Buddy Miles and the Monkees! Below in one of the clips of this song.
This was the last song they released that I liked…it was at the time Peter Tork quit. The band I was in…this was the lone Monkee song we would do and it always got a good response.
This song was released as a single in 1969. It was the first time Michael Nesmith would sing on a Monkee’s A side…and he was long overdue. He also wrote it and produced it. He started to write it while in Nashville at RCA studios. The song features a brass section that plays during the instrumental section as if the brass were the band.
The Monkees went into MGM studios in November of 1968 to tape their NBC television special 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee, they were just two years away from their commercial peak… selling records by the millions, a hit TV show and battling with the other bands for chart supremacy. But their show went off the air that March, and their psychedelic movie Head flopped in theaters just a couple weeks earlier. They were on the way down.
Their most recent LP, The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees, peaked at #3 on the Billboard Album charts and generated the single “Daydream Believer.” It was enough to get NBC to green light a TV special, though wheels were in motion before critics got a look at Head. The Monkees could have created a television in the same zany, carefree style of their old show in an attempt to win back some old fans, but they decided to double down on psychedelic.
The show was a psychedelic mess that did not restart their career. At this time Peter Tork had grown tired of it all and it was his last appearance with the band. The one clip that was worth it was the clip of this song. Buddy Miles comes in on drums in the middle and really rocks it out.
Listen To The Band
Hey, hey, mercy woman plays a song and no one listens, I need help I’m falling again.
Play the drum a little louder, Tell me I can live without her If I only listen to the band.
Listen to the band!
Weren’t they good, they made me happy. I think I can make it alone.
Oh, mercy woman plays a song and no one listens, I need help I’m falling again.
Play the drum a little bit louder, Tell them they can live without her If they only listen to the band.
Listen to the band!
Now weren’t they good, they made me happy. I think I can make it alone.
Oh, woman plays a song and no one listens, I need help I’m falling again.
C’mon, play the drums just a little bit louder, Tell us we can live without her Now that we have listened to the band.
Domino’s real name was Antoine Domino. He placed 37 songs in the US Top 40. Blueberry Hill” was his biggest hit and best seller, spending 11 weeks at #1 on the R&B chart.
When I hear this song I automatically think of Happy Days when Ritchie finds a date. Fats wasn’t as flashy as some of his peers but he was a terrific piano player, performer, and singer.
This now rock classic was written by Vincent Rose, Al Lewis and Larry Stock for the 1940 Western The Singing Hill before they decided it was good enough to be released commercially. The song was used in the movie, where it was heard for the first time performed by Gene Autry.
Larry Stock (wrote the lyrics): “One important publisher turned down ‘Blueberry Hill,’ because, he claimed, blueberries don’t grow on hills. I assured him I had picked them on hills as a boy, but nothing doing. So Chappell And Company bought the song and another hit was born.”
Ray Manzarek of The Doors has said that the baseline to “Light My Fire” was based on this song.
The band couldn’t get a full take of this song they were happy with, so the engineer, Bunny Robyn pieced together the final version from many fragmentary takes.
From Songfacts
Things are going well at the beginning of this song, as the singer has found his true love, enjoying a special moment on Blueberry Hill. It takes a sad turn though, when she leaves him:
Though we’re apart You’re part of me still For you were my thrill On Blueberry Hill
Many artists recorded this before Domino, mostly orchestras. In 1940, it was a #2 US hit for Glenn Miller. That same year, Russ Morgan, Gene Krupa and Kay Kyser all recorded it with their orchestras. Louis Armstrong did the song with Gordon Jenkins and his orchestra in 1949; this version was re-released in 1956, going to #29 in America. Other artists to cover the song include Elvis Presley (on his 1957 album Loving You), The Beach Boys, Andy Williams, Kiki, Cliff Richard, Bruce Cockburn.
Fats Domino, who knew the song through Louis Armstrong’s 1949 version, recorded this at Master Recorders in Los Angeles at a session in which he ran out of material to tape. Domino insisted on recording the song over the vehement objections of producer-arranger Dave Bartholomew, who felt the song been done too many times already. Domino came up with the definitive version though, featuring his famous piano triplets and sly Cajun accent.
Personnel on this track:
Dave Bartholomew – trumpet Walter “Papoose” Nelson – guitar Herb Hardesty – tenor sax Lawrence Guyton – bass Cornelius Coleman – drums
Domino Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin performed this song on December 10, 2010 at a charity event in front of an audience of international film and television celebrities. Videos of his performance quickly went viral worldwide. Putin’s spokesman said the former KGB chief learned the lyrics to the song as part of his English language studies.
Blueberry Hill
I found my thrill On Blueberry Hill On Blueberry Hill When I found you
The moon stood still On Blueberry Hill And lingered until My dream came true
The wind in the willow played Love’s sweet melody But all of those vows you made Were never to be
Though we’re apart You’re part of me still For you were my thrill On Blueberry Hill
The wind in the willow played Love’s sweet melody But all of those vows you made Were never to be
Though we’re apart You’re part of me still For you were my thrill On Blueberry Hill
This song kicked off Brucemania in 1984. Born in the USA along with Thriller and Purple Rain ruled in the 80s.
This one is not my favorite off the album but I did like it. Considering the times it was the best sounding song to lead off with. All together Born In The USA had 7 top ten singles….I didn’t know what to think at first…I liked this and Cover me but it was when the title track was released…that is when I was sold when I heard Springsteen sing Born in the U.S.A..
This song peaked at #2 in the Billboard 100, #3 in Canada, #28 in the UK, and #2 in New Zealand.
This was the last song written and recorded for the Born In The U.S.A.. His manager Jon Landau didn’t hear a lead off single from the album at the time and asked him to write something that could be that song. Bruce was not in the mood for hearing this…he said “Look, I’ve written 70 songs (he had written 70 songs for the album). You want another one, you write it.” After giving it a while he sat in his hotel room and wrote about himself at that time…about the isolation that fame had given him since The River.
The next day Landau had the song he was looking for…so for the first time Bruce set out to make a video. It was directed by Brian DePalma, the video was filmed during Springsteen’s concert at the St. Paul Civic Center in Minnesota on June 29, 1984. Courtney Cox, who was planted in the audience, got the role of the adoring fan in the front row who gets to dance on stage with Bruce. Many Springsteen fans were upset that he didn’t get a true fan from the audience.
Springsteen did “Dancing In The Dark” midway through the show, so by that time he was warmed up and the crowd was worked into a frenzy. To get the shots, Springsteen did the song twice, with DePalma repositioning his cameras after the first take.
This song won Springsteen his first Grammy. In 1985, it got the award for Best Male Vocal… also in Rolling Stone reader’s poll, this was voted Single of the Year in 1985.
From Songfacts
Springsteen wrote this about his difficulty writing a hit single and his frustration trying to write songs that will please people. His struggles pour out in the lyric, where he feels like a hired gun dying for some action. He even addresses an industry trope, which he surely heard many times before:
They say you gotta stay hungry hey baby I’m just about starving tonight
Ironically, the song was a hit single – the biggest of his career in terms of US chart position. (Although Manfred Mann’s cover of Springsteen’s “Blinded by the Light” made #1.)
Springsteen was doing just fine, with six successful albums in his discography and an unparalleled concert reputation. He had over 70 songs written for Born In The U.S.A., but Landau wanted a guaranteed hit to ensure superstar status for Springsteen. “Dancing In The Dark” provided just that spark; released as the first single (the only one issued ahead of the album), it started the fire that was Born In The U.S.A. Springsteen’s songs were soon all over the radio, and he found a whole new audience. Unlike many rock artists who are accused of selling out when they hit it huge, Springsteen’s star turn was welcomed (for the most part) by his faithful, who had spent many years spreading his gospel.
The video was Springsteen’s first to get heavy airplay on MTV, and it introduced him to a new, mostly younger audience. As for Cox, a few years later she landed a role on the sitcom Family Ties, and went on to star in the wildly popular TV series Friends.
The lyric is rather bleak, as Springsteen sings lines like, “Man I ain’t getting nowhere, I’m just living in a dump like this.” It doesn’t have a happy ending, but by the end of the song, he seems intent on taking some action, looking for just a tiny bit of inspiration to set him on his path – after all, you can’t start a fire without a spark.
By the last verse, there’s a touch of existentialism, as he puts things in perspective: “You can’t start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart.”
The deep, philosophical message was lost on most listeners who were entranced by the catchy beat (the video didn’t exactly push a deeper meaning either). Springsteen got a similar reaction to his song “Born In The U.S.A.,” where the message was lost in the music. That one bothered him, as the song is about the plight of a Vietnam veteran returning home to hostilities and disregard.
This song sent the Born In the U.S.A. album on a Thriller-like run of chart success, with the next six singles all reaching the US Top 10. The tally, in order of release:
“Cover Me” (#7) “Born In The U.S.A.” (#9) “I’m On Fire” (#6) “Glory Days” (#5) “I’m Goin’ Down” (#9) “My Hometown” (#6)
The original concept for the music video was to have Springsteen literally dancing in the dark – shot against against a black background. Jeff Stein was the director, and Daniel Pearl, famous for his cinematography on “Every Breath You Take,” was the director of photography. Pearl and Springsteen got in a kerfuffle over how he should be shot, with Springsteen wanting a filter and Pearl insisting on hard lighting. Bruce walked out after a few takes, and ended up shooting the video with Brian DePalma. A few years later, despite his efforts to avoid Springsteen, Pearl found himself working on the “Human Touch” video. Pearl says that Springsteen apologized for the “Dancing In The Dark” debacle and asked to work with him again, as he realized Pearl was right about the lighting.
The single was released on May 3, 1984 and reached its US chart peak of #2 on June 30, which was before the video hit MTV. That week, “The Reflex” by Duran Duran held it out of the top spot; with MTV support, “Dancing In The Dark” looked like a sure bet for #1, but then Prince and his crying doves showed up, ruling MTV and the airwaves, and keeping Springsteen’s song at #2 for the next three weeks.
In 1985, Tina Turner performed this on her Private Dancer tour. Her version appears on the album Tina Turner – Live in Tokyo.
A rather intriguing cover of this song was by the group Big Daddy, who hit #21 UK with their version. The concept behind Big Daddy is that a band crash landed on an island while out on tour in the late ’50s or early ’60s, and when they were rescued in the early ’80s, tried to revive their career. Music had changed drastically by then, so they started covering ’80s music in the only style they knew how to play. The result is a kind of modern Pat Boone sound.
According to Rolling Stone, this is is the only Springsteen song that Bob Dylan ever covered, and he only did it once: at the club Toad’s Place in New Haven, Connecticut, on the night of January 12th, 1990. Dylan flubbed most of the words and the performance was so rough that most people in the audience didn’t seem to realize what song it was until the band hit the chorus.
Dancing In The Dark
I get up in the evening and I ain’t got nothing to say I come home in the morning I go to bed feeling the same way I ain’t nothing but tired Man I’m just tired and bored with myself Hey there baby, I could use just a little help
You can’t start a fire You can’t start a fire without a spark This gun’s for hire even if we’re just dancing in the dark
Message keeps getting clearer radio’s on and I’m moving ’round the place I check my look in the mirror I want to change my clothes, my hair, my face Man I ain’t getting nowhere I’m just living in a dump like this There’s something happening somewhere baby I just know that there is
You can’t start a fire you can’t start a fire without a spark This gun’s for hire even if we’re just dancing in the dark
You sit around getting older there’s a joke here somewhere and it’s on me I’ll shake this world off my shoulders come on baby this laugh’s on me
Stay on the streets of this town and they’ll be carving you up alright They say you gotta stay hungry hey baby I’m just about starving tonight I’m dying for some action I’m sick of sitting ’round here trying to write this book I need a love reaction come on now baby gimme just one look
You can’t start a fire sitting ’round crying over a broken heart This gun’s for hire Even if we’re just dancing in the dark You can’t start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart This gun’s for hire Even if we’re just dancing in the dark Even if we’re just dancing in the dark Even if we’re just dancing in the dark Even if we’re just dancing in the dark Hey baby
I had to post this song. Even Eagle fans will admit Henley can be a bit pretentious…that’s not a put down…it just is.
You and your kind Are killing rock and roll It’s not because you are O L D It’s cause you ain’t got no soul!
Don Henley Must Die released in 1990 and it’s off of his album Otis. The song peaked at #20 in the Modern Rock Charts.
According to Nixon, Henley joined Nixon onstage one night in a small club before the Eagles reunion and helped Nixon sing it. This is a quote from Nixon: “There I was, the king of bullshit, completely flabbergasted,” “I took my guitar off, put it back on, did that like three times, then got on the mic and said, ‘Don, do you want to debate? Do you want to fist fight?’ He was shit-faced and he goes, ‘I want to sing that song, especially the part about not getting together with Glenn Frey!'”
When the chorus hit, Nixon let Henley take the lead: “Don Henley must die, don’t let him get back together with Glenn Frey!”
“He was beltin’ that shit out, screaming like he was Johnny fuckin’ Rotten,”
..Don Henley Must Die…
Don Henley Must Die
This is the sound of my brain.
Then I said, this is the sound of my brain on Don Henley!
Then I said, 1 2 3 4…
He’s a tortured artist Used to be in the Eagles Now he whines Like a wounded beagle Poet of despair! Pumped up with hot air! He’s serious, pretentious And I just don’t care Don Henley must die! Don’t let him get back together With Glenn Frey! Don Henley must die!
Turn on the TV And what did I see? This bloated hairy thing Winning a Grammy Best Rock Vocalist? Compared to what? But your pseudo-serious Crafty Satanic blot Don Henley must die! Put a sharp stick in his eye! Don Henley must die! Yea yea yea
Quit playin’ that crap You’re out of the band
I’m only kidding Can’t you tell? I love his sensitive music Idiot poetry, swell You and your kind Are killing rock and roll It’s not because you are O L D It’s cause you ain’t got no soul! Don’t be afraid of fun Loosen up your ponytail! Be wild, young, free and dumb Get your head out of your tail Don Henley must die! Don’t let him get back together With Glenn Frey!
Don Henley must die! Put him in the electric chair Watch him fry! Don Henley must die Don Henley must die No Eagles reunion The same goes for you, Sting!
Welcome to Pub Rock! The Motors were a UK band in the 1970s. This song was their most successful song…peaking at #4 in the UK. All together they had 7 songs in the top 100 in the UK.
lEx-Duck Deluxe members Nick Garvey and Andy McMaster formed the Motors in 1977 with Rob Henry…soon to be replaced by Bram Tchaikovsky and drummer Ricky Slaughter.
This band could get in a groove. I posted something on Bram Tchaikovsky a couple of years ago and knew he was in this band but never checked him out until fellow blogger CB mentioned them. While their peers were in disco, The Motors were finding their groove in rock and roll. Bram would have an international hit with Girl Of My Dreams. His real name is Peter Bramall and he took the stage name of Bram Tchaikovsky…it was also the name of the group he fronted in the late 70s & early 80s after The Motors.
After they released their 1980 album Tenement Steps they broke up. The band released 3 albums in all. This song is off of their Approved By Motors album released in 1978.
When their second greatest hits (Airport: The Motors’ Greatest Hits) was released in 1995 and renewed interest in the band.
Airport
So many destination faces going to so many places Where the weather is much better And the food is so much cheaper. Well I help her with her baggage for her baggage is so heavy I hear the plane is ready by the gateway to take my love away. And I can’t believe that she really wants to leave me and it’s getting me so, It’s getting me so.
Airport – Airport, you’ve got a smiling face, you took the one I love so far away Fly her away – fly her away – airport. Airport, you’ve got a smiling face You took my lady to another place Fly her away – fly her away.
The plane is on the move, And the traces of the love we had in places Are turning in my mind – how I wish I’d been much stronger For the wheels are turning faster as I hear the winds are blowing and I know that she is leaving On the jet plane way down the runaway. And I can’t believe that she really wants to leave me – and it’s getting me so, It’s getting me so.
I remember this one…how could I forget? It is an 80’s time capsule…not a polite one but a time capsule all the same.
By the way…anyone who is easily offended…should NOT listen to the song.
This dandy song was released in 1989 on Mojo’s album Root Hog or Die. Not only does he have fun with Gibson but he also mentions Rick Astley, Tiffany, Spuds MacKenzie, and Joan Collins as well.
I remember the video really well… Winona Ryder played Debbie Gibson and it’s as goofy as you would think…but fun. They lookalikes for Tiffany, Astley and Collins…and of course Spuds.
Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant With My Two Headed Love Child
Debbie Gibson is pregnant with my two headed love child
It’s a bigfoot baby, all covered in fur now
Stark-raving naked in the fornication nation
We were secretly married out in Las Vegas
At a little-bitty chapel, Joan Collins married us
Rootin’ tootin’, ain’t high falutin’
Rick Astley is a pantywaist, mash my butt in his face
His teeny-tiny, two inches of terror, they’re all gonna scare you
Hairbrained cockamamie knuckleheaded idjit galoot
No truth to the rumor about Spuds and Debbie G
Only went to the motel just to watch a little TV
Hate that dog, he must die
Tiffany is wrestling in jello
Body-slamming Debbie G, they’re covered head to toe
Hard on, my hard on
Debbie Gibson is pregnant with my two headed love child
It’s a bigfoot baby, all covered in fur now
Stark-raving naked in the fornication nation
I’m stark-raving naked in the fornication nation
Stark-raving naked in the fornication nation
A nice guitar riff to start this song off by Throwing Muses.
The band was formed in 1981 by step-sisters Kristin Hersh (vocals/guitar) and Tanya Donelly (guitar/vocals), who were both at high school at the time. Initially called Kristin Hersh And The Muses, the line-up was completed by bassist Leslie Langstons and drummer David Narcizo.
They lived close to Providence, Boston and New York and so they could play a club quite often in both places. They had a lot of colleges and some local newspapers, magazines, and radio stations to promote them.
They were the first American band signed to the British 4AD label. An eclectic blend of jerky guitar pop and songwriter Kristin Hersh’s eccentric vocals, the early work by Throwing Muses was quite different than their peers. A year later 4AD would sign Pixies based in part on the band’s connection to Throwing Muses, and by the mid-1990s much of the label’s roster was made up of American bands.
This song was on their self-titled album Throwing Muses in 1986. The song was written by guitar player and singer Kristin Hersh. She wrote every song on the album except one.
Their latest album Sun Racket was released on Fire Records on September 4, 2020.
Kristin Hersh: “We didn’t mean to ever be strange. I guess we were because everybody says we were,” “It’s almost like speaking your own language. I find we kept people out of our world by doing that.”
Hate My Way
I could be a smack freak And hate society I could hate God And blame Dad I might be in a Holocaust Hate Hitler Might not have a child And hate school I could be a sad lover And hate death I could be a neuro And hate sweat No I hate my way
I make you in to a song I can’t rise above the church I’m caught in a jungle Vines tangle my hands I’m always so hot and it’s hot in here I say it’s all right
My pillow screams too But so does my kitchen And water And my shoes And the road
I have a gun in my head I’m invisible I can’t find the ice
A slug I’m TV I hate
A boy, he was tangled in his bike forever A girl was missing two fingers Gerry Ann was confused Mr. Huberty Had a gun in his head
So I sit up late in the morning And ask myself again How do they kill children? And why do I wanna die? They can no longer move I can no longer be still
We are gonna lighten up today with a song from Mojo Nixon. Hope all of you are doing well on this holiday weekend… look around…Elvis is everywhere.
I was commenting with Paul and he brought up Mojo Nixon and it’s probably been since the 1980s that I heard him. A popular Nashville rock station WKDF in the 80s would play this song and a few more by Mojo.
Mojo Nixon (Neill Kirby McMillan, Jr) started in the early eighties and he teamed up with Skid Roper (Richard Banke). Mojo and Skip Roper wrote this song.
This song was released in 1987 and it was on his album Bo-Day-Shus!!!. Mojo has some fun music. I forgot about his songs until Paul pointed me toward him again and they came back to me. I’ll post one tomorrow also.
Nixon announced that he retired from the music business in 2004, playing his last live show in Austin, Texas. In 2009 he announced his “unretirement” and for a short time let anyone download his albums for free with this statement:
Can’t wait for Washington to fix the economy. We must take bold action now. If I make the new album free and my entire catalog free it will stimulate the economy. It might even over-stimulate the economy. History has shown than when people listen to my music, money tends to flow to bartenders, race tracks, late night greasy spoons, bail bondsman, go kart tracks, tractor pulls, football games, peep shows and several black market vices. My music causes itches that it usually takes some money to scratch
Elvis Is Everywhere
When I look out into your eyes out there When I look out into your faces You know what I see? I see a little bit of Elvis In each and every one of you out there
Lemme tell ya… Weeeeeeeeeellllllll… Elvis is everywhere Elvis is everything Elvis is everybody Elvis is still the king
Man o man What I want you to see Is that the big E’s Inside of you and me
Elvis is everywhere, man! He’s in everything He’s in everybody…
Elvis is in your jeans He’s in your cheesburgers Elvis is in Nutty Buddies! Elvis is in your mom!
He’s in everybody He’s in the young, the old The fat, the skinny The white, the black The brown and the blue People got Elvis in ’em too
Elvis is in everybody out there Everybody’s got Elvis in them! Everybody except one person that is… Yeah, one person! The evil opposite of Elvis The Anti-Elvis
Anti-Elvis got no Elvis in ’em Lemme tell ya
Michael J. Fox has no Elvis in him
And Elvis is in Joan Rivers But he’s trying to get out, man! He’s trying to get out! Listen up Joanie Baby!
Elvis is everywhere Elvis is everything Elvis is everybody Elvis is still the king
Man o man What I want you to see Is that the big E’s Inside of you and me
Man, there’s a lot of unexplained phenomenon Out there in the world Lot of things people say What the heck’s going on?
Let me tell ya!
Who built the pyramids? ELVIS! Who built Stonehenge? ELVIS!
Yeah, man you see guys Walking down the street Pushing shopping carts And you think they’re talking to allah They’re talking to themself Man, no they’re talking to ELVIS! ELVIS! ELVIS!
You know whats going on in that Bermuda Triangle? Down in the Bermuda Traingle Elvis needs boats Elvis needs boats Elvis Elvis Elvis Elvis Elvis Elvis
First of all…Happy 4th of July to those that celebrate it! I also want to thank CB for bringing this song up last year on July 4th. I have posted the X version as well as Dave Alvin’s (who wrote the song) solo version of this song…I also threw in a live version from the Blasters.
This song was released in 1987 on X’s See How We Are album. The album peaked at #107 in the Billboard Album Charts.
This was written by the guitarist Dave Alvin, who had recently replaced Billy Zoom in X. Alvin still had ties with his former band, the Blasters, when he wrote the song, and in early 1986 he recorded the song with the group, with Nick Lowe producing. The sessions when downhill when Lowe decided that Dave should sing the song, not the group’s lead singer, his older brother Phil Alvin. The Blasters album was never released, and it ended up being an X song, with their vocalist John Doe singing it.
Nick Lowe told Dave Alvin something in these sessions that was interesting and career changing. Dave Alvin wrote the song but didn’t think he could sing it but Nick wanted him to. Lowe told him “I can’t sing either, but I’ve somehow made a living doing it.”
Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Blaster’s music. Dave Alvin seems to cover everything from blues, rock, rockabilly, country, Americana and more. Here is a quote from him
I’ve always considered myself as basically a blues guy
but I don’t want to limit myself to what some people define as
blues. The “blues form” and the “blues scale” is a constant
in just about all American folk and roots music as well as jazz
and pop. Because of that, I can hear the blues in country music
as well as in the loud garage band down the block.
As a songwriter, if I feel like writing a polka one day,
I’ll write a polka. If I feel like writing a country song
or a rockabilly song, then I’ll do it. It’s hard enough
writing songs to have to bother yourself with somebody’s
categories.
Dave Alvin: “I wrote a long poem is how it really started,” Alvin said in the Zoo Bar’s upstairs dressing room before his latest show there last month. “It’s based on a true story in my life, back when I was a fry cook in Downey (California). Everything in the song is true,” “There was this little cul-de-sac and there were all these beat-up duplexes. We lived in the upstairs duplex. She didn’t want smoking in the place, so I’d sit on the top of the stairs and just stare at the cul-de-sac.”
“I was just trying to capture that moment. This is long before I even thought of being a songwriter. I was 21, 22 and I looked at the Mexican kids shooting fireworks and I looked at everything and I thought, ‘This is a song.’ Eight years later, I finally wrote it.”
From Songfacts
Alvin wrote a third verse, but decided the song had more impact without it, as it leaves the ending up to the listener. He told us: “When X wanted to record the song and we recorded a couple of demos for Elektra, one of the producers, who is a notable musician who shall remain nameless, said, ‘I’m not getting enough. It needs more.’ So, I thought, well, maybe I should pull that third verse back into it? But then I thought, no, it’s getting the point across. They’re either breaking up or they’re staying together.'”
This song is beloved by the band’s fans and has grown in popularity, but it was never a hit. A victim of timing, the late ’80s found X out-of-favor at radio stations, as anything perceived as “Punk” had a hard time getting airplay (Billy Idol excepted). A few years later, Nirvana knocked down that wall, but it was too late for “4th Of July.”
Live Blasters
Dave Alvin’s version
X 4th of July
4th of July
She’s waitin’ for me When I get home from work Oh, but things ain’t just the same She turns out the light And cries in the dark Won’t answer when I call her name
On the stairs I smoke a Cigarette alone Mexican kids are shootin’ Fireworks below Hey baby, it’s the Fourth of July Hey baby, it’s the Fourth of July
She gives me her cheek When I want her lips But I don’t have the strength to go On the lost side of town In a dark apartment We gave up trying so long ago
On the stairs I smoke a Cigarette alone Mexican kids are shootin’ Fireworks below Hey baby, it’s the Fourth of July Hey baby, it’s the Fourth of July
What ever happened I Apologize So dry your tears and baby Walk outside, it’s the Fourth of July
On the stairs I smoke a Cigarette alone Mexican kids are shootin’ Fireworks below Hey baby, it’s the Fourth of July Hey baby, Baby take a walk outside
I Ain’t the One has a great opening riff and it was written by guitarist Gary Rossington and lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, and was featured as the first track on Skynyrd’s debut album (pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd).
The album was one of the great rock debut albums. When you listen to this album you can hear a little of Cream, Stones, and Free. British rock was a huge influence on Lynyrd Skynyrd.
There is a great version of this song of them playing it at the Knebworth Festival in England. Although the headliner was The Rolling Stones but Skynyrd was the band that grabbed the notices of that festival.
At a gig in Atlanta in 1972 they were discovered and signed by musician, producer, and founding member of Blood, Sweat, and Tears and The Blues Project, Al Kooper.
After two songs into recording bassist Leon Wilkeson quit so he was replaced by ex-Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist Ed King who originally wanted to play guitar with the band.
After they finished recording Ronnie Van Zant decided that King, who had added some guitar to the record, would be better on lead guitar so he asked Wilkeson to rejoin.
With Wilkeson back the now seven-man band was complete and would remain that way until Ed King and Bob Burns left the band in 1975. The guitarist Steve Gaines would join in 1976.
I Ain’t The One
Well, I’ll tell you plainly baby What I plan to do ‘Cause I may be crazy baby But I ain’t no fool Your daddy’s rich, mama You’re overdue But I ain’t the one, baby Been messing with you Got bells in your mind, mama So won’t you pardon me I think its time for me to move along I do believe
Now you’re talking jive, woman When you say to me Your daddy’s gonna take us in baby ‘N take care of me You know and I know, woman I ain’t the one I never hurt you sweet heart I never pulled my gun Got bells in your mind, baby So won’t you pardon me? I think its time for me to move along I do believe Time for me to put my boots out in the street baby Are you ready boots — walk on
All right there missy, let me tell you a thing or two Now you’re talking jive, woman When you say to me Your daddy’s gonna take us in baby ‘N take care of me When you know and I know, woman I ain’t the one That ain’t my idea — uh unh — of having fun Got rings in your eyes lady So won’t you pardon me I think its time for me to move along I do believe I must be in the middle of some kind of conspiracy
Power pop was well and alive during the 1990s. I remember this song in the early 90s but I never caught who did it. I heard it on our local alternate channel Lightning 100.
This band was from Scotland and they formed in Bellshill near Glasgow in 1989. They were influenced by Big Star, Badfinger, and the Byrds. They signed to the indie label Creation Records in Britain.
This song was off of their 3rd album Bandwagonesque and it was released in 1991. This was their breakthrough album in the US where it was distributed by Geffen Records. The album was voted album of the year by Spin magazine beating out Nevermind by Nirvana. Some critics called this album Big Star’s 4th because of the influence.
The album had several Top 20 hits on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart, including Star Sign, The Concept, and this song What You Do to Me. They played this song on Saturday Night Live on April 27, 1992.
Singer guitarist Norman Blake wrong this song.
The song peaked at #31 in the UK and #19 on the US Alternate Charts in 1991. The album peaked at #22 in the UK and #137 in the Billboard Album Charts. The album was #1 in the Billboard Heatseeker Album Charts.
From Wiki: The cover is designed by Sharon Fitzgerald. When Kiss member Gene Simmons, who had trademarked the logo of a moneybag with dollar symbol, was made aware of the record he sent a letter to Geffen Records, who in turn gave in and sent Simmons a cheque, according to Simmons’s book Sex Money Kiss.
The band is still together and has released a total of 11 studio albums.
What You Do To Me
What you do to me… I know, I can’t believe There’s something about you Got me down on my knees.
What you do to me… I know, I can’t believe There’s something about you Got me down on my knees.
What you do to me… What you do to me… What you do to me… What you do to me…
What you do to me… I know, I can’t believe There’s something about you Got me down on my knees.
What you do to me… I know, I can’t believe There’s something about you Got me down on my knees.
What you do to me… What you do to me… What you do to me… What you do to me…
What you do to me… What you do to me… What you do to me… What you do to me…
After hearing the song and seeing the video you would think 1965 NOT 1985. I would have loved to hear this in the eighties. This I could have gotten into a lot.
They debuted in March 1984 and released a series of independent records on Sydney’s Citadel Records. Each release made it to number one on the Australian alternative charts.
The Stems were a garage punk band formed in Perth, Western Australia in late 1983. They were hugely popular in Australia. They released this song in 1985 with a song “Cant Resist” as the B side. They would release 7 singles, 2 albums, and 2 EP’s between 1985-1987.
They broke up in 1987. Guitarist Dom Mariani explained: “I was not very happy with the way things were going towards the end of The Stems. We got quite big, and there are the usual problems that happen with that. People tend to drift apart, there are internal conflicts, egos going wild, and bad management was probably the major factor that contributed to The Stems breakup.”
The Stems regrouped in 2003 and played to packed houses across Australia and Europe. They disbanded again in 2009 and regrouped in 2013 and still play from time to time.
Tears Me In Two
All those things that you never said All those words going through my head Time after time I let her cry I laughed and I laughed And she waved goodbye
She waved goodbye She waved goodbye She waved goodbye She waved goodbye I said my prayers and shed my tears All my dreams have become my fears I wrote her letters that I could not send My memories are my only friend
She waved goodbye She waved goodbye She waved goodbye She waved goodbye Everyone thinks that I am crazy I can’t stand the things that they say Think that I’ve been oh-so-cruel Commit me with lies I did not do I didn’t do them You know I didn’t do them Don’t tell me that I did them You know I didn’t do them I didn’t do them
I couldn’t stand it for a second more I turn it down for, I want love for Why can’t my heart leave me be Tears me in two, can’t you see I can’t stand it for a second more I turn it down for, I want love for Why can’t my heart leave me be Tears me in two ways, can’t you see Tears me in two ways Come on baby Take an look down there Tears me in two ways
I posted a song called Watusi Rodeo by Guadalcanal Diary a while back and I got a great response. I’ve been listening to these guys and it gets better and better. This band had a sophisticated and spiritual bent to the band’s lyrics.
This song is off of the EP Watusi Rodeo released in 1983. The songwriting in this band was a step above many of their peers…clever lyrics with a mixture of jangle and country. When you start listening to this band later on you can see a lot of eclecticism as they could bounce from one style to another.
They did get picked up by a major label after this release. Their LP Jamboree released in 1986 was on Elektra. They unsuccessfully attempted a commercial breakthrough, adopting the style of a country-rock band with some religious sentiment.
Jeff Walls and singer Murray Attaway were friends in high school in Marietta, Ga., just outside of Atlanta. Along with bassist Rhett Crowe and drummer John Poe, they formed Guadalcanal Diary.
In 2011, Guadalcanal Diary briefly reunited to play Athfest, and celebrated their 30th anniversary there. Jeff Walls died, May 29, 2019, of a rare pulmonary disease.
Trail Of Tears
The Sun hangs low in the Western sky I bow my head and remember now Someone’s lips pressed close to mine Her cool hand upon my brow
Hell burns hot for a killer ‘s heart A shallow grave in an unmarked plot Crack of gunfire in the dark Hand in hand we’ll walk at daybreak
One wore black One wore black One wore black
The trail of tears is winding on Many pass along the road Dusty soldiers march along As they file one by one
One wore black One wore black One wore black
Trail of tears is winding on Frightened soldier run no more Arm and arm with lovers gone No one passes on the road
Two girls wait at the railroad track For their soldiers to come back Knowing this will be their last One wore blue and one wore black
This is a perfect song to remember alternative radio with today. This is Paul Westerberg’s tribute to college radio in the 1980s. Of all the bands I’ve covered on Mondays…this band is my favorite of them all. They were more straight rock and roll with some quirks thrown in for good measure.
Left of the Dial celebrates the spirit of the eighties American indie rock scene and was a tribute to the tiny watt college stations populating the far end of the FM radio band—many let the Replacements crash after shows at campuses. Westerberg had said that is where they got most of their airtime…“We ended up going to college in an odd kind of way.”
The song is also about Westerberg’s infatuation with Lynn Blakey, singer-guitarist for North Carolina’s Let’s Active. They’d met when the bands shared a bill at San Francisco’s I-Beam in the fall of 1983. “He followed me around and bummed cigarettes off me,” recalled Blakey. The following night, after a show in Berkeley, the two spent hours walking together. They would exchange calls and letters as Blakey moved to Athens, Georgia, where she joined Michael Stipe’s sister Lynda in the band Oh-OK.
“I figured the only way I’d hear her voice was with her band on the radio . . . on a college station,” said Westerberg. “And one night we were passing through a town somewhere, and she was doing an interview on the radio. I heard her voice for the first time in six months for about a minute. Then the station faded out.” The moment provided the song’s lyric “If I don’t see ya, in a long, long while / I’ll try to find you / Left of the dial.”
The song was on the album Tim and it was released in 1985.
Left of the Dial
Read about your band in some local page Didn’t mention your name, didn’t mention your name The sweet Georgia breezes, safe, cool and warm I headed up north, you headed north
On and on and on and on What side are you on? On and on and on and on What side are you on?
Weary voice that’s laughin’, on the radio once We sounded drunk, never made it on Passin’ through and it’s late, the station started to fade Picked another one up in the very next state
On and on and on and on What side are you on? On and on and on and on and
Pretty girl keep growin’ up, playin’ make-up, wearin’ guitar Growin’ old in a bar, ya grow old in a bar Headed out to San Francisco, definitely not L.A. Didn’t mention your name, didn’t mention your name
And if I don’t see ya, in a long, long while I’ll try to find you Left of the dial Left of the dial Left of the dial Left of the dial Left of the dial Left of the dial Left of the dial Left of the dial
I never get tired of the Kinks. In July 1965, The Kinks released Who’ll Be The Next In Line as a single. This one is a very rocky song with a Kinks riff.
It was first released as the B-side to “Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy” in Britain. The single only made to #17 in the UK. Reprise in America thought Who’ll Be The Next In Line was the best song and released it as the A side with Evrybody’s Gonna Be Happy” as the B.
The song peaked at #34 in the Billboard 100 and #25 in Canada in 1965.
Running to just under two minutes, the song title has no question mark, although its authorship does. Released on the Reprise label, the B-side of “Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy” is credited on the record itself to R. Davies (Ray Davies) and on another pressing as R. Davies/Kassner. This latter appears to be a misprint; Edward Kassner was the man who launched the band’s career, and his name should have appeared below the songwriter credit rather than as part of it.
Here is the B side Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy
Who’ll Be The Next In Line
Who’ll be the next in line? Who’ll be the next in line for heartache? Who’ll make the same mistakes I made over you? Who’ll be the next in line? Who’ll be the next in line? For you? Who’ll be the next in line? Who’ll be the next to watch your love fade? All your affections finally fade away. There’ll be no use in sighing. Who’ll be the next in line? For you? One day you’ll find out when I’m gone, I was the best one you had, I was the one who gave you love. Who’ll be the next in line? Who’ll be the next in line for heartaches? Who’ll make the same mistakes I made over you? There’ll be no use in sighing. Who’ll be the next in line? For you? One day you’ll find out when I’m gone, I was the best one you had, I was the one who gave you love. Who’ll be the next in line? Who’ll be the next in line for heartaches? Who’ll make the same mistakes I made over you? Who’ll be the next in line? Who’ll be the next in line? For you? For you?
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 