Singles – Page 13 – PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

Ace Frehley – New York Groove

Only in the glittery excess of the late ’70s could a band decide to put out four solo albums on the same day and somehow convince the world it made perfect sense. On September 18, 1978, KISS pulled off one of rock’s most over-the-top stunts: four albums, one from each member, all branded as official KISS releases, all with matching cover art and posters you could piece together. This song had to be at least somewhat inspired by Bo Diddley’s Bo Diddley which was in turn inspired by Hush Little Baby.

I’ve always liked this song from Ace Frehley’s KISS solo album. It peaked at #13 on the Billboard 100, #25 in Canada, and #24 in New Zealand in 1978. The song was written by Russ Ballard and was a UK chart hit for an English band named Hello. The track kicks in with that foot-stomp and hand-clap rhythm, more glam rock than hard rock, and right away it’s clear: this is not a KISS song. It’s got more in common with T. Rex than with Detroit Rock City.

Everything here is built around that simple, addictive beat, a four-on-the-floor thump with congas and claps riding shotgun. Over the top floats Frehley’s talk-sung vocal that is delivered with confidence. Ace was perfect for this song because he doesn’t have a huge vocal range. On Ace’s songs, he doesn’t sound like he is trying to make a hit…just a good song. I also like his guitar playing in general. It’s very Keith Richards like along with his tone.

New York Groove is Ace Frehley’s very own personal anthem. The track is as synonymous with the ex-Kiss member as his silver suit and his smokin’ Les Paul. The egos in KISS were huge; Gene and Paul provoked Ace, even offering help (assuming that Ace would not be able to). However, Ace surprised them both. The best-selling solo album of the 4, in addition to being preferred by most fans and critics.

Ace Frehley: “A lot of people think I wrote New York Groove. It’s not a myth that I’ve perpetuated, but that’s the way it is. I wish I would’ve wrote the song, though. I would’ve made a lot more cash out of it, ha-ha-hargh!”

Original Version by Hello

New York Groove

Many years since I was here,
On the street I was passin’ my time away
To the left and to the right,
Buildings towering to the sky
It’s outta sight in the dead of night

Here I am, and in this city, with a fistful of dollars
And baby, you’d better believe

I’m back, back in the New York groove
I’m back, back in the New York groove
I’m back, back in the New York groove
Back in the New York groove, in the New York groove

In the back of my Cadillac
A wicked lady, sittin’ by my side, sayin’ ‘Where are we?’
Stop at Third and Forty-three, exit to the night
It’s gonna be ecstacy, this place was meant for me

Feels so good tonight, who cares about tomorrow
So baby, you’d better believe

I’m back, back in the New York groove
I’m back, back in the New York groove
I’m back, back in the New York groove
Back in the New York groove, in the New York groove

I’m back, back in the New York groove
I’m back, back in the New York groove
I’m back, back in the New York groove
I’m back, back in the New York groove
I’m back, back in the New York groove
I’m back, back in the New York groove
I’m back, back in the New York groove
I’m back, back in the New York groove
I’m back, back in the New York groove
I’m back, back in the New York groove

Jam – That’s Entertainment

I learned about these guys from a friend’s brother, who introduced me to Big Star, The Clash, and The Dead. They had export albums that no one else I knew had at the time. There was no Spotify…you had to work for it. You had to hunt songs and albums down. It made it that much better when you heard them.

I wrote this for another Jam song a while back and it holds true: Sometimes people say…oh this or that band was just too British. I never found a fault in that and wanted more British bands. But…if ever a band could be considered “too British” this may very well be the band. But I want more…

This is one of those rare songs that doesn’t just describe life, it feels like life. Weller wrote it in a single night after stumbling home drunk (“Coming home pissed from the pub”), acoustic guitar in hand. And you can tell, the lyrics have that bleary, late-night poetry, where ordinary objects take on greater significance. A “policeman’s baton,” “a smash of glass,” “a freezing cold flat” these aren’t metaphors, they’re scene-setting. There are strong Ray Davies vibes going on in this, with working-class life.

He’s not glorifying his world; he’s documenting it. And in doing so, he’s creating a kind of working-class poem, a collage of British life with all the glamor scratched off. This is why I love the Kinks, the Who, and other bands that deal with everyday life. I would include Squeeze in there as well.

They formed in 1973 and released their first album in 1977. Their members included guitarist Paul Weller, bassist Bruce Foxton, and drummer Rick Butler. Paul Weller is the best known out of the band, but they were all great musicians. Being a bass player…I’ve noticed a lot of Foxton’s bass playing is terrific.

The song was released in 1981 and peaked at #21 on the UK Charts and #34 in New Zealand. The song was on the album Sound Affects, which peaked at #2 on the UK Charts, #72 on the Billboard 200, #39 in Canada, and #2 in New Zealand.

Paul Weller: “It was just everything that was around me y’know. My little flat in Pimlico did have damp on the walls and it was f–king freezing. I was doing a fanzine called December Child and Paul Drew wrote a poem called ‘That’s Entertainment.’ It wasn’t close to my song, but it kind of inspired me to write this anyway. I wrote to him saying, Look is it all right if I nick a bit of your idea, man? And he said, It’s fine, yeah.”

Thats Entertainment

A police car and a screaming sirenA pneumatic drill and ripped up concreteA baby wailing and stray dog howlingThe screech of brakes and lamp light blinking

That’s entertainmentThat’s entertainment

A smash of glass and a rumble of bootsAn electric train and a ripped up phone boothPaint splattered walls and the cry of a tomcatLights going out and a kick in the balls

I say, that’s entertainmentThat’s entertainment

Days of speed and slow time MondaysPissing down with rain on a boring WednesdayWatching the news and not eating your teaA freezing cold flat and damp on the walls

I say that’s entertainmentThat’s entertainment

Waking up at 6 a.m. on a cool warm morningOpening the windows and breathing in petrolAn amateur band rehearsing in a nearby yardWatching the telly and thinking about your holidays

That’s entertainmentThat’s entertainment

Waking up from bad dreams and smoking cigarettesCuddling a warm girl and smelling stale perfumeA hot summer’s day and sticky black tarmacFeeding ducks in the park and wishing you were far away

That’s entertainmentThat’s entertainment

Two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnightTwo lovers missing the tranquility of solitudeGetting a cab and travelling on busesReading the graffiti about slashed seat affairs

I say that’s entertainmentThat’s entertainment

…

Masters of Reality – She Got Me (When She Got Her Dress On)

Chris Goss was a musician who produced Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss. He is from New York, and loved Cream, The Beatles, and Black Sabbath, not a bad trio if you’re planning to warp some minds. He started in Syracuse in the early 1980s. Goss, who had been around the local music scene, wasn’t trying to follow trends; he was trying to mash his obsessions together into something new. Sabbath’s doomy riffs, filtered through a kind of psychedelic Beatlesque sound, with a sprinkle of blues on top.

This song was on their 1992 album Sunrise on the Sufferbus, which had a drummer who was quite well known for greatness. Ginger Baker played drums on this album, and the results were terrific. Every band worth its salt needs a track they can ride a groove just for the hell of it, and this one is that song.

It’s so cool to hear Ginger basically fronting the band with his drums. It’s a drum show for professionals and amateurs alike. You get the sense he could’ve played this with a cigarette in one hand and still kept time better than most drummers could with both arms taped to a click track.

You can tell this probably was improvised, and they just took off. There’s a looseness to the playing, like the band knows they’ve hit on something cool and are just letting it roll. The album is really good; it’s not just hard rock, it’s hard rock with humor as well.

Another good song off the album is John Brown which I’m posting below. That song was off their self-titled debut album in 1988. It was a toss up between which one to feature so I added both.

This song peaked at #8 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts in 1992..

Another Song with Ginger….John Brown

She Got Me (When She Got Her Dress On)

She got me when she got her dress onShe got me when she got her dress onShe got me me when she looked fineWhen she got her dress onShe got me when she got downWhen she got her dress on

She got me when she got her dress onGot it on

She got me when she got her dress onShe got me when she got her dress onShe got me when she looked fineAnd now she gets it all the timeShe got me when she got her dress on

She got me when she got her dress onGot it on

…

Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl

Somehow, I didn’t hear this song until I was 18 in 1985. When I heard it, I immediately loved it. I didn’t just like the song, I was infatuated with it. One of the most infectious bass lines I’ve ever heard. I would play it so much that my friends would ask…again? So this post is basically a love letter to this song.

The bass wasn’t the only thing that hit me, it is as clear as a spring day guitar riff. Last but certainly not least, it began my lifelong love for Van Morrison’s writing and voice. How did I make it until 18 without hearing it? I’ll never know. I not only learned the bass, but I also learned the guitar and some of the drums. I described it to someone as Buddy Holly in Technicolor.

I was at the right age for it. It’s a scrapbook of teenage moments, skipping school, hanging out by the green grass, and making out behind the stadium. There’s even a sneaky little bit of controversy: the original line “making love in the green grass” got scrubbed from the single version and replaced with a tamer repeat of an earlier verse (“Laughing‚ and a-running”).

It’s a song that I never get tired of hearing. The entire sound is crystal clear, and it made me feel nostalgic at just 18. It’s not Van Morrison’s best song…that would be impossible to pick, but it is a great pop song packed with memories and fun.

This was Van’s first single after leaving Them. Brown Eyed Girl isn’t trying to change the world. It’s not aiming for psychedelia (very popular at the time) or pushing the studio envelope. What it does do is pack memory, melody, and a whole lot of youthful yearning into a tight little pop song.

Van would go on to far deeper waters with albums like Astral Weeks, Moondance, Tupelo Honey, and Saint Dominic’s Preview, albums brimming with spiritual searching and jazz improvisation. But Brown Eyed Girl was a huge introduction to the new solo artist… Van Morrison. I’ve told people…if I could have been born with any voice, Van’s voice would have been it.

He released this song in 1967, it peaked at #10 on the Billboard 100, #13 in Canada, and #60 in the UK. My friends say that I might have listened to this song more than anyone…including Van. Hmmm, where is that email address to the Guinness people?

Brown Eyed Girl

Hey where did we go
Days when the rains came
Down in the hollow
Playin’ a new game
Laughing and a running hey, hey
Skipping and a jumping
In the misty morning fog with
Our hearts a thumpin’ and you
My brown eyed girl
You’re my brown eyed girl

Whatever happened
To Tuesday and so slow
Going down the old mine
With a transistor radio
Standing in the sunlight laughing
Hiding behind a rainbow’s wall
Slipping and sliding
All along the water fall, with you
My brown eyed girl
You’re my brown eyed girl

Do you remember when we used to sing
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da
Just like that
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da, la te da

So hard to find my way
Now that I’m all on my own
I saw you just the other day
My how you have grown
Cast my memory back there, Lord
Sometime I’m overcome thinking ’bout
Making love in the green grass
Behind the stadium with you
My brown eyed girl
You’re my brown eyed girl

Do you remember when we used to sing
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da (lying in the green grass)
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da (bit, bit, bit, bit, bit, bit)
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da (sha la la la la la)
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da

? & the Mysterians – 96 Tears

I absolutely love the organ riff that starts out this song. It was performed on a Vox Continental.

Well, it’s an original name I will say that much for the group…or the lead singer anyway. This song was written by “Question Mark,” the band’s frontman who wanted to be anonymous (he’s listed on the composer credits as (Rudy Martinez). At one point, he referred to the individual band members only by three-letter names (at one point, the band was known as XYZ). The mystery helped market the group, who wore dark glasses to add to the intrigue. He publicly stated that his soul had originated from Mars and that he once walked on Earth with the dinosaurs.

There’s a reason 96 Tears is often tagged as one of the first true garage rock hits, and even a proto-punk to what The Stooges and Ramones would soon torch the world with. It’s raw, it’s relentless, and it’s got attitude for days. It was recorded in Bay City, Michigan, by a band of mostly teenage Mexican-American kids, and it has that magical garage sound. No overthinking. Just a stomp and a sneer.

The song was originally released on the tiny Pa-Go-Go label before being picked up by Cameo Records. Against all odds, it climbed all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Think about that: in a year dominated by the Beatles, stones, Motown, and the Beach Boys, this little three-chord song with an organ and a singer named Question Mark took the top spot.

The song peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, #1 in Canada, and #37 in the UK in 1966. They were an American garage rock band of Mexican origins from Bay City and Saginaw in Michigan who were initially active between 1962 and 1969.

It was later covered by Garlan Jefferies.

96 Tears

Too many teardrops
For one heart to be crying
Too many teardrops
For one heart to carry on

You`re way on top now since you left me
You’re always laughing way down at me
But watch out now, I`m gonna get there
We`ll be together for just a little while
And then I`m gonna put you way down here
And you`ll start crying ninety-six tears
Cry, cry

And when the sun comes up, I`ll be on top
You`ll be way down there, looking up
And I might wave, come up here
But I don`t see you waving now
I`m way down here, wondering how
I`m gonna get you but I know now
I`ll just cry, cry, I`ll just cry

Too many teardrops
For one heart to be crying
Too many teardrops
For one heart to carry on

You’re gonna cry ninety-six tears
You’re gonna cry ninety-six tears
You’re gonna cry, cry, cry, cry now
You’re gonna cry, cry, cry, cry
Ninety-six tears

Come on and lemme hear you cry, now
Ninety-six tears, woo
I wanna hear you cry
Night and day, yeah, all night long

Uh, ninety-six tears, cry cry cry
Come on, baby
Let me hear you cry now, all night long
Uh, ninety-six tears, yeah, come on now
Uh, ninety-six tears

Kinks – Celluloid Heroes

When I heard this song, I loved the movie star references, and that got my attention. He namechecks the legends: Greta Garbo, Rudolph Valentino, Bela Lugosi, and Bette Davis. But he doesn’t dwell on their fame; he dwells on what fame cost them. Some went mad, some died alone, some were used up by the studio system and spit out into forgotten gossip columns.

Ray Davies never really left England in spirit, but with Celluloid Heroes, he made one of his most haunting visits to America. Walking the Hollywood Walk of Fame, shoulder to shoulder with the ghosts who made generations laugh, cry, and dream on the big screen.

By 1972, The Kinks released Everybody’s in Show-Biz, it was their 6th straight concept album and they had just released Muswell Hillbillies the year before. This one was part cabaret, part social commentary, part rock and roll vaudeville.

He wrote the song when he visited Los Angeles. He stayed at a hotel near the Walk of Fame and was intrigued by how it represented success alongside failure. It is one of those Kinks songs that doesn’t get the same attention as Lola or Waterloo Sunset, but it should.

The song was released as the second single from Everybody’s in Show-Biz but failed to chart. However, the track received decent airplay on AOR radio stations in the US, and it remains a song that is often played when these stations mark the passing of a Hollywood star.

Everybody’s In Show-Biz peaked at #63 in Canada and #70 on the Billboard Album Charts. It didn’t chart in the UK. Ray was subtle in this song, and he sings like he means it.

Single Version

Album Version

Celluloid Heroes

Everybody’s a dreamer and everybody’s a star
And everybody’s in movies, it doesn’t matter who you are
There are starts in every city
In every house and on every street
And if you walk down Hollywood Boulevard
Their names are written in concrete

Don’t step on Greta Garbo as you walk down the Boulevard
She looks so weak and fragile that’s why she tried to be so hard
But they turned her into a princess
And they sat her on a throne
But she turned her back on stardom
Because she wanted to be alone

You can see all the stars as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard
Some that you recognize, some that you’ve hardly even heard of
People who worked and suffered and struggled for fame
Some who succeeded and some who suffered in vain

Rudolph Valentino looks very much alive
And he looks up ladies dresses as they sadly pass him by
Avoid stepping on Bela Lugosi
‘Cause he’s liable to turn and bite
But stand close by Bette Davis
Because hers was such a lonely life

If you covered him with garbage
George Sanders would still have style
And if you stamped on Mickey Rooney
He would still turn round and smile
But please don’t tread on dearest Marilyn
Cause she’s not very tough
She should have been made of iron or steel
But she was only made of flesh and blood

Everybody’s a dreamer and everybody’s a star
And everybody’s in show biz, it doesn’t matter who you are
And those who are successful
Be always on your guard
Success walks hand in hand with failure
Along Hollywood Boulevard

I wish my life was non-stop Hollywood movie show
A fantasy world of celluloid villains and heroes
Because celluloid heroes never feel any pain
And celluloid heroes never really die

You can see all the stars as you walk along…
You can see all the stars as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard
Some that you recognize, some that you’ve hardly even heard of
People who worked and suffered and struggled for fame
Some who succeeded and some who suffered in vain

La la la la….

Oh, celluloid heroes never feel any pain
Oh, celluloid heroes never really die
I wish my life was non-stop Hollywood movie show
A fantasy world of celluloid villains and heroes
Because celluloid heroes never feel any pain
And celluloid heroes never really die

Peter Gabriel – Solsbury Hill

I will be the first to admit that I don’t know much about Peter Gabriel. In 2020, Graham from Aphoristic Album Reviews had a B-side by Genesis called Inside and Out. He also had a B-side from them the year before that really impressed me. It was one of the first real exposures I’ve had to that era of Genesis, and it was quite different from what I expected. I liked what I heard from Peter Gabriel’s era at that time.

I was reading blogs last week when I read Nancy’s blog on this song. I listened to it and loved it, and I urge everyone to go see her post. My friend Dave has also posted some of Gabriel’s music.

Genesis had grown into a theatrical beast, complete with fox-head costumes and fifteen-minute suites. But Gabriel was feeling hemmed in, creatively and spiritually. He needed air and some risk. This was Peter Gabriel before Sledgehammer, before Shock the Monkey, before he was an international ambassador for world music.

He had left Genesis the year or so before, stepping away from the elaborate costumes, the long storylines, and the prog rock labyrinth he helped create. Many expected something equally grandiose for his solo debut. Instead, he delivered a track so personal, introspective, and melodic that it was firmly down to earth. This song was about his dealing with his departure from Genesis and anticipation of his new challenge as a solo artist. Solsbury Hill is a real place near Bath, England, where Gabriel reportedly walked to clear his head after leaving Genesis.

The song was released in 1977. The single did well for a debut. It peaked at #13 in the UK, #92 in Canada, and #68 on the Billboard Album Charts. The album was called Peter Gabriel, as were his next 3 albums. It peaked at #7 in the UK, #30 in Canada, #38 in New Zealand, and #38 on the Billboard Album Charts.

Solsbury Hill

Climbing up on Solsbury HillI could see the city lightWind was blowing, time stood stillEagle flew out of the night

He was something to observeCame in close, I heard a voiceStanding, stretching every nerveI had to listen, had no choice

I did not believe the informationJust had to trust imaginationMy heart going “Boom-boom-boom”“Son, ” he said“Grab your things, I’ve come to take you home”Hey, back home

To keep in silence I resignedMy friends would think I was a nutTurning water into wineOpen doors would soon be shut

So I went from day to dayThough my life was in a rut‘Til I thought of what I’d sayWhich connection I should cut

I was feeling part of the sceneryI walked right out of the machineryMy heart going “Boom-boom-boom”“Hey, ” he said“Grab your things, I’ve come to take you home”Hey, back home

When illusion spin her netI’m never where I wanna beAnd liberty, she pirouetteWhen I think that I am free

Watched by empty silhouettesWho close their eyes but still can seeNo one taught them etiquetteI will show another me

Today I don’t need a replacementI’ll tell them what the smile on my face meantMy heart going “Boom-boom-boom”“Hey, ” I said“You can keep my things, they’ve come to take me home”

…

John Hiatt – Slow Turning

Now I’m in my car, I got the radio on, I’m yellin’ at the kids in the back seat
‘Cause they’re bangin’ like Charlie Watts

I love the way this song kicks off with that jangly, ragged guitar riff. John’s voice fits this song perfectly as well. It’s rootsy, raucous, and real, a reminder that the best rock & roll doesn’t have to be flashy or fast to hit you in the gut.

A brilliant performer…he is a songwriter’s songwriter. The first time I heard this song, I loved it. When you mention Charlie Watts, you have my attention. John Hiatt always releases songs of quality, and they are all solid. Saying that, he is most remembered for his songs that other people cover. I don’t understand that because he has a fine, distinctive voice with a great band behind him. The keyword here is distinctive, I guess, which I look for.

He has a tremendous catalog with 24 studio albums. He released his first album in 1974! By the time John Hiatt released the album Slow Turning in 1988, he wasn’t some wide-eyed newcomer chasing charts; he was a survivor. Some of the songs he wrote and were covered were Angel Eyes, Sure As I’m Sitting Here, and Thing Called Love, just to name a few. Slow Turning is one of his best-known songs, with him singing.

I’ve seen a lot of Hiatt recently on live clips. He and his band are always great. It’s loose in the best way, the kind of groove that feels like it could fall apart at any second but never does. The rhythm section (Kenneth Blevins on drums and Dave Ranson on bass) just locks in with the kind of warmth that doesn’t come from studio perfection but from chemistry built from sweat on the road.

Slow Turning peaked at #22 on the Billboard Alternative Charts. The album peaked at #98 on the Billboard Album Charts. I thought it would have been higher in the charts. In my region, it got a lot of airplay.

Slow Turning

When I was a boyI thought it just came to youBut I never could tell what’s mineSo it didn’t matter anyway

My only pride and joyWas this racket down hereBangin’ on an old guitarAnd singin’ what I had to say

I always thought our house was haunted‘Cause nobody said “boo” to meI never did get what I wantedBut now I get what I need

It’s been a slow turnin’From the inside outA slow turnin’, babyBut you come about

A slow learnin’But you learn to swayA slow turnin’, babyNot fade away, not fade away, not fade away

Now I’m in my carOoh, I got the radio downNow I’m yellin’ at the kids in the back‘Cause they’re bangin’ like Charlie Watts

You think you’ve come so farIn this one horse townThen she’s laughin’ that crazy laugh‘Cause you haven’t left the parking lot

Time is short and here’s the damn thing about itYou’re gonna die, gonna die for sureAnd you can learn to live with love or without itBut there ain’t no cure

It’s just a slow turnin’From the inside outA slow turnin’But you come about, ya

A slow learnin’, babyBut you learn to swayA slow turnin’Not fade away, not fade away, not fade awayNot fade away, not fade away

A slow turnin’A slow turnin’A slow turnin’A slow turnin’

World Party – Way Down Now

The first song I heard from this band was She’s The One that I saw in the movie Matchmaker. I liked the song more than I did the movie. The second song I heard from them was Ship Of Fools. Lately, I’ve been diving into the albums and more songs than those two. Their album Goodbye Jumbo is a pop masterpiece. When I thought of them at first, it was for their Beatles-type melodies and phrasing, but they also throw in the Rolling Stones.

Before World Party took form, Wallinger had already built up a behind-the-scenes resume worth bragging about. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he grew up listening to everything from soul and psychedelia to classical and punk. He was a true musical sponge. His big break came in the early ‘80s when he became the musical director for The Rocky Horror Show play, which led to studio work and eventually landed him in The Waterboys for their This Is the Sea era.

Right out of the gate with this song, you’re greeted with that slinky, rubbery guitar riff that instantly calls to my mind Sympathy for the Devil, and that’s no accident. Wallinger even throws in some “woo-woos” in the chorus.

By now, he’d fully embraced his role as DIY guy, writing, producing, and playing virtually everything himself. Goodbye Jumbo was a masterful example of building an album. Every song is stitched together from analog and digital, but nothing hits quite like Way Down Now, which kicks the album off like a cool joyride through pop

He was armed with a drum machine, some trusty analog gear, and a pile of vintage records for inspiration. This album, to me, is a cross between Britpop and a bar-band.

The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts, #5 on the Alternative Charts, #53 in Canada, and #66 in the UK in 1990. Goodbye Jumbo peaked at #36 in the UK, #26 in Canada, and #73 in the Billboard Album Charts.

Way Down Now

Inside my TV, INever stop to wonder whyI’m way down nowI’m way down now

Some faceless get on the screenThe most honest man I’ve ever seenI’m way down nowI’m way down now

Won’t you show meSomething true today?C’mon and show meAnything but this

She took us by the handHell was the promised landI’m way down nowI’m way down now

I’m lying by the roadBecause she cut off all my clothesI’m way down nowI’m way down now

Won’t you show meSomething true today?C’mon and show meAnything but this

Inside my future lifeWhat I see just makes me cryI’m way down nowI’m way down now

The clocks will all run backwardsAll the sheep will have two headsAnd Thursday night and FridayWill be on Tuesday night instead

And all the times will keep on changingAnd the movement will increaseThere’s something about the living, babeThat sends me off my feet

There’s breeding in the sewersAnd the rats are on their wayThey’re clouding up the imagesOf my perfect day

And I know I’m not aloneAnd I know I’m not aloneAnd I know I’m not alone

Anything but thisCan you hear me?

Inside my TV, II never stop to wonder whyI’m way down nowI’m way down now

Then some faceless get comes on my screenThe most honest man I’ve ever seenI’m way down nowI’m way down

Something newSomething trueSomething newSomething trueSomething newSomething newSomething true

…

Police – De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da

I’ve never been a huge fan of The Police, but I do like a lot of their earlier songs. They were fun and energetic.

What does this song mean? Some think it’s about the way politicians, entertainers, and other people use words to manipulate others. Sting called it, “An articulate song about being inarticulate.” Sting wrote this when he became interested in songs with nonsense lyrics, like “Do Wah Diddy Diddy,” “Tutti Frutti,” and “Da Doo Ron Ron.” He wanted to find out why they work and write one of his own. He claimed it was his son who came up with the title.

The charm of “De Do Do Do” is that it makes something very complicated feel effortless. That’s a trick the best pop songs pull off. The Police knew how to make a statement while sounding like they were just having a bit of fun. And whether you hear it as a commentary on communication or just a killer hook to blast on cassette, it sticks in your head like bubblegum on a boot.

The song was inspired by the idea that simple, repetitive phrases can have a profound emotional impact, regardless of their literal meaning. Sting explained that the song reflects the way some people are drawn to shallow or meaningless language, and how, sometimes, even educated people may rely on basic communication in emotionally charged situations.

They reunited in 1986 and tried to update their old songs with new releases…the sessions didn’t work. The only song to be reworked and released was Don’t Stand So Close To Me. This song peaked at #10 on the Billboard 100, #5 in Canada, #8 in New Zealand, and #5 in the UK in 1981.

It was on their album Zenyatta Mondatta.

Sting: “Certainly what we’re producing is not elitist High Art, But, equally, I think entertainment’s an art. I think my songs are fairly literate – they’re not rubbish. ‘De Do Do Do’, for example, was grossly misunderstood: the lyrics are about banality, about the abuse of words. Almost everyone who reviewed it said, Oh, this is baby talk. They were just listening to the chorus alone, obviously. But they’re the same people who would probably never get through the first paragraph of Finnegan’s Wake, because that’s ‘baby talk’, too.”

De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da

Don’t think me unkind
Words are hard to find
They’re only cheques I’ve left unsigned
From the banks of chaos in my mind

And when their eloquence escapes me
Their logic ties me up and rapes me

De do do do de da da da
Is all I want to say to you
De do do do de da da da
Their innocence will pull me through
De do do do de da da da
Is all I want to say to you
De do do do de da da da
They’re meaningless and all that’s true

Poets priests and politicians
Have words to thank for their positions
Words that scream for your submission
And no-one’s jamming their transmission

‘Cause when their eloquence escapes you
Their logic ties you up and rapes you

Allman Brothers – Blue Sky

This has one of my favorite solos ever. It was written and sung by guitarist Dickey Betts, and it sounds like a warm spring day that never ends. The story goes that Betts wrote it about his Native American wife, Sandy. The real romance here is between the guitars. His and Duane’s twin leads don’t duel, they dance. And it’s beautiful. Just my opinion here, but Ramblin’ Man may be Bett’s biggest hit, but this was his masterpiece.

There’s a myth that Southern Rock had to be gruff and bombastic. But Blue Sky throws all that out the window. It’s melodic and pastoral. It’s as much Big Star as it is Muddy Waters. That’s the beauty; it blurs the lines. This could’ve easily been a power pop hit in another era if you just swapped the guitars for chiming Rickenbackers, but I’m glad they didn’t.

This song was on the great album Eat a Peach that arrived in the shadow of tragedy. Duane Allman had died in a motorcycle crash just months before it was finished, but somehow, Blue Sky sounds like pure serenity. The song really showed what we lost with Duane. He picked Dickie Betts to be in the band and those two formed a bond personally and musically that never was replicated. They pushed each other to new heights.

Betts wanted the lead singer, Gregg Allman, to sing it. Duane stepped in and told Dickey no, he should sing it because it was his song, so Betts did. I have heard a recording of Gregg singing this one in a rehearsal, but as great as Gregg’s voice was, it just didn’t fit this one as well. I think Duane saw this.

The album was released on February 12, 1972, and it peaked at #4 on the Billboard 100 and #12 in Canada. The original name was going to be Eat A Peach for Peace.

This is The Allman Brothers live with Betts AND Duane on Guitar in Stony Brook 1971.

Blue Sky

Walk along the river, sweet lullaby
They just keep on flowin’, they don’t worry ’bout where it’s goin’, no, no
Don’t fly, mister blue bird, I’m just walkin’ down the road
Early morning sunshine, tell me all I need to know

You’re my blue sky, you’re my sunny day
Lord, you know it makes me high
When you turn your love my way
Turn your love my way, yeah

Good old Sunday mornin’, bells are ringin’ everywhere
Goin’ to Carolina, it won’t be long and I’ll be there

You’re my blue sky, you’re my sunny day
Lord, you know it makes me high
When you turn your love my way
Turn your love my way, yeah, yeah

Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band – I’m the Urban Spaceman

I stopped posting every day, so now I post on the weekends and sometimes on Thursdays and Fridays. On Thursday, I like out-of-the-box posts. And this one fits the bill. I’ve been re-reading a book on Keith Moon written by his former PA named Dougal Butler. I would recommend it to anyone; it’s called Full Moon or Moon The Loon, depending on which country you are in. Members of this band were discussed, so I had to revisit them.

I first saw them in Magical Mystery Tour with a song called Death Cab for Cutie. I always had a soft spot for this band, kinda like I have one for some Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart. This 1968 single is the Bonzos at their most accessible and probably their most pop, or the closest thing to that. It was written by Neil Innes, the band’s Lennon to Vivian Stanshall’s mad McCartney. I’m the Urban Spaceman is a blast of optimism with a huge wink. To say this band thought “out of the box” is severely underestimating them.

The song is a satirical anthem for the then-Swinging London, mocking the hipster lifestyle while also kind of celebrating it. It walks the fine line between parody and pure joy. Though the Bonzos were always more a cult act than a chart band, Urban Spaceman briefly broke them into the mainstream. It peaked #5 on the UK Singles Chart in 1968, making it the closest thing they had to a conventional success. But conventional was never really the point of this band. The song was produced by Paul McCartney as “Apollo C. Vermouth.”

There’s a long British tradition of absurdist pop, the kind that runs a straight line from The Goons to Monty Python, with a few detours through The Kinks and Small Faces. And right there, hovering in that orbit is the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Equal parts satire, whimsy, and dime-store psychedelia, they managed to twist vaudeville, trad jazz, and British music hall into something altogether different. In other words, “interesting” only scratches the surface. I think of the Marx Brothers because everything seemed irrelevant to them.

Viv Stanshall shared two things with Keith Moon. A friendship and the ability not to get embarrassed. A rare and dangerous thing in the hands of the wrong people.. Another similar friend of Keith’s in the Bonzos was Larry “Legs” Smith. One of the many stories was:

Smith went into a tailor’s shop where he admired a pair of trousers. Keith Moon came in, posing as another customer, and admired the same trousers, demanding to buy them. When Smith protested, the two men fought, splitting the trousers in two, so they ended up with one leg each. The tailor was beside himself. A one-legged actor hired by Smith and Moon came in, saw the split trousers and proclaimed, “Ah! Just what I was looking for.”

The song was on their third album, called Tadpoles, released in 1968. It peaked at #36 in the UK. They made 6 studio albums with their last one in 2007 called Pour l’Amour Des Chiens… French for For The Love Of Dogs. They were together from 1962 through 1970 but did reunite several times…in 1972, 1988, 2006-2008, and 2008 – 2019.

The members were Vivian Stanshall, Neil Innes, Roger Ruskin Spear, Larry “Legs” Smith, Rodney Slater, Dennis Cowan, Vernon Dudley Bowhay-Nowell, Bob Kerr, Martin Ash, Ian Cunningham, Tom Parkinson, and Joel Druckman.

Neil Innes would go on to write songs for Monty Python and front The Rutles, cementing his status as a master of affectionate parody.

I’m the Urban Spaceman

I’m the Urban Spaceman, babyI’ve got speedI’ve got everything I needI’m the Urban Spaceman, babyI can flyI’m a supersonic guy

I don’t need pleasureI don’t feel painIf you were to knock me downI’d just get up againI’m the Urban Spaceman, babyI’m making outI’m all about

I wake up every morning with a smile upon my faceMy natural exuberance spills out all over the place

I’m the Urban SpacemanI’m intelligent and cleanKnow what I mean?I’m the Urban SpacemanAs a lover, second to noneIt’s a lot of fun

I never let my friends downI’ve never made a boobI’m a glossy magazine, an advert in the tubeI’m the Urban Spaceman, baby, here comes the twistI don’t exist

…

Warren Zevon – Werewolves of London

He’s the hairy-handed gent who ran amuck in Kent
Lately he’s been overheard in Mayfair
Better stay away from him
He’ll rip your lungs out, Jim
I’d like to meet his tailor

I’ve heard this song so many times, but it does not get old to me. Zevon was one of the darkest songwriters I’ve ever heard, but kept a sense of humor about it. His vocal delivery is more spoken than sung, dry as gin and twice as sharp. The way he tosses off lines like “I saw a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic’s — and his hair was perfect” is pure poetry.

Warren Zevon was a very clever songwriter. He went where other songwriters don’t often go. This song was off his critically acclaimed album Excitable Boy released in 1978. The song peaked at #21 on the Billboard 100, #18 in Canada, and #87 in the UK. It’s simply a great album with tracks like this one, Excitable Boy, Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner, and one of my favorites, Lawyers, Guns, and Money.

Zevon was working with the Everly Brothers in their backup band. He had just hired Robert “Waddy” Wachtel on guitar. The song started as a joke. Phil Everly tossed out the title during a casual songwriting session, half-daring Zevon to write a song called “Werewolves of London.” Phil had just watched Werewolf of London and thought Warren could make it into a dance craze.

Zevon thought about it and took it up with his musicians, guitarist Waddy Wachtel and bassist Leroy Marinell. When Wachtel heard the idea, he mimicked a wailing wolf, “Aahoooh,” which became part of the howling chorus. What came out of that session was a Frankenstein’s monster stitched together from old horror flicks.

This track was produced by Jackson Browne. The songwriters were LeRoy Marinell, Waddy Wachtel, and Warren Zevon. John McVie and Mick Fleetwood played on this song.

Werewolves of London

I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain
He was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook’s
Gonna get a big dish of beef chow mein

Aaoooooo!
Werewolves of London!
Aaoooooo! (Repeat)

If you hear him howling around your kitchen door
Better not let him in
Little old lady got mutilated late last night
Werewolves of London again

Asoooooo!
Werewolves of London!
Aaoooooo! (Repeat)

He’s the hairy-handed gent who ran amuck in Kent
Lately he’s been overheard in Mayfair
Better stay away from him
He’ll rip your lungs out, Jim
I’d like to meet his tailor

Aaoooooo!
Werewolves of London!
Aaoooooo! (Repeat)

Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen
Doing the Werewolves of London
I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the Queen
Doing the Werewolves of London
I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic’s
And his hair was perfect

Aaoooooo!
Werewolves of London!
Aaoooooo! (Repeat)
Draw blood…

Chris Smither – Love You Like A Man

First, I want to thank M.Y. for suggesting Chris Smither to me. M.Y. is one of my best commenters, and thank you again! She told me about Smither a while back, and I’ve been listening to his music since. When she first told me, I thought he would be a typical singer-songwriter like James Taylor. No, he has some serious guitar skills, and that comes off immediately. His music has a nice edge to it. I’ve heard this one before because Bonnie Raitt covered it in 1972.

Chris Smither is a singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his music that blends folk and blues. Smither grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, which influenced his musical style. He was inspired by blues artists like Mississippi John Hurt and Lightnin’ Hopkins, as well as folk musicians such as Bob Dylan. That is a great combination.

He made his way up north in the ‘60s, just as the Boston folk scene was humming. And while Dylan acolytes were everywhere, Smither had something different. There was a quiet place in his songs, built on John Hurt’s fingerpicking and Lightnin’ Hopkins’ style, but laced with the lyrics of the blues. This guy should have been noticed more over the years.

If you are looking for a combination of New Orleans soul, Delta blues, and folk club music, Smither’s your man. This song was on his debut album, I’m A Stranger Too! released in 1970. Chris has released 19 studio albums, including one in 2024 called All About Bones.

Love You Like A Man

All these men you’ve been seein’
They’ve got their balls up on a shelf
And you know they could never love you, baby
When they can’t even love themselves
You need someone who can
I could be— you know I could be your lover man
Come on, believe me when I tell you
I love you like a man

‘Cause I’ve never seen such losers
And I bet you never tried
To find a man that can take you home
Never takin’ you for a ride
If you need someone who can
I could be— I bet I could be your lover man
Come on, believe me when I tell you
I love you like a man

Yeah, you’re comin’ home sad
You’re laying down to cry
You need a man to hold you
Not some fool to ask you why
Yeah, you know you need someone who can
Come on, believe me when I tell you
I love you like a man
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Yeah, ’cause they all want you to rock ’em
Like their back ain’t got no bone
What you need is a man who can rock you like your backbone was his own
You need someone who can
I could— I think I could be your lover man
Come on, believe me when I tell you
I love you like a man

Yeah, ’cause all these men that you’ve been seein’
Got their balls up on their shelves
And you know they could never love you, baby
When they can’t even love themselves
You need someone who can
And I could— I bet I— I think— I know I could be your lover man
Believe me when I tell you
I love you like
I love you like
I love you like a man

…

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Mississippi Kid

This is the first studio album, other than a greatest hits package, that I listened to by them. What makes Mississippi Kid so good is that it feels lived in. It’s loose without being sloppy, gritty without being too intense. This was unplugged before unplugged. This is no bombastic song from the band that had many of them. After the release of their first album, they opened up for The Who on their Quadrophenia tour. Pete Townshend, who rarely paid attention to opening bands, was backstage and stopped mid-sentence and told someone…They’re really quite good, aren’t they?

This song is a deep-fried sleeper on a record that didn’t exactly lack for well-known songs. Mississippi Kid is Lynyrd Skynyrd unplugged, a country-blues song tucked away on their 1973 debut album (Lynyrd Skynyrd (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd)) like some Southern back porch blues the band just happened to catch on tape. It’s the kind of song that makes you picture a jug of moonshine on a wooden table and a dog asleep under the porch.

It took me a while to get used to them because it seemed that people thought every southerner should like them like a requirement. I don’t like those terms, so I stupidly stayed away from them for a long time because I hate following a crowd. They sound like late sixties and early seventies British rock. Free and Cream were their biggest influence around this time. It makes sense because they were probably more popular in the UK than in the United States til the mid-seventies.

The mandolin was courtesy of the producer and founder of Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Al Kooper. He also famously played the organ on Bob Dylan’s Like A Rolling Stone. He would go on to produce their first three albums and also signed them to MCA Records. He found them in a bar and offered to sign them after a few nights. Right after that, someone broke into their van and stole all of their equipment. Van Zant called Al Kooper and asked him if he could help them out. Kooper said yes, of course, and sent the band $5000, and Van Zant told him…“Al, you just bought yourself a band for five thousand dollars.”

They only released 5 albums in their career before the crash. Of those 5 albums, 3 were great and legendary, and 2 were really good.

At the time of his death, Ronnie Van Zant was trying to plan an album with Merle Haggard. I think they would have sounded great together. It’s a shame they never got to do it.

Mississippi Kid

I got my pistols in my pocket boysI’m, I’m Alabama boundI got my pistols in my pocket boysI’m, I’m Alabama boundWell, I’m not looking for no troubleBut nobody dogs me ’round

Now, well I’m going to fetch my woman, peopleTri-Cities, here I comeOh, well I’m going to fetch my woman, peopleTri-Cities here I come

‘Cause she was raised up on that cornbreadAnd I know that woman’ll give me someGive me some baby

Oh, when this kid hits Alabama, peopleDon’t you try and dog him ’roundNow when this kid hits Alabama, peopleDon’t you try and dog him ’round‘Cause if you people cause me troubleLord, I’ve got to put you in the ground

Well, I was born in Mississippi, babyI don’t take any stuff from youThough I was born in Mississippi, babeAnd I don’t take any stuff from youAnd if I hit you on your headBoy, it’s got to make it black and blue

Ah, well, I’m going to Alabama got my pistols out by my sideHmm, yes, I’ll ride to Alabama with my pistols out by my sideCome down in Alabama, you can run, but you sure can’t hide

…