The Small Faces were very popular in the UK in the 1960s. Because of management they never toured in America. Their best-known songs are Itchycoo Park and Lazy Sunday in America but had many hits in the UK.
All or Nothing was written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane. The song peaked at #1 in the UK in 1966.
The Small Faces would splinter in 1969 and Steve Marriott would start Humble Pie with Peter Frampton. The Small Faces would welcome Ron Wood and Rod Stewart and become the Faces…Kenney Jones would later replace Keith Moon in the Who.
It was said to be written either about Marriott’s break up with his with ex-fiancée Sue Oliver, or for his first wife who once dated Rod Stewart. It is possible that both these explanations may be true…somehow.
Drummer Kenney Jones: “It was us getting to where we wanted to be musically. It wasn’t as poppy as our previous hits, but still commercial enough and better than anything we’d done before.”
Steve Marriott in 1984: “I think ‘All Or Nothing’ takes a lot of beating. To me, if there’s a song that typifies that era, then that might be it.”
From Songfacts
Not to be confused with a later song of the same title, “All Or Nothing” was recorded by the Small Faces in 1966. In his 2004 autobiography Mr Big, their manager at the time, Don Arden, said this was “top-drawer…[and] still gets played on the radio today”. Arden produced the record. Co-written by guitarist Steve Marriott and bass player Ronnie Lane, it was backed by “Understanding” and was written
For Marriott it was very much all or nothing; he married three times and appears to have sired at least two children out of wedlock. He died in a fire in April 1991, apparently after lighting a cigarette in bed and falling asleep. Prior to his death, he had taken cocaine as well as Valium and alcohol.
Here are two quotes about the song from 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh.
Kenney Jones recalled to Uncut magazine: “We were on tour and staying in the Station Hotel, Leeds, when Steve suddenly run down the corridor screaming, ‘I’ve got it! I’ve just written our next hit!”‘
Jones based his opening drum fill on the intro of Wilson Pickett’s “In The Midnight Hour.”
All Or Nothing
I thought you’d listen to my reason But now I see, you don’t hear a thing Try to make you see, how it’s got to be
Yes it’s all, all or nothing Yeah yeah, all or nothing All or nothing, for me
Things could work out Just like I want them to, yeah If I could have The other half of you, yeah You know I would, If I only could
Yes it’s yeah, all or nothing Oh yeah, all or nothing You’ll hear my children say, All or nothing, for me
I didn’t tell you no lies So don’t you sit there and cry girl Yeah, all or nothing Oh yeah, all or nothing Oh yeah, all or nothing
Do you know what I mean You got to, got to, go to keep on trying, yeah All or nothing, mm yeah All or nothing, to keep on working on to me All or nothing for me, for me, for me
Come on children, yeah All or nothing, yeah,yeah, yeah, yeah All or nothing, I kept on singing to myself All or nothing, yeah for me, yeah
Recently I’ve been listening to some early Pink Floyd. This was quite a bit different from their more famous 70s-80s output. I like what I’ve heard so far from the Syd Barret days.
Syd Barrett wrote this…he was one of the band’s original members and the group’s leader. He became very unpredictable, sometimes refusing to play at shows.
Barrett claimed “Emily” was a girl he saw when he woke up one night after sleeping in the woods after a gig. It is unclear if she was a real person or a drug-induced hallucination.
David Gilmour was asked by the members of Pink Floyd to join the band to supplement the guitar work of the increasingly erratic Syd Barrett. For a brief time, Syd and David were both members of Pink Floyd at the same time. When Barrett’s mental breakdown made it impossible for him to continue with the group, Gilmour became a permanent, contributing member in time for their second album, 1968’s A Saucerful of Secrets. Syd Barrett contributed one track to that album, his last with Pink Floyd. Syd departed the band soon after that.
The song peaked at #6 in the UK, #134 in Billboard, and #25 in Germany in 1967.
From Songfacts
This was Pink Floyd’s second single. Their first was “Arnold Layne.”
Barrett did the slide guitar work on this song with a Zippo lighter (he used it as a slide, not to set the guitar on fire).
The original title was “Games For May.” They performed it live a few times before changing it.
This is an example of the psychedelic sound Pink Floyd was known for. Over the next few years, they tried to lose the psychedelic image because they wanted people to know there was much more to their music.
This was included on the 2001 Pink Floyd retrospective album, Echoes. The tracks flow seamlessly together.
The song was inspired in part by 15-year-old schoolgirl Emily Young, who was the daughter of Wayland Young, 2nd Baron Kennet. She recalled to Mojo:
“On Friday night at the Saints Hall, the regular band was the Pink Floyd Sound. I was more into R&B, so their dreamy hippie thing wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, but it was interesting. And the light show was wonderful, and I liked to get stoned and dance. After playing, we’d sit around on grey sofas and pass around joints. I was quite pretty and word got out that I was a lord’s daughter, and apparently the guys in the band called me the ‘psychedelic schoolgirl.'”
“See Emily Play” began life as a Syd Barrett song written for Pink Floyd’s concert-cum-happening Games For May at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on May 12, 1967. Emily missed the event but someone told her all about it. She recalled: “I thought, gosh, that’s nice, a song with my name, but I didn’t think it was about me. And I don’t think it was now because Syd and me didn’t have a love affair and he didn’t really know me. It could have been some other girl who played a part in his dream. It could have been Jenny, but Emily scanned better.”
See Emily Play
Emily tries but misunderstands, ah ooh She’s often inclined to borrow somebody’s dreams till tomorrow There is no other day Let’s try it another way
You’ll lose your mind and play Free games for May See Emily play
Soon after dark Emily cries, ah ooh Gazing through trees in sorrow hardly a sound till tomorrow There is no other day Let’s try it another way You’ll lose your mind and play
Free games for May See Emily play
Put on a gown that touches the ground, ah ooh Float on a river forever and ever, Emily (Emily)
There is no other day Let’s try it another way You’ll lose your mind and play Free games for May See Emily play
This is probably the first song I remember by Iggy Pop back in the 80s.
This song was originally recorded by Australian rocker Johnny O’Keefe with The Deejays in 1958 as “Wild One.” Deejays saxophonists Johnny Greenan and Dave Owens drafted the song over drinks after a particularly wild concert and Johnny O’Keefe later chipped in.
The song was an immediate hit and made Johnny O’Keefe the first Australian rocker to reach the national charts. Iggy Pop covered it for his Blah Blah Blah album. Released as a single, it became his only UK Top 10 hit.
The song peaked at #1 in New Zealand, #10 in the UK, #65 in Canada, and #27 in the Mainstream Rock Billboard Charts.
The album Blah Blah Blah peaked at #75 in the Billboard Album Charts, #61 in Canada, #43 in the UK, and #19 in New Zealand in 1986.
From Songfacts
Johnny O’Keefe (1935-1978) was a pioneering Australian Rock singer whose career began in the 1950s and ended with his early death in the late 1970s of barbiturate poisoning. Often referred to by his nickname, “The Wild One,” O’Keefe was the first Australian Rock star.
The lyrics are about youngsters wanting to be cool and wild.
In Australia this has been used as the theme music for the ABC’s all-night music video show Rage for over 20 years.
Iggy Pop’s version has featured in the movies Adventures in Babysitting (1987) and Problem Child 2 (1991).
A cover by Christopher Otcasek featured in Pretty Woman (1989). Other cover versions include “Real Wild Child” by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts (1993), “Wild One” by Status Quo (2003) and Christian pop band Everlife’s “Real Wild Child,” which appears as the theme song in Disney’s The Wild (2006). >>
This is Kesha’s favorite song. She told Spinmagazine: “It’s the last song I play before I walk onstage and the first song I play when I get off stage. It always gets me going.”
Real Wild Child (Wild One)
Well I’m just outta school Like I’m real real cool Gotta dance like a fool Got the message that I gotta be A wild one Ooh yeah I’m a wild one
Gotta break it loose Gonna keep ’em movin’ wild Gonna keep a swingin’ baby I’m a real wild child
Gonna met all muh friends Gonna have our self a ball Gonna tell my friends Gonna tell them all That I’m a wild one Ooh yeah I’m a wild one
Gotta break it loose Gonna keep ’em movin’ wild Gonna keep a swingin’ baby I’m a real wild child
I’m a real wild one An’ I like a wild fun In a world gone crazy Everything seems hazy I’m a wild one Ooh yeah I’m a wild one
Gotta break it loose Gonna keep ’em movin’ wild Gonna keep a swingin’ baby I’m a real wild child
I’m a wild one I’m a wild one I’m a wild one Oh baby I’m a wild one
Gotta break it loose Gonna keep ’em movin’ wild Gonna keep a swingin’ baby I’m a real wild child
I said would you believe this man has gone as far As tearin’ Wallace stickers off the bumpers of cars And he voted for George McGovern for president
Charlie Daniels passed away on Monday, July 6, 2020. I wrote this up the next day but forgot to post it. He was a country music legend. While I wasn’t a huge fan he was part of my childhood. He was an incredible musician…he played with Dylan, George Harrison, and many other greats… along with having a very successful career himself. The man at 83 had booked a tour this year but it was canceled of course.
Charlie had more serious hits than this… This is a novelty song and not a great representation…it’s spoken word country…but it’s one that is a little different because it captures the time.
I first heard this song in the mid-seventies. It brings back a lot of memories for me as a kid. I thought it was extremely funny although I knew nothing about McGovern, Wallace, John Birch, Tokin’ on a number, or much of anything. I did know what mag wheels and a peace sign was so that was a start. The song is about a long-haired guy that walks into a redneck bar to use a phone. He ends up playing on the conspiracy-minded rednecks there to get free…
I remember we would see hippies (or anyone) harrassed on television shows…My dad would always take their side. “Why are they bothering them…it’s just hair! (as my mom would shake her head) If I was 20 I would grow my hair out”…and he eventually did when he got old. My dad taught me a lot about equality…and to treat everyone the same…no one is better no one is worse.
This song peaked at #9 in the Billboard 100 in 1973. He would go on to have 9 songs in the Billboard 100 and two top 10 hits.
In the country charts, he would have 33 songs in the top 100 and three top ten hits.
Charlie Daniels: “I used to do a little bit of record producing. I used to produce a group called the Youngbloods that were headquartered in San Francisco. And we were doing a live album, and we did part of it at the Fillmore East and West, and we did part of what used to be called a rock festival, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was one of those big three-day affairs where everybody in the world played. And that day I think it was the Youngbloods and the Grateful Dead and the Jefferson Airplane, and I don’t know who else.
And all these people were there at the motel. And they were these long-haired hippie-type people. The movie Easy Rider had not been out very long, and here we were sitting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with all these long-haired people, and I think a lot of them had the impression that if they were to get two blocks away, that somebody was going to run out with a pair of shears and cut their hair and threaten their life. I was born in the South, and to me this attitude was just kind of funny, and that’s where the idea came from. I just took a guy and put him in a fictitious situation, and extricated him. But of course there’s no truth to it other than just being around people that kind of had a fear of redneck bars.”
Daniels says the line in the song, “I just reached out and kicked ole Green Teeth right in the knee,” “He had tartar on his teeth, and they actually turn green if they don’t get it off. I don’t think he practiced very good dental hygiene. And that’s where that came from; he had little spots of green on his teeth.” Daniels did not, however, kick him. “Maybe I should have,” he says, “but I didn’t kick him.”
Uneasy Rider
I was takin’ a trip out to LA, Toolin’ along in my Chevrolet Tokin’ on a number and diggin’ on the radio
Just as I cross the Mississippi line I heard that highway start to whine And I knew that left rear tire was about to go
Well the spare was flat and I got uptight ‘Cause there wasn’t a fillin’ station in sight So I just limped down the shoulder on the rim
I went as far as I could and when I stopped the car It was right in front of this little bar A kind of a redneck lookin’ joint called the Dew Drop Inn
Well I stuffed my hair up under my hat And told the bartender that I had a flat And would he be kind enough to give me change for a one
There was one thing I was sure proud to see There wasn’t a soul in the place except for him an’ me And he just looked disgusted an’ pointed toward the telephone
I called up the station down the road a ways And he said he wasn’t very busy today And he could have somebody there in just ’bout ten minutes or so
He said now you just stay right where yer at and I didn’t bother Tellin’ the durn fool I sure as hell didn’t have anyplace else to go
I just ordered up a beer and sat down at the bar When some guy walked in an’ said who owns this car With the peace sign the mag wheels and four on the floor
Well he looked at me and I damn near died And I decided that I’d just wait outside So I laid a dollar on the bar and headed for the door
Just when I thought I’d get outta there with my skin These five big dudes come strollin’ in With this one old drunk chick and some fella with green teeth
And I was almost to the door when the biggest one Said you tip your hat to this lady son An’ when I did all that hair fell out from underneath
Now the last thing I wanted was to get into a fight In Jackson Mississippi on a Saturday night ‘Specially when there was three of them and only one of me
Well they all started laughin’ and I felt kinda sick And I knew I’d better think of somethin’ pretty quick So I just reached out an’ kicked ol’ green-teeth right in the knee
He let out a yell that’d curl your hair But before he could move I grabbed me a chair And said watch him folks ’cause he’s a thoroughly dangerous man
Well you may not know it but this man’s a spy He’s an undercover agent for the FBI And he’s been sent down here to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan
He was still bent over holdin’ on to his knee But everyone else was lookin’ and listenin’ to me And I laid it on thicker and heavier as I went
I said would you believe this man has gone as far As tearin’ Wallace stickers off the bumpers of cars And he voted for George McGovern for president
Well he’s a friend of them long-haired hippie type pinko fags I betcha he’s even got a Commie flag Tacked up on the wall inside of his garage
He’s a snake in the grass I tell ya guys He may look dumb but that’s just a disguise He’s a mastermind in the ways of espionage
They all started lookin’ real suspicious at him And he jumped up an’ said just wait a minute Jim You know he’s lyin’ I’ve been livin’ here all of my life
I’m a faithful follower of Brother John Birch And I belong to the Antioch Baptist Church And I ain’t even got a garage you can call home and ask my wife
Then he started sayin’ somethin’ ’bout the way I was dressed But I didn’t wait around to hear the rest I was too busy movin’ and hopin’ I didn’t run outta luck
And when I hit the ground I was makin’ tracks And they were just takin’ my car down off the jacks So I threw the man a twenty an’ jumped in an’ fired that mother up
Mario Andretti would of sure been proud Of the way I was movin’ when I passed that crowd Comin’ out the door and headin’ toward me in a trot
An’ I guess I shoulda gone ahead and run But somehow I couldn’t resist the fun Of chasin’ them just once around the parkin’ lot
Well they’re headin’ for their car but I hit the gas And spun around and headed them off at the pass Well I was slingin’ gravel and puttin’ a ton of dust in the air
Well I had them all out there steppin’ an’ a fetchin’ Like their heads were on fire and their asses was catchin’ But I figured I oughta go ahead and split before the cops got there
When I hit the road I was really wheelin’ Had gravel flyin’ and rubber squeelin’ An’ I didn’t slow down ’til I was almost to Arkansas
I think I’m gonna re-route my trip I wonder if anybody think I’d flipped If I went to LA via Omaha!
Great song by the one and only Linda Ronstadt. “You’re No Good” was written by Clint Ballard, Jr., who also wrote songs for Connie Francis and The Hollies.
This song had been around for a while before Linda Ronstadt took it to the top of the chart. It was originally recorded by Dee Dee Warwick in 1963. Her version stalled at #117.
The song was on the album Heart Like A Wheel produced by Peter Asher and it peaked at #1 in the Billboard Album Chart and #7 in Canada.
Heart Like a Wheel became Ronstadt’s first album to hit the top spot on the Billboard Top 200 album chart and spent four weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Country Album chart in early 1975.
The song peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, #7 in Canada, and #24 in New Zealand in 1975.
Linda Ronstadt: “I thought the production on ‘You’re No Good’ was very good but [that] I didn’t sing it very well. As a song it was just an afterthought. It’s not the kind of song I got a lot of satisfaction out of singing.”
From Songfacts
One of the most blatant and memorable songs in the “no-good man” milieu,
Betty Everett had more success with her version, which went to #51 in 1964. First released on her 1963 album of the same name, Everett recorded the song at Chess Records in Chicago, with Maurice White on drums (White, who later formed Earth, Wind & Fire, was a staff drummer at Chess early in his career). Everett was a former gospel singer who, like Ronstadt, had a very powerful voice. Her next single, “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss),” became her biggest hit.
The song made one more chart appearance in 1964 when the British male band Swinging Blue Jeans switched the gender and took the song to #97 in the US and #3 in the UK, where it became the best-known rendition of the song.
A decade later, Ronstadt started performing the song and recorded it with her producer Peter Asher. Released as a single from her fifth album, the song was a huge breakthrough for Ronstadt, whose chart success to this point was sporadic (her biggest hit to then: “Long, Long Time” at #25). She became one of the biggest stars of the ’70s, known for her musical versatility and impressive vocal range. Most of her hits were cover songs, including the follow-up, “When Will I Be Loved,” originally recorded by the Everly Brothers.
This song makes it quite clear that the lowdown guy is no good, but in the second verse, Ronstadt turns it around, as she’s done some bad things herself and deserves some comeuppance:
I broke a heart that’s gentle and true
Well I broke a heart over someone like you
I’ll beg his forgiveness on bended knee
I wouldn’t blame him if he said to me
You’re no good
By the third verse, she’s back to bashing the guy:
I’m telling you now baby and I’m going my way
Forget about you baby ’cause I’m leaving to stay
Heart Like A Wheel was the first album Peter Asher produced for Ronstadt, and the results were spectacular. With his duo Peter & Gordon, Asher had a #1 hit in 1964 with “A World Without Love,” and later became head of A&R at The Beatles’ Apple Records, where he began a longstanding relationship with James Taylor.
In a Songfacts interview with Asher, he explained that getting the most out of Ronstadt meant listening to her and honoring her ideas. “I may have listened to her with a bit more attentiveness than others had in the past,” he said. “There was, particularly back in that era, an element of, ‘Don’t you worry your pretty little head about that, I know what’s best.’ Linda knew a lot and was not given credit for it.”
Van Halen recorded this for their second album. It was one of many successful cover songs by the group; Others include Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman,” The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me,” and Martha & the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street.” This is the only cover on the album. Between 1978-1983, Van Halen released an album a year. Since they toured constantly, including cover songs on the albums helped ease the songwriting burden.
You’re No Good
Feeling better now that we’re through Feeling better ’cause I’m over you I learned my lesson, it left a scar Now I see how you really are
You’re no good You’re no good You’re no good Baby you’re no good
I’m gonna say it again You’re no good You’re no good You’re no good Baby you’re no good
I broke a heart that’s gentle and true Well I broke a heart over someone like you I’ll beg his forgiveness on bended knee I wouldn’t blame him if he said to me
You’re no good You’re no good You’re no good Baby you’re no good
I’m gonna say it again You’re no good You’re no good You’re no good Baby you’re no good
I’m telling you now baby and I’m going my way Forget about you baby ’cause I’m leaving to stay You’re no good You’re no good You’re no good Baby you’re no good
I’m gonna say it again You’re no good You’re no good You’re no good Baby you’re no good Oh, oh no You’re no good You’re no good You’re no good Baby you’re no good
You say you’ll change the constitution Well, you know We all want to change your head
This song was the B side to Hey Jude…a heck of a B side. John Lennon wanted it to be the first A-side released on Apple Records, the label The Beatles started, but Paul McCartney’s “Hey Jude” got the honor.
This was the first overtly political Beatles song. It was John Lennon’s response to the Vietnam War.
The “Hey Jude” and “Revolution” videos were shot in a studio setting and meant to look like the band was performing it live. They both aired September 8 on Frost On Sunday, a popular UK show hosted by David Frost, who was at the Twickenham shoot to introduce the clip for the segment on his show, making it appear that the band was really there.
*** A little fun here… I always wondered about the Revolution video. Between 10-13 seconds on the video below you see George say something to Paul. It’s either “John’s mic is sh*t” or something else …what do you think? Any lip readers?
The dirty guitar sound was created by plugging the guitars directly into the audio board and overloading it. The guitar sounded so scratchy that many who bought the 45 RPM single tried to return it, thinking it was defective.
There are two very different versions of this song… a slow version that appears on The White Album, and a fast, loud version was released as a single. In the slow version, Lennon says “count me in” as well as “count me out” when referring to violence. This gives the song a dual meaning.
The song peaked at #12 in the Billboard 100 and #1 in Canada
John Lennon: “I wanted to put out what I felt about revolution,” “I thought it was about time we spoke about it, the same as I thought it was about time we stopped not answering about the Vietnamese war when we were on tour with Brian Epstein and had to tell him, ‘We’re going to talk about the war this time and we’re not going to just waffle’…That’s why I did it: I wanted to talk. I wanted to say my piece about revolutions. I wanted to tell you, or whoever listens, to communicate, to say, ‘What do you say? This is what I say.'”
Paul McCartney: “It was a great song, basically John’s…it was an overtly political song about revolution and a great one. I think John later ascribed more political intent to it than he actually felt when he wrote it.”
Continuing, Paul writes: “They were very political times, obviously, with the Vietnam war going on, Chairman Mao and the Little Red Book, and all the demonstrations with people going through the streets shouting ‘Ho, Ho Ho Chi Minh!’ I think he wanted to say you can count me in for a revolution, but if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao ‘you ain’t gonna make it with anyone anyhow.’ By saying that I think he meant we all want to change the world Maharishi-style, because ‘Across The Universe’ also had the change-the-world theme.”
From Songfacts
John Lennon wrote this in India while The Beatles were at a transcendental meditation camp with The Maharishi. Lennon told Rolling Stone: “I had been thinking about it up in the hills in India. I still had this ‘God will save us’ feeling about it, that it’s going to be all right (even now I’m saying ‘Hold on, John, it’s going to be all right,’ otherwise, I won’t hold on) but that’s why I did it, I wanted to talk, I wanted to say my piece about revolution. I wanted to tell you, or whoever listens, to communicate, to say ‘What do you say? This is what I say.'”
Revolutionaries take different approaches to reach their goals. In a 1998 interview with Uncut, Yoko One gave her thoughts on Lennon’s approach and how he expressed it in this song: “John’s idea of revolution was that he did not want to create the situation where when you destroy statues, you become a statue. And also what he means is that there’s too much repercussion in the usual form of revolution. He preferred evolution. So you have to take a peaceful method to get peace rather than you don’t care what method you take to get peace, and he was very, very adamant about that.”
The fast version was released as the B-side of “Hey Jude” in August 1968, three months before the slow version appeared on The White Album.
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There are so many versions of this song because Paul McCartney didn’t like it. Lennon really wanted this song to be the “A” side of the single instead of “Hey Jude,” and kept changing it around to come up with something that would make Paul see it his way. He basically wrote the song because he felt like he was being pulled in so many directions by different people, all of whom wanted his backing, politically. It was also him questioning his own belief in the revolution that was going on… whether he was “out” or “in.” In truth, he was writing about a revolution of the mind rather than a physical “in the streets” revolution. He truly believed that revolution comes from inner change rather than social violence. (This is discussed in the DVD Composing the Beatles Songbook)
Nike used this for commercials in 1987. Capitol Records, who owned the performance rights, meaning The Beatles version of the song, was paid $250,000. Michael Jackson, who owned the publishing rights, meaning use of the words and music, also had to agree and was paid for the song (Jackson acquired the rights to 251 Beatles songs in 1985 when he outbid Paul McCartney for them, fracturing their friendship in the process).
The commercials caused a huge backlash from Beatles fans who felt that Nike was disrespecting the legacy of John Lennon, who likely would have objected to its use, but the ad campaign, called “Revolution in Motion,” was successful, helping Nike expand their market by featuring ordinary joggers, gym rats and cyclists. “We’re trying to promote the concept of revolutionary changes in the fitness movement and show how Nike parallels those changes with product development,” the company stated. “Because of this ‘revolution,’ we were able to draw a strong correlation with the music and the lyrics in the Beatles song.”
It wasn’t just fans who had beef with the ads: the surviving Beatles, along with Yoko Ono (representing Lennon’s estate), sued Nike, bringing even more publicity to the campaign. The ads ran for about a year, and eventually a settlement was reached in the lawsuit. As years went by, it became more acceptable to use songs in commercials, but Beatles songs remained off-limits, as any use would result in a lawsuit and hostile reaction by fans. What was “revolutionary” about the Nike commercials were that they were the first to do it.
In 2002, “When I’m 64” was used in a commercial for Allstate insurance. Many Beatles fans were not pleased, but it didn’t get nearly the reaction of the Nike commercials, partly because it was not a political song, but also because it was sung by Julian Lennon, which implied endorsement by his father.
On September 4, 1968, The Beatles made a promotional film for this song and “Hey Jude” at Twickenham Studios in London. These were directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who did the previous Beatles videos: “Paperback Writer” and “Rain.”
Unlike those clips, which were shot outdoors, the “Hey Jude” and “Revolution” videos were shot in a studio setting and meant to look like the band was performing it live. They both aired September 8 on Frost On Sunday, a popular UK show hosted by David Frost, who was at the Twickenham shoot to introduce the clip for the segment on his show, making it appear that the band was really there.
Another edit of the footage was later broadcast on Top Of The Pops, and yet another was shown in America on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. When the Beatles compilation 1+ was released in 2015, a restored version of the video was included in the set.
Before this song was used to shill for Nike, Yoko Ono was fine with using John Lennon’s music in commercials; she authorized “Imagine” for a Japanese ad and said it was “making John’s music accessible to a new generation.” Nike bypassed the living Beatles, but went to her for approval, since the lead vocalist (the “principal performer”) of a song needs to grant permission under certain statutes. Also, as the keeper of Lennon’s legacy, it helped to have her consent for publicity purposes. Nike claimed the song was used “with the active support of Yoko Ono Lennon.”
This is one of the Beatles songs (“Help!” and “In My Life” are other examples) where John Lennon’s falsetto makes an appearance. He takes it up high for the word “be” in the line, “You know it’s gonna be all right.”
Nicky Hopkins played the piano. When The Beatles needed keyboards, they usually used Hopkins, Billy Preston, or their producer, George Martin.
The word “Revolution” is mentioned just once, in the first line.
John Lennon wanted his vocals to have an unusual sound, so he recorded most of them lying on his back in the studio. The famous scream at the beginning is a double-tracked recording of Lennon. >>
The version on the Hey Jude compilation, released in February 1970 in the US, was the B-side of the “Hey Jude” single. The Hey Jude compilation album peaked at #2 in the US and consists of a collection of singles and B-sides that had not previously appeared on US non-soundtrack album releases. The album cover was taken at the final Beatles photo session, at Lennon’s (later Starr’s) country estate in Ascot, England. >>
Thompson Twins performed this song at the Philadelphia stage of Live Aid on July 13, 1985. The concert, which raised money for famine relief in Africa, had a global audience of at least 1.5 billion. Thompson Twins were joined on stage for the performance by Madonna (who contributed backing vocals and tambourine), Steve Stevens (best known as Billy Idol’s guitarist) and Nile Rodgers, who was also on guitar.
Thompson Twins included the song on their album Here’s to Future Days, which was released a few months later and produced by Rodgers.
The Stone Temple Pilots performed this at Madison Square Garden as part of the 2001 special, Come Together: A Night For John Lennon’s Words And Music. Their version was released as a single, with proceeds going to charity.
Revolution
You say you want a revolution Well, you know We all want to change the world You tell me that it’s evolution Well, you know We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction Don’t you know that you can count me out Don’t you know it’s gonna be All right, all right, all right
You say you got a real solution Well, you know We’d all love to see the plan You ask me for a contribution Well, you know We’re doing what we can
But if you want money for people with minds that hate All I can tell is brother you have to wait Don’t you know it’s gonna be All right, all right, all right
You say you’ll change the constitution Well, you know We all want to change your head You tell me it’s the institution Well, you know You better free you mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao You ain’t going to make it with anyone anyhow Don’t you know it’s gonna be All right, all right, all right All right, all right, all right All right, all right, all right All right, all right
What a beautiful song this is and it was between the Green and the Buckingham/Nicks era. Thanks to Sharon for bringing this wonderful song up. The song was written by Danny Kirwan and was on the album Kiln House released in 1970.
18-year-old guitarist Danny Kirwan joined Fleetwood Mac in 1968 and one of the first recordings he played on was Albatross. He couldn’t take the pressure of touring and eventually fired in 1972.
The album peaked at #69 in the Billboard Album Charts, #67 in Canada, and #39 in the UK. The song didn’t chart. This is the first album after Peter Green left the band. Christine McVie contributed to the album with backup vocals, keyboards, and even cover art. After this album, she became a full member.
It doesn’t really sound like the Peter Green blues era or the later pure pop sound. It has more of a power-pop sound.
Jewel Eyed Judy
Moonshine time Thoughts of you Spinning round As thoughts do I just wondered if Your eyes still shine As they did When you were mine
I can see In a dream Thougts so clear And jewels that gleam Would your eyes Still sparkle then If we were, once again
Jewel eyed Judy please come home Jewel eyed Judy don’t leave me alone Jewel eyed Judy please come home Jewel eyed Judy don’t leave me alone
Lovely Judy Can you see Where it is You’re meant to be Where you lay Your head tonight May the stars Find your light So am I Sitting here Moonlight glistens On my tears Is this all That we could find Chains of memories Left behind
Jewel eyed Judy please come home Jewel eyed Judy don’t leave me alone Jewel eyed Judy please come home Jewel eyed Judy don’t leave me alone
This one was always a favorite of mine of the Stones. Keith Richards wrote this, but a lot of the lyrics were improvised in the studio. While the band played, Jagger came in with different lines to fit the music.
This song is a good example of the Rolling Stones tapestry of guitars. Keith and Ron Wood weave their guitars in and out until the two guitars are almost indistinguishable from each other.
The song peaked at #8 in the Billboard 100 and #9 in Canada.
The song was on Some Girls released in 1978. It was perhaps their last great album although I did like Tattoo You. Some Girls peaked at #1 in the Billboard Album Charts and #1 in Canada, and #2 in the UK.
Keith Richards: “Those who say it’s about one woman in particular, they’ve got it all wrong. We were trying to write for a slightly broader audience than just Anita Pallenberg or Marianne Faithfull. Although that’s not to say they didn’t have some influence in there somewhere. I mean, what’s close by is close by! I’ve always felt it’s one of my best soul songs. It was another strict collaboration between Mick and me. I think I had the first verse—‘I’ll never be your beast of burden’—along with the hook, and we were still working very much in our traditional way: Here’s the idea, here’s the song, now run away and fill it in! Some of the theories surrounding it are very intriguing, but they’re about as divorced from reality as can be. I find it quite amusing that there are people in the world who spend a lot of their time trying to decode something that is, at the end of the day, completely undecodable. I mean, even I’ve forgotten the code!”
From Songfacts
Sometimes misunderstood as a putdown, this is a rare Stones song that treats women as equals. Jagger sings that he “Don’t need no beast of burden.”
This isn’t about a specific woman. Most women in Stones’ songs are composites of many.
A live version from their 1981 US tour was used as the B-side of their “Going To A Go-Go” single.
A beast of burden is an animal that labors for the benefit of man, like an ox or a pack mule.
This song could be allegorical – it was written by Keith as a kind of homage to Mick for having to carry the band while Keith was strung out on heroin: “All your sickness I can suck it up, throw it all at me, I can shrug it off.”
The Chinese ministry of culture ordered The Stones not to play this when they performed there in 2003. It was going to be the first time The Stones played in China, but they canceled because of a respiratory disease that was spreading through the country.
Whilst Richards spent much of the ’70s insulating himself with drugs, former London School of Economics student Jagger was running the band. However, by the time of Some Girls, Richards wanted to share the workload. Mojo magazine January 2012 asked Richards how much this song was about his relationship with Jagger? He replied; “Mick wrote a lot of it but I laid the general idea on him. At the time Mick was getting used to running the band. Charlie was just the drummer, I was just the other guitar player. I was trying to say, ‘OK I’m back, so let’s share a bit more of the power, share the weight, brother.”
Beast Of Burden
I’ll never be your beast of burden My back is broad but it’s a hurting All I want for you to make love to me I’ll never be your beast of burden I’ve walked for miles my feet are hurting All I want for you to make love to me
Am I hard enough? Am I rough enough? Am I rich enough? I’m not too blind to see
I’ll never be your beast of burden So let’s go home and draw the curtains Music on the radio Come on baby make sweet love to me
Am I hard enough? Am I rough enough? Am I rich enough? I’m not too blind to see
Oh little sister Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty girls Uh you’re a pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty girl Pretty, pretty, such a pretty, pretty, pretty girl Come on baby please, please, please
I’ll tell ya You can put me out On the street Put me out With no shoes on my feet But, put me out, put me out Put me out of misery, yeah
All your sickness I can suck it up Throw it all at me I can shrug it off There’s one thing baby I don’t understand You keep on telling me I ain’t your kind of man
Ain’t I rough enough, ooh baby Ain’t I tough enough Ain’t I rich enough, in love enough Ooh, ooh please
I’ll never be your beast of burden I’ll never be your beast of burden Never, never, never, never, never, never, never be
I’ll never be your beast of burden I’ve walked for miles, my feet are hurting All I want is you to make love to me Yeah
I don’t need the beast of burden I need no fussing I need no nursing Never, never, never, never, never, never, never be
And if I swallow anything evil Put your finger down my throat And if I shiver, please give me a blanket Keep me warm, let me wear your coat
Pete Townshend originally wrote this about a character in his “Lifehouse” project, which was going to be a film similar to The Who’s Tommy and Quadrophenia. Townshend never finished “Lifehouse,” but the songs ended up on the great album Who’s Next.
Townshend was going to use this as the main song in the Lifehouse film for the villain, Jumbo.
I wrote this next part in my review of the album…Behind Blue Eyes is a song that lulls you with a beautiful melody with sparse accompaniment (probably the longest Moon ever sat on his hands while recording) and then it happens…all hell breaks loose and Roger sings…no correction…he doesn’t sing…he demands When my fist clenches, crack it open, Before I use it and lose my cool… it’s like getting hit by a bus that you didn’t see coming…and then it’s over.
The original demo version is a lot quieter and stripped-down. Townshend released this version on his 1983 album Scoop.
The song peaked at #34 in the Billboard 100 and #23 in Canada in 1971.
From Songfacts
Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey both have blue eyes, but the song is not autobiographical. Townshend has said that he wrote it to show “How lonely it is to be powerful.”
Pete Townshend has explained that he never behaved like a typical rock star when he was on tour, especially when it came to groupies, which he tried to avoid. He says it was a run-in with a groupie that was the impetus for this song. Townshend, who got married in 1968, was tempted by a groupie after The Who’s June 9, 1970 concert in Denver. He says that he went back to his room alone and wrote a prayer beginning, “If my fist clenches, crack it open…” The prayer was more or less asking for help in resisting this temptation. The other words could be describing Townshend’s self-pity and how hard it is to resist.
Roger Daltrey did a new version of this song with the Irish group The Chieftains, which was released on the group’s 1992 album An Irish Evening. This rendition, which was recorded live at the Grand Opera House in Belfast, features traditional Irish instruments, including fiddle and bodhrán.
The lyrics are based on Townshend’s own feeling of angst – that no one knows what it’s like to be him, with high expectations and pressure to be someone he’s not. Knowing what a miserable sod he can be, he’s telling us not to let himself enjoy it because he doesn’t want to enjoy making us (the fans) happy. It’ll mean we will ask for more!
This is one of the most popular live songs from The Who, played at the majority of their concerts. Pete Townshend has said at various stages of his career that while he believes it’s a great song, he doesn’t get any satisfaction performing it, as he feels it is out of context of his Lifehouse project.
To the horror of many Who fans who turned up their noses at nu-metal, Limp Bizkit covered this song on their 2003 on their album Results May Vary, taking it to #18 UK and #71 US (the only cover version to chart). This version was used in the Halle Berry movie Gothika. Berry appeared in the video, which was directed by Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. Conveniently enough, Durst included a scene where he kisses Berry in the video.
Roger Daltrey’s dog got run over on the day he recorded his vocals for this song – it was the first dog he ever had. The Who singer recalled to AARP The Magazine that he “was desperately trying to hold it together.”
Pete’s Demo Version
Behind Blue Eyes
No one knows what it’s like To be the bad man To be the sad man Behind blue eyes
No one knows what it’s like To be hated To be fated To telling only lies
But my dreams They aren’t as empty As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely My love is vengeance That’s never free
No one knows what it’s like To feel these feelings Like I do And I blame you
No one bites back as hard On their anger None of my pain and woe Can show through
But my dreams They aren’t as empty As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely My love is vengeance That’s never free
When my fist clenches, crack it open Before I use it and lose my cool When I smile, tell me some bad news Before I laugh and act like a fool
And if I swallow anything evil Put your finger down my throat And if I shiver, please give me a blanket Keep me warm, let me wear your coat
No one knows what it’s like To be the bad man To be the sad man Behind blue eyes
One of my favorites off of the band’s most successful album Rumors.
Second Hand News” was written by Fleetwood Mac frontman Lindsey Buckingham. The turmoil making this album would have made a thrilling TV movie or soap opera…take your pick.
This song was originally an acoustic demo titled “Strummer.” But when Buckingham heard the Bee Gees’ “Jive Talkin’,” he rearranged it with more audio tracks and the rhythmic effect from “playing” the faux-leather seat of a studio chair to make it evoke a slightly Celtic feel.
On recording Rumors…Stevie Nicks: “It lasted thirteen months and it took every bit of inner strength we had. It was very hard on us, like being a hostage in Iran, and to an extent, Lindsay was the Ayatollah.”
It was not released as a single but could have been…the album peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, #1 in Canada, #1 in the UK, and #4 in New Zealand in 1977.
From Songfacts
It is the first track on the Rumours album – the most successful album of Fleetwood Mac’s career with sales of over 40 million worldwide, going 19x platinum in the US and 10x platinum in the UK. The band’s original drummer Mick Fleetwood calls it the most important album they ever made.
Like many of the songs on the Rumours album, this one shows a darker side in the lyrics. It’s asking you to move on, leave the singer alone. Fleetwood Mac was experiencing the shatter of all of their emotional ties with not one, not two, but three break-ups! That was the divorce of the McVies, Buckingham and Stevie Nicks breaking up, and Fleetwood going through a divorce from his wife.
In Frank Moriarty’s book Seventies Rock: The Decade of Creative Chaos, Stevie Nicks is quoted from a Creem interview in July 1977, explaining the acrid lyrics: “We were all trying to break up and when you break up with someone you don’t want to see him. You especially don’t want to eat breakfast with him the next morning, see him all day and all night, and all day the day after…”
In Bill Martin’s Avant Rock: Experimental Music from the Beatles to Bjork, while meditating on the dichotomy between Yuppies and Yippies of the ’60s/’70s, the author states: “If I had to pick the ultimate musical document of AOR [Adult-Oriented Rock]/Yuppie rock, it would probably be the 1977 album by Fleetwood Mac, Rumours.” Well, take that!
Second Hand News
I know there’s nothing to say Someone has taken my place When times go bad When times go rough Won’t you lay me down in tall grass And let me do my stuff
I know I got nothin’ on you I know there’s nothing to do When times go bad And you can’t get enough Won’t you lay me down in the tall grass And let me do my stuff
One thing I think you should know I ain’t gonna miss you when you go Been down so long I’ve been tossed around enough Awh couldn’t you just Let me go down and do my stuff
I know you’re hopin’ to find Someone who’s gonna give you piece of mind When times go bad When times go rough Won’t you lay me down in tall grass And let me do my stuff
I’m just second hand news I’m just second hand news yeah I’m just second hand news I’m just second hand news yeah I’m just second hand news I’m just second hand news yeah I’m just second hand news I’m just second hand news yeah, yeah Yeah
This song was the title track of Georges 1987’s superb album. Song starts off with Harrison and Clapton trading licks and George matches him with his slide guitar. George was not a virtuoso type of guitar player but he was one of the best slide guitarists in the business. Guitar players are still trying to get his tone.
George wasn’t a self-indulgent guitar player…he always played for the song and always gave the song what it needed.
I love the blues-tone that Jeff Lynne got out of this production. He emphasized the bass drum and the bass to make it sound grounded.
Although the album was titled Cloud Nine, Harrison decided to use the numeric “9” in the song’s title to avoid confusion with the Temptations’ 1968 hit song “Cloud Nine.”
The song wasn’t released as a single but it’s a great-sounding song. This album marked a huge comeback for George. This album peaked at #8 in the Billboard 100, #5 in Canada, and #10 in the UK in 1988.
After this album, George formed the Travelin Wilburys.
Cloud 9
Have my love It fits you like a glove Join my dream, tell me yes Bail out should there be a mess The pieces you don’t need are mine
Take my time I’ll show you cloud nine Take my smile and my heart They were yours from the start The pieces to omit are mine
Have my love Use it while it does you good Share my highs but the times That it hurts pay no mind The pieces you don’t need are mine
I’ll see you there on cloud nine
Take my hope Maybe even share a joke If there’s good to be shown You may make it all your own And if you want to quit that’s fine While you’re out looking for cloud nine
The song is a true classic. Stax guitarist Steve Cropper wrote this with Redding. Cropper produced the album when Redding died, including this track with various songs Redding had recorded the last few years.
Redding died in a plane crash on December 10, 1967, a month before this song was released (January 8, 1968) and three days after he recorded it. It was by far his biggest hit and was also the first-ever posthumous #1 single in the US.
Stax Records chief Jim Stewart did not want the song released because it was unlike his other music. Redding and Cropper both insisted that it would be his first #1 single. Stewart relented when he heard the finished master recording put together by Cropper after Redding’s death.
The music licensing company BMI named this as the sixth-most performed song of the 20th century, with around 6 million performances.
The song peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, #7 in Canada, #3 in the UK, and #3 in New Zealand in 1968.
Steve Cropper:“Otis was one of those kind of guys who had 100 ideas. Anytime he came in to record he always had 10 or 15 different intros or titles, or whatever. He had been at San Francisco playing The Fillmore, and he was staying at a boathouse (in Sausalito, across the bay from San Francisco), which is where he got the idea of the ship coming in. That’s about all he had: ‘I watch the ships come in and I watch them roll away again.’ I took that and finished the lyrics.
If you listen to the songs I wrote with Otis, most of the lyrics are about him. He didn’t usually write about himself, but I did. ‘Mr. Pitiful,’ ‘Sad Song Fa-Fa,’ they were about Otis’ life. ‘Dock Of The Bay’ was exactly that: ‘I left my home in Georgia, headed for the Frisco Bay’ was all about him going out to San Francisco to perform.”
From Songfacts
Redding ended up sitting on a dock on the San Francisco Bay thanks to Bill Graham, who ran the Fillmore West Auditorium. Redding played three shows there, December 20-22, 1966. Graham gave Redding a choice: he could stay at a hotel, or at a boathouse in nearby Sausalito. Redding liked the outdoors, so he chose the boathouse.
Redding was the star recording artist for Stax Records, a Memphis label that made classic soul music. The death of Redding was a big blow to the label, and while it certainly had an impact on their demise in the ’70s, there were other factors as well, including financial mismanagement and a change in musical tastes. In 2001, construction started on a soul music museum where the studios once stood, and it opened in 2003. To learn more about the museum and the Stax legacy, check out Stax Today.
The end of this song contains perhaps the most famous whistling in music history. It wasn’t planned, but when Steve Cropper and Stax engineer Ronnie Capone heard it, they knew it had to stay. Cropper explained on his website: “If you’re an Otis Redding fan you’d know that he’s probably the world’s greatest at ad-libbing at the end of a song. Sometimes you could go another minute or two with Otis Redding’s ad-libs – they were so spontaneous and felt so great. And this particular song I think baffled Otis a little bit because of the tempo and the mood, so when we got down to the end of it he really didn’t have anything to ad-lib with, and he just started whistling. That just sparked Ronnie Capone and myself off, and almost immediately we said, ‘Hey man, that’s great, leave that in there.’ It sure is a cool melody to go out with.”
Beach sound effects (waves, seagulls, etc.), were dubbed in after the recording. Steve Cropper explained why: “I played acoustic guitar on the session and there are some outtakes on the record where you can hear Otis clowning around with seagulls – he was always kind of a funny jokester in the studio and he was going ‘caw, caw, caw.’ That was where I got the idea of getting the seagull sounds. I went over to the soundtrack library at Pepper Records – a jingle company – and I got one of their sound effect records. I got the seagulls and the waves and I made a little tape loop on a two-track machine. I ran that as I mixed the record – I would bring them up and down in the holds. And I overdubbed the guitar. We were cutting on 4-track in those days – we had moved up from mono and stereo and up to big ol’ 4-tracks, so we had a lot of tracks to work with. So we had 6-tracks because I had the 2-track going on one side with seagulls and one side with waves. I got that record mixed and got it off to Atlantic and it came out.”
He added: “The licks that I overdubbed on ‘Dock Of The Bay,’ I don’t know if there was anything really special about them except that that was probably as high a position as I’ve ever played those licks when I did it. I was trying to get something that felt like seagulls – that real high thing. So, I was playing some high licks that were not necessarily imitating seagulls but the thought of seagulls being really high. I was trying to get something a little moody like that.”
Redding recorded this with Booker T. & the MG’s, the house band for Stax Records. They played with all the Stax artists, including Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, and Albert King, and had a hit on their own with “Green Onions” in 1962.
Redding died five months before Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot in Memphis, where this was recorded. Amid the angry racial tensions, “Dock of the Bay” stood out as an integrated collaboration in a segregated city; Redding’s co-writer/producer Steve Cropper was white, as was Donald “Duck” Dunn, who played bass on the track.
The plan was to use background singers on this track, possibly the Staple Singers, but when Redding died there was no time for that.
Booker T. & the MG’s were on tour when they found out about Redding’s death. They were in an Indiana airport with their flight delayed because of snow when one of their members called the Stax office and got the horrific news. When they returned to Memphis, Steve Cropper mixed the song for release. He said it was “maybe the toughest thing I’ve ever done.” Redding’s body had not even been recovered when Cropper finished the song.
Redding started to compose this song while he was recovering from surgery removing polyps from his vocal cords. The doctors told him not to sing or talk for six weeks after the operation.
Under pressure from the record company, Steve Cropper rushed to get this song finished as soon as word got out that Redding had died. “That’s just the way record companies operate,” he said. “They actually had me go in and try to finish the song up – they had not even found Otis’ body yet, which was a very difficult time for me, but somehow I got through it.”
The hit potential was obvious when this song was being recorded. Cropper explained: “Really being different from most Otis Redding songs, it was a little more middle-of-the-road tempo-wise. It wasn’t a ballad and it wasn’t an uptempo, hard rock, dancing kind of thing that he was known for. It was more laid back, and we had been looking for a crossover song – a song that leaves the R&B charts and crosses over to the pop charts – and in this song we knew we had it. It was just something we had a feeling about. We listened to it and went, ‘This is it!’ We just knew beyond a doubt that this was the song. This was a hit.”
During the Vietnam War, this was very popular with American troops fighting there, as the song portrayed quite the opposite of their reality. Accordingly, it was used in two 1987 films that take place during the war: Platoon and Hamburger Hill.
This won 1968 Grammy Awards for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance, plus Best Rhythm & Blues Song for writers Otis Redding and Steve Cropper.
If you equate the beach and bird noises to putting stickers on a Picasso, there are two very good outtakes of the song available on the Otis Redding collection Remember Me
that are free of the overdubs. Stax Records had recently purchased a 4-track recorder, which made it easy to add the extra sounds.
Dock of the Bay
Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ comes Watching the ships roll in Then I watch ’em roll away again, yeah I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay Watchin’ the tide roll away, ooh I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay Wastin’ time
I left my home in Georgia Headed for the Frisco Bay ‘Cause I’ve had nothin’ to live for It look like nothin’s gonna come my way So I’m just gon’ sitt on the dock of the bay Watchin’ the tide roll away, ooh I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay Wastin’ time
Look like nothing’s gonna change Everything, still remains the same I can’t do what ten people tell me to do So I guess I’ll remain the same, yes
Sittin’ here restin’ my bones And this loneliness won’t leave me alone, listen Two thousand miles, I roam Just to make this dock my home Now I’m just gon’ sit, at the dock of the bay Watchin’ the tide roll away, ooh yeah Sittin’ on the dock of the bay Wastin’ time
I’ve told this story before but I bought LA Woman at a family’s yard sale in the 80s for 10 cents I believe…it was in mint condition. I went through a Doors phase that a lot of teens go through. I never liked all they had but I do like a lot of their music. This song was love at first listen. This and the debut album are my favorite Doors’ albums.
Morrison could be a handful at times for the band. His singing always sounded ominous to me…like something was about to happen. The guitar riff in this song is light but very catchy and the song will stick with you.
Hyacinthus was a young love of the Greek God Apollo. Apollo accidentally killed him, and from his blood sprang the hyacinth, a plant with a fragrant cluster of flowers.
The line, “I see the bathroom is clear” could refer to the bathroom in the studio where the song “L.A. Woman” was recorded. At the time, Jim Morrison insisted on recording the vocal track remotely from the bathroom rather than in the studio with the rest of the band.
The song was written at guitarist Robby Krieger’s house, which inspired some of Morrison’s lyrics with its flowers (hyacinths) and cats (“lions”).
Hyacinth House
What are they doing in the Hyacinth House? What are they doing in the Hyacinth House? To please the lions in this day
I need a brand new friend who doesn’t bother me I need a brand new friend who doesn’t trouble me I need someone and who doesn’t need me
I see the bathroom is clear I think that somebody’s near I’m sure that someone is following me, oh yeah
Why did you throw the Jack of Hearts away? Why did you throw the Jack of Hearts away? It was the only card in the deck that I had left to play
And I’ll say it again, I need a brand new friend And I’ll say it again, I need a brand new friend And I’ll say it again, I need a brand new friend, the end
Keith Richards once said about the Black Crowes…” they have me down pretty well.” The riff in this song was played in open G tuning. Many musicians have played in that tuning but Keith Richards made a career out of it. Songs like Start Me Up, Can You Hear Me Knocking, etc… were wrote in that tuning and has a certain sound that you can only get with that.
Rich Robinson the guitar player and brother Chris the singer wrote this song and it does have a Stones feel to it.
The Black Crowes album Shake Your Money Maker was released in 1990. This album shocked me when I heard it. After longing for something with that 70’s tone…here it was with this new band. I always thought they sounded like The Stones/Faces musically with a Rod Stewart type lead singer.
Jealous Again was the first single off of the album. It only peaked at #75 in the Billboard 100 in 1990. After this single they released “Hard To Handle” and it recieved much more airplay.
Jealous Again
Cheat the odds that made you Brave to try to gamble at times Well I feel like dirty laundry Sending sickness on down the line Tell you why
‘Cause I’m jealous, jealous again Thought it time I let you in Yeah, I’m jealous, jealous again Got no time, baby
Always drunk on Sunday Try’n to feel like I’m at home Smell the gasoline burning Boys out feeling nervous and cold
[Repeat 1st Chorus]
Stop, understand me I ain’t afraid of losing face Stop, understand me I ain’t afraid of ever losing faith in you
Never felt like smiling Sugar wanna’ kill me yet Find me loose lipped and laughing Singing songs ain’t got no regrets
[Repeat 1st and 2nd Chorus]
Don’t you think I want to Don’t you think I would Don’t you think I’d tell you baby If I only could Am I acting crazy Am I just too proud Am I just plain lazy Am I, Am I, Am I, ever
John Mellencamp took a three-chord pattern that is used many times in rock and roll (Cherry, Cherry is one) and turned it into Rock in the USA. The song worked well…in the middle of the eighties, he turned this very 60’s sounding song into a big hit. The song peaked at #2 in the Billboard 100 and #7 in Canada in 1986.
Mellencamp name-drops several artists, particularly Frankie Lyman, Bobby Fuller, Mitch Ryder, Jackie Wilson, Shangra La’s, Young Rascals, Martha Reeves and James Brown. These artists were Mellencamp’s influences while growing up.
This song was on the Scarecrow album. To prepare for this album Mellencamp had a great idea. He had his band run through 60’s rock songs for a month. They learned them inside and out and applied the feel on the new songs they were working on the album.
Larry Crane the guitarist: “We got a bunch of those tapes you see advertised on TV with all the old songs on them, and God, we learned everything.”
Rolling Stone Magazine’s “100 Best Albums of the Eighties,” ranked Scarecrow at #95… that surprises me that it’s that low on the list. In my opinion, this album was the peak of his career.
From Songfacts
“R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” is subtitled “A Salute to ’60s Rock,” and despite Mellencamp’s feeling that “I don’t think people are getting the idea of what the song’s about, so I must’ve not done a very good job,” the song became a big hit. It tells the story of how rock and roll emerged in America, and how those (now infamous) musicians that were not afraid to take personal risks for the sake of their music became a strong influence on the next generation, including Mellencamp, who sings: “[They] Filled our head full of dreams, turned the world upside down.”
Growing up, Mellencamp listened to AM radio at a time when the same station would play a mix of styles, exposing him to rock, folk, soul and R&B at an early age.
John Mellencamp released “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” in 1985 on his eighth album Scarecrow. The album peaked at #2 in the US, with three Top 10 hit singles, this being the biggest. The overall theme of the album is the decay of societal foundations in rural America, but this song is a departure from that theme. Far from satirical, Mellencamp intends to portray a mournful U.S.A. that has been slowly eaten out from inside by the industries that substitute greed for the American Dream, but “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A” was so against the grain of this album’s emotional profile that Mellencamp almost excluded it from the album.
Mellencamp’s interest in recreating the sounds of the heyday of rock & roll has spanned his entire career; in 2009 he recorded songs for the 2010 album No Better than This at Sun Studios (in the footsteps of Elvis) and other historical locations. The recording techniques used for this album are purposefully raw in an attempt to reconnect with his roots, a reflection of Mellencamp’s ideology of “Real music, for real people!”
In this way, Mellencamp was paying homage, but he was also paying his dues. For example, the late Bobby Fuller’s mention on a Top 10 song, and a platinum album, was enough to revive flagging interest in the artist (as well as get Mellencamp a credit on a Bobby Fuller Four Best-Of album). Said Mellencamp: “When I played in Albuquerque, I think it was, his [Fuller’s] mom and some of his family came down to see me play. They acted like I gave them 60 million dollars just for mentioning his name. They gave me his belt that he died in.”
The instrumental break in this song is very clever. When we first hear it, it’s played on an ocarina, which is a small wind instrument of ancient Eastern origins, thought to be 12,000 years old, and often made in the shape of a bird and used to imitate its fluting song. This is a nod to the song “Wild Thing” by The Troggs, which featured an ocarina solo. In Mellencamp’s song, the riff is then played on guitar and later on keyboards, going through various musical forms popular in ’60s rock. In concert, Mellencamp would often bring a fan onstage to dance with him during this section.
In the months prior to recording Scarecrow, Mellencamp’s band worked their way through nearly a hundred cover songs. Mellencamp hoped that through these covers, they would absorb the stylistic essence of the era through osmosis. Mellencamp’s bassist Toby Myers admitted that, “I thought he was giving us busywork, but he wanted us to understand what made those songs tick so we could put some of that grit into his songs.” The band was surprised by the sheer quantity of different styles that characterized the era. “Take an old Rascals song for example,” Mellencamp said. “There’s everything from marching band beats to soul music to country sounds in one song.”
For the Scarecrow album, Mellencamp moved away from the stage-name, John Cougar, which had been given to him by Tony DeFries, his first manager, and became “John Cougar Mellencamp” (he would drop the “cougar” completely by 1989). This was a fortunate move, because 2009 saw the release of the hit sitcom Cougar Town starring Courteney Cox (as the main “cougar”). The ensuing taunts that would have come with the transition of cultural interpretation from a cougar being an imposing catamount to a sexy middle-aged woman might have been enough to revive Mellencamp’s reputation as a hothead prone to bursts of anger in his old age. As if continually being compared to Bruce Springsteen wasn’t enough…
This song forms part of a greater genre of songs that spell out words in the lyrics, like Otis Redding’s song “Respect” (made famous by Aretha Franklin) or “Lola” by the Kinks.
Mellencamp’s title wasn’t too far from Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The U.S.A.,” released a year earlier. That song was often misinterpreted as a celebration of America, when it was really about the plight of a Vietnam War veteran.
In keeping with ’60s hit single tradition, Mellencamp kept this song under three minutes long – it clocks in at 2:54.
R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.
They come from the cities And they come from the smaller towns Beat up cars with guitars and drummers Goin crack boom bam
R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A., Yeah, Yeah! Rockin’ in the U.S.A.
Said goodbye to their families Said goodbye to their friends With pipe dreams in their heads And very little money in their hands Some are black and some are white Ain’t to proud to sleep on the floor tonight With the blind faith of Jesus you know that they just might, be Rockin’ in the U.S.A. Hey!
Voices from nowhere And voices from the larger towns Filled our head full of dreams Turned the world upside down
There was Frankie Lyman-Bobby Fuller-Mitch Ryder (They were Rockin’) Jackie Wilson-Shangra-las-Young Rascals (They were Rockin’) Spotlight on Martha Reeves Let’s don’t forget James Brown Rockin’ in the U.S.A. Rockin’ in the U.S.A. Hey!
R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A., Yeah, Yeah! Rockin’ in the U.S.A.
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