Jeanne Tripplehorn

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Actress Jeanne Tripplehorn was born into a musical family. Watching her dad play on the Ed Sullivan Show began a lifetime of music appreciation, from strong female figures like Chrissie Hynde, Yoko Ono and Luscious Jackson to the song that made her cry before she walked down the aisle. She’s currently starring in the TV series “Criminal Minds” and her latest film is “Morning”, directed by her husband Leland Orser.

For More: http://www.morningthemovie.com/

Tracklist

1. Gary Lewis & The Playboys – “Someone I Used to Know”
2. Pretenders – “Precious”
3. Yoko Ono – “Why”
4. Luscious Jackson – “Let Yourself Get Down”
5. Rolling Stones – “Waiting on a Friend”

Transcript:

Chris Douridas: I’m Chris Douridas and I’m here with actress and dear heart Jeanne Tripplehorn. After a break out role in the film Basic Instinct she’s gone on to star in many movies and TV shows including HBO’s Big Love and the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds. Her latest film is Morning, directed by her husband Leland Orser. Today we are going to be playing excerpts of songs that she’s put together that have inspired her over the years. It’s all part of KCRW’s Guest DJ Project. So how did you go about doing this?

Jeanne Tripplehorn: These are all the songs that made me cry. In terms of, they just, they’re important.

CD: So this first one.

JT: Gary Lewis and The Playboys off the album “She’s Just My Style” and a song called “Someone I Used to Know”.  Gary Lewis was the son of Jerry Lewis and you would think that this song is a fluffy little ‘60s pop song but Gary Lewis and The Playboys were produced by Leon Russell. My dad and Leon were in high school together and they played clubs all around Oklahoma and Leon put in this incredible group of musicians as The Playboys.

Song: Gary Lewis and the Playboys - “Someone I Used to Know”.

JT: I really didn’t see my dad until I was about five because he was on the road. The first time I remember seeing my dad was on the Ed Sullivan Show, when Gary Lewis and The Playboys played The Ed Sullivan Show, and it’s a very surreal memory. This is really where my love of music started was this band, this song, my dad and when I hear this song it just brings me back.

I am four years old in a bedroom at my grandmother’s house staring at my dad on the album cover. I was just trying to get as close to my father as I could.

CD: That’s Gary Lewis and The Playboys from “She’s Just My Style” a track called “Someone I Used to Know”. What’s up next for us?

JT: I have The Pretenders off The Pretenders’ first album -- “Precious”. This album was the soundtrack to my high school years. It’s still one of my top three albums of all time. You look at that album cover and you see Chrissie Hynde in that red leather jacket and those black leather pants and those lace gloves and that eye liner and those bangs! There was just nobody - and still - nobody cooler than Chrissie Hynde.

Song: The Pretenders – “Precious”

CD: It’s actually very hard for a lot of people to realize the impact that she had at that time because, before her, there really wasn’t someone like her.

JT: Oh no, they didn’t know what to think of her. I mean, it was that the forefront of that new generation of punk coming in and she just opened the floodgates for a whole new world of music. Kind of blowing the dust off the ‘70s, she also as a woman was making her way in the world and taking no prisoners fronting this band of these musicians, this woman holding her own. And, for me she was truly inspiring. 

CD: It’s called “Precious” that is The Pretenders fronted by Chrissie Hynde from the album called “Pretenders”. It’s the Guest DJ Project here at KCRW. I’m Chris Douridas. Jeanne Tripplehorn is our guest and got another strong woman here coming up next.

JT: I do, I love strong women of rock. And to know me is to know how much I love Yoko Ono. It’s a song called “Why” and most people would say “Why, why Yoko?” and I love Yoko.  I love her music. I love her art, her soul. I mean she’s an inspiration to me as an artist, as a woman, as a survivor. 

She is so pure, puts it out there, doesn’t matter what anybody thinks. She HAS to. She is compelled like a true artist to speak her mind and to put her feelings out there and her music...I mean I love the early London period with the Plastic Ono Band and listen to the song it is so ahead of its time. I mean its punk. Listen to the music behind her, the best musicians in the world rally around Yoko and there’s a reason. When you listen to this, listen to this driving beat and these drums and you can hear John in the back, you know, yelling. (Sighs) I think the world is a much better place with Yoko in it, I do.

CD: From the 1970 debut “Yoko Ono”. Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band track is called “Why”.

“Why” by Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band

CD: This is called “Why” from Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band. The band you have next here this was a big one for KCRW too.

JT: And big for me. Luscious Jackson’s “In Search of Manny” was for me personally, it was the soundtrack of my life when I first moved to Los Angeles from New York via Tulsa.

I moved out here, was a little aimless, a little lost. You know I was working, I was doing these big films, but I needed a little armor, I needed a little protection. I used to drive around Los Angeles I had this little Karmann Ghia and I would drive and go dangerously fast on the 101. If I put on my brakes, I’d end up in Orange County and I would listen to this album at high volumes and I still do, it just grooves. 

And it just makes me love the Beastie Boys because the fact that the Beastie Boys put these women on Grand Royal back then and let them just take control it said a lot about those guys.

CD: It’s Luscious Jackson from In Search of Manny “Let Yourself Get Down”.

Song: Luscious Jackson -- “Let Yourself Get Down”  

CD: “Let Yourself Get Down” it’s part of the Guest DJ Project here at KCRW. I’m Chris Douridas with Jeanne Tripplehorn and wrapping things up…

JT: Rolling Stones off “Tattoo You”, “Waiting on a Friend”.

This song just kind of floated to the surface because while I was getting ready for my wedding in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Leland Orser, there was a knock on my door and a friend of ours dropped off this mixed cassette that was from Leland and Leland wanted me to play this while I was getting ready before leaving for the church so I put it on and this song started to play and… (cries)…what nervous bride wouldn’t want to hear this song before walking down the aisle with her new husband.

Song: Rolling Stones -- “Waiting on a Friend”

CD: It’s the Guest DJ Project here at KCRW.com. Thank you so much Jeanne Tripplehorn.

JT: Thank you.

CD: For a complete track listing and to find these songs online just go to KCRW.com/GuestDJProject and subscribe to the podcast through iTunes.

Playlist

[PLAYLIST GOES HERE]

Credits