Crying.'"[12] Joe Charupakorn noted that on the guitar solo Van Halen "could have easily wailed, but instead chose to the play thematically and appropriately to maintain the song's vibe."[13] Charupakorn also noted that "the solo makes use of question-and-answer phrasing that is similar in structure to the intro riff."[13]

Critical reception

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The Morning Call critic Len Righi noted that the song was getting significant radio airplay before the single came out and said that "its sinewy beat, piercing guitar fills and crisp harmonies behind David Lee Roth's husky vocal combine to produce powerful rock."[14] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Annie Zaleski said that "Jamie's Cryin'" "proved that hard rock could be poppy and melodic."[15] Fellow Ultimate Classic Rock critic Matt Wardlaw said that he loved its "energy and the attitude and the power."[15] Kiss bassist Gene Simmons stated that he loves the song because of the hook.[16] Guitar World contributor Henry Yates praised the "often-overlooked rhythm chops that underpinned the stalking groove of 'Jamie’s Cryin.'"[17] Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine described it as a "full-fledged anthem" and a song "that changed rock & roll and still [is a] monolithic slab of rock to this day."[18] Fresno Bee critic Carol J. Castaneda said that the song demonstrated that "the band's rock 'n' roll talents are indisputable."[19] Guitar World editor-in-chief Brad Tolinski and Chris Gill noted that the song featured "Van Halen's catchiest melody to date" and was a "successful attempt at penning a radio-friendly hit."[2]

Although "Jamie's Cryin'" did not chart when it was released as a single, Eddie Van Halen was disappointed that their cover of "You Really Got Me" was chosen as the lead single from the album over "Jamie's Cryin'".[2][20] He stated that "It kind of bummed me out that Ted [Templeman] wanted our first single to be someone else's tune. I would have maybe picked 'Jamie's Cryin', just because it was our own."[20][21]

Other releases

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"Jamie's Cryin'" was one of five songs included on a sampler EP that Warner Bros. Records put out in advance of the release Van Halen (along with "Runnin' with the Devil", "You Really Got Me", "Eruption" and "Ice Cream Man").[22][23][24] The band also shot a music video for the song at the Whisky a Go Go, along with videos for the first two singles from the album.[4]

"Jamie's Cryin'" was included on the 2004 Van Halen compilation album The Best of Both Worlds.[25]

"Jamie's Cryin'" is one of the songs included on Guitar Hero: Van Halen.[26]

Roth sang a version of "Jamie's Cryin'" on the 2006 tribute album Strummin' with the Devil: The Southern Side of Van Halen.[27][28]

Sampling

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Tone Loc sampled "Jamie's Cryin'" for his 1988 song "Wild Thing".[29][30] Producer Matt Dike incorporated parts of the intro of "Jamie's Cryin'" as well as some guitar licks into "Wild Thing" in order to give it a "West Coast vibe."[29] Van Halen did not originally give permission to sample the song and sued over it, but eventually an out-of-court settlement was reached, apparently for $180,000.[29]

References

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  1. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 866. ISBN 9780862415419.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Tolinski, Brad; Gill, Chris (2021). Eruption: Conversations with Eddie Van Halen. Hachette. ISBN 9780306826672.
  3. ^ a b c d Templeman, Ted; Renoff, Greg (2020). Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life In Music. ECW Press. ISBN 9781773054797.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Renoff, Greg (2015). Van Halen Rising: How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal. ECW Press. ISBN 9781770907911.
  5. ^ Irwin, Corey (September 18, 2019). "David Lee Roth takes most of the credit for Van Halen's success". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  6. ^ Bienstock, Richard (November 22, 2019). "David Lee Roth: I "structured" the guitar solos on Van Halen's debut album - and EVH's guitar stripes were my idea". Guitar World. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  7. ^ Bosso, Joe (November 20, 2008). "Van Halen: VH1". Guitar World. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  8. ^ Steven Rosen (October 6, 2020). "Van Halen: the story of the debut album that saved rock". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  9. ^ Everley, Dave (August 24, 2021). "Van Halen: a track-by-track guide to the debut album that saved rock'n'roll". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  10. ^ "Van Halen's first is explosive". The Vincennes Sun-Commercial. March 21, 1980. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-03-12 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Gray, Geordie (October 12, 2020). "Turns out Eddie Van Halen played a big part in Kiss' 'Christine Sixteen'". Tone Deaf. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  12. ^ "The Top 10 Pick Squealers of All Time". Guitar World. October 27, 2017. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  13. ^ a b Charupakorn, Joe (2015). Van Halen - Signature Licks. Hal Leonard. ISBN 9781495034817.
  14. ^ Righi, Len (March 25, 1978). "Records". The Morning Call. p. 41. Retrieved 2023-03-12 – via newspapers.com.
  15. ^ a b "Is Van Halen's First Album Their Best: Our Writers Answer Five Burning Questions". Ultimate Classic Rock. 9 February 2018. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  16. ^ Simmons, Gene (January 18, 2021). "Gene Simmons pays tribute to Eddie Van Halen: "Not since Hendrix did anyone change the game like Edward"". Guitar World. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  17. ^ Yates, Henry (December 14, 2020). "Eddie Van Halen 1955-2020: a visionary virtuoso who rewrote the rules of electric guitar". Guitar World. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  18. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Van Halen". Allmusic. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  19. ^ Castaneda, Carol J. (June 22, 1979). "New Van Halen album shows fierce instinct for lyrics, melody". Fresno Bee. p. F14. Retrieved 2023-03-12 – via newspapers.com.
  20. ^ a b Filcman, Debra (January 28, 2018). "Everything you need to know about Van Halen's 'You Really Got Me'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  21. ^ Rosen, Steven (January 25, 2021). "Backyard parties and unbridled genius: the story of Van Halen's early years". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  22. ^ Brannigan, Paul (2021). Unchained: The Eddie Van Halen Story. Permuted Press. ISBN 9781637583517.
  23. ^ "Record Reviews". Post-Star. March 18, 1978. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-03-12 – via newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Christopher, Michael (2021). Van Halen: The Eruption and the Aftershock. Backbeat. p. 42. ISBN 9781493062102.
  25. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Best of Both Worlds". Allmusic. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  26. ^ "Guitar Hero: Van Halen Track List Revealed". Guitar World. August 7, 2009. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  27. ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Strummin' with the Devil: The Southern Side of Van Halen". Allmusic. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  28. ^ Gerome, John (June 16, 2006). "Bluegrass Tribute". The Bradenton Herald. p. E37. Retrieved 2023-03-12 – via newspapers.com.
  29. ^ a b c Lifton, Dave (February 10, 2018). "Van Halen's debut album: A track-by-track guide". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  30. ^ O'Malley & Collin (January 7, 1991). "Inc". Chicago Tribune. pp. 1–14. Retrieved 2023-03-12 – via newspapers.com.
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