"The Joy Of Pop" - Dana Countryman


Dana Countryman made his first major public musical impression as an American electronic music composer and performer, and became notable for his sustained presence in the Seattle Pop scene, as well as for his collaborations with French electropop artist Jean-Jacques Perrey. He is also well-known as a songwriter and performer for Seattle band, The Amazing Pink Things (1985-1991), as well as for being the former publisher for Cool and Strange Music Magazine (1996-2003). Starting in 2013, Countryman shifted gears again, and began producing a yearly album of original "retro" pop, of new songs in the styles of the early '60s to the early '70s. Countryman, a native Mount Vernon, Washington State, has performed with numerous bands, and in the mid-80s he became a songwriter and performer with the Seattle band The Amazing Pink Things. The group was a comedy vocal act that performed on the West Coast (mostly in Washington State, California, Oregon, Alaska), but the group also performed in NYC and in Nevada.The Amazing Pink Things featured two men and two women crooning smooth harmonies somewhat similar to the Manhattan Transfer, but singing satirical songs, many of which were written by Countryman. Music critic Wayne Lee of the Seattle Times wrote: "The Amazing Pink Things have got it all: fresh ideas, pleasing looks, fine voices, tight harmonies, polished arrangements, inventive staging, great timing and last, but definitely not least, superbly developed comic talent." The Pink Things signed with national management, and made several television appearances in Hollywood on "The Late Show with Arsenio Hall" on Fox-Paramount Television, as well as appearing on several other national television programs. During the years 1996 to 2003, Countryman temporarily left performing, and became publisher and editor for a "retro" music publication that he founded, entitled "Cool and Strange Music Magazine", which featured exclusive interviews with music legends such as Les Paul, Stan Freberg and Robert Moog. In 2003, Countryman sold the magazine and returned to making his own music. His first musical effort (post-magazine) was with legendary electronic music pioneer Jean Jacques Perrey in Paris, France. Perrey later flew to Countryman's studio in Everett, Washington which was described by one reporter as an "analog-synth wonderland." They created a great deal of their music partly by collaboration over the internet. The duo created two albums including "The Happy Electro-Pop Music Machine", as well as a second album, "Destination Space". The musical twosome performed many concerts in both Europe and America. In 2006, Perrey and Countryman produced the single "Chicken on the Rocks," which became an underground hit, and in 2010 the song was featured on the American Sitcom"South Park", used on the episode "Medicinal Fried Chicken". In 2010, Countryman released his all-instrumental solo Moog album, "Moog-Tastic!" on Oglio Records. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award that year. 2010 was also the year that Countryman wrote a book biography of the life of Jean-Jacques Perrey, called "Passport To The Future - The Amazing Life and Music of Electronic Pop Music Pioneer Jean-Jacques Perrey." After spending several writing, recording and performing melodic electronic instrumental music, Countryman returned to his early musical roots, going back to writing pop songs, and singing again. In 2012, he recorded a duo album with his wife, Tricia, performing an eclectic mix of swing vocal jazz, standards, and rock tunes. In 2013, Countryman returned to his first musical love: singing his own vocal "retro" pop, writing both the words and the music to his songs. That year, he released "Pop! The Incredible, Fantastic Retro Pop World of Dana Countryman", an album of songs written in the style of 1960's and 1970's vocal pop. This was followed up in 2014 with the even more successful "Pop2! The Exploding Musical Mind of Dana Countryman". Both albums received extensive airplay on "retro" pop radio and podcasts, and "Pop2!" was voted by three radio stations as "one of the best albums of 2014". In 2015, he recorded and released"Pop3! Welcome To My Time Warp", another collection of catchy pop originals, written once again in the styles of the '60s and '70s Top 40 radio. The album featured many musical guest artists, including members of the Brian Wilson Band, as well as former members of Jellyfish, Klaatu, Liar's Club, and Big Brother and Holding Company. In 2016, he fulfilled a lifelong dream to write and record an entire album of new songs in the style of early '60s girl groups. The album featured 9 different female vocalists, including Molly Felder, Lisa Mychols and Andrea Perrey. The year 2017 saw the release of his latest album, "The Joy Of Pop", featuring Matt Tyson, Dee Long and Tricia Countryman. "Cabaret of Love" was released in December, 2018, and critics have been calling it Countryman's best work yet."Cabaret" included several musical guests such as Kai Danzberg, Jamie Hoover, Terry Draper, Dee Long, Scott McPherson as well as others. Stay tuned-- there is definitely more to come! - William A. Johnson

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Dana Countryman made his first major public musical impression as an American electronic music composer and performer, and became notable for his sustained presence in the Seattle Pop scene, as well as for his collaborations with French electropop artist Jean-Jacques Perrey. He is also well-known as a songwriter and performer for Seattle band, The Amazing Pink Things (1985-1991), as well as for being the former publisher for Cool and Strange Music Magazine (1996-2003). Starting in 2013, Countryman shifted gears again, and began producing a yearly album of original "retro" pop, of new songs in the styles of the early '60s to the early '70s.

Countryman, a native Mount Vernon, Washington State, has performed with numerous bands, and in the mid-80s he became a songwriter and performer with the Seattle band The Amazing Pink Things. The group was a comedy vocal act that performed on the West Coast (mostly in Washington State, California, Oregon, Alaska), but the group also performed in NYC and in Nevada.The Amazing Pink Things featured two men and two women crooning smooth harmonies somewhat similar to the Manhattan Transfer, but singing satirical songs, many of which were written by Countryman.

Music critic Wayne Lee of the Seattle Times wrote: "The Amazing Pink Things have got it all: fresh ideas, pleasing looks, fine voices, tight harmonies, polished arrangements, inventive staging, great timing and last, but definitely not least, superbly developed comic talent." The Pink Things signed with national management, and made several television appearances in Hollywood on "The Late Show with Arsenio Hall" on Fox-Paramount Television, as well as appearing on several other national television programs.

During the years 1996 to 2003, Countryman temporarily left performing, and became publisher and editor for a "retro" music publication that he founded, entitled "Cool and Strange Music Magazine", which featured exclusive interviews with music legends such as Les Paul, Stan Freberg and Robert Moog. In 2003, Countryman sold the magazine and returned to making his own music. His first musical effort (post-magazine) was with legendary electronic music pioneer Jean Jacques Perrey in Paris, France. Perrey later flew to Countryman's studio in Everett, Washington which was described by one reporter as an "analog-synth wonderland." They created a great deal of their music partly by collaboration over the internet. The duo created two albums including "The Happy Electro-Pop Music Machine", as well as a second album, "Destination Space". The musical twosome performed many concerts in both Europe and America. In 2006, Perrey and Countryman produced the single "Chicken on the Rocks," which became an underground hit, and in 2010 the song was featured on the American Sitcom"South Park", used on the episode "Medicinal Fried Chicken".

In 2010, Countryman released his all-instrumental solo Moog album, "Moog-Tastic!" on Oglio Records. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award that year. 2010 was also the year that Countryman wrote a book biography of the life of Jean-Jacques Perrey, called "Passport To The Future - The Amazing Life and Music of Electronic Pop Music Pioneer Jean-Jacques Perrey."

After spending several writing, recording and performing melodic electronic instrumental music, Countryman returned to his early musical roots, going back to writing pop songs, and singing again. In 2012, he recorded a duo album with his wife, Tricia, performing an eclectic mix of swing vocal jazz, standards, and rock tunes. In 2013, Countryman returned to his first musical love: singing his own vocal "retro" pop, writing both the words and the music to his songs. That year, he released "Pop! The Incredible, Fantastic Retro Pop World of Dana Countryman", an album of songs written in the style of 1960's and 1970's vocal pop. This was followed up in 2014 with the even more successful "Pop2! The Exploding Musical Mind of Dana Countryman". Both albums received extensive airplay on "retro" pop radio and podcasts, and "Pop2!" was voted by three radio stations as "one of the best albums of 2014".

In 2015, he recorded and released"Pop3! Welcome To My Time Warp", another collection of catchy pop originals, written once again in the styles of the '60s and '70s Top 40 radio. The album featured many musical guest artists, including members of the Brian Wilson Band, as well as former members of Jellyfish, Klaatu, Liar's Club, and Big Brother and Holding Company.
In 2016, he fulfilled a lifelong dream to write and record an entire album of new songs in the style of early '60s girl groups. The album featured 9 different female vocalists, including Molly Felder, Lisa Mychols and Andrea Perrey.
The year 2017 saw the release of his latest album, "The Joy Of Pop", featuring Matt Tyson, Dee Long and Tricia Countryman.
"Cabaret of Love" was released in December, 2018, and critics have been calling it Countryman's best work yet."Cabaret" included several musical guests such as Kai Danzberg, Jamie Hoover, Terry Draper, Dee Long, Scott McPherson as well as others.
Stay tuned-- there is definitely more to come!

- William A. Johnson