My dad, Adolph 'Al' Solem,who sang me to sleep every night as a kid, not to mention that he showed me all the 'cowboy chords'; Elvis' Presley & Costello, too much cartoon music & TV theme songs, Ricky Nelson, Nat King Cole, The Beatles (together and seperately), Glen Campbell (the Man himself, and all the great artists featured on his classic show The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour), Jimmy Webb (he wrote my all-time fave - Witchita Lineman), Peter Noone (I was actually lucky enough to be in his band the Tremblers, and do a record with him, produced by Bruce Johnson of the Beach Boys!), and his band, Herman's Hermits; then there was The Everly Brothers, The Monkees (and songs by Boyce & Hart & Neil Diamond), the Turtles, Chet Atkins, Buck Owens, Marty Robbins, Andy Williams, Henry Mancini (Moon River - another fave), Leonard Bernstein, Burt Bacharach, Jose Feliciano, Carlos Montoya, Roy Orbison, The Doors, The Stones, Bob Dylan (my homeboy), David Bowie, Zep, Cheap Trick, Eno, Focus, Yes, King Crimson, Queen... tons of music of every variety.
I’m a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer living in Minneapolis.
I’m 1/2 of the duo The Rembrandts, along with my old friend Danny Wilde. You may remember our early ’90’s hit, ’Just The Way It Is, Baby,’ and our ’95 (dare I say) ’smash’, ’I’ll Be There For You’, the theme from the extremely popular television show, Friends. I’ve been hoping to do some solo stuff along the way, but most of what I would write would either end up in the Rembrandts catalogue or be taken in a more extreme direction with my other band, THRUSH, which is a 3-piece powerpop supergroup.
What I’m presenting here is a taste of something more personal. I hope you like my little home-style recordings.
Thanks for checkin it out... Cheers!
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I edited my profile with Thomas’ Myspace Editor V4.4
**********I STUMBLED ACROSS THIS REMBRANDTS VIDEO SOMEONE JUST POSTED ON YOUTUBE. OUR SECOND SINGLE. AHHH, TIME FLIES! THIS WAS IN , I THINK, 1991... HAVE A LOOK!!! (AND THEN COME TO OUR UPCOMING SHOWS AROUND AMERICA THIS SPRING AND SUMMER~)
****************************************************************HERE’S A PEEK AT A THRUSH RECORDING SESSION @ FLOWERS STUDIO IN MINNEAPOLIS... JOHN FIELDS ON BASS, ME ON BAD HAIR, ED ACKERSON ON PRO TOOLS WATCH, AND MICHAEL BLAND... NOT SEEN CUZ HE’S IN THE OTHER ROOM POUNDING ON THE TUBS - YOU CAN HEAR HIM PLENTY GOOD THOUGH!
Hey There Phil, Wow...I've been keepin an eye out for that new version of Back@... since you first told me about it last October ! You were right..."totally smokes the other one". Subtle stuff: accoustic guit, great bass tone, harmonies, etc., uniquely phear. Thanks for putting it up. Hope you are well. Hey, what ever happened with the band you were forming with Dez? ~C
G'day Phil. Greetings from Wollongong. if you'd like one of your songs played on voxfm here in the Gong (www.voxfm.org.au) just let me know and i'll arrange it with you. all the best. Wayne.
Wow that's a great song in that "in studio" video Phil. Anyone who puts a verse melody around the Maj 7th is a true badass. Yes the Emitt Rhodes thing is extremely exciting! Slow but steady. It's like being in a band and attempting to co-write with a Beatle. Great to be friends with you!! Matt
Dear Mr. Solem, Good day to you sir. My name is Justice Kimbrough VII. I am an engineer/research adjusticator for a rather large space program down here in Houston. I think you and your music are swell sir. I was telling some of the guys in the centrifuge division, that I think you are a way out guy. The other fellows also think you are way out, and now they are thinking you are swell as well. Say...I rhymed....do you think we could co-write a ditty? Why the guys would think that is splendid indeed. Darckal Mavritz in the mail room said to tell you, "git cho azz to Texas," and I quote to be sure! I will suffice it to say pleae come give us one of those smashing shows in Houston, Dallas, and/or Austin. My co-engineer Brad Fleming and I, along with the rest of my homie-peeps will appear at your show, and bring down that darn place. Best Regards, Justice
hey Phil good to see you are busy loved the new tunes..Child is my favorite one but they all bare your unmistakeable stamp..i been busy too, take care man..cR
Hey Phil! I hope this finds you well. There's lots of exciting stuff going on right now! I just wanted to let you know we've got some new songs, and pictures up on my page. Also we're starting to get some air play all across the United States. Stop by my blog section to find the request lines to the stations in your area. Do you think you could help us out by calling the request line and demanding one of our tunes?!? Let me know how things are going with you. I hope all is well! Talk to ya soon! -Jeff"