15 April 2021 - Don Dixon - Praying Mantis

We have talked about Don Dixon a little as a producer on his blog.  But he's a musician, too, and one worthy of Wicked Guilty Pleasures.

This song, from the 1985 album Most of the Girls Like to Dance but Only Some of the Boys Like To, served as Don Dixon's debut as a musician - he had already produced some of R.E.M.'s early albums - and, let's face it.... it's a little odd. 

I grew up in Connecticut, where the praying mantis is the state insect, so we learned a little bit about them..... but for the rest of the country, this song, which got a fair amount of MTV airplay, was an education on the mating habits of the praying mantis.  Yes, it's accurate.  

Dixon is still performing.  Here he is, performing this classic, in 2017, with his wife Marti Jones supporting him on guitar and Grammy award winner (for this) Jon Carroll on keyboard.