I just found this band recently, and this song caught my attention. It’s part jazz, soul, blues, and pop, and Carmel McCourt has a voice that makes you stop and listen. I can hear a few decades in the music, and I like that.
Carmel formed in Manchester in 1981 with McCourt on vocals, Jim Parris on bass, and Gerry Darby on drums and percussion. They were basically a trio, but they could sound much larger. Their music wasn’t easy to fit into a single category. They could move from jazz to gospel and blues with ease. They appeared at the ICA Rock Week in 1983, which helped lead to a deal with London Records. The band also sold out Ronnie Scott’s famous jazz club.
Bad Day was released in 1983 and became their breakthrough. One name in the credits jumped out at me immediately. Steve Nieve of Elvis Costello and the Attractions played keyboards on the song. Helen Watson and Rush Winters added backing vocals, which help give the record its gospel feel. The song later appeared on Carmel’s album The Drum Is Everything.
What caught me was how little this sounds like a typical record from 1983. There aren’t many production tricks getting in the way. The rhythm section is strong, along with McCourt’s powerful vocal. I can hear jazz in it, but I hear just as much soul and blues. The song peaked at #15 in the UK in 1983.
Bad Day
A hoo, hoo, a hoo, hoo, a hoo, hoo, a hoo, hoo
Ba ba ber dun ba ba, ber dun ba ba, ber dun ba ba
Bad day, bad day Bad day when you wake up and you find out your dreams flown away Don’t run away now, don’t be afraid be strong yeah, be strong now (?) Oh no
You better trust your faith, you better hide your tears (don’t, don’t cry, don’t, don’t cry) Now everything you had has gone This world keeps rolling on! Bad days come and bad days go away (?) oh no, oh no yeah!
I heard, I heard about this (?) (What you say? What you say? What you say?) I heard, i heard about this (?) (What you say? What you say? What you say?)
I say bad day, (bad day) bad day (bad day) now bad day (bad day) Bad day you better go away now! Now you better run away yeah! I’m giving hope! I’m giving hope! I’m giving hope! I’m giving hope yeah!
So bad day, bad day, bad day, ah you better run away now! Ah you better go away
There are songs that become so connected to a band that it’s easy to forget they didn’t write them. All The Young Dudes is one of those songs for me. David Bowie wrote it and you can certainly hear Bowie all over it, but Ian Hunter’s voice made it belong to Mott the Hoople. Hunter has always been one of my favorite singers. He doesn’t have one of those perfect voices, and that’s exactly why I like him. There is personality and feel in every word.
By 1972, Mott the Hoople were in trouble. The band had built a loyal following as a terrific live act, but record sales weren’t matching their reputation, and they were considering breaking up. David Bowie was a fan and didn’t want to see that happen. He initially offered them Suffragette City, which they turned down. Bowie then played them a new song he had written called All the Young Dudes. This time they knew he had something.
Bowie produced their recording and also contributed backing vocals. The single was released in 1972 and became a hit in the UK, becoming the song that saved Mott the Hoople. It also gave the band their breakthrough in America. The song became closely associated with the glam-rock movement, although Mott never sounded quite like the other glam bands to me. There was always more straight-ahead rock and roll underneath everything they did.
What I love is how much it sounds like Bowie without Ian Hunter ever trying to be Bowie. You have Bowie’s melody, words, and production, but then that unmistakable Hunter voice comes through the speakers. Bowie later recorded versions himself, but Mott’s is the one. Bowie gave them the song, and Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople gave it its identity.
Give me a singer with character over a technically perfect singer almost every time (and this has nothing to do with Bowie; I like his voice). This has that great slow build and a chorus made for a crowd to sing. Bowie may have written it, but when I hear that opening guitar and then Ian Hunter comes in, I don’t think of anyone else.
Mott the Hoople does a great job on this. This era is my favorite of David Bowie… All the Ziggy Stardust music (which this was originally written for) and the Hunky Dory album…not that any era of Bowie is bad.
David Bowie on writing the song for The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars album
David Bowie: “Ziggy was in a rock ‘n’ roll band, and the kids no longer want rock ‘n’ roll, there’s no electricity to play it. Ziggy’s adviser tells him to collect news and sing it, ’cause there is no news. So Ziggy does this, and there is terrible news. ‘All the Young Dudes’ is a song about this news. It is no hymn to the youth as people thought. It is completely the opposite.”
The song peaked at #37 on the Billboard 100, #31 in Canada, and #3 in the UK in 1972.
All The Young Dudes
Billy rapped all night ’bout his suicide
How he’d kick it in the head when he was 25
Don’t wanna stay alive when you’re 25
Wendy’s stealing clothes from unlocked cars
Freddy’s got spots from ripping off stars from his face
Funky little boat race
The television man is crazy
Saying we’re juvenile delinquent wrecks
Man I need a TV when I’ve got T. Rex
Hey brother you guessed I’m a dude
All the young dudes
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news
All the young dudes
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news
Now Jimmy looking sweet though he dresses like a queen
He can kick like a mule
It’s a real mean team
We can love
Oh we can love
And my brother’s back at home
With his Beatles and his Stones
We never got if off on that revolution stuff
What a drag
Too many snags
Well I drunk a lot of wine
And I’m feeling fine
Gonna race some cat to bed
Is this concrete all around
Or is it in my head
Oh brother you guessed I’m a dude
All the young dudes
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news
All the young dudes
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news
10cc is one of those bands that I keep coming back to because you never know exactly what you are going to get. They could make some of the smartest pop music around and then turn around and play something completely different. They had a sense of humor that ran through much of their music, along with being good musicians and songwriters.
This is a song that caught my attention because it sounds like 10cc taking an older form of music and running it through their style. The blues influence is there, but this isn’t a band trying to convince you they came straight out of the Mississippi Delta. That slightly off-center 10cc humor is there, and that made them difficult to put in a box.
By this period, 10cc had changed considerably from the original lineup of Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme. Godley and Creme had left in 1976, leaving Stewart and Gouldman to continue the band. They still managed a huge hit with “Dreadlock Holiday” (we will see later) in 1978 before moving into the 1980s with Look Hear?. The album arrived after a difficult period for Stewart, who had been seriously injured in a car accident in early 1979 and temporarily suffered problems with both his sight and hearing.
What I like about it is that it doesn’t sound like 10cc simply checking off the blues box. They were too quirky for that. They could take a familiar style and twist it enough to make it their own. That is one reason I’ve always liked this band. Even when they tried different things, it was always interesting.
Since I mentioned “Dreadlock Holiday…” Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman wrote the song after experiences they had while traveling in the Caribbean, mixing things that actually happened with fictional elements. Gouldman later explained that the idea was partly to poke fun at a white tourist trying desperately to appear cool.
The song peaked at number 1 in the UK.
The video might be as entertaining as the song. It was directed by Storm Thorgerson, one of the founders of Hipgnosis, the design team responsible for some of rock’s most recognizable album covers. The video plays the song’s story broadly, with Eric Stewart wandering into increasingly ridiculous trouble while the rest of the band eventually turns up. It has that wonderfully strange late-70s quality where you get the feeling somebody said, “We have four minutes, a beach and some costumes…let’s make a video.”
Modern Man Blues
I’m tired Lord and I’m drawn And I’m chilled right to the bone I crawled home from my work And this note said she was gone Said your dinner’s in the cat And your love is out the door I’m goin’ back to my momma And I don’t want you no more, no more She said she don’t want me no more She’s gone back to her momma Said she’s never never comin’ back no more
Now a man can take so much And only heaven knows his limit But a naggin’ bitchin’ woman Digs a hole and puts him in it A sophisticated man Needs a little something on the side So what you don’t get at home You’ve gotta get outside, hey
She’s gone I’m spending all of my money She’s gone, gone, gone And I can swing with my honey She’s gone I’m so glad my woman’s gone
Now time goes marching on And it won’t wait for you You’ve gotta take it when it’s offered And get it when it’s due Now a man can move much faster Without a millstone around his neck So if you get the chance to lose it You’ve gotta drop it and run like heck, hey
She’s gone I’m spending all of my money She’s gone, gone, gone And I can swing with my honey She’s gone I’m so glad my woman’s gone
She’s gone I’m spending all of my money She’s gone, gone, gone And I can swing with my honey She’s gone I’m so glad my woman’s gone
I wanted to kick off Saturday with a bang…you get no more bang than Monkey With A Gun. I love discovering songs like this. It’s catchy, full of energy, and sounds just as good today as it did when it was released. If you’re looking for polished pop, this probably isn’t your band. But if you enjoy guitar-driven rock played by musicians who clearly love what they’re doing, give The Yayhoos a listen. I have a feeling you’ll be happy before the song is over. It’s plainly a dirty little rock and roll song. Dirty as in sound…as in Monkey with a gun. It sounds like it escaped off of Exile on Main Street…and it escaped right to my playlist.
The Yayhoos were formed in the late 1990s as something of a roots-rock supergroup. The lineup featured Dan Baird, formerly of The Georgia Satellites, Warner E. Hodges from Jason & The Scorchers, bassist Keith Christopher (The Georgia Satellites), and drummer Terry Anderson (drummer and songwriter). The song’s vocals were by Eric “Roscoe” Ambel. Ambel wrote the song as well, and he’s the Del-Lords guitarist who also played with Steve Earle. All four had impressive musical backgrounds, and instead of tailoring songs for commercial success, they got together to play the kind of honest, guitar-driven rock they loved. The result was a band that blended rock, country, Southern influences, and plenty of attitude.
One thing I enjoy about digging into roots rock and Americana is finding bands that don’t sound like anyone else. That happened the first time I heard The Yayhoos. I wasn’t sitting there trying to figure out who they reminded me of because I really couldn’t. They simply sounded like a group of good musicians having a great time making rock and roll. Then I heard this…I was hooked on the song and title.
This one grabbed me right away. It’s one of those songs that doesn’t waste any time. The guitars come out swinging, the rhythm section keeps everything moving, and before long you’re tapping your foot without even realizing it. The chorus is catchy, the playing is first-rate, and the whole thing has an energy that reminds me why I still enjoy straightforward rock and roll. There are no gimmicks here. Just four experienced musicians doing what they do best. This song is about Hank Williams Jr.
What I also like is how natural the band sounds. Nobody is trying to steal the spotlight. Every member has enough experience to know when to step forward and when to support the song. That’s one advantage of putting together musicians who have already spent years on the road. They understand that great bands are built on chemistry… not ego.
The Yayhoos also did a cover of Dancing Queen (yes that one!) and I LOVE it.
Monkey With a Gun
Sorry…I could not find any. But hey…it’s a song called Monkey with a Gun…just hum along!
I wrote this for Dave’s Turntable Talk. I’ve asked our writers to pick a song that wasn’t a “single” – thus was either an ordinary album cut or perhaps the “b-side” to a regular single – that they think was good enough and should have been a single. Today, we’ll act like it was one! Thanks, Dave, for publishing this yesterday!
I was 8 years old, and my cousin and I were spending time in an old shed that had been abandoned for years, and it was our clubhouse. It had a wood floor, and somehow, my cousin Greg got a slot machine and put it in there. We also found a couch somewhere, but most importantly, Greg brought his record player. I had never heard the Beatles, and he put the needle on Meet The Beatles. This song jumped out at me, and I fell completely. It not only made me a lifelong Beatles fan, but it also made me a lifelong MUSIC fan. Plus, it’s catchy and has a great guitar line. It should have been a single.
Whenever someone asks me what Beatles album track should have been a single, I don’t have to think very long. This song is my answer. Not because it’s the greatest song they ever did, but because it’s the one that made me a Beatles fan when I was eight years old. We all have that one song that opens the door to a favorite artist, and this was mine. Every time I hear that opening, I’m taken right back to being a kid discovering the Beatles for the very first time. For me, that’s something no chart position could ever top.
It was recorded in July 1963 at EMI Studios in London; the song was written primarily by John Lennon, with the usual Lennon-McCartney credit. The famous “Yeah…yeah!” call-and-response was inspired by the audience reaction the Beatles were already getting at their concerts. While it was never released as a single in Britain, many fans have long believed it easily could have been. It has all the ingredients: a great guitar hook, tight harmonies, and the excitement that defined Beatlemania.
Musically, the song is remarkable for its vocal arrangement. Lennon leads the way, but Paul McCartney and George Harrison weave harmonies around him that give the record an urgency few bands could match in 1963. Ringo Starr keeps everything driving forward without overplaying, while George Martin’s production captures the group just as they were becoming the biggest band in the world.
There are other songs like In My Life, Here Comes The Sun, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, and many more that are more worthy, but…they didn’t mean as much to me as this one did.
It Won’t Be Long
It won’t be long, yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah) It won’t be long, yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah) It won’t be long yeah (yeah), ’til I belong to you
Every night, when everybody has fun Here am I sitting all on my own
It won’t be long, yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah) It won’t be long, yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah) It won’t be long yeah (yeah), ’til I belong to you
Since you left me, I’m so alone Now you’re coming, you’re coming on home I’ll be good like I know I should You’re coming home, you’re coming home
Every night, the tears come down from my eyes Every day, I’ve done nothing but cry
It won’t be long, yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah) It won’t be long, yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah) It won’t be long yeah (yeah), ’til I belong to you
Since you left me, I’m so alone Now you’re coming, you’re coming on home I’ll be good like I know I should You’re coming home, you’re coming home So every day we’ll be happy, I know Now I know that you won’t leave me no more
It won’t be long, yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah) It won’t be long (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah) It won’t be long yeah (yeah), ’til I belong to you
Tom Russell has always been one of those artists who rewards repeat listens. The first time I heard this song, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. It seemed to wander a little, and I found myself wondering where it was going. Then it clicked. That’s the beauty of Russell’s writing. He doesn’t always give you a catchy chorus or an obvious hook. Instead, he invites you into a story and lets it unfold at its own pace. If you like songs that make you think, and maybe send you looking up a little history afterward, it is well worth your time.
Tom Russell has always had a gift for writing songs that blur the line between history and storytelling. Whether he’s singing about the American West, Mexico, or forgotten characters from the past, his songs often feel like short stories set to music. This one is no different. At first listen, it may leave you wondering where it’s headed, but stick with it. Like many of Russell’s best songs, it slowly unfolds into something memorable.
The song first appeared on Tom Russell’s 2005 concept album Hotwalker, the middle chapter of a trilogy that began with The Man From God Knows Where (1999) and concluded ten years later with The Rose of Roscrae (2015). The album tells a story that stretches across generations and the American frontier, mixing fictional characters with real historical figures.
With this song, Russell tips his hat to Woody Guthrie (Woodrow Wilson Guthrie), weaving history into the lives of ordinary people. It’s a style Russell has made his own over the years. Rather than simply retelling history, he puts listeners right in the middle of it. I will admit, when I saw the title, I thought it was about President Woodrow Wilson.
Musically, the song has the easy, conversational feel that suits Russell perfectly. He has never needed big production to hold your attention. His strength has always been his writing and the way he paints scenes with simple details. That’s one reason so many songwriters admire him. He trusts the story to carry the song, and more often than not, it does.
Woodrow
When people twist your words, Woodrow Oh, they’ll twist at every whim It’s thugs that run the unions now And use your songs like hymns Once your music danced on women’s thighs In the arch of a hobo’s brow Ah, Mrs. Guthrie, look what they’ve done To your brown-eyed baby now Ah, the trains leave every morning Some go east and some go west And the clacking of the iron Is the sound you loved the best It’s the great escape from railroad bulls And the Coney Island girls Ah, Mrs. Guthrie, look what we’ve done To your brown-eyed boy with curls
Sing the truth, scream it loud Ah, Mrs. Guthrie, look what they’ve done To your brown-eyed baby now
Ah, those boxcars full of Chinese junk The caboose has been junk piled And we’re all buying groceries now From men with crooked smiles You were a drunken, wild misogynoir And your politics were crude As you sat home writing nursery rhymes And drawing women nude And all those politicians’ breath stink bad Be they left or be they right And the ones who play with rhetoric Are not the ones who fight Don’t go comin’ ’round here, Woodrow They’ll stretch you from a rope, yeah And your corpse won’t ever find a bar Where a man can drink and smoke
Sing the truth, scream it loud Ah, Mrs. Guthrie, look what they’ve done To your brown-eyed baby now
Did you hear the screen door slam, Mom? Woodrow’s gone again He’s writing obscene letters now And the feds might bring him in But every song he ever wrote Is hangin’ on the breeze With the laundry in the Guthrie yard Full of Huntington’s disease So, Woodrow, rest in peace, old pal There ain’t nothin’ for you here We’re in the scrub oak country now The land of dread and fear And Whitey’s in the woodpile And the writing’s on the wall But your ring of truth still echoes down The gray stone clinic halls
Sing the truth, scream it loud Ah, Mrs. Guthrie, look what they’ve done To your brown-eyed baby now
So here’s to all outsiders All the ones who could not fit The troubadour, the prisoners The drunken Indian Ah, the circus freaks, the wounded lovers We’ll make it through somehow Ah, Mrs. Guthrie, we are ridin’ blind With your brown-eyed baby now
Sing the truth, scream it loud Ah, Mrs. Guthrie, look what we’ve done To your brown-eyed baby now Scream the truth, scream it loud Ah, Mrs. Guthrie, look what we’ve done To your brown-eyed baby now
I’ve always loved this song. Around Middle Tennessee, it seemed like Joe Walsh and Bob Seger were adopted as hometown favorites. Even though Walsh was from Cleveland, you’d hear him everywhere here. This song was just one of those songs that made you want to roll the windows down and keep driving. Sometimes that’s all a great rock song has to do. More than forty years later, it still has that same effect on me. Also, Joe seems like a regular blue-collar working-class guy who doesn’t take himself seriously. Joe Walsh: The most terrifying thing that ever happened to me was that Keith Moon decided he liked me.
Some songs don’t need to be complicated. They just need to make you turn the volume up. The song has always been one of those songs for me. It’s a straight-ahead rocker with a great guitar riff, a catchy chorus, and packed with fun energy. Another thing I like about Walsh is he never takes himself seriously. He always has a good time and wants everyone else to join in.
This was released in 1980 on the soundtrack to the movie Urban Cowboy, It arrived at the perfect time. The film introduced a new audience to country-rock and Southern-flavored rock music, and Walsh’s contribution fit right in. The song became one of the soundtrack’s highlights and climbed into the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. By this point, Walsh had already built an impressive career with the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the eagles, but he never lost the sense of fun that made him stand out from so many guitar heroes of the era.
He is, of course, an outstanding guitarist, but he’s also one of rock’s most likable characters. Whether it’s his slide guitar, his sense of humor, or the way he never seems to take himself too seriously, there’s something genuine about him. This song captures that perfectly. It isn’t trying to be profound. It’s simply a great rock-and-roll song played by musicians who sound like they’re having the time of their lives.
Along with having a good time, he is one of the best rock guitarists. All Night Long peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #13 in Canada in 1980.
All Night Long
We get up early and we work all day We put our time in ’cause we like to stay up All night long All night long
We keep on grinning ’til the weekend comes Just a pinch between your cheek and gum All night long All night long
Start in the morning and get the job done Take care of business and we have some fun All night long All night long
We like a long neck and a good old song Turn it up and then we’ll sing along Sing along Oh, we’re staying up all night long
All night long All night long All night long All night long
Every now and then I run across an album that makes me forget about picking just one song. Good ‘N’ Cheap by Eggs Over Easy is one of those records. I kept telling myself I’d settle on a favorite, but every time another track came on I changed my mind. So I finally gave up and decided the album deserved the spotlight instead. They are an American band that helped start the pub rock scene. They also have a link (no pun intended) to Link Wray. This album has me excited; I recommend this to any roots music fan.
Eggs Over Easy were an American band, but their story became part of British rock history. Formed by Jack O’Hara, Austin de Lone, and Brien Hopkins, they moved to London in the early 1970s hoping to land a recording contract. While waiting for that break, they began playing regularly at the Tally Ho pub in Kentish Town. Those performances inspired countless local musicians and helped spark what would soon become the pub rock movement.
Bands like Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe, Kilburn and the High Roads, and later Rockpile all owed something to the path Eggs Over Easy helped create. They may not have become stars themselves, but their influence reached far beyond what album sales ever showed.
This album was released in 1972. Good ‘N’ Cheap captures everything I enjoy about roots rock. It has country influences, rock and roll, blues, a little folk, and plenty of rhythm and groove. The songs never sound overproduced or forced. Instead, they feel like a group of musicians gathered in a room simply playing the music they loved. The album was co-produced by the legendary Link Wray, and you can hear that straightforward, no-frills approach from beginning to end.
There really isn’t a weak track here. Party Party opens the album with plenty of energy, while songs like Arkansas, Runnin’ Down to Memphis, The Factory, and Home to You all have their own personality. Some lean toward country rock, others have more of a bar-band feel, and a few could almost pass for early Americana years before that label became popular. What ties everything together is the songwriting. Nothing feels flashy. The hooks are natural, the harmonies are warm, and the musicianship is outstanding throughout. One song that I cannot get out of my head is the one called Henry Morgan about the 1600’s pirate.
Listening to this album, it’s easy to hear why so many musicians admired them. I hear pieces of The Band, a little early Little Feat, and hints of what Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, and other pub rock artists would soon be doing. At the same time, Eggs Over Easy never sound like they’re copying anyone. They found their own lane, and it still sounds fresh more than fifty years later.
Sometimes the best albums are the ones nobody talks about anymore. Good ‘N’ Cheap is one of those hidden gems that reminds me why I enjoy digging a little deeper. It has the rootsy feel I love, great songs from beginning to end, and musicians who clearly cared more about making honest music than chasing the latest trend. If you’ve never heard Eggs Over Easy before, this is the place to start. Don’t be surprised if you end up listening straight through without ever reaching for the skip button.
Henry Morgan
There was a boy who found a freedom that he felt He swore he’d sail Spanish Main ‘Twas a man who wore a pistol in his belt And Henry Morgan was his name
Henry Morgan, where you going? Can you tell me where you’ve been? Hey, hey, Young Henry Can you tell me what you seen? ‘Cross the sea, deep blue sea
There was a boy who found a freedom that he felt He swore he’d sail Spanish Main ‘Twas a man who wore a pistol in his belt And Henry Morgan was his name
Henry Morgan, where you going? Can you tell me where you’ve been? Hey, hey, Young Henry Can you tell me what you seen? ‘Cross the sea, deep blue sea
There was a time when he sat happy in his home Sweet Patience took him for her own Came a time when he got restless, for to roam And Henry Morgan roams alone
Henry Morgan, where you going? Can you tell me where you’ve been? Hey, hey, Young Henry Can you tell me what you seen? ‘Cross the sea, salt, salt sea
Here comes my friend Henry
There was a time when he set sail to fair Panama And sin and slaughter walked the walls (Yes they did) There were those who said that he couldn’t take it all But Henry Morgan never falls
Henry Morgan, where you going? Can you tell me where you’ve been? Hey, hey, Young Henry Can you tell me what you seen? ‘Cross the sea, cruel, cruel sea
Yeah, bye-bye, Henry My old friend Henry Bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye Bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye, bye So long, Henry So long, so long, Henry Bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye
There are some artists you don’t discover until years later, and then you wonder how they managed to stay off your radar for so long. That was Ian Dury for me. While he was a major figure in Britain during the late 1970s, his music never received much attention here in the States. Once I started listening, though, I realized I’d been missing out on one of the most original voices of the era. This is one of those songs that hooked me right away, especially because of that irresistible groove.
It was released in 1978 as Ian Dury’s second solo single, and it featured The Blockheads, one of the tightest backing bands of the time. The song was written by Dury and Chaz Jankel, whose guitar and keyboard work helped shape the band’s sound. It was produced by Laurie Latham and appeared on the American version of the album New Boots and Panties!!, although it had originally been released as a stand-alone single in the UK. By this point, Dury had already built a reputation for mixing pub rock, funk, new wave, and rhythm and blues into something entirely his own.
It is built around one of the best bass lines you’ll ever hear. Norman Watt-Roy’s bass drives the entire song, locking in with the drums to create a groove that’s impossible to ignore. Over the top, Ian Dury delivers a half-sung, half-spoken vocal, rattling off humorous observations about all the things he could have become. His lyrics are clever and self-deprecating. It doesn’t fit neatly into rock, punk, or new wave, and that’s exactly what makes it so much fun.
The song peaked at #9 in the UK in 1978, but it wasn’t a huge hit outside the UK; it has become one of Ian Dury’s signature songs and a favorite among fans. Looking back, it’s easy to hear why so many musicians admired The Blockheads. They were an incredibly talented band capable of blending funk, rock, jazz, and soul into a sound that was unlike anyone else at the time.
I love songs that have a great groove, and this one has it from the first note. Norman Watt-Roy’s bass line is perfect, and it’s the first thing I notice every time I hear it. The whole band is outstanding, but that rhythm section keeps everything moving while Ian Dury does what Ian Dury did better than anyone else. His songs never sounded like anyone else’s. They’re funny, quirky, and full of personality. I wish I’d discovered him years earlier, but better late than never. If you’ve never gone beyond Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, give What A Waste a listen. I have a feeling you’ll end up exploring a lot more of Ian Dury and The Blockheads, just like I did.
What A Waste
I could be the driver in articulated lorry I could be a poet, I wouldn’t need to worry I could be the teacher in a classroom full of scholars I could be the sergeant in a squadron full of wallahs
What a waste! What a waste! What a waste! What a waste!
Because I chose to play the fool in a six-piece band First-night nerves every one-night stand I should be glad to be so inclined What a waste! What a waste! Rock’n’roll don’t mind
I could be a lawyer with stratagems and ruses I could be a doctor with poultices and bruises I could be a writer with a growing reputation I could be the ticket-man at Fulham Broadway station
What a waste! What a waste! What a waste! What a waste!
Because I chose to play the fool in a six-piece band First-night nerves every one-night stand I should be glad to be so inclined What a waste! What a waste! Rock’n’roll don’t mind
I could be the catalyst that sparks the revolution I could be an inmate in a long-term institution I could lead to wild extremes, I could do or die I could yawn and be withdrawn and watch them gallop by
What a waste! What a waste! What a waste! What a waste!
Because I chose to play the fool in a six-piece band First-night nerves every one-night stand I should be glad to be so inclined What a waste! What a waste! Rock’n’roll don’t mind
Chose to play the fool in a six-piece band First-night nerves every one-night stand I should be glad to be so inclined What a waste! What a waste! Rock’n’roll don’t mind What a waste! What a waste! Rock’n’roll don’t mind
First, I want to tell you the readers that I really appreciate you. No matter what curve I throw at you all (Pub rock, surf music, western swing, country, folk, Texas songwriters, etc)…you always respond and try songs you’ve never heard before. You don’t care if the song is popular or not; you just want good songs. I just hope I can keep finding songs worth your time.
I’ve always been interested in The Move, especially Roy Wood. They could write a catchy pop song and still experiment without losing the melody. This one might be my favorite because it shows every side of the band at once. It’s psychedelic without being over the top, pop without being lightweight, and it has that Roy Wood touch. If you’ve only heard Electric Light Orchestra, do yourself a favor and spend some time with The Move. You’ll hear where so many of those great ideas began.
The Move formed in 1965 and was very successful until Roy Wood (lead singer and songwriter), Jeff Lynne (who joined in 1969), and Bev Bevan formed ELO in 1972. While most groups concentrated on albums, The Move seemed to have a gift for releasing one great single after another. During this period, Roy Wood became the band’s creative driving force, writing ambitious songs while experimenting with strings, layered harmonies, and unusual arrangements.
This was written by Roy Wood during a difficult period when he was reportedly frustrated with the music business and the direction of the band. Rather than writing another upbeat pop song, he came up with something moodier. The record blends melancholy lyrics with one of the catchiest melodies of the late 1960s. Its rich harmonies, cello, and piano gave it a sound unlike anything else on the radio.
It was released in late 1968; it became The Move’s only number-one single on the UK Singles Chart. Ironically, just as the band reached the top, they were already evolving toward a new chapter. Not long afterward, Jeff Lynne joined and then Lynne and Wood eventually launched Electric Light Orchestra. They carried many of the ideas first explored in The Move.
Blackberry Way
Blackberry Way Absolutely pouring down with rain It’s a terrible day
Up with a lark Silly girl I don’t know what to say She was running away
So now I’m standing on the corner Lost, in the things that I said What am I supposed to do now-w
Goodbye Blackberry Way I can’t see you I don’t need you Goodbye Blackberry Way Sure to want me back another day
Gone to the park Overgrowing but the trees are bare There’s a memory there
Boats on the lake Unattended now, they’re all to drown I’m incredibly down
Just like myself they are neglected Turn, with my eyes to the wall What am I supposed to do now-w
Goodbye Blackberry Way I can’t see you I don’t need you Goodbye Blackberry Way Sure to want me back another day
Here is a two-for-one day! Asleep at the Wheel is one of those bands I always knew of, but never really took the time to explore. I’m glad I finally did. They were led by Ray Benson; the group became one of the biggest champions of Western Swing at a time when country music was moving in different directions. Instead of the normal Nashville sound, they looked back to the music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys and proved there was still plenty of life left in those songs and that style. Benson once said that Ray Charles’ Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music “opened more musical windows for more people than any other record before or since.” That appreciation for musical freedom runs through Asleep at the Wheel’s career.
I like discovering where musical roads meet. Bob Wills inspired Ray Benson. Ray Benson helped keep Western Swing alive for another generation. Along the way, you can hear connections to artists like Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, and voices like Maryann Price helped shape the band’s sound. If you’ve never explored Asleep at the Wheel beyond hearing the name, these two songs are a great place to begin. They don’t just celebrate Texas music. They celebrate a style that still swings as naturally today as it did more than seventy years ago.
They were formed in 1970 in West Virginia before finding their true home in Austin, Texas. Austin was becoming a gathering place for musicians who didn’t worry much about labels. Country, rock, jazz, blues, and swing all mixed together there. Along the way, Asleep at the Wheel crossed paths with artists like Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, who blended swing, jazz, and humor into their own unique sound. Both acts drew from many of the same musical roots while creating something that felt fresh. Another important voice was Maryann Price, whose vocals became one of the band’s trademarks during some of its best-known years and helped bring even more authenticity to their Western Swing revival.
“Miles and Miles of Texas” may be the band’s signature song. Released in 1976 on Wheelin’ and Dealin’, it captures everything that makes Asleep at the Wheel so enjoyable. The fiddle, steel guitar and swinging rhythm feel like they belong in another era, yet the recording never sounds dated. It’s upbeat, fun and impossible not to smile through. More than anything, it helped introduce a new generation of listeners to Western Swing and reminded people why Bob Wills’ influence still mattered decades later. It peaked at #38 in the Billboard Country Charts in 1976.
“Way Down Texas Way” reaches even further back. Originally recorded by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys in the 1940s, the song is pure Western Swing with its danceable rhythm and country-jazz feel. Asleep at the Wheel doesn’t simply copy the original. They play it with genuine respect while making it sound like it belongs right alongside their own material. That’s one of the band’s greatest strengths. They kept it alive by playing it with energy and heart. This song peaked at #39 on the Billboard Country Charts in 1987.
Way Down Texas Way
Adios, goodbye amigos I am leaving you today Ain’t nobody round this town that’s gonna miss me anyway This old money making’s taking all the time I have to play Mama, hush your mouth, I’m headed south, way down Texas way
Way down Texas way they play good music every night And the dance hall rings with laughter ’til the early morning light When them cowboys get through picking There’s not much that’s left to say But you can really have a good time honey, way down Texas way
Aw, Texas fiddle
The road of life is paved with good intentions I am told So I best be on my way now or I may not ever go Ain’t no need to be a-begging me to stay just one more day This old wild goose is cutting loose way down Texas way
Way down Texas way they play fiddle music every night And the dance hall rings with laughter ’til the early morning light When them cowboys get through picking There’s not much that’s left to say But you can really have a good time sugar, way down Texas way Way down Texas way
We are going to switch gears today with some western swing. This is my first time featuring Bob Wills on the blog, and I figured it was about time. I’d heard his name for years and knew about his reputation as one of country music’s true pioneers, but I hadn’t spent much time with his music. This song changed that. The musicianship is outstanding, but it never feels like anyone is showing off. It just sounds like a group of great players having a good time. Sometimes that’s exactly what music is supposed to do. I was influenced by a fellow blogger’s song he wrote, and it had a swing to it.
Every now and then I like to step back and listen to one of the artists who helped shape modern American music. Bob Wills is one of those names. He’s remembered as the King of Western Swing, but his influence reached far beyond country music. His blend of country, jazz, blues, and swing inspired generations of musicians, from country stars to rock and roll artists. This is one of those recordings that reminds you just how much fun music can be.
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys first recorded this song in 1946, and it quickly became one of the band’s signature songs. The record captures everything that made western swing so popular: great fiddles, steel guitar, and tight musicianship. I also love the playful back-and-forth that always seemed to be part of a Bob Wills performance. One of his trademarks was calling out to the band during the song, adding little shouts of encouragement that made listeners feel like they were right there with them. He wanted everyone to join in the fun.
What has always impressed me about Bob Wills is the respect he earned from other musicians. Guitarists, fiddlers, steel players, and singers all seemed to admire him. His music crossed boundaries long before that became common. You can hear country, big band swing, blues, and even a little jazz all mixed together. That influence eventually found its way into artists like Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel, and even rock musicians who appreciated the freedom and musicianship of western swing.
Bob was a mentor to my father and gave him the fiddle he is playing in this picture. I still have it. Bob wanted my father to play with the Texas Playboys, but my mother, hearing the stories about the band on the road, said no way. So he joined the Light Crust Doughboys, and Johnny Gimble took the spot as second fiddle to Bob. The same stories about traveling happened in country music as well as rock music.
One thing I enjoy about writing this blog is discovering how these musical stories continue long after the records stop turning. Bob Wills’ early years with the Light Crust Doughboys helped shape the music he would later make famous with the Texas Playboys. Years later, one of my readers, Phil Strawn, shared that his father, Johnny Strawn, also played with the Light Crust Doughboys and even has a photograph of himself with Bob Wills with a fiddle Wills gave him. Moments like that remind me that music history isn’t just found in books. Sometimes it’s sitting in a family photo album, waiting for someone to share another piece of the story.
The Rolling Stones and Waylon Jennings doing their tribute to Bob Wills
Here is Waylon Jennings with the same song
Stay A Little Longer
Oh, gather ’round friends, why hurry Let’s all stay a little longer
You ought to see my blue-eyed Sally She lives a way down on Shinbone Alley The number on the gate, the number on the door And the next house over is the grocery store
Stay all night, stay a little longer Dance all night, dance a little longer Pull off your coat, throw it in the corner Don’t see why you don’t stay a little longer
Can’t go home if you’re going by the mill ‘Cause the bridge washed out at the bottom of the hill Big creek’s up, and the big creek’s level Plow my corn with a double shovel
Stay all night, stay a little longer Dance all night, dance a little longer Pull off your coat, throw it in the corner Don’t see why you don’t stay a little longer (yeah)
Sitting in the window, singing to my love When slop bucket fell from the window up above Mule and the grasshopper eating ice cream Mule got sick and they laid him on the green
Stay all night, stay a little longer Dance all night, dance a little longer Pull off your coat, throw it in the corner Don’t see why you don’t stay a little longer
Grab your girl and pat her on the head If she don’t like biscuits, feed her cornbread The girls around big creek, about half grown They jump on a man like a dog on a bone
Stay all night, stay a little longer Dance all night, dance a little longer Pull off your coat, throw it in the corner Don’t see why you don’t stay a little longer
Stay all night, stay a little longer Dance all night, dance a little longer Pull off your coat, throw it in the corner Don’t see why you don’t stay a little longer
