When I hear this song I think to myself…it’s pretty cool that I met the writer several times. It’s a song written by Don Williams and Wayland Holyfield. I’ll get in a mood where I have to hear something rootsy or down to earth. I usually pick either The Band or Ronnie Lane. So today’s posts with Rick Danko and Ronnie Lane fall into that. Combine that with that mid to late 1970s country sound and I love it. This music is something you could play on your back porch.
In 1976, following an extensive tour, The Who took a hiatus to focus on individual projects. Ronnie Lane initially approached Pete Townshend to produce his album but later invited him to collaborate on songwriting. Townshend, hesitant as he had never co-written songs before, ultimately declined. However, they did succeed in co-writing the album’s title track, Rough Mix. The album featured a mix of songs written individually by Lane and Townshend, with the two performing on most tracks together. This song is the one cover they did. The producer was the legendary Glyn Johns.
An album with Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane you would figure to be huge at the time. It wasn’t huge but it was a great album and has been highly regarded since. Personally, it’s high on my list of albums made in the 1970s along with Lane’s solo material. Like with the Danko album of 1977, Punk and Disco ruled the airwaves and probably had an effect on the commercial success of this album.
Don Williams’s music was really hot during this period. Eric Clapton was covering it and suddenly country music was popular. The album peaked at #44 in the Billboard Album Charts, #70 in Canada, and #45 in the UK in 1977.
Til The Rivers Run Dry
Till the rivers all run dry
Till the sun falls from the sky
Till life on earth is through
I’ll be needing you
I know sometimes you may wonder
From little things I say and do
But there’s no need for you to wonder
If I need you ’cause I’ll need you
Till the rivers all run dry
Till the sun falls from the sky
Till life on earth is through
I’ll be needing you
Too many times I don’t tell you
Too many things get in the way
And even though sometimes I hurt you
Still you show me in every way
Till the rivers all run dry
Till the sun falls from the sky
Till life on earth is through
I’ll be needing you
…
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Wow, you met Don Williams? He was a real favorite of mine. What a great voice. I love the Rough Mix album too. All the songs are great, but my favorite is “April Fool” by Ronnie.
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Yes I did and a few more. He lived right up the street from me…oh yes…I blogged April Fool….but about the Don Williams thing…if you have time one day…here is the story.
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I did read that post before, but it was good to read it again. Good to know he was as nice in person as he seemed. I knew “I Believe In You” and a couple of others, but I got more into his music when I found about 12 of his cassettes at the local Salvation Army. Someone must have been updating their collection. I felt the same way about Old and New Country. I guess now I can see the merits of the ’80’s and ’90’s people compared to the “really new” ones.
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Yes I see the merits as well. I was hearing country music from day to dark…it’s probably the reason I rebelled at 8 to The Beatles and British rock…but I’ve come to really appreciate Loretta Lynn, Don Williams, Merle Haggard and artist like them.
Don was such a great guy.
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Loved that Don Williams story! You certainly had amazing talent all around you! I have not heard this cover, it’s excellent. Don was a remarkable songwriter.
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He doesn’t get credit for his songwriting a lot but yes he was…and these two Brits did a good job on his song. I remember that period well…songs like Clapton’s Promises and Lay Down Sally…made me look in my own backyard so to speak.
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Pretty darn cool backyard!
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A beautiful love song.
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I’ve read both good and bad comments about the album. I think I need to hear more. I do like this version though.
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I really like the album. Glyn, some people might listen to it and are prepared to hear a little Who or Faces…I don’t know….but it’s neither one of those! Thats my theory anyway.
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That is very cool you got to meet Williams, he was a very good songwriter and from your stories, a good man too. It’s a quality song. I like his version. I was happily surprised by the Townsend and Lane take on it too, more country-rootsy than I would have guessed and likable indeed, although – no offense meant here – it didn’t sound anything like a ‘hit’ single to me. But it was worth hearing
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Don’s was a hit in country but no…it wasn’t a top 40 but there are others songs on the album that very well could have been like the song April Fool.
Just a good song to listen to…if you want roots music….the Band and Ronnie Lane deliever.
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Clapton’s wide variety of side gigs and the variety has always interested me. He’s almost played everything with everyone…his work with Canadian classical guitarist Liona Boyd was/is interesting, Bob Dylan and the Band, BB King…..I’ve only seen him live once in Seattle with King and Johnny Winters, and what I came away is just how relaxed and easily he plays….I pretty much learned everything I can play from 461 Ocean BLVD….and Rick Danko, It makes no difference, wow huh?……actually writing this, and thinking about this, British musicians from Clapton to Beck to Elton John and beyond has taught me to listen to everything….
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I can’t agree more with you. I started off more as a bass player but I switched to rhythm because our singer quit…but yes I picked up a lot from Clapton. He was all over the map.
I saw him twice…a few years apart…but… I saw him one summer, a couple of weeks later I saw Santana, and a few weeks after that I saw Robin Trower…so that summer I was on a guitar playing cloud.
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Wow! I’ve never heard this…and I’m not familiar with the album. I know Ronnie Lane with The Small Faces and The Faces, but I’ve never heard his Gram Parsons faze. I like it. It just seems a little strange to me…unexpected.
I saw Don Williams in concert with my mom. Lol! I was grounded…got caught with some illegal substances. Lol! It was the 80s…anyway, I wasn’t too excited about going to a Country concert with my mom and her friend. But that night I became a Don Williams fan. That’s when I got into Eric Clapton’s Slowhand period (previously, I didn’t like it); The Flying Burritos Brothers, JJ Cale, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, etc…Don Williams opened up a whole avenue of music to me.
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Oh Pam…all of his solo stuff is like this….very much roots music. His music is folk and country…very relaxing music and down to earth.
Don was a great guy…I feel ashamed but I never saw him in concert…I liked his records but I never thought about seeing a country music concert…but I wish I would have. Glad you got to see him! Funny I met him several times but never saw a concert.
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The song that represents his solo work the best to me is a song called “How Come?”
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I’ll give it a listen. Thanx.
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I’ve definitely listened to “Rough Mix” before, and it could well have been because you had mentioned the album to me. Sadly, I can’t remember the details. I also didn’t recall “Til the Rivers Run Dry.” It’s a great song and also really cool you met the co-writer Don Williams! I think Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane did a pretty good job with their rendition – not necessarily a song I’d expect to hear from Pete, but it works!
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Yea I like when you hear songs like this not really associated with the artist.
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I remember when Don Williams was on the air with hits. I remember this one. Seems kind of strange to hear Ronnie and Pete singing it, but what the heck, it’s halfway decent.
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Two Brits really did it well.
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Don Williams owns this with his version. I agree…maybe halfway decent.
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I feel these posts are speaking to me. They are. Another favorite record. Not a bad tune. This being one that makes it what it is. A blue ribbon record.
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I knew this album but when you mentioned it before I started to listen to it more…I love it. And more people today came in with the same attitude. You don’t hear The Who or The Faces…you hear something different…a good different.
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Same comment as I left on the Danko song. Definitely exploring other musical ideas. Thing is, the ideas all work for me. The voices are there but it’s the vibe and the material.. It goes back to the song Pete snuck Ronnie in on his first solo record ‘Who Came First’. Different but gold.
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I think I picked the two well as far as flowing into each other…again what you just said.
You know what? I don’t know much about that first Townshend album… I think I’ll listen to that one this week.
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I’ll let you mine the record. All I’ll say is it’s a preview to Rouh Mix. Jump in the time machine and I’d be interested in how it grabs you. I’ll save my thoughts for then. One thing is, you gotta know I like it. Very cool cover.
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Thanks CB….it will be on my list this week. The album doesn’t get a lot of coverage….so that probably means I like it a lot…it usually ends up that way.
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Two legends
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Way cool! 😎
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