Category: Singles

Beach Boys – Do It Again

I remember hearing this song long in the late seventies for the first time. The intro drum sound is interesting. Their engineer at the time, Stephen Desper, came up with the drum effect heard at the beginning of the track. Desper created it by blending the original sound with that of one drum strike being repeated four times.

This song was released in 1968. By this time their popularity in America was falling since releasing Pet Sounds…which makes no sense considering the legendary status that album has. Brian Wilson and Mike Love wrote this song and went back to the surfing image with this one. The song peaked at #20 on the Billboard 100, #1 in the UK (where they remained very popular), and #10 in Canada.

This was a single release…released only two weeks after their album Friends. This was their second UK number one…the first one was Good Vibrations. Brian Wilson named “Do It Again” as one of his favorite Beach Boys original songs, offering insight into his creative process with Mike Love. He did say it was his favorite song that he co-wrote with Mike Love. Since its Spotify debut, this track has earned over 10 million plays!

Carl Wilson: Yes, I suppose it has got the old Beach Boys surfing sound. It’s back to that surfing idea with the voice harmony and the simple, direct melody and lyrics. We didn’t plan the record as a return to the surf or anything. We just did it one day round a piano in the studio. Brian had the idea and played it over to us. We improved on that and recorded it very quickly, in about five minutes. It’s certainly not an old track of ours; in fact it was recorded only a few weeks before it was released. We liked how it turned out and decided to release it.

Mike Love: “I went to the beach with my friends and we went to the surfing spot down at a place called San Onofre, down near the Marine Corps base down south. And it was such a beautiful day and the waves were great. And then of course one of the great things about the beach is it attracts good looking girls. [Laughing].”

I’ve never been a fan of Mike Love. He kicked Brian Wilson out of the band at one time and is not known as a nice guy. Here is a short clip of Brian Wilson talking about Mike Love.

Do It Again

It’s automatic when I
Talk with old friends
The conversation turns to
Girls we knew when
Their hair was soft and long
And the beach was the place to go

Suntanned bodies and
Waves of sunshine
The California girls and a
Beautiful coastline
Warmed up weather
Let’s get together and do it again

With a girl the lonely sea looks good
Makes your night times warm and out of sight

Been so long, long, long, long
Been, been, been, been, been
Been, been, been, been, been

Been so long

Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now
Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now
Hey now, hey now

Well I’ve been thinking ’bout
All the places we’ve surfed and danced and
All the faces we’ve missed so let’s get
Back together and do it again

Jim Croce – I Got A Name

When I hear this song it automatically makes me feel good but it’s also tinged with sadness because of what happened before this was released.

Whenever I think of Jim Croce…I think of his album that my sister and I played when I was 6 and 7 years old.  It was the first time I ever heard about a star dying. I heard it on the radio when I was 7. My sister had his greatest hits and I played it non-stop. This one is easy for kids to remember. This song has been played to death and I wasn’t going to post it…but after listening to it I admit I was enjoying the song again.

Jim Croce and guitarist  Maury Muehleisen died in a plane crash on September 20, 1973. The song peaked at #1 in July of 1973 and was still on the charts when the accident happened. There were 3 stars around this time that died and that stuck with me for the rest of my life. Jim Croce, David “Stringbean” Akeman, and Don Rich the lead guitarist for Buck Owens a year later. As a kid I knew Croce the best and I couldn’t fully comprehend what was going on.

On September 20, 1973, a chartered small plane attempted to take off in thick fog from Natchitoches in Louisiana, bound for Sherman, Texas. On reaching the end of the runway, the pilot suffered a heart attack and lost control of the aircraft and they hit a tree. No one survived.

Jim Croce was not a pin-up model…he looked like a regular blue-collar worker going to work on a construction site. He and Maury Muehleisen were pure magic on guitars. I didn’t realize how good they were together until years later after I started playing guitar.

This song was the title track to his album, released 3 months after he died. The song was used as the theme song of the soundtrack to a 1973 movie, The Last American Hero, starring Jeff Bridges and based on the life of stock-car racing driver Junior Johnson. Croce and Muehleisen didn’t write this song which surprised me. The song is credited to Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel. It’s been used in other movies as well since then like the 2012 film Django Unchained.

The song peaked at #10 on the Billboard 100 and #8 in Canada in 1974. The album I Got A Name peaked at #2 on the Billboard Album Charts and #2 in Canada.

Ingrid Croce (Jim’s wife):   “More people think he wrote that song. His voice was so unique… the timbre in his tone and his warmth and his generosity, everything came through that voice. So when he took a song, he’d make it his own, and I think he did a great job with ‘I’ve Got A Name.’ So many people like to think of Jim with that song that I hate to tell them it isn’t his.”

Producer Terry Cashman:  “We recorded it because Jim was going to get a lot of money to record the song, and if it was released as a single, it would be the main title of a movie called The Last American Hero. So it wasn’t a song that Jim wrote on the guitar with Maury [Muehleisen]. Tommy and Jimmy and Maury and myself came up with the arrangement together. It was a different kind of animal. We did that song with just the tracks for us, and then recorded Jim’s voice over it, which is the way most people did records in those days. But most people think that Jim wrote that song because it sounds like the other songs, and then the production of course is a little bit more elaborate. It was different in that way, but Maury has a big guitar part and it certainly sounded like one of his records. And it became one of his most popular records. You know, a lot of people have covered that song, and it’s been used in a number of other movies.”

I Got A Name

Like the pine trees linin’ the windin’ road
I’ve got a name, I’ve got a name
Like the singin’ bird and the croakin’ toad
I’ve got a name, I’ve got a name
And I carry it with me like my daddy did
But I’m living the dream that he kept hid

Movin’ me down the highway, rollin’ me down the highway
Movin’ ahead so life won’t pass me by

Like the north wind whistlin’ down the sky
I’ve got a song, I’ve got a song
Like the whippoorwill and the baby’s cry
I’ve got a song, I’ve got a song
And I carry it with me and I sing it loud
If it gets me nowhere, I’ll go there proud

Movin’ me down the highway, rollin’ me down the highway
Movin’ ahead so life won’t pass me by

And I’m gonna go there free

Like the fool I am and I’ll always be
I’ve got a dream, I’ve got a dream
They can change their minds but they can’t change me
I’ve got a dream, I’ve got a dream
Oh, I know I could share it if you want me to
If you’re goin’ my way, I’ll go with you

Movin’ me down the highway, rollin’ me down the highway
Movin’ ahead so life won’t pass me by
Movin’ me down the highway, rollin’ me down the highway
Movin’ ahead so life won’t pass me by

Beatles – Any Time At All

I’m 8-9 years old again when I hear this song. It’s not a deep meaningful song but it’s just catchy and good. I heard it first in 1976 on the Beatles compilation album Rock and Roll Music. That was terrible packaging…not the albums but the packaging itself. It made the Beatles look like they were popular in the 1950s.

Beatles Rock and Roll Music InsideBeatles Rock and Roll Music Outside

Ringo Starr said: “It made us look cheap and we never were cheap. All that Coca-Cola and cars with big fins was the Fifties!” John Lennon told Capitol that the cover looked like a Monkees reject. He offered to design the cover but was declined. That doesn’t mean the album didn’t contain great music…a double album full of some great songs.

This song was on the UK version of A Hard Day’s Night album.  In America, it was on the Something New album. They were pressed for time and John finished the song off while on vacation and brought it to the studio. Lennon is believed to be the only writer of this song. This one was known then as an album track but it’s not like it doesn’t have a nice hook.

We know that Paul is very active in songwriting but on this album, John ended up writing 10 of the 13 songs. I had a book that measured each of them in the Lennon/McCartney songs and Lennon wrote a larger percentage, most of that because of the early days.

John later said it was an effort in re-writing It Won’t Be Long (my first favorite Beatle song) and it’s true. It’s also got some of All I’ve Got To Do theme in it.

On the albums in America. Something New peaked at #2 on the Billboard 100 and #2 in Canada. The reason it peaked at #2? A Hard Day’s Night was released in America on June 26, 1964, and peaked at #1 in America and Canada. Something New was released less than a month later on July 20, 1964. A Hard Days Night held its sister album off. There were 6 Beatles albums released in America and 5 in Canada in 1964. In the UK there were 2 released in 1964. Capitol pulled songs from 1962-1963 and all of them came rolling out.

I’ve also included the song It Won’t Be Long. A very underrated Beatles early rocker which they never played live for some reason. When you are 8 years old…that guitar riff sounded so cool…wait a minute…it does now also!

John Lennon: “An effort in writing ‘It Won’t Be Long’ – same ilk. C to A minor, C to A minor with me shouting.”

George Harrison:  “Paul and John write a song, bring it into the studio and usually, nine times out of ten, Ringo and I haven’t heard the song before, and we get into the studio and try all different arrangements. We all stick little bits here and there, you know.”

My first favorite Beatles song It Won’t Be Long

Any Time At All

Any time at all, any time at all
Any time at all, all you gotta do is call
And I’ll be there

If you need somebody to love
Just look into my eyes
I’ll be there to make you feel right
If you’re feeling sorry and sad
I’d really sympathize
Don’t you be sad, just call me tonight

Any time at all, any time at all
Any time at all, all you gotta do is call
And I’ll be there

If the sun has faded away
I’ll try to make it shine
There is nothing I won’t do
When you need a shoulder to cry on
I hope it will be mine
Call me tonight and I’ll come to you

Any time at all, any time at all
Any time at all, all you gotta do is call
And I’ll be there

Any time at all, any time at all
Any time at all, all you gotta do is call
And I’ll be there
Any time at all, all you gotta do is call
And I’ll be there

…

Bobby “Blue” Bland – Turn On Your Love Light

Bobby “Blue” Bland, a renowned singer from Tennessee, gained popularity in the 1950s and 60s. His hit song “Turn On Your Love Light” was covered by various artists, including Van Morrison and The Grateful Dead. Bland’s career faced financial troubles but he continued to chart until the 1980s. His influence is felt across genres.

Turn on your love light, let it shine on me
And let it shine, shine, shine, let it shine

I learned about this guy through different sources. Van Morrison, Pig Pen, and finally Gregg Allman… all of them covered it. The other artists are  Lonnie Mack, The Rascals, Tom Jones, Edgar Winter’s White Trash, Bob Seger, Jerry Lee Lewis, Conway Twitty, and Jeff Beck just to name a few. The first version I heard was from Them, Van Morrison’s early band.

Bobby Blue Bland was from Rosemark Tennesse. He started to get popular in the 1950s and 60s. Some of Bland’s most famous songs include “Turn On Your Love Light,” “Stormy Monday Blues,” “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City,” and “I Pity the Fool.” This song was written by Joseph Wade Scott and Deadric Malone.

Bland released this song in 1961 and it peaked at #28 on the Billboard 100 and #2 on the Billboard R&B Charts. Allman has talked about playing this on the jukebox. When you hear someone like Gregg Allman say that Bobby “Blue” Bland is one of his singing idols…you know something great is there waiting to be heard. This I have heard before and was impressed even without Mr. Allman’s recommendation. If you want to hear something that was just once in a lifetime…The Allman Brothers AND The Grateful Dead together at the Fillmore doing this song. 

Bland began his career in Memphis, Tennessee, with bluesman B.B. King and ballad singer Johnny Ace (all three were part of a loose aggregation of musicians known as the Beale Streeters). He had some hits in the 50s and early 60s but had some financial troubles in 1968 and had to break up his band.

His record company was then sold to ABC Dunhill and he started up his career again and continued to chart til the 1980s. Of all bands…Whitesnake covered his song Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City in 1978 and charted in the UK in 1980.

Below I have Them with Van Morrison, The Grateful Dead with Pig Pen, and the last one Bobby Blue Bland who they were all getting this from.

Turn On Your Love Light

Without a warning you broke my heart
You took it darlin’ and you tore it apart
You left me sitting in the dark, crying
You said your love for me was dying

I’m begging you, baby, baby please
I’m begging you, baby, baby please
Turn on the light, let it shine on me
Turn on your love light, let it shine on me
And let it shine, shine, shine, let it shine

And I wanna know
When I

I get a little lonely
In the middle of the night
I need you darlin’
To make things alright

Come on baby, come on please
Come on baby, baby please
Turn on the light, let it shine on me
Turn on your love light, let it shine on me
A little bit higher, a little bit higher
Just a little bit higher, a little bit higher
A little bit higher

Come on, baby, come on please
I’m begging you, baby, I’m down on my knees
Turn on the light, let it shine on me
Turn on your love light, let it shine on me

I feel alright, I feel alright
I feel alright, I feel alright, baby

…

Plimsouls – Lost Time

I thought I would live up to my blog’s name today and feature some power pop. I featured A Million Miles Away a few years ago by the Plimsouls but I just listened to their debut album and it’s great…so I thank CB for bringing them up again.

Peter Case began his musical career in the late 1970s in Los Angeles, where he formed The Nerves, a pioneering power pop/punk rock trio. The Nerves are best known for their song “Hanging on the Telephone.” It was later covered by Blondie, and it reached #5 on the UK singles chart.

After The Nerves disbanded, Case formed The Plimsouls in 1978. The band released several albums and EPs and gained a dedicated following for their live performances. They released their self-titled debut album in 1981 and it contained this song. The album peaked at #153 on the Billboard Album Charts.

This is the common story of Power Pop bands for some reason. A few bands that play Power Pop will break through and stay there like The Cars and Cheap Trick. Most bands though continually release good albums but never catch on more than once or twice. The Plimsouls continued to release music and tour throughout the 1980s, but they never achieved mainstream commercial success on the level of some of their peers. One In A Million was their most successful song because it was in the movie Valley Girl in 1983.

The band broke up after their 1983 album Everywhere At Once. They reunited without drummer Louie Ramírez to make an album called Kool Trash in 1995. They did get one of the best drummers in rock to replace Ramirez though. Clem Burke of Blondie played with them for a short while.

Lost Time

I still remember those days
Inside the school house
Dreaming out the windows
Like the words were never all

Counting hours,
Praying on my knees
All i need was being
Cared for my beliefs

From the first step that i took outside
I made it to ya in a straight line
Catching up, up for lost time

(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time

(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time
(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time

who’s got a minute that’s been waiting for the green light
but catch you in it and they’ll keep you awake all night
i catch it still long enough to show my hands
i got no time to spend waiting for the plans

from the first step that i took outside
i made it to ya in a straight line
catching up, up for lost time

(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time
(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time
(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time

i tried living, day to day
what you get ain’t what you see
i tried breakin every way
but they always got their hands on me

from the first step that i took outside
i made it to ya in a straight line
we’re catching up, up for lost time

(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time
(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time
(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time

(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time
(get dressed) we’re making up for lost time
(get dressed) we’re making up

up up for lost time
up up for lost time
up up for lost time

…

Ten Years After – I’m Going Home

I was reading about Bruce Springsteen in the 70s and the book said that some people called him “Alvin Lee by the Sea” because of his guitar playing. I thought to myself…hmm, I need to check out Alvin Lee. We all know “I’d Love To Change The World”  but I remembered another song from the Woodstock soundtrack. CB brought it up the other day, and after I clicked on the link, it returned to me.

That guitar intro to this song just ripped through my headphones when I listened to it yesterday. Alvin Lee was so aggressive on guitar and I love it. It was pedal to the floor and never looking back.

Ten Years After’s music was characterized by Alvin Lee’s guitar playing and their excellent live performances. They released their first album Ten Years After in 1967. This song was from the live album Undead released in 1968. It was written by Alvin Lee.

Their popularity kicked in after the Woodstock triple album soundtrack came out in 1970. That album was one of my first live albums. This song performance is one of the film’s standout performances. I’m Going Home was a live staple in the band’s set for a couple years and then was released as a three-minute edited single.

The single version

Woodstock Performance

I’m Going Home

Goin’ home, my babyGoin’ home, my babyGoin’ home, to see my baby

Our baby, how goodMy baby, be goodI’m goin’ home, my babyHome to see my girl

Oh baby, baby, I’m coming homeBaby, baby I’m coming homeTell me mama, baby, I’m coming home

Gonna see my baby, see my baby fineGonna take my baby, want to take my baby mineHoping my woman treats me real kind

I’m goin’ home, my babyI’m goin’ home, to see my babyGoin’ home, my baby

Gonna see my baby, see my baby fineTake my baby, take my baby mineGonna tell your mama how good that love of ours

I’m goin’ home, to see my babyI’m goin’ home, to see my babyOh, baby ooh

Gonna take you back, take where love belongTreat me baby, treat, don’t treat me wrong

Oh, baby, I’m rollin’Baby, baby, I’m rollin’Baby, baby, I’m rollin’

Won’t you shake me, baby, well get you rollin’ downWon’t you shake me, baby, well get you rollin’ downOh, baby, we’re gonna have some fun

Baby, please don’t go, baby, please don’t goBaby, please don’t go, baby, please don’t goPlease don’t go, she’s cold, I need you

Comin’ home, ooh, heyCome on over baby, whole lotta shakin’ goin’ onI’m goin’ home, to see my babyHome, to see my girl, ooh

I’m goin’ home, take my babyI’m goin’ home, see my babyGonna take me back, I’ll take her where I belong

I’m goin’ home, to see my babyI’m goin’ home, to see my babyCome on, take me, yeah

I’m goin’ home, I’m goin’ homeI’m goin’ home, hey, hooGonna take me back back back where I belong

I’m goin’ home, I’m goin’ homeI’m goin’ home, I’m goin’ homeHoo, hoo, right where I belong

…

Lyle Lovett – If I Had A Boat

But Tonto he was smarterAnd one day said kemo sabeWell, kiss my ass, I bought a boatI’m going out to sea

Since I have been going over Texas Songwriters…I have saved Lovett for a while. I knew of him because his name is huge where I live and I’ve seen him on differrent shows throughout my life. So I started to listen to some of his music recently with high anticipation and was not disappointed.

The thing about these songwriters I like so much are the lyrics. What surprised me were the lovely melodies that sold those lyrics to listeners. You can write the best set of lyrics in the world but without a good melody they will just stay just lyrics.

He was born in the German farming community of Klein, Texas and was influenced by blues and country greats such as Ray Charles, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, and more. His music has a little bit of everything in it.  Western, folk, swing, jazz, bebop, blues, and gospel music. Lovett earned two degrees from Texas A&M University in Journalism and German, and music was his career of choice. One of his roommates in college was no other than fellow Texas songwriter Robert Earl Keen.

Lovett said that this song was based on a true story. He did try to cross a pond on a pony but he wished he had a boat when it happened. This song was about getting away from things and not being tied down.

This song was released in 1987 on the album Pontiac. The song peaked at #66 on the Billboard Country Charts. The album peaked at #12 on the Billboard Country Album Charts, #18 in Canada,  and #117 on the Billboard Album Charts.

He was asked if him and Robert Earl Keen were trying to carry on with the tradition that Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark started. He answered: There’s a direct line from those guys to Robert and me. We learned how to play those Guy Clark songs from Guy’s first record, and we sought out Guy and Townes as we came up, because we admired them so much, and got to know them. So their version of storytelling, their take on what a song was supposed to be, was something that Robert and I actively pursued.

On what Texas is to him: Texas is just home. I’m tethered here and lack perspective. My whole experience, every day in my life, is wrapped up in being from here. I’m what in the horse business we call barn blind. I really like my horses better than anybody else’s.

Lyle Lovett: Somehow you can tell the difference when a song is written just to get on the radio and when what someone does is their whole life. That comes through in Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson. There is no separating their life from their music.

If I Had A Boat

And if I had a boatI’d go out on the oceanAnd if I had a ponyI’d ride him on my boatAnd we could all togetherGo out on the oceanI said me upon my pony on my boat

If I were Roy RogersI’d sure enough be singleI couldn’t bring myself to marrying an old DaleWell, it’d just be me and TriggerWe’d go riding through them moviesThen we’d buy a boat and on the sea we’d sail

And if I had a boatI’d go out on the oceanAnd if I had a ponyI’d ride him on my boatAnd we could all togetherGo out on the oceanI said me upon my pony on my boat

The mystery masked man was smartHe got himself a Tonto‘Cause Tonto did the dirty work for freeBut Tonto he was smarterAnd one day said kemo sabeWell, kiss my ass, I bought a boatI’m going out to sea

And if I had a boatI’d go out on the oceanAnd if I had a ponyI’d ride him on my boatAnd we could all togetherGo out on the oceanI said me upon my pony on my boat

And if I were like lightningI wouldn’t need no sneakersI’d come and go wherever I would pleaseAnd I’d scare ’em by the shade treeAnd I’d scare ’em by the light poleBut I would not scare my pony on my boat out on the sea

And if I had a boatI’d go out on the oceanAnd if I had a ponyI’d ride him on my boatAnd we could all togetherGo out on the oceanI said me upon my pony on my boatI said me upon my pony on my boat

Jefferson Airplane – Somebody To Love

This will wrap up the visit to the 60s and ’70s San Francisco sound. Sorry for not covering The Grateful Dead and Joplin…but I post those two regularly. My whole reason for blogging is to learn new artists and the stories behind those artists and songs. This week I posted 4 artists I never posted about before. I also picked up a few good songs. I was impressed by these artists. Also thank you to the ones who told me their stories of that time… Phil, Jim, and halffastcyclingclub…those are the stories I love hearing.

***Also, I want to ask my readers something…were you at the famous Watkins Glen concert held in New York in 1973 that drew 600,000 people? If you were there I would love to hear your story. Jim has given me his story so I can repost my post about that concert on the anniversary. Thank you so much.

I’ve only posted one song by this band version, so I’m happy to do another. I always favored the Airplane over Jefferson Starship a little and REALLY favored either one over just the 1980s Starship. I first learned about them in Gimme Shelter…the Stones film about Altamont and the destruction there. Marty Balin was knocked out cold there by the Hell’s Angels.

And here it is…”You gotta keep your bodies off of each other unless you intend love…” Grace Slick.

This is one of those songs played in most movies about the 1960s. It’s one of those songs that transport you there even if you weren’t…at least you think you are.

Grace Slick was in a band named The Great Society that featured her brother-in-law who wrote this song, Darby Slick. She was married to Jerry Slick, the drummer of the band. It was released as a single from that band but did nothing. The Great Society also did another song that Slick wrote…White Rabbit.

Darby Slick started to see the downside to free love that was taking over. He saw jealousy and disconnect with some. This song is about loyalty to one person and finding one person to be with.

The Great Society opened for the Jefferson Airplane at some shows. Grace Slick said she always looked at them with awe. When she was approached to join, she jumped at the chance. That essentially ended The Great Society. She brought both songs over with her to Jefferson Airplane. They play it faster, harder, and cleaner. They set up the pause before the chorus that kicks the whole song forward using dynamics. And their arrangement suits Grace Slick’s voice much better than the original.

The song was on the Surrealistic Pillow album released in 1967. The album peaked at #3 on the Billboard Album Charts and #5 in Canada.

Somebody To Love peaked at #1 in Canada and #5 on the Billboard 100. 

Somebody To Love

When the truth is found to be liesAnd all the joy within you diesDon’t you want somebody to loveDon’t you need somebody to loveWouldn’t you love somebody to loveYou better find somebody to loveLove, love

When the garden flowers, baby are dead, yes andYour mind, your mind is so full of redDon’t you want somebody to loveDon’t you need somebody to loveWouldn’t you love somebody to loveYou better find somebody to love

Your eyes, I say your eyes may look like hisYeah, but in your head, babyI’m afraid you don’t know where it isDon’t you want somebody to loveDon’t you need somebody to loveWouldn’t you love somebody to loveYou better find somebody to love

Tears are running downThey’re all running down your breastAnd your friends, babyThey treat you like a guestDon’t you want somebody to loveDon’t you need somebody to loveWouldn’t you love somebody to loveYou better find somebody to love

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New Riders of the Purple Sage –  Lonesome L.A. Cowboy

This is a band I’ve read about and I’ve liked most of what I’ve heard. They have a long history and are still going now. The membership is fluid in this band. Many have performed with them including Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, Spencer Dryden, Robert Hunter, and more.

This band grew out of jam sessions between Jerry Garcia and John “Marmaduke” Dawson in 1969. Their name was based on a band that included Foy Willing and The Riders of the Purple Sage…yea they just added the “new” and off they went…it worked. Jerry Garcia was learning the pedal steel guitar and they played a few small clubs initially. The two soon picked up Peter Grant on banjo, David Nelson on lead guitar, Bob Mathews on bass, and Mickey Hart on drums and that was the beginning of  The New Riders of the Purple Sage.

They would often open for the Grateful Dead. Garcia would leave in 1971 but he would go back to them from time to time and play with them live and on albums. Garcia had many side projects going on when the Dead were not touring and recording.

From what I’ve heard of this band…I think of the Flying Burrito Brothers. I love name-dropping songs and this one has them. Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge, and Martin Mull was mentioned. Along with L.A.’s music hangouts like Barney’s Beanery and the Troubadour. The song was on the album The Adventures of Panama Red and was written by Peter Rowan. It peaked at #55 on the Billboard 100.

And off of their website: The New Riders of the Purple Sage received a Lifetime Achievement Award from High Times magazine at their Doobie Awards in September 2002 and performed a brief set (which included “Lonesome L.A. Cowboy” and “Panama Red” with Peter Rowan) at the festivities at B.B. King’s Blues Club in New York City.

Henry’s taken the brakes off and 2006 finds the New Riders of the Purple Sage back on the road with a revived and inspired lineup, bringing the songs of John Dawson back to the ears of adoring crowds nationwide as well as taking those songs to places they’ve never been before musically. Led by David Nelson and Buddy Cage, the current touring lineup includes Michael Falzarano (Hot Tuna) on guitar and vocals, Ronnie Penque on bass and vocals and Johnny Markowski on drums and vocals. John Dawson passed away on July 21 2009 but before he passed he had given the guys his blessing and was excited to know his music is being heard live again by a whole new generation of fans. The new lineup vows to keep the NRPS spirit and tunes alive by taking them to fans everywhere.  In 2009 the band released its first studio album in 20 years called Where I Come From on Woodstock Records. It features new songs written by David Nelson and Robert Hunter, Michael Falzarano, Johnny Markowski, and Ronnie Penque. The band continues to grow breaking out new songs on every tour while staying true to the legacy that was started over 40 years ago by John Dawson and Jerry Garcia.

Lonesome L.A. Cowboy

I’m just a lonesome l.a. cowboy,Hangin’ out, hangin’ onTo your window ledge, callin’ your nameFrom midnight until dawnI been smokin’ dope, snortin’ coke,Tryin’ to write a songForgettin’ everything I know‘Til the next line comes alongForgettin’ everything I know‘Til the next line comes alongThere’s so many pretty people in the city,I swear some of them are girlsI meet’em down at Barney’s beaneryWith their platform heels and spit curlsI buy’em drinks, we smoke our hopesTry to make it one more nightBut when I’m left all alone at lastI feel like I’ll die from frightRepeat Well, I know Kris and Rita, and Marty MullAre meeting at the troubadourWe’ll get it on with the joy of cookingWhile the crowd crys out for more‘Round six o’clock this morningI’ll be gettin’ kind of slowWhen all the shows are over, honey,Tell me, where do you think I go?Repeat

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Quicksilver Messenger Service – Fresh Air

This is a band I knew nothing about going in but I have a new respect for them now. I didn’t think I knew any of their songs…but I have heard this one. When I pick these bands that I’m learning about I usually pick a radio-friendly song to introduce them. After listening to their songs…there are songs I like a little more but this one is great and I’ve heard it somewhere at some point. It’s a cool song.

Quicksilver Messenger Service was formed in 1965 and quickly rose to prominence alongside peers like Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape,  and Grateful Dead. With their melodies, guitar work, and some experimentation, Quicksilver became synonymous with the psychedelic scene. The members included John Cipollina on guitar, Gary Duncan on guitar, Greg Elmore on drums, David Freiberg on bass, and Jim Murray on guitar and harmonica…it also included the famous British session player Nicky Hopkins at one time. In 1970 it included Dino Valenti.

Their history is confusing because I get different stories as I read on. One of the members and possibly the founding member was Chester William Powers, Jr. He was known as Chet Powers and his stage name was Dino Valenti. But we are not done…as a songwriter he was known as Jesse Oris Farrow. He wrote the very popular “Get Together” made famous by The Youngbloods in 1967. He and Gary Duncan wrote this song…Fresh Air.

It seems that Cipollina and Duncan helped form the band with Dino Valenti in 1964-65. Valenti was busted for pot and amphetamine possession right after and sold his rights to Get Together for a legal defense. He spent time in jail until 1968. When he got out he made a solo album and even opened up for Jimi Hendrix at the Fillmore West. He would finally join Quicksilver in late 1969 or early 1970.

Fresh Air was released as a single in 1970 and also appeared on their album Just for Love. The album peaked at #27 on the Billboard Album Charts and #49 on the Billboard 100. Dino Valenti does the lead vocals on this song. They were a popular band because 4 of their album were in the top 30 of the Billboard Album Charts.

There is much more history to this band than I have of course. I will post another one by them shortly and expand on some of their history.

The band is still going with David Freiberg.

David Freiberg on the name: “Originally there were four Virgos in the band, and one Gemini. Of the four Virgos, there were only two birthdays: John and I were born on August 24, and Gary and Greg were born on September 4…. The ruling planet for Virgo in astrology is Mercury, and it is for Gemini also. So in searching for a name, we said, ‘Well, let’s see – mercury’s the same as quicksilver, right? Mercury’s the messenger god? Quicksilver Messenger Service.’” 

John Cipollina: It was Valenti who organized the group. I can remember everything Dino said. “We were all going to have wireless guitars. We were going to have leather jackets made with hooks that we could hook these wireless instruments right into. And we were gonna have these chicks, backup rhythm sections that were gonna dress like American Indians with real short little dresses on and they were gonna have tambourines and the clappers in the tambourines were going to be silver coins.” And I’m sitting there going, ‘This guy is gonna happen and we’re gonna set the world on its ear.’

Gary Duncan: That’s the story Cipollina told everybody. But according to Dino, that wasn’t the case at all. When he’d been looking for a band, he’d talked to Cipollina, and everybody somehow put two and two together. He actually lived with us when he got out of prison, and while we played some music together and wrote songs, he had no interest in playing in Quicksilver; he wanted to start his own career. Well, when his own career didn’t do so well, he had more interest in playing in Quicksilver!

Fresh Air

Oh, what you do to me
Oh, what you do to me, little girl
Oh, have another hit of sweet air
Oh, have another hit

I want to know where you going
I want to know, sweet mama, where you gonna go?
Oh, have another hit of fresh air
Oh, have another hit

Oh, baby what you gonna do?
I what to know what you gonna do sweet thing?
Oh, have another hit of sweet love in the morning
Oh, have another hit

I love you, yes I do
I love you, god knows I do
Oh, have another hit of sweet California sunshine
Oh, have another hit

Take me home, take me home
Take me home, I wanna go home with you
Oh, have another hit of fresh air
Oh, have another hit

Moby Grape – Hey Grandma

This week I’m hitting the San Francisco sound of the 1960s. This is one area that I haven’t touched on much since I’ve been blogging besides The Dead and Janis Joplin. Those two I’ve talked about quite a bit so I’ll probably leave those off this week. I can’t tell you how much fun this is. The whole point of blogging for me is to find new songs that I haven’t heard…whether old or new.  I hope you enjoy this week as we visit an area that I’m not familiar with very much.

I’ve read about this band but never heard their music. They really blew me away! They were very tight and their harmonies were great. I will post something else by this band in the future. So far I’ve found out that they are very much a song band. Not a band who will extend a song to 15 minutes…they got to the point and got out.

Alright, buckle up for a trip back to the groovy 60s! Moby Grape was this super cool band from San Francisco that rocked the scene with their unique blend of psychedelic rock. They were formed by Canadian Skip Spence and Matthew Katz. Katz was the former manager of the Jefferson Airplane and Spence was the Airplane’s original drummer. Katz asked Spence to form a band like The Jefferson Airplane.

I listen to this band and I think..how did they not make it? It comes back to some bad luck and some self-sabotage. They had it all…including five members who could all write, sing and play. Record labels were lining up for them. They have since fought for decades between each other and especially their manager Matthew Katz. Other bands like Buffalo Springfield said that Moby Grape was one of the best bands from San Francisco.

They faced more drama than your favorite soap opera. From internal squabbles to management mishaps, it was like they couldn’t catch a break. And for the icing on the cake…they were overhyped by CBS Records.

This next bit of info took me by surprise. CBS actually released 5…yes FIVE singles at once by the band. The label was convinced that each of the 10 sides had the potential to make it to the top of the national charts. The thinking was that a shot-gun approach would ensure that at least one of the five would hit and garner maximum airplay and revenue. It failed miserably. Rock magazines, underground newspapers, and the mainstream press viewed the ploy as a cynical way to move products. Having your record company behind you is good, but who could live up to that? Their reputation suffered greatly.

This was the last single of that batch to be released. It peaked at #127 on the Billboard 100 and #94 on Cashbox. The highest charting single was Omaha, another really good song and it peaked at #88 on the Billboard 100 and #87 in Canada in 1967. The album did much better. The self-titled album Moby Grape peaked at #24 on the Billboard Album Charts.

Moby Grape was formed in 1966 with Peter Lewis as rhythm guitarist. Jerry Miller on lead guitar, Bob Mosley as the bassist and vocalist. Skip Spence on rhythm guitar and experimental drummer, and Don Stevenson on drums and he did some vocals. Their debut album, simply titled Moby Grape was released in 1967. It featured tracks like “Omaha” and “Hey Grandma” became instant Moby Grape classics, showing off the band’s killer harmonies and eclectic sound.

I really like the guitar work in this. Their harmonies sound like the future Grateful Dead would in the early seventies. Things took a darker turn with Skip Spence, one of their star members, battling personal demons. His struggles with mental health and substance abuse led to him leaving the band in 1969. He would return in 1971 and later as they disbanded and came back together.

They are still together with some of the original members. Peter Lewis, Jerry Miller, Bob Mosley, and Don Stevenson. Skip Spencer died in 1999 of lung cancer. His son Omar Spence is now with Moby Grape…singing his dad’s songs. There is a cult following of this band and they had the talent to do much more. This is a case of a record company really hurting them the opposite way they usually do.

Peter Lewis:  “We were so young. All we wanted to do was be free. What made us feel worse was that Buffalo Springfield seemed to be getting along fine. They didn’t like Katz at all. Neil Young was up there at the Ark, sitting right there when we were told we had to sign this paper giving away rights to the name. I remember him sitting there, playing this orange Gretsch he had and staring down at his feet. He didn’t say anything. But after that meeting, he told us not to do it. Don’t ask me why, but we did. When Rubinson came along, he said that if we signed with Columbia he’d get rid of Katz for us. Then after he got us signed [in February 1967] he came back and said that the Columbia lawyers couldn’t do it, that they’d made a deal behind our backs. Then we were really screwed.”

Hey Grandma

Hey Grandma, you’re so youngYour old man’s just a boyBeen a long time this time (pow-pow-pow)Been a long time this time (pow-pow-pow)Been a long time this time round, this time roundEverything is upside down, upside downSure lookin’ goodYou’re lookin’ so goodYou’re sure lookin’ good

SF freak scene was on my mindFillmore Slim is just a-wasting timeWell I got high this time (pow-pow-pow)Well I got high this time (pow-pow-pow)Well I got high this time round, this time roundEverything is upside down, upside downCause your lookin’ goodYou’re lookin’ so goodYou’re sure lookin’ good

Robitussin make me feel so fineRobitussin and Elderberry wineHey GrandmaHey GrandmaHey GrandmaHey Grandma

Who – Go To The Mirror

I just can’t get enough of this band. Not counting the Beatles…this is the band I would take to a deserted island and listen to. Not only in the studio but especially live. In their concert prime, between 69-76, they were untouchable in pure rock.

This song is on their Tommy album. I just listened to the album again and I have only one complaint. The production is thin and they don’t sound like The WHO. I have the studio and live version at the bottom. When they took this album on the road it really blossomed and turned into a Who mini opera. Their next album Live At Leeds and Who’s Next made them, along with Led Zeppelin, two of the biggest bands of the 70s.

Tommy is about a deaf, dumb, and blind boy who plays pinball. He is not really deaf, dumb, or blind but he dissociates himself from society and those around him. No one can break through his shell.

This song is about him seeing a doctor. The doctor confirms that there is nothing physically wrong with Tommy and his condition is caused by mental blocks from trauma as a kid. The doctor says Tommy will come out naturally. He is encouraged to go to the mirror where they know he is getting some kind of stimulation. In the mirror Tommy sings to his enlightened self “listening to you”, furthering his spiritual journey.

It’s a song that you will hear the familiar refrains running through this concept album. The “See Me, Feel Me” and “Listening to you, I get the music” parts.

Go To The Mirror

He seems to be completely unreceptiveThe tests I gave him show no sense at allHis eyes react to light the dials detect itHe hears but cannot answer to your call

See me, feel me, touch me, heal meSee me, feel me, touch me, heal me

There is no chance no untried operationAll hope lies with him and none with meImagine though the shock from isolationWhen he suddenly can hear and speak and see

See me, feel me, touch me, heal meSee me, feel me, touch me, heal me

His eyes can seeHis ears can hear his lips speakAll the time the needles flick and rockNo machine can give the kind of stimulationNeeded to remove his inner block

Go to the mirror boy!Go to the mirror boy!

I often wonder what he is feelingHas he ever heard a word I’ve said?Look at him in the mirror dreamingWhat is happening in his head?

Listening to you, I get the musicGazing at you, I get the heatFollowing you, I climb the mountainI get excitement at your feet!

Right behind you, I see the millionsOn you, I see the gloryFrom you, I get opinionsFrom you, I get the story

What is happening in his headOoooh I wish I knew, I wish I knew

Savoy Brown – A Hard Way To Go

I’ve heard a lot about this band but never listened to them much. Yesterday I did and they were stacked with great musicians. They have a big blues punch and melodic songs.

I just started to listen to many of their songs and this one caught my attention because of the tight bass intro. That is when I noticed a little of Santana’s sound in there as well. This song is a brief 2:20. If you get a chance on Spotify or Youtube…check them out. So far I’ve been going through their first 4 albums.

They are a British blues rock band formed in 1965 by guitarist Kim Simmonds. They are one of the pioneering bands of the British blues rock scene and bands like The Rolling Stones and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.

Over the years, the band’s lineup has changed numerous times, with Simmonds being the only constant member. Savoy Brown has released over 30 albums, with their early work being highly influential in the blues-rock genre.

Savoy Brown - Raw Sienna

They have Kim Simmonds’ expressive guitar work and the band’s tight rhythm section. The song was on the album Raw Sienna released in 1970. The album peaked at #75 in Canada and #121 on the Billboard Album Chart. It was written by the then lead singer Chris Youlden who would be with Savoy Brown from 1967 to 1970.

A Hard Way To Go

Ain’t got time for doubts or fearsAin’t got time for shallow tearsAin’t got time to bare my soulBecause I still got a hard way to go

Said that you got a losing handAin’t no point in you raising sandAin’t got time to bare your soulBecause I still got a hard way to go

And it’s a crying shameThat you can’t lay the blameOn anybody else but yourself

Wish that you had my sympathyYou ain’t got no hold on meAnd my heart is getting coldAnd I still got a hard way to go

And it’s a crying shameThat you can’t lay the blameOn anybody else but yourself

And I still got a hard way to go

Rascals – You Better Run

I graduated in 1985…and when I hear anything by The Rascals or Cream…I think of that spring and riding around in my car with friends. That is when I bought two cassettes…The Rascal’s greatest hits and a best of Cream. This band was so talented and you can tell they influenced Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, and others.

What a great band! I could almost leave it at that and post the song. They were technically the Young Rascals when this song came out of AM radio in the sixties. They were never really an album band but more of a super singles band. Another band like that was The Lovin’ Spoonful. They dropped the “young” in 1968 and continued having hits.

The Rascals made it by playing rhythm and blues and soul music. Their 1966 cover of the Rudy Clark and Artie Resnick song…Good Lovin went to the top of the Billboard Pop Singles chart. They had the majority of their hits between 1966-1968.

You Better Run peaked at #20 on the Billboard 100 and #22 in Canada in 1966.

They had nine top 20 hits and thirteen top 40 hits…they also had three number 1 hits and a total of 18 songs in the Billboard 100 before they disbanded in 1972. This song was written by Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati.

You Better Run

What you tryin’ do to my heart?
What you tryin’ do to my heart?
You go around tellin’ lies
You foolin’ round with the other guy’s
What you tryin’ do to my heart?

You better run
You better hide
You better leave from my side

What you tryin’ do to my soul?
What you tryin’ do to my soul?
Everythin’ I had was yours
And no I’m closing all the doors
What you tryin’ do to my soul?

You better run
You better hide
You better leave from my side

I love you girl, I love you so
Can’t you see it, don’t you know
I can’t stand you alibi
You’re tellin’ lies, and tell me why

What you tryin’ do to my head?
What you tryin’ do to my head?
Now I go my jaw out of line
You’re not gonna take my mind?
What you tryin’ do to my head?

You better run
You better hide
You better leave from my side

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