Steve Miller goes country bluegrass?
In the late seventies, my friend had the Fly Like An Eagle album. I loved it at that time and this song is the one young Max zoned in on. It’s one Steve Miller song that is NOT worn out! It’s not a great song by any means but there is something charming about this country-type song. It’s one you can imagine someone singing on a back porch.
I like when artists do something different out of the norm. At this time he was changing from blues to pop…and this song went in a different direction.
The Steve Miller Band started off as a blues psychedelia band. They got signed for $50,000 dollars in 1967…quite a lot at that time… after the band had an impressive performance at the legendary Monterey Pop Festival They continued to release one album a year but they never rose up the charts too much. At that time the band included drummer Gary Mallaber and LonnieTurner on bass, but the albums also featured contributions by harmonica player James Cotton, session guitarist Led Dudek, and the Doobie Brothers’ John McFee…and Boz Scaggs was a member for a while.
One song in the earlier period I’ll touch on in a few weeks is “My Darkest Hour” and he recorded it with Paul McCartney in one of his most darest hours…right after Paul refused to sign with Allen Klein.
After The Joker was released as a single in 1973, Miller started to move toward pop melodies and struck gold with Fly Like An Eagle. The album bounces everywhere in style. He does a Sam Cooke cover, Send Me to sitars on “Wild Mountain Honey…along with this Bluegrass – Country song Dance, Dance, Dance. Then there are the hits. The title track Fly Like An Eagle, Take The Money and Run, and Rockin’ Me. This album is one of the building blocks of classic rock radio.
The album was released in 1976 and it peaked at #3 in the Billboard Album Charts, #4 in Canada, and #11 in the UK.
Dance, Dance, Dance
My grandpa, he’s 95
And he keeps on dancin’
He’s still alive
My grandma, she’s 92
She loves to dance
And sing some, too
I don’t know
But I’ve been told
If you keep on dancing
You’ll never grow old
Come on darling
Put a pretty dress on
We’re gonna go out tonight
Dance, dance, dance
Dance, dance, dance
Dance, dance, dance
All night long
I’m a hard working man
I’m a son of a gun
I’ve been working all week in the noon day sun
The wood’s in the kitchen
And the cow’s in the barn
I’m all cleaned up and my chores are all done
Take my hand, come along
Let’s go out and have some fun
Come on darling put a pretty dress on
We’re gonna go out tonight
Dance, dance, dance
Dance, dance, dance
Dance, dance, dance
All night long
Pick on
Dance, dance, dance
Dance, dance, dance
Dance, dance, dance
All night long
Come on darling, don’t look that way
Don’t you know when you smile
I’ve got to say you’re my honey pumpkin lover
You’re my heart’s delight
Don’t you want to go out tonight
You’re such a pretty lady
You’re such a sweet girl
When you dance it brightens up my world
Come on darling put a pretty dress on
We’re gonna go out tonight
And dance, dance, dance
Dance, dance, dance
Dance, dance, dance
All night long
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Thats a good track. Miller has that great rock voice and one who knows their limitations singing. Caught him back in 1982 on a bill with Bryan Adams, Extreme and Sass Jordan.
I didn’t know you saw him…that is cool. I’ve wanted to but never got the chance.
Yes it was an outdoors show back in Sept of 92 outside of Winnipeg. He had that small dude who could wail on the harmonica..
This song is new to me, but I only knew his songs that got played on the radio.
well the voice might have made me guess it was him or his band, but the music wouldn’t have led me to think Steve Miller. Pretty nice little tune.
It is…for some reason it caught my young attention at the time.
Just a sweet makes-ya-smile innocent no-frills song. That is enough at certain times in a young ‘uns growing up times.
Haven’t listen to this one in a long time Max. Steve Miller, music you can square dance too!
LOL…that about sums it up! It’s a nice little commercial country song.
I don’t recall this song at all, but I do remember Steve being very, very popular while I was growing up. Fly Like An Eagle was huge.
This album was my first exposure to him…well other than The Joker…I just found out about his blues beginnings way later.
Hey Max, have you noticed that a lot of You tube videos don’t appear to load from the reader to YT? I had to search this in YT.
Not a bad song this one. It got me thinking about Dylan’s ‘I shall be free #10′ a bit with the cadence and Miller’s line’ I’ve been working all week in the noon day sun’ & Dylan’s ‘Waiting to play tennis in the noonday sun’.
Man, I get a kick out of that Dylan song. My division and I sang that one at a silly function.
These lyrics remind me of John Denver with Grandma’s Feather Bed. You don’t have to sell me on Steve Miller. I love the guy in all of his genre shifting.
https://youtu.be/KpVco93tNS8
Yes…it was around the same time also….
You made a good point…I never made that connection but you are right…it is John Denverish….
I like it! And it’s definitely the first country-flavored tune I recall hearing from Steve Miller. That said, I mostly know Miller based on his hits/popular radio songs.
There are not many…as Lisa said…it reminds me a little of John Denver who was extremely popular around this time.
This is a refreshing change from his classic rock radio songs. I agree with Lisa, it sounds very much like the John Denver song.
Yea I just noticed that right after she mentioned it.
We are both in the SM fan club. You do know him and McCartney were buddies?
I’ve heard My Dark Hour they did together…it sounds really cool…I think McCartney played drums
Here is a tune with Paul and Steve
I loved it the first time I heard it
Yes I love this… this is the other I was going to do the post on
Hope I didnt steal your thunder.
Not at all! That will be the next Miller song I post. It has a great sound.
Favorite album of their theirs – Steve Miller # 5 before they over-commercialized their sound.
I totally agree.
Whdoes this have to happen to so many good sounding bands? – Chicago , Grand Funk, Three Dog Night…