Each was born into a nice working-class/middle-class family and left its smothering confines quite early.
Both migrated to New York City in the mid-Sixties, but eventually left there for greener pastures (if Detroit can be said to be greener than New York, in Patti’s case – it’s quite relative, I’ll grant you…and Smith returned later).
Both are evasive about their upbringing, in Patti’s case by, shall we say, varying the context and in Jonathan’s case by deftly, but amiably, changing the subject.
Each left the music business at various points to dedicate time to children and family.
INFLUENCES:
Both were enamoured of classic rock of the Fifties, though each ran that affection through more garagey/punky filters, at least initially.
Love of the Velvet Underground characterized their early work (in Patti’s case, she did fine renditions of "We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together" and "Pale Blue Eyes" in concert, even coupling the latter with an inspired segue into "Louie Louie" which would not have occurred to most devotees) – and Jonathan surprised us all with the ode "Velvet Underground", at a point in his career it was thought he had forgotten his early influences).
I’M WITH THE BAND:
Each has collaborated with John Cale, and neither found the experience all that pleasant at the time.
Both did gigs at the Mercer Art Center (Jonathan literally brought the roof down).
Jonathan
played drums in Patti’s band, albeit only once.
Both met their future spouses at concerts, and also lost those partners at roughly the same time (though Patti’s loss was irrevocable, at least on this side of the Veil, while Jonathan’s was to divorce).
Each has been known to declaim poetry in their concerts.
THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT:
How to put this? Each has perfected the art of the slight upper-lip mustache at times… J
Each has been scrawny enough to cause one to suspect they must be on the Whitney Houston diet (though Jonathan is straight and Patti confesses only to weed whacking…).
INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS:
Each has been known to play a reeded instrument (Jojo honks sax, while Patti does clarinet), in addition to their crude-but-wonderful guitar strumming.
Each have voices that have evolved from harsh declamatory styles to enable crooning, though neither will ever be accused of being a diva (based on singing, anyway).
ATTITUDE:
Though it differs, eccentric spirituality runs through each artist’s work (Patti dares God to make a move – Jonathan says God
made the mosquito and loves it as much as He loves you and me…).
While darkness characterized much of their early work (cf. Jonathan’s "She Cracked"or Patti’s "Break It Up"), they evolved into cheerier subjects(cf. Jonathan’s "My Little Kookenhaken" or Patti’s"Frederick"), perhaps inspired by the love in their lives.
A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE GIRLS:
Both have passing acquaintance with lesbians – in Patti’s case, she has played them on stage, must have met a few and had to face (reasonable) assumptions around songs like "Kimberly" and her take on "Gloria" that she WAS one. As to Jonathan, if we assume that his songs are autobiographical, then he dances in lesbian bars frequently. J
I’M YOUR #1 FAN:
While each has been uneven, they are still capable of moments of brilliance, and their contributions to music history are too strong to discount on the basis of changing styles (static artistry is usually a contradiction in terms, anyway).
Each are way overrepresented in Timmybear’s collection, beyond the point of record company supply-and-demand (he said obliquely).