1970s – Page 19 – PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

Blaze Foley – Clay Pigeons

I always thought Blaze was a Texan but I was wrong…but technically that is where he made his mark in music. Blaze Foley (Michael David Fuller) was born in Malvern, Arkansas, but grew to be an important figure in the Texas outlaw country music scene. I started to listen to Foley’s songs and the strength of the lyrics has won me over. This was an interesting man. A documentary was made about him called “Duct Tape Messiah: Blaze Foley.” If you have time at some point, watch it. This documentary is based on a hell of a story.

Foley grew up in a musical family, moving frequently throughout the South. His parents were part of a gospel band, and he was exposed to music from a young age. The family’s traveling lifestyle and deep-rooted religious beliefs influenced Foley’s music.

Foley became a fixture in the Austin music scene in the 1970s and 1980s, where he befriended and collaborated with other songwriters, including Townes Van Zandt (he wrote a song about Foley after his death called Blaze’s Blues). His music was deeply personal, often reflecting his struggles with homelessness, addiction, and relationships. Despite his talent, Foley struggled to gain commercial success during his lifetime, partly due to his unpredictable behavior and refusal to compromise his artistic integrity. I do have a Townes Van Zandt story at the bottom.

This song gained a wider audience after being covered by several artists, most notably John Prine, who included it on his 2005 album Fair & Square. Prine’s version introduced the song to a broader audience and solidified its place in the Americana and folk music canon.

On February 1, 1989, Foley was tragically shot and killed at the age of 39 in Austin, Texas. He was trying to defend a friend, Concho January, from his violent son. Foley accused him of stealing January’s checks. Foley’s death was a big loss to the music community, and his life story has since been the subject of many articles, documentaries, and films.

He didnt’ gain popularity until after his death. He only released one 1984 studio album before his death and those tapes were confiscated by the DEA when the executive producer was caught in a drug bust. He also recorded one in 1980 but the tapes were stolen out of his car. He did get some singles released during the 80s but a lot of live and some studio material came out after he died. Some tribute albums have come out as well with other artists covering his songs. Artists such as Townes Van Zandt, Calvin Russell, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, Timbuk 3 and many more.

Now the Townes Van Zandt Blaze Foley story. Blaze was known as The Duct Tape Messiah for the strappings that held his boots together. His life was disorderly, to say the least. He had said that when he died he wanted Townes to have his guitar. When Foley died, Van Zandt and his friends went for the guitar but found out that the late singer/songwriter had pawned the guitar among other things. Van Zandt told the Pawn Shop clerk that the guitar had been left for him and he was there to collect it. However, the clerk insisted that without a pawn stub, that transaction was impossible. So, along with the rest of Foley’s friends, they searched every possession (which wasn’t much) that the late musician had left behind. The pawn slip was nowhere to be found.

They figured out it must be in Foley’s front pocket in the suit he was buried in. Townes then borrowed a backhoe and dug his friend up. He went through his pockets and there it was…the pawn ticket. Van Zandt went straight to the pawn shop with the freshly dug-up stub and collected Foley’s guitar that he kept in his possession until he, too, passed away.

Now whether this was true or not I don’t know… but that is what the documentary is all about that I mentioned in the first paragraph. Here is a picture of Townes Van Zandt with Foley’s guitar.

Clay Pigeons

I’m goin’ down to the Greyhound stationGonna get a ticket to rideGonna find that lady with two or three kidsAnd sit down by her side

Ride ’til the sun comes up and down around me‘Bout two or three timesSmokin’ cigarettes in the last seatTryin’ to hide my sorrow from the people I meetAnd get along with it all

Go down where the people say y’allSing a song with a friendChange the shape that I’m inAnd get back in the game and start playin’ again

I’d like to stay, but I might have to goTo start over againMight go back down to TexasMight go to somewhere that I’ve never been

And get up in the mornin’ and go out at nightAnd I won’t have to go homeGet used to bein’ aloneChange the words to this songAnd start singin’ again

I’m tired of runnin’ ’roundLookin’ for answers to questions that I already knowI could build me a castle of memoriesJust to have somewhere to go

Count the days and the nights that it takesTo get back in the saddle againFeed the pigeons some clay, turn the night into dayAnd start talkin’ again when I know what to say

I’m goin’ down to the Greyhound stationGonna get a ticket to rideGonna find that lady with two or three kidsAnd sit down by her side

Ride ’til the sun comes up and down around me‘Bout two or three timesSmokin’ cigarettes in the last seatTry to hide my sorrow from the people I meetAnd get along with it all

Go down where the people say y’allFeed the pigeons some clayTurn the night into dayAnd start talkin’ again when I know what to say

ThanksIt’s called “Clay Pigeons”Anywhere I roam, there’s askThat’s rightRoad-hog didWe have a lot of requests, so we’re gonna do it anywayAin’t never had a lesson in his life, alright

…

Gunsmoke, the Early Years

I’m reading a book on James Arness…or Matt Dillion from Gunsmoke. When you watch these beginning shows you see Arness turn into a fine actor. He was in many movies before Gunsmoke but he looked a little uncomfortable in the first season. By the second season, you could see a huge change. Arness said he wasn’t comfortable and he got an acting teacher to help refine his acting for television.

I liked the show because I grew up watching the hour-long color episodes (seasons 12-20) of Gunsmoke in reruns. The first 6 seasons were black and white and 30 minutes long. Seasons 7-11 were one-hour black and white shows. As I said seasons 12-20 were one-hour color shows.

Now I’m watching the first 6 seasons for about the 6th time… There is no Festus or Newly…we have Chester (Dennis Weaver), who is a refreshing character. They never played these episodes on television when I was younger. There still is Doc Adams (Milburn Stone)and the astonishing Kitty Russell (Amanda Blake).

These episodes dealt with murder, rape, human trafficking, and plenty of Matt Dillon (James Arness) decking bad guys with his fist or the butt of his gun. They are 30 minutes long which is great. They got to the point quickly. Some of the stories were grim but matched the look of the series. It was an adult show at this time.

I was surprised at how rough, violent, and authentic they were and that is not knocking the later episodes but there is a huge difference. The violence was toned down as the series continued. The later color episodes centered more around the guest stars and the old black and white ones centered more on the local residents of Dodge City. That was by design because of the hour format…and some shows had some filler in them in that format.

Have Gun Will Travel was also on CBS along with Gunsmoke. You will see some of the same character actors and sets. Some Have Gun Will Travel scenes were filmed in a redecorated Long Branch… Too bad there wasn’t a crossover at least once.

Chester…I’ve always liked Dennis Weaver as an actor…in McCloud, Duel, and anything he was in… He brings his character Chester alive as a real person. Chester had a limp on the show and Dennis Weaver said he would take yoga classes so he could do things like putting on a boot to look believable with a bad leg…he also put a pebble in his boot on his right foot so he would not forget which leg was lame. He said it took him months after Gunsmoke not to use the limp on camera because he was so used to it.

Chester could be lazy but he was invaluable and loyal to a fault to Matt Dillon. Dennis Weaver left the show after the 9th season with no explanation on what happened to Chester as was the way back then with TV shows. He was mentioned one time in the 20th season. Burt Reynolds joined the show for two years in seasons 8 and 9. He said it was his best experience in entertainment. The cast was extremely close.

If you are a fan and have seen only the later episodes…check these out. It puts a new light on the show. Unlike other Westerns, Native Americans were not usually the bad guys in Gunsmoke. Matt Dillion was a good friend to many of them.

Here is a badly recorded clip of Matt Dillion, Chester, and Ken Curtis who would later take Chester’s place in the show and play Festus.

Slade – Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me

I bet English teachers hated this band! This is such a fun band and it’s too bad they were not heard in America until the 1980s. Slade was not like The Small Faces who never toured the US. They toured extensively with bands like Humble Pie, ZZ Top, J Geils Band, Black Sabbath, Santana, and Aerosmith opened for them in a few places until Toys in the Attic hit…and then they reversed it.

Slade was very successful in the UK with 6 number ones, 16 top ten, and 24 top 40 singles. They could not duplicate their success in America where they only had two top forty singles…Run, Runaway, and My, Oh My both in the 80s.

Jim Lea was at a pub watching a pianist named Reg Kierle perform and it inspired him to write this song. He got with Noddy Holder to finish it. They were the primary songwriters for Slade, responsible for many of their hits. Noddy’s voice is the key to Slade…only a few can sound like he does.

The song peaked at #1 in the UK and high in other countries besides America and Canada.

It was produced by former Animals bass player Chas Chandler, who had been instrumental in shaping Slade’s sound and had previously worked with Jimi Hendrix. Chandler’s production emphasized the raw energy and the fun that characterized Slade’s music.

Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me

You know how to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh)

And I thought you might like to knowWhen a girl’s meaning “Yes”, she says, “No”

You got rude talkYou got one walkAll your jokes are blueYou’ve got long nailsYou tell tall talesSome you think are true

And there’s nowhere to go, you won’t goIf there’s nowhere to run, you go slowIf you move up to me, then I’ll showYou the wayThen you’ll know

How to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, oooh)

And I thought you might like to knowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, ooh)

And I thought you might like to knowWhen a girl’s meaning “Yes”, she says, “No”

You got a sweet tongueYou sing love songsCan’t you learn to spell?Take me back homeYou got it all wrong‘Cause we sing that as well

And there’s nowhere to go, you won’t goIf there’s nowhere to run, you go slowIf you move up to me, then I’ll showYou the wayThen you’ll know

How to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, ooh)

And I thought you might like to knowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, ooh)

And I thought you might like to knowWhen a girl’s meaning “Yes”, she says, “No”

Oh, you know how to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, oooh)

And I thought you might like to knowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, ooh)

And I thought you might like to knowWhen a girl’s meaning “Yes”, she says, “No”

You know how to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, yeah)

And I thought you might like to know nowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, yeah, you do)

And I thought you might like to know nowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, ooh, ooh)

And I thought you might like to (na, na, na, na, na, na, na) knowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, ooh)

I thought you might like to knowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know you please me (woah, oh)Oh, oh, yes(Woah, oh)Yes, yes, you knowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)

…

Deep Purple – Woman from Tokyo

Thanks to Dave for posting this song. It was a response to Dave asking us about songs that mention a city on Turntable Talk. This one and Nashville Cats came to mind…but I went with the Purple.

This song is all about the riff…it is a memorable riff… The song has drive and suspense. The dynamics are great after the middle section when the intro riff is reintroduced. What made Deep Purple different from other hard rock bands at the time was the Hammond C3 organ played by Jon Lord. In this song the Hammond sounds as mean as the guitar.

The song was inspired by Deep Purple’s first tour of Japan in 1972. The band was struck by the contrast between the crowded bustling, modern city of Tokyo and the traditional aspects of Japanese culture. Tokyo is personified as a woman.

Woman from Tokyo was on the album Who Do We Think We Are released in 1973. The band members were dealing with exhaustion from constant touring and the pressure to deliver another hit album. The album did quite well peaking at #4 in the UK, #15 on the Billboard Album Charts, and #11 in Canada.

Deep Purple wasn’t a singles band, but this one got a lot of airplay on radio. The song peaked at #60 on the Billboard 100 and #55 in Canada in 1973. That surprises me because I did hear this one a lot growing up.

The band never liked it very much. They didn’t start playing it live until they re-formed in 1984 after their 1976 split. Roger Glover insists that no real live versions of this song existed until the 80s despite being on live compilation albums from their 1970s period.

Because of endless touring and fatigue, Ian Gillan gave a six-month notice stating that he was leaving the band after fulfilling all his commitments in 1973. After lead singer Ian Gillian left Deep Purple in 1973, they had two other lead singers before reforming in 1984…and they were David Coverdale and Joe Lynn Turner. To me though…Ian Gillian is the singer I think of when I think of Deep Purple.

Ritchie Blackmore: “We were in Japan, and it was an incredible experience for us. The song came out of our admiration for the country and the fans there. Tokyo had a lasting impression on us.”

Ritchie Blackmore: “I wanted ‘Woman from Tokyo’ to have a strong, catchy riff that would stay with the listener. The middle section was intended to give it a different feel, almost like taking the listener on a journey.”

Ritchie Blackmore: “The recording sessions for ‘Who Do We Think We Are’ were tough. There was a lot of tension in the band, but ‘Woman from Tokyo’ was one of the moments where things came together well.”

Woman from Tokyo

Fly into the rising sun
Faces, smiling everyone
Yeah, she is a whole new tradition
I feel it in my heart

My woman from Tokyo
She makes me see
My woman from Tokyo
She’s so good to me

Talk about her like a Queen
Dancing in a Eastern Dream
Yeah, she makes me feel like a river
That carries me away

My woman from Tokyo
She makes me see
My woman from Tokyo
She’s so good to me

But I’m at home and I just don’t belong

So far away from the garden we love
She is what moves in the soul of a dove
Soon I shall see just how black was my night
When we’re alone in Her City of light

Rising from the neon gloom
Shining like a crazy moon
Yeah, she turns me on like a fire
I get high

My woman from Tokyo
She makes me see
My woman from Tokyo
She’s so good to me

Max’s Drive-In Movie – Walking Tall

The movie is about what happened in McNairy County Tennessee with the big stick-carrying Sherriff named Buford Pusser. Don’t get this one mixed up with the modern version… you will not get the “Rock” in this one. It has more of a realistic feel than the latest remake. This movie is not slick or smooth…it was made on a small budget but it works well. I grew up hearing stories about Buford Pusser. A policeman friend of the family knew him well.

Before I get into the film. The movie stuck with me through the years and I have a personal story about ending up at his house.

My wife and I traveled to Memphis to visit Graceland in the late 90s. On the way back home we got lost (pre-GPS and I have no sense of direction) and ended up in McNairy County. I remembered the name and we looked saw Pusser’s old home which was turned into a museum. We walked in and the lady working there was super nice. We sat on his couch and looked at his car, badges, guns, and uniforms. Before I left I could not resist…I just had to buy one of those big sticks…which was just an ax handle with his name and also a VHS tape of the Sheriff’s story. I checked today…now they have his furniture behind glass.

It was pretty cool being able to touch and walk around freely after the “stay behind the rope!” mentality at Graceland…which I understand completely…Hey, it’s the home of the big E. If you ever go to Graceland and if you have a couple of hours to spare, drive to this museum it is interesting… it’s like going back in time to the mid-seventies…it was just a fluke that we found it but it was fun.

Ok back to the movie. It’s a vigilante drama and a revenge story that paces itself pretty well. Joe Don Baker is very believable in this movie. If you hate violence this is not for you because it’s loaded with it. The Sheriff almost single-handedly cleans up the town with the aid of a big stick and his loyal deputies. The film quality is cleaned up and not as grainy as I remembered. You will see the future 70s pinup singer Leif Garret as the Sheriff’s son…also future Rockford Files dad Noah Beery Jr. I watched the movie recently and it holds up very well.

A little about the history of Pusser. He was the son of Carl and Helen Pusser. His father was the police chief of Adamsville, Tennessee, which likely influenced Pusser’s future career in law enforcement. Before becoming a lawman, Pusser served in the United States Marine Corps and was also a professional wrestler.

He became the sheriff of McNairy County in 1964. The 26-year-old sheriff was fearless and wasted no time cracking down on mafia activity, concentrating on the state border between Tennessee and Mississippi, which was controlled by two separate gangs… the Dixie Mafia and the State Line Mob. The mob gangs made a lot of money off of moonshine, so Pusser’s crackdown was obviously not appreciated. His battle against all of this was intense and personal. His wife, Pauline, was killed in an ambush meant for him, which fueled his determination to clean up the county.

Did he bend the rules? Yes, sometimes into a pretzel but he was playing against a stacked deck. Despite his wife being killed, his family being terrorized, and numerous attempts on his life, he kept going. He was stabbed 7 times and shot 8 during his time as sheriff. I’m sure Hollywood massaged some truth, but it wasn’t cartoonish.

The movie grossed over $40 million at the box office and led to two sequels: Walking Tall Part 2 (1975) and Final Chapter: Walking Tall (1977), as well as a television series and a 2004 remake I told you about earlier starring The Rock (Dwayne Johnson).

Buford Pusser agreed to portray himself in Walking Tall Part II but, hours after signing the contract, he was killed when his car ran off the road near his home. Some believe his car was sabotaged in retribution for his stamping out the illegal activities of the Stateline mob on the Tennessee-Mississippi border.

Buford Pusser

Quotes:

Buford: There’s only two rules, and thats all… But don’t ever forget them. Number one we enforce the law equally. Number two, any man caught taking a bribe gets his head knocked off by me.

Plot from IMDB:

“Walking Tall” depicts Buford Pusser’s real-life crusade against the corruption that plagued his hometown. After being severely beaten by criminals, Pusser decides to run for sheriff and wins. He then begins a relentless campaign to rid the county of illegal activities, facing numerous threats and attempts on his life. His story is one of resilience, justice, and personal loss.

The cast included Joe Don Baker, Elizabeth Hartley, Leif Garrett, Dawn Lyn, and Noah Beery Jr.

I have a Jimmy Buffett and Buford Pusser story after the video. It’s well worth the read!

Off topic of the movie but Jimmy Buffet had a Buford Pusser story. I’ve heard this from different sources but this is from http://www.buffettworld.com… The movie was good but this would have been GREAT to see. Jimmy was on the wrong side of Pusser.

In 1974, Jimmy Buffett had a run-in with famed “Walking Tall” sheriff Buford Pusser. The story is referred to in “Presents To Send You” from the 1974 album A1A and also in “Semi-True Stories” from the 1999 album Beach House On The Moon.
In both songs, few details are mentioned. But at a show in 1974 at the Exit Inn in Nashville, just a few months after the incident, Buffett took some time to tell the crowd about the altercation:

“There were a lot of rumors circling around that I had an encounter with this young man. Which are true. We finished doing our recording over at Woodland Studio, real happy that the album had come out so well. All the lightweights had went out to get a few bottles of champagne and celebrate. Sammy Creason and Chuck Nease and I decided to go out and get a bottle of Cuervo Gold Tequilla and 3 straws. We went at it and in 15 minutes we were just knee-crawlin’ drunk. So we proceeded to the flashiest night spot in town, the roof of the King of the Road Hotel.

We’re there dining and dancing. Ronnie Milsap was on vacation. Sammy Creason was with me, so we provided just a gala of entertainment. Me on acoustic guitar so drunk I couldn’t hit the chords and him just pounding the drums out in 3-quarter time. Ran everybody out. We got the screaming munchies and we were going to Charlie Nickens to eat. And I couldn’t find my rent-a-car, which was parked somewhere amidst thousands of cars in the parking lot of the fabulous, plush King of the Road hotel. It was a little bitty car. It was hiding among many big ones there. And there was a Tennessee Prosecutors convention going on there. If they had made it to room 819 they would’ve had a closed door case.

So I stood on the hood of this car with a pair of… actually, they were old Ra Ra’s that I bought in Miami for 2 bucks. They were white and brown old Ra Ra’s but they were golf shoes so I had to take the cleats out but they still had the posts in them so they clicked a lot. I was standing on the hood of this particular car and as fate would have it it belonged to a rather large man who came up behind me and threatened my life real quickly. And I hadn’t been in a fight since junior high school on the city bus in Mobile. He came up and said “Son you stay right there, you’re under arrest”. So I politely turned around and said “You kiss my ass”. He didn’t. Instead he followed me over to the car which Sammy had found. I got in the driver’s side and Sammy got in the passenger’s side. My window was up, his was down and this fellow poked his head in and said “Would you like for me to turn this car over?”.

I was not scared of this individual. I just thought he was some ex-football player turned counselor. And Sammy said “look whatever damage we did ABC will pay for everything” which was awfully generous of Sammy since he didn’t have the authority to say so. Being a good company man I took up for my company and said “No they won’t. I’m still gonna beat your ass if you don’t leave us alone”. With that he pulled up then stuck his big head and his hand in and grabbed me by my hair until it separated from my head. I had a big bald spot on the back of it and I looked like a monk for about 3 months. Then he punched Sammy right in the nose. We knew he wasn’t kidding. So Sammy defended himself bravely with a big pen. He starts stabbing at this man’s arm trying to get it out of the window because we couldn’t start the car because with the new modern features of ‘74 automobiles you can not start your car unless your seat belt’s buckled and we were too drunk to get ours hooked up.

So we sit there while this man pounded the hell out of both of us. I looked over at Creason and I said “Sammy I don’t wanna die in a Gremlin.” Eaten by a shark, killed in a plane crash, but what’s my mother gonna say? Smashed to death in a Gremlin in the parking lot of the plush King of the Road hotel. Nope. So I mustered all the courage and energy I had and all the coordination I had left in my poor body and got the seat belt buckled and went to Charlie Nickens. We ordered our barbecue and on the way back we hit the Jefferson St. Bridge. Luckily there was no one around so we just backed up and headed for the hotel.

Got back, and we decided that this man may be lurking in the bushes or else may have been snorkeling around in the pool trying to scoop up coins that people threw in. So we decided to defend ourselves with a classic southern weapon: a tire tool. So we destroyed the back end of the Gremlin looking for the tire tool, found it. Walked through the lobby of these prosecutors, and we had caused a turmoil by this time. And got up to the 8th floor where we were staying and figured we were all safe. But I had forgotten my key.

So I had to go back downstairs and Sammy said well you take this I’m not going back down there. And he gave me the weapon, which I stuck in my back pocket. Walked down into the plush lobby of the plush King of the Road hotel, walked up to the desk and asked for the key to my room. This man snuck up behind me and took the tire tool out of my back pocket. I whipped around and I said “look you, that was for my protection and you started this whole thing. I didn’t mean to get on your car and I’m still gonna beat your ass if you don’t quit bothering me.” At this point, two detectives seized me, drug me into the elevator and said “son, we would call the police and have you arrested. You’ve caused quite a disturbance here tonight. But we figure your just lucky to be alive because that was Buford Pusser.” And I went “Oh. 8th floor please.”

Brothers At Arms – Don and Phil Everly

Randy from mostlymusiccovers.com and I teamed up to write about different brothers in rock and roll through the years. This is the first one of the series. I combined the introduction with this first post. I will post these on Sunday mornings.

We all know the great album Brothers in Arms from Dire Straits, but sometimes those brothers are “at arms” rather than in them. In a periodic mini-series Randy, from mostlymusiccovers.com, and I will explore some “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em” Siblings. As it happens the Knopfler brothers are among many sets and while we can’t talk about all of them, we will feature some of the better-known sibling rivalries. Two, three, and sometimes even more brothers in a band, well, stop being a band of brothers. How many more cheesy puns can we come up with? Just some of the names Randy and I discussed were; The Everly’s, The Fogerty’s, The Gibb’s, to the Gallagher’s, Allmans, and the Davies.

For those of you who have not checked out Randy and his blog, you really need to. He has been writing a blog about Cover Songs, music genres, and artists since early 2018. He gets in-depth with many artists You can read about the origins of Rock and Roll, Blues, R&B, and Country Music. There are Cover Song and Chart statistics as well, all with a focus on the 1950s, 60s, and 70s at MostlyMusicCovers.com. He has also helped me out with blues artists and Canadian Charts in general.

While we can’t get too in-depth as literally books have been written, we can give a good thumbnail sketch of the bash ups and the break ups. A few days ago Randy mentioned that brothers Doug and Rusty Kershaw had split, but I did not read about it being that acrimonious, more of a creative differences situation. Our brother stories have a bit more ‘punch’ to them.

This is the first post in a periodic mini-series where Randy from mostlymusiccovers.com and I will explore some “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em” Siblings. The original post is here. Randy tells us about Don and Phil Everly.

“Bye, Bye, Love” The Everly Brothers first big hit from 1957.

Don was born in 1937 (2021) and Phil in 1939 (2014), raised in Kentucky, the brothers would move to Nashville in 1955 to pursue a recording career. As in the above clip it was “Bye, Bye, Love” in 1957 that sent the brothers skyrocketing. Written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant it was #1 on the Country chart, #2 in the US and Canada, #6 in the UK and 14 in Australia, and #14 on the R&B chart. Their next song “Wake Up Little Susie” was #1 in the US and Canada, #2 in the UK, and #3 in Australia.

They toured with Buddy Holly in 1957 and 1958 and became very close, Buddy’s death, Feb. 3, 1959 would have a devastating impact on the pair. Don wrote their next and last #1 hit “Cathy’s Clown” in 1960. This was after a dispute with the record/publishing company, leaving Acuff/Rose and unfortunately songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant.

Still, they had a busy schedule, the demands of touring and the pressures of performing and recording, the inevitable happened. The use of amphetamines was rampant in the business and they both got hooked.

By the mid 1960’s they fought over just about everything and of the two it was Don that had the most severe drug problem. Chart success was eluding them and the brothers were not getting along, but it was kept a closely guarded secret that they were able to hold for several years. Don attempted to go solo in 1970 but had no success. Things finally came to a head and in 1973 they agreed their July 14/15 show would be the last one.

Don was drunk before the show started, part way into the show Phil smashed his guitar and walked off stage. Don would finish the show and perform solo the next night. They did not speak for nearly ten years. They would reunite in 1983, had a great reunion concert, and released an album EB84, produced and named in his style ¹ by Dave Edmunds that charted #38 on Billboard and #24 on the Country Album chart. They continued to perform periodically, and in 2003 they toured with Paul Simon. They remained close until Phil’s death at age 74 in 2014. Don passed in 2021 at age 84.

“On the Wings of a Nightingale” written for The Everly Brothers by Paul McCartney

Despite the battles and the hardship, they gave us some of the most remarkable harmonies ever-ly recorded.

Dave Edmunds released his 7th Studio album called D.E. 7th in 1982.

Books I Would Recommend…Part 3

Keith Moon: Dear Boy – Tony Fletcher

I didn’t think I would ever see an extensive book (nearly 600 pages) on Keith Moon. Tony Fletcher wrote this book and he thoroughly researched Keith and he had been a fan since his teenage years. As a teenager, he actually met Keith before he died.

Fletcher talks to everyone of importance in Keith’s life. The only disappointing thing for me and for Fletcher himself is he had to debunk some of the myths about Keith. The great story of him driving a car in the pool of a Flint Michigan Holiday Inn… didn’t happen… but the real story is just as interesting though.

The veil is drawn back on a lot of myths. It’s not a book full of Keith doing wild things like the book “Full Moon”. This one shows his ugly side also. Keith had one of the most dangerous traits you could have…the ability not to be embarrassed. Think about that…that keeps us in check at times. With Keith, anything could happen at any time.

Trouble Boys – Bob Mehr

One of the only books about The Replacements. After this book, I started to understand the reckless and sabotaging behavior of the band. It also goes through the tough decision of Bob Stinson leaving the band only to die a few years later.

It was interesting to see the relationship they had with other bands such as REM at the time. They would goad each other into making better albums. I was a fan before I read it but it increased my interest by a bunch afterwards.

Up and Down with the Rolling Stones – Tony Sanchez

This was the first book I read on the Rolling Stones when I was around 13. It’s an easy but dark read. It’s written by Tony Sanchez, Keith’s drug dealer and sometimes partner in crime. Tony was also a photographer who took photos of the Stones and the Moody Blues. Spanish Tony, as he was called hung around with the Stones, Moody Blues and also knew the Beatles.

It’s full of wrecked cars, heroin, dead friends, sleazy characters, and some eventful journeys. At first, I would take some of the stories with a grain of salt but most of the events were verified by Keith’s book “Life.”

Let The Good Times Roll – Kenney Jones

Kenney Jones was the drummer of three of England’s most influential bands – The Small Faces, The Faces and for a few years The Who. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Kenney keeps the book interesting from his childhood, teen years, swinging London, the Swinging Seventies, up til now.

I never knew much about the Small Faces and Faces and this book answered some questions I had about both bands. He gave much more information than Roger Daltrey did in his book about Jone’s tenure as the drummer of the Who and their difficulties. Personally, I don’t think Kenney was the right drummer for the Who but then again…I don’t think anyone could have taken Moon’s place. He does give an interesting perspective on it though.

I didn’t’ realize that Keith Moon and Kenney were as close as they were. Kenney had played with the Who before in sound checks when the Small Faces and Who were touring with each other and Moon couldn’t be found. After Moon died a few strange things happened to Kenney right before Bill Curbishley (The Who’s Manager) called to see if he would join. The strange events helped him make the decision.

Living The Beatles Legend – Kenneth Womack

I did a review on this last year but I wanted to get it in here.

I’ve been waiting on this book since I read about the Beatles in the 70s as a kid. I knew the story…after a showdown with police Mal Evans was shot and killed on January 5, 1976. He was working on his autobiography at the time. Evans was the last person you would think would die that way…and in this case…he wanted it. Could the police have handled it better? Yes, but Mal had said that is how he wanted to go out. He forced the situation. He was only 40 years old.

Mal Evans along with Neil Aspinal were the roadies for the Beatles. Imagine that…2 roadies for the world’s biggest band. Mal worked at a telephone company in the early ’60s but he loved rock and roll…especially Elvis Presley. He would go see bands at the Cavern and struck up a friendship with George Harrison. George told him since he loved music…take a part-time job as a bouncer at The Cavern. The Beatles automatically liked him from the start. He was a big guy at 6’4″ but he never wanted to use violence. More times than not…he talked his way out of trouble. Aspinal was their only roadie and when Love Me Do and then Please Please Me came out…they needed another person because Aspinal was worn out.

I would highly recommend this book. Kenneth Womack had full access to his diaries and used many of the entries. This book turned up a lot of things about them that I had no clue about. It also gave a different look at their personalities on an everyday basis. Near the end, Mal went to the 2nd Beatles convention and spoke. He started to battle depression in the seventies after living in California and missing his wife and kids back in London. He picked up a girlfriend in California and that made his guilt worse. Drugs also affected him in the end.

Rolling Stones – Time Waits For No One

You could blindfold me and I could tell you if Mick Taylor was playing with The Stones live. He had his own unique sound because of the Les Paul he played. He made those songs in the classic Stones period go.

Many people think that Mick Taylor went uncredited on this and many songs. The melody doesn’t sound like a Keith melody but in any case, Jagger/Richards get credited with this one. They rarely if ever play it live.

The solo in this song is great by Mick Taylor. It reminds me a little of Carlos Santana. He quit shortly after this album was released and it was the end of the classic Stones era. They would never sound the same again after this. The song was on It’s Only Rock and Roll which was a good album but not up to the level of the five preceding albums. A big reason was because of the absence of producer Jimmy Miller.

So why did Mick Taylor leave the band? I’ve read different things from him and others. Taylor felt underappreciated and frustrated that he didn’t receive proper credit for his contributions to the band’s music. He claimed to have co-written several songs, such as Sway and Moonlight Mile but Jagger and Richards would not give a songwriting credit to him. I do believe that because Brian Jones and Ronnie Wood also had the same problem.

His health and well-being were also factors in his decision to leave. The intense touring schedule and the pressures of being in The Stones took a toll on him. Besides pot…he said he didn’t take drugs when he joined the band but like others before and after him…he slowly started to do harder drugs while with the band. When he quit the band it took him a while to get off of heroin.

The song is a favorite among many Stones fans I know and it should be more well known.

Time Waits For No One

Yes, star-crossed in pleasure, the stream flows on byYes, as we’re sated in leisure, we watch it fly, yes

And time waits for no one, and it won’t wait for meAnd time waits for no one, and it won’t wait for me

Time can tear down a building or destroy a woman’s faceHours are like diamonds, don’t let them waste

Time waits for no one, no favors has heTime waits for no one, and he won’t wait for me

Men, they build towers to their passingYes, to their fame everlastingHere he comes, chopping and reapingHear him laugh at their cheating

And time waits for no man, and it won’t wait for meYes, time waits for no one, and it won’t wait for thee

Drink in your summer, gather your cornThe dreams of the nighttime will vanish by dawn

And time waits for no one, and it won’t wait for meAnd time waits for no one, and it won’t wait for meNo, no, no, not for me, no, not for me

…

Max’s Drive-In Movie – Mean Streets

I like movies that are directed and written by the same person. That is the reason I like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin movies. You won’t find this much anymore unless it’s an indie movie. Movies that are written by a committee are sometimes slick and predictable. We need more movies and music like this. I talked about this last Friday in the comments with different people about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and remembered I wrote it about this one as well.

You will hear one word in many of these reviews…and that word is gritty. The 1970s movies set in New York have grit, filth, and realism. The way these were made looks like they were made on the fly. I mean that in the best way. The characters look as if they were lifted off the streets and filmed. There is a good reason for that. It had a small budget so they couldn’t afford a union-shot movie. Many scenes were shot with natural lighting, and guerrilla filmmaking techniques were employed to save costs. They shot it in 26 days and made excellent use of a handheld camera.

This 1973 film opens with a famous monologue by Charlie, played by Keitel, which sets the tone for the character’s internal conflict. This introspective voice-over became a signature element of Scorsese’s storytelling style. Mean Streets is set in New York City’s Little Italy and follows Charlie (Harvey Keitel), a small-time hood trying to make his way in the local Mafia, and his reckless friend Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro), who owes money all over town. The film explores the struggling street life and the demands of mob life…along with a lot of guilt.

It’s directed by Martin Scorsese and I think this is one of the best movies of its kind. He would later make other mob movies that are more well-known such as Goodfellas, Casino, and The Irishman but none of them are as, here is that word again, gritty as this. Scorsese knew the vibe well, growing up in his New York City neighborhood and dealing with a formative period in his life during the early 60’s. He shot this movie with Roger Corman’s crew with 6 days of location in New York and with most of the interiors done in Los Angeles. Scorsese edited much of the movie in his bedroom. It was written by Scorsese and his childhood friend Mardik Martin. What lends to the atmosphere is many of the film’s scenes were improvised. Scorsese encouraged his actors to ad-lib their lines to create a more authentic and natural feel.

The actors were fantastic. Harvey Keitel, De Niro, Amy Robinson, Victor Argo, and many more. Keitel stands out to me in this like he does in most of the films he made. Here he balances out toughness with vulnerability. He got this part because Jon Voight had dropped out.

Let’s talk about the music a little bit here. Not many directors are as good as Scorsese at placing music in movies. In the first few minutes of this movie, you hear two Stones songs and Derek and the Dominos as he fits the scenes beautifully.

The movie is not action-packed…it’s almost like a day in the life of these characters. You can see parts of Scorsese’s later movies in this one as well. Much like you can see Pulp Fiction in Reservoir Dogs for Quentin Tarantino.

Quotes:

Voice in Charlie’s Mind: You don’t make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at home. The rest is bullshit, and you know it.

Charlie: You know what the Queen said? If I had balls, I’d be King.

Charlie: It’s all bullshit except the pain. The pain of hell. The burn from a lighted match increased a million times. Infinite. Now, ya don’t fuck around with the infinite. There’s no way you do that. The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart… your soul, the spiritual side. And ya know… the worst of the two is the spiritual.

I saw this review about a book on mobster films that talks about this movie.

Over time, Scorsese would make “slicker, better-crafted movies,” according to authors George Anastasia and Glen Macnow in The Ultimate Book of Gangster Movies, “but the nuts and bolts of who he is and what he’s about are here.” The authors rank Mean Streets No. 14 of the Top 100 gangster movies, just behind Léon: The Professional and ahead of Reservoir Dogs. “On one level, watching Mean Streets is like finding some old film of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays during their first seasons in the big leagues,” the authors wrote. “The raw talent is there. There are sparks and smoldering potential.”

…

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Cotton Fields

The first time I heard this song I loved it. Many people have covered it but I know it primarily through CCR. Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly, wrote this song and recorded it in 1940. Back when I was playing in a band…around one am, a couple of hours before closing we would do this song. People would be singing along with us.

Some bands and artists seem to cross genres and CCR is one of those bands. Yes, I’ve met people who didn’t love them but most like something they do. I’ve met metal heads, hard rock fans, country, bluegrass, pop, and rock fans who like them. Most can’t believe they came from California and not the swamps of Louisana. They looked like blue-collar workers going to work every day…and by their music…they were.

I visited secondhandsongs.com and found that this song has 187 versions of it. It’s been covered by Harry Belafonte, Odetta, Bill Monroe, Buck Owens, The Staple Singers, The Beach Boys, Van Morrison, and so many more.

Creedence covered it on the Willy and the Poor Boys album released in 1969. It was not released as a single in America but it peaked at #1 in Mexico in 1970. The album had the well-known hits Fortunate Son, Down On The Corner, The Midnight Special, and the fan favorite It Came Out of the Sky. The album peaked at #3 on the Billboard Album Charts, #2 in Canada, and #10 in the UK.

Creedence had 18 songs in the top 100 and 9 top 10 hits yet no number 1’s in the Billboard 100 until Have You Ever Seen The Rain in 2021!

Cotton Fields

When I was a little bitty babyMy mama would rock me in the cradleIn them old cotton fields back home