This song is my favorite of the Flying Burrito Brothers. It came off their great country album The Gilded Palace of Sin. It didn’t chart at the time. It probably would have helped if they would have given it a proper name but regardless… it’s a great song.
Parsons wrote this song with Burrito bass player Chris Ethridge while the band was living in their San Fernando Valley house that was dubbed “Burrito Manor.”
This song, like the album The Gilded Palace of Sin, barely made a dent on the music world of 1969. They did develop a cult following after this albums release that included Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones. The band was more popular with other musicians than the public.
Gram joined the Flying Burrito Brothers after leaving the Byrds in 1968.
The Gilded Palace of Sin. One thing you notice are the “Nudie” suites on the front cover. Nudie Cohn was an American tailor who designed decorative rhinestone-covered suits. Parsons’ suit was hand-stitched by Manuel Cuevas, Nudie Cohen’s protégé, who has called the suit “a map for him to follow to his death.”
The green leaves featured in the design on the front of the jacket are a marijuana plant, and the red-petaled flowers above them are poppies, the natural source of morphine, opium, and heroin. Gram Parsons would die in 1973 and the cause of death was an overdose of morphine and alcohol
This album was a major influence on the Eagles, Travis Tritt, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, and Randy Travis.
Hot Burrito #1
You may be sweet and nice
But that won’t keep you warm at night
‘Cause I’m the one who showed you how
To do the things you’re doing now
He may feel all your charms
He might hold you in his arms
But I’m the one who let you in
I was right beside you in the end
Once upon a time
You let me feel you deep inside
But nobody knew, nobody saw
Do you remember the way we cried?
I’m your toy
I’m your old boy
But I don’t want no one
But you to love me
No, I wouldn’t lie
You know I’m not that kind of guy
Once upon a time
You let me feel you deep inside
But nobody knew, nobody saw
Do you remember the way we cried?
I’m your toy
I’m your old boy
But I don’t want no one
But you to love me
No, I wouldn’t lie
You know I’m not that kind of guy
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This group got no airplay at all in our region. I heard the name of the group, and Gram Parsons back then, but didn’t know anything about their sound. True the name of the song didn’t help them. But I do like the song. It really showcases Parsons’ vocals. I swoon at the Nudie suits. I have a picture book of them that I love to study.
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Those suits interest me so much…I almost forgot the song and just wrote about those. Hank Williams had one also. I think Parson’s is hanging in the Country Music Hall of Fame…you know I should go there…I never have.
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Yes the CMHOF museum should be on your list as well as Sun Studio! There was so much in the HOF museum that it was overwhelming and I remember almost nothing but some random things. So obviously I need to go back. If you wrote about the suits I missed it and need to go back and look for it. I’ve tried to keep up but missed a lot these past few months.
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I’ve gone to Memphis around 3 times to see Graceland…can’t believe I’ve never went to Sun Records.
Oh no I haven’t written about the suits but last night I started to write about the song and there wasn’t much info so…I almost just did a post about the suits…
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I remembered you saying you haven’t been to Sun yet, and couldn’t believe it, given your proximity and being a musician. I’m going to keep dwelling on it until you get there! It is one of those very rare places where you feel you’ve stepped back in time. They didn’t develop it into an overblown tourist-trap caricature of its former existence. You can feel the spirits of Sam and the Million Dollar Quartet in there, I swear.
I can tell your post about the suits is coming sooner or later. 😀 I’ll watch for it. A few years ago, I did drawings and sourced materials to make a smaller scale Nudie-inspired jacket, but haven’t followed through with it yet.
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A visit to Memphis is on my bucket list. I’d love to visit Graceland, Sun and the Stax Museum – so much incredible music history in this town!
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It is a lot of history there…just don’t stray too far away from where you are going.
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I think Porter Waggoner had one also.
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Yes he did! I do remember seeing him with one during the Porter and Dolly show.
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Yep 🙂
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not a bad song, I’d never heard it before . I always put them in with the Velvet Underground in my mind… not the same sound, but same as bands everyone’s heard of but most people can’t even name one song by. And both influenced a lot of future, more successful acts.
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I remember the first time I saw them…well… on film was the Altamont movie singing Six Days on the Road. They were a good band…it is a shame they weren’t more known. Gram quite not long after and they continued.
I do think Gram would have broken through to a bigger audience had he lived…probably in country.
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Right. I love the Flying Burrito Brothers and Gram Parsons in particular. I highly recommend “A Tribute to Gram Parsons with Keith Richards”. It’s awesome. The encore of Wild Horses makes me weep.
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I’ve only caught sections of it…I need to see the complete concert. In Keith’s book…his death really hit him hard.
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Grams name has come up again again since I’ve been blogging and researching songs. Keith Richards had a connection with him when he visited Keith in Italy (?) at the party palace they lived in while making Exile on Main Street. I remember how he died and what happened to his body afterwards 😦 I read a mini-biography on Gram not all that long ago and learned what a horrible childhood he had! The guy had more potential in his pinky than most have in their whole body, yet that chaotic, neglectful, and abusive childhood was something he was not able to overcome. If he hadn’t been so danged wealthy and good looking he might have stood a chance. I love this song, btw. Nice choice to feature today, Max.
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I just told someone…I do think he would have broken through (with Emmylou) to a bigger audience had he lived…but with all you have brought up…could have have handled it?
Yea Mick was jealous because of Keith’s attention to him.
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Personally I won’t be hiring their tailor! I didn’t know the song or the group at all and was expecting something with a little bit more chilli – however I liked it!
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Oh Bruce…you NEED a Nudie Suit…along with a 10 gallon hat…it would be a new image for you!
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OK – you win – I shall wear it but pray that the world will once again go into isolated lockdown.
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As Glen Campbell once said… A Rhinestone Cowboy.
No they are not for everyone.
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This is a nice song that I never heard of before and I love the video. Gram Parsons was good friends with Keith Richards, and this resulted in Wild Horses.
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It is a good song that isn’t heard too much…yea they were close.
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A great band that got caught in that twilight zone between country and rock. Too rock for country stations and too redneck for rock stations. I remember some play of those tunes in DFW in 69 and 70, but I don’t believe they ever came this way for a live show, or I would have attended. Parsons was a walking tragedy. The worst thing the boy could have done is hang out with Keith Richards and the Stones. At least he met Emmylou and made some good stuff with her before he checked himself out.
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Yep meeting them at that time didn’t do him any favors. I do believe if he would have lived…he would have reached a bigger audience with Emmylou.
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I’m not being facetious, but I’ve always preferred ‘Hot Burrito #2’.
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LOL…something about this one always appealed to me more…but I like both of them.
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There’s an Elvia Costello version on his country covers album too.
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I’ll check that one out…I never knew that.
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I think it’s one of his weaker albums from his classic era, but it’s still interesting hearing him do a straight country record in 1981.
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Elvis sounded much better than I thought he would on that song…his voice was really good.
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Yup, country covers doesn’t really play to his strengths, but it’s pretty good anyway.
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I have never heard this before. I am aware of the band and Gram Parsons but, this is new to me.
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Beautiful song – love that warm sound! I’ve yet to do a post on the Flying Burrito Brothers and Gram Parsons for that matter!
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I thought you would like it!
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