Car Songs…Part 3

It’s a lot of fun doing these Car Songs…I could probably do one on just Cadillac songs alone! I hope you enjoy these. I try to pick songs with a car title in them. That is why I haven’t done Drive My Car and others. But I’m breaking that today…I am including a bonus.

Blasters – Long White Cadillac

A perfect road trip song from the 1983 album Non-Fiction. You’ll want to go out and buy a long white Cadillac and drive it on a long-lost highway. Dave Alvin wrote this song….The song is about the night Hank Williams died in back of a car. He died somewhere between Bristol, Tenn., and Oak Hill on the way to a New Year’s Day 1953 show in Canton, Ohio.

Dwight Yoakum recorded a version of this song in 1989 for his first greatest hits package Just Lookin’ for a Hit.

The Tom Robinson Band – Grey Cortina

This song was on his fantastic album Power In The Darkness. If you want to know a little more about him…I posted a song by the singer-activist a few months ago with the song Up Against The Wall. He has some great music and this album is great through and through.

Tom DID get his Grey Cortina in real life but… unfortunately, he said: “I bought the Cortina and it lasted 1 day before somebody ran into it and wrote it off (my fault) :-(“

Clash – Long Black Cadillac

This was a great cover by The Clash. It was on the London Calling album released in 1979. They started off as a punk band but The Clash, unlike some other Punk bands, could really play and sing well…, especially Mick Jones. He was probably the best pure musician in the band.

The song was originally by Vince Taylor and released in 1959. It was the B side to a song called Pledging My Love. Taylor wrote the song but Tony Sheridan is credited with the cool guitar riff running through the song. The song’s riff reminds me of the original Batman riff…or really the other way around.

Wilson Pickett – Mustang Sally

The music is in groove mode, but Pickett’s explosive voice drives it home. Mustang Sally was recorded at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The studio had a unique sound plus some of the best musicians anywhere. It started to get the attention of Atlantic Records and they sent Pickett to record there. Later on, a guitar player known as Duane Allman would end up as a studio musician and talked Pickett into recording Hey Jude.

As soon as they finished this take… the tape flew off the reel and broke into pieces everywhere. Producer Tom Dowd cleared the room and told everyone to return in half an hour. Dowd pieced the tape back together and saved what became one of the coolest songs of the decade.

Quiet Riot – Slick Black Cadillac

This one is for my friend Deke. The song originally appeared on Quiet Riot’s second album, Quiet Riot II, released in 1978. This album was only released in Japan. A re-recorded version of Slick Black Cadillac was included on their more widely known album, Metal Health, released in 1983.

In high school, this album was played and played by our local rock station.

Bonus today…

Cars – Gary Numan

This was suggested by glyn40wilton… This song was released in 1979  was one of many signs a change was coming in music. The song peaked at #9 in the Billboard 100,  #1 in the UK and #1 in Canada. The song was keyboard-driven with a synth riff.

Gary Numan on the inspiration of the song. “A couple of blokes started peering in the window and for whatever reason took a dislike to me, so I had to take evasive action. I swerved up the pavement, scattering pedestrians everywhere. After that, I began to see the car as the tank of modern society.”

Numan has stated that he has Asperger syndrome, which is a mild form of autism, but until he was diagnosed, he had a lot of trouble relating to other people.

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, 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. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

32 thoughts on “Car Songs…Part 3”

    1. This morning when I woke up…I remembered something! That wasn’t the “Cars” version he gave me…and I am sorry.
      Oh yea I thought about that one as well.

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    1. Check! I’ll get it in the next one. Thanks! I did use your Renegades song in the last one. Thanks Fox….I posted Spanish Stroll by him but not this one…

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  4. Another great list of car songs and Grey Cortina was new to me, funny my first roommate had a white Cortina the very year this song came out. They were not a popular car in Canada as I recall. Don’t know the Quiet Riot song and I’m ok with that.

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      1. For sure a lot of Cadie tunes. It’s not the status symbol it once was but as you know, it was a sign of success in the music business. Maybe that’s why there are so many.

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      2. That has to be it…but yea it’s not what it used to be. It’s probably the Ferrari’s and exotic cars now. The Blasters of course had a different take on their Cadillac song.

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  5. Needless to say I dig the Blasters cut. Right from the opening it grabbed me. Dave Alvin knows how to write a song plus he has the licks. It’s mini movie in my mind. Lots of images.
    Like the live ‘Cortina’ version. The Clash just prove they’re a killer rock band on their take. More cars songs are needed.

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    1. There are so many good car songs out there and that is a reason I’ve continued this far. And I know many more.
      The Blasters told that story perfectly

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  6. As I was reading this I was wondering if you were going to mention QR as if you didn’t, I would lol. The Metal Health version is a kicking track and actually a really good song. You’re right Max as this album was everywhere back in 83 and even my wife who was not huge into music bought this back at that time. They crossed over huge on this album and then it imploded for them!

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    1. I told ya I would remember! I was hoping you would see this today.
      Oh it was everywhere in high school at the time. That album cover I saw over and over again…they got huge quick…as quick as you could say “Slade” lol…. no they had songs other than them…and I did like his voice a lot.

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    1. That one is interesting…about the night Hank Williams died in his white Cadillac….there are so many car songs. I had no clue.

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  8. A song that comes to mind that has a car in it but isn’t about a car, per se, is Cream’s, “Politician.” Not sure if you are going to see a feature, “Songs with Cars in Them” but if you do will you add it, please 🙂

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    1. I sure will….you know I love Cream.
      I will say this…Cadillacs should have their own place….they beat any other car in songs.

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  9. I guess it’s all about the freedom. (Me: Duh, no great revelation there.) Dunno if I mentioned one off the Troggs early album, a cover of Chucks ‘Jaguar And Thunderbird.’ Chuck loved his cars.

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    1. I’m a huge Troggs fan… I will check that out. I’ve never heard that before. The song that hooked me was With A Girl Like You… over Wild Thing

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