The Red Button is the collaboration between singer-songwriters Seth Swirsky and Mike Ruekberg. Their original songs have catchy hooks of the pop music of the ’60s and ’70s, yet still sound modern. They have released two albums – She’s About to Cross My Mind (2007) and As Far As Yesterday Goes (2011).
Cruel Girl has a sixties sound. charted at #1 on Little Steven’s Underground Garage radio show for the week of July 22, 2007, and was named the 2nd Best Song of 2007 by Popbang Radio
The two met in 2005 and hit it off immediately; both of them admiring each other’s songs and sharing a taste for vintage pop.
Cruel Girl
Cruel Girl why you gotta treat me like a fool girl Bring me down with everything you do girl Break my faithful little heart in two girl, cruel girl
I know that I should go I should walk away But when I think of how things were only yesterday It makes me stay You were so sweet when we first met Now you’re so bad to me I just can’t forget
You’re a cruel girl I’ll do anything you want to do girl I’ll believe that every lie is true girl I could never settle for a new girl, cruel girl
What keeps me standing here staying by your side When the way you treat me girl only hurts my pride I can’t lie I can’t forget the words you said You used to hold me now you hurt me instead
Everytime I walk away I end up running back to you It’s true Other girls would treat me better Why you gotta be so cruel. So cruel
You were so sweet when we first met But then your pretty face went straight to your head
Oh you’re a cruel girl No one else can hurt me like you do girl But you know I’ll always be your fool girl I could never settle for a new girl cruel girl You’re so cruel, you’re so cruel Just don’t ever tell me that we’re through Oh, you’re so cruel
I once read where a critic said “Night Flight” was a song that would have fit nicely on a Stones album. I have to agree with him because I can see that.
Led Zeppelin first recorded this song in 1971. it was intended for Led Zeppelin 4, but was put on Physical Graffiti to fill the double album. Most of this song was written by Led Zeppelin’s bass player, John Paul Jones, who is listed first on the writing credits. It is one of the few Led Zeppelin songs with no guitar solo. It is also credited to Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.
When I listen to Physical Graffiti I always make sure I give this one a listen. This song was not released as a sing because Zeppelin didn’t do that much at all…but I always thought it should have been.
According to Robert Plant…This song is about a man dodging a military draft.
From Songfacts
While there’s no official live recording of the band playing this, bootlegs abound of one time when they did it during a sound check on stage. A different studio version was produced with extra backing vocals.
In the liner notes for the Led Zeppelin box set, Jimmy Page declares: “To be able to fuse all these styles was always my dream in the early stages, but now the composing side of it is just as important.”
In Frank Moriarty’s book Seventies Rock: The Decade of Creative Chaos, Moriarty recounts how critics were less receptive to Zeppelin’s stateside invasion than their fans: “The writers insisted the band’s concerts did little more than placate legions of Quaalude-swallowing, whiskey-and-wine-swilling cretins, a vulgar audience that filled the soulless hockey rinks and municipal auditoriums of the United States – and Led Zeppelin was more to be blamed for the group’s low-rent audiences than praised for their music.” Good thing their reputation recovered, then!
Night Flight
I received a message from my brother across the water He sat laughin’ as he wrote the end’s in sight So I said goodbye to all my friends And packed my hopes inside a matchbox ‘Cause I know it’s time to fly
Oh yeah, come on, meet me in the morning Meet me in the middle of the night Ah yeah, the morning light is comin’ Don’t it make you want to go and feel alright
I just jumped a train that never stops So now somehow I’ll know I never finished payin’ for my ride Just n’ someone pushed a gun into my hand Tell me I’m the type of man to fight the fight that I’ll require
Oh yeah, come on, meet me in the morning Want you meet me in the middle of the night The morning light is comin’ Don’t it make you want to go and feel alright
Oh, mama, well I think it’s time I’m leavin’ Nothin’ here to make me stay Whoa, mama, well it must be time I’m goin’ They’re knockin’ down them doors They’re tryin’ to take me away
Please Mr. Brakeman, won’t you ring your bell And ring loud and clear Please Mr. Fireman, won’t you ring your bell Tell the people they got to fly away from here
I once saw a picture of a lady with a baby Southern lady, had a very, very special smile We are in the middle of a change in destination When the train stops, all together we will smile Oh, come on, come on now meet me in the morning Won’t you meet me in the middle of the night, night, night Oh oh, yeah, everybody know the mornin’ time is comin’ Don’t it make you want to feel alright Ah, ah, yeah, make me feel alright Fly now, baby Get to fly, yeah Fly now, baby Oh, hey, hey
This is more of a question than a post…just curious what you think.
I was commenting on A Sound Day and I asked Dave a question on a post about Michael Hutchinson of INXS. Who was the last Rock Star? Since Kurt Cobain died has there really been a rock star like we knew in the 60s and 70s to come along? Not counting older ones still around.
When I say rock star…I mean one comparable to the legends that we know… Between 1955 and 1994 there were plenty to pick from…Elvis, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Elton John, Sly Stone, Roger Waters, Prince, and the list could go on…These artists spoke to generations.
So no… Nickleback’s lead singer would not count.
The only two names I could think of was Dave Grohl and Jack White of the White Stripes. Someone who is known outside the world of Rock and Roll. I’m not sure Grohl and White would count either.
After watching Planes, Trains, and Automobiles at Thanksgiving this song has stuck with me yet again. Mess Around was Ray Charles’s first hit for Atlantic Records. The song was written by Atlantic Records president and founder Ahmet Ertegün. The song peaked at #3 in the R&B Charts in 1953.
Ahmet claimed his inspiration for writing “Mess Around” was Pete Johnson.
Ray Charles had 75 songs in the Billboard 100, 3 Number 1’s, and 11 Top Ten Hits.
Mess Around
Ah, you can talk about the pit, barbecue The band was jumpin’, the people too Ah, mess around They doin’ the mess around They doin’ the mess around, Everybody doin’ the mess around Ah, everybody was juiced, you can, bet your soul They did the boogie-woogie, with a sturdy roll (?) They mess around They doin’ the mess around They doin’ the mess around, Everybody doin’ the mess around Now, ah, when I say stop don’t you move a peg When I say go, just ah, shake your leg And do the mess around I declare, do the mess around Yeah do the mess around, Everybody’s doin’ the mess around Now let me have it there boy
[Piano Solo]
Now you got it boy
[Sax Solo]
(Yeah, ah, mess around, go on mess around) (Mess around, boy) Now this band’s goin’ to play from, 9 to 1 Everybody here’s gonna have some fun Doin’ the mess around Ah, doin’ the mess around They doin’ the mess around, Everybody doin’ the mess around Now you see that girl, with that, diamond ring She knows how to, shake that thing Mess around I declare, she can mess around Ah, mess around, Everybody do the mess around
No one crosses genres like Johnny Cash. I’ve seen rockers, heavy metal, and country fans like Johnny.
After Cash returned home from the Air Force and signed with Sun Records, he gave Sam Phillips the song “Hey Porter.” Phillips asked for a ballad for the B-side, so Cash went home and quickly wrote “Cry! Cry! Cry!” literally overnight. It became his first big hit.
“Cry! Cry! Cry!” was released and sold over 100,000 copies. The song was originally released in 1955 and reached #14 in the charts at the time. This song was the B side to Hey Porter.
Elvis Costello did a fantastic cover of this song in 1982 as the B side to I’m Your Toy.
Cry! Cry! Cry!
Everybody knows where you go when the sun goes down. I think you only live to see the lights uptown. I wasted my time when I would try, try, try. ‘Cause when the lights have lost their glow, you’ll cry, cry, cry.
Soon your sugar-daddies will all be gone. You’ll wake up some cold day and find you’re alone. You’ll call for me but I’m gonna tell you: “Bye, bye, bye, “ When I turn around and walk away, you’ll cry, cry, cry,
You’re gonna cry, cry, cry and you’ll cry alone, When everyone’s forgotten and you’re left on your own. You’re gonna cry, cry, cry.
I lie awake at night to wait ’til you come in You stay a little while and then you’re gone again Every question that I ask, I get a lie, lie, lie For every lie you tell, you’re gonna cry, cry, cry
When your fickle love gets old, no one will care for you. Then you’ll come back to me for a little love that’s true. I’ll tell you no and then you’ll ask me why, why, why? When I remind you of all of this, you’ll cry, cry, cry.
You’re gonna cry, cry, cry and you’ll want me then, It’ll hurt when you think of the fool you’ve been. You’re gonna cry, cry, cry.
One of the most famous riffs in rock history. The lyrics was written by Pete Brown, a beat poet who was friends with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce. He also wrote lyrics for “I Feel Free” and “White Room.” Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce wrote the music.
The song peaked at #5 in the Billboard 100 in 1968.
When Cream broke up, Jimi Hendrix played this song on the Lulu show for a farewell to Cream.
Cream played this at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 12, 1993, when they reunited for their induction. To that point, the only other time the band got back together was at Eric Clapton’s wedding in 1979. Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr also played together at that wedding.
From Songfacts
Pete Brown wrote the opening line after being up all night working with Bruce and watching the sun come up. In a Songfacts interview, he told the tale: “We had been working all night and had gotten some stuff done. We had very little time to write for Cream, but we happened to have some spare time and Jack came up with the riff. He was playing a stand-up – he still had his stand-up bass, because he’d been a jazz musician. He was playing stand-up bass, and he said, ‘What about this then?’ and played the famous riff. I looked out the window and wrote down, ‘It’s getting near dawn.’ That’s how it happened. It’s actually all true, really, all real stuff.”
Jack Bruce’s bass line carries the song. He got the idea for it after going to a Jimi Hendrix concert. When Kees van Wee interviewed Bruce in 2003 for the Dutch magazine Heaven, Kees asked him which of his many songs epitomizes Jack Bruce the most. At first he was in doubt whether he should answer “Pieces Of Mind” or “Keep On Wondering,” but then he changed his mind and opted for “Sunshine Of Your Love.” Because, said Bruce, “It’s based on a bass riff. And when you enter a music shop this is the song that kids always play to try out a guitar.”
Tom Dowd, who worked with most of the artists for Atlantic Records at the time, engineered the Disreali Gears album. Dowd was renowned for his technical genius, but also for his ability to relate to musicians and put them at ease.
When Cream recorded this song, it wasn’t working. In the documentary Tom Dowd And The Language Of Music, he explained: “There just wasn’t this common ground that they had on so many of the other songs. I said, ‘Have you ever seen an American Western where the Indian beat – the downbeat – is the beat? Why don’t you play that one. Ginger went inside and they started to run the song again. When they started playing that way, all of the parts came together and they were elated.”
According to Rolling Stone magazine’s Top 500 songs issue, Jack Bruce knew the song would do well. “Both Booker T. Jones and Otis Redding heard it at Atlantic Studios and told me it was going to be a smash,” he recalled.
One man who was not impressed was Ahmet Ertegun, who was head of the group’s label. When Bruce revealed the song at the sessions, Ertegun declared it “psychedelic hogwash.” Ertegun constantly tried to promote Eric Clapton as the band’s leader, and also didn’t believe the bassist should be a lead singer. He only relented and agreed to champion this song after Booker T. Jones came by and expressed his approval.
This is one of Eric Clapton’s favorites from this days with Cream; he played it at most of his solo shows throughout his career. When Cream played some reunion concerts in 2005, they played the song as their encore.
Jimi Hendrix covered this at some of his concerts, unaware that he was the inspiration for the bass line.
Hendrix did an impromptu performance of the song when he appeared on Happening for Lulu, BBC TV show in England hosted by the prim and proper “To Sir With Love” singer. After playing part of his scheduled song “Hey Joe,” Hendrix stopped the performance and said, “We’d like to stop playing this rubbish and dedicate a song to the Cream, regardless of what kind of group they may be in. We dedicate this to Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce.”
This version appears on the Experience Hendrix 2CD/3LP The BBC Sessions towards the end of Disc 2/Side 6 on the LP. An instrumental version appears on the 2010 Valleys of Neptune album, which was recorded by Hendrix at London’s Olympic Studios on February 16, 1969.
Hendrix engineer and producer Eddie Kramer recalled to Toronto’s The Globe and Mail: “Jimi loved Cream, he loved Eric Clapton. It was a fabulous song, he loved to play it, and he would just rip into it whenever the mood hit him.”
This was Cream’s biggest hit. It was their first to do better in the US than in the UK, as they started to catch on in America. In the US, this first charted in February 1968 at #36. In August, after the album came out, it re-entered the chart and went to #5.
Clapton’s guitar solo is based on the ’50s song “Blue Moon.”
Excepting “Strange Brew,” the Disraeli Gears album was recorded in just three days, as the band had to return to England because their work visas were expiring. Engineer Tom Dowd recalls the sessions coming to an abrupt end when a limo driver showed up to take the musicians to the airport. Dowd was tasked with mixing the album in their absence.
Jack Bruce released a new version on his 2001 album Shadows In The Air. Clapton played on it along with Latin percussionists from New York City, which gave it a Salsa sound.
In The Breakfast Club (1985), John Bender (Judd Nelson) tries to liven up Saturday detention by mimicking the riff on air guitar.
Sunshine of Your Love
It’s getting near dawn, When lights close their tired eyes I’ll soon be with you my love, To give you my dawn surprise I’ll be with you darling soon, I’ll be with you when the stars start falling
[Chorus:] I’ve been waiting so long To be where I’m going In the sunshine of your love
I’m with you my love, The light’s shining through on you Yes, I’m with you my love, It’s the morning and just we two I’ll stay with you darling now, I’ll stay with you till my seas are dried up
[Chorus]
I’m with you my love, The light’s shining through on you. Yes, I’m with you my love, It’s the morning and just we two. I’ll stay with you darling now, I’ll stay with you till my seas are dried up
I’ve been waiting so long I’ve been waiting so long I’ve been waiting so long To be where I’m going In the sunshine of your love
This episode was different from any comedies at the time and would influence others. Mclean Stevenson left the show (which he would later regret) after three seasons and the show killed his character off. When Radar walked in the operating room and told everyone what happened to Henry it was a memorable tv moment.
Sitcoms just didn’t kill characters off and Mash would start mixing comedy and drama more after this.
If it’s about my discharge, give it to me straight! I can take it!
You behave yourself, or I’m gonna come back here and kick your butt!
M*A*S*H: Abyssinia, Henry
The Characters: Capt. Benjamin Franklin ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce, Capt. ‘Trapper John’ McIntyre, Lt. Col. Henry Blake, Maj. Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan, Maj. Frank Burns, Cpl. Walter ‘Radar’ O’Reilly, Cpl. Maxwell Q. Klinger and Father Francis Mulcahy
Radar has an announcement for Henry in O.R. Henry Blake has received his discharge: he is finally going home to Bloomington, Illinois, to his wife, Lorraine, and their children, the country club and his medical practice. The entire 4077 gang is thrilled for Henry and they wish him well; gifts are gotten, parties are thrown and all sorts of final memories are made. But, the entire gang is sad to be losing such an integral part of the 4077 gang. Radar, in particular, is losing the man who was a father to him. The final farewell formation is memorable; even Hawkeye and Trapper show up to tell their friend and leader a fond farewell. Some farewells are fonder than others. Klinger dresses to kill. As Henry starts to leave, Radar steadfastly holds his salute to his departing C.O. until Henry finally acknowledges him.
In the 1980s I had a Lovin’ Spoonful Greatest hits on vinyl made by a small Nashville record company my friend worked at called Gusto Records. After listening to their many hits…this is the one that I zeroed in on. They had bigger hits but this is one of my favorite songs by the Lovin’ Spoonful.
John Sebastion sings it so desperately and sincere that it hooked me.
John Sebastian wrote this ballad for Francis Ford Coppola’s You’re A Big Boy Now, a coming-of-age film. Sebastian was responsible for the whole soundtrack but was tasked to write this specific song for an important love scene. He started thinking about all the songs that dealt with lonely musicians on the road and decided to flip the concept and write about a guy waiting for his girlfriend to come home.
Unfortunately, the movie was largely ignored. The song was mostly forgotten until Sebastian revived it during his performance at Woodstock in 1969.
The song peaked at #15 in the Billboard 100 and #44 in the UK in 1967.
From Songfacts
“From the singer’s perspective, the verses are pleas for a partner to spend a few minutes talking before leaving,” Sebastian explained to Marc Myers for the book Anatomy of a Song. “What made the song interesting is that you never knew if the other person was actually there listening or was already gone.”
After hitching a ride with the helicopter carrying The Incredible String Band’s equipment, Sebastian arrived at the Woodstock festival thinking he’d just be a spectator. But an early afternoon downpour flooded the stage and it needed to be cleared of water before Santana’s amps could be set up. Michael Lang, the concert’s producer, asked Sebastian to fill in. He took the stage in a tie-dyed white denim outfit and sang five songs, the fourth being “Darling Be Home Soon.” He recalled: “The audience didn’t identify the song with the movie, since most probably hadn’t seen it. Instead, they sort of quieted down and took it in as a love song. My job wasn’t to incite but to mellow everyone out until the stage was swept. When I finished, the applause from so many people was loud and wide, and knocked the wind out of me. The feeling was delicious.”
The Lovin’ Spoonful recorded this with a studio orchestra in just one day. The next morning, however, Sebastian was horrified to learn his vocal take had accidentally been erased and had to be re-recorded. “I did that right away, with the wound still fresh,” he said. “What you hear on the record is me, a half hour after learning that my original vocal track had been erased. You can even hear my voice quiver a little at the end. That was me thinking about the vocal we lost and wanting to kill someone.”
Zal Yanovsky, the band’s lead guitarist, hated the song. He thought it was too sappy and accused Sebastian of losing his rock edge. During one live performance, Zal can be seen clownishly mocking the frontman as he sings the heartfelt lyrics.
This was used on the CBS crime drama Cold Case in the 2010 episode “Free Love.”
Several artists have covered this, including Bobby Darin, Joe Cocker, Slade, The Association, and Bruce Hornsby.
Darling Be Home Soon
Come And talk of all the things we did today Here And laugh about our funny little ways While we have a few minutes to breathe Then I know that it’s time you must leave
But, darling, be home soon I couldn’t bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled My darling, be home soon It’s not just these few hours, but I’ve been waiting since I toddled For the great relief of having you to talk to
And now A quarter of my life is almost past I think I’ve come to see myself at last And I see that the time spent confused Was the time that I spent without you And I feel myself in bloom
So, darling, be home soon I couldn’t bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled My darling, be home soon It’s not just these few hours, but I’ve been waiting since I toddled For the great relief of having you to talk to
So, darling My darling, be home soon I couldn’t bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled My darling, be home soon It’s not just these few hours, but I’ve been waiting since I toddled For the great relief of having you to talk to
Go And beat your crazy head against the sky Try And see beyond the houses and your eyes It’s okay to shoot the moon
Darling be home soon I couldn’t bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled My darling, be home soon It’s not just these few hours, but I’ve been waiting since I toddled For the great relief of having you to talk to
Chuck Berry was THE first guitar hero in Rock and Roll. He was also rock’s first poet. This song evolved out of “Ida Red,” a hillbilly song by Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys from the early ’50s. Berry heard that song on the Country radio station KMOX in St. Louis but didn’t know who recorded it.
Not only is the music great with the steady beat… but those lyrics. The motor cooled down the heat went down, And that’s when I heard that highway sound, the Cadillac a-sittin’ like a ton of lead, a hundred and ten half a mile ahead, the Cadillac lookin’ like it’s sittin’ still, and I caught Mabellene at the top of the hill
You can see what is happening in the song in your head with no problem… no MTV story video needed. He was one of the best descriptive lyricist rock and roll has ever had.
The song made it to #5 in the Billboard Pop Chart in 1955.
From Songfacts
Berry had never recorded, but when he went to Chicago to see Muddy Waters perform, he stayed in town to pitch himself to Leonard Chess of Chess Records, who asked him to come back the next week with some original songs. Berry returned with his bandmates Johnnie Johnson (piano) and Eddie Hardy (drums), and a demo reel with four songs, including “Ida Mae.” That’s the one Leonard Chess liked best, but he asked Berry to change so there wouldn’t be any confusion with “Ida Red” and to fend off any copyright claims. Berry changed the lyrics, turning it into a song about fast cars – one of his favorite topics. It was the first song the band recorded, and it proved a challenge: they recorded 36 takes.
This song tells the story of a girl who keeps cheating on her man. Various cars appear in the lyrics; Berry sings about chasing Maybellene in his V8 Ford while she drag races a man in a Cadillac with her Coupe de Ville.
There are a few different stories floating around about how the song got its name. Berry has said that Maybellene was the name of a cow in child’s nursery rhyme, but Johnnie Johnson recalled that there was a box of Maybellene mascara in the office, which gave Leonard Chess the idea for the title.
Chess Records gave the disc jockey Alan Freed a cowriting credit on this song (and also some cash) in exchange for playing it on the radio. Deals like this led to the Payola scandals, which led to rules prohibiting record companies from paying DJs to play their songs. Marshall Chess, the son of Chess founder Leonard Chess, recalled to The Independent newspaper May 27, 2008: “He [Freed] played the hell out of Chuck’s first record, ‘Maybellene’, because of that. My father says he made the deal, and by the time he got to Pittsburgh, which was half a day’s drive away, my uncle back at home was screaming, ‘What’s happening? We’re getting all these calls for thousands of records!'”
Deals like this were perfectly legal and fairly common at the time, but when the government took action in 1959, Freed refused to admit to taking Payola, insisting he was acting as a consultant to the music industry. Holding steadfast to this position, the radio and TV stations he worked for fired him, and his career never recovered. In contrast, Dick Clark admitted to taking cash and gifts, and simply stopped doing so when it was declared illegal. He was able to grow his media empire considerably after the scandal.
Berry was 29 years old when he recorded this song, but he knew that his audience was teenagers, so he wrote the song to appeal to that crowd – the ones fascinated with cars and experiencing young love. Berry also took care to sing it as clearly as possible so it would have more crossover appeal with a white audience. His strategy worked: the song went to #1 on the R&B chart and also made #5 on the Pop chart.
Chuck Berry was a rock and roll original, but he didn’t consider this a rock song. Said Berry: “‘Maybellene’ was very much a country song, with country lyrics. Maybe a little faster but basically it was country.”
Soon after this was released, Elvis Presley started performing it at some of his live appearances. Many other artists also recognized its propulsive appeal and covered the song. British acts – notably The Beatles and The Rolling Stones – often recorded Berry’s songs, but the UK act that grabbed this one was Gerry and the Pacemakers, who included it on their 1963 debut album How Do You Like It?
Other artists to cover the song include George Jones, The Searchers, Jerry Lee Lewis and Foghat.
The B-Side of the single was a slow blues song called “Wee Wee Hours.”
One-third of the composing credit went to Russ Fratto for the sole purpose of making sure that Berry got more royalties than Alan Freed (Fratto was a local DJ who was a close friend of Berry’s). He agreed to give Berry his share. In those days, it was common to give Freed a composer credit in exchange for airplay on his show. Freed would get royalties, and the song would become a hit.
A version by Johnny Rivers reached #12 in the US in 1964.
Later in 1955, Fats Domino released his own song with a three-syllable girl in the title: “I Can’t Go On (Rosalie).”
Berry died in 2017, the same year Fats Domino passed away. Jon Batiste and Gary Clark, Jr. paid tribute at the Grammy Awards in 2018 by performing “Maybellene” and “Ain’t That A Shame.”
Maybellene
Maybellene, why can’t you be true Oh Maybellene, why can’t you be true You’ve started back doin’ the things you used to do
As I was motivatin’ over the hill I saw Mabellene in a Coup de Ville A Cadillac arollin’ on the open road Nothin’ will outrun my V8 Ford The Cadillac doin’ about ninety-five She’s bumper to bumper, rollin’ side by side Maybellene Why can’t you be true Oh Maybellene, why can’t you be true You’ve started back doin’ the things you used to do
The Cadillac pulled up ahead of the Ford The Ford got hot and wouldn’t do no more It then got cloudy and started to rain I tooted my horn for a passin’ lane The rainwater blowin’ all under my hood I know that I was doin’ my motor good Maybellene Why can’t you be true Oh Maybellene, why can’t you be true You’ve started back doin’ the things you used to do
Oh, Maybellene Why can’t you be true Oh Maybellene, why can’t you be true You’ve started back doin’ the things you used to do
The motor cooled down the heat went down And that’s when I heard that highway sound The Cadillac a sittin’ like a ton of lead A hundred and ten half a mile ahead The Cadillac lookin’ like it’s sittin’ still And I caught Mabellene at the top of the hill Maybellene Why can’t you be true Oh Maybellene, why can’t you be true You’ve started back doin’ the things you used to do
This Emmy-nominated episode has acquired a reputation as the best of all Martin’s hosting gigs. Its not my favorite episode…I do like it though… but it’s probably one of the most important in the show’s history. It was a turning point for SNL. It went from a cult hit to a major player in the ratings during this period. Many people have picked it as the best episode.
Saturday Night Live has always been hit or miss in any era. The difference in the 70s is they would take more chances and Lorne made sure everyone had a chance in the cast.
The show introduced a lot of comedians and some unknown musical artists like Redbone and others that would not have gotten coverage on a network show.
Saturday Night Live: Steve Martin/Blues Brothers
The Cast: Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Bill Murray, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner, The Blues Brothers, and Don Pardo
The host for the episode is Steve Martin (his fifth appearance), and the musical guest is The Blues Brothers (their second appearance). The skits for this episode are as follows: Concert promoter Don Kirschner presents footage of an old club performance by The Blues Brothers. For his opening monologue, Steve Martin talks about the inspiration for his comedy ideas, then does a magic act that ends with him tackling and beating a member of the audience.
The Festrunk brothers prepare their apartment for the two girls they believe are on the way, but their neighbor Cliff tells them they’ve been stood up. Medieval doctor Theodoric of York treats a series of patients by draining their blood. A man and woman catch each other’s notice in a crowded club, and dance together romantically as the rest of the club freezes in place around them. During the Weekend Update, Jane Curtain and Dan Aykroyd debate abortion, Jane reports on Carter’s energy policy and a new nasal contraceptive, and Dan berates Garrett Morris for short-changing him on the weed he bought. Steve performs a song about King Tut. The Nerds Todd and Lisa prepare their science fair projects. The Blues Brothers perform “I Don’t Know”.
This song peaked at #10 in the Billboard 100 in 1995. This remains Natalie’s highest-charted single thus far. This track from her first album Tigerlily and is what she calls her “New York song,” as it’s written about New York City.
Tigerlily peaked at #13 in 1995 in the Billboard Album Chart.
This is somewhat creepy… This song was played at the funeral of serial killer Aileen Wuornos as part of her final request. She had listened to the song and the entire album Tigerlily continually while on death row. When confronted with this, Natalie was initially shocked but gave permission to use the song in the documentary Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer, saying that “It’s very odd to think of the places my music can go once it leaves my hands. If it gave her some solace, I have to be grateful.” Wuornos was also the subject of the film Monster.
From Songfacts
Merchant grew up in rural Jamestown, New York, which is in the western part of the state south of Buffalo. That’s where she formed 10,000 Maniacs in 1981, a group she was with until 1993 when she left to go solo.
Merchant explained in a VH1 Storytellers appearance: “‘Carnival’ really evokes for me what it’s like to walk down any avenue in the City. I grew up in the country, so the nearest thing I ever experienced to walking down the street in New York before I was 16 and I came here for the first time was a carnival – the Stockton Gala Days actually. I’d never seen people walking down the street eating before – that was a bizarre experience. We in the country sit down to take our meals – that just blew me away.
Something else I’d never seen before were the gentlemen with the two-sided placards that hand out invitations to peep shows, but I never seemed to get one – they always picked the guys around me. It’s an amazing city, but what I love about it even more than places like Los Angeles is that everybody at sometime has to deal with other people. It’s not a car culture here. I like that: people have to rub against each other. I like to take the subway, I like to study people’s faces, try to imagine their stories. In the song, I see the city as a stage, as a spectacle, as a carnival, and as a madhouse, because sometimes it is that, it’s a totally insane place to live. When I was 16 and I visited for the first time, I said, ‘I’m going to live here someday.’ You’ve got to be careful what you wish for because sometimes it comes true.”
Merchant performed this song, along with “Wonder,” on an episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by David Schwimmer in 1995.
Carnival
Well, I’ve walked these streets A virtual stage, it seemed to me Makeup on their faces Actors took their places next to me
Well, I’ve walked these streets In a carnival, of sights to see All the cheap thrill seekers vendors and the dealers They crowded around me
Have I been blind have I been lost Inside myself and my own mind Hypnotized, mesmerized by what my eyes have seen?
Well, I’ve walked these streets In a spectacle of wealth and poverty In the diamond markets the scarlet welcome carpet That they just rolled out for me
And I’ve walked these streets In the madhouse asylum they can be Where a wild-eyed misfit prophet On a traffic island stopped and he raved of saving me
Have I been blind, have I been lost Inside myself and my own mind Hypnotized, mesmerized by what my eyes have seen
Have I been wrong, have I been wise To shut my eyes and play along Hypnotized, paralyzed by what my eyes have found By what my eyes have seen What they have seen?
Have I been blind Have I been lost Have I been wrong Have I been wise Have I been strong Have I been hypnotized, mesmerized by what my eyes have found In that great street carnival
Have I been blind Have I been lost Have I been wrong Have I been wise Have I been strong Have I been hypnotized, mesmerized by what my eyes have found In that great street carnival
I always liked this song because I could/can relate to it. I grew up in a small town where everyone knew everyone else. It had its drawbacks but was a great place to grow up.
Mellencamp wrote this about his experiences growing up in the small town of Seymour, Indiana. The media portrayed Mellencamp as the champion of small-town America when the song was released. While he has remained true to his roots and often returns to Seymour, he claims he was simply writing about his life, and not trying to make a statement.
The song is on what I always thought was his best album Scarecrow. Small Town peaked at #6 in the Billboard 100 in 1985. Scarecrow peaked at #2 in the same year in the Billboard Album Chart.
From Songfacts
The music Mellencamp listened to growing up in the ’60s was a huge influence on his work, and he often put bits of classics songs from that era in his tracks. On the bridge of “Small Town,” you can hear the riff from The Supremes song “Back in My Arms Again.”
Mellencamp believes this was a hit because it makes people feel good. He thinks many of his songs don’t do well because they make people confront problems, like the plight of American farmers.
Mellencamp would sometimes add the line “My wife was 13 years old growing up in a small town when I wrote this song,” referring to his wife, the model Elaine Irwin, who is 17 years younger. The couple split up in 2010.
Mellencamp wrote this song after having a number of conversations with folks from New York who seemed to think he – and everyone else from the middle of the country – was a rube. “I wanted to write a song that said, ‘you don’t have to live in New York or Los Angeles to live a full life,'” he told Rolling Stone in 2013. “I was never one of those guys that grew up and thought, ‘I need to get out of here.’ It never dawned on me. I just valued having a family and staying close to friends.”
Small Town
Well I was born in a small town And I live in a small town Probably die in a small town Oh, those small communities
All my friends are so small town My parents live in the same small town My job is so small town Provides little opportunity
Educated in a small town Taught the fear of Jesus in a small town Used to daydream in that small town Another boring romantic that’s me
But I’ve seen it all in a small town Had myself a ball in a small town Married an L.A. doll and brought her to this small town Now she’s small town just like me
No I cannot forget where it is that I come from I cannot forget the people who love me Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town And people let me be just what I want to be
Got nothing against a big town Still hayseed enough to say Look who’s in the big town But my bed is in a small town Oh, and that’s good enough for me
Well I was born in a small town And I can breathe in a small town Gonna die in this small town And that’s probably where they’ll bury me
This power pop band out of Charlotte, North Carolina sounded as close to Merseybeat music as you could get especially in the 80s. They formed in 1978 and are still together to this day! No need to state who their inspiration was…
They are yet another example that critical success doesn’t always translate to commercial success. This seems to be the fate of many power pop bands which I don’t understand. It makes me respect Tom Petty and the Cars much more than I already did.
The Spongetones have now released 9 LPs / CDs as well as been on a great number of compilations CDs. Plus there are solo CDs. If you’re in the Charlotte area, you’ll find that they are revered as local Rock Heroes
The A.V. Club (an entertainment website) says that “She Goes Out With Everybody” is the best Merseybeat song ever written and recorded by an American band.
She Goes Out With Everybody
She was a middle child of three
Squeezed and pushed from her family
She needed more than they could give
It takes much more than bread to live
She needed more than I could give
She goes out
(To get her fill)
She goes out
(Against her will)
She goes out
(To score a thrill)
She goes out with everybody
She goes out
(The walls have ears)
She goes out
(The walls have eyes)
She goes out
(The walls can tell)
She goes out with everybody
Became a woman at sixteen
To her that is what love means
She just got burned her first time
Bit his hook and she took his line
Think that she will end the next time
She goes out
(To get her fill)
She goes out
(Against her will)
She goes out
(To score a thrill)
She goes out with everybody
She goes out
(The walls have ears)
She goes out
(The walls have eyes)
She goes out
(The walls can tell)
She goes out with everybody
When she calls me
What do I say?
When she calls me
What do I say?
She’s a mother now with two of her own
Even with them she’s still alone
They need her more than she can give
It takes much more than bread to live
She will want more than they can give
This was written by guitarist Doug Hopkins. He had problems with mental health and alcohol abuse and was fired from the band before this was released. He committed suicide on December 5, 1993. This song peaked at #25 in the Billboard 100 in 1994.
Gin Blossoms broke up in early 1997 but reunited in 2002. They still perform to this day but with some personnel changes. The band had a total of 4 songs in the Billboard 100 with 1 top ten hit… Follow You Down/Til I Hear It From You.
From Songfacts
The song is based on a compilation of episodes with several of Hopkins’ girlfriends: “I heard about nights out in the school yard. I found out about you.” – This has a double meaning. He found out about a girlfriend meeting another guy in a schoolyard and it is also where he and another girl swung on the swings and talked finding out about each other. “Street lights blink on through the car window. I get the time too often on A.M. radio.” – The group members hung around together and this particular line refers to a night when the girl from the swings was with Doug and Robin was driving. They were doing a lot of partying and were listening to the radio when the announcer said the time.
Found Out About You
All last summer in case you don’t recall I was your and you were mine forget it all Is there a line that I could write Sad enough to make you cry All the lines you wrote to me were lies The months roll past the love that you struck dead Did you love me? Only in my head. Things you said and did to me Seemed to come so easily The love I thought I’d won you give for free
Whispers at the bus stop Well I heard about nights at the school yard I found out about you
Rumours follow everywhere you go And when you left I was last to know You’re famous now and there’s no doubt In all the places you hang out They know your name and know what you’re about
Whispers at the bus stop I heard about nights out in the school yard I found out about you I found out about you
Street lights blink on through the car window I get the time too often on AM radio You know it’s all I think about I write your name drive past your house Your boyfriend’s over I watch your lights go out
Whispers at the bus stop I heard about nights out in the school yard I found out about you
This is probably the song that a lot of Beatles fans have been waiting for me to do.
This song was on the Photograph Smile album that was released in 1998. Personally, I like this song and Day after Day better than anything in his career. The song didn’t chart in the US but it did receive some airplay.
The video Julian made was a fun parody of the Beatles…as “The Butlers.” Julian did the song in a Beatle style and turned it into a homage to them
Julian Lennon:
This is probably the song that a lot of Beatles fans have been waiting for me to do. People are always asking when am I going to do something more towards the Beatles style. And so I thought, why not? In a sense it’s a homage, but the sentiment and lyrics are serious. It actually came about from walking around in France and there was a shop with an English newspaper. I thought, ‘Oh get the paper, catch up on the rest of the world,’ and then I thought, ‘I don’t wanna know.’ It turned into a relationship song.
I Don’t Wanna Wanna Know
I don’t wanna know what’s going on And I don’t wanna know what’s right or wrong And I don’t wanna know who’s bed you’re in And I don’t wanna know just where you’ve been.
Oh baby, you were never really good for me
Just maybe, you’re a stranger to reality And baby, don’t you know you haven’t got a clue ‘cos lately, I don’t know what to do.
I don’t wanna know what’s going on And I don’t wanna know what’s right or wrong And I don’t wanna know who’s bed you’re in And I don’t wanna know just where you’ve been.
Oh baby, you said you’re changing for the better now Just maybe, you’re not as strong as you thought somehow And baby, you know you’re heading down a one way track And baby, I won’t bring you back.
Well, you said you were looking for a better way But you just keep coming back To a place you can never seem to get away That will always hold you back…
Oh baby, you said you’d rather be a daddy’s girl, But lately, you’re try’n a fight against the whole wide world Just maybe, you’ve found a love that you can hold on to And baby, I pray for you.
I don’t wanna know what’s going on And I don’t wanna know what’s right or wrong And I don’t wanna know who’s bed you’re in And I don’t wanna know just where you’ve been…
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