Asleep At The Wheel – Miles and Miles of Texas & Way Down Texas Way

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

Bob Wills – Stay a Little Longer

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

Billy Bragg and Wilco – California Stars

This is one of my favorite collaborations ever recorded. What’s the best way to put this? It doesn’t feel like Billy Bragg and Wilco are trying to recreate Woody Guthrie. Instead, they’re having a conversation with him across time. This is one of those rare songs that sounds like it has always existed. It makes you wonder how many other forgotten lyrics are still sitting in boxes somewhere, waiting for someone to give them a voice. If you’ve never heard the Mermaid Avenue albums, do yourself a favor and spend an evening with both of them. They’re among the finest musical tributes I’ve ever heard.

Mermaid Avenue was a collaborative album by the band Wilco and the British singer-songwriter Billy Bragg. It features previously unpublished lyrics by the legendary folk musician Woody Guthrie. The album was released in 1998 and is named after the street in Coney Island, New York, where Guthrie lived. There were 3 albums in all.

I can’t imagine the pressure Bragg and Wilco felt doing this. Having the legendary Woody Guthrie lyrics in front of you and writing melodies around them. They brought in a new generation of fans to Woody Guthrie. In this song, Jeff Tweedy wrote the music around Guthrie’s lyrics. Many of these lyrics were written in the 1930s – 1940s and finished in 1997.

Sometimes the best songs take a few decades to find their melody. This song began as a set of unpublished Woody Guthrie lyrics that sat quietly in the archives for years. The project was started by Woody Guthrie’s daughter, Nora Guthrie, who wanted to breathe new life into her father’s huge collection of unpublished lyrics. She invited Billy Bragg to set the lyrics to music, and Bragg, in turn, invited Wilco to join the project. They did a fantastic job on these albums.

Jay Bennett and Jeff Tweedy took Woody’s lyrics for California Stars and wrote a melody that feels like it had always belonged there. Tweedy’s relaxed vocal, Jay Bennett’s beautiful piano, Corey Harris’ lap steel, and Eliza Carthy’s fiddle create one of the warmest recordings of the 1990s. It sounds like an old American folk song, yet it also fits perfectly beside Wilco’s own work from that era. It’s simple, comforting, and quietly unforgettable.

The entire Mermaid Avenue project became much more than a tribute album. Billy Bragg, Wilco, and Nora Guthrie uncovered hundreds of Woody’s unpublished lyrics and introduced them to a new generation of listeners.

California Stars

I’d like to rest my heavy head tonight
On a bed of California stars
I’d like to lay my weary bones tonight
On a bed of California stars

I’d love to feel your hand touching mine
Tell me why I must keep working on
Yes, I’d give my life to lay my head tonight
On a bed of California stars

I’d like to dream my troubles all away
On a bed of California stars
Jump up from my star bed and make another day
Underneath my California stars

They hang like grapes on vines that shine
And warm the lover’s glass like friendly wine
So, I’d give this world just to dream a dream with you
On our bed of California stars

I’d like to rest my heavy head tonight
On a bed of California stars
I’d like to lay my weary bones tonight
On a bed of California stars

I’d love to feel your hand touching mine
Tell me why I must keep working on
Yes, I’d give my life to lay my head tonight
On a bed of California stars

I’d like to dream my troubles all away
On a bed of California stars
Jump up from my star bed and make another day
Underneath my California stars

They hang like grapes on vines that shine
And warm the lover’s glass like friendly wine
So, I’d give this world just to dream a dream with you
On our bed of California stars

So, I’d give this world just to dream a dream with you
On our bed of California stars

Dream a dream with you

Buzzcocks – I Don’t Mind

I’ve always thought the Buzzcocks sat right in that sweet spot between punk and power pop. They had the speed and attitude of punk, but Pete Shelley could write a great pop melody. That’s what keeps me coming back to their music. This is one of those songs that grabs you immediately and never lets go. It’s proof that you don’t have to choose between raw energy and a great pop hook. Sometimes you can have both, and the Buzzcocks did it as well as just about anyone.

They chose the name Buzzcocks after reading the headline, “It’s the Buzz, Cock!”, in a review of the TV series Rock Follies in Time Out magazine. The “buzz” is the excitement of playing on stage; “cock” is northern English slang meaning friend. They were formed in 1976 by Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto after seeing the Sex Pistols. They were able to blend punk’s spirit and sound with pop.

When people talk about the first wave of British punk, names like the Sex Pistols and The Clash usually come up first. But the Buzzcocks carved out a sound all their own. They had the energy and urgency of punk, but they also wrote songs packed with unforgettable melodies and pop sensibilities. That combination would later influence countless pop-punk and power pop bands.

The album Another Music in a Different Kitchen was released in 1978. This song was written by guitarist Pete Shelley and produced by Martin Rushent. Shelley handled most of the songwriting, while Steve Diggle’s driving guitar and John Maher’s energetic drumming gave the band its sound. Unlike many of their punk contemporaries, the Buzzcocks weren’t afraid to write songs about relationships, uncertainty, and everyday emotions rather than politics or rebellion.

Although it wasn’t one of the band’s biggest chart hits, it has become a favorite among fans and remains a highlight of Another Music in a Different Kitchen. Looking back, it’s easy to hear why the Buzzcocks continue to be so influential. They proved that punk could have great melodies, smart lyrics, and hooks every bit as memorable as traditional pop music. Their influence can still be heard in bands decades later.

The song peaked at #55 in the UK in 1978. The album Another Music in a Different Kitchen peaked at #15 on the UK Album Charts.

I Don’t Mind

Reality’s a dream
A game in which I seem
To never find out just what I am
I don’t know if I’m an actor or ham
A shamen or sham
But if you don’t mind
I don’t mind

I’m lost without a clue
So how can I undo
The tangle of these webs I keep weaving
I don’t know if I should be believing
Deceptive perceiving
But if you don’t mind
I don’t mind

I used to bet that you didn’t care
But gambling never got me anywhere
Each time I used to feel so sure
Something about you made me doubt you more

How can you convince me
When everything I see
Just makes me feel you’re putting me down
And if it’s true this pathetic clown’ll
Keep hanging around
That’s if you don’t mind
I don’t mind

I used to bet that you didn’t care
But gambling never got me anywhere
Each time I used to be so sure
Something about you made me doubt you more

I even think you hate me when you call me on the phone
And sometimes when we go out I wish I’d stayed at home
And when I’m dreaming or just lying in my bed
I think you’ve got it in for me
Is it all in my head is it in my head

How can you convince me
When everything I see
Just makes me feel you’re putting me down
And if it’s true this pathetic clown’ll
Keep hanging around
That’s if you don’t mind
I don’t mind
I don’t mind

Sloan – If It Feels Good, Do It

Every time I hear Sloan, I think of deKe…he is the one who turned me on to them, and since then they have been on my playlists.

I’ve never understood why Sloan didn’t become a major band in the United States. They had great songs, fantastic harmonies, and could play just about any style of rock they wanted. Maybe they were too melodic for modern rock radio and a little too loud for pop radio. Whatever the reason, America missed out on one of Canada’s finest bands. This song is the perfect introduction if you’ve never heard Sloan before. It’s power pop with some muscle behind it.

There are power pop songs that make you smile, and then there are power pop songs that kick the door open. Sloan’s falls into that second category. It has all the hooks you’d expect, but it’s wrapped in crunchy guitars and attitude. Power pop with a great riff and a chorus you can’t get out of your head.

By the time Pretty Together was released in 2001, Sloan had already become one of Canada’s most respected rock bands. Formed in Halifax before relocating to Toronto, the group was unusual because all four members, Chris Murphy, Patrick Pentland, Jay Ferguson, and Andrew Scott, wrote songs and sang lead vocals. That gave every album a different personality. One song might sound like The Beatles, the next Cheap Trick, then Big Star, followed by something with a little more crunch. Somehow it all fit together. They never seemed interested in chasing trends. They simply wrote the kind of records they wanted to hear.

Patrick Pentland wrote this song, and it became the lead single from Pretty Together. The song opens with Chris Murphy asking, “What rock and roll should really be?” before the band answers with four minutes of pure energy. It’s catchy without sounding too sweet. The guitars have enough bite to satisfy rock fans, while the melody stays in classic power pop territory. It was nominated for Best Single at the 2002 Juno Awards and was on the Triple Play 2002 video game and the film The Girl Next Door.

If It Feels Good, Do It

Your sight-specific knack
I fall under attack
The only time you cross the line
Is when you’re crossing back

Have you changed the song we were singing
Or have I just lost the air
If I said your behavior suffocates
Would you care?

Don’t stop, if it feels good do it
Don’t stop, if it feels good do it
Don’t stop, if it feels good do it
Don’t…

You found the perfect spot
For Jimmy’s wicked thoughts
It’s in my permanent collection
Now like it or not
Wishing away that the legacy left
Came in a frame and was the victim of theft
It adds more worth to work I’ve done
But as long as you’ve had fun

Don’t stop, if it feels good do it
Don’t stop, if it feels good do it
Don’t stop, if it feels good do it
Don’t…

I didn’t get your revisions
But sometimes life’s not fair
To think you almost apologized

Put her there, there, there
Don’t be sad at all
I’m about to get killed off
The writing’s on the wall
If you believe everything that you read
Turn to the only thing that you ever need
It says to do unto other
But the thing is you do

Don’t stop, if it feels good do it
Don’t stop, if it feels good do it
Don’t stop, if it feels good do it
Don’t stop, if it feels good do it
Don’t stop, if it feels good do it
Don’t stop, if it feels good do it
Don’t stop, if it feels good do it
Don’t…

Don’t stop
Don’t stop
Don’t stop, if it feels good do it
Don’t…

Dave Davies – Susannah’s Still Alive

I’ve always thought Dave Davies deserved more credit than he usually gets. Ray Davies was a songwriting genius, but Dave’s guitar playing helped define The Kinks just as much. That raw, distorted sound changed rock music forever. On top of that, Dave could write songs that stood on their own, and this song is one of the best examples. It’s melodic, heartfelt, and has that unmistakable Kinks sound. If you’ve only heard Dave through his guitar work, this is a great place to discover the songwriter.

When most people think of The Kinks, they naturally think of Ray Davies. He wrote most of the band’s classic songs and became one of rock’s greatest storytellers. But without Dave Davies, The Kinks wouldn’t have sounded like The Kinks. His slashing guitar on You Really Got Me helped invent hard rock, and his playing gave Ray’s songs an edge that few bands could match. Every now and then, Dave stepped into the spotlight himself, and this one proved he had plenty to say as a songwriter.

Released in 1967 as Dave’s second solo single, it arrived during one of the most creative periods in The Kinks’ career. Ray was writing songs that painted pictures of English life, while Dave leaned toward a more personal, emotional style. This was written by Dave himself and produced by Shel Talmy, the song features the familiar Kinks lineup. Although credited as a solo record, it feels like a close cousin to the band’s recordings from that era.

The song tells the story of someone looking back on a relationship with a mix of regret and hope. Dave’s vocals have a vulnerability that suits the lyrics perfectly, while his ringing guitar work reminds you that he was far more than just the band’s lead guitarist. The melody has that unmistakable late-1960s British feel, balancing catchy hooks with just enough melancholy to make it linger after the song ends.

This wasn’t a major hit everywhere, but it performed well in parts of Europe and has become one of Dave Davies’ signature solo recordings. Looking back, it’s easy to hear that he wasn’t simply Ray’s younger brother. He was an important creative force in The Kinks, both as a guitarist and as a songwriter. Songs like this show another side of his talent and remind us that sometimes the second voice in a great band has a story worth hearing too.

Susannah’s Still Alive

Old Susannah’s bedraggled
But she still wears a lanyard ’round her neck
She’s got a picture on the table
Of a man who’s young and able

Oh, Susannah’s gonna cry
Oh, Susannah’s still alive

Whiskey or a gin, that’s alright
There’s nothing in her bed at night
She sleeps with the covers down
Hoping somebody jumps in
Doesn’t matter what she does
She knows that she can’t win
Oh, Susannah’s still alive

She’s got a dog with one eye
That always cries when he gets some sleep
She’s waiting for a soldier to come home
But you cry and never die

Oh, Susannah’s gonna cry
Oh, Susannah’s still alive

Whiskey or a gin, that’s alright
There’s nothing in her bed at night
She sleeps with the covers down
Hoping somebody gets in
Doesn’t matter what she does
She knows that she can’t win
Oh, Susannah’s still alive

Oh, Susannah’s gonna cry
Oh, Susannah’s still alive
Oh, Susannah’s still alive

Woody Guthrie – When That Great Ship Went Down

I was researching my post on the RMS Lusitania for my other blog (oldsteamships.blog) today, and I stumbled across this Woody Guthrie song. I had never heard it before, and I’m certainly not a Woody Guthrie expert. I know his more famous songs and his enormous influence on Bob Dylan and others, but somehow this song, sometimes listed simply as “The Great Ship,” had escaped me. The song is about the Lusitania, and hearing it while preparing a post about the ship made the two stories fit together naturally. He did conflate the Lusitania and Titanic in one line: “Felt the iceberg and shock.” No iceberg with the Lusitania, just a U-Boat and a torpedo.

The melody and title have roots in an earlier folk ballad usually associated with the Titanic. William and Versey Smith recorded “When That Great Ship Went Down” in 1927, and versions of the song had circulated for years before that. Woody often worked in that folk tradition, taking familiar melodies and structures and reshaping them around another event. His version changes the ship and much of the story, turning an older disaster ballad into a remembrance of the Lusitania.

Guthrie sings the song from the viewpoint of someone aboard the sinking liner. He describes frightened passengers, mothers and children, the cold ocean mist, and a final kiss between two people who know they may not survive. Then he names the ship directly: the Lusitania, once famous throughout the world, was sunk on May 7, 1915. Guthrie does not fill the song with historical details. He makes it personal and lets the passengers tell the story. That is what makes it work.

Guthrie recorded the song during a group of sessions made for Moses Asch in 1944 with Cisco Houston and Sonny Terry. Those recordings were not originally arranged as conventional albums, which is one reason his catalog can be a little confusing. The performance later appeared on This Land Is Your Land: The Asch Recordings, Volume 1, and another version was included in the 2012 Smithsonian Folkways collection Woody at 100. A home recording from around 1951 was also released much later as part of the archival Woody at Home collection.

When That Great Ship Went Down

Lusitania was her name
And great was her fame
And great was the shame
When this great ship went down

On the seventh day of May
In the nineteen fifteen
This good ship sailed high
And the good ship went down

I looked at my clock
Felt the iceberg and shock
Felt the whole ship a-rockin’
When this good ship went down

Lusitania was her name
And great was her fame
And great was her shame
When this good ship went down

That explosion aside
My face white with fright
I know that death was my plight
When this great ship went down

All my friends seemed numb to smile
I saw mother and child
I saw the cold waves run wild
When this great ship went down

I felt so sad to know
That this high leaping foam
Would now be my home
When this great ship went down

Told my sweetheart we’d kiss
Our last earthly kiss
In this cold ocean mist
When this great ship goes down

Lusitania was her name
And great was her fame
And great was her shame
When this good ship went down

Speak a prayer in my heart
For you souls of depart
You be torn not apart
When this great ship goes down

Speak a prayer in my heart
For you souls of depart
You be torn not apart
When this great ship goes down

Lusitania was her name
And great was her fame
And great was the shame
When this good ship went down

Lusitania was her name
And great was her fame
And great was the shame
When this great ship went down

Jack de Keyzer – That’s The Way

I found this Canadian musician not long ago, and he sounds great. I’ve listened to quite a few songs, and he has a guitar tone that is hard to beat.

Some musicians spend their careers trying to make hit records. Others keep making great music without much attention. Canadian guitarist Jack de Keyzer falls into that second group. Born in London, England, he moved to Canada as a child and became one of the country’s most respected blues guitarists. Since the early 1980s, he has released a string of albums while building a reputation as a terrific live performer, winning numerous Maple Blues Awards along the way. While he never became a household name, musicians have known for years just how good he is.

It was one of the songs that introduced Jack de Keyzer to a much wider audience. Released first as a single in 1990 and later opening his 1991 debut album Hard Working Man, it blends blues, rock, soul, and a little rhythm and blues into a sound that feels both modern and timeless. It isn’t built around huge guitar solos; instead, the song succeeds because of its groove and tasteful guitar work.

Although I’m featuring the original version from Hard Working Man, de Keyzer continued to build his reputation over the years. One of his biggest successes came with The Corktown Sessions, which earned him a Juno Award and introduced his music to an even wider audience, and this song is on it as well. By the time his career reached that point, he’d already spent decades proving himself as one of Canada’s finest blues guitarists.

Before establishing himself, Jack de Keyzer was a member of Toronto’s The Bop Cats in the early 1980s. The band blended rockabilly, rhythm and blues, and roots rock at a time when interest in 1950s-inspired music was enjoying a revival. Featuring energetic performances and tight musicianship, The Bop Cats released several albums, including The Bop Cats (1981), Rockabilly Rhythm (1982), and Bootleg (1983). Although they never became a household name, they developed a loyal following throughout Canada and helped introduce many listeners to de Keyzer’s exceptional guitar playing long before he embarked on his successful solo career. I really like the Bop Cats and will have something coming up on them shortly.

His guitar never overpowers the song, and his vocals fit the music perfectly. The band locks into a steady rhythm and lets the melody carry things forward. You can hear influences from players like Eric Clapton, B.B. King, and Albert Collins, but de Keyzer never comes across as someone trying to imitate his heroes. He has developed his own voice over decades of playing clubs, festivals, and theaters across Canada and beyond.

Sometimes success is measured by longevity, respect from fellow musicians, and a catalog full of songs waiting to be discovered. This is one of those tracks that makes you wonder why more people haven’t heard of him, and that’s usually a sign you’ve found something worth sharing. He has opened shows for artists like B.B. King, Etta James, and Bo Diddley over the years. He may not be a superstar, but the legends certainly knew who he was. That’s often one of the best endorsements a musician can get.

Jack de Keyzer: I’ve done a lot of session guitar playing for live gigs with people. When I played with Bo Diddley and Etta James they were live shows – they weren’t in the studio. In the studio I have worked with a lot of different blues people like Rita Chiarelli, Willie Big Eyes Smith, who was Muddy Waters’ drummer, King Biscuit Boy, Harmonica Shah, David Rotundo, The Shaftmen, Brant Parker and Erin McCallum.

Pretenders – Brass In Pocket

Sometimes a band’s biggest hit isn’t the song that best represents them, and I think that’s true here. If you explore The Pretenders’ catalog, you’ll find songs with more bite and emotion. But this one was the perfect introduction. It made me want to hear more, and that’s exactly what a great first hit should do. Even if Chrissie Hynde has had mixed feelings about it, I’m glad she still plays it. Some songs become bigger than the artist’s opinion of them, and this is definitely one of those.

When The Pretenders released their debut album in 1980, few people knew what to expect. Led by Chrissie Hynde, the band mixed rock, punk, pop, and new wave into a sound that was all their own. While the album was packed with strong songs, it was this song that introduced millions of listeners to the band and turned them into stars.

The song was written by Chrissie Hynde and guitarist James Honeyman-Scott during an early rehearsal. Musically, it has a relaxed groove with a touch of soul that was inspired by Stax and Motown records. Hynde later admitted she wasn’t crazy about the song and didn’t think it represented the band very well. She even resisted releasing it as a single. The record company disagreed, and history proved them right.

One of the things that has always made the song memorable is its unusual lyrics. The phrase “brass in pocket” is old British slang for having money in your pocket. Even though Hynde has said over the years that it isn’t one of her favorite songs, she also understands what it means to fans. It’s still a regular part of the Pretenders’ concerts because she knows audiences want to hear it.

This was the song that introduced me to The Pretenders. Looking back, it’s interesting because it doesn’t really sound like much of what came later. Their music would become tougher, sharper, and more guitar-driven.  But this song has a warmth and bounce that makes it stand on its own. It may not be their best song, but it is certainly one of their catchiest, and after all these years, it’s still the first one that comes to mind when I think about discovering the band.

The song peaked at #1 in the UK, #14 on the Billboard 100, #5 in Canada, and #25 in New Zealand in 1979.

Brass in Pocket

Got brass in pocket
Got bottle, I’m gonna use it
Intention, I feel inventive
Gonna make you, make you, make you notice

Got motion, restrained emotion
Been driving Detroit leaning
No reason, just seems so pleasing
Gonna make you, make you, make you notice

[Chorus:]
Gonna use my arms
Gonna use my legs
Gonna use my style
Gonna use my side step
Gonna use my fingers
Gonna use my, my, my imagination

‘Cause I gonna make you see
There’s nobody else here
No one like me
I’m special so special
I gotta have some of your attention give it to me

Got rhythm I can’t miss a beat
Got new skank it’s so reet
Got something I’m winking at you
Gonna make you, make you, make you notice

[Chorus]

‘Cause I gonna make you see
There’s nobody else here
No one like me
I’m special, so special
I gotta have some of your attention
Give it to me
‘Cause I gonna make you see
There’s nobody else here
No one like me
I’m special, so special
I gotta have some of your attention

Give it to me

Notting Hillbillies – Your Own Sweet Way

I remember these guys in the early 1990s. It was completely different than Dire Straits, and Mark Knopfler could change like great artists do.

The Notting Hillbillies were never meant to be a full-time band. They came together almost by accident in the late 1980s when Mark Knopfler was working on a television soundtrack and invited a few friends to join him. Along with guitarist and songwriter Steve Phillips, keyboardist Guy Fletcher, and singer Brendan Croker, they enjoyed the sessions so much that they decided to record an album. The result was Missing…Presumed Having a Good Time, released in 1990. It wasn’t built around the Brothers in Arms sound. Instead, it mixed country, folk, blues, and the kind of music these four musicians had loved long before they became famous.

This song is one of my favorite tracks on the album. It was written by Mark Knopfler, and it has everything I enjoy about his songwriting. The melody is simple, the lyrics never try too hard, and the song breathes. Rather than showing off, everyone plays exactly what the song needs. It feels more like four friends sitting in a room making music than a carefully planned studio production.

Knopfler’s guitar is instantly recognizable, but what really makes this recording special is the relaxed atmosphere. Brendan Croker’s voice blends perfectly with Knopfler’s style, while Guy Fletcher’s keyboards and Steve Phillips’ tasteful guitar work add just enough color without ever getting in the way. You can hear the country influences, but there are also touches of folk and British roots music throughout. It has the feel of an old back porch performance that just happened to be captured on tape.

I like songs like this because they remind me that music doesn’t always have to be loud or complicated to leave an impression. It’s simply a well-written song played by musicians who clearly loved making it together. Sometimes those are the recordings that stay with you the longest, and this one has done exactly that for me.

This song peaked at #76 in the UK and #13 in Canada in 1990. The album Missing…Presumed Having a Good Time peaked at #2 in the UK and #29 in Canada.

Your Own Sweet Way

Nothing I can do
Nothing I can say
You’ll do what you want to
Go your own sweet way
You’ll go your own sweet
Your own sweet way
Now I can talk to you serious
I can talk to you nice
When it comes to love
You won’t take good advice

You’ll go your own sweet
Your own sweet way
Yeah, you’ll go your own sweet
Your own sweet way

It doesn’t matter what I say
What I do or what I think
You can lead a horse to water
You can’t make him drink

You’ll go your own sweet
Your own sweet way
I said, you’ll go your own sweet
Your own sweet way

Turtles – Elenore

I had this single as a kid. I had a cool cousin who had a lot of records in the sixties, and she gave many to me when she found out that I discovered the Beatles. She greatly influenced my young musical tastes. I will always be grateful to her. I still have that single packed away somewhere, and I remember her every time I hear the song.

The Turtles had become one of the biggest pop groups in America thanks to songs like Happy Together, She’d Rather Be With Me, and You Showed Me. Their record company wanted another smash that sounded just like those hits. The band had other ideas.

Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, along with songwriters Al Nichol and Jim Tucker, decided to have a little fun. They intentionally wrote this song as an exaggerated version of a Turtles love song. Every cliché was turned up a notch. The opening line, “You’re my pride and joy, etcetera,” was meant as a joke. Who starts a love song with “etcetera?” That was exactly the point. They figured the label would reject it.

Instead, the opposite happened. The record company loved it and released it as a single in 1968. It climbed to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became another gold record. The joke was on the band. Fans never realized it was a tongue-in-cheek parody. They simply heard another great pop song with one of the catchiest choruses of the decade. Kaylan later admitted they couldn’t believe people took it seriously, but they certainly weren’t complaining.

There was just something about that melody that stuck with me. And, of course, that unforgettable opening line. I still smile every time I hear “You’re my pride and joy, etcetera.” I can’t think of many hit songs that worked the word “etcetera” into the lyrics, yet somehow it fits perfectly. Whether it started as a joke or not, it became exactly what the band was trying to parody, another timeless pop classic. That’s one of the reasons I have always liked the Turtles; they never took themselves seriously.

Behind many of these singles is a story that’s every bit as entertaining as the song itself. And thanks to my cousin handing me that years ago, because it has always been one of those records that takes me right back to being a kid.

The song peaked at #1 in New Zealand,  #6 on the Billboard 100, #4 in Canada, and #7 in the UK in 1968.

Howard Kaylan: It was never intended to be a straight-forward song. It was meant as an anti-love letter to White Whale (their record company), who were constantly on our backs to bring them another ‘Happy Together.’ So I gave them a very skewed version. Not only with the chords changed, but with all these bizarre words. It was my feeling that they would listen to how strange and stupid the song was and leave us alone. But they didn’t get the joke. They thought it sounded good. Truthfully, though, the production on ‘Elenore’ WAS so damn good. Lyrically or not, the sound of the thing was so positive that it worked. It certainly surprised me.” 

Elenore

You got a thing about you
I just can’t live without you
I really want you Elenore near me
Your looks intoxicate me
Even though your folks hate me
There’s no one like you Elenore really

Elenore gee I think you’re swell
And you really do me well
You’re my pride and joy et cetera
Elenore can I take the time
To ask you to speak your mind
Tell me that you love me better

I really think you’re groovy
Let’s go out to a movie
What do ya say now, Elenore can we?
They’ll turn the lights way down low
Maybe we won’t watch the show
I think I love you, Elenore, love me

Elenore, gee I think you’re swell
And you really do me well
You’re my pride and joy, et cetera
Elenore, can I take the time
To ask you to speak your mind?
Tell me that you love me better

One more time!

Elenore, gee I think you’re swell, ah-hah
Elenore, gee I think you’re swell, ah-hah-hah

Ducks Deluxe – Fireball

Every now and then, I stumble across a song that makes me wonder how I missed it for so many years. This awesome song by Ducks Deluxe was one of those. It has everything I like about pub rock. Enough energy to make it sound like the band is playing ten feet away. The first time I heard it, I knew it wouldn’t be the last.

Ducks Deluxe formed in England in the early 1970s and became one of the pioneers of the pub rock movement. While progressive rock bands were hot and glam rock was dominating the charts, Ducks Deluxe took a different path. They played straightforward rock and roll mixed with country, rhythm and blues, and a little rockabilly. The band never became a household name, but they helped build the foundation for a scene that would later produce artists like Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Graham Parker, and many others. Several members even went on to successful careers after the group broke up, proving just how much talent was packed into one band. Some band members joined Graham Parker’s band, The Rumour.

This song captures everything that made Ducks Deluxe special. The rhythm never lets up, the guitars have plenty of bite, and the whole band sounds like they’re having a great time. There isn’t a lot of studio polish here, and that’s part of the charm. Pub rock was about songs and musicianship, not gimmicks. Listening to it now, it’s easy to imagine hearing it in a crowded London pub with people packed shoulder to shoulder, enjoying every minute of it. This song was released in 1974 on their self-titled debut album.

What I like most about this is its honesty. It doesn’t try to be bigger than it needs to be. It’s simply a great rock and roll song played with confidence and heart. That’s something I’ve been discovering more and more as I dig into the pub rock scene. They left behind some outstanding music. Ducks Deluxe is another reminder that sometimes the best songs are the ones you have to find for yourself.