Singles – Page 33 – PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

Kinks Weeks – A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy …jimadamsauthordotcom.wordpress.com

I want to welcome my friend Jim to Kinks Weeks. Jim’s site is https://jimadamsauthordotcom.wordpress.com . I hope you can check it out. He has music and other subjects and…when I have a question about The Grateful Dead…Jim is the man I go to. He tackles one of my favorite Kinks songs today. He also has Song Lyric Sunday that is fun to participate in…and I have on a few occasions. Take it away Jim…

Still Have a Way to Go

Ray Davies wrote the Kinks song ‘A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy’ which was released on their 1978 seventeenth studio album Misfits and the single charted #30 in the US. The lyrics to this song are written as a one-way conversation till the very end when he finally gets a response, where a musician (let’s assume, this is Ray Davies) is talking to another member in the band and Ray is trying to convince them not to quit, but the other musician lets him know that he doesn’t want a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. Ray wants the guy to hang in there, because this could just be a bump in the road and if they can get through this period, the sky is the limit. Ray relates a story to this band member that is thinking about leaving the group about a guy (most likely, Dan the fan) that he knows who lives on his block that lives for rock and plays records all the time. When this neighbor of his feels the world is closing in, he turns his stereo way up high in order to live the rock ‘n’ roll fantasy on the edge of reality. Davies tells this wavering musician that he has nothing left to prove, because the King is dead, and even if the undecided musician quits the group, that he will still be playing in it, as he feels like he has just begun since there is plenty of life left in him. While Ray was writing this song, he learned that Elvis Presley had died, which influenced the “the King is dead” lyrics. He was in New York at the time, and when he looked out his window late at night, he saw a single light on in one of the buildings. Davies imagined that light being the apartment of an ardent Elvis fan, which became the character Dan the Fan in the song.

The Kinks were going through a rough period around this time, with their guitarist Dave Davies wanting to quit touring, and their keyboard player (piano, organ, synthesizer) for the past 8 years John Gosling and bass player Andy Pyle leaving after only one album, both decided that Misfits would be their last album with the group. For a long time, the Kinks were immersed in concept albums and theatrical rock operas where they stopped making hit songs, till their 1977 previous album Sleepwalker. Davies learned his lesson and although Misfits didn’t have the punch like their earlier songs, it did feature a more rock-oriented style giving the Kinks a commercial rebirth. The Kinks signed with Arista Records in 1977 and Misfits was the second of 6 albums recorded on this label.

‘A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy’ was the Kinks best showing on the charts since their hit with ‘Lola’ eight years previously.

Hello you, hello me
Hello people we used to be
Isn’t it strange, we never changed
We’ve been through it all, yet we’re still the same

And I know, it’s a miracle we still go
For all we know, we might still have a way to go

Hello me, hello you
You say you want out, want to start anew
Throw in your hand, break up the band
Start a new life, be a new man

But for all we know, we might still have a way to go
Before you go, there’s something you ought to know

There’s a guy in my block, he lives for rock
He plays records day and night

And when he feels down he puts some rock ‘n’ roll on
And it makes him feel alright

And when he feels the world is closing in
He turns his stereo way up high

He just spends his life living in a rock ‘n’ roll fantasy
He just spends his life living on the edge of reality
He just spends his life in a rock ‘n’ roll fantasy

He just spends his life living in a rock ‘n’ roll fantasy
Look at me, look at you
You say we’ve got nothing left to prove
The King is dead, rock is done
You might be through, but I’ve just begun

I don’t know, I feel free and I won’t let go
Before you go, there’s something you ought to know

Dan is a fan and he lives for our music
It’s the only thing that gets him by
He’s watched us grow and he’s seen all our shows
He’s seen us low and he’s seen us high

Oh, but you and me keep thinking
That the world’s just passing us by

Don’t want to spend my life living in a rock ‘n’ roll fantasy
Don’t want to spend my life living on the edge of reality
Don’t want to waste my life hiding away any more

Don’t want to spend my life living in a rock ‘n’ roll fantasy

…

Kinks Weeks – Around The Dial … mostlymusiccovers.com

Randy has been writing a blog about Cover Songs, music genres, and artists since early 2018. He moved to WordPress in February of 2022 and has found a welcoming community of music enthusiasts. You can read about the origins of Rock and Roll, Blues, R&B, and Country Music. There are Cover Song and Chart statistics as well, all with a focus on the 1950s, 60s, and 70s at MostlyMusicCovers.com. He has also helped me out with blues artists and Canadian Charts in general!

This is the opening track on the 1981 album Give the People What They Want. It was written by Ray Davies of course. It was not one of the three singles they released off the album, but it may be my favorite track. Max told me this was the opening song when he saw them on tour in ’83. I have not made sufficient effort to see them. This does not mean I am not a fan, as we can’t attend many of the performances we would like to.

As you might guess the song is focused on the radio dial and the words are quite prophetic, I think. The lyrics speak of the protagonist’s frustration in not being able to find their favorite DJ. Hence going “Around the Dial” and searching in vain. While there are slightly differing interpretations, I had not read anywhere quoting Ray himself on what he was saying when he wrote it. From what I hear in the song and things I have read, this is my take on the song.

The protagonist’s speculation involves questions. Had the DJ said or done something to upset the ‘Corporation’? The song sets the theme for the album, as the lead track, it ties in nicely with the overall message of Give the People What They Want. In other words, don’t try and silence my favorite DJ just for telling it like it is. Let us listen to what we want to listen to.

I said prophetic because this was the beginning of increased pressure on the local DJ. While this was not the first such song, it is reminiscent of Elvis Costello who warned of corporate control over what we see and hear in his song “Radio, Radio” in 1978. Ray Davies took it to the grassroots level of the listener and the radio DJ. This was before (in the US) the Telecommunications Act in 1996 which saw the buying up/combining of stations and the closure of some 1,000 operations by 1999.

Meanwhile, soon to come we had Internet, Digital, and Satellite Radio. Not to mention Podcasts and Streaming Services. This all changed the way we listen worldwide.

Yet despite all this competition music radio stations have been surprisingly resilient. Stations don’t have to store thousands of records and CDs, everything is digital, and they can access anything. Ray asks us, “We’re going ’round the dial, (Are you listening) Around the dial”? Yes Mr. Davies we are still listening.

Around The Dial

The radios of the world are tuning in tonight
Are you on the dial? Are you tuned in right?
One of our D.J.’s is missing

Are you listening?
Are you listening to me?
Can you hear me?
Can you hear me clearly?
Around the dial

I’ve been around the dial so many times
But you’re not there
Somebody tells me that you’ve been taken off the air
Well, you were my favorite D.J.
Since I can’t remember when
You always played the best records
You never followed any trend

F.M., A.M.. Where are you?
You gotta be out there somewhere on the dial
On the dial

(Are you ready?) We’re going ’round the dial
(Are you listening?) Around the dial
(Are you tuned in?) Around the dial
(Are you searching?) Around the dial

F.M., A.M.. Where are you?
You gotta be out there somewhere on the dial
On the dial

Where did you go Mr. D.J.?
Did they take you off the air?
Was it something that you said to the corporation guys upstairs?
It wasn’t the pressure
You never sounded down
It couldn’t be the ratings
You had the best in town

Somehow I’m gonna find you, track you down
Gonna keep on searching
Around and around and ’round and ’round…

(They’re searching) Around the dial
(They’re listening) Around the dial
(Poor station) The best in town
(Poor D.J.) Who never let us down

While the critics kept on knocking you
You just kept on rocking ’round the dial
Around the dial

I’ve been searching for you on my radio
This time your station really must have gone underground
Somebody said you had a minor nervous breakdown
Was it something that you heard
Or something that you saw
That made you lose your mind
Did you lose control
Did you step out of line?
If you’re there, give us a sign

I can’t believe that you’ve been taken off the air
Think I’ll sell my radio now that you’re not there
You never gave in to fashion
You never followed any trends
All the record bums tried to hack you up
But you were honest to the end

Gonna keep my radio on
‘Til I know just what went wrong
The answer’s out there somewhere on the dial
On the dial

Can you hear me? (around the dial)
Are you listening? (around the dial)
Are you out there? (around the dial)
Can you hear me?
Around the dial

…

Jayhawks – Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces

I first found out about The Jayhawks in 2000 or so with a song called I’m Gonna Make You Love Me and the song Blue.

The Jayhawks formed in Minneapolis–Saint Paul in 1985 and played alternative country rock. They have released 11 studio albums and are worth checking out. The band went on hiatus in the early 2000s but soon reformed and returned in 2003 with a highly regarded album Rainy Day Music and has stayed together ever since.

This song was written by Gary Louris. The song did reasonably well when released. I would hear it on our alternative channel in Nashville. They are one of those bands that never could get over the hump to a mass audience. I always think of them, Wilco, and Big Star coming from some of the same musical territory. The Jayhawks have had a few successful albums but never became household names.

The album peaked at #75 on the Billboard Album Charts and #51 in the UK in 2016. The single peaked at #26 on the Alternative Album Charts.

Since our Kinks Weeks are coming up I thought I would mention this. They have a Kinks tie… They backed Ray Davies on his albums Americana and Our Country – Americana Act II. T

Gary Louris: Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces” started with the idea that I wanted to write a big, soaring, old-school pop song. With lyrics, I either tend to do a stream-of-consciousness or a cut-and-paste kind of thing. This one was something out of a newspaper that I cut out. I just have piles of stuff.

For me, it’s a spark to kind of throw some things together, along with other methods, like mumbling. A lot of times, when I’m writing, I sing and play and whatever comes out comes out, and these words are inferred by sounds and half-words. Then I come around and get the meaning out of that, and it’s usually coming from some place inside that is kind of revelatory in a way. It’s almost like therapy.

So, from there, I wrote a song about running away from certain things. Again, in a Proust kind of way, finding a spot where you can be introspective, away from the noise, and get your head together.

Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces

Aside the wandering eye has openedA stare all the way bare and brokenThe start of a brand new adventure

Hey nowCatch me quick before I walk awayTell me if there’s something I should sayI’ll find the quiet corners and the empty spaces

Not far a blue guitar is playingIt drew me like it knewAnd it’s saying

Hey nowCatch me quick before I walk awayTell me if there’s something I should sayI’ll find the quiet corners and the empty spaces

We drown in ups and downsNeglectingThe beauty of my sun is setting

In the end there’s no way in redemptionHey nowCatch me quick before I walk awayTell me if there’s something I should sayI’ll find the quiet corners and the empty spacesHey nowCatch me quick before I walk awayTell me if there’s something I should say

…

Blaze Foley – Clay Pigeons

I always thought Blaze was a Texan but I was wrong…but technically that is where he made his mark in music. Blaze Foley (Michael David Fuller) was born in Malvern, Arkansas, but grew to be an important figure in the Texas outlaw country music scene. I started to listen to Foley’s songs and the strength of the lyrics has won me over. This was an interesting man. A documentary was made about him called “Duct Tape Messiah: Blaze Foley.” If you have time at some point, watch it. This documentary is based on a hell of a story.

Foley grew up in a musical family, moving frequently throughout the South. His parents were part of a gospel band, and he was exposed to music from a young age. The family’s traveling lifestyle and deep-rooted religious beliefs influenced Foley’s music.

Foley became a fixture in the Austin music scene in the 1970s and 1980s, where he befriended and collaborated with other songwriters, including Townes Van Zandt (he wrote a song about Foley after his death called Blaze’s Blues). His music was deeply personal, often reflecting his struggles with homelessness, addiction, and relationships. Despite his talent, Foley struggled to gain commercial success during his lifetime, partly due to his unpredictable behavior and refusal to compromise his artistic integrity. I do have a Townes Van Zandt story at the bottom.

This song gained a wider audience after being covered by several artists, most notably John Prine, who included it on his 2005 album Fair & Square. Prine’s version introduced the song to a broader audience and solidified its place in the Americana and folk music canon.

On February 1, 1989, Foley was tragically shot and killed at the age of 39 in Austin, Texas. He was trying to defend a friend, Concho January, from his violent son. Foley accused him of stealing January’s checks. Foley’s death was a big loss to the music community, and his life story has since been the subject of many articles, documentaries, and films.

He didnt’ gain popularity until after his death. He only released one 1984 studio album before his death and those tapes were confiscated by the DEA when the executive producer was caught in a drug bust. He also recorded one in 1980 but the tapes were stolen out of his car. He did get some singles released during the 80s but a lot of live and some studio material came out after he died. Some tribute albums have come out as well with other artists covering his songs. Artists such as Townes Van Zandt, Calvin Russell, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, Timbuk 3 and many more.

Now the Townes Van Zandt Blaze Foley story. Blaze was known as The Duct Tape Messiah for the strappings that held his boots together. His life was disorderly, to say the least. He had said that when he died he wanted Townes to have his guitar. When Foley died, Van Zandt and his friends went for the guitar but found out that the late singer/songwriter had pawned the guitar among other things. Van Zandt told the Pawn Shop clerk that the guitar had been left for him and he was there to collect it. However, the clerk insisted that without a pawn stub, that transaction was impossible. So, along with the rest of Foley’s friends, they searched every possession (which wasn’t much) that the late musician had left behind. The pawn slip was nowhere to be found.

They figured out it must be in Foley’s front pocket in the suit he was buried in. Townes then borrowed a backhoe and dug his friend up. He went through his pockets and there it was…the pawn ticket. Van Zandt went straight to the pawn shop with the freshly dug-up stub and collected Foley’s guitar that he kept in his possession until he, too, passed away.

Now whether this was true or not I don’t know… but that is what the documentary is all about that I mentioned in the first paragraph. Here is a picture of Townes Van Zandt with Foley’s guitar.

Clay Pigeons

I’m goin’ down to the Greyhound stationGonna get a ticket to rideGonna find that lady with two or three kidsAnd sit down by her side

Ride ’til the sun comes up and down around me‘Bout two or three timesSmokin’ cigarettes in the last seatTryin’ to hide my sorrow from the people I meetAnd get along with it all

Go down where the people say y’allSing a song with a friendChange the shape that I’m inAnd get back in the game and start playin’ again

I’d like to stay, but I might have to goTo start over againMight go back down to TexasMight go to somewhere that I’ve never been

And get up in the mornin’ and go out at nightAnd I won’t have to go homeGet used to bein’ aloneChange the words to this songAnd start singin’ again

I’m tired of runnin’ ’roundLookin’ for answers to questions that I already knowI could build me a castle of memoriesJust to have somewhere to go

Count the days and the nights that it takesTo get back in the saddle againFeed the pigeons some clay, turn the night into dayAnd start talkin’ again when I know what to say

I’m goin’ down to the Greyhound stationGonna get a ticket to rideGonna find that lady with two or three kidsAnd sit down by her side

Ride ’til the sun comes up and down around me‘Bout two or three timesSmokin’ cigarettes in the last seatTry to hide my sorrow from the people I meetAnd get along with it all

Go down where the people say y’allFeed the pigeons some clayTurn the night into dayAnd start talkin’ again when I know what to say

ThanksIt’s called “Clay Pigeons”Anywhere I roam, there’s askThat’s rightRoad-hog didWe have a lot of requests, so we’re gonna do it anywayAin’t never had a lesson in his life, alright

…

Four Tops – Baby I Need Your Loving

I saw the Four Tops and The Temptations in the 80s. It was held at Opryland and I had a friend who worked there. He snuck us in the back way with me using his sister’s work ID badge they never checked. Both groups were super and it was a great concert. Those voices were pure gold. Hmmm…I hope the statute of limitations has run out!

The song was written by the songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland (Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, and Eddie Holland). It was recorded at the Hitsville U.S.A. studio in Detroit, Michigan, which was the primary recording studio for Motown Records.

This song was their first Motown release which was in 1964. The song peaked at #11 on the Billboard 100 and #4 in Canada. The song is one of those near-perfect pop songs. Johnny Rivers would later peak at #3 with this song in 1967. Altogether there are 62 cover versions of this song.

The Four Tops were formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1953. Initially, they performed under the name the Four Aims before changing it to the Four Tops to avoid confusion with the Ames Brothers who were popular at the time.

Baby, I Need Your Loving

Baby, I need your lovin’Baby, I need your lovin’Although you’re never nearYour voice I often hearAnother day, ‘nother nightI long to hold you tight‘Cause I’m so lonely

Baby, I need your lovin’Got to have all your lovin’Baby, I need your lovin’Got to have all you lovin’

Some say it’s a sign of weaknessFor a man to begThen weak I’d rather beIf it means having you to keep‘Cause lately I’ve been losing sleep

Baby, I need your lovin’Got to have all your lovin’Baby, I need your lovin’Got to have all you lovin’

Empty nights echo your nameWhoa, sometimes I wonderWill I ever be the same?Oh yeah!

When you see me smiling, you knowThings have gotten worseAny smile you might seeHas all been rehearsedDarling, I can’t go on without youThis emptiness won’t let me live without youThis loneliness inside, darlingMakes me feel half alive

Baby, I need your lovin’Got to have all your lovin’Baby, I need your lovin’Got to have all your lovin’Baby, I need your lovin’Got to have all your lovin’

Slade – Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me

I bet English teachers hated this band! This is such a fun band and it’s too bad they were not heard in America until the 1980s. Slade was not like The Small Faces who never toured the US. They toured extensively with bands like Humble Pie, ZZ Top, J Geils Band, Black Sabbath, Santana, and Aerosmith opened for them in a few places until Toys in the Attic hit…and then they reversed it.

Slade was very successful in the UK with 6 number ones, 16 top ten, and 24 top 40 singles. They could not duplicate their success in America where they only had two top forty singles…Run, Runaway, and My, Oh My both in the 80s.

Jim Lea was at a pub watching a pianist named Reg Kierle perform and it inspired him to write this song. He got with Noddy Holder to finish it. They were the primary songwriters for Slade, responsible for many of their hits. Noddy’s voice is the key to Slade…only a few can sound like he does.

The song peaked at #1 in the UK and high in other countries besides America and Canada.

It was produced by former Animals bass player Chas Chandler, who had been instrumental in shaping Slade’s sound and had previously worked with Jimi Hendrix. Chandler’s production emphasized the raw energy and the fun that characterized Slade’s music.

Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me

You know how to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh)

And I thought you might like to knowWhen a girl’s meaning “Yes”, she says, “No”

You got rude talkYou got one walkAll your jokes are blueYou’ve got long nailsYou tell tall talesSome you think are true

And there’s nowhere to go, you won’t goIf there’s nowhere to run, you go slowIf you move up to me, then I’ll showYou the wayThen you’ll know

How to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, oooh)

And I thought you might like to knowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, ooh)

And I thought you might like to knowWhen a girl’s meaning “Yes”, she says, “No”

You got a sweet tongueYou sing love songsCan’t you learn to spell?Take me back homeYou got it all wrong‘Cause we sing that as well

And there’s nowhere to go, you won’t goIf there’s nowhere to run, you go slowIf you move up to me, then I’ll showYou the wayThen you’ll know

How to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, ooh)

And I thought you might like to knowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, ooh)

And I thought you might like to knowWhen a girl’s meaning “Yes”, she says, “No”

Oh, you know how to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, oooh)

And I thought you might like to knowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, ooh)

And I thought you might like to knowWhen a girl’s meaning “Yes”, she says, “No”

You know how to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, yeah)

And I thought you might like to know nowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, yeah, you do)

And I thought you might like to know nowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, ooh, ooh)

And I thought you might like to (na, na, na, na, na, na, na) knowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)You’re learnin’ it easy(Woah, oh, ooh)

I thought you might like to knowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know you please me (woah, oh)Oh, oh, yes(Woah, oh)Yes, yes, you knowHow to squeeze me(Woah, oh)You know how to please me(Woah, oh)

…

Bill Haley – Crazy Man, Crazy

In my first 6 years of blogging, I posted one Bill Haley song. Now in the past 5-6 months, this makes my 3rd. That’s what happens when Max reads books.

If there was ever a fifties phrase…this is it. This song was released in 1953…two years before the popularity of Rock Around The Clock. It was Haley’s first time in the top twenty. He said he got this phrase from a teenager when he asked her if she liked what she heard in rock and roll.

The song has that western swing/big band sound to it…but also had its toe in the rock and roll water. This song peaked at #12 on the Hot 100 and #66 on the R&B Charts in 1953.

Haley always dreamed of fame but he was extremely private. Those two things don’t go together well. He turned down opportunities to make himself more known time after time. He originally said no to having Rock Around The Clock in a movie. He had to be talked into it. Coke also offered him 250,000 dollars (2,667,967.13 now) to appear in a few advertisements when he and the Comets needed the money….he again said no. All in all, he was unable to capitalize on his popularity like his peers were able to do.

Things started to fall apart in the late ‘50s, mostly due to mismanagement and Bill’s loyalty to friends from the neighborhood who were way over their heads in business affairs.

He has a lot to be remembered for…he joined Country, Big Band, and R&B and called it “Country Jive.” He remained popular in the UK. His last tour there in 1979 included an appearance before the Queen on the Royal Variety Performance.

The B-Side… What’cha Gonna Do?

Crazy Man, Crazy

Crazy man crazyCrazy man crazyCrazy man crazyOh, man, that music’s gone, goneSaid crazy man crazyCrazy man crazyCrazy man crazyOh, man, that music’s gone, gone

When I go out and I want a treatI find me a band with a solid beatTake my chick and we dance aboutWhen they start rockin’, boy, we start to shout, we shout

Crazy man crazyCrazy man crazyCrazy man crazyMan, that music’s gone, goneGo, go, go everybodyGo, go, go everybodyGo, go, go everybodyGo, go, go, go, go, go, go

Crazy man crazyCrazy man crazyCrazy man crazyMan, that music’s gone, goneSaid crazy man crazyCrazy man crazyCrazy man crazyMan, that music’s gone, gone

They play it soft, they play it strongThey play it wild and they play it longThey just keep playin’ ’til the break of dayTo keep them rockin’ all you gotta say is

Crazy man crazyCrazy man crazyCrazy man crazyMan, that music’s gone, goneGo, go, go everybodyGo, go, go everybodyGo, go, go everybodyGo, go, go, go, go, go, go

…

Rush – Tom Sawyer

The influence of this song came from the year 1876. The book was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.

My cousin had many of their albums including this one. He told me back in 1981 or so…hey you have to listen to this…he called it “science rock.” I thought how exciting can “science rock” be? This was one of the first songs he played for me by them. I was impressed…I was just beginning to play bass and I liked the song right off the bat.

When the track was finished, Geddy Lee didn’t like the track, he said: “I remember being disappointed in the studio, thinking we really didn’t capture the spirit of the song. We thought it was the worst song on the record at the time – but it all came together in the mix. Sometimes you don’t have the objectivity to know when you’re doing your best work.”

This was on their album Moving Pictures released in 1981. The band just got off a 10-month-long tour. They were going to release their second live album but Neil Peart was excited about the new ideas of songs developed at sound checks throughout the tour. They canceled plans for the live album and started to focus on making this one.

They were helping another Canadian band Max Webster by playing a song called Battlescar on their album Universal Juveniles. A lyricist named Pye Dubois was working with Max Webster on their songs and suggested some lyrics to Rush that were developed into Tom Sawyer. The track is credited to Rush and Pye Dubois.

Their intro to the song live on their 2007 tour was the animated South Park characters singing the song with Cartman making up words in their band Lil Rush. I’ll have the video above the studio version.

The song peaked at #24 in Canada, #44 on the Billboard 100, and #8 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts in 1981. The album Moving Pictures peaked at #1 in Canada, #3 on the Billboard Charts, and #3 in the UK.

This song became one of Rush’s most popular songs and received a lot of radio play. Its success helped the Moving Pictures album achieve widespread acclaim and commercial success. This is about the time I found out about Rush.

Neil Peart: “Tom Sawyer was a collaboration between myself and Pye Dubois, an excellent lyricist who wrote the lyrics for Max Webster. His original lyrics were kind of a portrait of a modern day rebel, a free-spirited individualist striding through the world wide-eyed and purposeful. I added the themes of reconciling the boy and man in myself, and the difference between what people are and what others perceive them to be – namely me I guess.”

Geddy Lee: “The one song that we have to play for the rest of our lives. When we wrote it, we had no idea that it would touch such a nerve with people. In many ways, it’s the quintessential Rush song.”

Tom Sawyer

A modern-day warrior
Mean, mean stride
Today’s Tom Sawyer
Mean, mean pride

Though his mind is not for rent
Don’t put him down as arrogant
His reserve a quiet defense
Riding out the day’s events
The river

What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the mist
Catch the myth
Catch the mystery
Catch the drift

The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his skies are wide
Today’s Tom Sawyer, he gets high on you
And the space he invades, he gets by on you

No, his mind is not for rent
To any god or government
Always hopeful, yet discontent
He knows changes aren’t permanent
But change is

And what you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the witness
Catch the wit
Catch the spirit
Catch the spit

The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his eyes are wide

Exit the warrior
Today’s Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the energy you trade
He gets right on to
The friction of the day

Deep Purple – Woman from Tokyo

Thanks to Dave for posting this song. It was a response to Dave asking us about songs that mention a city on Turntable Talk. This one and Nashville Cats came to mind…but I went with the Purple.

This song is all about the riff…it is a memorable riff… The song has drive and suspense. The dynamics are great after the middle section when the intro riff is reintroduced. What made Deep Purple different from other hard rock bands at the time was the Hammond C3 organ played by Jon Lord. In this song the Hammond sounds as mean as the guitar.

The song was inspired by Deep Purple’s first tour of Japan in 1972. The band was struck by the contrast between the crowded bustling, modern city of Tokyo and the traditional aspects of Japanese culture. Tokyo is personified as a woman.

Woman from Tokyo was on the album Who Do We Think We Are released in 1973. The band members were dealing with exhaustion from constant touring and the pressure to deliver another hit album. The album did quite well peaking at #4 in the UK, #15 on the Billboard Album Charts, and #11 in Canada.

Deep Purple wasn’t a singles band, but this one got a lot of airplay on radio. The song peaked at #60 on the Billboard 100 and #55 in Canada in 1973. That surprises me because I did hear this one a lot growing up.

The band never liked it very much. They didn’t start playing it live until they re-formed in 1984 after their 1976 split. Roger Glover insists that no real live versions of this song existed until the 80s despite being on live compilation albums from their 1970s period.

Because of endless touring and fatigue, Ian Gillan gave a six-month notice stating that he was leaving the band after fulfilling all his commitments in 1973. After lead singer Ian Gillian left Deep Purple in 1973, they had two other lead singers before reforming in 1984…and they were David Coverdale and Joe Lynn Turner. To me though…Ian Gillian is the singer I think of when I think of Deep Purple.

Ritchie Blackmore: “We were in Japan, and it was an incredible experience for us. The song came out of our admiration for the country and the fans there. Tokyo had a lasting impression on us.”

Ritchie Blackmore: “I wanted ‘Woman from Tokyo’ to have a strong, catchy riff that would stay with the listener. The middle section was intended to give it a different feel, almost like taking the listener on a journey.”

Ritchie Blackmore: “The recording sessions for ‘Who Do We Think We Are’ were tough. There was a lot of tension in the band, but ‘Woman from Tokyo’ was one of the moments where things came together well.”

Woman from Tokyo

Fly into the rising sun
Faces, smiling everyone
Yeah, she is a whole new tradition
I feel it in my heart

My woman from Tokyo
She makes me see
My woman from Tokyo
She’s so good to me

Talk about her like a Queen
Dancing in a Eastern Dream
Yeah, she makes me feel like a river
That carries me away

My woman from Tokyo
She makes me see
My woman from Tokyo
She’s so good to me

But I’m at home and I just don’t belong

So far away from the garden we love
She is what moves in the soul of a dove
Soon I shall see just how black was my night
When we’re alone in Her City of light

Rising from the neon gloom
Shining like a crazy moon
Yeah, she turns me on like a fire
I get high

My woman from Tokyo
She makes me see
My woman from Tokyo
She’s so good to me

Sam The Sham and the Pharaohs – Wooly Bully

Uno dos, one two tres quatro!

This 1965 song still works…it can light up a party in a heartbeat. This is one of those songs that you can play without rehearsing if you are in a band. A fun rock and roll song that doesn’t take itself seriously.

The exact meaning of Wooly Bully is left ambiguous, fitting the song’s fun nature. Others must agree because according to secondhandsongs.com it has 190 cover versions. Those versions include Dave Edmunds, Lindisfarne, and of course…Billy Bacon and The Forbidden Pigs. I don’t know much about them but with that name…I had to include them.

The song peaked at #2 on the Billboard 100. They were kept out of the top spot by those two upstart bands…The Rolling Stones with Satisfaction and The Beatles with Help!. The song peaked at #2 in Canada as well in 1965 and #11 in the UK.

They were not a one-hit wonder though. They had one other top ten song (#2) with Li’l Red Riding Hood. They had 6 top-40 hits between 1965 and 1970. Look at the variety of the 1960s. Satisfaction, Help!, Like A Rolling Stone, and Wooly Bully all within a couple of years.

The band’s leader, Domingo “Sam” Samudio, was born in Dallas, Texas. He first started performing in the late 1950s. Sam joined various bands before forming The Pharaohs in 1961 and another version in 1963 and that time it stuck. Samudio wrote this song as well.

In 1970, Sam started a solo career and was awarded a Grammy in 1971 for Best Album Liner Notes to his record Sam, Hard and Heavy. He later started to cover gospel and country as well.

Wooly Bully

Uno dos, one two tres quatro

Ay, wooly bullyWatch it now, watch it

Here he comes, here he comesWatch it now, he get ‘cha

Matty told HattyAbout a thing she sawHad two big hornsAnd a wooly jawWooly bullyWooly bullyYeah driveWooly bullyWooly bullyWooly bullyHatty told MattyLet’s don’t take no chanceLet’s not be L-sevenCome and learn to danceWooly bullyWooly bullyWooly bullyWooly bullyWooly bullyWatch it now, watch it watch it watch itAy…Ay, drive, drive, drive

Matty told HattyThat’s the thing to doGet you someone reallyPull the wool with youWooly bullyWooly bullyWooly bullyWooly bullyWooly bullyWatch it now, watch it, here he comesYou got it, you got it

….

King Crimson – 21st Century Schizoid Man

This is my first King Crimson post. I’ve heard their debut album the most and I like it. I went exploring, found some others I liked, and wrote up one song (publishing later) but I decided to start with this. I have been a Robert Fripp fan from way back. This song is the opening track to their debut album In the Court of the Crimson King. I found out about this band through a big brother of a friend I have…the same one who introduced me to Big Star and The Grateful Dead.

The song was written by the original lineup of King Crimson, which included Robert Fripp (guitar), Greg Lake (bass and vocals), Ian McDonald (saxophone, flute, keyboards), Michael Giles (drums), and Peter Sinfield (lyrics). The debut album was called In The Court of the Crimson King. The album was a hit. It peaked at #5 in the UK, #27 in Canada, and #28 on the Billboard Album Charts in 1969.

For me to like progressive rock it has to have a good melody to it. King Crimson, ELP, and some of Yes do…, especially the live cuts. The musicianship on these albums is out of this world. I like this song’s changing time signatures and the rock, jazz, and classical feel.

This live cut is short but it’s the only thing I could find in this era. I always try to include a live version in the era it was released.

21st Century Schizoid Man

Cat’s foot iron clawNeuro-surgeons scream for moreAt paranoia’s poison door.Twenty first century schizoid man.

Blood rack barbed wirePolititians’ funeral pyreInnocents raped with napalm fireTwenty first century schizoid man.

Death seed blind man’s greedPoets’ starving children bleedNothing he’s got he really needsTwenty first century schizoid man.

Beat Farmers – There She Goes Again

I started to listen to The Beat Farmer’s debut album Tales of the New West a few months ago. I came across this song and liked it with the first listen…it took me a second but I realized it was an old Velvet Underground song.

I can’t recommend this album enough. I first heard of the band through a more of a novelty song called Happy Boy. I just recently started to listen to them and they are fantastic.

The Beat Farmers formed in San Diego California in 1983. They went to a studio with a $4000 budget, and they recorded Tales Of The New West. The album was released in 1985. The members were Country Dick Montana, Jerry Raney on guitar, Rolle Dexter on bass, Buddy Blue on guitar, and Joey Harris on guitar. They did a tour opening up for the Blasters and then signed a 7 Record Deal with CURB Records…which turned out to be a mistake…they fought for years to get away from them.

Together they released 6 albums and 15 singles + EPs. The band came to a halt on November 8, 1995, when Country Dick Montana died on stage. They have occasionally got together since then.

This song was on the Velvet Underground debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico and was released in 1967. Lou Reed wrote There She Goes Again. The lyrics to this song must have sounded outrageous to the listeners in 1967. The album only charted at #129 in the Billboard 100 and that would be the best charting LP of all of their 5 original albums.

There She Goes Again

There she goes again (There she goes)Yeah, I see her walkin’ on down the streets again (There she goes)Well, she’s down on her knees again (There she goes)But she’ll never ask you please again (There she goes)

Now take a look, there’s no tears in her eyesShe won’t take it from just any guy. What can you do?

Yeah, when you see her walkin’ on down the streets(There she goes) Yeah, I see her lookin’ at all the boys that she’s gonna meet(There she goes) If I see her messin’ ’round, I don’t know what I’m gonna do

Well, there she goes again (There she goes)Yeah, I see her walkin’ on down the streets again (There she goes)Well, she’s down on her knees again (There she goes)Yeah, but she’ll never ask me please (There she goes) again

Now take a look, there’s no tears in her eyesShe won’t take it from just any guy. What can you do?

Yeah, when you see her walkin’ on down the streets(There she goes) Yeah I see her lookin’ at all the pretty boys that she’s gonna meet(There she goes) Oh, when I see that stuff, I just don’t know

Now take a look, there’s no tears in her eyesLike a bird, she’s a-gonna fly. What can you do?

Yeah, when you see her walkin’ on down the streets(There she goes) Yeah, I see her lookin’ at al the boys that she’s gonna meet(There she goes) Yeah, I know that she isn’t down on her feet(There she goes) Yeah, but she’ll never ask you please (There she goes) Oh-ho!

Rolling Stones – Time Waits For No One

You could blindfold me and I could tell you if Mick Taylor was playing with The Stones live. He had his own unique sound because of the Les Paul he played. He made those songs in the classic Stones period go.

Many people think that Mick Taylor went uncredited on this and many songs. The melody doesn’t sound like a Keith melody but in any case, Jagger/Richards get credited with this one. They rarely if ever play it live.

The solo in this song is great by Mick Taylor. It reminds me a little of Carlos Santana. He quit shortly after this album was released and it was the end of the classic Stones era. They would never sound the same again after this. The song was on It’s Only Rock and Roll which was a good album but not up to the level of the five preceding albums. A big reason was because of the absence of producer Jimmy Miller.

So why did Mick Taylor leave the band? I’ve read different things from him and others. Taylor felt underappreciated and frustrated that he didn’t receive proper credit for his contributions to the band’s music. He claimed to have co-written several songs, such as Sway and Moonlight Mile but Jagger and Richards would not give a songwriting credit to him. I do believe that because Brian Jones and Ronnie Wood also had the same problem.

His health and well-being were also factors in his decision to leave. The intense touring schedule and the pressures of being in The Stones took a toll on him. Besides pot…he said he didn’t take drugs when he joined the band but like others before and after him…he slowly started to do harder drugs while with the band. When he quit the band it took him a while to get off of heroin.

The song is a favorite among many Stones fans I know and it should be more well known.

Time Waits For No One

Yes, star-crossed in pleasure, the stream flows on byYes, as we’re sated in leisure, we watch it fly, yes

And time waits for no one, and it won’t wait for meAnd time waits for no one, and it won’t wait for me

Time can tear down a building or destroy a woman’s faceHours are like diamonds, don’t let them waste

Time waits for no one, no favors has heTime waits for no one, and he won’t wait for me

Men, they build towers to their passingYes, to their fame everlastingHere he comes, chopping and reapingHear him laugh at their cheating

And time waits for no man, and it won’t wait for meYes, time waits for no one, and it won’t wait for thee

Drink in your summer, gather your cornThe dreams of the nighttime will vanish by dawn

And time waits for no one, and it won’t wait for meAnd time waits for no one, and it won’t wait for meNo, no, no, not for me, no, not for me

…

Gene Chandler – Duke Of Earl

Well we might as well close out July with this classic.

When I hear this song I automatically think of the 1950s. One problem with that thought…it was released in late 1961 but it doesn’t matter…it’s pretty damn awesome. This is one of the songs that I missed on my Max’s Picks. The song has a magical quality about it…I have to smile when I hear it.

The song originated from warm-up exercises by the doo-wop group The Dukays. The group’s members would sing “doo doo doo” to prepare their voices, which evolved into “duke duke duke.” The song was written by Gene Chandler, Earl Edwards, and Bernice Williams. The song was recorded in one take.

The song established Gene Chandler’s career and became his signature hit. He adopted the persona of the “Duke of Earl,” often appearing in a cape and top hat during performances. Chandler went on to have a long career. He released music until 1986. He had a lot of success on the Billboard R&B charts and had some more top 40 singles as well, but nothing as big as The Duke of Earl.

This song is just one of those songs that you know the instant it starts. It’s one of the most famous openings of any song from the rock ’n’ roll era. Chandler was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002 for “The Duke of Earl” and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2014.

The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard 100 and #1 in Canada (from all I’ve found) in 1962. There are 35 cover versions of this song but it would be impossible to wipe away the memory of the original.

Duke Of Earl

Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl
Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl
Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl
Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl

Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl
Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl
Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl
Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl

As I walk through this world
Nothing can stop the Duke of Earl
And-a you, you are my girl
And no one can hurt you, oh no

Yes-a, I, oh I’m gonna love you, oh oh
Come on let me hold you darlin’
‘Cause I’m the Duke of Earl
So hey yea yea yeah

And when I hold you
You’ll be my Duchess, Duchess of Earl
We’ll walk through my dukedom
And a paradise we will share

Yes-a, I, oh I’m gonna love you, oh oh
Nothing can stop me now
‘Cause I’m the Duke of Earl
So hey yeah yeah yeah

Well, I, oh I’m gonna love you, oh oh
Nothing can stop me now
‘Cause I’m the Duke of Earl
So hey yeah yeah yeah

Status Quo – Ice in the Sun

This song was on the band’s debut album Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo. I’m just learning about them but they started off with a psychedelic phase with this album. I really admire their career…their discography reads like War and Peace. They released their last album Backbone in 2019. This album was before their shift to boogie music of the 1970s.

Ice in the Sun peaked at #8 in the UK, #29 in Canada, and #70 on the Billboard 100. It charted well in the rest of the world. The song was written by Marty Wilde (a popular British rock and roll singer in the 50s) and Ronnie Scott (a British pop promoter). It’s a cool blend of psychedelic pop and rock. I really love the 1965-1968 era in rock because you had psychedelic, pop, rock, hard rock, folk, Americana, country, and a little bit of everything.

When Pictures of Matchstick Men hit the American charts, the group made the decision to remain in Europe, focusing their efforts on the UK market…they would regret this later on. It paid off in the UK as Status Quo became one of the most popular bands in Britain, charting over 60 singles but they missed out in America. Their only other chart entry here was Ice In The Sun.

The album received positive, especially for its single Pictures of Matchstick Men, which peaked at #7 on the UK Singles Chart and #12 on the Billboard 100. Ice in the Sun has stuck in their live repertoire through the years.

Status Quo

I’m not a little boyI’ve lived alone and loved so many moreBut when she touches me I’m on the wayI’m underneath the floor

Like ice in the sun I melt awayWhenever she comes I melt awayLike ice in the sun I melt away

I sit down in a chair andRead a book as if I couldn’t thereBut she is in a room andI must look I see her everywhere

Like ice in the sun I melt awayWhenever she comes I melt awayLike ice in the sun I melt away

She opens up her eyes as if to speakShe looks at me and I am weakHer eyes they seem much bigger than beforeI cannot think anymore

Like ice in the sun I melt awayWhenever she comes I melt awayLike ice in the sun I melt away

Like ice in the sun I melt awayWhenever she comes I melt awayLike ice in the sun

…