How Fountains of Wayne Changed Music
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- A brief documentary about @FountainsOfWayneVEVO. Produced and written by Matt Beat.
My other channel: @iammrbeat
My band: open.spotify.c...
All other images and video found in the public domain or fall under fair use guidelines.
A special thanks to the AP Archive for footage for this video.
Listen to the Fountains of Wayne: open.spotify.c...
Sources/further reading:
www.allmusic.c...
en.wikipedia.o...
www.encycloped...
www.concertarc...
msretailer.com...
americansongwr...
www.newyorker....
www.theguardia...
louderthanwar....
Creative Commons image and video credits:
Rob DiCaterino
Chuckschilling
NPRmusic
Andy Witchger
Today, Fountains of Wayne are mostly just known for “Stacey’s Mom.” This is sad to me, because frankly their entire catalog is brilliant. The songwriting combination of Schlesinger and Collingwood, in particular was pretty darn special. Fountains of Wayne may be known to some as a one hit wonder, but all of their songs could have easily been hits and hopefully more and more folks will realize this in the future.
I know this pandemic is horrible, but I am still in shock that it took one of my songwriting heroes, Adam Schlesinger. Please stay safe out there. Fountains of Wayne was one of those bands I listened to over and over and told as many of my friends about because, for some reason, they just didn’t understand how genius they were like I did. I’ve always been a sucker for power pop, and “Hey Julie” might just be the most perfect song ever written. So what’s your favorite Fountains of Wayne song or album? Which band should I do a brief history of next? Let me know in the comments below, and thanks for watching this dorky video I made.
#fountainsofwayne #powerpop #musicdocumentaries
Which band or artist should I do a brief history of next?
The white stripes
Twenty One Pilots
How about R.E.M.?
Either Green Day, Stone Temple Pilots, or Weezer.
Please do The Presidents of the United States of America! By the way, the Beat Goes On is SO GOOD! Ill watch whatever you make!
My parents played Fountains of Wayne CONSTANTLY when I was growing up, their music gives me so much nostalgia now. "Mexican Wine" is my favorite.
Your parents = cool tastes in music
Same here! Their songs hold a lot of nostalgia for me.
Tunne
Same bro
I played it to my kids while they we’re growing up now they all play guitar an into music. They still like FOW but the memories during those long drives priceless.
R.I.P adam schlesinger he was a great songwriter
Indeed! He is missed greatly.
You’re right, “Hey Julie” is probably one of the most perfect pop songs. Discovered it in an episode of Scrubs.
That show always had such good music
Great Show!
I was so happy to get to play percussion on the acoustic tour they did. ❤
I miss these guys. Wish they were together and opening for Weezer. RIP Adam
Thanks they are one of my favorite groups of all time. I listen to them almost daily at work. RIP Adam. Cemetery Guns salute you.
That song has turned into one of my all-time favorites
@@mattbeatgoeson Just saw this again. I can't believe it's almost two years ago that Adam passed. Yet we still have covid
I'm so old I remember when "Fountains of Wayne" was still open. The Band's name alone speaks volumes! SO North Jersey. "Bright Future in Sales" is fantastic, especially the live version in Chicago. I just learned about Collingwood's alcohol problems, so the lyrics are "true to life" shall we say. I also like "The girl I can't forget." Such a shame Schlesinger's life was cut short. Thanks for this video down memory lane.
I’m a grown man of 65 and I cried so hard when Schlesinger died. I was “late to the party” having only heard of them after they broke up. Now I have every ITunes album, and some vinyl. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I never knew FoW had such an interesting history. California sex lawyer is my favorite of their songs, but I need to check out their older stuff.
I recently just went back and listened to Out-of-State Plates, and holy crap even that was ridiculously good.
For some reason I live Maureen and Valley of Malls the best haha
Mexican Wine...Hackensack....Radiation Vibe.. Sink to the Bottom....he is right about their song writing...they have a ton of great songs. I have no idea why they are so obscure.
Thank you for this video. Fountains of Wayne created great songs that are timeless. Every album is wonderful.
Great video; Fountains of Wayne have always been more than one hit wonders to me. Most people seem to know them as the "Stacy's Mom" band which I think is a bit unfair, even though I really like that song, as it's a bit of an outlier of their sound. I used to date a girl named Julie and would put on "Hey Julie" for her. As far as bands you should cover, I think the time has come for you to talk about Weezer; they're the band to cover and you're the man to do it! When I was a kid I used to wonder why the boomers desperately clung onto their 60s and 70s rock, but now as a 34-year-old man 25 years after the release of the blue album, I finally get it.
Yeah Weezer will eventually come. They keep releasing new great records, though, and it kind of wants me to wait. That's cool you played "Hey Julie" for your GF Julie. My daughters love that song.
They are phenomenal. All of their songs are good and some are downright amazing. "Senator's Daughter" "Firelight Waltz" "Fine Day For a Parade" "Cemetery Guns" "Hung Up on You" all could have been #1 hits. I could go on for hours. All of their music is in regular rotation in my car. In this day and age, we need their music more than ever.
Saw them 4 times in concert. Amazing band! Love them! RIP Adam.
Im starting my journey into how amazing fountains of Wayne is
I think it is criminal that some people consider this a one-hit wonder band. Girl I Can't Forget is an absolute classic. Maureen is also great tune, along with so many others (Hackensack, Hey Julie, Valley Winter Song) and I could on and on.
Been listening to FOW since 1996. I heard Radiation Vibe on the radio and I was obsessed. Great band.
holy shit i love this band so much. thank you for making a video on them even though it hardly gets any views.
These guys were the PERFECT band. Lyrically and musically, they are 2nd to none.
Thank you for this video. This is my favorite band.
Welcome interstate managers holds a special place in my heart.
Great documentary! You're so right about it being a shame that they're known for "Stacey's Mom." I would not even put that in their top 10 best songs. They have so many great ones!
Totally agree, so many great songs. I’m still crushed that we lost Adam to covid 😢
Well I didn't see that coming. When you said Adam Schlesinger had died it was like getting hit with something heavy. COVID-19 sucks.
I love Someone‘s Gonna Break Your Heart from their latest album
Fountains of Wayne was more than just a lawn furniture store. It had a huge walkthrough of Christmas themed stuff. As a kid growing up in nj, we went every year until the place closed. Happy that the band gave the store recognition! I found a couple videos on UA-cam of the place. Happy to have memories there before it closed down.
Thank you for sharing, Mr. Beat. I'm sorry for your loss.
Thanks Nicholas
Favorite - "Strapped for Cash" and I love singing "Hung Up on You".
Such a great band…so sad we’ll never hear from FOW again. Adam and Chris were brilliant. Favorite album is “Traffic and Weather”…
Great retrospective, I miss this band so much!
Me too!
And thanks!
I stumbled across Fountains Of Wayne singing "Hackensack" on a late Saturday night on Austin City Limits back around 2005. As my wife lay next to me sleeping I watched this unknown band play such a basic but melancholy song that immediately made me a fan. Hackensack will always be my favorite tune from them.
So hard to pick my favorite tracks of theirs, but I'd have to say: Someone to Love; Valley Winter Song; Action Hero; Hey Julie; and Troubled Times. A top 10 would be even harder to pick.
I dont why, but I always thought Fountains of Wayne's was a British band. Anyways great video!
Thanks! Well Collingwood was born in the UK, so there's that.
They are highly influenced by British pop so that’s probably why
I'm 69 now and they were one of the two bands my son introduced me to in the late 90's when he was 15 and taking guitar lessons. The other was the Presidents of the United State of America. Both are in heavy rotation on my playlists even today. the Presidents are a band that would do well as one of your history videos. Three hits (Lump, Peaches and Kitty) and tons of 'fun' songs.
Without a doubt one of my all time favorite bands.
thanks for this.. Yes - tragic and sad about Adam. Was hard to believe, when i saw it on Facebook that day... right after I posted Sick Day as song of the day.. when Covid began. Many people were in shock.. it hits home when their music was a part of your life.. something you really got something from on a personal level. Their music, made the world better. RIP Adam
Well put
My first taste of Fountains of Wayne was Welcome Interstate Managers I was instantly hooked. Fortunately I have been able to collect most of the vinyl available, love them all.
Sorry for the loss of one of your songwriting heros, Matt. Such is life... We all go through it (losing people), until we don't. I remember being in Canada at the Canadian National Exposition when I heard about Elvis... I was home, when I heard about John (Lennon), and drove to my church in downtown Willoughby, Ohio; opened the east and south windows of the youth wing and blasted solo and Beatles music until late in the night.
Thanks for sharing... I'm going to learn more.
Ok I know this video is two years old, but it popped up in my recommendations, and I live fountains of Wayne, so I clicked on it. The whole time I was like, “Man that sounds like Mr. Beat. Probably a coincidence.” Then I saw your name at the end. Instant subscribe. Nice.
Thanks for this, rediscovering the Band after rewatching Just Friends, where Hackensack is featured. So surprised about the connection to Crazy Ex Girl Friend among other things.
Thanks for doing this!
Favorite song: Red Dragon Tattoo (Great example of their ability to combine memorable melodies with clever, humorous lyrics)
Favorite Album: Welcome Interstate Managers, but I always hit stop after "Fire Island," which should have been the last song. Stacy's Mom is fun, but it's maybe the 8th or 9th best song on the album for me. So many good songs on that album. Their debut is a close second.
RIP Adam Schlesinger
My forever favorite band, 2 fav singa songs both penned by Adam, Girl I can’t forget
And I 95
Thank you for this piece. Fountains of Wayne was a brilliant band. RIP Adam love you, miss you
Thank you so much for this detailed video history of Fountains of Wayne. As for a favorite song, migod, it is hard to choose just one song, but if pressed on it, I might go with Michael and Heather at the Baggage Claim. Favorite album: Traffic and Weather.
It's 2024... and Prom Theme is still the greatest tearjerker.
LOVE FoW and "Welcome..." is one of the pop world's most spectacular
It’s always cool seeing new stuff being made about Fountains of Wayne, with the passing of Adam, they’ve been getting a lot more attention... sadly. I also happen to know them personally so it’s always a little weird seeing them in random videos lol. Great video.
Favorite tune? Hotel Majestic… at least this week! Great great great band!!
Thank you for that. Great stuff.
Favorite album is Sky Full of Holes and favorite song is “A Dip in the Ocean” from the same album.
Next video... How about Nick Lowe?
Pretty much love everything they ever recorded but I will pick Bright Future in Sales as my favorite .
I mainly remember them from Radiation Vibe. I loved that song, and it's what got me into this band. I lot touch with their music after Utopia Parkway, but need to go back to hear everything they put out.
I came across my 3 Fountains of Wayne CD's recently and popped them into my car's Cd changer. I forgot how many great songs they have. In the 90's I lived in Virginia and there was a show on the local public radio station called Rollie Radio. He only played new music, and I would buy a lot of CD's of music he played. That's how I got into FoW. (and Ivy!)
Favorite song: Red Dragon Tattoo, thanks to the Steven King mini-series Kingdom Hospital -- I'm pretty sure the theme song for the series was by Ivy too!
No kidding. I didn't know about that. I'll have to go back and check that out if I can find it.
Someone to Love is probably my favorite FOW song. I love the video as well
The first FOW song I ever heard was Leave the Biker on some college radio station in my mom's Delta 88. Me and my mom were cracking up so hard
Their first album was recommended to me by a guy who worked at the record store I used to go to and I loved it. Every song was wonderful. They lost me with Stacy's Mom as I thought it sucked
"Utopia Parkway" is SO GOOD. Great songwriting.
I agree with all you said. I have too many favorites to name just one, but Valley Winter Song, Hackensack and All Kinds of Time are among them.
Three amazing picks there
Well done. R.I.P. Adam.
Fav FOW song: oh jeeze, it changes all the time...right now? "New Routine." Carl Reiner reference, c'mon man, I should get that tattooed
Great video, thank you! I'll second the motion for Nick Lowe but also suggest some others that are/were great but under-appreciated - Toad the Wet Sprocket, Big Star/Chilton, Vertical Horizon, Midnight Oil, Eric Carmen, Gigolo Aunts, Wondermints, Matthew Sweet, Bob Mould - to name a few. Not sure they all have the great backstories like Fountains... but deserve some love.
A Breif History of The Doors would be nice
That would be a terrific one.
@@mattbeatgoeson thanks
Awesome 😎 Hackensack Mexican wine hey Julie just to name a few 😮😊❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
"I saw you talking to Christopher Walkin" is powerful lyrics
I was devastated by Adams passing. I was never more affected by a death of someone I didn’t know.
They deserve so much more than the label of “One hit wonder.”
I think most people discover Ivy through Fountains of Wayne, but for me it was the other way around. I discovered Ivy through Soma.FM’s Lush channel. I became a huge fan, and that led me to FoW. Their brand of power pop is exactly my kind of music. We lost a great talent to COVID-19.
These guys were amazing. Best pop band ever
Great video! Love this band. Really wish more people new about them (other than Stacy’s mom)
I recently discovered FOW; what a terrific band! They are so, so much more than just "Stacey's Mom" (which is a terrific song, regardless). Their last album (Sky Full of Holes) is absolutely great, and I've been playing it constantly for about a month now. Its a shame FOW didn't achieve more success, they certainly deserved it.
I’m 17 and only just understanding how good that are. My favourite song is Hackensack
I knew them in 2007.
It makes me sad to think that they won't come to Japan.
I love this band of all time. I love Barbara.H.
R.I.P Adam from Japan
easily top 3 fav band, i adore almost every song....i never got to see them live...Yes Hey Julie and hack and sack are perfect songs... and .road song.....ya
I worked right around the corner from FofW in Totowa NJ, drive past the store a million times.
My favorite song of theirs is Someone to Love followed by The Girl I Can't Forget.
Phenomenal deep dive
It's 2020 and stacy's mom still has got it goin' on
Radiation Vibe is my fav!
I thought I was the only one who still listen to Fountains of Wayne.
The Radiation Vibe album is one of my all time favorites.
Ty. Love them.
My favorite song Hey julie is my favorite one from them i here it in the background during this story
My fav...Hung up on You...great lyrics
They had so many amazing, amazing songs, but to me the most remarkable thing was how consistently good they were. Any random FoW song would be the signature song of 99.999% of any other bands catalogs and it might have a hard time cracking even the Top 25 of FoW songs. it was just just quality track after track, album after album, regardless of whatever was going on in their personal lives or band dynamics.
For my money, Denise and Mexican Wine are FOW's high points. Bonus points for the Devo homage in the Denise video.
A history of Sloan would be great. Not enough people have heard of these Canadian popsters.
I agree.
Great video! Thanks :D
I love everything they ever did.
It’s Mr. Beat!
Omfg itsmr beat
How do you only have 18k? I love all these videos and Led Zeppelin or Dead Kennedy’s would be amazing!
Today i realized that the guy who teaches me history is also making these videos too
Fun fact: Fountains of Wayne the store featured as a location in an episode of the TV show The Sopranos. (Sorry can’t remember which episode.)
Please do Oasis and the sex pistols next two very underrated bands that have an interesting story
I plan on eventually covering both!
Thanks so much great video btw keep it up 🙌
Two of the most highly praised bands in history, definitely not underrated
That is so sad gone far far too soon that's extremely sad gone far far too soon 💔😭rip Adam
Fountains of Wayne was a store on Route 46 in Wayne, NJ. It’s where Tony Soprano bought parts from the cop he got fired.
Rest in power Adam Schlesinger, he was a major power in Crazy Ex Girlfriend. The antidepressant song is pure gold!
I love The Summer Place, it's like a classic Lana del Rey song but in third person, so more detached and with a wistful irony.
Now thinking about it, wistful irony was the forte of FoW
Has anyone else noticed how much they sound like The Turtles or more specifically Flo and Eddie? I can imagine Mark and Howie performing many FoW songs. They've got the sound nailed, right down to Mark's tambourine.
My fave would have to be Strapped for Cash. Or This better be good. But my fave album would have to be Welcome to interstate managers cause A LOT of the songs slap. Like Elevator Up, Hey Julie, Bright Future in Sales, Valley Winter Song. I love the band. And may Adam rest in peace
Oooh! And Hackensack!
Bit late with this, but I'm kinda surprised you didn't mention their early song "I Want an Alien for Christmas", which is one of my favourite "alternative" festive songs. Only kinda surprised though, as the band themselves seem to have tried to erase it from history.
Do Black Sabbath or Ozzy Osbourne. They have a very interesting story
Eventually I definitely plan on it.
The Beat Goes On thanks so much I would be so happy
Wasn't the 'Malcom in the Middle' theme song a Fountains of Wayne song? I had Traffic And Weather, I like all the songs on it, when I have a long car drive I play it. Sometimes over and over again. ❤I think 'Strapped For Cash' is my favorite song off that album.❤
They Might Be Giants did "You're Not The Boss Of Me"
I remember seeing them open up for Matchbox 20. My frioends and I had no idea who they were, but their sound seemed familiar. Then they started Red Dragon tattoo and we were like "holy crap!" and then Stacy's Mom. We had no idea they were from the same band.
Do Pearl Jam (or any grunge band)
Of all the grunge bands, I think Pearl Jam is the next likely choice. :)
The Beat Goes On alice in chains