Raining In My Heart is a beautiful title of a song. This is not a rocking Buddy tune…but a gorgeous ballad. John Fogerty once said that a title of a song is the most important part. If you find a great title for a song you are inspired to work with it.
It was originally recorded by Buddy Holly with the orchestral backing by Dick Jacobs. On the single, it was credited to Buddy Holly and the Crickets, but an Orchestra took the Crickets place. The music and lyrics were written by Felice Bryant and Boudleaux Bryant. It was recorded at the Pythian Temple on West 70th Street in New York City
Raining In My Heart was released as a single on Coral Records in 1959. It peaked at #88 on the Billboard charts as the B-side of “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore”. This song has been covered by artists such as P.J. Proby, Ray Price, Anne Murray, Hank Marvin, Tommy Roe, Skeeter David, and many more.
Buddy Holly was among the first group of inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Holly #13 among “The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time”.
Gregory Porter sang a duet with Buddy in 2018…with the backing track of course. He teamed up with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. I really like this one a lot.
Raining In My Heart
The sun is out, the sky is blue There’s not a cloud to spoil the view But it’s raining, raining in my heart
The weather man says clear today He doesn’t know you’ve gone away And it’s raining, raining in my heart
Oh, misery, misery What’s gonna become of me?
I tell my blues they mustn’t show But soon these tears are bound to flow ‘Cause it’s raining, raining in my heart
But it’s raining, raining in my heart
And it’s raining, raining in my heart
Oh, misery, misery What’s gonna become of me?
I tell my blues they mustn’t show But soon these tears are bound to flow ‘Cause it’s raining, raining in my heart
This is one of the places where rock and roll began.
I knew this sounded familiar…ZZ Top reworked this into their 1973 hit “La Grange.” In 1992, Bernard Besman, who was Hooker’s producer and controlled the copyright to “Boogie Chillen,” sued ZZ Top, but a court eventually ruled that Hooker’s song was in the public domain.
I love any version of this song out there but the two I like the best are the original and when Hooker played with Canned Heat on the album…Hooker and Heat.
In 1948, Hooker showed up at the office of a Detroit record store/label owner named Bernard Besman and presented him with a demo. Besman provided the studio and produced this song for Hooker. They worked together for the next four years, recording many of Hooker’s songs, but Boogie Chillen was the big hit.
The song peaked at #1 in the R&B Charts and sold over a million copies after Besman leased the rights to distribute the song to Modern Records. When the song took off, Hooker still had his day job working as a janitor in a Chrysler factory.
Hooker is the only person performing on the song. The only sounds are his voice, guitar, and stomping feet. The tapping sounds came from bottle caps attached to the soles of his shoes.
“Chillen” is Southern slang for “Children.” This was the first song Buddy Guy learned how to play on guitar. Growing up in Lettsworth, Louisiana in a small house with no electricity or running water, Guy heard this song when a family friend, Henry “Coot” Smith, would come over and play it on his guitar.
Boogie Chillen
Well, my mama ‘low me just to stay out all night long Oh, Lord Well, my mama ‘low me just to stay out all night long I didn’t care she ‘low, I would boogie anyhow
When I first came to town, people, I was walkin’ down Hastings Street Everybody was talkin’ about the Henry Swing Club I decided I drop in there that night When I got there, I say, “Yes, people” They was really havin’ a ball Yes, I know
Boogie Chillen’
One night I was layin’ down I heard mama and papa talkin’ I heard papa tell mama let that boy boogie-woogie It’s in him and it got to come out And I felt so good Went on boogin’ just the same
My son Bailey bought us tickets to see The Beatles rooftop concert in the IMAX theater on Friday night. If you get a chance to do this…do it. It sounds like you are there listening live. It lasts around 1:30 minutes. They added a brief Beatles history and a little followup after the performance.
They played on the freezing rooftop of Apple Records on January 6, 1969. It was the first time they played in front of an audience since August 29, 1966. You could see the breath of people on the roof and in the street. It is not easy playing in cold weather. Your fingers freeze and you cannot feel the strings. It’s a wonder their guitars didn’t go out of tune more.
It was clear that the Beatles could have toured like their peers The Stones, Led Zeppelin, and The Who and sounded every bit as good. They were very raw and earthy sounding because of the type of songs they were writing at the time. Songs that could be played live, not the Sgt Peppers experimental music. The songs linked to the style of the White Album.
They had just written these songs and rehearsed them that month so the songs were new to them except One After 909. John and Paul wrote that one when they were teenagers. It’s hard to believe how young they were at the time. None of them were thirty but they had packed a lot of living in their years being The Beatles.
John Lennon was normally a rhythm guitar player but he plays the lead on Get Back and you can tell he enjoyed stepping up and doing that. They would complete one more album after this…and that was Abbey Road. That is called going out on top.
To see them in an IMAX theater was amazing. It looked like it was recorded yesterday…not 53 years ago. I’ve seen the Get Back documentary twice but it’s nothing like seeing the concert at a theater…it changes the dynamics of it…plus IMAX just makes it that much better.
It would have been interesting to see them play in a more controlled enviroment but I’m glad we got this. Right after John Lennon said ” I’d like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we pass the audition.”…someone in the theater shouted out…”You most certainly did John”
I don’t post many albums, but I wanted to go over this one. This will be the UK version of the album. The American version was a different album with the soundtrack music replacing some of the songs.
In my opinion, it was one of the most important albums the Beatles ever released. The album signaled a change with the Beatles. Rubber Soul is usually credited as the album that represented the Beatles transformation from pure a rock/pop band into something more. I’ve always seen Help! as the bridge from Beatlemania to the middle period of Rubber Soul and Revolver. With songs like You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away, The Night Before, I’ve Just Seen A Face, and Ticket to Ride it was apparent that a change was coming.
Was the album as good as Rubber Soul? No, but it cleared the way for the change that was coming. In 1963 the Beatles released She Loves You…4 years later they recorded A Day In The Life. That is only 4 years…it would be like building a go-cart and 4 years later building a rocket and going to the moon. There were steps in between though and Help! was one of them. What makes the Beatles so special is they didn’t repeat themselves. They progressed with every album into a different sound and feel. It wasn’t only drugs but social issues, fame, isolation, and superior songwriting skills.
You can tell pot had some influence on this album. Most of the songs were not as fast-paced with a beat group mentality. You still had some songs that were the Beatles that everyone knew at the time. Songs like You’re Going to Lose That Girl, and the two covers Act Naturally and Dizzy Miss Lizzy. I’ve always liked You’re Going to Lose That Girl with the call and response and Ringo did an excellent job on Act Naturally.
I think the most underrated song on the album is The Night Before. If any other band did this song…it would have been a single. Other songs that I like (that were not hits) are It’s Only Love (although Lennon hated it), I’ve Just Seen A Face, I Need You, and Another Girl.
I shouldn’t rate Beatle albums because it’s hard for me to be objective about them but I would give this 5 out of 5 stars. A fun movie also if you get a chance …watch it.
Track Listing
Help!
The Night Before
You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
I Need You
Another Girl
You’re Going To Lose That Girl
Ticket To Ride
Act Naturally
It’s Only Love
You Like Me Too Much
Tell Me What You See
I’ve Just Seen A Face
Yesterday
Dizzy Miss Lizzy
Whenever I’m asked if I like country music…at first, I wonder what country they mean. If they mean commercial top 40…then not. If they mean Hank Williams, then a big fat yes. In this country, I hear a little rockabilly and country mix…which is a great thing.
Hank Williams as a songwriter is up there with the greats. Bob Dylan and more idolized him and his writing. This song was his first big hit. The song was written by the man himself. He released this song in 1947. Two years later, he received his invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry after his successful recording of the minstrel era song, “Lovesick Blues.”
Move It On Over peaked at #4 in the Country Charts in 1947.
Despite never learning to read music, Williams was a prolific songwriter including country music classics such as “Hey, Good Lookin’,” “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” and “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” He recorded a total of 66 songs in his six-year recording career, 37 of which became hit records. It was not unheard of for Williams to record three hit songs in one afternoon. Now think about this… out of 66 songs recorded…37 were hits… That is like batting over .500.
Williams was plagued by back pain throughout his life, likely due to spina bifida. Life on the road as a Country singer only made it worse. An operation in 1951 gave him no relief and actually increased his pain. The combination of unending physical pain and the pressure of being a successful recording artist led to Williams seeking solace in drugs in alcohol.
Many of you will remember this song by George Thorogood released in 1978 and picked up a lot of airplay.
Move It On Over
I come in last night about half past ten That baby of mine wouldn’t let me in So move it on over, rock it on over Move over little dog, the mean old dog is movin’ in
She told me not to mess around But I done let the deal go down Move it on over, rock it on over Move over nice dog, a big fat dog is movin’ in
She changed the lock on my back door Now my key won’t fit no more Move it on over, rock it on over Move over nice dog, the mean old dog is movin’ in
She threw me out just as pretty as she pleased Pretty soon I’ll be scratchin’ fleas Move it on over, slide it on over Move over nice dog, a mean old dog is movin’ in
Yeah, listen to me dog before you start to whine That side yours and this side mine So move it on over, rock it on over Move over little dog, the big old dog is movin’ in
Yeah, she changed the lock on my back door Now my key won’t fit no more Move it on over, rock it on over Move over little dog, the big old dog is movin’ in
Move it on over, move it on over Move it on over, won’t’cha rock it on over Move over cool dog, the hot dog’s movin’ in
According to John Lennon, when the Beatles were in Hamburg, prostitutes had to have a piece of paper proving they have a clean bill of health…as in a Ticket To Ride. McCartney said it was “a British Railways ticket to the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight.” Lennon’s description caught a 9-year-old boy’s imagination much more.
George Harrison came up with the way the riff was played. Ringo came up with a distinctive staccato drum pattern for this song based on the way George played it. He said a big part of his drumming style is being a left-handed drummer trying to play right-handed.
I remember this the most by it being used in the Beatles movie Help! in the scene where The Beatles ski… poorly. Copies of the original single released on Capitol Records say: “From the United Artists Release ‘Eight Arms To Hold You’,” which was the original working title of Help!
The Beatles were one of the first groups to make music videos, which were done so they could promote their songs without showing up at TV stations. They made one for “Ticket To Ride” in a shoot where they did four other songs as well. All the footage was shot in the studio; this one saw the band performing in front of oversized tickets for trains and busses.
The song peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, Canada and the UK in 1965.
Carl Palmer: “One of the most exciting, rhythmical patterns and parts and songs that I ever heard, which I thought was really big-time and had it all going is a track by The Beatles called ‘Ticket To Ride, the drum part on that I always thought was exceptional.”
From Songfacts
The Beatles taped a performance of this song that was broadcast on an episode of Ed Sullivan Show that aired September 12, 1965 (the last Ed Sullivan show broadcast in black and white). The Beatles recorded it prior to their Shea Stadium concert that took place August 15.
The Carpenters covered this in 1969 with the gender reversed to suit lead vocalist Karen Carpenter (“he’s got a ticket to ride…” Their mellow version was released as the duo’s first single and included on their first album, which was also called Ticket To Ride. Their rendition didn’t chart, but made its way onto plenty of light rock playlists.
In Stephen King’s 1977 novel The Shining, a supernatural Big Band ensemble plays a swing version of this at The Overlook Hotel.
Ticket To Ride
I think I’m gonna be sad I think it’s today, yeah The girl that’s driving me mad Is going away
She’s got a ticket to ride She’s got a ticket to ride She’s got a ticket to ride But she don’t care
She said that living with me Is bringing her down yeah For she would never be free When I was around
She’s got a ticket to ride She’s got a ticket to ride She’s got a ticket to ride But she don’t care
I don’t know why she’s ridin’ so high She ought to think twice She ought to do right by me Before she gets to saying goodbye She ought to think twice, She ought to do right by me I think I’m gonna be sad I think it’s today yeah The girl that’s driving me mad Is going away, yeah
She’s got a ticket to ride She’s got a ticket to ride She’s got a ticket to ride But she don’t care
I don’t know why she’s ridin’ so high She ought to think twice She ought to do right by me Before she gets to saying goodbye She ought to think twice She ought to do right by me She said that living with me Is bringing her down, yeah For she would never be free When I was around
Ah, she’s got a ticket to ride She’s got a ticket to ride She’s got a ticket to ride But she don’t care
My baby don’t care, my baby don’t care My baby don’t care, my baby don’t care My baby don’t care, my baby don’t care
It’s been too long since I posted about the big E. How could someone, not like a song with a title like that?
Elvis didn’t want to record this song because he thought it was too Country, so drummer Johnny Bernero from Memphis was added to the mix. Up until this time, there was only Scotty Moore on guitar, Bill Bass on bass, and Elvis on rhythm guitar. This added an up-tempo beat…Elvis liked it and recorded the song, which became a Country hit. I know Elvis is Elvis, but his backing band was just as special to me. Scotty Moore was one of a kind.
This song was released twice. The Sun Records release first charted the following week (September 17, 1955) at #14 on Billboard’s Country Charts. On November 21, 1955, it was released yet again. On that day RCA Victor purchased Elvis’s contract from Sam Phillips. As part of the deal, RCA obtained the rights to all of Presley’s Sun recordings. Soon after, RCA pressed and distributed a single of “I Forgot to Remember to Forget” and “Mystery Train” on its own label.
This was Elvis’ first #1 on any chart. It peaked at #1 in the Country Charts and #2 in Canada in 1955.
The Beatles never recorded this song in the studio, but they did it for the BBC with George singing lead.
The song was written by Charlie Feathers and Stan Kesler. Kesler had already written Presley’s “I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone” when he had the idea for this song.
Stan Kesler:“At that time, I was on the kick of catchy titles,” Kesler recalled. “When I began to think about that phrase, it just expanded into ‘I forgot to remember to forget her.’ From there, I started working on it, and it all fell together.”
The Beatles version… live in the BBC studios.
I Forgot To Remember To Forget
I forgot to remember to forget her I can’t seem to get her off my mind I thought I’d never miss her But I found out somehow I think about her almost all the time The day she went away I made myself a promise That I’d soon forget we ever met But something sure is wrong ‘Cause I’m so blue and lonely I forgot to remember to forget
The day she went away I made myself a promise That I’d soon forget we ever met Well, but something sure is wrong ‘Cause I’m so blue and lonely I forgot to remember to forget
I have a soft spot for the Hollies. They started in the early sixties and continued through the seventies without Graham Nash who quit the Hollies for what he thought was a hipper band…Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Soon to include the elusive Neil Young.
Hollies members Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks, and Graham Nash wrote this song and shared the lead vocals, with each taking a verse (Clarke, then Hicks, then Nash). The Hollies had great harmonies and also a secret weapon in Tony Hicks as a guitar player. He was and still is outstanding but was never as known as his later neighbor George Harrison and his other peers.
Tony’s son Paul Hicks was in Dhani Harrison’s band and has worked with Giles Martin on Beatle remastering projects.
This song is about the British singer and actress Marianne Faithfull, who is well known for her relationship with Mick Jagger. She also had a brief fling with lead singer Alan Clarke. For a short time. “Marianne” was changed to “Carrie-Anne” so it wouldn’t be so obvious.
The song peaked at #9 in the Billboard 100, #9 in Canada, #3 in the UK, and #2 in New Zealand in 1967. This song was a straight-ahead pop hit, but changes were coming. Sgt Peppers was released so The Hollies, with the urging of Nash, tried going the more psychedelic route. The next single was King Midas In Reverse which only peaked at #18 in the UK and was considered a failure. Personally…it’s my favorite early Hollies song.
A side note…The Canadian actress Carrie-Anne Moss, best known for playing Trinity in The Matrix, was named after this Hollies hit. The song was on the charts at the time of her birth in August 1967.
From Songfacts
The group didn’t let on that the song was about Faithfull until 1995, when Graham Nash spilled the beans in a documentary.
In the song, the singer recalls the schoolyard days when he and Carrie Anne were friends, but she went for the older boys. Now their older and he tells her that although she’s lost her charm, he’s willing to “be her teacher” and take her on. By the end of the lesson, he’s sure she’ll be his girl.
According to the book Forty Years of Steel by Jeffrey Thomas, this song marks the first use of steel drums in a commercial pop record. Steel drums evoke an island vibe, but there’s nothing tropical about this song and none of The Hollies played the instrument (it’s not clear who played it on the record, but their producer, Ron Richards, apparently arranged it). Still, inserting a steel drum solo where a guitar solo would be certainly made the song stand out. Stephen Stills, Nash’s bandmate in Crosby, Stills & Nash, incorporated steel drums into his 1970 hit “Love The One You’re With.”
The Hollies had a very impressive run of hits starting in 1963, but Graham Nash wanted to put hit-making aside so they could create songs with more weight behind them. He ended up leaving the group in 1968 and forming Crosby, Stills & Nash. In an interview with Bruce Pollock, Nash said listeners “want to hear songs that mean more to them than ‘Hey Carrie Ann, what’s your game.'”
Carrie Anne
Hey, Carrie Anne Hey, Carrie Anne When we were at school, our games were simple I played a janitor, you played a monitor Then you played with older boys and prefects What’s the attraction in what they’re doing
Hey, Carrie Anne, what’s your game now Can anybody play Hey, Carrie Anne, what’s your game now Can anybody play
You were always something special to me quite independent, never caring You lost your charm as you were aging Where is your magic disappearing
Hey, Carrie Anne, what’s your game now Can anybody play Hey, Carrie Anne, what’s your game now Can anybody play
You’re so, so like a woman to me (So like a woman to me) So, so like a woman to me (Like a woman to me)
Hey, Carrie Anne, what’s your game now Can anybody play Hey, Carrie Anne, what’s your game now Can anybody play
People live and learn but you’re still learning You use my mind and I’ll be your teacher When the lesson’s over, you’ll be with me Then I’ll hear the other people saying
Hey, Carrie Anne, what’s your game now Can anybody play Hey, Carrie Anne, what’s your game now Can anybody play
There is something about the 1950s and 60s with great instrumentals. This one has that great echo swimming all around the guitar lines by the great guitarist Duane Eddy.
Speaking of swimming…this was recorded in a Phoenix studio that had an echo chamber that was originally a large water tank. A single speaker was placed at one end of the tank, the microphone at the other, and the guitar was piped in there.
Who said that the 70s and 80s were the two decades of albums with multiple singles? The 1958 album this song came off of was named…Have Twangy Guitar Will Travel.
Now that title demands respect. The title is not the only reason it demanded respect…FIVE charting singles came off of it. Ramrod #27, Cannonball #15, The Lonely One #23, Moovin’ N’ Groovin’ #72, and last but not least…our song for today…Rebel Rouser peaked at #6 in 1958.
The album was released in 1958 and it peaked at #5 in the Billboard Album Charts and #6 in the UK.
Lee Hazlewood produced this track and helped Eddy get his distinctive guitar sound. Hazlewood went on record duets with Nancy Sinatra and also her hit “These Boots Are Made For Walking.”
The hand claps and shouts were provided by The Sharps, who later changed their name to the Rivingtons and had hits with Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow and The Bird’s the Word. As any Family Guy fan will tell you…The Trashmen later covered The Bird’s The Word in 1963.
Duane Eddy:“We were recording in Phoenix, starting my first album, and one of the guys said, ‘Man, that guitar sounds twangy.’ And (Hazlewood’s business partner) Lester Sill fell down laughing. He’d never heard that word and it became a running joke. ‘Is that twangy enough?’ So we finished the album and called it Have Twangy Guitar Will Travel. To be honest I never really liked the word. I thought it was kind of corny and rather undignified, but at the same time so many people liked it I just shut up and went with it.”
I bought this song on a single along with San Franciscan Nights when I was getting into the Animals as a pre-teen. This was not the same Animals of House of the Rising Sun and others…everyone but Eric Burdon and drummer Barry Jenkins had been replaced.
A Sky Pilot is a military chaplain, in the lyric he blesses the boys as they stand in line. The song finds the chaplain telling the soldiers that they are fighting for a greater cause, as they are soldiers of God. Eric Burdon tape-recorded The Royal Scot’s Dragoon Guards at a school and used the music during the middle of the song along with the war sound effects.
The song peaked at #14 in the Billboard 100, #7 in Canada, and #40 in the UK in 1968. The single was split into two parts to fit on the 45 so to hear the rest of the song… you had to flip the record over.
Eric Burdon received an angry letter from the British government for his use of pipe music. The song he used was “All The Bluebonnet’s Are Over The Border,” which is a classic Scottish war piece written as an anti-war epic during the Vietnam War.
Sky Pilot
He blesses the boys as they stand in line The smell of gun grease and the bayonets they shine He’s there to help them all that he can To make them feel wanted he’s a good holy man
Sky pilot…..sky pilot How high can you fly You’ll never, never, never reach the sky He smiles at the young soldiers
Tells them its all right He knows of their fear in the forthcoming fight Soon there’ll be blood and many will die Mothers and fathers back home they will cry
Sky pilot…..sky pilot How high can you fly You’ll never, never, never reach the sky He mumbles a prayer and it ends with a smile
The order is given They move down the line But he’s still behind and he’ll meditate But it won’t stop the bleeding or ease the hate
As the young men move out into the battle zone He feels good, with God you’re never alone He feels tired and he lays on his bed Hopes the men will find courage in the words that he said
Sky pilot… sky Pilot How high can you fly You’ll never, never, never reach the sky You’re soldiers of God you must understand
The fate of your country is in your young hands May God give you strength Do your job real well If it all was worth it
Only time it will tell In the morning they return With tears in their eyes The stench of death drifts up to the skies
A soldier so ill looks at the sky pilot Remembers the words “Thou shalt not kill” Sky pilot…..sky pilot
How high can you fly You never, never, never reach the sky
It’s time once again for some big 1970’s boogie arena rock to start your day. Appropriately named…this rock filled up arenas around the world. The sound was fat and loud and it fit the times perfectly.
“Fool For The City” is the title track from the album of the same name released by Foghat in 1975. It was written by the band’s frontman Dave Peverett, who also wrote their hit “Slow Ride.”
Foghat was a talented band. Dave Peverett was a good singer, guitar player, and songwriter. Other Foghat alumni who made their mark elsewhere in music include replacement lead vocalist Charlie Huhn, who was also in Humble Pie and in Ted Nugent’s band before that. Also, Foghat guitarist Bryan Bassett is better known as the lead strings on “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry.
The song was more of a FM hit but it peaked at #45 in the Billboard 100 in 1976. The album peaked at #23 in the Billboard Album Charts.
I always liked this album cover
That is Foghat’s drummer Roger Earl on a soapbox fishing in a man hole cover in New York on East 11th Street.
From Songfacts
Foghat formed in London, and as this song makes clear, they’ll take city life over Green Acres country any day. While there are plenty of songs about specific cities (especially New York), this song can relate to any city. The band did a great deal of touring after they formed in 1971, so it makes sense that they would come up with a tune about their travels.
This song is a great example of the “boogie rock” genre. Boogie rock came out of blues-rock and tends to feature a repetitive, driving rhythm, and a laid-back attitude with no sign of being pretentious. In the US, think ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd. In the UK, the vanguards of boogie rock were Status Quo, Humble Pie, Savoy Brown, and Foghat. The Doobie Brothers might get a nod here as well; Foghat started out in the UK but transplanted to the US, and the Doobie’s “China Grove” had come out only two years before. Boogie rock and mid-1970s’ pot culture also went along extremely well together, which certainly didn’t hurt its popularity any.
Surprisingly, this song is rarely used in commercials, TV shows or movies. The only use we know of is the 2013 movie Nebraska.
Fool For The City
Going to the city, got you on my mind, Country sure is pretty, I’ll leave it all behind, This is my decision, I’m coming home to stay this time
‘Cause I’m a fool for the city, I’m a fool for the city, Fool for the city, I’m a fool for the city
Breathing all the clean air, sitting in the sun, When I get my train fare, I’ll get up and run I’m ready for the city, air pollution here I come
‘Cause I’m a fool for the city, I’m a fool for the city, I’m a fool for the city, I’m a fool for the city
I ain’t no country boy, I’m just a homesick man I’m gonna hit the grit just as fast as I can
I’ll get off on Main Street, step into the crowd, Sidewalk under my feet, yeah, traffic’s good and loud When I see my inner city child, I’ll be walkin’ on a cloud
‘Cause I’m a fool for the city, I’m a fool for the city, I’m a fool for the city, I’m a fool for the city I’m a fool, (Fool for the city) A crazy fool, (Fool for the city) I’m a fool, (Fool for the city) A fool for the city, (Fool for the city) (Fool for the city) (Fool for the city) I ain’t no country boy, woo! (Fool for the city) (Fool for the city)
After I graduated, I purchased the Byrds Greatest Hits and this one caught my attention immediately. It continued to build my love for the Rickenbacker 12 string electric guitar.
Now, this is some cool hype. The release of the single was accompanied by a spoof press announcement from the Byrds’ co-manager, Eddie Tickner, stating that he had taken out a one-million-dollar insurance policy with Lloyd’s of London against his clients being kidnapped by extraterrestrial visitors.
This song was on their Fifth Dimension album. With this song, you could almost hear Sweetheart of the Rodeo coming around the corner. Mr. Spaceman was written by Roger McGuinn. This was their third album, and it was recorded shortly after Gene Clark left the band. When he left, it left a songwriting hole in the band. McGuinn and David Crosby tried to step up and fill the void, but they still had to have four cover songs on the album.
The album peaked at #24 in the Billboard Album Charts and #27 in the UK in 1966. Mr. Spaceman peaked at #36 in the Billboard 100.
Despite its country-style backing with a touch of psychedelia…it was called “space rock” in the press. Some critics have said it was one of the earliest examples of country rock.
The first video below has Gram Parsons who didn’t join the band until 2 years after this song was released. It was filmed at the Roman Colosseum while the Byrds were in town to play the first International European Pop Festival in 1968.
In that video, we see original Byrds Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman joined by new members Gram Parsons, Kevin Kelley, and Douglas Dillard.
Roger McGuinn: “I was interested in astronomy and the possibility of connecting with extraterrestrial life and I thought that it might work the other way round, if we tried to contact them. I thought that the song being played on the air might be a way of getting through to them. But even if there had been anybody up there listening, they wouldn’t have heard because I found out later that AM airwaves diffuse into space too rapidly.”
The Byrds with Gram Parsons video
Mr. Spaceman
Woke up this morning with light in my eyes And then realized it was still dark outside It was a light coming down from the sky I don’t know who or why
Must be those strangers that come every night Those saucer shaped lights put people uptight Leave blue green footprints that glow in the dark I hope they get home alright
Hey, Mr. Spaceman Won’t you please take me along I won’t do anything wrong Hey, Mr. Spaceman Won’t you please take me along for a ride
Woke up this morning, I was feeling quite weird Had flies in my beard, my toothpaste was smeared Over my window, they’d written my name Said, “So long, we’ll see you again”
Hey, Mr. Spaceman Won’t you please take me along I won’t do anything wrong Hey, Mr. Spaceman Won’t you please take me along for a ride
Hey, Mr. Spaceman Won’t you please take me along I won’t do anything wrong Hey, Mr. Spaceman Won’t you please take me along for a ride
I missed this song when it came out on Joel’s 1976 album Turnstiles but I earned about it later in 1981.
in the early eighties I joined Columbia House I ordered Billy Joel’s album Songs in the Attic. I ordered it right after I purchased his album Glass Houses at a record shop. This song really caught my attention, and I became a fan of Joel that year.
This was released in the US as the B-side to “I’ve Loved These Days” a month before it was put out as an A-side single. Neither song charted. In 1981, a live version recorded at the Milwaukee Arena was released on Joel’s Songs In The Atticalbum. It peaked at #17 in the Billboard 100 and #27 in Canada.
Joel’s influence was The Ronettes, specifically their song “Be My Baby. Joel was a big fan of ’60s girl groups and loved both Phil Spector’s production and Ronettes lead singer Ronnie Spector’s voice. Joel met Ronnie a few times over the years, but only after he wrote the song.
When he wrote this song, Joel had recently moved from Los Angeles to New York, which helped inspire it. He didn’t care for the west coast.
Ronnie Spector, who was the influence on this song, released her own version in 1977. Her version was produced by Little Steven and was backed by The E Street Band.
Ronnie Spector:“In a way it’s my life story ’cause I was married in Hollywood, I lived in Hollywood, my life fell apart in Hollywood and now I am saying goodbye to Hollywood.”
From Songfacts
This song is a look at the temporary nature of most relationships, as people are always coming in and out of our lives. It’s told through the eyes of two characters, Bobby (in the first verse) and Johnny (in the second). They do their time in Hollywood, but now find themselves moving on with their lives, a natural progression in the series of hellos and goodbyes in life.
On The Howard Stern Show, Joel explained that he wrote “Say Goodbye To Hollywood” in a high key that was challenging to sing – he had an easier time hitting those notes when he wrote the song.
Say Goodbye To Hollywood
Bobby’s driving through the city tonight Through the lights In a hot new rent-a-car He joins the lover in his heavy machine It’s a scene down on Sunset Boulevard
[Chorus: ] Say goodbye to Hollywood Say goodbye my baby Say goodbye to Hollywood Say goodbye my baby
Johnny’s taking care of things for awhile And his style is so right for Troubador’s They got him sitting with his back to the door Now he won’t be my fast gun anymore
[Chorus: ]
Moving on is a chance that you take every time you try to stay together Say a word out of line and you find that the friends you had are gone Forever…forever So many faces in and out of my life Some will last, some will just be now and then Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes I’m afraid it’s time for goodbye again
I grew up with this song played on the radio quite frequently. I grew up in the south…and radio stations claimed Michigan-born Bob Seger as their own. The Eagles and Bob Seger were adopted by southern states radio and spoke of in the same breath as Lynyrd Skynyrd and other southern acts.
This song was on the Against the Wind album that came out in 1980. This song was written 7 years before its inclusion on that album. It was originally intended for Beautiful Loser album but was left off that album because it had a different sound and didn’t quite mesh with those songs.
Seger eventually stated that it is about a lake in Michigan called Silver Lake. He said that it was written about Silver Lake in Dexter, about being in the Pinckney-Hell-Dexter area.
He didn’t use the Silver Bullet Band for this one. He recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, where the studio owners, Barry Beckett (keyboards), Roger Hawkins (drums), David Hood (bass), and Jimmy Johnson (guitar), backed him up. Seger recorded some of his most memorable songs there, including his Old Time Rock and Roll. Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Timothy B. Schmit later added backups to Fire Lake. Seger returned the favor by coming up with the chorus to Heartache Tonight.
Fire Lake peaked at #6 in the Billboard 100 and #3 in Canada in 1980.
Bob Seger helped keep Muscle Shoals in business during this time.
David Hood (part-owner of Muscle Shoals and bass player):“Everything we recorded with Bob Seger, we get a production royalty on. And as it turns out, we recorded ‘Fire Lake,’ and ‘Old Time Rock and Roll,’ and ‘Mainstreet,’ just a whole bunch of things with them. And so that became a very lucrative thing. We don’t even have a real contract on that, but he’s always paid us for the records that we played on, we were co-producers on, as well. And that’s what I think about Bob Seger. He’s a very honest man. He and Punch Andrews are honest people who stick to their word. That’s rare in the music business.”
Fire Lake
Who’s gonna ride that chrome three wheeler Who’s gonna make that first mistake Who wants to wear those gypsy leathers All the way to Fire Lake
Who wants to break the news about uncle Joe You remember uncle Joe He was the one afraid to cut the cake Who wants to tell poor aunt Sarah Joe’s run off to Fire Lake Joe’s run off to Fire Lake
Who wants to brave those bronze beauties Lying in the sun With their long soft hair falling Flying as they run Oh they smile so shy And they flirt so well And they lay you down so fast Till you look straight up and say Oh Lord Am I really here at last
Who wants to play those eights and aces Who wants a raise Who needs a stake Who wants to take that long shot gamble And head out to Fire Lake Head out Who wants to go to Fire Lake And head out Who wants to go to Fire Lake And head out (who wants to go to Fire Lake) Head out, head out (who wants to go to Fire Lake) Out to Fire lake Who’s gonna do it (who wants to go to Fire Lake) Who’s gonna wanna do it (who wants to go to Fire Lake) Who wants to do it, who wants to do it, yeah (who wants to go to Fire Lake)
TEQUILA! Oh I remember a few nights…or don’t remember….nevermind.
This was a B side…a great B side. Train To Nowhere was the A side to this single. Disc jockeys flipped the single and played “Tequila” instead, and in 1958, it peaked at #1 in the Billboard Charts and #5 in the UK in 1958. The song was one of the biggest hits of the ’50s.
Leo Kulka, who was the second engineer, said this song was an afterthought after the band recorded “Train to Nowhere.” Some of the musicians had already left the studio when it was brought up that nothing had been recorded for the B-side. The remaining musicians were rounded up and the song was written on the spot. The “Tequila” part of the song was simply an attempt to cover up the holes in the song. After all, it was just the B-side.
Like most bands with a surprise hit…they released more Tequila related songs, including “Too Much Tequila” and “Tequila Twist.” Didn’t have the same impact.
Danny Flores, who was the saxophone player in The Champs, wrote this song… it’s credited to his pen name, Chuck Rio.
From Songfacts
Tequila is an alcoholic beverage named after a town in Mexico. It is a key ingredient in Margaritas and is often done as a shot by licking salt, taking the drink, then sucking a lemon wedge. Many bars turn this song into a production, often offering shots of tequila directly from the bottle.
The Champs were a Los Angeles group that named themselves after Gene Autry’s horse, Champion. The “Train to Nowhere”/”Tequila” single was their first release. They had a few more modest instrumental hits, including the follow-up, “El Rancho Rock,” which reached #30 in the US, but never came close to the success of “Tequila.” Later members of the group included Glen Campbell, Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts (Seals & Crofts of ’70s fame.
After The Champs, the Eagles were the next group to chart with a “Tequila” song, reaching #64 with “Tequila Sunrise” in 1973. The beverage fell out of favor musically in the ’80s, but was revived in the ’90s by Terrorvision (“Tequila”) and Sammy Hagar (“Mas Tequila”). It later became a hot topic in country songs, with tracks like “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” and “You and Tequila.”
As the song started climbing the chart, a sax player named Eddie Platt released a competing version that reached #20. Other cover versions of the song to chart are by:
Bill Black’s Combo – #91 in 1964 Hot Butter – #105 in 73 A.L.T. & The Lost Civilization – #48 in 1992
This was featured in the 1985 movie Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. It was used in a scene where Pee Wee Herman wins over the crowd in a biker bar by doing a dance to the song. The movie was the first feature film directed by Tim Burton, and Danny Elfman wrote the score.
This won for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance at the first ever Grammy Awards in 1959.
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