PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

Fanny

I want to thank Lisa for inviting me to write for her Women Music March. She posted this on March 20, 2025. She has been doing this for years and it gets better and better. Thanks, Lisa! She has had some great artists this month.

Joe Elliott: “I had no idea who they were, but this four minutes of music, and I was hooked.”

Kathy Valentine: They made 5 records. The Go Gos get a lot of attention for what we did and we only made 3 records.

Earl Slick: It’s always the ones that start it gets f**ked

David Bowie: They were one of the finest fucking rock bands of their time, they were extraordinary: They wrote everything, they played like motherfuckers, they were just colossal and wonderful, and nobody’s ever mentioned them. They’re as important as anybody else who’s ever been, ever; it just wasn’t their time.

When you hear about an all-female band…the Bangles, Runaways, and Go-Go’s come to mind but this band was completely different. These women rocked…not pop-rock but some hard blues rock. They were pioneers and had a huge impact on those other female bands, and those bands all cited Fanny as an influence.

They had a blues edge about them and weren’t as commercial. They never got that one big hit single to break them to the masses. They had a few songs with a pop flavor that really should have made it, such as All Mine… that would get my vote.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings:

They were formed in the late sixties in Sacramento by two Filipina sisters (their family left the Philippines in 1961 while kids), Jean and June Millington. June Millington was the lead guitar player and her sister Jean was the bass player. They started out in high school with the name The Svelts and then Wild Honey but the band was then renamed Fanny, not with a sexual connotation but to denote a female spirit.

Career

Fanny released their self-titled debut album in 1970, making them one of the first all-female bands to be signed to a major label and record a full album with complete creative control. Their blend of rock, funk, blues, and pop set them apart. They would be the first all-female band to release an album on a major label (Reprise) and land four singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and two in the top 40.

Like any other band, they had to pay their dues. They opened up for artists such as Jethro Tull, Humble Pie, Slade, Leon Russell, Van Morrison, Chuck Berry, Deep Purple, and many more. When you are opening for artists of that caliber, you are very good. Their range was incredible. They played on Barbra Streisand’s 1971 album Barbra Joan Streisand. So they could play almost anything.

They went on to release an album every year from 1970 to 1974, making it 5 studio albums in total in the 1970s, while touring relentlessly. By their third album,m Mother’s Pride, guitarist June Millington quit after it was released because she felt restrained by the band. After some changes, with her sister Jean still playing bass, the band released their last 1970s album, Rock and Roll Survivors. The album contained their highest charting single with Butter Boy, which charted at #29.

Fanny broke up in 1975, reunited in 2018, and released an album titled Fanny Walked the Earth. I simply adore these women because they could keep up with anyone in any field. One night Deep Purple missed a gig and Fanny filled in for them for that night without complaints.

Discography: (wiki)

Studio Albums

Fanny (1970)
Charity Ball (1971) (No. 150)
Fanny Hill (1972) (No. 135)
Mothers Pride (1973)
Rock and Roll Survivors (1974)
Fanny Walked the Earth (2018, as Fanny Walked the Earth)

Live Albums

Fanny Live (1998; recorded 1972) (reissued as Fanny: Live in 1972)
Live on Beat-Club ’71-’72 (2024)

Singles

“Ladies’ Choice” / “New Day” (1970)
“Nowhere to Run” / “One Step at a Time” (1970)
“Changing Horses” / “Conversation with a Cop” (January 1971)
“Charity Ball” / “Place in the Country” (September 1971) (No. 40)
“Ain’t That Peculiar” / “Think About the Children” (March 1972) (No. 85)
“Wonderful Feeling” / “Rock Bottom Blues” (July 1972)
“Young and Dumb” / “Knock on My Door” (October 1972)
“All Mine” / “I Need You Need Me” (January 1973)
“Last Night I Had a Dream” / “Beside Myself” (April 1973)
“I’ve Had It” / “From Where I Stand” (June 1974) (No. 79)
“Butter Boy” / “Beggar Man” (January 1975) (No. 29)

In recent years, Fanny has participated in reunion events, introducing their songs to new audiences. These performances have served both as a tribute to their historical impact and as a celebration of their music. They have a documentary out…watch it! It’s called FANNY: The Right To Rock that I placed at the top.

…

Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking

I remember hearing it as a kid, and I loved it as much then as now. Edmunds first heard this song on his car radio back in 1970 while in Britain. He was going to cover Let’s Work Together but it had just been covered by Canned Heat. He heard this song and thought…the backing track to both songs is so close, so he did this one.

I first saw Dave Edmunds in the film Stardust when it was shown as a late-night TV movie. He was part of the fictional Stray Cats in the film with Keith Moon as the drummer. The movie was a sequel to That’ll Be The Day.

This song is stripped-down rock at its best. Dave Edmunds released this song in 1970, and it peaked at #4 on the Billboard 100, #1 in the UK, #3 in Canada, and #3 in New Zealand. It sold over 3 million copies. During the instrumental break, Edmunds paid homage to several recording artists by shouting their names: “Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, Chuck Berry, Huey Smith.”

Dave had more tracks added to the song, but changed his mind and stripped it down and released it. It was the best decision. It was written by Dave Bartholomew and Earl King and released by Smiley Lewis in 1955, and it went to #2 on the R and B Charts.

I Hear You Knocking

You went away and left me long time ago
Now you’re knocking on my door
I hear you knocking, but you can’t come in
I hear you knocking, go back where you been

I begged you not to go but you said goodbye
And now you’re telling me all your lies
I hear you knocking, but you can’t come in
I hear you knocking, go back where you been, oh yeah

Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, Chuck Berry, Huey Smith

You better get back to your used-to-be
‘Cause you’re kinda love ain’t good for me
I hear you knocking, but you can’t come in
I hear you knocking, go back where you been

I told you way back in Fifty-two
That I would never go with you
I hear you knocking but you can’t come in
I hear you knocking, go back where you been

Diablos – The Wind

I’m reading Peter Wolf’s autobiography, and he mentioned this song being his and his first love’s song. I listened to it and instantly liked the guitar’s haunting mood and slight tremolo. It’s a doo-wop song from 1954, and it sounds heavenly. Many of the slow 50s doo-wop songs do sound haunting now. I think it was the production that helped as well.

The record also mentioned “featuring Nolan Strong” on the record, and it’s posted as Nolan Strong and the Diablos. He was an outstanding singer. The Diablos were a Detroit-based doo-wop group formed in the early 1950s. They had tight harmonies and Strong’s falsetto at the time set them apart. They recorded for Fortune Records, a label known for its gritty, cheap, and raw production style.

This was their biggest song and a cult classic. While it didn’t chart nationally, it became a staple on jukeboxes and a huge influence in Detroit. Nolan Strong became well-known among other musicians. Smokey Robinson said, “There was a guy who lived in Detroit and had a group called the Diablos. His name was Nolan Strong. They were my favorite vocalists at that time.” When Smokey Robinson says that…I automatically listen. Lou Reed added: “If I could really sing, I’d be Nolan Strong.”

Berry Gordy had wanted to bring the Diablos into his growing Motown complex and is said to have offered Jack & Devora Brown $5,000 for the Diablos contract, but the deal never transpired, much to the disappointment of the group, who felt that Motown could have done a better job in promoting and recording them.

The song has been covered a few times, most notably by Laura Nyro in 1971 and a live version by her was released in 2002. The Chenille Sisters also covered it in 1991.

Bobby Rogers (A Miracle Member): Smokey and I used to go see Nolan all the time at the Warfield Theater over on Hastings, He was a great singer. I don’t know, some people are just ahead of their time.’

The Wind

Wind, wind blow
Wind, wind blow
Wind, wind blow
Wind, wind blow
Wind, wind blow

When the cool summer breeze
Sends a chill down my spine
When I long for my love’s sweet caress
I know she has gone, but my love lingers on
In a dream that the winds bring to me
I remember as we kissed in the cool summer breeze
As she lay warm and tender in my arms

Darling, when a star falls, I wish for you
And, darling, when I see lover’s making love
Then I long for you
And when the sun and her stars are shimmering across the mountains and the valleys
Then, darling, I look for you
And even until the Heavens above can no longer exist
Even until then, shall I still love you

I know she has gone, but my love lingers on
In a dream that the winds bring to me

Mason Ruffner – Gypsy Blood

As soon as I clicked on the link that CB sent me I knew I heard this before on our old rock station here WKDF. They would mix new songs with old and it worked well. Love the groove in this one with that guitar constantly riffing through the song.

Mason Ruffner grew up in Texas but has adopted New Orleans as his home. In 1987, he released his second album entitled Gypsy Blood with the title track becoming a Mainstream Rock Track hit in 1987.

In the early 80s, his band backed musicians such as such as John Lee Hooker and Memphis Slim. He was spotted in 1985 by a CBS scout and was offered a contract. He released his self-titled album in 1985 to critical praise.

Ruffner’s style attracted notable musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Page, Carlos Santana, and ZZ Top, who would attend his performances or sit in with him. He opened up for a variety of acts that included Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jimmy Page, U2, and Ringo Starr. He also played on Bob Dylan’s album Oh Mercy.

He released his album Gypsy Blood in 1987 and it was produced by Dave Edmunds. The song peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot Track Charts in 1987. The album peaked at #80 on the Billboard Album Chart.

Gypsy Blood

Lord knows I was born a gypsy
My heart can steal you blind
I got my hand on my suitcase
Lots of travelin’ on my mind
Yeah, it’s that blood yeah, that gypsy blood
That carries me far from my love
My spirit flies just like a dove
I got that gypsy blood

I know that there ain’t nothin’
There’s nothin’ like a woman’s touch
But love just burns me like fire
Love is costin’ me too much
Must be that blood, must be that gypsy blood
That carries me far from my love
My spirit flies just like a dove
I got that gypsy blood

Do you wanta ride along with me, baby?
Well, I’m on the run
Well, I’m restless and I’m weary
I’m gonna shoot my gun!

Take me out there on that highway
Let the wind blow in my face
If I fall by the wayside
Somebody else can take my place
Yeah, it’s that blood yeah, that gypsy blood
That carries me far from my love
My spirit flies just like a dove
I got that gypsy blood

Jerry Garcia – Deal

I read the book Deal by Bill Kreutzmann. the drummer for the Grateful Dead. I started listening to Garcia’s debut solo album because of that and ended up liking it. Another song I loved as a kid, Sugaree, came from this album. That song was the first Dead/Garcia song I remember. I remember skating at our local skating rink and the owner must have been a Dead fan…he would play this album at times.

Garcia wanted to see what he could do without the Dead while making this solo album. One of the driving reasons was that he and his wife Mountain Girl wanted a house and the advance from the record company helped them get it. When you listen to the album the songs really flow and seem effortless. I could listen to this music at any time. I don’t have to be in a mood.

The album Garcia peaked at #35 on the Billboard Album Charts. He wanted to play all of the instruments on the album and did except drums. He brought Kreutzmann in to do that job. He also brought roadie Ram Rod (Laurence Shurtliff) in for those sessions, doing roadie work essentially, running errands and moving around the equipment. Kreutzmann and Ram Rod both were listed as “production assistants” in the credits. He paid Ram Rod the same amount that he paid Bill Kreutzmann and that was Garcia’s sense of fairness, which speaks volumes for his character. Although Bill doesn’t really agree with this to this day but sees that as Garcia’s character. Ram Rod ended up as President of Grateful Dead Productions from 1976 to 1995.

Like the Allman Brothers, they formed a family atmosphere with their crew and it extended to their audience. From the early Kool-Aid acid tests to later allowing the audience to tape their shows drew their audience closer. They would later give them their own section to record in…while other bands like Led Zeppelin would send people to bust their tape recorder or head. Garcia commented: Well, my feelings are, the music is for the people…I mean after it leaves our instruments it’s of no value to us, ya know what I mean? it’s like, ya know…what good is it? So it might as well be taped, my feeling is that..and if people enjoy taping it and enjoy having the tapes to listen to, that’s real great. “

They never played the same show twice. They would take songs in different directions and Garcia has said that he couldn’t play something twice the same. He just wasn’t built like that. That made every show unique…not that every show was great. The Dead has admitted they had their share of bad ones.

Bill Kreutzmann Drummer for the Dead: The album, Garcia, was cut at Wally Heider Studios in July 1971 and released by Warner Brothers the following January. There are a lot of songs on there that became Grateful Dead mainstays, in addition to “Deal”—we’re talking about straight-up classics like “Sugaree,” “Loser,” and “The Wheel.” Also, “Bird Song” is on there, which, to this day, is one of my all-time favorite Dead songs and one of my absolute favorite songs to play live (along with “Dark Star” and “The Other One”).

When I want musicians I’m playing with to learn any of those songs, I give them the Garcia versions. They’re just so good. I had a really great time making that album. Dealing exclusively with Jerry was the most effortless thing in the world. I didn’t have to do anything other than be myself. And play.

Cocaine was our special guest throughout those recording sessions, but you’d never be able to tell because everything was very laid back. I have no idea how we were able to do that, because cocaine isn’t exactly known for its relaxing properties. Maybe it was just the dynamic between us that made it all so … easy.

Deal

Since it costs a lot to winAnd even more to loseYou and me bound to spend some timeWondering what to choose

Goes to show, you don’t ever knowWatch each card you play and play it slowWait until that deal come ’roundDon’t you let that deal go down, no, no

I been gambling hereaboutsFor ten good solid yearsIf I told you now all that went downIt would burn off both of your ears

Goes to show you don’t ever knowWatch each card you play and play it slowWait until that deal come ’roundDon’t you let that deal go down, no, no

Since you poured the wine for meAnd tightened up my shoesI hate to leave you sittin’ thereComposing lonesome blues

Goes to show you don’t ever knowWatch each card you play and play it slowWait until that deal come ’roundDon’t you let that deal go down

Wait until that deal come ’roundDon’t you let that deal go downWait until that deal come ’roundDon’t you let that deal go downDon’t you let that deal go downDon’t you let that deal go downOh, no

Neil Young – Like a Hurricane

This song is for Song Lyric Sunday for Jim Adams’s blog. This week the theme is to find a song related to a weather condition such as cyclones, floods, hurricanes, rainfall, storms, tornadoes, typhoons, or winds.

I first heard this song in band practice back in the late 80s. The guitar started to play it and I thought it was an original. I told him I loved his song…he said “if only” it was mine! I learned about a lot of songs that way. I don’t know how I missed this one through the years. It’s now one of my favorite Neil Young songs.

Neil Young’s playing style is unique and electrifying. He’s not Clapton, Page, Van Halen, or Hendrix—but they’re not him, either. His approach is all about feeling, and he uses volume and feedback like few others can. Watching him play is thrilling, you always think the wheels are about to come off, but somehow they never do. Together with Crazy Horse, Neil captures the raw spirit of rock better than just about anyone.

Like a Hurricane was on the American Stars ‘n Bars album in 1977. A single version was released that was edited down to under 4 minutes but it only charted in the UK at #48. The album version is the one known now.

Neil’s songs are so well written and detailed but they come out sounding so loose like he is improvising on the spot…cause most of the time while recording he is more interested in getting the right feel than anything technical. it works really well. For me, that is the best way to record and I wish more artists would do this.

Neil Young: “I wrote it on a piece of newspaper in the back of (his friend) Taylor Phelps’s 1950 DeSoto Suburban, a huge car that we all used to go to bars in. As was our habit between bars, we had stopped at Skeggs Point Scenic lookout on Skyline Boulevard up on the mountain to do a few lines of coke; I wrote Hurricane right there in the back of that giant old car. Then when I got home, I played the chords on this old Univox Stringman mounted in an old ornate pump-organ body set up in the living room. I played that damn thing through the night, I finished the melody in five minutes, but I was so jacked I couldn’t stop playing.”

Neil Young: “When ‘Runaway’ goes to ‘I’m a walkin’ in the rain,’ those are the same chords in the bridge of ‘Hurricane’ – ‘You are…’ It opens up. So it’s a minor descending thing that opens up – that’s what they have in common. It’s like ‘Runaway’ with the organ solo going on for 10 minutes.”

Rock Critic Dave Marsh: “an eight-minute tour de force of electric guitar feedback and extended metaphor (Smokey Robinson meets Jimi Hendrix on Bob Dylan’s old block).”

Like a Hurricane

Once I thought I saw you in a crowded hazy bar
Dancing on the light from star to star
Far across the moonbeam I know that’s who you are
I saw your brown eyes turning once to fire

You are like a hurricane
There’s calm in your eye
And I’m gettin’ blown away
To somewhere safer where the feeling stays
I want to love you but I’m getting blown away

I am just a dreamer, but you are just a dream
You could have been anyone to me
Before that moment you touched my lips
That perfect feeling when time just slips
Away between us on our foggy trip

You are like a hurricane
There’s calm in your eye
And I’m gettin’ blown away
To somewhere safer where the feeling stays
I want to love you but I’m getting blown away, blown away

You are just a dreamer, and I am just a dream
You could have been anyone to me
Before that moment you touched my lips
That perfect feeling when time just slips
Away between us on our foggy trip

You are like a hurricane
There’s calm in your eye
And I’m gettin’ blown away
To somewhere safer where the feeling stays
I want to love you but I’m getting blown away

Jack Bruce – Into Money

I’m featuring two songs by two different trios that Jack Bruce was a part of. I’m not speaking just for me when I say this because many bass players would agree… but Jack Bruce was one of the biggest bass influences I had. There were 3 bassists that I wanted to learn from when I was learning to play bass. John Entwistle, Paul McCartney, and Jack Bruce. All three for different reasons.

John for the pure speed and those runs he pulled off that still amaze me to this day. Paul because of the melody he added to the bass in songs. He would be going everywhere but you hear a counter melody underneath it. Jack…he was the one that set me on my way because of Crossroads. He combined John Entwistle and Paul in some ways…plus a little extra. He added a jazz touch that Paul and John didn’t have…that is why he is one of the best. Plus one inspiration for Jack Bruce was that he played cello and attacked the bass in a different way than most of his peers.

After Cream I never knew much about him. We all know about Eric and to a certain extent Ginger Baker but Bruce I had no clue. Between 1969 through 2014 he released 14 solo albums. On top of the solo albums, he played with some bands like the power trio West, Bruce, and Laing or WBL including Leslie West, Jack, and Corky Laing for 3 albums. He also did collaborations with Gary Moore, Frank Zappa, Robin Trower, Tony Williams, Mick Taylor, and even his ex-bandmate Ginger Baker.

The song I’m featuring today was from an album B.L.T. Jack Bruce (bassist), Bill Lordan (drummer), and Robin Trower (guitarist). I saw this album at the Great Escape a lot. That was a used record store that I went to as a teen. As soon as CB sent me the link to this…I knew the album right away. It was made in 1981. The album peaked at #37 on the Billboard Album Charts. It’s a straight-ahead power trio that doesn’t let up. Into Money was written by Robin Trower.

I saw Clapton and Santana in 1990 at the now-demolished amphitheater in Nashville. That summer I also saw Robin Trower and he really impressed me because I got to see him in a club atmosphere and he was spectacular.

The other song (The Docter) I’m featuring is from WBL which features Leslie West, Jack Bruce, and Corky Laing. It was released in 1972 on the album Why Dontcha which peaked at #26 on the Billboard Album Charts. The Doctor was written by West, Bruce, Laing, and Sandra Palmer. It got quite a bit of radio play at the time.

Into Money

You’ve got your house, you’ve got your carYou live up on the hill among the starsYou say you did what you had to doBut was it really worth what they put you throughYou know these things we believed inIt didn’t touch you at allI hate to see you like this babyWith your back to the wall

You lost your heart, when you lost your nerveMaybe you lost your grip on that first curveYou used to talk about bein’ freeWhy, you’re so tied up you can’t even breathe

You know these things we believed inThey didn’t touch you at allI hate to see you like this babyWith your back to the wallMoney into moneyMoney into money

Money into moneyMoney into moneyYou’re into money, into moneyYou’re into money, moneyInto money yeah, yeahInto moneyInto money, into money, into money yeah, yeah, yeah, yeahInto money

Stray Cats – Rock This Town

I can’t tell you how much I liked this band when it was released. Such a fun and great sound. A throwback to the 50s was not what I was expecting…I can’t believe it got so popular at the time because it was so out of left field with mainstream at the time.

In the eighties, this was a fresh approach. A fifties-sounding band that featured guitar (Brian Setzer), double bass (Lee Rocker), and a snare drum (Slim Jim Phantom). No electronic drum in sight. This track is exciting because of the clear sharp guitar that sliced through. At the time, synthesizers reigned in popular music. The song peaked at #9 in the Billboard 100, #6 in Canada, #18 in New Zealand, and #9 in the UK in 1982.

The band broke up in 1984 while they were still successful. Since then the Stray Cats have reunited a few times and toured. Brian Setzer has been known since the breakup and the other members have remained busy as well. The bass player Lee Rocker has worked with worked with a variety of artists, including Carl Perkins, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

Slim Jim Phantom has played with many rockabilly bands including The Head Cat with Lemmy and Danny B. Harvey. He and Earl Slick from David Bowie’s band have made music as well. Setzer has formed the Brian Setzer Orchestra as a swing revival band that has become well-known.

Around 1984 they broke up because Setzer wasn’t feeling it anymore and the band had internal conflicts. He later regretted by saying “It was silly to break up the Stray Cats at the peak of our success.”

Rock This Town

Well, my baby and me went out late Saturday night
I had my hair piled high and my baby just looked so right
Well-ell, pick you up at ten, gotta have you home at two
Mama don’t know what I got in store for you
But that’s all right, ’cause we’re looking as cool as can be

Well, we found a little place that really didn’t look half bad
I had a whiskey on the rocks, and changed half a dollar for the jukebox
Well-ell, I put a quarter right into that can, but all they played was disco, man
Come on, baby, baby, let’s get out of here right away

We’re gonna rock this town
Rock it inside out
We’re gonna rock this town
Make ’em scream and shout
Let’s rock, rock, rock, man, rock
We’re gonna rock till we pop
We’re gonna rock till we drop
We’re gonna rock this town
Rock it inside out
(Rock it, rock right in!)

(Whoa!)
(Whoo!)
(Oh my god)
Whoo!

Well, we’re having a ball just a-bopping on the big dance floor
Well, there’s a real square cat, he looks a 1974
Well-ell, he looked at me once, he looked at me twice
Look at me again and there’s a-gonna be fight
We’re gonna rock this town
We’re gonna rip this place apart

We’re gonna rock this town
Rock it inside out
We’re gonna rock this town
Rock it inside out
Whoo!

Badfinger – Midnight Caller

I first heard Badfinger in the late seventies. The song was “Come and Get It,” and I thought it was The Beatles. I gradually learned more about Badfinger, and the more I read the more frustrating it got.

This is a gorgeous song from Badfinger. Pete Ham wrote it, and he sounds a bit like McCartney. The song is about a real band friend who turns into a prostitute (midnight caller) and distances herself from her old friends and her old self. It was on the No Dice album, which peaked at #28 on the Billboard album chart in 1970.

Badfinger was the most successful power pop band of the early seventies. Their power pop brethren Big Star and The Raspberries did not have as many hits and attention as Badfinger had at the time. Big Star had nothing and The Raspberries at least had a top ten hit in Go All The Way and a few more top 40 hits. Badfinger had a total of 4 top-ten Billboard and Canadian hits while having 3 in the UK. Baby Blue only getting to #73 in the UK? Life is NOT fair.

In 1971 Harry Nilsson gave them publicity and a big boost by covering Without You. It was number #1 practically everywhere. I always end up getting pissed off when writing about this band. They released albums after their hits that were never heard because their manager stole their money from escrow from their new record company Warner Bros and they pulled from circulation. Those albums were critically praised and have some of their best songs. I won’t go into what happened to Pete Ham and Tom Evans.

Pete Ham was a top-tier pop/rock writer. They all wrote, but Pete’s songs were the hits and usually stood out more on their albums. He wrote Baby Blue, No Matter What, Day After Day, and Without You which he co-wrote with bassist Tom Evans.

Should this have been a top-ten hit? No, but it’s a catchy heartfelt written song, and being a true story adds more weight to it. They did have songs that should have been released as singles that were not. Many bands out there today are one-hit wonders touring and doing great. Badfinger had 4 huge hits but never got to do a victory lap.

Midnight Caller never charted, but it is one of my favorite Badfinger songs. I also included a live short tv concert by Badfinger. Midnight Caller is not on there but it’s a great show. They open up with Day after Day.

Midnight Caller

Beneath the midnight caller
She thinks of paper green
You never hear them calling her name
They just know where they’ve been

You never hear her holler
The tears no longer come
She reads her daily book of the past
That shows of everyone

Grey years that show in her hair
Can’t be, but don’t seem to care
She unlocks the door and there’s no one there

She sees a daytime stroller
Walk from the night before
And though she paints a smile on her face
He won’t be back no more

She’s got no saint to follow
She’s got no place to go
Too proud to ask an old friend for help
Too proud to let him know

Grey years that show in her hair
Can’t be, but don’t seem to care
She knocks the door and there’s no one there

Nobody (nobody), nobody (nobody), nobody’s gonna help you now.

Badfinger… quick history

Today I’m having a Badfinger day. Christian got me into a Badfinger mood with his Baby Blue Post. I would suggest you read a more detailed version of their story when you can. Their story will draw you in.

Badfinger was a very talented band that had a gift and curse of sounding like The Beatles. Their songs are remembered today but not the band which is a shame. They made some very good albums and at least one great one. This band’s story is a cautionary tale that other bands must consider. This is what signing with a bad manager can do to you.

The members were Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Mike Gibbins, and Joey Molland (who replaced Ron Griffiths).

They started out as the Iveys and signed with the Beatle’s new label…Apple. They released Maybe Tomorrow as the Iveys which was a minor hit. After that, they changed their name to Badfinger. Paul McCartney wrote their first big hit single”Come and Get It” and after that, they were writing themselves. The hits kept coming… No Matter What, Baby Blue, and Day after Day. They also wrote Without You…a small blues song that Harry Nilson covered…it became a monster worldwide hit. Mariah Carey also covered it and was again a giant hit.

They signed with a manager named Stan Polley and got a massive contract with Warner Brothers after leaving Apple. Things were looking really good. They had hits but they never made it over the hump in being a big-time group. Warner Brothers could have pushed them over the hump…Polley set up an escrow account for the band with the advance money and the money disappeared.

He told the band that he was planning for their future etc…He put them on a small salary and embezzled the rest. He really swindled them and their royalties for their songs were tied up for decades. The band was basically broke. With all of their self-written hits, they should have been set financially for years.

Pete Ham didn’t have the money to pay his mortgage and with a baby on the way, drunk and depressed at the fatal age (for rock stars) of 27 he hanged himself in his garage in 1975. In 1983, after scrambling for gigs, Tom Evans broke and not able to get to any of the royalties due him from co-writing Without You with Pete…hanged himself also.

Pete was a trusting soul and never would believe Polley was cheating them until the very end. His suicide note read…

“I will not be allowed to love and trust everybody. This is better P.S. Stan Polley is a soulless bastard. I will take him with me.”

They all wrote to some degree but Pete Ham was a great songwriter. He had so much potential. He also was a great guitar player and singer. The other members did write some very good songs but Pete was the special one.

Stan Polley died in 2009… escaping other scandals without punishment.

Their albums were

Magic Christian Music – This was the soundtrack to the movie The Magic Christian. Come and Get It is on this album and a minor hit called Maybe Tomorrow which is a good pop song.

No Dice – No Dice is where Badfinger starts to be themselves. No Matter What and Without You came off of this album. It also has some other great songs… I Can’t Take It, Blodwyn, We’re for the Dark, Better Days, and my favorite of the album and possibly of Badfinger…Midnight Caller.

Straight Up – This is my favorite album by them. It has Baby Blue and Day after Day but a host of other good songs. Take It All, Money, Name of the Game, Suitcase, Sweet Tuesday Morning, and I’d Die Babe. Joey Molland’s songwriting and singing were very good on this album.

Ass – Their last album for Apple Records and the start of the downward spiral. The songs I would recommend are Apple of My Eye and Icicles.

Badfinger – They just signed a new record deal with Warner Brothers and this was the first album. They recorded this album as soon as they finished their previous album Ass for Apple which was too soon. They should have waited a while before recording this album. This album didn’t do well, and one of the reasons is that it was competing with their previous album. They were released within months of each other because Polley wanted something out. The songs I like are I Miss You and Shine On.

Wish You Were Here – The album was released in late 1974 and was pulled in early 1975 before it had time to do anything because of litigation between their manager and the Warner Brothers. It was released and pulled in a matter of weeks. Warner Brothers saw the money was missing and yanked the album off of the shelves. The songs I like are Dennis and Just a Chance. This album should have been a giant hit. It had hit songs on there waiting to be played. Dennis is one of their best songs.

Head First – They recorded this album after Wish You Were Here with Bob Jackson after Joey Molland had quit. The album was stuck in limbo for 26 years never released. It wasn’t released until 2000. I went out and bought this the day it was out at Tower Records when I read they were releasing it. On some songs, you can tell they are having problems with their management. The songs that stand out to me are Lay Me Down, Hey Mr. Manager, Rock N’ Roll Contract, and Keep Believing. A good album and I wish it would have had a chance at the time.

They did make a couple of albums after Pete died called Airwaves and Say No More. The song Lost Inside Your Love is the only song that approaches the Badfinger early quality.

Without Pete, the biggest talent was gone. That is not a knock on the others but he was just that good. Tom Evans was a good singer, songwriter, and musician who worked with Pete well and had a great voice. Joey Molland was a good guitar player, singer, and songwriter. The band didn’t lack talent.

In 1997 a CD was released of Pete Hams demos called 7 Park Avenue. It was various demos from his entire career. A follow-up was released in 1999 called Golders Green. The melodies he had rivaled McCartney. He was an amazing songwriter.

Go out and Google Badfinger and more importantly, listen to them. This band needs to be remembered.

Baby Blue… Maybe the most perfect power pop song ever in my opinion.

No Matter What…around 2:02-2:06…Tommy Evans does a cool backup. Not hard but very effective.

Day After Day

Midnight Caller

Suitcase

A good article on Badfiinger

Miskel Spillman on SNL

These are the kind of posts I like the most. They are fun to write.

Remember the SNL episode where Elvis Costello stopped playing a song and instead played a song Lorne Michaels did not want him to play? The song was Radio, Radio so Elvis defied Michaels and played it anyway. He banned Elvis from ever performing again on SNL. That was eventually lifted but that show is important and not only for that. The host of that show was special, to say the least.

The person hosting that show was the only non-celebrity they ever had to host. At the time, she was the oldest person to host SNL at 80 years old. That record stood until 2010 when an 88-year-old Betty White hosted. Miskel Spillman won the “Anyone Can Host” contest that SNL had in 1977. The finalists were an unemployed Oregonian, a divorced mother of three, a freshman college student, the governor of South Dakota (Richard F. Kneip), and Miskel, an 80-year-old grandmother from New Orleans.

The official “Anyone Can Host” ballot from November 1977

The show got over 150,000 entries. They all had them on an earlier show with Buck Henry as the host. The opening skit had John Belushi, Loraine Newman, and Buck Henry talking about how out of it Miskel Spillman seemed. Belushi then said he shared a joint with her. He said: WE SMOKED A JOINT OF OAXACAN AND MAUI WOWIE, A LITTLE HASH OIL…IT CALMED HER RIGHT DOWN.

Miss Spillman did a great job on the show. They limited her to an extent but she did well considering she had no experience. During her hosting stint, Spillman participated in various sketches, including one where she played the elderly girlfriend of John Belushi’s character. Her appearance remains a unique moment in SNL history.

Lorne Michaels made the show to appeal to baby boomers with a touch of Avant-Garde and “guerrilla-style comedy.” It was a game-changer much like All In The Family was to sitcoms. Late night was never again a wasteland. This show helped open the doors for David Letterman and other shows to follow it.

It started out as “Saturday Night.” The Saturday Night Live title belonged to ABC for a show hosted by Howard Cosell who was out of his league. After Cosell’s show was canceled, ABC let Saturday Night have the “Live” part.

Who was the best cast through the years? This is a question that is debated over and over again. People argue and usually pick the cast they grew up with. I grew up in the Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo era. Personally, I always thought the original cast was the best era of the show. Yes, I thought the Murphy and Piscopo casts were very funny along with later casts that had Dana Carvey, Michael Myers, Chris Farley, Chris Rock, and many others that followed. The first five seasons had something extra that others would not and could not have. It had an underground feel that vanished after it became a pure comedy show. They had a massive amount of talent in that first class.

In the first 5 seasons, they tried things out, some failed some didn’t but they were going out on a limb and trying. The musical guests were also usually artists that didn’t appear on television at the time. If a guest host was too popular…Lorne would reject them. He would NEVER do that now.

Miskel would live a long life. She lived until she was 94 years old in 1992. She was one of only two hosts that were born in the 1800s. The other one was actress Ruth Gordon (She was a tad bit younger when she hosted). I would have loved to have met Miss Spillman…she looks like a lively fun lady. They did bring her up on the 50th anniversary.

Miskel Spillman: “I love everyone in the cast, I watch it every Saturday night, and I thought, as I am 80 years old, I want a lot of old old people all over the world to watch it and get the thrill that I have every Saturday night watching it.”

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Bo Ramsey – Forget You

The other day CB and I were talking about music, and he sent me some links to this guy. I’ve listened to him this week and the first thing I noticed was that great guitar tone. I’ve listened to many parts of his career and the guy is a master of guitar tone. A great guitar sound attracts me to songs sometimes more than the singing and lyrics. Once I hear a good opening riff, it usually hooks me. He has a mixture of blues, folk, rock, and Americana. I also enjoyed his songwriting and vocals, as he doesn’t stick in one place.

He was born and raised in Iowa and started his music career around 1973. He originally fronted The Mother Blues Band in Iowa. His inspirations were Sun Records’ rockabilly and Chess Records’ blues artists of the 1950s. It’s hard to beat those two influences.

During the 1970s and 1980s, he played with various bands and developed his sound. He took a break from music during the 1980s but came back strong. A turning point was when he heard a song by fellow Iowan Greg Brown on the radio. He recognized a kindred spirit, so he reached out to Brown, starting a collaboration that continues to this day

In 1994, he got his first big break by opening shows for Lucinda Williams. He worked with her producing and adding guitar to her albums, and also played in her band. He has played guitar with various artists. His production and guitar work extend to notable musicians like Joan Baez, Ani DiFranco, Iris DeMent, and Elvis Costello.

This song was on his album In The Weeds released in 1997.

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Golden Smog – Glad and Sorry

If you take acoustic country and mix it with Big Star, you get bands like Wilco and this band Golden Smog. You literally get Big Star, Wilco, Uncle Tupelo (who I spelled wrong in the past), and The Jayhawks; the explanation is at the bottom. I’m glad that CB mentioned this band because they are exactly what I’m into right now.

They started as a loose collaboration of Minneapolis-based musicians who got together to play cover songs under pseudonyms. The name Golden Smog comes from a character in a Flintstones episode. The band initially played country and rock covers, but it evolved into a serious musical project over time.

Membership in this band has been fluid. They have had Chris Mars (Replacements drummer), Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Louris and Perlman of The Jayhawks, Dave Primer from Soul Asylum, and more. Also in 1997, Jody Stephens became their drummer. He was an original member of Big Star.

All in all, they have released 4 albums starting in 1995 with Down by the Old Mainstream. This is the album that this song was on. It was a cover of a Faces song written by Ronnie Lane, and they did a super job on it. I love both versions, and I’m not easy on cover versions, but this hits the mark.

I will be going over all of their albums in the future. I’ve liked everything I’ve heard by them so far. Here is a list of their members…present and past.

Kraig Johnson (Kraig Jarret Johnson and the Program)
Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum)
Gary Louris (Jayhawks)
Marc Perlman (Jayhawks)
Steve Gorman (Black Crowes)

and their past members

Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum)
Chris Mars (Replacements)
Noah Levy (Brian Setzer and Soul Asylum)
Jeff Tweedy (Uncle Tupelo and Wilco)
Jody Stephens (Big Star)

Glad and Sorry

Thank you kindlyFor thinking of meIf I’m not smilingI’m just thinkingGlad and sorryHappy or sadAll is done and spokenYou’re up or I’m downCan you show me a dream?Can you show me one that’s better than life?Can you stand it in the cold light of day?Well, neither can ICan you show me a dream?Can you show me one that’s better than life?Can you stand it in the cold light of day?Well, neither can I

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Steve Earle – Feel Alright

Every so often, I always go back to Steve Earle. When he first came out, rock and country stations would play him. I was way more of a rock fan than a modern country fan, but artists like Earle and Dwight Yoakum changed that for me. They brought in the Merle Haggard and Buck Owens Bakersfield sound, which I liked. Earle also brought in a Townes Van Zant and Texas songwriting approach. I saw many of my musician friends who were songwriters starting to pick up this approach, which was great to see.

This came off of his 1996 album I Feel Alright. It was his 6th album, and he had signed to Warner Brothers. I heard of him in the late eighties with a song called I Ain’t Ever Satisfied. I first saw him in 1989, opening up for Bob Dylan at the now-demolished Starwood Ampitheater in Nashville. He was one of the best opening acts I’ve ever seen, to that point. That night, Bob was sick (we found out later), and he only played for 45 minutes, but Steve Earle made the show worth it. I do remember someone yelling as Bob was leaving the stage, “I know you are an old son of a bitch but 45 minutes?” Bob was 48 at the time!

The album was released after Earle had successfully overcome heroin addiction and incarceration, and the lyrics matched that: Yeah, but be careful what you wish for friend ‘Cause I’ve been to hell and now I’m back again. One critic said at the time that this album was Earle telling people in the 90s: Don’t feel bad about feeling good. The album was critically acclaimed.

The album charted at #38 in Canada, #106 on the Billboard 100, #29 in New Zealand, and #44 in the UK in 1996. This song was released as a single but didn’t chart.

Steve Earle: I’m a folkie. I come from coffee houses just like Gram (Parsons), Townes (Van Zandt), Guy (Clark), and Chris (Hillman). We’re all post-Bob Dylan coffee house bred songwriters. South Texas was a great place to grow up musically, but then things really busted open when I moved to Nashville. I was still only 19 and got to see bluegrass music up close for the first time – and old-time music, music that was more from the Appalachian Mountains versus western swing – one of the main components of rock and roll in the first place.

Feel Alright

I was born my papa’s sonA wanderin’ eye and a smokin’ gunNow some of you would live through meThen lock me up and throw away the keyOr just find a place to hide awayHope that I’ll just go away, hah

Well, I feel alrightI feel alright tonightI feel alrightI feel alright tonight

And I’ll bring you precious contrabandAnd ancient tales from distant landsOf conquerors and concubinesAnd conjurers from darker timesBetrayal and conspiracy, sacrilege and heresy

And I feel alrightI feel alright tonightI feel alrightI feel alright tonight

I got everything you won’t needYour darkest fear, your fondest dreamI ask you questions, tell you liesCriticize and sympathizeYeah, but be careful what you wish for friend‘Cause I’ve been to hell and now I’m back again

I feel alrightYeah, I feel alright tonightYeah, I feel alrightI feel alright tonight

Ywah, I feel alrightFeel alright

Peter Wolf – Come As You Are

Every single time I wrote about J Geils and now Peter Wolf, I always gush about how great of a frontman the man is. I would put him against anyone in rock. With the film clips I’ve seen, he is electric on stage. Wolf was the lead singer and songwriter of The J. Geils Band from 1967 to 1983. In 1983, Wolf and the J. Geils Band parted ways after the singer expressed his interest in returning to the band’s rock ‘n’ roll roots.

When the band was splitting up, he stepped out on his own. I asked CB if he had any artists in mind, and he thankfully sent me a few, and Wolf was one of them. I remember this song from the 1980s. He always brings energy and a fun atmosphere to work with. I also remember Lights Out that I have at the bottom.

I also found some more songs of Wolf that I really like. He did some music with Merle Haggard and others that I will be posting soon. Wolf and Tim Mayer wrote this song, as well as many of the songs on the album. I listened to this album this week, and it’s what Peter Wolf is: fun and energetic.

This song was on the album Come As You Are released in 1987. The song peaked at #15 on the Billboard 100, #29 in Canada, and #1 on the Mainstream Rock Charts. The album peaked at #53 on the Billboard Album Charts.

He released his autobiography, called Waiting On The Moon, on the 11th of this month. It’s one that I just ordered from Amazon. Wolf has lived a full life, to say the least. A teaser for the book said this: He roomed with David Lynch in college and married Faye Dunaway. Drank his first real Irish Guinness with Mick Jagger. Smoked hash with Peter Sellers. Ate lamb chops with poet Robert Lowell. Marilyn Monroe once handed him M&Ms.

Here is another song that came back to me .

Come As You Are

They hung a sign outSign out at the sevenDown at the hive of such a busy beeSo sorry honey sign up for heavenThe guilt tonight is you and meCome as you are, now come onCome as you are and we’ll have a ballAin’t gonna be no masqueradeCome as you are, or don’t come at allHe’ll be a hot time, hot time at the lake sideBarry and the boys are filling in for freeWe’ll jump and move and take it for a joyrideI still get up there for you and meCome as you are, now come onCome as you are and we’ll have a ballAin’t gonna be no masqueradeCome as you are, or don’t come at all

I’m just a bluebird, bluebird at your windowAnd it’s for sure you’re a pretty sight to seeBut lives are short; I know what you’re intoCome on, it’s you and meCome as you are, now come onCome as you are, and we’ll have a ballAin’t gonna be no masqueradeCome as you are, or don’t come at allWhoa, whoa, whoaCome as you are now, come onCome as you are, and we’ll have a ballAin’t gonna be no masqueradeCome as you are, or don’t come at allCome as you are

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