The February 1978 edition of N.Y. Rocker ran a feature by Craig Zeller called “Jonathan Richman: A Roadrunner for Your Love.” The article has one of the better opening lines I can remember: “I’m straight and I used to be in love with Jonathan Richman.” Not only does it reference one of Richman’s defining tunes, “I’m Straight,” but it also puts forward the prospect of falling out of love with Jonathan Richman. (Actually, having seen Richman complain about the A/C the last two times I saw him play live and also reading Zeller’s account of Richman’s prickiness as an interviewee, I get it.)

In Zeller’s lengthy intro, he puts himself across as a die-hard Richman fan frustrated that Richman’s recent work hasn’t lived up to the initial early promise. He tells of an NYU gig of October 29, 1977, singling out the new songs “I’m a Little Airplane,” “My Love Is A Flower (Just Beginning To Bloom),” “I’m A Little Dinosaur,” and (Zeller’s favorite) “The Morning of Our Lives.” The interview that ran in N.Y. Rocker took place after that show in chilly Washington Square Park (how about finding a bar somewhere, guys?) and was by his own admission a bit awkward.

This 1998 interview with Richman includes a reference to Richman’s distaste for N.Y. Rocker because “they had misquoted” Richman and “distorted some of [Richman’s] comments” and because “they had ‘lied,’” but what I can’t figure out is if this is the feature Richman was upset about—N.Y. Rocker covered Richman more than once, after all. What’s odd is that the interview reads like a verité transcription of what happened (there were four people present, and the interview is presented in straight (lengthy) Q&A style). And yet Zeller himself goes out of his way to explain Richman’s sensitivity on this matter, saying “I promised not to misquote him or take his answers out of context, which is one reason why he is averse to doing interviews.” It seems unlikely that Richman would single out this piece of all pieces for an accusation of distortion, but anything’s possible.

Zeller’s article is still an interesting and engaging read. One of my favorite tidbits is Richman’s mention of an earlier name for the Modern Lovers, that being “Jonathan Richman’s Rockin’ Roadmasters,” a fact that could be corroborated on the Internet solely by this Spanish-language article from 2003. It appears to be not widely known that RIchman had once favored that name for his band.

Tucked in on the final page of three is a quirky questionnaire, presented entirely without explanation or caption, that clearly has Richman’s answers on it. The only thing that concerns me is that Richman appears to give his age as “23,” which, since Richman was born in May 1951, would place the questionnaire at 1975 at the very latest. Either he forgot his own age or this document was from slightly earlier? It does seem that the answers he gives are redolent of a year like 1974….. for example, Patton is his third-favorite movie? Oh, for those who don’t know, John McCormack was an Irish balladeer of the late 19th century/early 20th century.
 

 
(Click on this image and the three images below for a larger version.)

I found this issue of N.Y. Rocker at the Rock Hall’s Library and Archives, which is located at the Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts on Cuyahoga Community College’s Metropolitan Campus in Cleveland, Ohio. It is free and open to the public. Visit their website for more information.

Here’s a full transcript of this curious questionnaire Richman filled out. If anyone can supply more context, we’d love to hear about it.
 

Age: 23
Sex: M
City: Boston
State: Mass
Have you lived there all your life? No
Where else and when: NYC Israel LA
What is your height and weight? 5’10, 5’11 155-160 lb.
Birthsign: Taurus
Who is your favorite singer? John McCormack, Van Morrison
Who is your favorite guitarist? Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley
Who is your favorite Rolling Stone? Brian
List, in order, your three favorite groups (or solo artist): The 4 Seasons, Buddy Holly, the early Velvet Underground
List, in order, your three favorite movies: Damn Yankees, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Patton
What is your favorite time of day? mid-afternoon
What is your favorite food? healthy, wholesome
What is your favorite drug? working
What is your favorite kind of clothes to wear? colorful, casual, tank tops and jeans

In this section rate your own response to these statements on a 1 to 5 scale; 1 being the lowest, and 5 being the most enthusiastic.
I like horror movies 0 1 2 3 4 5
I hate to waste time 1 2 3 4 5
I think money is pretty important 1 2 3 4 5
I respect my parents 1 2 3 4 5
I want to make a mark in the world 1 2 3 4 5
I like bright, flashy stuff 1 2 3 4 5
I can express myself easily 1 2 3 4 5 6
I like to dance 1 2 3 4 5½
I believe we’re gonna make it to the year 2000 YES or NO
I believe in UFO’s and other living beings YES or NO

Is there anything else you’d like to add? Yes. I love people, I love life, I love to be alive.
I will never grow old.
We are all brothers and sisters in one big family.
We all have the power of (at least) a flaming Nova Star within us.
We are all full of beauty waiting to burst out.
It is forever springtime.