Steve Miller / Paul McCartney – My Dark Hour

I really like this song and the pre-hit Steve Miller Band as well. I do like many of his hits but his early catalog is filled with great songs and musicianship. This one has a lot of history. I think Miller’s hits has been a huge victim of radio overplay but I realize that is not his fault…doesn’t mean “Jet Airliner” is not any good…we just have sometimes have heard those songs too much. I have songs like that…but give it some time and I can listen to them again.

His earlier songs have more of a blues feel. The former members of his band has included Boz Scaggs, Nicky Hopkins, Doug Clifford (CCR drummer), Ross Valory, Lonnie Turner, and about a page more of names.

Steve Miller wrote this tune and Paul McCartney played drums, bass, some guitar, and backing vocals. You will also catch the future riff to Fly Like An Eagle in this song. Paul would be credited as Paul Ramone. Paul went by that name on their first tour and that is where the Ramones got their name.

When I read the story of this recording the title would probably match what McCartney was feeling. Allen Klein had just suckered John, George, and Ringo into signing a management contract and he wanted Paul. It was on a Friday afternoon and Paul refused. I’m not always on Paul’s side but in this case…oh yes. He told the other 3 something I find quite funny. Klein wanted 20% of the Beatles earnings and Paul told them wait…The Beatles are kinda big and let him have 10% but John would have none of it. Paul never signed and later on John, George, and Ringo would regret the decision as they all sued Klein and Klein sued them.

On that day, Steve Miller walked into the studio after a giant fight with only Paul left there. I’ll let Paul McCartney tell it: Steve Miller happened to be there recording, late at night, and he just breezed in. ‘Hey, what’s happening, man? Can I use the studio?’ ‘Yeah!’ I said. ‘Can I drum for you? I just had a fucking unholy argument with the guys there.’ I explained it to him, took ten minutes to get it off my chest. So I did a track, he and I stayed that night and did a track of his called My Dark Hour. I thrashed everything out on the drums. There’s a surfeit of aggressive drum fills, that’s all I can say about that. We stayed up until late. I played bass, guitar and drums and sang backing vocals. It’s actually a pretty good track.

It was a very strange time in my life and I swear I got my first grey hairs that month. I saw them appearing. I looked in the mirror, I thought, I can see you. You’re all coming now. Welcome.

The song was on The Steve Miller Band’s album Brave New World released in 1969. The album peaked at a respectable #22 on the Billboard Album Charts and #38 in Canada.

Steve Miller: I got John Lennon’s Epiphone Casino and played through his amp, Paul got on the drums. It was like we’d been playing together forever.

Here is a snippet of Badfinger covering this song live. They were expanding their sound live with longer jams.

My Dark Hour

My dark hourMy dark hourYou know it’s drivin’ me wild

Well, well, I went to see the doctorAnd I had my fortune readAnd you know, the doctor told me“Son, you better stay in bed”

Who’s that comin’ down that roadLooks like he’s carryin’ a heavy loadWhat’s that word that he started to say?Wanna come with me on my way?

My dark hour, a mother nature’s childMy dark hour, oh, it’s drivin’ me wild

Well, I went (to see the doctor)Just to have (my fortune read)Well, well, well, well, well(The doctor told me)“Son, stay in bed”

So do you think these sinners will fallOr do you think they’ll survive us all?Well, well, well, well, a-down this roadWon’t you help me carry my load?

My dark hour, mother nature’s childMy dark hour, oh-oh, it’s drivin’ me wild

Oh-oh-oh, mother nature’s childOh, yeah, oh, oh, yeahOh, oh, oh, oh, yeah

…

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

21 thoughts on “Steve Miller / Paul McCartney – My Dark Hour”

  1. McCartney was a very talented & versatile musician really, people (myself included) sometimes forget that and just think of his writing , singing and ‘big’ personality

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    1. I love Miller’s guitar playing through this as well. It was a cool collaboration…and Miller walked in at the best/worst time and it worked well. I think Paul released some anger on the drums. He has drum fills everywhere.

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  2. With Miller, I liked many of his hits in the ’70s and early ’80s.Now, somewhat less but as i think about it i only kind of despise Take the Money & Run’ and ‘The Joker’ (apologies to those who do like those hits). Problem is, the only 2 I hear on radio are…’The Joker’ and ‘Take the Money & Run’. Maybe ‘Abracadabra’ once a year. Don’t know when I last heard, say ‘Rockin Me’…

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    1. My favorite by him is Living In The USA… and Heart Like A Wheel. I never hear those played now. I hear Jet Airliner and The Joker quite a bit. I still like Fly Like An Eagle.

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  5. Max, great storytelling in this post. Really enhances the listening spirit. That’s some badass bass by Paul. Love the mesh between the artists. You may laugh, but I hear Grand Funk Railroad in here. Since I’m used to that riff being in another song, it seems out of place here. Still a great tune. Thank you for giving Steve Miller his due, and totally agree that the overplay of his hits work against him. For anyone who wants to hear Steve do his blues best, check out “Born 2B Blue” album.

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    1. It is really good…love the guitar on this one. A strange collaboration that turned into something really good. He had a super talented band behind him with all of those names.

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  9. Great song I had forgotten about! I knew it in the context of “Fly Like An Eagle.” Coincidentally, I’m including what I think is a great Steve Miller song in my Sunday Six today. It’s from the “Joker” album, and it’s not the title track. I just heard it for the first time a few days ago and immediately decided to put it in the next installment of my Sunday feature.

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