Careful with That Pocket, Norman

Mister Cowley Uncovered! and The Monks

I’ve Got These Drugs in My Pocket!

I have a clear memory of an early record-store-trip to downtown Sarnia, to Records on Wheels on Christina Street: near the bus stop, a sunny summer day. Drugs in My Pocket is playing on speakers pointing out of the store, onto the street.

I didn’t buy the record then - not til the 90s, in a 25 cent bin (… ah, those glorious late 90s days when people were throwing away all of their records…). I bought it for the one song - but fell for the whole thing. It’s a strange and satisfying mix of punk feel and “Professional Songwriting”.

Especially the surprising song with the fantastically tiled Dear Jerry, lDon’t Try to Kill Me With Your Love - Norman. I’ve looked all over for information about where this strangely (for the time) uncloseted gay sex song came from, but (appropriate to the time) - silence. It’s a great song regardless, but I’d like to know where the hell it came from. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be mean, but it doesn’t read that way to me.

Once I looked into them, it turned out they’ve got a funky history. For starters: there are TWO The Monks bands - one 60s garage band made up of American GIs with an avant-garde bent, and one a bunch of Prog Rockers posing as punks for fun in the early 80s. This The Monks were also The Strawbs, a prog band I have no knowledge of (I went and listened, yawned, turned it off). They did Bad Habits as a lark* - and this was not appreciated in England, where people knew this.

*They played music of the 1930s under another name. But this indicates a sense of musical fun, rather than a cheap fad-chasing cash grab.**

**But also: if you’re a fake punk and no one knows, does it matter? Years later I would harsh on Green Day for not originating the music they played - but now while I still don’t care for them, I see I was wrong. Who gives a shit? Have a blast.

However, the band and Bad Habits have their deepest history right here in Ontario, where nobody knew they were posers. The Monks were so popular here they did an Ontario-only tour for their second record - Suspended Animation - only released in Canada. It went gold. (I haven’t listened to it.)

One more fun thing: a group of Toronto musicians (members of Change of Heart, TPOH, New Pornographers, Sloan) led by Thomas D’Arcy recorded the whole Bad Habits album in tribute fashion, and had a party at the Horseshoe to revel in it. I wish I’d known - would’ve been a fun show. You can hear it all at D’Arcy’s website - I like it a lot.

There you have it. I got my second shot this week and am feeling really happy. I’m also embarking on a sabbatical this year and taught my last class for 14 months. It’s been a good week. Hope you’re staying cool.

Also: don’t forget to wear Orange on “Canada Day” in solidarity with Indigenous people in Canada - to show our leaders how we feel about our genocidal history, and that we’re grown-up enough to face it and do the work of healing.

Peace out. If you like this, please share it.

jep