This band went through two distinct phases: an early rock/blues era followed by a shift to power pop. Their diverse catalog spans power pop gems, gritty blues-rock, and classic rock ‘n’ roll. In this song, we’re focusing on their rock/blues period from the early ’70s, hearing the raw Groovies.
I first heard this band with the song Shake Some Action. That song is probably their best-known, but the blues/rock period should be heard. This song was written by Cyril Jordan and Roy A. Loney.
Released the same year as the Rolling Stones album Sticky Fingers, Mick Jagger reportedly noticed the similarities between the Groovies Teenage Head album … and thought the Flamin’ Groovies did the better take on the theme of classic blues and rock ‘n roll. The band was started in 1965 by Roy Loney and Cyril Jordan. By the end of the sixties, they clashed over where to go. Loney was more Stones and Jordon leaned toward the Beatles. Loney left in 1971 and they got an 18-year-old lead singer named Chris Wilson.
They moved to London and started to work with Dave Edmunds. With Chris, they did more power pop and that is when Shake Some Action came about with Wilson and Jordon writing it. They would go on to be a great power pop band known as an early proto-punk band…they pretty much covered the gamut. This anti-drug song was written by Jordon and Loney before he left…Chris Wilson is singing it.
I’ve listened to this album and it does sound very Stonesy but not copying them at all. This album was released before the Stones Sticky Fingers.
There is a Canadian band with the same name as this album and song…Teenage Head. They took their name from this song title and album. They quickly gained a loyal following on the Ontario club circuit for their shows, highlighted by Gord Lewis’ guitar work and frontman Venom’s (Frankie Kerr) vocals and on-stage presence.
Their self-titled debut album was released in 1979 and distributed by Epic Records Canada. A year later, the group signed to Attic Records and released the Frantic City album, which put them on the international radar. The hit singles, “Something On My Mind” and “Let’s Shake” helped propel the album to platinum sales (100,000) in Canada.
I added another cool song off of the album called Yesterday’s Numbers.
Teenage Head
I’m a monster
got a revved up teenage head.
Teenage monster
California born and bred.
Half a boy and half a man
I’m half at sea and half on land, oh my
Bye-bye.
Got a woman,
she’s my hopped up high school queen.
She’s my woman,
she’s a teenage love machine.
She knows how to turn me on
and get me high and get it on and on,
yeah she does.
When ya’ see me,
better turn your tail and run,
’cause I’m angry
and I’ll mess you up for fun.
I’m a child of atom bombs
and rotten air and Vietnams; I am you,
you are me.
In my love for the Who, I never posted this version of this great song. I found out about Eddie Cochran through the movie The Buddy Holly Story where he was played by Jerry Zaremba. I then remember him in La Bamba when Brian Setzer played him to a tee.
After that, I heard The Who’s version of this song and our band played it that way. I then heard Cochran’s version and loved it just as well. The song that really made me connect to Cochran was Twenty Flight Rock when I heard the Stones do it.
Eddie Cochran was a huge influence on the up-and-coming British guitar players of the sixties. Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, John Lennon, and Pete Townshend. He was huge in the UK. He was one of the big 50s guitar heroes. He broke through with this song Summertime Blues in 1958 peaked at #8 on the Billboard 100, #10 in Canada, and #18 in the UK. He also did well with C’mon Everybody. He was never really big in America… he was a bigger star in Europe.
He didn’t use his guitar as a prop like some did…he played it and played it well. He also worked as a session musician. He helped bring rock guitar along in more ways than just his playing. He was one of the first to modify his pickups and he did away with the wound G string on the guitar. He replaced it with an unwound string which made it easier to bend. Many future musicians were paying attention, sitting on the front row of his British tour.
In 1960, Cochran and Gene Vincent were in a hired car and it hit a lamp post and Eddie was thrown from the car and suffered a head injury and died in a hospital. He was only 21 years old. Gene Vincent received injuries to his already bad leg and walked with a limp after the crash. Eddie was the only one to die.
Eddie’s girlfriend Sharon Sheeley was a songwriter. She wrote Ricky Nelson’s first hit “Poor Little Fool” and a couple of songs (Love Again and Cherished Memories) for Cochran. She also got injured in the crash.
Summertime Blues
I’m a-gonna raise a fuss I’m a-gonna raise a holler About a-workin’ all summer Just to try to earn a dollar
Every time I call my baby Try to get a date My boss says, “No dice, son You gotta work late”
Sometimes I wonder What I’m a-gonna do But there ain’t no cure For the summertime blues
Oh, well, my mom and papa told me “Son, you gotta make some money And if you wanna use the car To go a-ridin’ next Sunday”
Well, I didn’t go to work Told the boss I was sick “Well, you can’t use the car ‘Cause you didn’t work a lick”
Sometimes I wonder What I’m a-gonna do But there ain’t no cure For the summertime blues
I’m gonna take two weeks Gonna have a fine vacation I’m gonna take my problem To the United Nations
Well, I called my congressman And he said, quote “I’d like to help you, son But you’re too young to vote”
Sometimes I wonder What I’m a-gonna do But there ain’t no cure For the summertime blues
In the early eighties, I joined Columbia House and I would sign up fictional people and get free albums. I would buy the required albums for these fictional people but you would get 6-7 free albums for signing up someone to buy one album. Plus that person would get free albums when they joined. I saw the loophole and took advantage of it but I always paid. I got most of my Doors, Moody Blues, and a few other albums through Columbia House.
This Robbie Krieger-written song is immediately likable. This Doors song and album differed from many others because of its orchestral arrangement, which includes brass and strings. It was largely arranged by producer Paul Rothchild. It was also very radio-friendly and Morrison’s voice sounded great in this pop backdrop…he did keep his edge up on the track. Many critics and fans saw the track as a sell-out for The Doors. To me, it was just them expanding their sound to a different genre. Plus the solo in the middle is clearly jazz-influenced not heard in many top 40 hits at the time.
The song was on the Soft Parade album released in 1969. The album peaked at #6 on the Billboard Album Charts and #4 in Canada. The song did really well. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard 100, #1 in Canada, and #6 in New Zealand.
Soft Parade was their 4th studio album. They would only release two more albums with Morrison, Morrison Motel, and L.A. Woman (my personal favorite). With Soft Parade the band decided to experiment with a more polished, orchestral sound. Producer Paul A. Rothchild and arranger Paul Harris introduced horns, strings, and elaborate arrangements and this song is a good example. The two singles off this album were Touch Me and Wishful Sinful which just missed the top forty at #44.
In the Smothers Brothers clip, you will see Robbie Krieger with a black eye. Ray Manzarek said this: Three rednecks got in a fight with Jim and Robbie down the street from the Doors’ office at a bar and there was pushing and shoving and Robbie Krieger got whacked in the eye. Jim ducked a punch, Robbie wasn’t able to duck the punch. That was 2 days before we went on The Smothers Brothers’ Show. They said to Robbie on the show, Let’s put some make-up on that black eye. You don’t want to be on national television with a black eye. And Robbie said, Yes, I do! No one has ever gone on TV with a black eye. I’m going to be the first! It’s a badge of honor.
Touch Me
Come on, come on, come on, come on Now touch me, babe Can’t you see that I am not afraid? What was that promise that you made? Why won’t you tell me what she said? What was that promise that you made?
Now, I’m going to love you ‘Til the heavens stop the rain I’m going to love you ‘Til the stars fall from the sky For you and I
Come on, come on, come on, come on Now touch me, babe Can’t you see that I am not afraid? What was that promise that you made? Why won’t you tell me what she said? What was that promise that you made?
Now, I’m going to love you ‘Til the heavens stop the rain I’m going to love you ‘Til the stars fall from the sky For you and I
I’m going to love you ‘Til the heavens stop the rain I’m going to love you ‘Til the stars fall from the sky For you and I
If this song doesn’t get you up nothing will! I’ve probably covered The Who more than any other band but I’ve missed this excellent cover they did back in 1965. In this post, we will look at the song and the original drummer of The Who.
This is a cover of a lively James Brown original from 1962. The Who recorded in 1965, it was on their My Generation album. It was also part of their appearance on the music show Ready, Steady, Go! alongside the song Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere. Shout and Shimmy did not achieve widespread fame, it reflects the band’s devotion to R&B and soul, influences that heavily shaped their early sound. They also covered the Marvelettes song Heat Wave which was a part of the Mod culture. James Brown wrote and released Shout and Shimmy in 1962.
The Who’s rendition captures the raw energy of their early sound. Keith Moon in the live cut of this is a blur on drums. He was 19 years old and joined The Who the year before replacing The Who’s original drummer Doug Sandom.
Sandom was a good guy and a solid drummer but he was 34 in 1964 and considered far too old for The Who by the record company. Pete Townshend wrote a moving forward to Sandom’s book in 2014: Had we continued together back in 1964 with Doug on drums we may never have become as successful as we are today. Keith Moon was a born publicist as well as a highly eccentric performer. But I have no doubt that personally, I would have been happier as a young man. Partly because I think we would have continued to put music and friendship first in our band because that was Doug’s way. With Doug as my friend, I believe I could have been a better man.
Doug drummed for them as The Detours and The Who. He had this to say about The Detours changing to The Who: “We were setting up our gear when the Ox arrived and told us there was another band called The Detours and they’d already been on TV so we had to change our name. That night we all went back to a friend of Pete’s – a wonderful chap called Richard Barnes (an author and has worked with the Who for decades), or Barnsy, to try to find a new name.
Barnsy initially suggested The Group and Pete favoured The Hair. Someone else suggested No One until we imagined a compere on stage saying: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome No One.’ We’d have been a laughing stock. It was Barnsy who came up with The Who. Pete tried to compromise by suggesting The Hair And The Who until it was pointed out that it made us sound like a pub. Anyway, Roger came round to mine the next day and said it was to be The Who.”
On one of their recording dates, Townshend and Sandom were not in good moods and Sandom retold it: “He had a terrible go at me, snarling, ‘What’s wrong with you? If you can’t get it right then you’re out.’ I just got up from my stool and said, ‘That’s it, I quit.’ It was the biggest mistake of my life.
Sandom stayed in touch with the band until he passed in 2019 at the age of 89 years old.
I always try to give a studio and live version…but in this case…live is the way to go. Around 1:29 is where Moon kicks in.
Shout and Shimmy
Do you feel alright? Well do you feel alright children? Do you feel alright? You know you make me want to shout shimmy, oh yeah you gonna shout shimmy, Oh yeah you gonna shout shimmy, oh yeah you gonna shout shimmy, Oh yeah you know I walk up to the front, I try to do the flop, I walk up to the back, and I move on side to side, Then I stop, oh yeah and then I drop, Oh yeah and then I drop, oh yeah and then I do a little thing ?????, Do you feel alright? Do you feel so good? Do you feel so good? Do you feel alright? Do you feel alright? Tell me now, tell me now, Do you feel alright? Do you feel alright? Everybody do you feel so good? You know I feel alright, you know you make me want to shout shimmy, Oh yeah you gonna shout shimmy, oh yeah you gonna shout shimmy, Oh yeah you gonna shout a little bit soft, shout a little bit quieter, Shout a little bit soft, come on soft, shout a little bit soft, A little bit soft, cool down, cool down, come on, cool it down, I feel so good, I feel alright, drum on, drum on, drum on drummer, Everybody everybody everybody clap your hands, come on clap your hands, Clap your hands, a little bit harder, a little bit louder, A little bit harder, a little bit louder, a little bit louder, Come on and shout, everybody, come on and shout, come on and shout baby, Come on and shout baby, do you feel alright? Do I feel so good? Do you feel alright? Do I feel so good? Call a doctor, call a doctor, Do you feel alright? Do you feel alright? Do you feel alright? Do you feel alright? Do you feel alright? You know I feel so good I’m gonna shout and shimmy all night, I feel all, you know I feel alright.
I really like the mood of this one. It reminds me of Fever but it is different. A very finger-snapping song. It was written by Buddy Blue (Bernard Seigal). I could picture this being played in a blues club in the 50s or 60s…such a groove to it…and it swings…slowly. After listening to it a couple of times I was hooked on it. I feel like I found a gem that no one knows about.
Originally a member of bands like The Beat Farmers and The Jacks, Buddy Blue was a figure in the roots rock and Americana genres. When I was on my break I was listening to different music but this is one of the guys I was listening to.
It was released in 2000 on the album Diposmania. He also did a different version of the song in his 2003 album Sordid Lives. I like the original version a little more because it’s more minimalist and his solo in the middle is fantastic.
He was the frontman and guitarist for The Beat Farmers. Buddy Blue’s musical roots began to paint its first strokes on the canvas of American rock ‘n’ roll. The band’s fusion of rock, punk, and country elements was a sonic cocktail that left audiences thirsty for more. With Blue’s vocals leading the band, The Beat Farmer’s energy became their trademark.
This song has a nice blues/jazz feel that I love. The sound sounds modern but also goes back to the 1950s.
Upsettin’ Me
The way you move when you walk in your black satin high heel shoes
Your perfume and your deep green eyes turn me into a fool
Well look on your faces everywhere I go
The heat of your body is all that I want to know
I’m never going to give you up baby you’re upsetting me
Nobody else can love you the way that your daddy do
Can’t you feel better at all I’m raising my flag just for you
Well I don’t have no money or fancy things
But Buddy is going to give you everything that you need
I’m never going to give you up you’re upsetting me
How you’re upsetting me
With your skin so sweet and your lips such a ruby red
You bending my soul baby yet and deep inside of my head
Well I tell you one thing honey ain’t no Lie
Another man touch you and he’s going to die
I’m never going to give you up babe you’re upsetting me
Yeah you’re upsetting me
Yeah you’re upsetting me
The guy was only with us for a few short years but boy he made a huge mark. I had a Buddy Holly marathon while painting and this song stood out. Without Buddy, rock music would have been drastically different. Buddy was a self-contained artist who wrote, arranged, and recorded his own songs. His chord changes and melodies were different from fellow rockers Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry. I have always thought that Buddy was the father of power pop.
The song was credited to Joe B. Mauldin, Niki Sullivan, and Norman Petty but some think Holly wrote the majority of it. It was also covered by Blondie on their Parallel Lines Album. Holly released the song in 1957. It’s on the self-titled Buddy Holly album released on Coral Records. This album contained the classics Peggie Sue, Everyday, Rave On, and Worlds of Love.
William Ruhlmann, who is an American rock critic, said this about the ownership of the song. The song is credited to Joe B. Mauldin, Holly’s bass player; Norman Petty, his producer; and Nikki Sullivan, his sometime rhythm guitarist (who was not heard on the recording). There have long been questions about the songwriting credits assigned to the original songs Holly recorded, and Jerry Allison, his drummer, has gone on record stating that “I’m Gonna Love You Too” actually was written primarily by Holly, with Allison composing the bridge. Certainly the song sounds characteristic of the man who wrote “That’ll Be the Day.” It is another up-tempo number with an infectious tune and boastful lyrics that only thinly veil heartbreak.
Buddy Holly was among the first group of inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Holly #13 among “The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time”.
What really hurts about Holly’s career is that he was just getting started. He had matured and was experimenting more than his rocking peers. Fortunately for all of us, he left behind a significant musical catalog that still influences new and old artists today.
It’s a-gonna happen, a-some day You’re gonna see things a-my way Yes, you’re gonna say you’ll a-love me ‘Cause I’m a-gonna love you too
A-you’re gonna tell me a-sweet things You’re gonna make a-my heart sing Yes, a-you’re gonna hear those a-bells ring ‘Cause I’m a-gonna love you too
After all, another fella took you But I still can’t overlook you I’m a-gonna do my best to hook ya After all is said and done
A-you’re gonna say you’ve a-missed me A-you’re gonna say you’ll a-kiss me Yes, you’re gonna say you’ll a-love me ‘Cause I’m a-gonna love you too I’m a-gonna love you too I’m a-gonna love you too
I’ve been reading about the Beatle’s early days when they were leather-bound hoodlums on the streets of Hamburg and Liverpool. Liverpool had a lot of bands and they tended to do the same songs. The Beatles broke out of that by picking B sides rather than playing a top 40 hit every time. They had excellent taste. They played this one in Hamburg at the Star Club. If you haven’t heard the low-quality album Beatles Live At the Star Club…it’s worth listening to. It’s The Beatles in rock/punk mode.
Eddie Fontaine, singer and actor, released this song in 1958. It has it all…twangy 1950s guitar and a cool lyric to boot. Eddie Fontaine never became a major name in rock and roll but his song left an impression on a generation of young rockers.
Eddie was from Massachusetts and RCA signed him in 1954 as a vocalist. He first gained attention as a singer with his single Cool It, Baby in 1956, which had moderate success. It was featured in the film The Girl Can’t Help It. However, Nothin’ Shakin in 1958 brought him more recognition, especially within the rockabilly crowd.
Eddie was an actor as well. He has 27 actor credits in IMDB. He appeared in TV shows like 77 Sunset Strip, The Wild Wild West, Ironside, Kojak, Planet of the Apes, Baretta, and many more.
This song peaked at #64 on the Billboard 100 in 1958. Below is a more refined Beatles version they did on the BBC radio and the original by Eddie himself.
Nothin’ Shakin’
I’m finding out what love is all about And every day at three when school lets out I see my baby I get weak in the knees There’s nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the trees Why must she be such a doggone tease? There’s nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the trees
We meet the gang and go to Rockin’ Joe’s The cats are stompin’ on their heels and toes I grab my baby, tried to give her a squeeze Nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the trees My daddy told me there’d be times like these There’s nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the trees
She’s got a way that makes me act like a fool Oh, she spends my money then she plays me cruel I’m beggin’ her for kisses on bended knees Gimme some lovin’ baby, please, please, please
But I keep trying hard to make her mine Someday the wind will blow, the sun will shine Until that time she puts my heart at ease There’s nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the trees She locked my heart and threw away the keys There’s nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the trees Ha ha ha!
Nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the trees She’s got a way that makes me act like a fool Oh, spends my money then she plays me cruel I’m beggin’ for her kisses on bended knees Why don’t ya gimme some lovin’ baby, please, please, please
But I keep trying hard to make her mine Someday the wind will blow, the sun will shine Until that time she puts my heart at ease There’s nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the trees Why must she be such a doggone tease? There’s nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the trees Nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the trees Nothin’ shakin’, oh shakin’
I’ve seen the man live 8 times and this song…I saw him play one time. Whenever you see Bob Dylan you usually get a variety of songs. He is not an oldies show…he will throw in some but he doesn’t do a Vegas Greatest Hits show.
I don’t post many Dylan songs…not because I’m not a huge fan…like I said I’ve seen the man 8 times. If I get a chance, I’ll see him 8 more times. When you post a Dylan song you almost feel the urge to do an interpretation of the song…I have no interest in doing that. It would lead me down too many roads. Some people are good at that though…I’m not.
Dylan was growing frustrated with the recording in New York so producer Bob Johnston mentioned Nashville. Dylan’s manager at the time, Albert Grossman, told Johnston if he ever mentioned Nashville again that he would fire him. Didn’t work…Dylan ended up recording Blonde On Blonde in Nashville. He would also go to record more here as well.
This song was one of my many favorites of this album. Dylan is still going in 2024, but this was his peak for me. In the mid-60s, Dylan was on fire, cranking out songs that blurred the lines between folk, rock, blues, and poetry. Dylan later described the sound of Blonde on Blonde as “that thin, wild mercury sound”—a phrase as cryptic as Bob can be. What does that mean exactly? No one knows for sure, but the music does have a thin sound… almost surreal quality to it.
In Al Kooper’s book, he talked about some of the stories that Johnston shared making the album. Kooper said that Bob Johnston shared one of the wilder stories from those sessions, one that captures the vibe of those late-night Nashville nights. He recounted an incident involving a blind keyboard player nicknamed Pig (Hargus “Pig” Robbins), who played on the album.
Pig was hanging out with some drunk friends one night when he suddenly declared, “I wanna drive. You so-and-so’s move over and let me navigate this Cadillac!” And because this was Nashville in the 60s, and because his buddies were drunker than Pig, they actually pulled over and let him behind the wheel.
Now, picture this… A blind man is driving a car down the highway, while a bunch of rowdy passengers coach him from the front seat: “A little to the left … good … now a little to the right … speed up a bit…” And for a few glorious moments, they were pulling it off until the red-and-blue lights of the Tennessee Highway Patrol appeared in the rearview. They panicked and had Pig pull over, but what happened next? Johnston said people were laughing too hard by then to care how it ended.
Bob released 5 singles from this double album. He had two top 10 hits, two top 40 hits out of it. This was the end of an era for Bob. After this album, he had a motorcycle accident and he changed his songwriting style. He followed this album with John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline which was nothing like his earlier music.
The musicians on this album included Robbie Roberston, Al Kooper, Rick Danko, Kenny Buttrey, Charlie McCoy, and Charlie McCoy. After this, his songs became a little less wordy and chaotic and became more structured.
I checked on “Pig” for information about the blind session man. It looks like Pig drove a lot when given a chance. Walter Haynes was a Nashville studio session man and he told this story. “Pig and I have worked together many times in the studio, he has played on many sessions that I produced. He has a most remarkable ear and you only have to run a song once and he’s ready to do it. As you know, Pig is blind and one day I was walking behind Columbia Records and I saw pig driving a car down the alley, of course someone was sitting beside him telling him which way to turn the wheel, what a guy!”
Al Kooper: The credits are vague on the Blonde on Blonde album. Maybe I can fill in a few holes for the reader. Joe South is playing bass on “Visions of Johanna.” He has a very special style of playing bass, sort of hillbilly funk. His unique guitar style is most discernible in the mix on “Memphis Blues Again.” He and I have some nice organ-guitar trade-offs in that on
Stuck Inside Mobile With These Memphis Blues Again
Oh, the ragman draws circles Up and down the block I’d ask him what the matter was But I know that he don’t talk And the ladies treat me kindly And they furnish me with tape But deep inside my heart I know I can’t escape Oh, Mama, can this really be the end To be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again
Well, Shakespeare, he’s in the alley With his pointed shoes and his bells Speaking to some French girl Who says she knows me well And I would send a message To find out if she’s talked But the post office has been stolen And the mailbox is locked Oh, Mama, can this really be the end To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again
Mona tried to tell me To stay away from the train line She said that all the railroad men Just drink up your blood like wine An’ I said, “Oh, I didn’t know that But then again, there’s only one I’ve met An’ he just smoked my eyelids An’ punched my cigarette” Oh, Mama, can this really be the end To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again
Grandpa died last week And now he’s buried in the rocks But everybody still talks about how Badly they were shocked But me, I expected it to happen I knew he’d lost control When I speed built a fire on Main Street And shot it full of holes Oh, Mama, can this really be the end To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again
Now the senator came down here Showing ev’ryone his gun Handing out free tickets To the wedding of his son An’ me, I nearly got busted An’ wouldn’t it be my luck To get caught without a ticket And be discovered beneath a truck Oh, Mama, is this really be the end To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again
Now the tea preacher looked so baffled When I asked him why he dressed With twenty pounds of headlines Stapled to his chest But he cursed me when I proved it to him Then I whispered and said, “Not even you can hide You see, you’re just like me I hope you’re satisfied” Oh, Mama, can this really be the end To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again
Now the rainman gave me two cures Then he said, “Jump right in” The one was Texas medicine The other was just railroad gin An’ like a fool I mixed them An’ it strangled up my mind An’ now people just get uglier An’ I have no sense of time Oh, Mama, can this really be the end To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again
And when Ruthie says come see her In her honky-tonk lagoon Where I can watch her waltz for free ‘neath her Panamanian moon An’ I say, “Aw come on now You know you knew about my debutante” An’ she says, “Your debutante just knows what you need But I know what you want” Oh, Mama, can this really be the end To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again
Now the bricks lay on Grand Street Where the neon madmen climb They all fall there so perfectly It all seems so well timed An’ here I sit so patiently Waiting to find out what price You have to pay to get out of Going through all these things twice Oh, Mama, can this really be the end To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again
I’m going to post a couple of posts today…this one and one that is leading up to Halloween!
On October 26, 1997, I saw The Rolling Stones at Vanderbilt. That is where I met Steve Forbert and that is the only time I got to see Sheryl Crow. It was in the afternoon and her voice soared through the Fall afternoon air. She performed great and I became even more of a fan that day.
At the time you had female artists like Gwen Stefani, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and then here comes Sheryl with her electric guitar with a rock edge…one of the best opening acts I ever saw. In the late 80s, she struggled to break through as artists like Madonna and Paula Abdul ruled the airwaves. Her first album Tuesday Night Music Club wasn’t released until she was 31 in 1993. That was because female singer/songwriters finally started to gain popularity in the 90s.
The song was written by Sheryl Crow and her producer Bill Bottrell. This song is off of her debut album Tuesday Night Music Club. The song peaked at #36 on the Billboard 100, #3 in Canada, and #33 in the UK in 1994.
Now she is really into pro-environmental concerns. On her tours, she demands only biodegradable cups and dinnerware be used by the caterer, as well as food that is “organic and purchased from local suppliers as much as possible” and water that “must be sourced from a local spring water vendor.” She also asks for separate plastic, glass, and paper recycling bins and wants her buses and trucks to be fueled with biodiesel only.
A fun sidenote to Sheryl. The first guitar she ever had was a 1964 Gibson Country and Western acoustic and she calls it The Moneymaker because most of the hits she wrote…was on that guitar.
Sheryl Crow:You’ve got a bunch of really young women out there who don’t really understand the importance of what they’re doing. They allow themselves to be exploited and they actually play that game and use sex to sell themselves. It undermines our credibility as artists.
Sheryl Crow talking about her parents: My earliest, most vivid memories are of them coming home with their friends and playing records – Stan Getz, Stan Kenton, Ella Fitzgerald – and me and my sisters sleeping out on the stairs so we could hear them.
Can’t Cry Anymore
Tell me you don’t care
Or tell me you’re just scared
But give me something I can hold on to
Just say what’s on your mind
Or am I just wasting time?
If you don’t want somebody loving you
You’ve got one foot in and one foot out the door
And baby I can’t take it anymore
Just give it to me
Give it to me
Give it to me
All your love
You’ve got demons in your past
You think real love doesn’t last
So you pull me close and then push me away
Can’t you look me in the eye?
Could you scream or laugh or cry?
But baby if you’re leaving say goodbye
But if you can’t find the right words anymore
Well then take me up the stairs and close the door
Give it to me
Just give it to me
Give it to me
All your love
Oh baby I’m begging you please
You’ve got me down on my knees tonight
I know what we have is real
Please remember how it feels to us
You’ve got one foot in and one foot out the door
And baby I can’t take it anymore
Give it to me
Just give it to me
Give it to me
All your love
Give it to me
Give it to me
Give it to me
All your love
We all know the great album Brothers in Arms from Dire Straits, but sometimes those brothers are “at arms” rather than in them. In this series from myself and Randy, have discussed “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em” Siblings. This week Randy talks about the Burnette brothers. They were at it while most of the other brother’s acts were still in diapers. The original post is here.
“Tear It Up” by Johnny Burnette and The Rock ‘n Roll Trio (1956) written by Paul Burlison, Dorsey Burnette, and Johnny Burnette. Covered 40 times including Rod Stewart in 1981.
Dorsey William Burnett Jr. (December 28, 1932 – August 19, 1979) and his younger brother John Joseph Burnette (March 25, 1934 – August 14, 1964) along with Paul Burlison (February 4, 1929 – September 27, 2003) were the original Rockabilly band. One thing The Rock ‘n Roll Trio loved almost as much as music, was fighting.
Dorsey and Johnny grew up in the housing projects of Memphis where being tough was a distinct advantage. They both took to boxing and became Golden Glove Champions. In 1949 while working on oil barges on the Mississippi they met another Golden Glove champ, Paul Burlison, also from Tennessee. After work the three began playing in bars at night and in 1952 they formed a band.
After several wins at Amateur contests they landed a record deal with Coral Records. Unfortunately their national TV debut on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour aired on ABC the same night as Elvis’s September 9, 1956 Live appearance on CBS that had 82% of the viewing audience. Misadvised I would say, they performed “Hound Dog” that Elvis had released in July. They appeared on a few other shows but they struggled to gain wide spread fame, but they never gave up.
“Rock Billy Boogie” (1956) by Johnny Burnette and The Rock ‘n Roll Trio, written by Dorsey Burnette, Johnny Burnette, George Hawkins and Henry Jerome.
First cover of “Rock Billy Boogie” was by Robert Gordon in 1979.
The two brothers never entirely gave up ‘boxing’ either. Life on the road was tough and the tensions would lead to some nasty fistfights between Dorsey and Johnny. Sometimes the fights started on stage and would spread into the audience. Apparently one night the three of them took on everyone in the place, and won. This led to several bans from bars and tours. One night in August of 1956 in Niagara Falls, NY the brothers had a brutal fight. The next day Dorsey left the band and it was just days before their big break to appear in the Alan Freed movie Rock! Rock! Rock!
Johnny quickly recruited Bill Black’s (Elvis’s bass player) younger brother Johnny Black and the appearance went ahead. The record company credited their next release with Johnny Burnette at the front and even when Dorsey returned a year later that’s how they were billed. They would then pursue solo careers and continue to write some great rock and roll songs. Johnny would die in a boating accident in 1964. His original recording of “You’re Sixteen” appears on the American Graffiti Movie Soundtrack. Covered over 90 times and of course by Ringo Starr that hit #1 on the Hot 100 in 1973.
“You’re Sixteen” (1960) by Johnny Burnette reached #8 on the Hot 100, written by Richard Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. The Sherman brothers would go on to write all those amazing songs for Disney Movies such as “Chim Chim Cheree”, “I Wan’na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)”, “Super-Cali-Fragil-Istic-Expi-Ali-Docious”, “It’s a Small World” and dozens more.
The Big E was at his best in the fifties before the Army and films changed him. This is the song that I first heard by him and it made me a fan when I was around 5 or so. The song brought up images to kids and was easy to understand in a kid’s sort of way…and it rocked.
I think it’s one of the best rock singles ever released. Do you want a double A-side? Try Hound Dog backed with Don’t Be Cruel. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Those early Elvis songs were magical. Hound Dog, That’s Alright, I Forgot To Remember To Forget, Mystery Train, Heartbreak Hotel, Don’t Be Cruel, and the list goes on. Many artists have played rock and roll but it’s hard as hell to beat these primal songs. I think one of the reasons is they were mostly recorded live in a studio. They don’t have 100 overdubs…just simplicity at its best and it hits its target.
Hound Dog was first recorded by Willie Mae Big Mama Thornton and was a number 1 rhythm & blues hit in 1953. Her voice is incredible in this song. She nailed it and so did Elvis. Elvis’s version is a little faster than Thornton’s version…but that made room for her dynamic voice.
Elvis Presley’s version didn’t do too bad. It peaked at #1 on the Hot 100, #1 on the Billboard R&B Charts, and #2 in the UK in 1956 (I could not find Canada). The song was written by teenagers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. They would go on to write many more chart hits for everyone…including Elvis with Jailhouse Rock.
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller: “We’d actually written ‘Hound Dog’ 90 percent on the way over in the car. I was beating out a rhythm we called the ‘buck dance’ on the roof of the car. We got to Johnny Otis’s house and Mike went right to the piano… didn’t even bother to sit down. He had a cigarette in his mouth that was burning his left eye, and he started to play the song. We took the song back to Big Mama and she snatched the paper out of my hand and said, ‘Is this my big hit?’ And I said, ‘I hope so.’
Next thing I know, she starts crooning ‘Hound Dog’ like Frank Sinatra would sing ‘In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning.’ And I’m looking at her, and I’m a little intimidated by the razor scars on her face, and she’s about 280-320 pounds, and I said, ‘It don’t go that way.’ And she looked at me like looks could kill and said – and this was when I found out I was white – ‘White boy, don’t you be tellin’ me how to sing the blues.’ We finally got through it.
Johnny brought Mike back in the room and asked him to sit down at the piano, which was not easy because Johnny had this female piano player who was built like Arnold Schwarzenegger. They finally exchanged seats and did the song the way it was supposed to sound. And that was one of those where we said, ‘That’s a hit.’ And I thought immediately: We both said it, it’s gonna put a hex on it!”
Hound Dog
You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog Cryin’ all the time You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog Cryin’ all the time Well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit And you ain’t no friend of mine
Well, they said you was high-classed Well, that was just a lie Yeah, they said you was high-classed Well, that was just a lie Yeah, you ain’t never caught a rabbit And you ain’t no friend of mine
You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog Cryin’ all the time You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog Cryin’ all the time Well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit And you ain’t no friend of mine
Well, they said you was high-classed Well, that was just a lie Yeah, they said you was high-classed Well, that was just a lie Well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit And you ain’t no friend of mine
Well, they said you was high-classed Well, that was just a lie Ya know they said you was high-classed Well, that was just a lie Well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit And you ain’t no friend of mine
You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog Cryin’ all the time You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog Cryin’ all the time Well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit You ain’t no friend of mine
The more I listen to this band’s non-hits…the more I like them. They have some great album tracks that didn’t make it as hits. This song was released as a single and it did make the top 40 but it’s not as well known as Born To Be Wild and Magic Carpet Ride. It was written by John Kay and Gabriel Mekler.
The song was on the Monster album which was released in 1969. The album was produced by Gabriel Mekler, who had produced their first four albums and really helped create their sound. The reason I mentioned him is because their early songs have a raw sound but are polished at the same time. That’s not always an easy thing to do.
John Kay’s voice still sounds great after all of these years. I’m happy I got to shake his hand at a chance meeting. I also saw him in the 80s fronting the 80s version of Steppenwolf. Not many singers take control of a stage like he does.
The song peaked at #31 on the Billboard 100 and #12 in Canada. The album peaked at #17 on the Billboard Album Charts and #11 in Canada in 1969.
By 1969, the U.S. was deep in the Vietnam War, and protests against the war were everywhere. The country was also experiencing unrest due to issues like civil rights, government corruption, and the assassinations of political figures, like Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. Because of that, Steppenwolf started to get a little more political in their songs.
This era was probably their most successful period, their following albums didn’t have as much commercial success but they are remembered and do get played.
Move Over
Things look bad from over here
Too much confusion and no solution
Everyone here knows your fear
You’re out of touch and you try too much
Yesterday’s glory won’t help us today
You wanna retire?
Get out of the way
The country needs a father
Not an uncle or big brother
Someone to keep the peace at home
If we can’t get together
Look out for stormy weather
Don’t make me pay for your mistakes
I have to pay my own
Yesterday’s glory won’t help us today
You wanna retire?
Get out of the way
I ain’t got much time
The young ones close behind
I can’t wait in line
If we can not wake you
Then we’ll have to shake you
Though some say you’ll only understand a gun
Got to prove them wrong
Or you will lose the battle
Don’t you know we’ll start a war
Which will be won by none
Yesterday’s glory won’t help us today
You wanna retire?
Get out of the way
I ain’t got much time
The young ones close behind
I can’t wait in line
Big Star was the best band never heard. This song is an absolutely perfect song about adolescence. I played it to my then 14-year-old son and it made him a Big Star fan now 10 years later. This song is the most covered song by Big Star with 49 different covers. It’s almost a perfect acoustic song. The song is about an adolescent guy and his girlfriend who are rock fans being what 13-14-year-olds are…confused and lost.
There is not a bad song on the first album. The song was originally featured on the 1972 album #1 Record. It was released as a single by Big Star with “Watch The Sunrise” as the B-Side, on Ardent Records, but was mislabeled as “Don’t Lie To Me”. Chris Bell and Alex Chilton were the two main songwriters.
Bell and Chilton wanted to emulate the Lennon/McCartney formula as much as they could, so they shared credit on many of the songs on #1 Record even though there was, in fact, little writing collaboration between the two. “Thirteen,” was entirely Chilton’s creation.
This was ranked #396 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest songs. Artists who have covered this include Evan Dando, Garbage, Elliot Smith, Wilco, and Kathryn Williams.
Alex Chilton: “I don’t know where it came from but I made up this wild bit of guitar in 15 minutes. You don’t hear many 20-year-olds doing that.”
Thirteen
Won’t you let me walk you home from school
Won’t you let me meet you at the pool
Maybe Friday I can
Get tickets for the dance
And I’ll take you
Won’t you tell your dad, get off my back
Tell him what we said ’bout ‘Paint It Black’
Rock ‘n Roll is here to stay
Come inside where it’s okay
And I’ll shake you
Won’t you tell me what you’re thinking of
Would you be an outlaw for my love
If it’s so, well, let me know
If it’s no, well, I can go
I won’t make you
I love early seventies soul…this is a cool gem of a song and very overlooked. I remember this one when I was around 5-6 being played on A.M. Radio. He released this on Stax Records in 1972. Stax was starting to go down around this time.
In the early 1970s, under the leadership of Al Bell, Stax expanded too rapidly and faced financial difficulties due to over-expansion and mismanagement. Despite producing some hits during this period, including Isaac Hayes’ successful albums, Stax declared bankruptcy in 1975.
The song was written by Posie Knight and Jerry Weaver. It peaked at #27 on the Billboard 100, #8 on the Billboard R&B charts, and #23 in the UK in 1972. It’s been covered 15 times and one cover was by Mick Jagger on his 1993 solo album Wandering Spirit. Paul Young also covered it on his debut album No Palez in 1983.
He didn’t chart any more top 40 songs on the top 100 and he would be known as a one-hit wonder which is a shame. He kept releasing music until 1981 and did get a song in the top 40 of the R&B Charts with I Betcha Didn’t Know That in 1975.
In the mid-1970s, Knight founded his own record label, Juana Records. Through Juana Records, he produced and promoted music for other artists, including the successful disco group Anita Ward, who had a hit with Ring My Bell in 1979.
I’ve Been Lonely For So Long
I’ve been lonely for so long Don’t seem like happiness will come along I’ve been lonely for so long Don’t seem like happiness will come along
These ain’t rain clouds over my head Everybody’s throwing rocks in my bed Just can’t seem to get ahead in life Ooh, nothin’ I do ever turn out for the right
Won’t somebody help me please
‘Cause I’ve been lonely for so long Don’t seem like happiness will come along I’ve been lonely for so long Don’t seem like happiness will come along
I lay awake every night Tryin’ to figure out how to make things right There’s got to be a better way I know To shake this monkey off ’cause he’s makin’ me so
Won’t somebody help me please
‘Cause I’ve been ooh, lonely for so long Don’t seem like happiness will come along I’ve been lonely so long Don’t seem like happiness will come along
Yes, I know what it feels like to be lonely To have your friends turn their backs on you To never know the real meaning Of peace of mind, oh
Just can’t seem to get ahead in life Ooh, nothin’ I do ever turn out for the right
Won’t somebody help me please
‘Cause I’ve been lonely for so long Don’t seem like happiness will come along I’ve been lonely for so long Don’t seem like happiness will come along
I’ve been down so long I’ve been down so long I’ve been down so long I’ve been down so long
I get lonely, I get lonely I get lonely, I get lonely I get lonely, lonely
Tattoo You was released in 1981 and they did a massive tour that didn’t come near Nashville. Back then no big band like The Who or Stones would come here. Vanderbilt was the only place big enough and they went through a period where they didn’t allow concerts. In 1972 they did come to Nashville to the Municipal Auditorium and Stevie Wonder opened up for them. I still tell my sister…you could have seen Stevie Wonder and The Stones but you picked the Osmonds and David Cassidy! It doesn’t phase her.
In 1982 they released this single off of their live album Still Life. It was a good album and entry to point to a lot of people…the problem was the live album I knew was Get Your Ya Ya’s Out…which ranks among the best live albums ever. I did like the album though and bought two singles from it before I got the album. I think it has the definitive version of Time Is On My Side and this song…Going To A Go-Go. It was a feel-good live album and the joke was going around on how incredibly old they were…hmmm if only we knew!
This was the last tour you could actually see JUST The Stones and not a stage full of other musicians. They always carried a keyboard player which is cool but after this, they carried backup singers and a huge entourage of players on stage. I never liked that…I would rather hear Keith’s thin backup vocals than professional singers.
I remember watching Friday Night Videos and seeing a clip of Keith Richards clubbing a guy over the head with his guitar. The guy deserved it…remember this was 1981, a year after their good friend John Lennon was murdered. Intruders on stage were not welcomed. Here is a small clip of it.
Going to a Go-Go peaked at #25 on the Billboard 100, #4 in Canada, #24 in New Zealand, and #26 in the UK in 1982. Jagger and Richards didn’t write this one. It was written by Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, Bobby Rogers, and Marvin Tarplin. Smokey Robinson and The Miracles released in the song in 1965 and it peaked at #11 on the Billboard 100.
The two singles from the album were Time Is On My Side and Going to a Go Go. Time Is On My Side hit the top 10.
Going To A Go Go
Going to a go go, everybody
Going to a go go, c’mon now
Going to a go go, everybody
Going to a go go, c’mon now
Well there’s a brand new place I found
People coming from miles around
They come from everywhere
If you drop in there
You see everyone in town
Going to a go go, everybody
Going to a go go, c’mon now
Don’t you wanna go
And that’s alright tell me
Going to a go go, everybody
Going to a go go
It doesn’t matter if you’re black
It doesn’t matter if you’re white
Take a dollar fifty
A six pack of beer
And we goin’ dance all night
Going to a go go, everybody
Going to a go go, c’mon now
Don’t you wanna go
And that’s alright, tell me
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