September 2022 – Page 3 – PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

Steppenwolf – Rock Me

This song was their 3rd top ten hit of 1968-1969. The song was on their album At Your Birthday Party released in 1969.

The song peaked at #10 on the Billboard 100 and #4 in Canada in 1969. This song was originally the B side to Jupiter’s Child but later on, they were reversed. This song followed the top ten hits of Born To Be Wild and Magic Carpet Ride. John Kays voice is one of those voices that you can pick out from a crowd. Like Neil Young, John Fogerty, Van Morrison, and other unique singers.

I usually don’t research the meaning of a lot of songs but this one is interesting. The different meanings people get out of this one. Some say it’s a young woman looking for one good man, others say it’s about Mother Nature, and others say it’s about America at the time it was written.

John Kay’s songwriting gets overlooked…he is a fine songwriter with usually a message. He wrote Rock Me, which benefitted from being in the 1968 feature film Candy, a period piece of permissiveness featuring Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, and even Ringo Starr.

John Kay: The recording sessions for “At Your Birthday Party” started to show the wear and tear of the road on all of us. In addition, some band members for the first time, tried their hand at songwriting and I had run out of tunes to contribute. This album nevertheless includes some of my favorite Steppenwolf tracks such as “Happy Birthday”, “Jupiter’s Child” and “Rock Me”. Nick St. Nicholas (who had replaced our original bassist Rushton Moreve) had an idea for a song titled “It’s Never Too Late”, which triggered me to work out the rest of the song. That one is an all time favorite of mine. Gabriel Mekler (our Producer) had his hands full trying to be fair to all band members and stay neutral to allow us to work out the difficulties on our own. The fact that the song “Rock Me” (which had been written for the soundtrack of the motion picture “Candy”) had already been a hit single before it was included in the “Birthday album” may have reduced the impact of the album because the initial sales of the LP were not what we had hoped for, although over the years, it became quite popular with many of our fans.

Rock Me

She asked me maybeI would share her sorrowFor all the men that tried to treat her wrong

Though just a babyA waiting her tomorrowIt’s rock me baby, rock me babyAll night long

She needs an answer to her confusionSomeone to guide her with tendernessBut if she’s asking for a solutionAll that she getsYou know it’s something like this

I don’t know where we come fromI don’t know where we’re going toBut if all of this should have a reasonWe would be the last to knowSo let’s just hope there is a promised landHang on till then as best you can

Everybody’s ills you know itFills her with compassionThat’s why she tries to save the world aloneShe helps the needy in her own fashionAnd tries to give them all her own

She needs an answer for her confusionSomeone to guide her with tendernessBut when she’s asking for a solutionAll that she gets you know it’s something like this

Rock me baby, rock me baby all night longRock me baby, rock me baby all night longRock me baby, rock me baby all night longRock me baby, rock me baby all night longRock me baby, rock me baby all night longRock me baby, rock me baby all night longRock me baby, rock me baby all night long

Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane – My Baby Gives It Away

I have often wondered why this album wasn’t more popular. It features The Who’s Pete Townshend and The Small Faces/Faces Ronnie Lane who then was leading his own band, Slim Chance. The album is full of great songs and is worth a listen. The guest musicians include Eric Clapton, Charlie Watts, John Entwistle, Ian Stewart, John “Rabbit” Bundrick, and more.

In October of 1976, the Who closed a North American tour in Toronto, a show that would be the last with Keith Moon before a paying audience. The band took a break to pursue individual projects. Ronnie Lane had wanted Townshend to produce his album but he then wanted Townshend to collaborate writing on the songs. Townshend declined because he had never written with anyone before but they did manage to write the title track, Rough Mix, together.

The album ended up with Townsend songs and Lane songs. They did do a cover of a Don Williams song called Till All The Rivers Run Dry. Rough Mix didn’t draw a lot of attention at the time but is now considered a lost gem. Townshend has said in his book that there was a big argument where he shoved Ronnie Lane. He said it felt like he didn’t know his own strength because Lane felt like he was made out of paper. Later Pete found out about Lane’s multiple sclerosis.

Lane was already showing the early symptoms of multiple sclerosis (tremors, slurred speech), which others sometimes interpreted as a sign he was drunk. He didn’t tell Townshend, or very many others, about his medical diagnosis.

Townshend’s liner notes eventually read, “Ron and Pete play various acoustic & electric guitars, mandolins & bass guitars, banjos, ukuleles & very involved mind games.”

The album peaked at #44 in the Billboard Album Charts, #70 in Canada, and #45 in the UK in 1977.

Pete Townshend: The recording of Rough Mix with Ronnie is now a blur, but I remember some special moments. I played live guitar with a large string orchestra for the first time, my father-in-law Ted Astley arranging and conducting on ‘Street in the City’. I was surprised at the respect given me by the orchestral musicians. Playing with Charlie Watts on ‘My Baby Gives It Away’ was also very cool, making me aware that his jazz-influenced style was essential to the Stones’ success, the hi-hat always trailing the beat a little to create that vital swing.

Meeting John Bundrick (Rabbit) was also an important event in my life as a musician. He wandered into the Rough Mix studio one day looking for session work. Here was a Hammond player who had worked with Bob Marley, and could play as well as Billy Preston. Offstage he could be reckless and impulsive, drinking too much, asking for drugs and telling crazy stories, but musicians of his calibre didn’t come around very often.

My Baby Gives It Away

My baby wakes in the deep of the nightShe doesn’t need itBut she says it’s all rightMy baby digs it, just a Rollin’ away

My baby gives it up every dayMy baby gives it, she gives it awayMy baby gives it up every dayMy baby She just gives it away

When you’re alone in some city hotelYou can get company by ringing a bellYou might go pick up a girlOn the street

But my baby gives it up totally freeMy baby’s counting’ on, ’cause you aloneMy baby’s brother never break a your armMy baby ha, ha, I love her

She’s cheepOoh yeahMy babyMy baby

My babyMy babyMy baby

You better buy yourself an new pair of shoesAnd walk for a lifetime on that bad newsYou better buy an electric guitarThere’s no better way to beat the blues, I beat ’em

My babyMy babyMy babyMy baby

She give it way, every day, every wayMy baby just gives it away

My baby’s momma is a singular girlShe brought up her daughter and brought her up wellI’m breathing no more‘Cause she took it away

My baby gives it up every dayMy baby gives itShe gives it awayMy baby gives it up every day

My babyMy babyMy babyMy baby

My babyMy baby

How I love her, yeahMy baby, my baby, she just gives it awayMy baby, my baby, she just gives it awayMy baby, my baby, gives it away

Let me tell you, my baby, she just give it awayMy baby, every dayMy baby gives it up every dayMy baby give itJust gives it away

Swingin’ Neckbreakers – You

This is some good old feet-stomping garage band music. This is my favorite song right now…it sticks with you. The band is from Trenton, New Jersey and they started to record some demos in 1992. The band consisted of brothers Tom and John Jorgensen and Don “Shaggy” Snook.

John Jorgensen played drums, Snook played guitar, and Tom Jorgensen played bass and was the lead singer. The Neckbreakers released their first album in 1993 called Live For Buzz. This song was their lead track. If you like melodic raw rock and roll…I would recommend listening to this album. This song was on a Sopranos episode in season 4, episode 2.

Their reputation as a great live band spread and they started to fill up places in their area. In 1994 they took off on a tour of Europe. The group was especially well received in France, where one radio station even declared a Swingin’ Neckbreakers Week.

From Allmusic: The Neckbreakers’ second album Shake Break came out the next year on Telstar. After Don Snook’s departure from the band in 1996, Jeffery Lee Jefferson eventually filled in on guitar and debuted on the 1997 album Kick Your Ass. Return of Rock and Live Live Live were released in 2000.

They released a total of 5 albums between 1993 and 2000.

“You” in the Sopranos

Could not find the lyrics

KISS – Shout It Out Loud

This is for Song Lyric Sunday by newepicauthor otherwise known as Jim. Song Lyric Sunday is at the link below. This week the theme is songs that include the lyrics Sounds, Talk, Voice, Words so I thought SHOUT would fit in that with the theme. https://jimadamsauthordotcom.wordpress.com/2022/09/03/human-speech-2/

This was one of KISS’s anthems in the 1970s and I guess still is for the band. Paul Stanely and Gene Simmons were in a band called Wicked Lester before KISS and they played a song called I Wanna Shout by The Hollies. With Wicked Lester they recorded a version called (We Want To) Shout It Out Loud.

Who knew that this song was influenced by the Hollies? I would have never guessed. After listening to it now…it’s more pop/rock than I remember rather than the harder rock that Kiss is known for. I’ve heard the live versions more than the studio cut.

When they were making their Destroyer album they reworked the song’s lyrics and came up with Shout It Out Loud with their producer Bob Ezrin. It is credited to Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Bob Erzin.

The band released a live album called Alive! in 1975 and that album opened the door to their popularity. They still hadn’t had a big hit with their studio albums…but this album would change that. Destroyer was the first Kiss album Bob Ezrin worked on… he did a lot of teaching during their time together, even using a blackboard and pointer about music. He put them through, what Stanley called BootCamp, making them pay attention to details to a point where they had never done before. This was their 4th studio album and it was their most successful studio album at the time.

Erzin was no rookie…he had worked with Alice Cooper (still does), Aerosmith, and others.

This was the first of four singles released from the album, chosen because it’s upbeat and radio-friendly. It did well on the charts, but the biggest hit from the album was the last single, the ballad Beth.

The song was released in 1976 and peaked at #1 in Canada, #31 on the Billboard 100, and #40 in New Zealand. The album Destroyer peaked at #11 on The Billboard Album Charts and #7 in Canada.

Paul Stanley: “You have the verse, ‘Well the night’s begun and you want some fun, do you think you’re gonna find it, think you’re gonna find it.’ That answer in the background is the Four Tops! The call-and-response is something that the Four Tops did in ‘Sugar Pie Honey Bunch.'”

The first video is the original Hollies song, the second is Wicked Lester’s version of the Hollies song, and then Shout It Out Loud…the song that grew from the Hollies song.

Shout It Out Loud

Well the night’s begun and you want some fun
Do you think you’re gonna find it
You got to treat yourself like number one
Do you need to be reminded
It doesn’t matter what you do or say
Just forget the things that you’ve been told
We can’t do it any other way
Ev’rybody’s got to rock n roll yay

Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud
Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud

If you don’t feel good ev’ry way you could
Don’t sit there broken hearted
Call all your friends in the neighborhood
And get the party started
Don’t let them tell you that there’s too much noise
They’re too old to really understand
You’ll still get rowdy with the girls and boys
Cause it’s time for you to take a stand yay

Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud
Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud

Real or Memorex? Lip Syncing and Backing Tracks

I saw an interview with Paul McCartney and he called out major bands playing live with backing tracks but refused to say which ones. I also saw an article about Motley Crue using pre-recorded tracks to bolster their sound.

McCartney: “To me the concert experience is at the heart of what music is about. You come to a show and you are in the room so it is the real thing. I have been to concerts where I think, ‘Oh, I really am in the room with Tony Bennett and it is like he is in my living room’. That is a great part of the experience. I then think, ‘Wait a minute, people must think that about me’. When we make mistakes playing live, we always now turn it and say, ‘Tell you what this proves we are live

McCartney and his band did just that when I saw him. They messed up an intro of a song…Paul laughed and went on.

Before you read the rest…I might be harsher than some people. I didn’t even like it when after 1981… the Stones started to fill up their stage with different musicians to sweeten the sound…and professional backup singers…I would rather hear Keith sing backup. The same applies to the Who… who did the same thing on their 1988-89 tour. That was more because of Townshend’s hearing problems but I would have rather heard the four of them and maybe a keyboardist…BUT at least those bands were not faking it…they didn’t hide anything…they just added more musicians.

Sometimes backing tracks have to be used…Backing tracks are sometimes used when a band cannot have an orchestra or an exotic instrument which I totally get. I’ve seen KISS use it when Peter Criss would sing Beth…I totally get that. I’ve seen The Who use a backing track for Won’t Get Fooled Again and Baba O’Riley which again I totally get. They don’t try to hide it…it’s a part that would be hard to duplicate live and is the main part of the song. That is the reason Keith Moon wore headphones while playing those songs so he would come in on time.

Those tracks are not what I’m talking about. What I’m getting at is when a guitarist, bassist, or vocalist mimes what they were doing and you are NOT hearing it live. You are hearing what they perfected in a studio sometime in the past.

There are places when this has to be done. Many TV studios are not made for rock bands and they have to lip sync to a backing track…most of the bands don’t like doing it but if they want to promote a song they do. In music videos for the most part…they have to lip sync also… so there are times when there is no other choice.

When you are paying $100 for a ticket…I don’t believe lip-syncing or faking should be allowed or they should have to tell you they are doing it. I could take four more bloggers (any volunteers?) and we could mime to Jumpin’ Jack Flash…would anyone want to pay $100 for that? Many acts that dance and jump about…when you hear them sing you hear no panting or breathing hard and you SEE them panting and breathing hard. I’m not a fan but I admire the fact that Lady GaGa actually called some performers out for lip-syncing.

“I don’t think it’s cool to lip-sync, I’m not judging if people do, because it’s everybody’s own style and type of artist they’ve decided to be. But I think that if you pay money for a ticket to see a show then the artist should f**king have some pipes and sing their records for you”… I agree with her.

Paul McCartney is 80 and sometimes his voice goes off… not a lot but sometimes…so what? Mick Jagger goes off at times…but that makes them human. I’m old fashion about this… but I cannot respect anyone that goes out and mimes their greatest hits in a live atmosphere. I’ve been listening to a lot of concerts in the 70s… Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aerosmith, The Who, Led Zeppelin, etc. How did they do it without autotune? How did they do it without an extra Jimmy Page guitar pre-recorded? If they messed up…they messed up…big deal…they are human. Some performers have said since the ticket prices are so high…they want to give a perfect show. No, I don’t want a perfect show…I want a real show warts and all.

What do you think? If you go to see a band live…do you want to hear guitar, vocal, or bass tracks that were recorded earlier? Live music…should be live… right? Am I’m expecting too much? It may not bother many people.

Artists who have been caught lip-syncing include Mariah Carey, Katy Perry, Milli Vanilli, 50 Cent, Justin Bieber, Beyonce, Selena Gomez, Madonna, and more.

Ah…I cannot conclude this post without Miss Ashley Simpson…the poster child for lip-syncing.

Led Zeppelin – Nobody’s Fault but Mine

This is a great Zeppelin song off of my least favorite Led Zeppelin album…Presence. The making of this album began after the first real setback happened to the band. It was the first one of many that were about to come.

This song was inspired by American Blues singer Blind Willie Johnson, who played in the 1920s. Plant and Page took credit for the song on the album.

After Physica Graffiti the band was on top of the world until Maureen Plant, wife of Robert Plant, was driving a rented Austin Mini, Robert beside her in the passenger seat, their three-year-old son Karac and six-year-old daughter Carmen in the back seat, along with their friend Scarlet, the four-year-old daughter of Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page were driving on a Greek island of Rhodes. The car Maureen Plant was driving skidded and spun off the road, nose-diving over a precipice and into a tree. When Robert had landed on top of Maureen, the impact shattered his right ankle and elbow and snapped several bones in his right leg.

Maureen had suffered a fractured skull and broke her pelvis and leg. Karac had also broken a leg, while Carmen had broken her wrist. Scarlet was the only one to escape with just a few cuts and bruises.

The American tour was called off while Robert and his family healed. With the band’s touring plans put on indefinite hold, it was decided to get to work on the next Zeppelin album. Plant, his wheelchair, and crutches were traveling to Los Angeles, where Page was waiting for him in a beach house in Malibu Colony. Plant started to feel that Page and manager Peter Grant were insensitive to him and his family, only thinking about Led Zeppelin’s future.

Most of the writing for this album was finished before John Paul Jones and John Bonham got there. Jones doesn’t look back on this album with much enthusiasm…he said he learned about baseball at that point because he would watch it with all of the downtimes. He picked a great one to watch…the 1975 World Series with the Red Sox and the Reds.

After this album, they would start a US tour in 1977…only to be stopped because of Robert Plant’s 5-year-old son (Karac Plant) dying. This almost destroyed the band…not to mention Plant and his wife. After Karac died of a stomach virus, Robert had more say in the band. What was once a Jimmy Page controlled band became more slanted toward Plant. This was apparent on their last album In Through The Out Door before John Bonham died in 1980 and the band was over.

The album was released in 1976 and was #1 on the Billboard Charts, #1 in the UK, and #16 in Canada. It did well in the charts but didn’t sell as well as their other albums.

John Paul Jones: “It became apparent that Robert and I seemed to keep a different time sequence to Jimmy. We just couldn’t find him. I drove into SIR Studios every night and waited and waited… I learned all about baseball during that period, as the World Series was on and there was not much else to do but watch it. I just sort of went along with it all, the main memory of that album is pushing Robert around in the wheelchair from beer stand to beer stand. We had a laugh, I suppose, but I didn’t enjoy the sessions, really. I just tagged along with that one.”

Nobody’s Fault But Mine

Oh, nobody’s fault but mine
Nobody’s fault but mine
Trying to save my soul tonight

Oh, it’s nobody’s fault but mine

Devil. He taught me to roll
Devil. He taught me to roll
How to roll the lot you like

Nobody’s fault but mine
Oh, oh, oh, oh

Brother. He showed me the gong
Brother. He showed me the ding dong ding dong
How to kick that gong to light

Oh, it’s nobody’s fault but mine

Got a monkey on my back
M-m-m-m-monkey on my back, back, back, back
Gonna change my ways tonight

Nobody’s fault but mine

How to kick that gong to light
N-n-n-n-n-no, nobody’s fault

Stems – She’s Fine ….Powerpop Friday

The Stems have a great overall sound and it’s too bad their popularity is mostly in Australia. They range from dirty garage rock to power pop tracks like this. The amazing part to me is they pumped out these songs in the 1980s when this music was not high on charts.

This song didn’t show up until the 2003 compilation album (Mushroom Soup: The Citadel Years)… a collection of all the band’s singles, songs from their debut EP, Love Will Grow – Rosebud Volume 1, and previously unreleased demos and alternative song versions. I can’t find out much about this song but it seems to be an outtake from the 80s.

The Stems were a garage punk band formed in Perth, Western Australia in late 1983. They were hugely popular in Australia. The band broke up in 1987 and reunited in 2003 and are still together. They still have three of the original members. Dom Mariani, Julian Matthews, and David Shaw.

The band broke up in 1987 but reunited in 2003 and when this album was released. They went on until 2009 and broke up and reformed in 2013 and are still together.

They are very popular to this day in Australia. Their debut single “She’s a Monster/Make you Mine” reached the top of the independent charts and also sold 500 copies in England. The single was to be the 2nd highest selling independent single for Australia in 1985, second only to the Hoodoo Gurus.

Leader Dom Mariani’s earliest influences included The Beatles, The Raspberries, Badfinger, and Big Star…and it shows.

She’s Fine

She’s good and she got soul
She’s in trouble
And she don’t show
Profile on her head
’cause she’s not blue and she’ll never be red
She’s fine
She’s so fine
She’s fine
She’s so fine
She’s fine
She’s so fine to me

She’s good and she got soul
She’s downtown in the traffic flow
And my girl don’t you slow
She’s got a heart and a head that’s so
She’s fine
She’s so fine
She’s fine
She’s so fine
She’s fine
She’s so fine to me

She’s fine
She’s so fine
She’s fine
She’s so fine
She’s fine
She’s so fine to me

Such a good thing
To do
To do

While governments gain
All money can buy
Trash means cash
In any country
But I just want
To be with you
Our flesh feels fresh
And that`s the beauty

It`s a good thing
Such a good thing
We do
We do

It`s a good thing
Such a good thing
We do

Tremeloes – (Call Me) Number One

It’s great to be back! I just moved it up a day because I’ve wanted to start back long ago…but I had too much to get done. This is a song that I had no clue about a year ago …but now it’s always on my playlist.

As I’ve said before, I like posting so much because of the interaction. I posted The Tremeloes song Here Comes My Baby and obbverse commented and mentioned this song. I’d never heard it before but immediately started to make it a daily listen for a while.

The Tremeloes had been a backup band for Brian Poole and when they split in 1966 after 8 UK hits, they looked to be another backing band set for junk pile. They bought in Len “Chip” Hawkes as their bassist and lead singer and their career took off.

The song was written by Alan Blakley and Chip Hawkes. The song sounds like it borrows a little from The Beatles and the melody leads to a fantastic top-drawer pop song. The video is wonderful…it looks like a slice of life from the sixties. The song just missed the number one spot. It peaked at #2 in the UK in 1969. So what song kept this from living up to its title and being number 1? Another lesson on why life isn’t fair…the damn Archies with Sugar Sugar.

In the UK the band had two number 1 hits, 11 top ten hits…21 top twenty songs, and 21 in the top 75. Their LP Master was issued in 1970. The album failed to sell well. However, it gave them their last major UK hit with “Me and My Life” which peaked at #4.

(Call Me) Number One

I picture the rain on windows
And I think of home
I wonder if you remember
Did you ever know?

Walshie
Walshie

Places I dream about
I will be getting out
Then I can follow the sun
You will be with me
I know you will give me
A hand to get everything done

Call me number one!
Call me number one!

Will I be afraid to tell you
That I’m coming home
I’m ready to take the highroad
I’ve been away too long

Walshie
Walshie