This was recorded during an all-night session at Keith Richards’ rented villa in the South of France. The band rented houses in the area and used Keith’s basement as a studio.
This song was on Exile On Main Street and it’s an incredibly driven song. It comes right at you and never slows down.
Understanding lyrics in Rolling Stones songs has always been a challenge but Mick’s voice is lower than usual in this one. The song contains some obscenities and sexual references, but they are very hard to understand.
But no worries… just sit back and enjoy the ride and this song takes you on one. It also contains references to President Nixon and his wife Pat, but they are almost impossible to understand.
Exile on Main street peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, Canada, and the UK in 1972.
It’s Sunday…just turn this up to full blast and enjoy it.
From Songfacts
The “Butter Queen” is a reference to a famous groupie known as “Barbara the Butter Queen.” Her real name was Barbara Cope, and she would do her thing when bands came through Dallas. She was very proficient, and had a killer gimmick: she would use a stick of butter when servicing the rock stars and crew. The butter supposedly made her activity smell like movie theater popcorn.
This song was particularly inspirational to Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler. He told Rolling Stone magazine: “When I went to my first rehab, at a place called Hazelden, I brought Exile on Main St. on cassette. I remember waking up the first morning there and realizing I hadn’t been sober once for the past 12 or 15 years, from LSD to heroin and cocaine and acid. The only way I could get a buzz at that point was to listen to ‘Rip This Joint.'”
Rip This Joint
Mama says yes, Papa says no Make up your mind ’cause I gotta go We’re gonna raise hell at the Union Hall Drive myself right over the wall
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul Round and round and round we go Roll this joint, gonna get down low Start my starter, gonna stop the show (Yeah)
Whoa, yeah! Mister President, Mister Immigration Man Let me in, sweetie to your fair land I’m Tampa bound and Memphis too Short Fat Fanny is on the loose Dig that sound on the radio Then slip it right across into Buffalo Dick and Pat in ole DC Well they’re gonna hold some shit for me
Ying yang, you’re my thing Oh, now, baby, won’t you hear me sing Flip Flop, fit to drop Come on baby, won’t you let it rock?
Oh yeah! Oh yeah! From San Jose down to Santa Fe Kiss me quick, baby, won’tcha make my day New Orleans with the Dixie Dean To Dallas, Texas with the Butter Queen
Rip this joint, gonna rip yours too Some brand new steps and some weight to lose Gonna roll this joint, gonna get down low Round and round and round we’ll go Wham, Bham, Birmingham, Alabam’ don’t give a damn Little Rock and I’m fit to top Ah, let it rock
George steps up to the plate on Revolver and knocks it out of the park. If you think you pay too much tax…The Beatles were in a 95% tax bracket.
At the time, high earners paid exorbitant taxes in England. Many successful entertainers left the country so they could keep more of their money. As a result, The Beatles, as well as The Who and The Rolling Stones, spent a lot of time in America and other parts of Europe as tax exiles.
This is a strong one by George and it was the opener for the album. On the song, it wasn’t George that played the solo…it was Paul. It’s a brilliant small solo and adds a lot to the song. Paul played it with an Indian feel for George.
Revolver is the only album on which Harrison has three songs. On all the others he only has two or fewer. On The White Album he had four, but it was a double album so he was only allotted his usual one track per side.
George Harrison:“You are so happy that you’ve finally started earning money – and then you find out about tax. In those days we paid nineteen shillings and sixpence out of every pound (there were twenty shillings in the pound), and with supertax and surtax and tax-tax it was ridiculous – a heavy penalty to pay for making money…It was, and still is, typical. Why should this be so? Are we being punished for something we have forgotten to do?…That was the big turn-off for Britain. Anybody who ever made any money moved to America or somewhere else.”
George Harrison: “‘Taxman’ was when I first realized that even though we had started earning money, we were actually giving most of it away in taxes.”
From Songfacts
George Harrison wrote this song. The music was inspired by the theme song for the popular 1960s TV series Batman, which was written and originally recorded by the conductor/trumpeter Neal Hefti, and covered by the surf rock group The Marketts early in 1966 in a version that hit #17 in the US. Harrison was a big fan of the show.
This was the first track on the Revolver album. It was the first song Harrison wrote that was given such prominent position, indicating that he was capable of writing songs as good as Lennon and McCartney’s.
“Mr. Wilson” and “Mr. Heath” are mentioned in the lyrics. They are British Prime Ministers Harold Wilson and Edward Heath, who were being scorned in the song for contributing to English tax laws. Before this song was released, Wilson had presented The Beatles with the award for England’s Show Business Personalities of 1963 at the Variety Club of Great Britain Annual Show Business Awards held on March 19, 1964 in London.
Over the next few years, George Harrison came to realize that money, when you have lots of it, is a rather ephemeral concept and does not translate to happiness. This played into his spiritual awakening. In 1969, he told BBC Radio: “No matter how much money you’ve got, you can’t be happy anyway. So you have to find your happiness with the problems you have and you have to not worry too much about them.”
The fade-out ending is a reprise of the guitar solo as all completed takes of the song ended with John and Paul singing “Taxman!”
There’s been a lot of confusion over who played lead guitar on this track. Harrison said in his 1977 Crawdaddy interview: “I helped out such a lot in all the arrangements. There were a lot of tracks though where I played bass. Paul played lead guitar on ‘Taxman,’ and he played guitar – a good part – on ‘Drive My Car.”
Jeff Emerick said in his book on recording the Beatles that Harrison just couldn’t get the solo right, so Paul played most of the guitar parts, including the solo. The repeat of the solo at the end of the song was the same “exact” solo by Paul, which Jeff dubbed from the middle of the song to another piece of tape and cut into the fade at the end.
Seth Swirsky, who worked as a staff songwriter before producing the Beatles documentary Beatles Stories, told Songfacts: “I think Paul McCartney was one of the greatest guitar players of the ’60s. Nobody really recognized him as an electric guitar player, or an acoustic guitar player, but his leads on ‘Taxman’ and on different songs that you think George played, they ripped. I think George is great, but when Paul played lead on some songs, they tore. They were just very unique. There’s no one like Paul McCartney in the history of the world.”
The guitar solo at the end is a straight copy of the middle-eight. This same solo was later reused as a tape spool on “Tomorrow Never Knows.” >>
“Weird Al” Yankovic recorded a parody of this song called “Pac-Man” in 1981. It was never officially released on any of his albums (possibly because Pac-Man Fever got there first), but a demo version can be found on Dr. Demento’s Basement Tapes No. 4. The song is very faithful to the Beatles’ original, plus some musical and well-placed Pac-Man sound effects. Sample lyrics:
I used to be a pinball freak
That’s where you’d find me every week
But now it’s Pacman
Yeah it’s the Pacman >>
This wasn’t the last Beatles song to question who else is getting their cash. On their 1969 Abbey Road album, Paul McCartney contributed “You Never Give Me Your Money,” where he takes aim at their unscrupulous business partners.
Blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan covered this song. His version sounds very different, but the lyrics are identical.
Harrison put some math into the lyrics. In the beginning of the song, he sings, “There’s one for you, 19 for me” before “If 5 percent appears too small.” One of 19 is 5 percent.
In his 1987 reminiscence “When We Was Fab,” it was clear that the taxation of long ago was still on George Harrison’s mind, as he sang, “Income tax was all we had.”
In 2002, H&R Block used this in commercials for their tax preparation service. The ads aired shortly after Harrison died.
Taxman
Let me tell you how it will be There’s one for you, nineteen for me ‘Cause I’m the taxman, yeah, I’m the taxman
Should five per cent appear too small Be thankful I don’t take it all ‘Cause I’m the taxman, yeah I’m the taxman
If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street, If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat. If you get too cold I’ll tax the heat, If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet.
Don’t ask me what I want it for If you don’t want to pay some more ‘Cause I’m the taxman, yeah, I’m the taxman
Now my advice for those who die Declare the pennies on your eyes ‘Cause I’m the taxman, yeah, I’m the taxman And you’re working for no one but me.
In 2018 I did a Slang from the Seventies post but on this one, I wanted to concentrate on TV Catch Phrases. It’s funny that some people would tune into shows just to hear them…waiting for JJ to say Dy-no-mite in Good Times.
Lookin’ Good! – Chico and the Man
Stifle Yourself – All In The Family
Dy-no-mite Good Times
Who Loves Ya Baby? – Kojak
Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry – The Incredible Hulk
Another Cars release and another catchy song. This song was released in 1984 on the album Heartbeat City. The song was written by Ric Ocasek. The album was produced by Mutt Lange who was an in-demand producer in the 1980s.
You Might Think peaked at #7 in the Billboard100, #8 in Canada, #88 in the UK, and #27 in New Zealand in 1984.
The album Heartbeat City peaked at #3 in the Billboard Album Charts, #5 in Canada, #25 in the UK, and #1 in New Zealand in 1985.
The video won the first-ever Video of the Year award at MTV’s Video Music Awards. It beat out “Thriller” by Michael Jackson and Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit,” among others.
The video took months to make. The effects seen in the video can be created with a basic program these days, but in 1984 creating and rendering this stuff was extremely tedious and time-consuming.
Jeff Stein directed the video. in 1979 he had directed The Who’s documentary The Kids Are Alright.
From Songfacts
The video was very advanced for the time and was one of the first to use computerized effects. Singer/guitarist Ric Ocasek’s image appeared in various animated scenes – he would show up as a fly, climbing the Empire State Building, just about anywhere to get the attention of the girl. The object of his affection was played by model Susan Gallagher.
Weezer recorded this for the 2011 movie Cars 2 – their version was used in a scene where Lightning McQueen and Mater go to Japan. The actual Cars had reunited by 2011, but apparently weren’t contemporary enough for the kids’ movie.
The antecedent for the video were commercials for the American gossip magazine National Enquirer, which featured goofy cutout animations of the celebrities the magazine would feature. These spots were produced at Charlex studios, so Jeff Stein, who directed the “You Might Think” video, commissioned them to work on it after pitching The Cars on the idea, which was putting the band in pop culture scenarios and having an animated Ric Ocasek stalk the girl. Getting the band on board wasn’t easy. Stein explained in the book I Want My MTV: “I met The Cars and told them, ‘The band’s in the medicine chest, and then on a bar of soap, and Ric’s a fly,’ and one of them said, ‘Why don’t we all just play on a turd in the toilet bowl?’ That was the prevailing attitude.”
Stein was famous for his live videos like what he did with Billy Idol on “Rebel Yell,” but he thought The Cars were a boring live band so he used digital trickery to get around that.
This song was used throughout the CBS TV series BrainDead, which ran for one season in 2016. The show was about ants that take over the brains of politicians. The song played to indicate a character who has been infected.
This was used on the series finale of The Office in 2013. It plays while Erin dances with her biological father at Angela and Dwight’s wedding reception.
You Might Think
You might think I’m crazy To hang around with you Maybe you think I’m lucky To have something to do
But I think that you’re wild Inside me is some child
You might think I’m foolish Or maybe it’s untrue (You might think) you might think I’m crazy (All I want) but all I want is you
You might think it’s hysterical But I know when you’re weak You think you’re in the movies And everything’s so deep
But I think that you’re wild When you flash that fragile smile
You might think it’s foolish What you put me through (You might think) you might think I’m crazy (All I want) but all I want is you
And it was hard, so hard to take There’s no escape without a scrape
You kept it going ’till the sun fell down You kept it going
Well you might think I’m delirious The way I run you down But somewhere sometimes, when you’re curious I’ll be back around
Oh I think that you’re wild And so uniquely styled
You might think it’s foolish This chancy rendezvous (You might think) you might think I’m crazy (All I want) but all I want is you All I want is you All I want is you
It’s just nobody knows baby where love goes But when it goes it’s gone gone
I was reading posts a while back and Vinyl Burn reviewed the album Tunnel Of Love. That brought back a lot of memories of that album…and this song. This was the studio follow up to the huge Born in the USA album. Bruce had married actress Julianne Phillips in 1985 and she filed for divorce in 1988…a year after the release of Tunnel of Love. The album reflects some of the turmoil that was going on.
He later toured after the album was released and the E-Street Band backed him up as usual. After the tour, Bruce told the band that he would not need them for the foreseeable future. It wouldn’t be until 10 years later in 1999 that they would regroup and tour again.
I saw Bruce in 1996 on a solo acoustic tour and he played this song and it was the only song he played off of Tunnel of Love.
The album was released in 1987. Tunnel of Love peaked at #1 in the Billboard Album Chart, #1 in Canada, #1 in the UK. It peaked at #6 in New Zealand.
The song was not released as a single.
When You’re Alone
Times were tough love was not enough So you said sorry Johnny I’m gone gone gone You said my act was funny But we both knew what was missing honey So you let out on your own Now that pretty form that you’ve got baby Will make sure you get along But you’re gonna find out someday honey
When you’re alone you’re alone When you’re alone you’re alone When you’re alone you’re alone When you’re alone you ain’t nothing but alone
Now I was young and pretty on the mean streets of the city And I fought to make ’em my home With just the shirt on my back I left and swore I’d never look back And man I was gone gone gone But there’s things that’ll knock you down you don’t even see coming And send you crawling like a baby back home You’re gonna find out that day sugar
When you’re alone you’re alone When you’re alone you’re alone When you’re alone you’re alone When you’re alone you ain’t nothing but alone
I knew someday your runnin’ would be through And you’d think back on me and you And your love would be strong You’d forget all the bad and think only of all the laughs that we had And you’d want to come home Now it ain’t hard feelings or nothin’ sugar That ain’t what’s got me singing this song It’s just nobody knows baby where love goes But when it goes it’s gone gone
When you’re alone you’re alone When you’re alone you’re alone When you’re alone you’re alone When you’re alone you ain’t nothing but alone
Black Coffee was written by Ike and Tina Turner. It originally recorded by R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner for their 1972 album Feel Good.
The Humble Pie version was released in 1973. It was on the double album Eat It that peaked at #13 in the Billboard 100. Each side of this double album is different: Side 1 features Steve Marriott penned rock and roll; Side 2 has classic R&B covers; Side 3 is a collection of acoustic Steve Marriott songs; finally Side 4 features Humble Pie live in concert.
Steve Mariott contacted Venetta Fields and asked her to find two other women to form a trio of backup singers. Fields chose Clydie King and Billie Barnum. The toured with Humble Pie and they were called the Blackberries.
Steve Marriott: “I just sang it ‘cos I loved the song and it was an interpretation of somebody else’s lyrics. People should have known that I’ve been into black music for years anyway.”
Black Coffee
Black coffee is my name Black coffee is not a thing Black coffee, freshly ground and fully packed Hot black coffee, boys, mmm that’s where it’s at, mean it.
Way back you all know since I don’t know when See I got hungover before I was 10 You see my skin is white but my soul is black So hot black coffee, that’s where it’s at.
(Black coffee) That’s what I’m talkin’ about boys (Black coffee) That’s what I mean (Black coffee) Ooh you’ve got to feel it in your hand (Black coffee) Hmm yeah (Black coffee).
Well you hear that Some black tea, well it can’t compare with me Black tea (can’t compare with me) that’s right Black tea, well it’s as good as, it’s as good as, it’s as good as it can be But it’s a cup of black coffee that a working man needs to see, yeah.
In America, well it’s the land of the free You can get what you want if you’ve got some do re me Well travelling far and I work like a slave Now I’m independent, and you know I get laid. I got me a job and I build me a place I got a spit of black coffee, oh how good it tastes I said a dime is all it costs in the States For a cup of black coffee, how good it tastes
(Black coffee) Alright (Black coffee) Oh (Black coffee) It’s what I want now, it’s what I need (Black coffee) To suit my soul, to suit my soul now (Black coffee) It’s what I want, it’s what I need (Black coffee) It’s where it’s at, it’s where it’s at (Black coffee) Oh
I remember seeing this in commercials before I heard the song…I knew times were changing. It had been a little while at that time since I really liked a new U2 song…this one I really did.
The song peaked at #31 in the Billboard 100, #2 in Canada, #1 in the UK, and #5 in New Zealand in 2004. It was on the album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and it peaked at #1 in the Billboard Album Charts, Canada, The UK, and New Zealand.
This won three Grammy Awards: Best Rock Song, Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal and Best Short Form Music Video.
Adam Clayton: “Bono and Edge rewrote it when we started work with Steve Lillywhite. The bass and drums have a little bit of Echo & the Bunnymen in there – a nice wink to where we came from.”
From Songfacts
Vertigo is a sensation of dizziness or a feeling of disorientation. It can be a serious medical condition, but in the context of this song, it seems to be about opening your mind and looking at things in a different way.
This was used in commercials as part of a big promotional deal with Apple. The commercials, where many people first heard the song, promoted Apple’s iPod. Apple also released a special-edition iPod with the signatures of the band members engraved on the back, and made the entire U2 catalog along with special bonus tracks available for download at iTunes for $150.
U2 made many high-profile appearances to promote the album, including performances on Saturday Night Live and the Grammy Awards. In the late ’80s and early ’90s, U2 often stayed away from these kind of appearances to avoid the feeling of commercialism, but by the 2000s, it became clear that these appearances were crucial if U2 was going to continue selling millions of albums and fill arenas.
This song is notorious for its intro, in which Bono says “Uno, dos, tres, catorce,” which is “1, 2, 3, 14” in Spanish. One theory is that Bono was directing listeners to The Bible: 1st Testament, 2nd Book, 3rd Chapter, 14th verse – “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” Another theory is that he did it because How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb was U2’s 14th album.
Vertigo is the name of a popular 1958 movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
U2 played this when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
This song was ruthlessly parodied on the South Park episode “More Crap.” The plot of the episode revolved around the character Randy Marsh breaking the world record for largest piece of crap, which was previously held by Bono. Bono is featured throughout the episode trying to beat, and then preserve this record. Almost everywhere he goes (including poor nations in Africa) he sings run around pointing and singing his “yeah, yeah, yeah” outro of “Vertigo.” He also answers his cell phone with the “Hello, hello” part of the chorus. >>
This was originally called “Native Son” and had a very different feel. Adam Clayton explained to Q Magazine November 2004:
Adam Clayton said of this album: “It’s very much a guitar record, ‘Vertigo,’ ‘Love and Peace,’ ‘City of Blinding Lights,’ ‘All Because of You’ – all pretty up, rocky tunes. A lot of them are a kick-back to our very early days, so it’s like with each year we have gathered a little bit more and this is what we are now.”
Vertigo
Unos, dos, tres, catorce Turn it up loud, captain
Lights go down, it’s dark The jungle is your head, can’t rule your heart A feeling’s so much stronger than a thought Your eyes are wide and though your soul, it can’t be bought Your mind can wander
Hello, hello (hola) I’m at a place called Vertigo (¿dónde está?) It’s everything I wish I didn’t know Except you give me something I can feel, feel
The night is full of holes ‘Cause bullets rip the sky of ink with gold They twinkle as the boys play rock and roll They know that they can’t dance, at least they know I can’t stand the beat, I’m asking for the check Girl with crimson nails has Jesus around her neck Swinging to the music, swinging to the music (whoa, whoa) (Whoa, whoa, whoa)
Hello, hello (hola) I’m at a place called Vertigo (¿dónde está?) It’s everything I wish I didn’t know But you give me something I can feel, feel
Checkmate Jazz funk Show made it in, yeah
All of this, all of this can be yours All of this, all of this can be yours All of this, all of this can be yours Just give me what I want and no one gets hurt
Hello, hello (hola) We’re at a place called Vertigo (¿dónde está?) Lights go down, and all I know Is that you give me something I can feel your love teaching me how Your love is teaching me how How to kneel Kneel
Seven thirty-seven comin’ out of the sky Won’t you take me down to Memphis on a midnight ride I want to move Playin’ in a travelin’ band
This one is a rocker and doesn’t let up. It came off of perhaps their best album Cosmo’s Factory and was released as a double A-side single with Who’ll Stop The Rain on the other side.
“Travelin’ Band” is very similar in style to the music of Little Richard, which Fogerty saw as a heartfelt tribute to the singer. Specialty Records, which owned Richard’s catalog, saw things differently and sued the band, reaching a settlement to earn some royalties from the song.
After the basic track was cut, John Fogerty went back to the studio and added many of the instrumental parts, including horns and piano, which he played himself.
Travelin’ Band/Who’ll Stop The Rain peaked at #2 in the Billboard 100, #4 in Canada, and #8 in the UK in 1970.
From Songfacts
Written by lead singer John Fogerty, this song is all about the hectic lifestyle of Creedence Clearwater Revival and their road warrior ways. In 1969, the band toured constantly and played many of the major festivals, including Woodstock. There was a rush of excitement in going from place to place, but as their drummer Doug Clifford explained, their baggage was constantly getting lost (“baggage gone, oh well”) and they spent a lot of time waiting around in the heat during those famous festivals. The traveling got easier for the band when they got their own private plane.
The lawsuit claimed the Little Richard’s “Good Golly Miss Molly” was being copied, but Creedence bass player Stu Cook said he thought it sounded more like “Long Tall Sally.” Cook described the song as a combination of ’50s Rock classics, but not a ripoff of any one song.
Travelin’ Band
Seven thirty seven comin’ out of the sky Won’t you take me down to Memphis on a midnight ride I want to move Playin’ in a travelin’ band Yeah Well I’m flyin’ ‘cross the land tryin’ to get a hand Playin’ in a travelin’ band
Take me to the hotel baggage gone, oh well Come on, come on won’t you get me to my room I want to move Playin’ in a travelin’ band Yeah Well I’m flyin’ ‘cross the land, tryin’ to get a hand Playin’ in a travelin’ band
Listen to the radio talkin’ ’bout the last show Someone got excited, had to call the state militia Want to move Playin’ in a travelin’ band Yeah Well, I’m flyin’ ‘cross the land, tryin’ to get a hand Playin’ in a travelin’ band
Here we come again on a Saturday night With your fussin’ and your fightin’ won’t you get me to the rhyme I want to move Playin’ in a travelin’ band Yeah Well, I’m flyin’ ‘cross the land, tryin’ to get a hand Playin’ in a travelin’ band
Playin’ in a travelin’ band Playin’ in a travelin’ band Won’t you give myself a hand? Playin’ in a travelin’ band Well, I’m flyin’ ‘cross the land, tryin’ to get a hand Playin’ in a travelin’ band
The Small Faces were very popular in the UK in the 1960s. Because of management they never toured in America. Their best-known songs are Itchycoo Park and Lazy Sunday in America but had many hits in the UK.
All or Nothing was written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane. The song peaked at #1 in the UK in 1966.
The Small Faces would splinter in 1969 and Steve Marriott would start Humble Pie with Peter Frampton. The Small Faces would welcome Ron Wood and Rod Stewart and become the Faces…Kenney Jones would later replace Keith Moon in the Who.
It was said to be written either about Marriott’s break up with his with ex-fiancée Sue Oliver, or for his first wife who once dated Rod Stewart. It is possible that both these explanations may be true…somehow.
Drummer Kenney Jones: “It was us getting to where we wanted to be musically. It wasn’t as poppy as our previous hits, but still commercial enough and better than anything we’d done before.”
Steve Marriott in 1984: “I think ‘All Or Nothing’ takes a lot of beating. To me, if there’s a song that typifies that era, then that might be it.”
From Songfacts
Not to be confused with a later song of the same title, “All Or Nothing” was recorded by the Small Faces in 1966. In his 2004 autobiography Mr Big, their manager at the time, Don Arden, said this was “top-drawer…[and] still gets played on the radio today”. Arden produced the record. Co-written by guitarist Steve Marriott and bass player Ronnie Lane, it was backed by “Understanding” and was written
For Marriott it was very much all or nothing; he married three times and appears to have sired at least two children out of wedlock. He died in a fire in April 1991, apparently after lighting a cigarette in bed and falling asleep. Prior to his death, he had taken cocaine as well as Valium and alcohol.
Here are two quotes about the song from 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh.
Kenney Jones recalled to Uncut magazine: “We were on tour and staying in the Station Hotel, Leeds, when Steve suddenly run down the corridor screaming, ‘I’ve got it! I’ve just written our next hit!”‘
Jones based his opening drum fill on the intro of Wilson Pickett’s “In The Midnight Hour.”
All Or Nothing
I thought you’d listen to my reason But now I see, you don’t hear a thing Try to make you see, how it’s got to be
Yes it’s all, all or nothing Yeah yeah, all or nothing All or nothing, for me
Things could work out Just like I want them to, yeah If I could have The other half of you, yeah You know I would, If I only could
Yes it’s yeah, all or nothing Oh yeah, all or nothing You’ll hear my children say, All or nothing, for me
I didn’t tell you no lies So don’t you sit there and cry girl Yeah, all or nothing Oh yeah, all or nothing Oh yeah, all or nothing
Do you know what I mean You got to, got to, go to keep on trying, yeah All or nothing, mm yeah All or nothing, to keep on working on to me All or nothing for me, for me, for me
Come on children, yeah All or nothing, yeah,yeah, yeah, yeah All or nothing, I kept on singing to myself All or nothing, yeah for me, yeah
Recently I’ve been listening to some early Pink Floyd. This was quite a bit different from their more famous 70s-80s output. I like what I’ve heard so far from the Syd Barret days.
Syd Barrett wrote this…he was one of the band’s original members and the group’s leader. He became very unpredictable, sometimes refusing to play at shows.
Barrett claimed “Emily” was a girl he saw when he woke up one night after sleeping in the woods after a gig. It is unclear if she was a real person or a drug-induced hallucination.
David Gilmour was asked by the members of Pink Floyd to join the band to supplement the guitar work of the increasingly erratic Syd Barrett. For a brief time, Syd and David were both members of Pink Floyd at the same time. When Barrett’s mental breakdown made it impossible for him to continue with the group, Gilmour became a permanent, contributing member in time for their second album, 1968’s A Saucerful of Secrets. Syd Barrett contributed one track to that album, his last with Pink Floyd. Syd departed the band soon after that.
The song peaked at #6 in the UK, #134 in Billboard, and #25 in Germany in 1967.
From Songfacts
This was Pink Floyd’s second single. Their first was “Arnold Layne.”
Barrett did the slide guitar work on this song with a Zippo lighter (he used it as a slide, not to set the guitar on fire).
The original title was “Games For May.” They performed it live a few times before changing it.
This is an example of the psychedelic sound Pink Floyd was known for. Over the next few years, they tried to lose the psychedelic image because they wanted people to know there was much more to their music.
This was included on the 2001 Pink Floyd retrospective album, Echoes. The tracks flow seamlessly together.
The song was inspired in part by 15-year-old schoolgirl Emily Young, who was the daughter of Wayland Young, 2nd Baron Kennet. She recalled to Mojo:
“On Friday night at the Saints Hall, the regular band was the Pink Floyd Sound. I was more into R&B, so their dreamy hippie thing wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, but it was interesting. And the light show was wonderful, and I liked to get stoned and dance. After playing, we’d sit around on grey sofas and pass around joints. I was quite pretty and word got out that I was a lord’s daughter, and apparently the guys in the band called me the ‘psychedelic schoolgirl.'”
“See Emily Play” began life as a Syd Barrett song written for Pink Floyd’s concert-cum-happening Games For May at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on May 12, 1967. Emily missed the event but someone told her all about it. She recalled: “I thought, gosh, that’s nice, a song with my name, but I didn’t think it was about me. And I don’t think it was now because Syd and me didn’t have a love affair and he didn’t really know me. It could have been some other girl who played a part in his dream. It could have been Jenny, but Emily scanned better.”
See Emily Play
Emily tries but misunderstands, ah ooh She’s often inclined to borrow somebody’s dreams till tomorrow There is no other day Let’s try it another way
You’ll lose your mind and play Free games for May See Emily play
Soon after dark Emily cries, ah ooh Gazing through trees in sorrow hardly a sound till tomorrow There is no other day Let’s try it another way You’ll lose your mind and play
Free games for May See Emily play
Put on a gown that touches the ground, ah ooh Float on a river forever and ever, Emily (Emily)
There is no other day Let’s try it another way You’ll lose your mind and play Free games for May See Emily play
This is probably the first song I remember by Iggy Pop back in the 80s.
This song was originally recorded by Australian rocker Johnny O’Keefe with The Deejays in 1958 as “Wild One.” Deejays saxophonists Johnny Greenan and Dave Owens drafted the song over drinks after a particularly wild concert and Johnny O’Keefe later chipped in.
The song was an immediate hit and made Johnny O’Keefe the first Australian rocker to reach the national charts. Iggy Pop covered it for his Blah Blah Blah album. Released as a single, it became his only UK Top 10 hit.
The song peaked at #1 in New Zealand, #10 in the UK, #65 in Canada, and #27 in the Mainstream Rock Billboard Charts.
The album Blah Blah Blah peaked at #75 in the Billboard Album Charts, #61 in Canada, #43 in the UK, and #19 in New Zealand in 1986.
From Songfacts
Johnny O’Keefe (1935-1978) was a pioneering Australian Rock singer whose career began in the 1950s and ended with his early death in the late 1970s of barbiturate poisoning. Often referred to by his nickname, “The Wild One,” O’Keefe was the first Australian Rock star.
The lyrics are about youngsters wanting to be cool and wild.
In Australia this has been used as the theme music for the ABC’s all-night music video show Rage for over 20 years.
Iggy Pop’s version has featured in the movies Adventures in Babysitting (1987) and Problem Child 2 (1991).
A cover by Christopher Otcasek featured in Pretty Woman (1989). Other cover versions include “Real Wild Child” by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts (1993), “Wild One” by Status Quo (2003) and Christian pop band Everlife’s “Real Wild Child,” which appears as the theme song in Disney’s The Wild (2006). >>
This is Kesha’s favorite song. She told Spinmagazine: “It’s the last song I play before I walk onstage and the first song I play when I get off stage. It always gets me going.”
Real Wild Child (Wild One)
Well I’m just outta school Like I’m real real cool Gotta dance like a fool Got the message that I gotta be A wild one Ooh yeah I’m a wild one
Gotta break it loose Gonna keep ’em movin’ wild Gonna keep a swingin’ baby I’m a real wild child
Gonna met all muh friends Gonna have our self a ball Gonna tell my friends Gonna tell them all That I’m a wild one Ooh yeah I’m a wild one
Gotta break it loose Gonna keep ’em movin’ wild Gonna keep a swingin’ baby I’m a real wild child
I’m a real wild one An’ I like a wild fun In a world gone crazy Everything seems hazy I’m a wild one Ooh yeah I’m a wild one
Gotta break it loose Gonna keep ’em movin’ wild Gonna keep a swingin’ baby I’m a real wild child
I’m a wild one I’m a wild one I’m a wild one Oh baby I’m a wild one
Gotta break it loose Gonna keep ’em movin’ wild Gonna keep a swingin’ baby I’m a real wild child
I said would you believe this man has gone as far As tearin’ Wallace stickers off the bumpers of cars And he voted for George McGovern for president
Charlie Daniels passed away on Monday, July 6, 2020. I wrote this up the next day but forgot to post it. He was a country music legend. While I wasn’t a huge fan he was part of my childhood. He was an incredible musician…he played with Dylan, George Harrison, and many other greats… along with having a very successful career himself. The man at 83 had booked a tour this year but it was canceled of course.
Charlie had more serious hits than this… This is a novelty song and not a great representation…it’s spoken word country…but it’s one that is a little different because it captures the time.
I first heard this song in the mid-seventies. It brings back a lot of memories for me as a kid. I thought it was extremely funny although I knew nothing about McGovern, Wallace, John Birch, Tokin’ on a number, or much of anything. I did know what mag wheels and a peace sign was so that was a start. The song is about a long-haired guy that walks into a redneck bar to use a phone. He ends up playing on the conspiracy-minded rednecks there to get free…
I remember we would see hippies (or anyone) harrassed on television shows…My dad would always take their side. “Why are they bothering them…it’s just hair! (as my mom would shake her head) If I was 20 I would grow my hair out”…and he eventually did when he got old. My dad taught me a lot about equality…and to treat everyone the same…no one is better no one is worse.
This song peaked at #9 in the Billboard 100 in 1973. He would go on to have 9 songs in the Billboard 100 and two top 10 hits.
In the country charts, he would have 33 songs in the top 100 and three top ten hits.
Charlie Daniels: “I used to do a little bit of record producing. I used to produce a group called the Youngbloods that were headquartered in San Francisco. And we were doing a live album, and we did part of it at the Fillmore East and West, and we did part of what used to be called a rock festival, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was one of those big three-day affairs where everybody in the world played. And that day I think it was the Youngbloods and the Grateful Dead and the Jefferson Airplane, and I don’t know who else.
And all these people were there at the motel. And they were these long-haired hippie-type people. The movie Easy Rider had not been out very long, and here we were sitting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with all these long-haired people, and I think a lot of them had the impression that if they were to get two blocks away, that somebody was going to run out with a pair of shears and cut their hair and threaten their life. I was born in the South, and to me this attitude was just kind of funny, and that’s where the idea came from. I just took a guy and put him in a fictitious situation, and extricated him. But of course there’s no truth to it other than just being around people that kind of had a fear of redneck bars.”
Daniels says the line in the song, “I just reached out and kicked ole Green Teeth right in the knee,” “He had tartar on his teeth, and they actually turn green if they don’t get it off. I don’t think he practiced very good dental hygiene. And that’s where that came from; he had little spots of green on his teeth.” Daniels did not, however, kick him. “Maybe I should have,” he says, “but I didn’t kick him.”
Uneasy Rider
I was takin’ a trip out to LA, Toolin’ along in my Chevrolet Tokin’ on a number and diggin’ on the radio
Just as I cross the Mississippi line I heard that highway start to whine And I knew that left rear tire was about to go
Well the spare was flat and I got uptight ‘Cause there wasn’t a fillin’ station in sight So I just limped down the shoulder on the rim
I went as far as I could and when I stopped the car It was right in front of this little bar A kind of a redneck lookin’ joint called the Dew Drop Inn
Well I stuffed my hair up under my hat And told the bartender that I had a flat And would he be kind enough to give me change for a one
There was one thing I was sure proud to see There wasn’t a soul in the place except for him an’ me And he just looked disgusted an’ pointed toward the telephone
I called up the station down the road a ways And he said he wasn’t very busy today And he could have somebody there in just ’bout ten minutes or so
He said now you just stay right where yer at and I didn’t bother Tellin’ the durn fool I sure as hell didn’t have anyplace else to go
I just ordered up a beer and sat down at the bar When some guy walked in an’ said who owns this car With the peace sign the mag wheels and four on the floor
Well he looked at me and I damn near died And I decided that I’d just wait outside So I laid a dollar on the bar and headed for the door
Just when I thought I’d get outta there with my skin These five big dudes come strollin’ in With this one old drunk chick and some fella with green teeth
And I was almost to the door when the biggest one Said you tip your hat to this lady son An’ when I did all that hair fell out from underneath
Now the last thing I wanted was to get into a fight In Jackson Mississippi on a Saturday night ‘Specially when there was three of them and only one of me
Well they all started laughin’ and I felt kinda sick And I knew I’d better think of somethin’ pretty quick So I just reached out an’ kicked ol’ green-teeth right in the knee
He let out a yell that’d curl your hair But before he could move I grabbed me a chair And said watch him folks ’cause he’s a thoroughly dangerous man
Well you may not know it but this man’s a spy He’s an undercover agent for the FBI And he’s been sent down here to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan
He was still bent over holdin’ on to his knee But everyone else was lookin’ and listenin’ to me And I laid it on thicker and heavier as I went
I said would you believe this man has gone as far As tearin’ Wallace stickers off the bumpers of cars And he voted for George McGovern for president
Well he’s a friend of them long-haired hippie type pinko fags I betcha he’s even got a Commie flag Tacked up on the wall inside of his garage
He’s a snake in the grass I tell ya guys He may look dumb but that’s just a disguise He’s a mastermind in the ways of espionage
They all started lookin’ real suspicious at him And he jumped up an’ said just wait a minute Jim You know he’s lyin’ I’ve been livin’ here all of my life
I’m a faithful follower of Brother John Birch And I belong to the Antioch Baptist Church And I ain’t even got a garage you can call home and ask my wife
Then he started sayin’ somethin’ ’bout the way I was dressed But I didn’t wait around to hear the rest I was too busy movin’ and hopin’ I didn’t run outta luck
And when I hit the ground I was makin’ tracks And they were just takin’ my car down off the jacks So I threw the man a twenty an’ jumped in an’ fired that mother up
Mario Andretti would of sure been proud Of the way I was movin’ when I passed that crowd Comin’ out the door and headin’ toward me in a trot
An’ I guess I shoulda gone ahead and run But somehow I couldn’t resist the fun Of chasin’ them just once around the parkin’ lot
Well they’re headin’ for their car but I hit the gas And spun around and headed them off at the pass Well I was slingin’ gravel and puttin’ a ton of dust in the air
Well I had them all out there steppin’ an’ a fetchin’ Like their heads were on fire and their asses was catchin’ But I figured I oughta go ahead and split before the cops got there
When I hit the road I was really wheelin’ Had gravel flyin’ and rubber squeelin’ An’ I didn’t slow down ’til I was almost to Arkansas
I think I’m gonna re-route my trip I wonder if anybody think I’d flipped If I went to LA via Omaha!
Great song by the one and only Linda Ronstadt. “You’re No Good” was written by Clint Ballard, Jr., who also wrote songs for Connie Francis and The Hollies.
This song had been around for a while before Linda Ronstadt took it to the top of the chart. It was originally recorded by Dee Dee Warwick in 1963. Her version stalled at #117.
The song was on the album Heart Like A Wheel produced by Peter Asher and it peaked at #1 in the Billboard Album Chart and #7 in Canada.
Heart Like a Wheel became Ronstadt’s first album to hit the top spot on the Billboard Top 200 album chart and spent four weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Country Album chart in early 1975.
The song peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, #7 in Canada, and #24 in New Zealand in 1975.
Linda Ronstadt: “I thought the production on ‘You’re No Good’ was very good but [that] I didn’t sing it very well. As a song it was just an afterthought. It’s not the kind of song I got a lot of satisfaction out of singing.”
From Songfacts
One of the most blatant and memorable songs in the “no-good man” milieu,
Betty Everett had more success with her version, which went to #51 in 1964. First released on her 1963 album of the same name, Everett recorded the song at Chess Records in Chicago, with Maurice White on drums (White, who later formed Earth, Wind & Fire, was a staff drummer at Chess early in his career). Everett was a former gospel singer who, like Ronstadt, had a very powerful voice. Her next single, “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss),” became her biggest hit.
The song made one more chart appearance in 1964 when the British male band Swinging Blue Jeans switched the gender and took the song to #97 in the US and #3 in the UK, where it became the best-known rendition of the song.
A decade later, Ronstadt started performing the song and recorded it with her producer Peter Asher. Released as a single from her fifth album, the song was a huge breakthrough for Ronstadt, whose chart success to this point was sporadic (her biggest hit to then: “Long, Long Time” at #25). She became one of the biggest stars of the ’70s, known for her musical versatility and impressive vocal range. Most of her hits were cover songs, including the follow-up, “When Will I Be Loved,” originally recorded by the Everly Brothers.
This song makes it quite clear that the lowdown guy is no good, but in the second verse, Ronstadt turns it around, as she’s done some bad things herself and deserves some comeuppance:
I broke a heart that’s gentle and true
Well I broke a heart over someone like you
I’ll beg his forgiveness on bended knee
I wouldn’t blame him if he said to me
You’re no good
By the third verse, she’s back to bashing the guy:
I’m telling you now baby and I’m going my way
Forget about you baby ’cause I’m leaving to stay
Heart Like A Wheel was the first album Peter Asher produced for Ronstadt, and the results were spectacular. With his duo Peter & Gordon, Asher had a #1 hit in 1964 with “A World Without Love,” and later became head of A&R at The Beatles’ Apple Records, where he began a longstanding relationship with James Taylor.
In a Songfacts interview with Asher, he explained that getting the most out of Ronstadt meant listening to her and honoring her ideas. “I may have listened to her with a bit more attentiveness than others had in the past,” he said. “There was, particularly back in that era, an element of, ‘Don’t you worry your pretty little head about that, I know what’s best.’ Linda knew a lot and was not given credit for it.”
Van Halen recorded this for their second album. It was one of many successful cover songs by the group; Others include Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman,” The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me,” and Martha & the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street.” This is the only cover on the album. Between 1978-1983, Van Halen released an album a year. Since they toured constantly, including cover songs on the albums helped ease the songwriting burden.
You’re No Good
Feeling better now that we’re through Feeling better ’cause I’m over you I learned my lesson, it left a scar Now I see how you really are
You’re no good You’re no good You’re no good Baby you’re no good
I’m gonna say it again You’re no good You’re no good You’re no good Baby you’re no good
I broke a heart that’s gentle and true Well I broke a heart over someone like you I’ll beg his forgiveness on bended knee I wouldn’t blame him if he said to me
You’re no good You’re no good You’re no good Baby you’re no good
I’m gonna say it again You’re no good You’re no good You’re no good Baby you’re no good
I’m telling you now baby and I’m going my way Forget about you baby ’cause I’m leaving to stay You’re no good You’re no good You’re no good Baby you’re no good
I’m gonna say it again You’re no good You’re no good You’re no good Baby you’re no good Oh, oh no You’re no good You’re no good You’re no good Baby you’re no good
You say you’ll change the constitution Well, you know We all want to change your head
This song was the B side to Hey Jude…a heck of a B side. John Lennon wanted it to be the first A-side released on Apple Records, the label The Beatles started, but Paul McCartney’s “Hey Jude” got the honor.
This was the first overtly political Beatles song. It was John Lennon’s response to the Vietnam War.
The “Hey Jude” and “Revolution” videos were shot in a studio setting and meant to look like the band was performing it live. They both aired September 8 on Frost On Sunday, a popular UK show hosted by David Frost, who was at the Twickenham shoot to introduce the clip for the segment on his show, making it appear that the band was really there.
*** A little fun here… I always wondered about the Revolution video. Between 10-13 seconds on the video below you see George say something to Paul. It’s either “John’s mic is sh*t” or something else …what do you think? Any lip readers?
The dirty guitar sound was created by plugging the guitars directly into the audio board and overloading it. The guitar sounded so scratchy that many who bought the 45 RPM single tried to return it, thinking it was defective.
There are two very different versions of this song… a slow version that appears on The White Album, and a fast, loud version was released as a single. In the slow version, Lennon says “count me in” as well as “count me out” when referring to violence. This gives the song a dual meaning.
The song peaked at #12 in the Billboard 100 and #1 in Canada
John Lennon: “I wanted to put out what I felt about revolution,” “I thought it was about time we spoke about it, the same as I thought it was about time we stopped not answering about the Vietnamese war when we were on tour with Brian Epstein and had to tell him, ‘We’re going to talk about the war this time and we’re not going to just waffle’…That’s why I did it: I wanted to talk. I wanted to say my piece about revolutions. I wanted to tell you, or whoever listens, to communicate, to say, ‘What do you say? This is what I say.'”
Paul McCartney: “It was a great song, basically John’s…it was an overtly political song about revolution and a great one. I think John later ascribed more political intent to it than he actually felt when he wrote it.”
Continuing, Paul writes: “They were very political times, obviously, with the Vietnam war going on, Chairman Mao and the Little Red Book, and all the demonstrations with people going through the streets shouting ‘Ho, Ho Ho Chi Minh!’ I think he wanted to say you can count me in for a revolution, but if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao ‘you ain’t gonna make it with anyone anyhow.’ By saying that I think he meant we all want to change the world Maharishi-style, because ‘Across The Universe’ also had the change-the-world theme.”
From Songfacts
John Lennon wrote this in India while The Beatles were at a transcendental meditation camp with The Maharishi. Lennon told Rolling Stone: “I had been thinking about it up in the hills in India. I still had this ‘God will save us’ feeling about it, that it’s going to be all right (even now I’m saying ‘Hold on, John, it’s going to be all right,’ otherwise, I won’t hold on) but that’s why I did it, I wanted to talk, I wanted to say my piece about revolution. I wanted to tell you, or whoever listens, to communicate, to say ‘What do you say? This is what I say.'”
Revolutionaries take different approaches to reach their goals. In a 1998 interview with Uncut, Yoko One gave her thoughts on Lennon’s approach and how he expressed it in this song: “John’s idea of revolution was that he did not want to create the situation where when you destroy statues, you become a statue. And also what he means is that there’s too much repercussion in the usual form of revolution. He preferred evolution. So you have to take a peaceful method to get peace rather than you don’t care what method you take to get peace, and he was very, very adamant about that.”
The fast version was released as the B-side of “Hey Jude” in August 1968, three months before the slow version appeared on The White Album.
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There are so many versions of this song because Paul McCartney didn’t like it. Lennon really wanted this song to be the “A” side of the single instead of “Hey Jude,” and kept changing it around to come up with something that would make Paul see it his way. He basically wrote the song because he felt like he was being pulled in so many directions by different people, all of whom wanted his backing, politically. It was also him questioning his own belief in the revolution that was going on… whether he was “out” or “in.” In truth, he was writing about a revolution of the mind rather than a physical “in the streets” revolution. He truly believed that revolution comes from inner change rather than social violence. (This is discussed in the DVD Composing the Beatles Songbook)
Nike used this for commercials in 1987. Capitol Records, who owned the performance rights, meaning The Beatles version of the song, was paid $250,000. Michael Jackson, who owned the publishing rights, meaning use of the words and music, also had to agree and was paid for the song (Jackson acquired the rights to 251 Beatles songs in 1985 when he outbid Paul McCartney for them, fracturing their friendship in the process).
The commercials caused a huge backlash from Beatles fans who felt that Nike was disrespecting the legacy of John Lennon, who likely would have objected to its use, but the ad campaign, called “Revolution in Motion,” was successful, helping Nike expand their market by featuring ordinary joggers, gym rats and cyclists. “We’re trying to promote the concept of revolutionary changes in the fitness movement and show how Nike parallels those changes with product development,” the company stated. “Because of this ‘revolution,’ we were able to draw a strong correlation with the music and the lyrics in the Beatles song.”
It wasn’t just fans who had beef with the ads: the surviving Beatles, along with Yoko Ono (representing Lennon’s estate), sued Nike, bringing even more publicity to the campaign. The ads ran for about a year, and eventually a settlement was reached in the lawsuit. As years went by, it became more acceptable to use songs in commercials, but Beatles songs remained off-limits, as any use would result in a lawsuit and hostile reaction by fans. What was “revolutionary” about the Nike commercials were that they were the first to do it.
In 2002, “When I’m 64” was used in a commercial for Allstate insurance. Many Beatles fans were not pleased, but it didn’t get nearly the reaction of the Nike commercials, partly because it was not a political song, but also because it was sung by Julian Lennon, which implied endorsement by his father.
On September 4, 1968, The Beatles made a promotional film for this song and “Hey Jude” at Twickenham Studios in London. These were directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who did the previous Beatles videos: “Paperback Writer” and “Rain.”
Unlike those clips, which were shot outdoors, the “Hey Jude” and “Revolution” videos were shot in a studio setting and meant to look like the band was performing it live. They both aired September 8 on Frost On Sunday, a popular UK show hosted by David Frost, who was at the Twickenham shoot to introduce the clip for the segment on his show, making it appear that the band was really there.
Another edit of the footage was later broadcast on Top Of The Pops, and yet another was shown in America on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. When the Beatles compilation 1+ was released in 2015, a restored version of the video was included in the set.
Before this song was used to shill for Nike, Yoko Ono was fine with using John Lennon’s music in commercials; she authorized “Imagine” for a Japanese ad and said it was “making John’s music accessible to a new generation.” Nike bypassed the living Beatles, but went to her for approval, since the lead vocalist (the “principal performer”) of a song needs to grant permission under certain statutes. Also, as the keeper of Lennon’s legacy, it helped to have her consent for publicity purposes. Nike claimed the song was used “with the active support of Yoko Ono Lennon.”
This is one of the Beatles songs (“Help!” and “In My Life” are other examples) where John Lennon’s falsetto makes an appearance. He takes it up high for the word “be” in the line, “You know it’s gonna be all right.”
Nicky Hopkins played the piano. When The Beatles needed keyboards, they usually used Hopkins, Billy Preston, or their producer, George Martin.
The word “Revolution” is mentioned just once, in the first line.
John Lennon wanted his vocals to have an unusual sound, so he recorded most of them lying on his back in the studio. The famous scream at the beginning is a double-tracked recording of Lennon. >>
The version on the Hey Jude compilation, released in February 1970 in the US, was the B-side of the “Hey Jude” single. The Hey Jude compilation album peaked at #2 in the US and consists of a collection of singles and B-sides that had not previously appeared on US non-soundtrack album releases. The album cover was taken at the final Beatles photo session, at Lennon’s (later Starr’s) country estate in Ascot, England. >>
Thompson Twins performed this song at the Philadelphia stage of Live Aid on July 13, 1985. The concert, which raised money for famine relief in Africa, had a global audience of at least 1.5 billion. Thompson Twins were joined on stage for the performance by Madonna (who contributed backing vocals and tambourine), Steve Stevens (best known as Billy Idol’s guitarist) and Nile Rodgers, who was also on guitar.
Thompson Twins included the song on their album Here’s to Future Days, which was released a few months later and produced by Rodgers.
The Stone Temple Pilots performed this at Madison Square Garden as part of the 2001 special, Come Together: A Night For John Lennon’s Words And Music. Their version was released as a single, with proceeds going to charity.
Revolution
You say you want a revolution Well, you know We all want to change the world You tell me that it’s evolution Well, you know We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction Don’t you know that you can count me out Don’t you know it’s gonna be All right, all right, all right
You say you got a real solution Well, you know We’d all love to see the plan You ask me for a contribution Well, you know We’re doing what we can
But if you want money for people with minds that hate All I can tell is brother you have to wait Don’t you know it’s gonna be All right, all right, all right
You say you’ll change the constitution Well, you know We all want to change your head You tell me it’s the institution Well, you know You better free you mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao You ain’t going to make it with anyone anyhow Don’t you know it’s gonna be All right, all right, all right All right, all right, all right All right, all right, all right All right, all right
What a beautiful song this is and it was between the Green and the Buckingham/Nicks era. Thanks to Sharon for bringing this wonderful song up. The song was written by Danny Kirwan and was on the album Kiln House released in 1970.
18-year-old guitarist Danny Kirwan joined Fleetwood Mac in 1968 and one of the first recordings he played on was Albatross. He couldn’t take the pressure of touring and eventually fired in 1972.
The album peaked at #69 in the Billboard Album Charts, #67 in Canada, and #39 in the UK. The song didn’t chart. This is the first album after Peter Green left the band. Christine McVie contributed to the album with backup vocals, keyboards, and even cover art. After this album, she became a full member.
It doesn’t really sound like the Peter Green blues era or the later pure pop sound. It has more of a power-pop sound.
Jewel Eyed Judy
Moonshine time Thoughts of you Spinning round As thoughts do I just wondered if Your eyes still shine As they did When you were mine
I can see In a dream Thougts so clear And jewels that gleam Would your eyes Still sparkle then If we were, once again
Jewel eyed Judy please come home Jewel eyed Judy don’t leave me alone Jewel eyed Judy please come home Jewel eyed Judy don’t leave me alone
Lovely Judy Can you see Where it is You’re meant to be Where you lay Your head tonight May the stars Find your light So am I Sitting here Moonlight glistens On my tears Is this all That we could find Chains of memories Left behind
Jewel eyed Judy please come home Jewel eyed Judy don’t leave me alone Jewel eyed Judy please come home Jewel eyed Judy don’t leave me alone
