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Sister Wynona Carr – The Ball Game

One of my great loves in life is baseball. It lends itself to music and movies better than any other sport, in my opinion. I’ve been asked what are my favorite baseball songs. This one is in my top 5. It uses baseball as a metaphor, but I count it. Some other songs are Centerfield by John Fogerty, Talkin’ Baseball by Terry Cashman, Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?, and so many more. Also, the Baseball Project, which has Mike Mills from REM as a member. I first heard this song in Ken Burns’ documentary “Baseball” in the mid-nineties. It was also in the movie about Jackie Robinson called 42.

Sister Wynona Carr had such a powerful, soulful voice. This song is also known as Life Is A Ballgame. It’s a gospel song recorded by Sister Wynona Carr in 1952. The song uses baseball as a metaphor for life’s challenges, depicting Jesus as the coach and Satan as the opposing pitcher, with bases representing stages of temptation, sin, and tribulation.

Wynona Carr started her musical career in gospel, forming the Carr Singers around 1945. She later signed with Specialty Records, where she recorded around twenty gospel tracks between 1949 and 1954, including this song. Despite its initial success, Carr moved to popular music in the mid-1950s, exploring R&B and rock and roll genres.

She was influenced by Sister Rosetta Tharpe in bringing in jazz, gospel, and blues influences. Sister Wynonna Carr also wrote this song, which is incredible. I think it’s one of the best songs to use baseball as the subject.

The Ball Game

Life is a ball game

Bein’ played each day

Life is a ball game

Everybody can play

Yes you know, Jesus standing at the home plate

He is waiting for you there

You know, the life is a ball game

But you’ve got to play it fast

The first base is temptation

You know the second base is sin

The third base tribulation

If you pass, you can make it in

Old man Solomon is the umpire

And Satan pitchin’ a game

He’ll do his best, strike you out

He playin’ just the same

You know, Daniel’s up to bat first

You know, he pray three times a day

Yes Satan pitched him a fast ball

But he hit it anyway

Yes you know, Job is up to bat next

Satan’s struck him in every way

But Job hit a home run

And he came on in that day

Yes you know, prayer is a strong bat

To hit at Satan’s ball

And when you start to swing it

You got to give it your all and all

Yes you know, the priest gonna be your catcher

And on him you can depend

Oh Jesus standing at the home plate

And He is waiting for you to come in

Yes you know, Moses is on the sidelines

Waiting to be called

You know, the day he parted the Red Sea

Little price all and all

Then John came in the ninth inning

And the game was almost done

Then God gave John a vision

And he knew we’d already won

Yes you know life is a ball game

Being played each day

You know life is a ball game

Each and everybody can play

Yes you know, Jesus is standing at the home plate

He is waiting for you there

Well you know, life is a ball game

But you’ve got to play it fast

…

The Dick Cavett Show

I remember being a kid and how ABC, which was our “channel 2,” never came in clearly. The picture was snowy, but I still recall catching glimpses of The Dick Cavett Show. Of course, I also remember Johnny Carson—he and Cavett were the two big talk show hosts of the time. While it might be sacrilegious to say, I always favored Cavett over Carson. Even as a kid, Cavett seemed more interesting.

The Dick Cavett Show on ABC was a smart alternative to The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Cavett frequently booked intellectuals and gave them time for extended, in-depth conversations. You truly got to know his guests—he took more than 10 minutes, unlike the rushed format of today. There were no distractions, no flashy sets, just meaningful conversations. That was the key: Cavett didn’t just interview his guests… he had real conversations with them. No gimmicky skits, just an authentic exchange.

Cavett had his critics. Some called him a snob, a name-dropper, or too controversial. All three were true—and I loved it. Yes, he went to Yale, and yes, he dropped names. But honestly, if I’d spent time with people like Groucho Marx, I’d name-drop too. Cavett’s guest list was legendary: John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, and so many more. He embraced the counterculture, but he also joked about the counterculture, staying balanced in his approach. In modern times, Conan O’Brien and David Letterman came closest to that spirit…and Charlie Rose as far as having conversations.

One of Cavett’s trademarks was his unique mix of guests. Where else would you see Janis Joplin, Raquel Welch, and Gloria Swanson sharing the same stage? His early 1970s ABC show was the pinnacle of his career. When he booked a rare or special guest, he often dedicated the entire episode to them. Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn each had an entire show to themselves. Can you imagine that happening today? Is it because today’s stars aren’t as compelling, or has the audience’s attention span shrunk too much to appreciate such depth?

Cavett also thrived on risk. He hosted Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal, who famously clashed, and another episode featured Salvador Dalí, Lillian Gish, and Satchel Paige. These combinations were bold, and they worked. Even Johnny Carson admitted that Cavett was the only talk show host who could’ve seriously challenged him, though ABC’s third-place standing in the network race kept Cavett from overtaking Carson’s dominance.

This isn’t a knock on Johnny at all—his show set the blueprint for today’s talk shows. But Cavett offered something different: a smarter, more thoughtful experience. Watching his episodes now feels like opening a time capsule. While some moments are tied to their time, much of it remains timeless. Hearing from legends like Marlon Brando and Katharine Hepburn, who rarely did talk shows, is especially fascinating.

It wasn’t one of those “Hi, my name is Miss/Mr. So-and-So, my favorite color is blue, and goodbye until next time I have something to promote” situations. With Dick Cavett, you really got to know the person. He had a knack for drawing out something truly interesting. My favorite interview is the one with George Harrison. It didn’t seem promising at first—George wasn’t particularly eager to be on any show at the time—but Dick managed to get him to open up. You could see Cavett’s relief when George finally warmed up. This interview, which came right after John and Yoko’s appearance, turned out to be one of George’s best.

Here are some YouTube comments for these older talk shows:

I’m amazed when I go back and watch interviews from older talk shows, because it’s more quiet and the celebrity hosts and celebrity guests actually engage in authentic conversation with pure respect.

Jimmy Fallon should watch this video. No stupid laughing constantly, no sound effects and no fake laughter from the host. Just a meaningful conversation

Man no wonder podcasts have taken over. This interview was far more interesting and informative than any late night tv interview we get these days.

Radney Foster – Just Call Me Lonesome

I was talking to my friend Ron, and he mentioned a country duo in the 80s called Foster and Lloyd. This aligns with Dwight Yoakam and the new sound that was coming at the time. The Nashville establishment didn’t like this because it wasn’t pop with a country accent…it had its roots in older country music. Nashville loves to eat its own at times, but that has changed some through the years.

Radney is from Del Rio, Texas, and started to play guitar and write songs at 12. Later on, he moved to Nashville to start a career in music after college. He became the staff songwriter at MTM Publishing Company in 1985, where he met Bill Lloyd.

The duo formed Foster & Lloyd and signed with RCA Records Nashville in 1986. They had 4 top ten hits on the Billboard Country Charts and were also successful on the Canadian Country Charts. Their first song Crazy Over You peaked at #4, and their second single, Sure Thing, peaked at #8 on the Billboard Country Charts and Canadian Country Charts in 1987.

This song was after they broke up, and Radney released it in 1992, and it was very successful. It peaked at #10 on the Billboard Country Charts in 1992 and also at #54 on the Canadian Country Charts. It was on his album Del Rio, TX 1959.

Foster & Lloyd did reunite in 2011 and released an album called It’s Already Tomorrow.

Just Call Me Lonesome

Just call me lonesomeHeartbroke and then some‘Cause I ain’t got no oneSince you’ve been goneYou called me babyNow I’ve got a new nameDon’t need my old oneCall me lonesome from now on

You used to call me, your one and onlyBut now you only call me someone you once knewYou were my angel, before some strangerStole your heart and stole my world when he stole you

Just call me lonesomeHeartbroke and then some‘Cause I ain’t got no oneSince you’ve been goneYou called me babyNow I’ve got a new nameDon’t need my old oneCall me lonesome from now on

I see you with him, and fall apart againRemembering when I was the only man you neededWe said forever, We’d be togetherHe came between us and now forever lies in pieces

Don’t need my old oneCall me lonesome from now on

Justin Townes Earle – Harlem River Blues

Good times come and they goEven a good man’ll breakHe’ll let his troubles bury him wholeEven though he knows what’s at stake

I’m just starting to explore Justin’s music lately. I’m going over some of his catalog, and I really love what I’ve been hearing. It’s pure music at its finest with a great marriage of music and lyrics. Around a month ago, I was cruising around YouTube and I found him singing this song on The David Letterman song around 2020…I kept listening to it over and over.

When I heard this song, I stopped what I was doing just to listen. This sounds corny, but I did get lost in the moment and listened carefully. I don’t usually do that with songs on the first listen…but this I did. I love its gospel, blues, rock, and overall feeling. It’s a very somber song, but he packages it with an upbeat music attack. He was born in 1982 to Carol Ann Hunter Earle, and his father was singer/songwriter Steve Earle. He was born in Nashville and named in honor of his father’s mentor, Townes Van Zant.

When he got older, he started to help out his dad touring, and he was in a couple of bands in Nashville. A rock band called The Distributors and a bluegrass band called the Swindlers, and he continued to play in The Dukes, his father’s backup band. He had his own style, and I admired him for that.

In 2007, he released his first EP called Yuma, and then he released his first album, The Good Life, in 2008. Harlem River Blues came off the album of the same name in 2010. It was his highest charting album in the US. It peaked at #47 on the Billboard Album Charts, #18 on the Billboard Rock Album Charts, #9 on the Billboard Indie Charts, and #3 on the Billboard Folk Charts.

The song received acclaim and earned Earle the Song of the Year award at the 2011 Americana Music Honors & Awards. Justin Townes Earl passed away in 2020 at 38 years old.

I had to include three versions…all of them have something to offer.

Harlem River Blues

Lord, I’m goin’ uptown to the Harlem River to drownDirty water gonna cover me overAnd I’m not gonna make a sound

I’m on a roll, mama, I gotta goGotta get there while I still canTroubled days are behind me nowAnd I know they’re gonna let me inWhen you see me walkin’ up the FDRJust a-singin’ and a-clappin’ my handsTell my mama I love her, tell my father I triedGive my money to my baby to spend

‘Cause Lord, I’m goin’ uptown to the Harlem River to drownDirty water gonna cover me overAnd I’m not gonna make a sound

Good times come and they goEven a good man’ll breakHe’ll let his troubles bury him wholeEven though he knows what’s at stakeSo I’m taking no chancesCarrying over while I’m still good in His graceSayin’ I’m no fool, mamaI know the difference between tempting and choosing my fate

So Lord, I’m goin’ uptown to the Harlem River to drownDirty water gonna cover me overAnd I’m not gonna make a sound

Lord, I’m goin’ uptown to the Harlem River to drownDirty water gonna cover me overAnd I’m not gonna make a sound

Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks – 40 Days

I’ve never posted a song on Ronnie Hawkins, and it was about time. I always loved his aggression on stage. I see these old clips of him, and he is everywhere.

He was born in Huntsville, Arkansas, and became an important in the U.S. and Canadian music scenes. The guy could appear unhinged live, and I love that fact. From the film clips I’ve seen, he was all over the place. In the clip at the bottom, you will see a young blonde-headed Levon Helm on drums.

In 1958, Hawkins toured Canada with The Hawks and decided to settle there, where he found a huge music scene. He became a Canadian citizen and remained in the country for much of his career. His decision to stay in Canada played a huge part in its rock and roll development.

Chuck Berry wrote 30 Days or Thirty Days (To Come Back Home) in 1955. Ronnie rewrote it as 40 days. Ernest Tubb, Cliff Richard, and The Tractors have covered it. It did really well in Canada, peaking at #4 and #45 on the Billboard 100 in 1959.

A young Robbie Robertson, then a member of the Suedes, opened for Hawkins and the Hawks at the Dixie Arena in Toronto. He was impressed by Hawkins’ dynamic performance, and Robertson was eager to contribute material when he overheard Hawkins expressing a need for new songs for an upcoming recording session. He stayed up all night to write Someone Like You and Hey Boba Lu, both of which Hawkins recorded for his album Mr. Dynamo. He would join the Hawks in 1961.

Ronnie is best known for the latter Hawks. In 1961, Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and a 24-year-old kid named Garth Hudson would be the Hawks…and eventually break away from Hawkins and form The Band.

40 Days

I’m gonna give you 40 daysTo get back homeI done called up a gypsy woman on the telephoneI’m gonna send out a world-wide who-do-thatAnd do the very thing that I should, yeahI’m gonna sentence you to be back home in 40 days

Whew! 40 days! (40 days)Whew! 40 days! (40 days)I’m gonna sentence you to be back home in 40 days(40 days)

I’m gonna send out a world-wide who-do-thatAnd do everything that I should, yeahI’m gonna sentence you to be back home in 40 days (40 days)

I heard ’em talkin’ to the judge in privateEarly this mornin’I heard they took it to the SherriffOffice to signed a warnin’

They’re gonna go and call a charge against youThat’d be the very thing that I’ll send youI’m gonna sentence you to be back in 40 days

Whew! 40 days! (40 days)Whew! 40 days! (40 days)I’m gonna sentence you to be back home in 40 days (40 days)

I’m gonna send out a world-wide who-do-thatAnd do everything that I shouldI’m gonna sentence you to be back home in 40 days (40 days)

Whoa, 40 days (40 days)Whew! 40 days(40 days)I’m gonna sentence you to be back home in 40 days(40 days)

I’m gonna go and call a charge against youThat’ll be the very thing that I send youI’m gonna sentence you to be back home in 40 days(40 days)

…

Faces – Stay With Me

For the longest time, this is the only song I knew by The Faces. I found out how good they were not just by this one but by their other songs. This is the Rod Stewart I think of when I think of him. Absolutely killer on stage at this time with this band powering it on.

I usually don’t like gimmicky instruments, like in the 1980,s they had guitars with what looked like hockey sticks. I have one of those, and the strings break like crazy. Or the guitars with no headstocks…I hated those. One guitar I did like in the late sixties, early seventies was the one that Ron Wood is playing in the live video clip. The “See-Through” Ampeg Dan Amstrong Guitar. Keith Richards played one as well, and they sound dirty and raunchy. They are now worth 2-6 grand. All of you non-guitar fans…sorry. The one below can be had for $5500.

This song was written by Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart, which became the Faces’ biggest hit. Stay With Me peaked at #17 in the Billboard 100, #6 in the UK, and #4 in Canada in 1972. I’ve always liked the dirty, filthy sound of the song. It’s not my so called favorite song by them. That would be Ooh La La by the Faces in 1973.

This band was formed from the Small Faces when Steve Marriott quit and Ron Wood and Rod Stewart took his place. Steve was both a great guitarist and even better singer. I remember seeing a clip of the 1993 Brit Awards on some TV show and saw a reunion of the Faces with Bill Wyman of the Stones filling in for Ronnie Lane.

Stay With Me

In the morning
Don’t say you love me
‘Cause I’ll only kick you out of the door

I know your name is Rita
‘Cause your perfume smelling sweeter
Since when I saw you down on the floor
guitar

Won’t need to much persuading
I don’t mean to sound degrading
But with a face like that
You got nothing to laugh about

Red lips hair and fingernails
I hear your a mean old Jezebel
Lets go up stairs and read my tarot cards

Stay with me
Stay with me
For tonight you better stay with me

So in the morning
Please don’t say you love me
‘Cause you know I’ll only kick you out the door

Yea I’ll pay your cab fare home
You can even use my best cologne
Just don’t be here in the morning when I wake up

Stay with me
Stay with me
‘Cause tonight you better stay with me
Sit down, get up, get down

Stay with me
Stay with me
Cause tonight your going stay with me
Hey, whats your name again
Oh no, get down

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.