I’ve always liked the edge of the James Gang. I like their rawness, and I wish they had stayed together longer. This song, Funk #49, and Midnight Man are the two I remember the best. This is the Joe Walsh period that I personally like the best. They toured a lot at this time, opening for bands like The Who. Keith Moon schooled Walsh on hotel destruction and causing havoc.
The James Gang released the album Thirds in 1971, which yielded this song, their highest-charting single, “Walk Away.” It peaked at #51 in the Billboard 100. The band released a live album James Gang Live In Concert in 1971. Walsh left the group in 1971 to form his own group, Barnstorm. He later joined The Eagles.
The James Gang went through changes over the years after Walsh left. They brought in Tommy Bolin and a new lead singer, but the lineup they will be remembered for is the classic James Gang lineup — Walsh (Guitarist), Peters (Bass Player), and Fox (Drums).
They got together again for the first time to perform for then-President Bill Clinton’s election rally in late 1996. The group also made appearances on The Drew Carey Show during the late 1990s and performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, in February 2001. They have gotten together since and played concerts here and there.
The classic James Gang trio also toured across the country in the summer of 2006, where they were supported by backing vocalists and musicians.
Walk Away
Taking my time Choosin’ my line Tryin’ to decide what to do Looks like my stop Don’t wanna get off Got myself hung up on youSeems to me You don’t want to talk about it Seems to me You just turn your pretty head and walk awayPlaces I’ve known Things that I’m growin’ Don’t taste the same without you I got myself in The worst mess I’ve been And I find myself startin’ ta doubt you
Seems to me Talk all night, here comes the mornin’ Seems to me You just forget what we said And greet the day
Seems to me You don’t wanna talk about it Seems to me You just turn your pretty head and walk away
I’ve got ta cool myself down Stompin’ around Thinkin’ some words I can’t name ya Meet ya half way Got nothin’ to say Still I don’t s’pose I can blame ya
Seems to me You don’t want to talk about it Seems to me You just turn your pretty head and walk away
I got Sgt Pepper in 1977 when I was 10. I sat there for hours, staring at the cover and listening to this music I had never heard before. This is one of the songs that grabbed my attention. I liked Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Good Morning, Good Morning, and Lovely Rita, but that quickly expanded.
This song isn’t about a real person. It was Paul making up the character (I have his quote below) after hearing in America that they called Parking Meter Women “Meter Maids.” John didn’t particularly like the song because he liked songs about real things. He hardly ever just made things up…Lennon would write about people he knew or his experiences.
The Beatles recorded their debut album, Please Please Me, in a remarkably short amount of time. The entire recording process for the album took approximately 9 hours and 45 minutes of studio time. Now let’s fast forward 5 years from 1962 to 1966-67.
The Beatles spent up to 700 hours in the studio recording Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. One of the main reasons was their desire to go beyond the limitations of the standard four-track recorder. To achieve this, they linked two four-track machines together—an innovative move at the time—and experimented throughout the process. While this technique wasn’t commonly used, it allowed them to push the boundaries of what was possible in the studio. Sgt. Pepper’s remains one of the most important albums in music history, not just for its songs, but for the groundbreaking recording techniques that helped shape the future of music.
The following year, The Band changed the course of music in some ways. They released Music From The Big Pink and influenced a generation. Bands started to play more earthy…more roots-oriented music. The Beatles did that by recording the rootsy White Album.
Paul McCartney: “I was bopping about on the piano in Liverpool when someone told me that in America, they call parking-meter women meter maids. I thought that was great, and it got to ‘Rita Meter Maid’ and then “Lovely Rita Meter Maid’ and I was thinking vaguely that it should be a hate song: ‘You took my car away and I’m so blue today’ and you wouldn’t be liking her; but then I thought it would be better to love her and if she was very freaky too, like a military man, with a bag on her shoulder. A foot stomper, but nice. The song was imagining if somebody was there taking down my number and I suddenly fell for her, and the kind of person I’d be, to fall for a meter maid, would be a shy office clerk and I’d say, ‘May I inquire discreetly when you are free to take some tea with me.’ Tea, not pot. It’s like saying ‘Come and cut the grass’ and then realizing that could be pot, or the old teapot could be something about pot. But I don’t mind pot and I leave the words in. They’re not consciously introduced just to say pot and be clever.”
John Lennon: That’s Paul writing a pop song. He made up people like Rita, like a novelist. You hear lots of McCartney influence going on now on the radio: these stories about boring people being postmen and writing home.
Lovely Rita
(Lovely Rita, meter maid) (Lovely Rita, meter maid)
Lovely Rita, meter maid Nothing can come between us When it gets dark I tow your heart away
Standing by a parking meter When I caught a glimpse of Rita Filling in a ticket in her little white book In a cap she looked much older And the bag across her shoulder Made her look a little like a military man
Lovely Rita, meter maid May I inquire discreetly When are you free to take some tea with me?
Rita
Took her out and tried to win her Had a laugh and over dinner Told her I would really like to see her again
Got the bill and Rita paid it Took her home, I nearly made it Sitting on the sofa with a sister or two
Oh, lovely Rita, meter maid Where would I be without you Give us a wink and make me think of you
(Lovely Rita, meter maid) (Lovely Rita, meter maid) (Lovely Rita, meter maid) (Lovely Rita, meter maid)
This was maybe the best toy of the 70s in some ways. Loved this game to death. We would play this for hours. Now comes the sad part. When I saw they were making them again around twenty years ago, I had to order them (for my son, of course!). I got it, and it was like Rock ’em Sock ’em Cheap Miniatures. They are small and very cheap now.
Marx released this great toy in 1966, the world’s first boxing robots with “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots,” a game designed by Marvin Glass & Associates. At the time, the toy became hugely popular during the 1960s and ‘70s.
You would control the robots by joysticks, and you would counter the other person’s moves by dodging the oncoming punch. You would maneuver your robot and hit the other robot at just the right angle, you’ll be able to “knock his block off!” In other words, the robot’s spring-loaded head is knocked loose and pops up, signaling the end of the “round.”
When that happened, you would just push his spring-loaded head back down and go again. The great thing about the game is you do not need batteries… you just pulled it out of your closet or from underneath your bed and played.
CB featured a video of Greg Brown live with guitar player Bo Ramsey. The venue looked like a small club, and with just those two, the sound was huge. I started to listen to Brown’s catalog around two weeks ago. His songs are a lot to take in lyrically, which immediately hooked me. As with several artists lately, picking one song is hard. If you like storytelling, then Greg Brown is your guy.
This song makes me feel good. I love the baseball metaphors and imagery that he uses and the total mood of the song. This song was covered back in 2022 by Seth Avett. Seth made an album called Seth Avett Sings Greg Brown…an album with all of Brown’s songs. A truly beautiful song.
He got the inspiration for the song during a road trip through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.He saw a sign for Laughing River that was likely referring to the Laughing Whitefish River near Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park, and composed the song on the hood of his car. It was originally released in 1992 on his Dream Café album.
Brown is from Iowa, and he grew up in a musical household. His father was a preacher, and his mother sang and played guitar. He was influenced by country, gospel, and blues and locked into the folk music scene of the 1960s. He worked with Eric Andersen and Odetta, and even had a stint as the musical director for the Public Radio International show A Prairie Home Companion.
One artist Brown influenced was Iris DeMent, whom Brown later married. He has been compared to Leonard Cohen, John Prine, and Bob Dylan, but his voice sets him apart. Brown has released over 30 studio and live albums combined.
Laughing River
I’m goin away, ’cause I gotta busted heart. I’m leavin’ today, if my Travel All will start. And I reckon where I’m headed, I might need me different clothes– way up in Michigan, where the Laughing River flows.
Twenty years in the minor leagues– ain’t no place I didn’t go. Well I gotta few hits, but I never made the show. And I could hang on for a few years, doin what I’ve done before. I wanna hear the Laughing River, flowin’ right outside my door.
My cousin Ray, said he’s got a job for me. Where the houses are cheap, and he knows this nice lady. He said she even saw me play once, said she smiled at my name. Well upon the Laughing River, could be a whole new game.
So goodbye to the bus. Good bye to payin’ dues. Goodbye to the cheers, and goodbye to the booze. well I’m trading in this old bat, for a fishing pole. I’m gonna let the Laughing River, flow right into my soul.
I’m goin away, ’cause I gotta busted heart. I’m leavin’ today, if my Travel All will start. And I reckon where I’m headed, I might need me different clothes– way up in Michigan, where the Laughing River flows.
I first heard this song in 1989 or 1990 by the Black Crowes. I loved it from the minute I heard it. It was great to hear a rock/soul song on the radio at the time, with a throwback feeling to the early seventies. I soon found out that it was an Otis Redding song when a friend played me a video of Pigpen of the Dead singing the song and told me.
This song was recorded in 1967, just months before Redding’s tragic death in a plane crash on December 10th of that year. He never got to see the song’s success. It was one of several tracks released posthumously as part of his 1968 album The Immortal Otis Redding, which compiled unreleased material from his final sessions. The song was written by Otis Redding, Allen Jones, and Al Bell. Jones and Bell were key figures at Stax Records. Bell was a top executive, and Jones was a prolific producer and songwriter.
The song by Otis peaked at #51 on the Billboard 100 (this is why charts don’t matter all of the time), #38 on the Billboard R&B Charts, and #15 in the UK in 1968. It must be said, though, it was released as the B side to a song called Amen, a terrific soul/gospel song, so it didn’t get the full exposure it could have with an A-side slot.
I just saw a picture I had never seen before. Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding are talking, probably at Monterey.
Otis’s live reputation was growing stronger after Monterey. I would have loved to have heard Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding play together. It’s not like one wasn’t enough, but I could only imagine what they would have sounded like.
The Dead with Pigpen doing lead vocals.
Hard To Handle
Baby, here I am, I’m a man on the scene I can give you what you want But you got to go home with me I’ve got some good old loving And I got some in store When I get through throwing it on you You got to come back for more
Boys and things will come by the dozen That ain’t nothing but drug store loving Pretty little thing, let me light your candle ‘Cause mama, I’m sure hard to handle, now, yessir’am
Action speaks louder than words And I’m a man with a great experience I know you got another man But I can love you better than him Take my hand, don’t be afraid I’m wanna prove every word I say I’m advertising love for free So won’t you place your ad with me?
Boys will come a dime by the dozen But that ain’t nothing but ten cent loving Pretty little thing, let me light your candle ‘Cause mama I’m sure hard to handle, now, yessir’am
Baby, here I am, I’m a man on the scene I can give you what you want But you come go home with me I’ve got some good old loving And I got here in store When I get through throwing it on you You got to come back for more
Boys will come a dime by the dozen But that ain’t nothing but drug store loving Pretty little thing, let me light your candle ‘Cause mama, I’m sure hard to handle, now, yessir’am
Give it to me, I got to have it Give it to me, good ol’ loving Some of your good loving
As big a Byrds fan as I am, I’m surprised I’ve never covered Gene Clark. Recently, I’ve started to listen to more of his solo work. Clark was in the Byrds from 1964 to 1966. He was one of the main songwriters of the band, along with Roger McGuinn and David Crosby. He wrote or co-wrote songs such as I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better, Eight Miles High, She Don’t Care About Time, and more. One of the reasons he quit the band was that he would get physically sick while flying in airplanes.
Aphoristical is one of the few bloggers who talk about him. I can certainly see why now, I went through a lot of his catalog, and it was hard to get it down to one song….so I added two. Great, singing and songwriting. I think he should, at least, get some recognition that past him by during his life. He has Byrds’ jangly music, Americana, Folk, Country, and more.
I listened to his album No Other and was floored… It’s great through and through. I have the Spotify link at the bottom, and here is a link for it on YouTube. No Other was the title track from his 1974 album. I don’t talk about albums much, but I would consider this a masterpiece that wasn’t appreciated in its time but gained cult status years later. He blended rock, folk, country, gospel, and even a touch of funk and psychedelia. Jesse Ed Davis and Danny Kortchmar were on guitar, plus Jim Gordon on drums. The artist Beck has sited this album as a huge inspiration.
The other song, the 1970 song One in a Hundred sounds like The Byrds, and there is good reason for that. This was during Clark’s attempt to form a Byrds reunion with original members. All five original Byrds contributed to the track, making it the first time since 1966 that the original lineup recorded together. The song was unreleased for several years, as the reunion project failed without a label’s support. It was finally released on Gene Clark’s 1973 Dutch-only LP Roadmaster. The Byrds did reunite in 1973 but they didn’t match this song.
No Other
All alone you say that you don’t want no other So the Lord is love and love is like no other If the falling tide can turn and then recover All alone we must be part of one another
All alone you say, the power is perfection Is the power of peace or merely the connection To the God of love that powers the protection From the tide of life that flows in each direction
When the stream of changing days Turns around in so many ways Then the pilot of the mind must find The right direction
All alone you say that you don’t want no other So the Lord is love and love is like no other If the falling tide can turn and then recover All alone we must be part of one another
When the stream of changing days Turns around in so many ways Then the pilot of the mind must find The right direction
All alone you say that you don’t want no other All alone you say that you don’t want no other All alone you say that you don’t want no other All alone you say that you don’t want no other
I first learned of Traffic with one of my favorite songs of all time, Dear Mr Fantasy. I remember this one on our rock station in Nashville, WKDF. They would play new rock songs and mix classic ones in as well. I kept up with the newer releases because of that, and heard classic songs I hadn’t heard before. Seems like a winning combination, but that is rare, if not impossible, to find now.
This song is one of those songs you just let play and enjoy every single second of it. It was released in 1971 but was not released as a single…It clocked in at 12 minutes long. Jim Capaldi started writing this in Morocco, where he was getting ready to make a movie called Nevertheless with actor Michael J. Pollard. The film project fell through, but it did lead to one of Traffic’s best-known songs.
Jim Capaldi and Steve Winwood wrote this song. Dave Mason had left the band by this time, but Traffic added some new members for the Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys album, including drummer Jim Gordon from Derek and the Dominos, which allowed Capaldi to focus more on vocals. Original member Chris Wood played the saxophone on this track. The album did much better in the US than in the UK at the time.
The percussionist was Rebop Kwaku Baah, who played on the album and live as well. Later on, Rebop was dismissed from Traffic during the recording sessions for their 1974 album When the Eagle Flies… One problem they had with him was live concerts, according to Steve Winwood: “He insisted on going onstage and singing – and he can’t sing!” He would later be on Winwood’s first solo album in 1977, so he must have given up singing.
Jim Capaldi: “Pollard and I would sit around writing lyrics all day, talking about Bob Dylan and the Band, thinking up ridiculous plots for the movie. Before I left Morocco, Pollard wrote in my book ‘The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.’ For me, it summed him up. He had this tremendous rebel attitude. He walked around in his cowboy boots, his leather jacket. At the time he was a heavy little dude. It seemed to sum up all the people of that generation who were just rebels. The ‘Low Spark,’ for me, was the spirit, high-spirited. You know, standing on a street corner. The low rider. The ‘Low Spark’ meaning that strong undercurrent at the street level.”
The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
If you see something that looks like a star And it’s shooting up out of the ground And your head is spinning from a loud guitar And you just can’t escape from the sound Don’t worry too much, it’ll happen to you We were children once, playing with toys And the thing that you’re hearing is only the sound of The low spark of high-heeled boys The percentage you’re paying is too high a price While you’re living beyond all your means And the man in the suit has just bought a new car From the profit he’s made on your dreams But today you just read that the man was shot dead By a gun that didn’t make any noise But it wasn’t the bullet that laid him to rest was The low spark of high-heeled boys If you had just a minute to breathe and they granted you one final wish Would you ask for something like another chance? Or something similar as this? Don’t worry too much It’ll happen to you as sure as your sorrows are joys And the thing that disturbs you is only the sound of The low spark of high-heeled boys If I gave you everything that I owned and asked for nothing in return Would you do the same for me as I would for you? Or take me for a ride, and strip me of everything including my pride But spirit is something that no one destroys And the sound that I’m hearing is only the sound The low spark of high-heeled boys
I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now
This is my favorite song by the Byrds. I like the Byrds’ arrangement of this great Bob Dylan song. Roger McGuinn’s voice plus Rickenbacker is always a winning combination. Dylan recorded his version in 1964 on his Another Side of Bob Dylan album. I fell for the song because of the line, I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now. Just a great phrase from a catalog that is full of them.
On the countless Dylan songs that are covered, I will usually like Dylan’s version better…on this one, I prefer the Byrds. The song peaked at #30 on the Billboard 100 in 1967. It’s one of those songs that I so wish I could have written. Even the title is cool because “My Back Pages” is not uttered in the song.
Bob Dylan helped the Byrds a lot with Mr. Tambourine Man and other songs. The Byrds, in turn, helped widen Bob’s popularity to the new rock audience that was developing, which may not have heard some of these songs as much.
In 1992 the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert happened, and my cousin had the complete concert on VHS. He had a satellite, so I didn’t have to wait for it to be released almost a year later. I’ll never forget this song being played with Roger McGuinn sharing the stage with Dylan, Tom Petty, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Neil Young.
Roger McGuinn: “I don’t try to interpret what Bob meant when he wrote the song. He doesn’t do that, and to do that, you spoil it for people who have a different meaning of the song.”
The song being played at Bob Dylan’s 30th Anniversary concert. Bob Dylan, Roger McGuinn, Neil Young, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and a bunch more.
My Back Pages
Crimson flames tied through my ears Rollin’ high and mighty traps Countless with fire on flaming roads Using ideas as my maps We’ll meet on edges, soon, said I Proud ‘neath heated brow
Ah, but I was so much older then I’m younger than that now Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth Rip down all hate, I screamed Lies that life is black and white Spoke from my skull I dreamed Romantic facts of musketeers Foundationed deep, somehow Ah, but I was so much older then I’m younger than that now
In a soldier’s stance, I aimed my hand At the mongrel dogs who teach Fearing not that I’d become my enemy In the instant that I preach Sisters fled by confusion boats Mutiny from stern to bow Ah, but I was so much older then I’m younger than that now
Ah, but I was so much older then I’m younger than that now
My guard stood hard when abstract threats Too noble to neglect Deceived me into thinking I had something to protect Good and bad, I define these terms Quite clear, no doubt, somehow Ah, but I was so much older then I’m younger than that now
I had forgotten about this song until I read about it in a biography. I remember working in the 1980s and listening to an oldies channel, and I heard this one quite a bit. I just learned the title from the book. It’s a song that just makes you feel good.
This song has been covered and sampled by many. Unlike Motown and Stax…Wood came in from left field with a whole different vibe in the late 1960s. He is known primarily for The Oogum Boogum Song and this song. He was born Alfred Jesse Smith and adopted the stage name of Brenton Wood…possibly from the Los Angeles neighborhood Brentwood.
He stayed active from the sixties on and released his last album in 2009 called Lord Hear My Prayer. He had a few more top 40 songs in the 60s, but never hit the top ten again.
This song peaked at #9 on the Billboard 100, #17 in Canada, #8 in the UK, and #20 in New Zealand in 1967. Giimme Little Sign was written by Alfred Smith, Joe Hooven, and Jerry Winn. Brenton got a resurgence in popularity in the new century with his songs’ inclusion in various films and television shows, such as Almost Famous, Don’t Worry Darling, and Big Little Lies.
We lost Mr. Wood on January 3, 2025, at the age of 83.
Gimme Little Sign
If you do want me, gimme little sugar If you don’t want me, don’t lead me on girl But if you need me, show me that you love me And when I’m feeling blue and I want you There’s just one thing that you should do
Just gimme some kind of sign girl Oh, my baby To show me that you’re mine girl Oh, yeah
Just gimme some kind of sign girl Oh, my darling To show that you’re mine girl All right
If you do want me, gimme little sweet talk If you don’t want me, don’t lead me on girl But if you need me, show me that you love me And when I’m feeling down, wearing a frown You be there when I look around
Just gimme some kind of sign girl Oh, my baby To show me that you’re mine girl All right
Just gimme some kind of sign girl Oh, my baby To show me that you’re mine girl All right
Just gimme some kind of sign girl Oh, my baby To show me that you’re mine girl Oh, yeah
Just gimme some kind of sign girl Oh, my darling To show me that you’re mine girl All right
Just gimme some kind of sign, sign Just gimme some kind of sign girl Oh, my baby To show me that you’re mine girl All right
This won’t be a long post, but it’s something that you might like. I like movies a lot, but I don’t have time to watch a bunch of them. Omeleto is a company that shows short films from different filmmakers. I’ve seen them from 4 minutes to 30 minutes long.
They have every kind of short film you can think of. Time Travel, Sci Fi, Art Films, romantic, action, comedy, thrillers, and more. All the films I’ve seen have high production values. These are not amateurs…these are quality. Many are award-winning shorts. Now, some are hit and miss to me, but worth the short amount of time you put into them. They also come from all parts of the world. I’ve seen some with subtitles, but I’ve seen a lot of Irish and British-made ones as well.
The first thing I noticed was the guitar part at the beginning. I thought to myself, the style sounded familiar. Two people came to mind, and I can’t believe I guessed it. The two people that I thought of were Curtis Mayfield and Jimi Hendrix. After researching the song, I was batting 500…it was Jimi Hendrix, but 2 years before he was The Jimi Hendrix.
I read about Don Covay and how he wrote Chain of Fools for Aretha Franklin and more songs in the ’60s through the ’80s. Covay wrote the number 1 hit for Chubby Checker called Pony Time and also co-wrote Peter Wolf’s first solo album in the early eighties with good success.
Covay was the son of a Baptist preacher. He began his musical career singing gospel with his family’s group, the Cherry Keys.Following his father’s death, the family relocated to Washington, D.C., where Covay’s musical interests expanded into the soul/R&B genre.
He was a great songwriter. His songs have been covered by Gene Vincent, Wanda Jackson, Chubby Checker, Connie Francis, Steppenwolf, The Daughters of Eve, Bobby Womack, the Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett, Small Faces, Grant Green, Bonnie Raitt, and Peter Wolf.
The song peaked at #35 on the Billboard 100 in 1964. The Rolling Stones covered this song on their album Out of Our Heads in 1965. It was the lead-off track of the album.
Curtis Knight: Jimi Hendrix, and I all used to live in the same apartment building – around 81st Street [near the A1 Studio] … Don Covay came around shopping for a record deal. He used to go down to the Harlem clubs looking for somebody to use … on songs he was looking to sell to Atlantic [Records]. He’d say, ‘I got this tune I want you to help me with … come on down to the studio … Can you sing this part? Can you play this part?
Steve Cropper: I hadn’t worked with Don [Covay] yet, but I asked Jimi to show me that great lick he played. [Later] Jimi took my guitar and started playing that sucker upside down. I laughed and told him, ‘I can’t learn that lick by looking at it that way.
Mercy, Mercy
Have mercy Have mercy, baby Mmm, have mercy Have mercy on me
Well, I went to see a gypsy and had my fortune read She said, “Don, your baby’s gonna leave you” Her bag is packed up under the bed and I cried
Have mercy Have mercy, baby, yeah Have mercy, yeah Have mercy on me
I said if you leave me, baby, girl, if you put me down Well, I’m a goin’ to the nearest river, child And jump (jump) overboard And drown, but don’t leave me (jump, jump, jump, jump)
Have mercy Have mercy, baby, mercy Yeah, have mercy Have mercy on me
Well, now, hey, hey baby, hey, hey now What you tryin’ to do, huh? Hey, hey, baby, hey, hey now Please don’t say we’re through
I said if you stay here, baby, I tell you what I’m gonna do I’m gonna work two jobs seven days a week And bring my money home to you (bring it, bring it)
Well, I said mercy (mercy), mercy (mercy) Mercy (mercy), mercy (mercy) Mercy (mercy)
Standing in the middle of nowhere Wondering how to begin Lost between tomorrow and yesterday Between now and then
Great riff and rock song by the Kinks. It starts with a chord reminiscent of the A Hard Day’s Night intro. I was in high school when it was released, and it was great to hear a guitar-driven song at that time on the radio. I remember our band following another band, and they did this song. I was jealous we didn’t get to it first. Do It Again was released in 1984 as the opening track on their album Word of Mouth.Written by lead singer Ray Davies
The band had a resurgence in the late seventies and early eighties with 3 straight albums in the top 20. They also had a top ten hit off of State of Confusion with Come Dancing. I bought my first real-time Kinks album in 1980 with Give The People What They Want.
Working on their twentieth album Word of Mouth, conflicts between drummer Mick Avory and guitarist Dave Davies led to Avory’s leaving during the recording of the album.As a result, Avory played drums on just three tracks: Missing Persons, Sold Me Out, and Going Solo.The remaining tracks featured Bob Henrit on drums. Dysfunction seemed to fit this band and others like The Who and The Replacements. It made them who they were. Another song off of this album is the Dave Davies song Living On A Thin Line. The song grew in popularity when played repeatedly in The Sopranos third season episode University.
Ray Davies wrote this about the stressful working schedules the Kinks were going through. The song peaked at #41 on the Billboard 100 in 1984. I saw this line on a review of the song in Rolling Stone: The record kicks off with “Do It Again,” a tune that’s a love letter to every poor bastard out there grinding their teeth to dust in this cruel little hamster wheel of existence. I thought that fit well with this song.
Ray Davies: The saddest day for me was when Mick left. Dave and Mick just couldn’t get along. There were terrible fights, and I got to the point where I couldn’t cope with it anymore. Push came to shove, and to avoid an argument I couldn’t face. … we were doing a track called “Good Day” and I couldn’t face having Mick and Dave in the studio, so I did it with a drum machine. Dave said he wanted to replace Mick, and … I took Mick out, and we got very, very drunk. We were in Guildford, and after about five pints of this wonderful scrumpy, Mick said if any other band offered him a tour, he wouldn’t take it, because he didn’t want to tour. And I remember him getting the train back – because he was banned from driving; it was a very bad year for Mick – and he walked to the station and disappeared into the mist.
Do It Again
Standing in the middle of nowhere Wondering how to begin Lost between tomorrow and yesterday Between now and then
And now we’re back where we started Here we go round again Day after day I get up and I say I better do it again
Where are all the people going Round and round till we reach the end One day leading to another Get up go out do it again
Then it’s back where you started Here we go round again Back where you started Come on do it again
And you think today is going to be better Change the world and do it again Give it all up and start all over You say you will but you don’t know when
Then it’s back where you started Here we go round again Day after day I get up and I say Come on better do it again
The days go by and you wish you were a different guy Different friends and a new set of clothes You make alterations and [a fact in you knows] A new house a new car a new job a new nose But it’s superficial and it’s only skin deep Cause the voices in your head keep shouting in your sleep Get back, get back
Back where you started, here we go round again Back where you started, come on do it again
Back where you started, here we go round again Day after day I get up and I say, do it agaiiinnn Do it again Day after day I get up and I say, do it again
When I hear this song, I think of it as an early punk song. It’s a song that garage bands can sink their teeth into. I Fought The Law is pure rebellion. At the same time, it has a Buddy Holly feel, and there is a reason for that. The Crickets’ Sonny Curtis wrote this song, and he played with Holly off and on, and when Buddy died, he took over the lead guitar for The Crickets. Earl Sink was brought in to sing it and to sound like Buddy. Thanks to Randy for that info!
The Crickets recorded this song in 1959 with Sonny Curtis playing guitar and singing. In 1962, Paul Stefen and the Royal Lancers recorded it, and it was a local hit in Milwaukee, but it didn’t break nationally. Sammy Masters released a version in 1963 as well.
Bobby Fuller was a Texas-born rock & roller heavily influenced by Buddy Holly. He formed The Bobby Fuller Four in El Paso before moving to L.A. Bobby was DIY before DIY was cool, he built a home studio in his parents’ house in El Paso and recorded local singles there with his brother Randy Fuller.
In the early ’60s, Bobby moved to Los Angeles to chase bigger opportunities. He signed to Mustang Records (run by Bob Keane, who also discovered Ritchie Valens). He then formed The Bobby Fuller Four with his brother Randy and other rotating members. In 1965, the band recorded I Fought the Law with a tighter arrangement, crisp guitar work, and Fuller’s vocals. It was released in late 1965 but hit the charts in 1966.
Fuller was found dead in the front seat of his mother’s car shortly after I Fought The Law became a national hit. His death was ruled a suicide, but there were signs of foul play, and the investigation was tainted, leaving the circumstances of his death a mystery, and rumors continue to run rampant to this day. The song peaked at #9 on the Billboard 100, #11 in Canada, and #33 in the UK in 1966. Sonny Curtis would later write “Love Is All Around,” The Mary Tyler Moore Theme.
The Clash covered this song in 1979 and changed the lyrics from “I left my baby” to “I killed my baby.” So they made it quite a bit darker. Their version got them noticed in the US.
Rick Stone (roadie for Fuller): My mom, Mary Stone, wrote music with Bobby at our home at 7420 Catalpa Lane in El Paso, Texas. Bobby did NOT have gas in his mouth when he was found in the car, but he did die of asphyxiation. Bobby had “I Fought The Law” released on his own label in El Paso two years earlier where it was a Top 10 Hit regionally. The original lyric was “Robbin’ people with a six gun,” but he would sing it as “Zip Gun,” “Shotgun” or “Six Gun,” and joked about other guns when he sang it live.
I Fought The Law
I’m breakin’ rocks in the hot sun I fought the law and the law won I fought the law and the law won
I needed money ’cause I had none I fought the law and the law won I fought the law and the law won
I left my baby and I feel so sad I guess my race is run But she’s the best girl I’ve ever had I fought the law and the law won I fought the law and the law won
Robbin’ people with a six-gun I fought the law and the law won I fought the law and the law won
I miss my baby and the good fun I fought the law and the law won I fought the law and the law won
I left my baby and I feel so sad I guess my race is run But she’s the best girl I’ve ever had I fought the law and the law won I fought the law and the law won
When I’m reading a music bio, everyone knows what I’m reading by reading my blog. I just finished the Peter Wolf book, and I cannot recommend it enough. I have never posted this song before, and I’m shocked that I haven’t. I’ve always liked this song and was reminded of it when I watched the movie The Wedding Singer. I remember in the 70s listening to J Geils with Must Have Got Lost and Give It To Me on AM radio, and they sounded great.
Of all the songs that I did vocals onstage with…this one has to be the most fun I had with a song. The crowd always roared back in the chorus…you could count on it. I was going to post this on Valentine’s Day, but forgot about it.
The J Geils Band started in 1967. They were originally called The J Geils Blues Band, and Peter Wolf saw them perform and joined with his band’s (The Hallucinations) drummer, Stephen Jo Bladd. A fan named Seth Justman soon joined on keyboards. Wolf and Justman soon became the two prominent songwriters of the band. The members were John Geils guitarist, Peter Wolf lead singer, Seth Justman keyboards, Danny Klein bass player, Richard Salwitz harp, trumpet, and saxophone.
They signed a contract with Atlantic Records that was VERY friendly to Atlantic Records. They started to open up for The Allman Brothers, BB King, The Who, The Stones, The Byrds, and just about everyone on the music scene at the time. They built their live reputation up and had a loyal fanbase. They were constantly touring and were known for high-energy shows and music. Peter Wolf was one of the best, if not the best, frontmen in rock. You also had Richard Salwitz (Magic Dick) playing blues harp, trumpet, and saxophone and gave the band a sound.
By their third album, Bloodshot, released in 1973, scored a hit with Give It To Me and the album peaked at #10 on the Billboard 100 and #17 in Canada. The album that set that album up was Live Full House. That album is one of the best live albums I’ve ever listened to. It was released in 1972 and established their live reputation for the rest of their career. As the decade went on, they did have some hits like my favorite Must Of Got Lost. Their Atlantic record contract was up in 1977.
They signed with EMI, and their commercial fortunes turned around with the new label. Their first album with EMI was Sanctuary, and it had a hit called One Last Kiss. Then came the Love Stinks album, and although there were no top 10 hits, this album had two songs that hit and are still played today: Love Stinks and Come Back hit the top 40, and their audience started to grow.
It was their 10th studio album, Freeze Frame, that blew the lid off. Some songs were the #1 Centerfold, #4 Freeze Frame, top 40 Angel in Blue, and a popular dance track called Flamethrower. Their popularity was at an all-time high. They opened for the Stones’ massive tour that year. They had been headlining since Love Stinks…but then…it was all over.
Peter Wolf didn’t like the way they were going into synth pop and wanted to get back to their roots. They pretty much told him to go his way, and they would go their way. They kept rejecting songs he brought, and many of the songs they rejected ended up on his album Lights Out. Listening to Freeze Frame now…you can hear the R&B in the song Freeze Frame and some of the others.
They decided to make an album called Even While I’m Gettin’ Odd, without Peter, and when I listen to it, I can see why Wolf didn’t want to go that way. They wanted to go much further into the 80s pop production than Freeze-Frame. The punch and live feeling of Freeze-Frame and Love Stinks was gone. The album failed and it would be their last. They have regrouped off and on through the years for live shows but never made another album.
The Love Stinks album was released in 1980 and peaked at #18 on the Billboard Album Charts and #4 in Canada. The title track peaked at #15 in Canada and #38 on the Billboard 100.
Peter Wolf on the breakup: Frank Barsalona, our agent, took me out for dinner after his final meeting with the other band members. In disbelief, he said, “After all these years, the band finally made it. It’s really quite unbelievable. I’ve dealt with the craziest of the crazies; the drugs, the girlfriends, the managers—nothing even comes close to this. Nothing as stupid, as senseless, and as wasteful in what these guys are insisting on doing. So, Peter, let’s start thinking about your solo career.”
Here is a version that I love…a bluegrass rendition of the song by Peter Wolf, and I like it.
Here they are in the Netherlands in 1980, live. Peter Wolf has a black eye and broken ribs after being ambushed in a pub. They headlined the Pinkpop Festival.
Love Stinks
You love her But she loves him And he loves somebody else You just can’t win And so it goes ‘Til the day you die This thing they call love It’s gonna make you cry
I’ve had the blues The reds and the pinks One thing for sure (Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah (Love stinks) Love stinks, yeah, yeah (Love stinks) Love stinks, yeah, yeah (Love stinks) Love stinks, yeah, yeah
Two by two, and side by side Love’s gonna find you, yes, it is You just can’t hide You’ll hear it call Your heart will fall Then love will fly It’s gonna soar
I don’t care for any casanova thing All I can say is (Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah (Love stinks) Love stinks, yeah, yeah (Love stinks) Love stinks, yeah, yeah (Love stinks) Love stinks, yeah, yeah
I’ve been through diamonds I’ve been through minks I’ve been through it all (Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah (Love stinks) Love stinks, yeah, yeah
Love stinks Love stinks, yeah, yeah (Love stinks) Love stinks (love stinks), yeah, yeah (Love stinks)
Love stinks, yeah, yeah (Love stinks) Love stinks, yeah, yeah (Love stinks) Love stinks (love stinks), yeah, yeah (Love stinks) Love stinks (love stinks), yeah, yeah (Love stinks) Love stinks (love stinks)
Randy had a series called Three Piece (Suits Me) that ran a few weeks ago. Thank you, Randy, for inviting me to do this! I’ll take any excuse to write about Cream. When I think of a power trio…no offense to ZZ Top, but Cream is the first one that comes to mind. It was an all-star band that was super aggressive live and translated well in the studio. Either one of the members could have been musically the star of any band.
Cream was widely regarded as the first supergroup in rock history. They consisted of three legendary musicians: Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker. Cream was formed in July 1966 when Clapton, Bruce, and Baker—all already established musicians—came together to create a band that fused blues, rock, jazz, and psychedelia. The name “Cream” signified that they were the “cream of the crop” in the British music scene. They each had a rich history before Cream.
Clapton had played with The Yardbirds and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers..Bruce and Baker had been part of The Graham Bond Organization. Bruce also had briefly worked together with Manfred Mann. Clapton and Baker were forming the band and Eric had just played with Jack Bruce and wanted him in this. Clapton said: When Ginger invited me to join, I asked him who else was in the band. He said, “I don’t know yet. So I suggested Jack. He said, “No, what did you have to go and mention him for?” I said, “Because I just played with him and he’s a great bass player and you guys played together with Graham Bond and Alexis, so I thought you’d be pleased.” And he said, “No, we don’t get on very well at all.” So I withdrew at that point. Then I said I would only go in with Ginger if he would go in with Jack. So he had to say OK.
Eric Clapton was confident in his guitar playing but less so in his singing. Early on, it was decided that Jack Bruce would take on the role of the band’s primary singer and songwriter. However, as time went on, Clapton contributed more as both a writer and vocalist. Bruce collaborated with poet Pete Brown to write the band’s songs.
Cream’s debut album, Fresh Cream, was released in 1966, featuring tracks like I Feel Free, NSU, and Spoonful. While the album made an impact, it was their second release, Disraeli Gears, that truly propelled them to fame, with standout songs like “Sunshine of Your Love” and “Strange Brew.”
Released in 1968, Wheels of Fire featured Cream’s iconic cover of Crossroads and White Room, which became one of their signature songs. However, behind the scenes, tensions between Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker were escalating, proving too much for the more laid-back Eric Clapton.
By the end of the year, the band decided to call it quits, playing a farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall and releasing a final album fittingly titled Goodbye. The album included Badge, one of my favorite Cream songs, co-written by George Harrison.
Cream had a huge influence on rock, blues, metal, and bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Rush, and Van Halen. At the time the only other band like them was another trio called The Jimi Hendrix Experience with Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell, Noel Redding, and later Billy Cox replacing Redding.
They did reunite a few times through the years. The first time was not publicized or open to the public. In 1979 Eric Clapton married Pattie Boyd and he invited Cream, three Beatles, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman, Elton John, and David Bowie. Cream did play and so did Paul, George, and Ringo. Pattie said that somehow Lennon wasn’t sent an invite but he said he would have gone if he would have known.
In 1993 they reunited at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when they were inducted. They also reunited for two sets of shows in 2005. One with four shows at the Royal Albert Hall and three shows at Madison Square Garden. Yes, there was still friction between Bruce and Baker at that time. That fact made it impossible for them to do any more shows. Bruce passed away in 2014 and Baker in 2019…effectively ending Cream.
I will say they made the most out of their short window. They influenced countless rock and roll bands through the years. Eric Clapton never sounded as good again as he did with Cream. Part of that reason is he was pushed because of the trio format that we are celebrating today!
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