Imelda May – Mayhem

After doing the post on Blue Harlem… I noticed both lead singers but started to listen to Imelda May. She has so many good songs that I could have flipped a coin. This song was the title cut off of her album released in 2010. The guitar riff that the lead guitarist Darrel Higham played as the intro won me over right away. 

Her influences include Billie Holiday, Eddie Cochran, and Gene Vincent. That sounds about right after hearing her perform. A few weeks ago, CB featured this song (Johnny Got A Boom Boom) on his site. I wanted to feature that one but I figured I would try something else…give it a listen! She has collaborated with artists such as U2, Noel Gallagher, Sinéad O’Connor, and Ronnie Wood to name a few. She also has worked with producers such as Tony Visconti, Peter Asher, and T Bone Burnett.

The album Mayhem peaked at #1 in Ireland, #7 in the UK, and #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Charts. The song Mayhem peaked at #24 in Ireland in 2010. The album won Album of the Year in Ireland as well. 

It would be fair to say I’m picky about female artists’ voices. I was discussing with Stewart on his UK Number Ones Blog about female pop singers. The female singers I like are Janis Joplin, Bessie Smith, Aretha Franklin, Tanya Tucker, Bonnie Tyler, and voices like that. Imelda May belongs to that group. What a voice May has and it can go from 0 to 60 in a split second. 

I have quotes on this blog quite a bit…but these I really like. 

Imelda May: Some people think the only way of doing well or of having a career in music is to go the X Factor route, but a lot of people lose the joy out of music by going that way, possibly because they’re so incredibly focused on other people’s ideas of success.

Imelda May: For me, rockabilly is very, very exciting music. It’s electric and kind of wild, you know? It’s ‘make your hairs stand up on the back of your neck’ kind of music.

Imelda May: I don’t tend to set out on huge world domination goals or have anything in mind. I just like to play. I like to gig a lot; I like to write music.

The below live Walking In The Sand has to be one of the best entrances ever. You have Billy Gibbins, Ronnie Wood, Johnny Depp, and Imelda May. This entrance is burned into my mind.

Mayhem

He said he didn’t even hear trains let alone the few wordsThe ladies maybe sayin’ about himShe freaks and tells her closest friendThat she’ll never love againBut she’ll never, no not everLive without him

Wouldn’t believe it, if you seen itOh, mayhem doo doo doopYeah, mayhem doo doo doopYeah, mayhem doo doo doopA lotta mayhem, woh oh oh yeah

She said he didn’t mean a thingSo she threw her diamond ringOut the window of a black cab in CamdenHe couldn’t take it, what she did,So he threw a hissy fitAnd he took it out on anyone at random

Wouldn’t believe it, if you seen itOh, mayhem doo doo doopYeah, mayhem doo doo doopYeah, mayhem doo doo doopA lotta mayhem, woh oh oh yeah

Dinning sound, lights spinning round,Some mother’s sonGotta fight or got to run run run runRun run run run run

Ten pints and then he starts a fightAnd he lands himself a nightIn a cell wearing gray pants and bruisesTwelve mates bangin’ on the door,Oh the back up vans galoreNever saw such a street full of losers

Wouldn’t believe it, if you seen itOh, mayhem doo doo doopYeah, mayhem doo doo doopYeah, mayhem doo doo doopA lotta mayhem, woh oh oh yeah

Mayhem doo doo doopYeah, mayhem doo doo doopA lotta mayhem doo doo doopA lotta mayhem oh yeah

Oh mayhem

…

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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.

42 thoughts on “Imelda May – Mayhem”

  1. Had not seen that first clip before, quite the entrance! I do like her stuff a lot and did see the post by CB. It was only about five years ago that I discovered her myself. Those Irish ladies can be a real cracker box! I think Mayhem is right up there with Johnny Got a Boom Boom”.

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    1. I had others lined up like “It’s Good To Be Alive” because it was one of her hits but it didn’t have the growl that this one did. She is quite impressive in voice and her presence.

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  5. Pingback: Imelda May – Mayhem – MobsterTiger

  7. In what world would a Rolling Stone, a ZZ Topper …and Johnny Depp be jamming together?! Odd! Not a bad take on ‘Walking in the Sand’. I can see why you compare to Janis Joplin. I think she may have arrived too late though- she looks made for MTV ’80s.

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    1. Strange combo! Yea that was a Jeff Beck tribute I believe. In Ireland she is really popular of course but yea I wish she would have done that here. After reading her quotes it made me like her more.

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    1. That was the tribute concert right? As far as this clip? When I saw that clip of her…it was just awesome before she sang a note…just her presence alone.

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      2. Ok…now I see the context of the Beck tribute…it makes sense now. She is the complete package no doubt. That voice is on the money.
        Of this short writeup I did…what really impressed me were the quotes by her. A down to earth aritst…and yea Beck was so aggressive but reeled in at the same time. Higham is so good…you can’t “fake it” in this music…you mess up…no distortion will bail you out…he is awesome.

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      3. Please Mr Jailer is another cut they do. It shows her range. Bluesy. The whole gig is worth some time. Piece meal or all at once. Beck was wearing that blue cap because he was doing the Vincent thing at the time.

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      4. I just watched it yea it’s great. Funny to see Depp in that…he sang that song in a Waters movie.
        I was wondering about the blue cap…well now it makes sense…complete sense and I should have known that.

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      6. Yea I don’t have enough of them CB. The guy (Stewart) at that blog told me “You like women’s voices that sound like men”… and I thought…damn…he has a point there but not always. I just love powerful voices.

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      1. After him and his ex’es courtroom drama, I really can’t abide him anymore. I wish I could have stayed in the fantasy of him rather than the sordid reality of him.

        Ooh, now you have me wondering which show…

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  14. Imelda May is great. I bought her first album at one of her gigs, and she graciously signed it and chatted to me, lovely person, even gave me a hug. I’ve seen her 2 or 3 times and she always delivers, full of energy. Mayhem is a great single, I generally preferred some of the less rockabilly tracks she did on the second album, but Boom Boom is the crowd pleaser for sure. Sadly she’s been very low-key since splitting with her hubbie and band-member/co-writer, more into bluesy-jazz ballads and has dumped the old rockabilly image. I still buy her occasional singles though, she did one with Jeff Beck on his last album – Lilac Wine, I think it was, a cover of an Elkie Brooks hit. Elkie had quite the big voice on her in her younger bluesy days with Robert Palmer in Vinegar Joe, though she morphed into a balladeer and lots of UK hits from 1977 onwards. She’s done her goodbye tour.

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    1. I was shocked at her voice…she could sing about anything she wants with that voice. I have noticed some of her newer songs that are different than the rockabilly stuff….I’ve seen a few things she did with Beck…they are really good.

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