Suzanne Vega is a pioneering artist with her own style and poetic music. Loved the story about DNA instead of lawsuits she embraced what could be done with her music. Great episode professor!
I must admit that I'm jealous of you, Professor! You get to know the great people of rock and the wonderful stories behind the songs we love. You're awesome, Adam! 😎
Canadian RUclipsr John Boudin from Rock History Music always brags that he's (unofficially) the new Casey Kasem, but he was unable to land an interview with Suzanne Vega, despite having close to 50K subs. Now that Adam was able to successfully interview Suzanne, I think we can officially tout the Professor of Rock as the modern day equivalent to Casey Kasem. Because he has officially earned that claim. Adam interviews everyone.
But it's not a countdown. I think Music Expert Retro Countdown is the new Casey if anyone. They, like Casey tell the stories without artists interview segments but have talked to them.
Suzanne Vega?! Really?? NO ONE KNOWS WHO SHE IS and I’ve LOVED her folk music for YEARS… if you don’t know her music, go and listen to her other songs on RUclips!
Her first Indy record was the best, but yeah, I admit even her commercial stuff is far more sophisticated than any Gen Z embraced crap like Taylor Swift.
I wonder why Suzanne Vega never made it bigger. She had this incredibly beautiful voice, and was also a fabulous looking girl too, which never hurts. And her songs were so...interesting, and different.
I'm going to give my honest opinion I'm in my mid 50s and was an avid New Waver in my teens and 20s. She was mousey compared to most of the singers at the time. Quiet. Introverted. Not OTT like Cyndi Lauper or Vintagey like Belinda Carlisle or Exotic like Sadé. Quite easy to be overlooked although we all loved her
I think you answered your own question: "And her songs were so...interesting, and different." Personally, I *love* that, but most people don't seem to agree.
I had just reread _The Odyssey_ for a Lit class, and a friend played _Solitude Standing_ for me. I loved the whole album, but “Calypso” and “Tom’s Diner” just _got_ me.
To quote George Costanza "World's colliding, Jerry!" What a fantastic, meandering, story with so many seemingly random conections! Thanks for bringing it to us!
It’s so awesome that she didn’t automatically take the negative approach to suing DNA and then bought it from them and released it crediting their work. We could all use these lessons today. If we open up and take time to communicate and understand one another, we might find more beneficial results.
Thanks for this interview. I was a big fan of hers in the 80's, and to me Tom's Diner was an inside treat for fans of the album. Loved the song and I would listen to it searching for nuance and meaning sometimes. At first I didn't like that it became "more famous", but then didn't care. I loved what she said about life behind the pane.
Thanks for such a great episode. I enjoyed your deep dive into the structure of the song. You had a nice conversation with Suzanne -- it wasn't just an interview. One of the highlights of my life as a booking manager at a local coffeehouse was presenting Suzanne pre-COVID. It was a fabulous show and she was gracious enough to hang around after the show and answer any questions we had. Keep up the good work, Adam. It's clear how much you love music.
Fraunhofer still uses Tom’s Diner to test their codecs. We used it to test AAC with spectral band replacement back in the 2000s. It’s a great recording of a woman’s voice and our ears are very, very sensitive to how voices sound. Unlike instrumentals and especially electronic music, our brains have spent thousands of years hearing voices and drawing all kinds of information and inferences from very subtle changes in the voice. So we pick up changes and distortion of the tiniest bit.
Modern codecs are called perceptual codecs. They work on tricking your brain. For instance, a soft sound after a loud sound isn’t really perceived by the brain, although the ear hears it. So why bother encoding that soft sound? It’s just a waste of very valuable bits that you can use to encode more important sounds more accurately. There are many other such tricks. Early codecs used mathematical models of reducing the number of bits used. The very best of the modern encoding systems use a neural network to first “listen” to the sound, decide how it is best encoded using predetermined settings for things like the allowed bit rates, selected frequency response range, dynamic range expected, etc. Then it preprocesses the sound before sending it to the codec. Much of this research on sound actually came out of billions spent by the US Department of Defense decades ago. They were trying to figure out how to process that sound a submarine made miles, if not hundreds of miles, away from all the natural sounds made by wildlife and other sources. A bit of it trickled down over the years till we can now broadcast decent sounding audio over an amazingly small number of bits.
Soooo cool to see Suzanne Vega! She sheds some serious light on this catchy tune, and just how intelligent it was to work with DNA. Great video Professor! Suzanne, still loving you!
I'm a DJ in Phoenix. I've had a residency poolside at one of the local resorts for a few years. I try to avoid top 10 songs and keep it fresh with cool stuff from the last 30 years that hasn't been heard in a while. That DNA remix finds its way on to my decks pretty regularly. It's like Type O Negative blood that can mix from one genre to another or one decade to another and be the perfect bridge.
Suzanne's accapella version is captivating, but the beat from DNA just brings the song to a much higher level. I remember the DNA version being played in the clubs.
Great interview as always. So glad you asked about the cuckoo clock version! Lol! Always wondered where that came from! Suzanne is an amazing songwriter.
I've been a huge Suzanne Vega fan for decades. Got to see her in an intimate little dinner theater in Pasadena. It was an amazing show. She even covered my favorite Elvis Costello song, Beyond Belief.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980no many times friend and i would stop at our local club after his club show see whoever was there was a local scene but bands were working would greet fans after cds cassettes tshirts etc. sometimes bands artists would hang out with locals some but dont recall suzanne or band crew did probably had to load out get to hotel
Not the last time to happen either. Armand van helden's remix of Tori Amos "professional widow" also took off years later and I think that was a bootleg remix at first too. All great stories
No, DNA came along and STOLE “Soul 2 Soul’s “Back To Life/ However” 12” dance remix version to blend with the stolen Tom’s Diner Acapella … They stole EVERYTHING 😂😂😂
Scary to hear the threat against Suzanne and wearing the bullet-proof vest 😮 Glad to hear it all went well. Loved the cow excuse they gave to cut the concert short 😂. Another great show, thanks Adam!
This was weird. I already had the album, and then at one point I started hearing the song, with drums on it. What? The original was a cappela. But it's such a great song, because it's such a "slice of life" in music form. I did not know it was used for mp3 development and testing. That's so cool.
I remember sitting in a coffee shop in downtown Denver and the original came over the jukebox. I had heard the DNA remix several times and had never heard the original. It was stuck in my head for YEARS. Then fall out Boy's Centuries... I am AuDHD and Tom's Dinner is one of my go-to verbal/audio stimming
I resonated so hard to that song at the time! It was the radio version with the beat; I never knew there was any other version before today. Nor did I know the song's title was 'Tom's Diner' before today, either. This is such an education channel! 😉
I was a Metalhead when I was a teen, and I used to pack my cigarettes (Ask yer Pops what that means) to form a metronome for the BPM and sing this when we were hanging out at the mall...they really hated it, but I adored it...awesome song!
My husband was telling me about a guy at work he didn't like named Tom Styner. I started doing the ditty, and he was mad he hadn't thought of it. I was like, "How could you not think of that? It was the first thing that popped into my head."
I swear to God professor, I was thinking about this song last night and thinking about requesting you to cover it.I never cared for the original, but the remix is amazing.
One nice story from the annals of skeevy music business! She contacted DNA and worked out a settlement where both artists benefited. Didn't order Cease and Desist, didn't sue, didn't turn it into a years long court battle. Just human beings listening, liking, and respecting. Both songs are fantastic!
I remember hearing the DNA version (after having bought Solitude Standing some time before) and thinking, wow! Is this some sort of sacrilege? I really like the a capella song. But I couldn’t find anything I didn’t like about the dance version; in fact it grew on me, and I loved that it was just adding a sort of musical decoration to Suzanne’s voice - as she said, they hardly touched her performance. So off I went and bought the CD single. Very happy to have done so. Completely not Suzanne Vega’s style, but really good and catchy just the same. I love that she thought so too.
Great song and what an interesting story behind it. I think Suzanne Vega showed a lot of class with the way she handled the remake of her hit…good for her. When Giorgio Moroder uses your song you know you have a quality tune. Bizarre story about that fan. We learn so much from these videos. Cheers from Ottawa, Canada 🍁
Tom’s diner wasn’t in my musical circle (I was working too much then) but appreciate her absolute articulation of the song, A cappella, on pitch without rhythm. Thanks Adam.
Having heard both, I had a friend that preferred the a cappella and thus this is what I mostly heard in the 90s. Since we met at university. Later, I would hear the DNA with Suzanne Vega, I was a bit started at first that it had music included. Just thinking she remixed it herself. As for which I preferred myself, both have their strong points, and I would be hard pressed to decide now that all I hear nowadays is the mix. Thanks for the video.
She did a song called left of center in 86 or so, it was great so bought the first album, with cracking and small blue thing, undertow, so many great songs. Language is great, stockings, it makes me wonder, she’s incredible!! so glad I saw her at the Majestic in Dallas in the late eighties and so glad you featured her
I remember the original, the remix, and the REM part mashup. It was included on REM’s CD single of Near Wild Heaven from the Out of Time album. The guys laugh, sing “baggy trousers” in the background, and Mike Mills throws in a few “Unbelievable!”s toward the end that cause Michael Stipe to genuinely laugh out loud! Great memory - thanks, Professor.
@@ProfessorofRock 👋👋👋DNA basically ALSO stole Soul 2 Soul’s entire bass-line & beat from “Back to Life/ However” / “Keep on Moving” mixed with Tom’s Diner Acapella to produce that song…. They ripped everyone 👀 off… 😂 I was a DJ at the time and blended both together myself LIVE using original vinyl to cut/ scratch at will 😎👍
@@nitoduzit In the UK Luka was only a modest hit (twenty something), but she started having minor hits earlier in the UK (I think Left of Centre and Marlena on the Wall had been minor hits) so she had a bit of a following already - her first album sold well (just missed the top ten), and her Solitude Standing was quite a big seller (number two). So even though Luka wasn't the smash it was in the US, Solitude was a much bigger album in the UK.
Suzanne is a musical heroine of mine. Love her albums 😍I hope the new generation gets to know about her, time for a resurgence. I always think Tom’s diner must have inspired Sheryl Crow’s ‘All I wanna do’ with the ‘people watching’ theme. ❤
I remember buying the Days of Open Hand album and being confused that Tom's Diner wasn't on it. But, it didn't really matter because Days of Open Hand is such a great album.
I remember renting the CD from the library, because I wanted to hear the acapella version. They not only set it to music, they rearranged some of the lyrics a little bit. They didn't have much "da da da da...." to work with. Years before that, I remember going to the store to buy a cassette single. My sister said "I hope it's not that song that goes da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da." I said it's not that song. She didn't even want "Tom's Diner" to be released as a single. My sister thought it was even funnier when she heard the title.
Tom's Diner is one of the greatest songs of all time. I love Suzanne Vega, she is one of the best performers I've ever had the luck to see live. The album this song comes from is perfect, no skips. I listen to it front to back every autumn. She is the voice of 80's New York to me. A goddess in human form xo
I remember hearing the DNA remix...definitely was catchy, and the story within it got me hooked. Hope to see her someday...still have yet to see her live.
Suzanne Vega wasn’t on my radar until Tom’s Diner became big. Of course I was only 12 when it blew up. 😂 I’ve definitely become a fan of her music since then. Such an incredible talent.
I honestly had no idea that the remix was a remix. That's pretty cool and I know someone else who would like this video, as they have talked about the MP3 and this song on their documentary radio show for a number of years.
Bought the album right after hearing Luka...then heard Tom's Diner...wow, haunting. Always thought that was the purest and most arresting voice you could hear on your speakers or headphones. Thanks for the great interview and bringing this one back! BTW, daughter said this recently made the rounds on Tick Tock!
I saw Suzanne Vega (finally!) in 2019 at Temperance Brewery in Evanston, IL where she opened for Bruce Hornsby. I went to see her show but glad to stay for the headliner!
@@garydare2238 Bruuuuuuuuuuuce!!!! Saw him many times in 91 while he played with the Dead until they found their next keyboardist. He added so much color to an amazingly bursting palette. Vince Welnick was an anticlimactic hire IMO. No deadhead wanted Bruce to leave but he was already a made man and the fans will never forget his contributions during that glorious year and a half step uptown toodaloo. (sic) Toda raba Bruce.
I liked the song and couldn't find the cool version under the name of the original artist. I was wondering what went wrong. Then there was this no-name cover that seemed to be a cover of the one I liked. Then I found out the backstory. Thank for doing a deep dive into that story.
Most any other singer/songwriter would have called the nearest lawyer and slammed DNA with a lawsuit, but Suzanne Vega decided to be real big about this and embrace the remixed version and she enjoyed it. Great interview, Professor!
Tom's is a staple in the Columbia University district, Vega attended Barnard College. Simon & Garfunkel also hung out there while Art was at Columbia, Paul came in from Queens College. The outside of Tom's is shown in Seinfeld, but the real interior is a lot simpler and grungier than the set on the show.
Nick Batt? Wow! No idea. Now I need to relisten to the awsome remix (always loved it) to catch any PWM in the synth tracks... :P Dunno why, but "Left of Center" is probably my favorite Suzanne Vega tune.. and "99.9F" is probably my favorite Suzanne Vega album. great stuff.
I'm glad she decided to work something out w/ the guys rather than taking them to court. I also remember artist Nikki D using the DNA version in a song called 'Daddy's little girl".
_Tom's Album_ is well worth a listen. My favorite is "Jeannie's Diner" that replaces the "duh duh duh-da duh da..." with the _I Dream of Jeannie_ theme getting the treatment, and lyrics changed appropriately ("She folds her arms and blinks her eyes, it's kind of like Bewitched [boing]").
My three favorite Suzanne Vega songs: Luka (DUH!), Tom's Diner by DNA featuring SV, and Blood Makes Noise. If you've never heard the last one check it out! Definitely a departure from the first two, but oh so good! And you are so right about female singer songwriters from the late 80's and 90's, both soloists and bands.
The DNA version is one of my all-time favorite ear worms. It probably still randomly pops into my head at least once a week. I don’t think I ever heard the original acapella version but I should remedy that at some point because I loved Luca despite or maybe because of how sad it is.
I first saw SV in a basement bar in Cambridge MA in 1982. Random luck on my part as I knew nothing about her. It it was like 1 - 2 years later I heard her on the radio and instantly remembered the show. One thing I remember was her sitting at a table next to mine with a small group of people in between sets. There was another singer that night as well, can’t remember his name but I remember upbeat funny lyrics…total contrast to Ms. Vega.
Squeeee! I ordered something from the back of comic books. It was so exciting just waiting for a package to arrive in the mail. Anyway, I'm ready for another of your fantastic video, Professor! Cheers.
I remember when her song Luca and Tom's Diner with the videos on MTV and VH1 nearly every day great to see her i always wondered where she is today thank you Professor and as always thank you for the memories.🎶🎶🎤🎶🎶
Such a great time in the late 80s when there were so many artists providing alternatives to overstimulated dance pop; names like Suzanne Vega, Tracy Chapman, Edie Brickell, Natalie Merchant, the Indigo Girls and Enya come to mind. I remember hearing the DNA remix of Tom's Diner for the first time and I was like, what, wait a minute, whaat happened ?! Knowing the cool back story means I can warm up to it at last 🔥🐎
I heard Tom's Diner on the radio. Djays must have played this song even though it wasn't a single. I like this song. I admire her thoughts of considering the remix of her song.
I am a big Suzanne Vega fan from her Luka days and saw her in concert in Melbourne, Australia. Tom's Diner is an amazing song with such purity of sound.
This was the theme song for our annual family reunion the year it came out. Everyone got a TAPE! Cassette of the single. Over 30 years later we all consider this the Best annual song- ever. Thanks, Professor
I think I remember hearing a parody of Tom's Diner once on the Dr Demento Show. I don't remember how it went, but it was based around the TV show I Dream of Jeannie.
Throughout 1986, every Saturday the local station, WHTG, would have a morning DJ that seemed to know everything about music. I'd call up and talk to this guy, Matt Pinfield, for anywhere from a few minutes to more than an hour about the bands of the day. At the end I'd offer two songs as possible requests... my main one, and a backup in case the other one had been played during the prior shift. Almost every time, a Suzanne Vega song was one of the two; she was one of the musicians we both felt was brilliant and deserved more attention. "Marlene on the Wall" was my favorite, although "The Queen and the Soldier" was brilliant too and there really weren't any fillers on the entire album. When she hit with Luka I was thrilled. Finally saw her live at a show in Dallas where she was taking a break from her tour by playing a set of songs called out by the audience members. She was as good live as she was on the albums.
Why isn't the Soul II Soul sample mentioned? DNA remix was a sample of Keep On Movin'. A song that was a hit record the year before (1989). @ProfessorofRock How about a show on sampled songs?
I knew it was "Tom's Diner" from the time I saw the thumbnail. I always loved the way the song told a story and the beat DNA came up with made it very catchy.
Absolutely love Tom's Diner!! Great song! I wonder if Luka ate in Tom's Diner?? 😂 Great start to the week, Professor. Shameless self promotion shirt. 😂
@@ProfessorofRock "Luka" is such a powerful song, it made me cry the first time I really listened to the lyrics. I had wonderful parents who loved me and supported anything I wanted to do. Our house was always full of music and laughter. However, there was a little boy named Mark in my elementary classes whom I loved. I was bullied a lot for wearing thick glasses and being homely, but Mark was always nice to me and we both loved reading and science. He was a fellow nerd and my friend! Mark was very shy, and scared. He came to school with bruises, but teachers ignored it. He never talked about it. Mark took his own life while we were in high school. THEN it came out that his father tortured that sweet boy (his mom was not around). When I hear "Luka", I see Mark's sweet face and his beautiful brown eyes. Sorry, didn't mean to bum anyone out. It's just an example of how powerful good music is when it touches one's soul. BTW, my name is also Suzanne. 😉
Poll: What is your pick for the best song to come from a singer-songwriter?
Neil Diamond "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon"
tie- Stevie Wonder "Superstition" and "Sir Duke"
We Are the World by MJ and Lionel Richie.
How Can I Tell Her - Lobo
If you could read my mind Gordon Lightfoot
Suzanne Vega is a pioneering artist with her own style and poetic music. Loved the story about DNA instead of lawsuits she embraced what could be done with her music. Great episode professor!
Such a good woman…to be accepting of everything around her.
Indeed. Much respect to SV for making it about so much more than money, including humbly releasing it as DNA ft SV.
I must admit that I'm jealous of you, Professor! You get to know the great people of rock and the wonderful stories behind the songs we love.
You're awesome, Adam! 😎
Thanks for watching!
Canadian RUclipsr John Boudin from Rock History Music always brags that he's (unofficially) the new Casey Kasem, but he was unable to land an interview with Suzanne Vega, despite having close to 50K subs. Now that Adam was able to successfully interview Suzanne, I think we can officially tout the Professor of Rock as the modern day equivalent to Casey Kasem. Because he has officially earned that claim. Adam interviews everyone.
But it's not a countdown. I think Music Expert Retro Countdown is the new Casey if anyone. They, like Casey tell the stories without artists interview segments but have talked to them.
Suzanne Vega?! Really?? NO ONE KNOWS WHO SHE IS and I’ve LOVED her folk music for YEARS… if you don’t know her music, go and listen to her other songs on RUclips!
That's right!
Her first Indy record was the best, but yeah, I admit even her commercial stuff is far more sophisticated than any Gen Z embraced crap like Taylor Swift.
I love the album "Songs in Red and Gray"
She’s a great songwriter.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Did you see my comment about Gen Z 😈
I wonder why Suzanne Vega never made it bigger. She had this incredibly beautiful voice, and was also a fabulous looking girl too, which never hurts. And her songs were so...interesting, and different.
I agree.
And her lyrics were so beautiful too.
I'm going to give my honest opinion I'm in my mid 50s and was an avid New Waver in my teens and 20s. She was mousey compared to most of the singers at the time. Quiet. Introverted. Not OTT like Cyndi Lauper or Vintagey like Belinda Carlisle or Exotic like Sadé. Quite easy to be overlooked although we all loved her
I think you answered your own question: "And her songs were so...interesting, and different." Personally, I *love* that, but most people don't seem to agree.
I had just reread _The Odyssey_ for a Lit class, and a friend played _Solitude Standing_ for me. I loved the whole album, but “Calypso” and “Tom’s Diner” just _got_ me.
To quote George Costanza "World's colliding, Jerry!" What a fantastic, meandering, story with so many seemingly random conections! Thanks for bringing it to us!
It’s so awesome that she didn’t automatically take the negative approach to suing DNA and then bought it from them and released it crediting their work. We could all use these lessons today. If we open up and take time to communicate and understand one another, we might find more beneficial results.
Thanks for this interview. I was a big fan of hers in the 80's, and to me Tom's Diner was an inside treat for fans of the album. Loved the song and I would listen to it searching for nuance and meaning sometimes. At first I didn't like that it became "more famous", but then didn't care. I loved what she said about life behind the pane.
Thanks for such a great episode. I enjoyed your deep dive into the structure of the song. You had a nice conversation with Suzanne -- it wasn't just an interview. One of the highlights of my life as a booking manager at a local coffeehouse was presenting Suzanne pre-COVID. It was a fabulous show and she was gracious enough to hang around after the show and answer any questions we had. Keep up the good work, Adam. It's clear how much you love music.
Fraunhofer still uses Tom’s Diner to test their codecs. We used it to test AAC with spectral band replacement back in the 2000s. It’s a great recording of a woman’s voice and our ears are very, very sensitive to how voices sound. Unlike instrumentals and especially electronic music, our brains have spent thousands of years hearing voices and drawing all kinds of information and inferences from very subtle changes in the voice. So we pick up changes and distortion of the tiniest bit.
Cool.
So, there is basically an audio version of Creepy Valley... I think overdone Auto-Tune probably hits that metric.
Awesome!
Modern codecs are called perceptual codecs. They work on tricking your brain. For instance, a soft sound after a loud sound isn’t really perceived by the brain, although the ear hears it. So why bother encoding that soft sound? It’s just a waste of very valuable bits that you can use to encode more important sounds more accurately. There are many other such tricks. Early codecs used mathematical models of reducing the number of bits used. The very best of the modern encoding systems use a neural network to first “listen” to the sound, decide how it is best encoded using predetermined settings for things like the allowed bit rates, selected frequency response range, dynamic range expected, etc. Then it preprocesses the sound before sending it to the codec.
Much of this research on sound actually came out of billions spent by the US Department of Defense decades ago. They were trying to figure out how to process that sound a submarine made miles, if not hundreds of miles, away from all the natural sounds made by wildlife and other sources. A bit of it trickled down over the years till we can now broadcast decent sounding audio over an amazingly small number of bits.
So glad you included the mp3 story! 🤓
Soooo cool to see Suzanne Vega! She sheds some serious light on this catchy tune, and just how intelligent it was to work with DNA. Great video Professor! Suzanne, still loving you!
Great. Now you have the Scorpions stuck in my head. 🙄
Suzanne Vega is awesome! Loved that song and I remember the hip hop version in late 1990 - I was a first year college student and a high school grad !
Awesome. It's like a totally different. song!
@@ProfessorofRockfall 1990 was a special era of music because of cool hip hop/house/dance music that came out like Black Box, DNA, and Dee Lite
Such a suave, sultry voice.
Agreed.
Amen!
@Sweet-Richard.4981....Suave ? As in Rico Suave by Gerardo 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@RobbieWilkinson-f9l no
I'm a DJ in Phoenix. I've had a residency poolside at one of the local resorts for a few years. I try to avoid top 10 songs and keep it fresh with cool stuff from the last 30 years that hasn't been heard in a while. That DNA remix finds its way on to my decks pretty regularly. It's like Type O Negative blood that can mix from one genre to another or one decade to another and be the perfect bridge.
Suzanne's accapella version is captivating, but the beat from DNA just brings the song to a much higher level. I remember the DNA version being played in the clubs.
Agreed. It's such a banger.
I agree. I preferred the DNA version. I still absolutely love it!
I absolutely hate the DNA version. The original is great, the remix is a turd.
It’s a great dance song.
Dudes - DNA STOLE Soul 2 Soul’s “Back To Life/ However”/ “Keep on Moving” bass-line & beat 👋👋👋 to make that song 🧐🤡🤡
Great interview as always. So glad you asked about the cuckoo clock version! Lol! Always wondered where that came from! Suzanne is an amazing songwriter.
THanks!
I've been a huge Suzanne Vega fan for decades. Got to see her in an intimate little dinner theater in Pasadena. It was an amazing show. She even covered my favorite Elvis Costello song, Beyond Belief.
Very cool!
Did you get to meet her?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980no many times friend and i would stop at our local club after his club show see whoever was there was a local scene but bands were working would greet fans after cds cassettes tshirts etc. sometimes bands artists would hang out with locals some but dont recall suzanne or band crew did probably had to load out get to hotel
Oh wow - I was JUST talking about this song to some friends this weekend and how another musician came and added music to it and made it a big hit. ❤❤
For sure.
Not the last time to happen either. Armand van helden's remix of Tori Amos "professional widow" also took off years later and I think that was a bootleg remix at first too. All great stories
No, DNA came along and STOLE “Soul 2 Soul’s “Back To Life/ However” 12” dance remix version to blend with the stolen Tom’s Diner Acapella … They stole EVERYTHING 😂😂😂
Scary to hear the threat against Suzanne and wearing the bullet-proof vest 😮 Glad to hear it all went well. Loved the cow excuse they gave to cut the concert short 😂.
Another great show, thanks Adam!
Ha ha. Thanks!
This was weird. I already had the album, and then at one point I started hearing the song, with drums on it. What? The original was a cappela. But it's such a great song, because it's such a "slice of life" in music form. I did not know it was used for mp3 development and testing. That's so cool.
For sure! so much to love about it.
It’s a great song for car testing.
Tom's Diner or Luka...just enjoy both and try not choose the better song. Love the stories and she was a fantastic interview.
Thanks Terrick!
Solitude Standing is also an amazing song
Big thanks for this interview, for this video. BIG BIG thanks!
I remember sitting in a coffee shop in downtown Denver and the original came over the jukebox. I had heard the DNA remix several times and had never heard the original. It was stuck in my head for YEARS. Then fall out Boy's Centuries... I am AuDHD and Tom's Dinner is one of my go-to verbal/audio stimming
Very cool!
I am AuDHD too and this is a mood song for me
I resonated so hard to that song at the time! It was the radio version with the beat; I never knew there was any other version before today.
Nor did I know the song's title was 'Tom's Diner' before today, either. This is such an education channel! 😉
I was a Metalhead when I was a teen, and I used to pack my cigarettes (Ask yer Pops what that means) to form a metronome for the BPM and sing this when we were hanging out at the mall...they really hated it, but I adored it...awesome song!
Agreed!
My husband was telling me about a guy at work he didn't like named Tom Styner. I started doing the ditty, and he was mad he hadn't thought of it. I was like, "How could you not think of that? It was the first thing that popped into my head."
Really!
OH!
Love it.
Punny names are a passive hobby of mine. I would have said the same thing you did! 😂
I swear to God professor, I was thinking about this song last night and thinking about requesting you to cover it.I never cared for the original, but the remix is amazing.
Rock on!
I found out about Suzanne Vega when my Swedish friend (snail) mailed me Nine Objects of Desire, sometime around 1990. It was different, and great!
One nice story from the annals of skeevy music business! She contacted DNA and worked out a settlement where both artists benefited. Didn't order Cease and Desist, didn't sue, didn't turn it into a years long court battle. Just human beings listening, liking, and respecting. Both songs are fantastic!
The remix is so timeless. It sounds like it came out a few hours ago. It still sounds fresh.
So true.
It sounds so modern.
I got a kick out of the parody that was the "I Dream of Jeannie" theme song set to this tune - It was actually released as "Jeannie's Diner".
I remember hearing the DNA version (after having bought Solitude Standing some time before) and thinking, wow! Is this some sort of sacrilege? I really like the a capella song. But I couldn’t find anything I didn’t like about the dance version; in fact it grew on me, and I loved that it was just adding a sort of musical decoration to Suzanne’s voice - as she said, they hardly touched her performance. So off I went and bought the CD single. Very happy to have done so. Completely not Suzanne Vega’s style, but really good and catchy just the same. I love that she thought so too.
Great song and what an interesting story behind it. I think Suzanne Vega showed a lot of class with the way she handled the remake of her hit…good for her. When Giorgio Moroder uses your song you know you have a quality tune. Bizarre story about that fan. We learn so much from these videos. Cheers from Ottawa, Canada 🍁
I love her attitude. It shows that she really respects other artists.
Tom’s diner wasn’t in my musical circle (I was working too much then) but appreciate her absolute articulation of the song, A cappella, on pitch without rhythm. Thanks Adam.
Whenever I hear this song I can mentally visualize sitting in a diner experiencing life by people watching. Such an underrated artist.
Having heard both, I had a friend that preferred the a cappella and thus this is what I mostly heard in the 90s. Since we met at university. Later, I would hear the DNA with Suzanne Vega, I was a bit started at first that it had music included. Just thinking she remixed it herself. As for which I preferred myself, both have their strong points, and I would be hard pressed to decide now that all I hear nowadays is the mix. Thanks for the video.
She did a song called left of center in 86 or so, it was great so bought the first album, with cracking and small blue thing, undertow, so many great songs. Language is great, stockings, it makes me wonder, she’s incredible!! so glad I saw her at the Majestic in Dallas in the late eighties and so glad you featured her
That’s a fantastic song too.
I remember the original, the remix, and the REM part mashup. It was included on REM’s CD single of Near Wild Heaven from the Out of Time album. The guys laugh, sing “baggy trousers” in the background, and Mike Mills throws in a few “Unbelievable!”s toward the end that cause Michael Stipe to genuinely laugh out loud! Great memory - thanks, Professor.
I remember that too!
Haha!
What a great interview! She's really sharp and engaging, and I could easily have listened for another hour.
I actually hung out with her father one evening, he was a poet & short story writer who was doing a book tour. A very sweet, bright man.
True confession, Suzanne Vega was off my radar until the DNA remix - then I started listening to her.
Very cool.
It was a darn good remix!
@@ProfessorofRock 👋👋👋DNA basically ALSO stole Soul 2 Soul’s entire bass-line & beat from “Back to Life/ However” / “Keep on Moving” mixed with Tom’s Diner Acapella to produce that song…. They ripped everyone 👀 off… 😂 I was a DJ at the time and blended both together myself LIVE using original vinyl to cut/ scratch at will 😎👍
Really?! You couldn’t escape Luka the summer of 87. Was all over MTV.
@@nitoduzit In the UK Luka was only a modest hit (twenty something), but she started having minor hits earlier in the UK (I think Left of Centre and Marlena on the Wall had been minor hits) so she had a bit of a following already - her first album sold well (just missed the top ten), and her Solitude Standing was quite a big seller (number two). So even though Luka wasn't the smash it was in the US, Solitude was a much bigger album in the UK.
Suzanne is a musical heroine of mine. Love her albums 😍I hope the new generation gets to know about her, time for a resurgence. I always think Tom’s diner must have inspired Sheryl Crow’s ‘All I wanna do’ with the ‘people watching’ theme. ❤
She's so great!
I remember buying the Days of Open Hand album and being confused that Tom's Diner wasn't on it. But, it didn't really matter because Days of Open Hand is such a great album.
For sure!
I remember renting the CD from the library, because I wanted to hear the acapella version. They not only set it to music, they rearranged some of the lyrics a little bit. They didn't have much "da da da da...." to work with.
Years before that, I remember going to the store to buy a cassette single. My sister said "I hope it's not that song that goes da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da." I said it's not that song. She didn't even want "Tom's Diner" to be released as a single. My sister thought it was even funnier when she heard the title.
Thanks for sharing Bill!
Tom's Diner is one of the greatest songs of all time. I love Suzanne Vega, she is one of the best performers I've ever had the luck to see live. The album this song comes from is perfect, no skips. I listen to it front to back every autumn. She is the voice of 80's New York to me. A goddess in human form xo
I remember hearing the DNA remix...definitely was catchy, and the story within it got me hooked.
Hope to see her someday...still have yet to see her live.
She's so great!
Has she retired yet?
@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 she's still touring...just nowhere near my neighborhood. 😢
Dammit Professor! Now I can't get this song out of my head. 🤣
Right?
I have loved Suzanne Vega’s music since the 80’s. Glad you interviewed her for this channel!
This interview was perfection! Thanks! ❤️♥️❤️
Suzanne Vega wasn’t on my radar until Tom’s Diner became big. Of course I was only 12 when it blew up. 😂 I’ve definitely become a fan of her music since then. Such an incredible talent.
Thanks for sharing.
I honestly had no idea that the remix was a remix. That's pretty cool and I know someone else who would like this video, as they have talked about the MP3 and this song on their documentary radio show for a number of years.
Thanks!
@@ProfessorofRock I just fired off an email to my friend and hopefully, he puts it on his website soon.
I love the original a capella version.
The song "Solitude Standing" from that album is my favorite song of hers.
As an old folkie, I loved the song first time I heard it. Thanks for your information and videos!!
Bought the album right after hearing Luka...then heard Tom's Diner...wow, haunting. Always thought that was the purest and most arresting voice you could hear on your speakers or headphones. Thanks for the great interview and bringing this one back! BTW, daughter said this recently made the rounds on Tick Tock!
I knew Monks was Tom's Diner but never knew it was THAT. Tom's Diner.
The more you know!
Me, either. I learn something new from every POR video.
I remember when the Fraunhofer module became available in ProTools. It was cool to bounce tracks to MP3 long before CD rippers and iTunes.
Cool!
It was something like a $25 add on with its own activation code, wasn’t it?
@@dmacnet Yes, I recall it as separate. I still have the activation code in the archives somewhere. :-)
Looking forward to watching this. Suzanne Vega is great!
An amazing artist.
@@ProfessorofRock Agree!😀
I saw Suzanne Vega (finally!) in 2019 at Temperance Brewery in Evanston, IL where she opened for Bruce Hornsby. I went to see her show but glad to stay for the headliner!
Very cool!
@@garydare2238 Bruuuuuuuuuuuce!!!! Saw him many times in 91 while he played with the Dead until they found their next keyboardist. He added so much color to an amazingly bursting palette. Vince Welnick was an anticlimactic hire IMO. No deadhead wanted Bruce to leave but he was already a made man and the fans will never forget his contributions during that glorious year and a half step uptown toodaloo. (sic) Toda raba Bruce.
What did Bruce play?
I liked the song and couldn't find the cool version under the name of the original artist. I was wondering what went wrong. Then there was this no-name cover that seemed to be a cover of the one I liked. Then I found out the backstory. Thank for doing a deep dive into that story.
Suzanne Vega is a great singer. I love her song blood makes noise that was played on the tv show homicide life on the street.
Great song!
That entire album is my favorite of hers! So many styles and unique lyrics!
Good morning Professor and everyone! Let's eat this up for breakfast
Tom's Diner it is... You talked me into it!
@@Code.Name.V Eggs or pancakes?
Ha ha!
@@RobertL_0563Eggs
@Code.Name.V Cool, me too, and lots of coffee, at least for me. You coming too Professor? 😂😂
Most any other singer/songwriter would have called the nearest lawyer and slammed DNA with a lawsuit, but Suzanne Vega decided to be real big about this and embrace the remixed version and she enjoyed it. Great interview, Professor!
Tom's Album is a little gem of remixes / inspired by tracks
I remember a friend of mine had it.
Tom's is a staple in the Columbia University district, Vega attended Barnard College. Simon & Garfunkel also hung out there while Art was at Columbia, Paul came in from Queens College. The outside of Tom's is shown in Seinfeld, but the real interior is a lot simpler and grungier than the set on the show.
That's right!
But the food's not bad, and the prices were actually cheap by NYC standards.
Barnard was a pretty well known school!
@@chantzsch3916
Is it still there?
Nick Batt? Wow! No idea. Now I need to relisten to the awsome remix (always loved it) to catch any PWM in the synth tracks... :P
Dunno why, but "Left of Center" is probably my favorite Suzanne Vega tune.. and "99.9F" is probably my favorite Suzanne Vega album. great stuff.
I'm glad she decided to work something out w/ the guys rather than taking them to court. I also remember artist Nikki D using the DNA version in a song called 'Daddy's little girl".
_Tom's Album_ is well worth a listen. My favorite is "Jeannie's Diner" that replaces the "duh duh duh-da duh da..." with the _I Dream of Jeannie_ theme getting the treatment, and lyrics changed appropriately ("She folds her arms and blinks her eyes, it's kind of like Bewitched [boing]").
That's a cool version.
Haha! I didn’t know that existed.
I was so excited as an IDOJ fan to hear that version!
Saw her at Massey Hall, Toronto, back in the Eighties!!! It was a *really* good show!!!! Thanks, Adam!!
I loved her and Sinead O’Connor, Alanis Morissete, Laurie Anderson, Tori Amos, Lisa Loeb.
Great interview, thanks! 🙂
My three favorite Suzanne Vega songs: Luka (DUH!), Tom's Diner by DNA featuring SV, and Blood Makes Noise. If you've never heard the last one check it out! Definitely a departure from the first two, but oh so good! And you are so right about female singer songwriters from the late 80's and 90's, both soloists and bands.
The DNA version is one of my all-time favorite ear worms. It probably still randomly pops into my head at least once a week. I don’t think I ever heard the original acapella version but I should remedy that at some point because I loved Luca despite or maybe because of how sad it is.
Great interview & story!!! I never knew this song started out as an A Capella.
Thanks for watching.
I first saw SV in a basement bar in Cambridge MA in 1982. Random luck on my part as I knew nothing about her. It it was like 1 - 2 years later I heard her on the radio and instantly remembered the show. One thing I remember was her sitting at a table next to mine with a small group of people in between sets. There was another singer that night as well, can’t remember his name but I remember upbeat funny lyrics…total contrast to Ms. Vega.
Squeeee! I ordered something from the back of comic books. It was so exciting just waiting for a package to arrive in the mail. Anyway, I'm ready for another of your fantastic video, Professor! Cheers.
I remember! YAY!
I remember when her song Luca and Tom's Diner with the
videos on MTV and VH1 nearly every day great to see her
i always wondered where she is today thank you Professor
and as always thank you for the memories.🎶🎶🎤🎶🎶
Thanks for watching!
Such a great time in the late 80s when there were so many artists providing alternatives to overstimulated dance pop; names like Suzanne Vega, Tracy Chapman, Edie Brickell, Natalie Merchant, the Indigo Girls and Enya come to mind. I remember hearing the DNA remix of Tom's Diner for the first time and I was like, what, wait a minute, whaat happened ?! Knowing the cool back story means I can warm up to it at last 🔥🐎
Love that period of time!
We needed some calm, cool, and collected even in that time!
I heard Tom's Diner on the radio. Djays must have played this song even though it wasn't a single. I like this song.
I admire her thoughts of considering the remix of her song.
It's got a cool vibe.
A great song to play when you’re chilling.
I am a big Suzanne Vega fan from her Luka days and saw her in concert in Melbourne, Australia. Tom's Diner is an amazing song with such purity of sound.
I used to listen to Tom Diner when I was studying in the military. It helped me relax and concentrate.
This was the theme song for our annual family reunion the year it came out. Everyone got a TAPE! Cassette of the single. Over 30 years later we all consider this the Best annual song- ever. Thanks, Professor
Kind of like a "Sound of Silence" story. Transforming a cool folk sing into a rocker.
Tom's Diner is such an engrossing song. It wraps you up and drops you in the booth opposite Vega's, who's busy scrawling stuff in a Moleskine.
I think I remember hearing a parody of Tom's Diner once on the Dr Demento Show. I don't remember how it went, but it was based around the TV show I Dream of Jeannie.
Throughout 1986, every Saturday the local station, WHTG, would have a morning DJ that seemed to know everything about music. I'd call up and talk to this guy, Matt Pinfield, for anywhere from a few minutes to more than an hour about the bands of the day. At the end I'd offer two songs as possible requests... my main one, and a backup in case the other one had been played during the prior shift. Almost every time, a Suzanne Vega song was one of the two; she was one of the musicians we both felt was brilliant and deserved more attention. "Marlene on the Wall" was my favorite, although "The Queen and the Soldier" was brilliant too and there really weren't any fillers on the entire album. When she hit with Luka I was thrilled. Finally saw her live at a show in Dallas where she was taking a break from her tour by playing a set of songs called out by the audience members. She was as good live as she was on the albums.
Solid episode. Thank you.
I remember going to the record store and buying the 12" single of the song. Awesome awesome song.
Very cool!
I like both versions. Her voice is amazing! I'm glad she liked what DNA did with the song.
I KNEW IT! I’ve enjoyed Suzanne Vega’s music since a friend played it for me in uni.
This is one of my favorites.
Why isn't the Soul II Soul sample mentioned? DNA remix was a sample of Keep On Movin'.
A song that was a hit record the year before (1989).
@ProfessorofRock
How about a show on sampled songs?
I haven’t listened to Suzanne Vega in a long time. Thanks Professor for reintroducing me to her!
Professsor! I knew exactly what song you were talking about. Catchy earworm! Love your site! 😎
I still hear this track on the radio occasionally, and it's impossible to not hum along
Great song - great remix! My band used to slip into that song mid set and the crowd always went nutz
I knew it was "Tom's Diner" from the time I saw the thumbnail. I always loved the way the song told a story and the beat DNA came up with made it very catchy.
Loved the DNA version of this song since the first time I heard it! Hell I loved all her stuff! Left of center was my favorite!
Awww.....You should've asked her about the revision for Nick At Nite's "I Dream of Jeanie".
I ran out of time.
Absolutely love Tom's Diner!! Great song!
I wonder if Luka ate in Tom's Diner?? 😂
Great start to the week, Professor. Shameless self promotion shirt. 😂
Thanks Roger!
Luka had to dig through the dumpster behind Tom's Diner, tragically.😭
@@LazyIRanch I see what you did there!
@@ProfessorofRock "Luka" is such a powerful song, it made me cry the first time I really listened to the lyrics.
I had wonderful parents who loved me and supported anything I wanted to do. Our house was always full of music and laughter.
However, there was a little boy named Mark in my elementary classes whom I loved. I was bullied a lot for wearing thick glasses and being homely, but Mark was always nice to me and we both loved reading and science. He was a fellow nerd and my friend!
Mark was very shy, and scared. He came to school with bruises, but teachers ignored it. He never talked about it.
Mark took his own life while we were in high school. THEN it came out that his father tortured that sweet boy (his mom was not around).
When I hear "Luka", I see Mark's sweet face and his beautiful brown eyes.
Sorry, didn't mean to bum anyone out. It's just an example of how powerful good music is when it touches one's soul.
BTW, my name is also Suzanne. 😉
And Tom was Luka’s confidant.
Excellent!
Thank you! Cheers!