Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians – “My Wife And My Dead Wife”

Robyn Hitchcock copyright 1984 August 23rd Music/Bug Music

Join us for our annual Halloween Spooktacular episode as we take a haunting journey through the whimsical world of Robyn Hitchcock, focusing on his classic “My Wife and My Dead Wife.” With a blend of the mundane and the macabre, we explore how Hitchcock weaves a tale of domesticity intertwined with the supernatural. From the catchy chorus to the clever lyrics, we dissect the song’s unique storytelling and how it captures the listener’s imagination. We’ll also dive into Hitchcock’s musical roots, his time with The Soft Boys, and the quirky charm of his solo work. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to Hitchcock’s artistry, this episode delivers a mix of chills and thrills!

“My Wife And My Dead Wife ” (Robyn Hitchcock copyright 1984 August 23rd Music/Bug Music)

TRANSCRIPT:

Welcome, all you ghouls, goblins and goofballs, to our annual Halloween Spooktacular episode. I am Brad Page, your gross host with the most ghosts, here on the Pantheon Podcast network, with the annual “I’m In Love With That Song” Halloween episode. I’ll pick a song with a particularly spooky vibe and we’ll have some fun taking a closer look at it. This time we’re revisiting one of my favorite songwriters, the great Robyn Hitchcock, and one of his early classics, a song called “My Wife and My Dead Wife”.

Robyn Hitchcock was born in Paddington, part of Westminster, England, in March of 1953. He went to Westminster College, where he discovered the music that would change his life, in particular the music of Bob Dylan. He studied art in London and then moved to Cambridge, where he joined his first bands, eventually landing in The Soft Boys in 1976. The Soft Boys were a seminal British 70’s band. There was really no one else quite like them. Along with Hitchcock on guitar and vocals, The Soft Boys included Andy Metcalfe on bass– He would continue to work with Hitchcock and he played with Squeeze for about nine years– Morris Windsor was on drums, and another guitarist, a gentleman named Kimberly Rew, who would later go on to found Katrina and the Waves and wrote their massive hit “Walking on Sunshine”. Here’s a track from the first Soft Boys album, a song called “Leppo and The Jooves”.

The Soft Boys released two albums and then split in 1981. Robyn went solo, releasing some solo albums, and then formed the band Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians, releasing their first album, “Fegmania” in 1985– a Neo-psychedelic, surrealist classic record.

One of the tracks on the “Fegmania” album is “My Wife and My Dead Wife”. It was written by Robyn Hitchcock, and features Andy Metcalfe on bass and keyboards and Morris Windsor on drums, they’re both former members of The Soft Boys; and of course Robyn Hitchcock on guitar and vocals. The album was produced by Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians. The song begins with Robyn’s vocal.

I love the way he lays out the story here; Making coffee for his wife. And then the story takes a twist, and then he asks the question that should be in the listener’s mind.

Makes you curious as to what’s going on here, right? Let’s hear the rest of the first verse.

I think it’s a nice touch that he uses his own name there– his dead wife addresses him as “Robyn”. And the fact that this is just a mundane, everyday disagreement about whether she likes sugar in her coffee. It’s this juxtaposition of the ordinary with the bizarre, the fact that he’s having this conversation with a ghost or spirit. Robyn does this kind of thing so well. Here comes the first chorus.

In the background of the chorus, you’ve got this spooky keyboard part, sounds like a Theremin. It’s that classic 1950s horror movie ghostly effect. And then the chorus wraps up with this nice little tag at the end.

I like that xylophone bit there. Let’s move on to the second verse, but first let’s just listen to the instrumental backing, particularly to Andy Metcalfe’s bass part. He is the secret weapon of the Egyptians. So many great bass parts on these records.

The transition between the second verse and the chorus is different this time around. It’s more of a dramatic build up. Let’s hear that again, this time with the vocals.

That brings us to the next chorus. Let’s bring up Robyn’s vocal and listen to that.

Next up is a short bridge, and notice the background vocals here. Almost a pseudo-Beach Boys kind of thing.

There’s also a nice little instrumental break right in the middle there that’s reminiscent of something The Who might have done.

And that brings us to the third final verse. Notice the background vocals here, too.

Here, they extend the last line of the verse to build into the final choruses. You’ll notice that each verse is a little different; little changes each time so that there’s always something fresh. It’s not totally predictable. It just makes it a little more interesting. These are all great songwriting tricks to keep pleasantly surprising the ear of the listener. There’s also some fun with the backing vocals here, too.

And some more quirky background vocals are added here.

Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians – “My Wife And My Dead Wife”

Robyn Hitchcock has never had a hit album or a hit single, but he’s had a long career and a, dedicated fan base, and he’s been very influential. He’s inspired many artists, including REM, who are big Robyn Hitchcock fans. He’s been the subject of two documentaries, 2007’s “Sex, Food, Death and Insects”, directed by John Edgington, and the concert film “Storefront Hitchcock”, directed by none other than Jonathan Demme, in 1998.

Last year, Robyn released his book “1967”, an autobiography of one key year in his life, 1967, along with an album of the same name where he covered some of his favorite songs from that year. I highly recommend both.

I hope you enjoyed this slightly spooky Halloween edition. We’ll be back in two weeks with another new episode. Until then, you can get caught up with all our previous episodes– there’s over 190 of them to choose from– and you’ll find all of them on your favorite podcast app; whether it’s Apple, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora, Google, we’re out there on all of them. Or you can go to our website and find all of our episodes there. That’s lovethatsonngpodcast.com.

If you’d like to support the show, the best thing you can do is to tell a friend about it. Share this podcast with your friends and family and help us to grow our audience.

You can also support this show by going to oldglory.com and buying a T-shirt or some merch. They have a lot of great stuff there. And if you use our discount code lovethatsong, you’ll save 15% and you’ll be helping to support this podcast. That’s oldglory.com with the discount code lovethatsong. Thanks.

So that is a wrap on this Halloween edition featuring Robyn Hitchcock with “My Wife And My Dead Wife”. I will see you back here next time. Trick or treat.

The O’Jays – “For The Love Of Money”

Words & Music by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Anthony Jackson - Copyright 1974, 1982 Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

This episode, we take a deep dive into one of the funkiest singles ever recorded: “For the Love of Money” by The O’Jays. Join us as we explore the intricate production techniques, the powerful social message, the rich history behind this iconic track. and why this track remains a cornerstone of Philly Soul. Don’t miss out on this deep dive into one of the funkiest hits ever!

“For The Love Of Money” (Words & Music by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Anthony Jackson) Copyright 1974, 1982 Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.

TRANSCRIPT:

Some people gotta have it, some people really need it… it’s the “I’m In Love With That Song” Podcast, coming at you on the Pantheon Podcast Network. I’m your host, Brad Page, and each episode here, I pick one of my favorite songs and we take a look at it from all angles, trying to understand what makes it a great song. If you’re a musician, great. But you don’t have to be one to enjoy this show. We don’t get into music theory or get bogged down in a lot of technical jargon. We just listen.

On this edition of the show, we’ll be listening to a song that’s one of the funkiest singles and biggest dance floor hits of all time. And I also think it’s one of the most sonically interesting tracks to ever hit the charts. It’s one of the key songs in the Philly Soul catalog and an important piece of R&B history. If you haven’t guessed it by now, I’m talking about “For The Love Of Money” by the O’Jays.

The O’Jays had a long road to the top. Eddie Levert and Walter Williams started singing together in Canton, Ohio as teenagers in church, where so many black artists started their career. Not much money in singing gospel, though, so they moved into the secular world, joined by William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles around 1960.

First, they called themselves The Triumphs, then The Mascots, and eventually the O’Jays, named after famed Ohio DJ Eddie O’Jay. But regardless of the name, they had no luck selling Records. They bounced from label to label with little success, scoring a few minor hits that didn’t leave much of a lasting impression. Finally, in 1968, they scored a top ten hit on the R&B charts with “I’ll Be Sweeter Tomorrow”.

None of the singles released after that did much business, though. They seemed stuck amongst the ranks of the lower tier acts, they just weren’t able to break through. Eventually, Bobby Massey and Bill Isles left the group, leaving Walter Williams, William Powell, and Eddie Leverett to soldier on.

But they had begun working with the production team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. And when Gamble and Huff made a deal with Columbia Records and launched their Philadelphia International label, they signed the O’Jays– and that’s when things started to really fall into place.

Gamble and Huff assembled a team of top-notch musicians, including Norman Harris, Roland Chambers, and Bobby Eli on guitars; Anthony Jackson on bass; Earl Young on drums; percussionist Larry Washington; Vince Montana on vibes; and Leon Huff himself on piano. They became known as MFSB. Officially, that stood for “Mother, Father, Sister, Brother”, but unofficially, you can imagine a slightly more risqué interpretation.

With that lineup of stellar musicians, the production skills of Gamble and Huff, plus the songwriting talent of people like Gene McFadden and John Whitehead, you had the perfect team to put together songs for vocalists like the O’Jays to layer their magic on top of. Something great was bound to happen.

Their first masterpiece was a track called “Backstabbers”, released in 1972. It was a huge hit, and I think one of the greatest soul singles of all time.

The “Backstabbers” album followed, and that included a few more classics, including the Song that hit number one both on the R&B and the Hot 100 charts. You know this one– it’s “Love Train”.

As great as the Backstabbers” album was, their next album was even better. “Ship Ahoy” was an album full of politically and socially conscious R&B. The title cut, “Ship Ahoy”, is a nine- minute sonic masterpiece, an unflinching look at the slave trade. It’s one of the most powerful tracks ever laid down. It’s worthy of its own podcast episode.

The album was built around that track as the centerpiece. The album also featured the single “Put Your Hands Together”, and the sonic marvel that is “For The Love Of Money”.

“For The Love of Money” was written by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and bass player Anthony Jackson, who came up with the riff that this song is built on. It features the MFSB lineup of musicians, with the O’Jays on vocals: William Powell, Walter Williams and Eddie Levert. Walter Williams and Eddie Levert trade off on the lead vocal.

The title comes from a Bible verse from the First Epistle to Timothy: “For the love of money is the root of all evil”.

Now, I guess I have to acknowledge before we go further that this song was used as the theme song for “The Apprentice”, which hurts my heart, but don’t hold it against this song. This song was written and recorded over 30 years before that horrible show. It is incredibly ironic, to say the least. And for the record, lead vocalist Eddie Levert demanded that Donald Trump stop using “Love Train” in his campaign, which tells you where the O’Jays stand.

The song was recorded in the fall of 1973 at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. The way Gamble and Huff would typically plan a recording project would be to record the backing track in one session that might last a day or two. This would usually be a large ensemble with almost a dozen players. After overdubbing, they could end up with 50 to 60 parts.

Gamble and Huff would then take a rough mix of those backing tracks and listen to that over and over while they came up with the vocal parts. Once they worked out the vocal arrangements, then they’d bring in the singers, in this case the O’Jays, to record their parts. After that, any additional overdubs, such as guitar solos, string section, or horns, those would be recorded last in a separate session.

“For The Love Of Money” begins with Anthony Jackson’s bass part, one of the most memorable bass parts ever recorded. The first thing you notice is the heavy reverb on the first half of that bass part, which completely drops out the second time through the riff. That was done during the final mix when Kenny Gamble grabbed the knob for the reverb, cranked it up, and then immediately turned it all the way down, creating a stark contrast in the sound between the first and second halves of that part. It also sounds to me like Anthony Jackson is playing his bass with a pick rather than his fingers.

The other thing you may notice there is the phasing effect on the drums; that was recorded using an Eventide phaser that was a brand new toy at Sigma Sound at the time.

Another stunning effect is the ghostly sound of the backing vocals here. That is a reverse echo effect. Now, remember, this was in the days long before digital recording, when these effects had to be created manually. This was created by studio engineer Joe Tarsia. Tarsia took the tape, put it on the tape machine backwards, and recorded echo on different tracks in reverse. So that when you play the tape forwards, the echo comes before the original vocal.

Then there’s a short instrumental section before the first verse. Conga drums and percussion are added and the horns make their first appearance.

I love that little bass lick there.

Let’s pick it up with the first verse. Listen to how the horns beef up the bass part. They make it even heavier. And notice the guitar that’s using a wah-wah pedal and just chucking the strings.

And we’re gonna get a cool little bass guitar break here on the next verse.

The backing vocals are gonna change it up a bit; before, they were singing “money, money, money. Money’, but now they’re singing “for the love of money”. Of course, that’s the title of the song.

Let’s just go back and bring up the vocals there.

The congas are pretty active in the left channel. Horns are on the right.

Now we’ve come to the bridge. Walter Williams sings the first two lines, Eddie Levert takes the last two.

Here’s the next verse, and listen to how the sound has really filled out. Remember back when the track first started, it was mostly just the bass and the drums. Now you’ve got all kinds of instrumentation going on, plus the vocals, and I don’t think it sounds cluttered. There’s a lot happening, but it’s not overcrowded. Everything sits in the mix really well. It’s one of those tracks where you can focus on any one of the instruments, and they’re all doing something kind of interesting. And of course, the vocal performance is just great.

There’s a short instrumental section.

Here’s a repeat of the bridge. This time, let’s drop the vocals a bit so we can hear more of the backing track, because the band is really cooking here, especially Anthony Jackson’s bass.

Back to the verse section, and now you can hear some sound effects. Not sure if they were created by a synthesizer, but you can hear these swirling and swishing sounds start to appear throughout the song.

And now we hear a new musical refrain added by the horns, and that becomes a key element of the song as we approach the end.

I should note here that we’re listening to the album version of this song. When it was released as a single, it was edited down to 3:42, but the full album version runs about 7:15. Over this extended length, the track, especially that repeating bassline, becomes almost hypnotic, almost like the seductive pull of money itself. As the song says, “Money can drive some people out of their minds”.

Here’s one of the few times when you can really hear the electric piano in the left channel.

And now we get a new refrain from the backing vocals. “People, don’t let money change you.” Which is really the ultimate message of the song.

Let’s bring up the vocals one more time.

“For The Love Of Money” by the O’Jays.

The “Ship Ahoy” album sold over a million copies. It was the biggest selling R&B album of 1974, according to Billboard. But more importantly, it’s a milestone album for Philly Soul; it’s a social message that still resonates today, and it’s the O’Jays’ masterpiece. It’s up there with Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On’ in my opinion.  If you don’t have a copy of this album, go get it!

William Powell passed away in May of 1977. At the time of this recording, Eddie Levert and Walter Williams are still with us, and up until recently, were still touring as the O’Jays with Eric Nolan Grant, who joined them in 1995. Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, they’re still with us, too.

Thanks for joining me for this edition of the “I’m In Love With That Song” Podcast, here on the Pantheon Podcast Network. I’d love to hear from you, so post a comment on our Facebook page or send an email to lovethatsongpodcast@gmail.com. And please, leave a review of the show wherever it is that you listen. That’s always great.

The best way to support this show is to just tell people about it. Share this podcast with your friends and your family. Your recommendations beat any advertising every time. So thanks.

New episodes of this podcast come out on the 1st and the 15th of every month, so look for a new episode then. And all of our previous shows– all 180+ of them– are available on our website lovethatsongpodcast.com, and they’re also in your favorite Podcast app. So there’s plenty for you to listen to until I’m back here again. Thanks again for listening to this episode on the O’Jays and “For The Love Of Money”.

REFERENCES:

The O’Jays
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_O%27Jays

Eddie Levert
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Levert

Walter Williams
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Williams_(musician)

Kenny Gamble
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Gamble

Leon Huff
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Huff

MFSB
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MFSB

Sigma Sound Studios
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigma_Sound_Studios

Ship Ahoy album
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_Ahoy_(album)

Backstabbers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_Stabbers

Anthony Jackson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Jackson_(musician)

Norman Harris
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Harris

Joe Tarsia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Tarsia

Philadelphia International Records
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_International_Records

Gene McFadden
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_McFadden

Eric Nolan Grant
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Nolan_Grant

Creation & Evolution: Ram Jam – “Black Betty”

New Words & Music Adaptation by Huddie Ledbetter - Copyright 1963 (Renewed) 1977 (Renewed) Folkways Music Publishers Inc.

This episode, we return to the “Creation & Evolution” theme as we trace the history of the song called “Black Betty”. It’s a fascinating story, from its origins as an African-American work song to its transformation into a rock anthem by Ram Jam. We’ll explore the musical evolution of this enduring track. Join us for this captivating musical journey.

“Black Betty” New Words & Music Adaptation by Huddie Ledbetter – Copyright 1963 (Renewed) 1977 (Renewed) Folkways Music Publishers Inc.

Save 15% off t-shirts & merch from your favorite bands by using our discount code lovethatsong at OldGlory.com!

TRANSCRIPT:

Welcome back to the “I’m In Love With That Song” Podcast on the Pantheon Podcast Network. I’m Brad Page, host of the show, where each episode we take a song and put it under the microscope, so to speak, looking at all the elements that make the song work. We look at the performance, the arrangements, the production, all the various components that go into making a great song. No musical expertise is required here, this show is for anyone who’s curious about the strange alchemy, the magic of music.

This episode is the second in our occasional series that I call “Creation and Evolution”. This is where we look at songs that have an exceptionally long, involved, and sometimes convoluted history. You may remember that back on episode 152. I used the “Creation and Evolution” theme to explore the song “Midnight Train To Georgia”, that classic track from Gladys Knight and The Pips. Some songs are written pretty quickly, in a burst of inspiration. Other songs might be meticulously worked on, written and rewritten over time. But some songs, passed through various hands, are recontextualized or mutated as different writers and performers add their interpretations and revisions. Sometimes this can happen over generations.

Case in point, the song we’re discussing today has its roots, at the very latest, in 1935, but probably much older than that. Eventually, it made its way onto a single in 1977 by an unknown rock band who became a one-hit wonder thanks to this song. This is Ram Jam with “Black Betty”.

Tracking the history of the song called “Black Betty” is difficult to do with any certainty. Its origin is considered to be as an African-American work song. The first recorded version was by a prisoner named James “Ironhead” Baker. John Lomax and his son Alan traveled across the country recording and documenting the folk music of America. During a visit to the state prison in Sugarland, Texas, they recorded James Baker, along with other inmates, singing a version of “Black Betty”.

The most well-known version for quite some time was recorded by Huddie Ledbetter, otherwise known as Lead Belly. He was also a former prisoner, convicted of murder, who recorded dozens, maybe hundreds of songs for the Lomaxes that made Lead Belly famous… but never rich. In April 1939, Lead Belly recorded a medley of three work songs, “Looky, Looky Yonder and “Yellow Woman’s Doorbells”, with “Black Betty” sandwiched in between.

Lead Belly was credited as songwriter on that version, and his name still appears in the credits sometimes today. But the song surely predates him.

So, who– or what– exactly is “Black Betty”? Well, the first reference we know of was published by Benjamin Franklin, of all people, in 1736. Appears in his “Drinkers Dictionary” as a term for being drunk; when someone was pretty tipsy, you could say “he’s kissed Black Betty”. It could also refer to a whiskey bottle.

Others have described “Black Betty” as a whip that was used against prisoners. Some say it refers to a gun. And some people said it was a term for the transfer wagon at the penitentiary. That later morphed into referencing a cardinal or motorcycle. One thing that seems pretty clear in all of these early interpretations is that Black Betty was probably not a woman.

There are many more versions of “Black Betty”. Some notable versions include one by Odetta in 1964. Like Lead Belly, she included it in a medley with “Looky Yonder”.

You’ve probably noticed at this point, we’re getting some musical accompaniment with guitars, and not just the acapella version.

As far as I can tell, it first appeared in a rock context by Manfred Mann in 1968. But in their version, they called it “Big Betty”.

And by this time, the “Black Betty” in this song appears to have transformed into a woman.

Now, there was a band called the Lemon Pipers in the late sixties. They were signed to Neil Bogart’s Buddha label, home to quite a few bubblegum pop bands in the sixties and seventies. The label pushed the band into a more pop direction, and they did score one big hit, the psychedelic pop classic “Green Tambourine” in 1967.

By 1969, the Lemon Pipers had split up. Their guitarist and singer, Bill Bartlett, formed a Band called Starstruck. In 1973, Starstruck recorded their version of “Black Betty” as a single and released it on their own label. It ran 4:45 seconds and was performed by Tom Kurtz on rhythm guitar, David Fleeman on drums, David Goldflies on bass and Bill Bartlett on lead guitar and lead vocals.

And the song became a regional hit around the Cincinnati area. A couple of producers out of New York, Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffrey Katz, who had done a lot of work for Buddha Records, they heard the Starstruck version of “Black Betty” and thought they could do something with it. So, they took Bill Bartlett and formed a whole new band around him, which they called Ram Jam.

Ram Jam released their first album, self-titled, in 1977, which includes “Black Betty”. It’s actually the opening track on the album. But except for Bill Bartlett, none of the members of Ram Jam play on the song. Producers Kasenetz and Katz took the original Starstruck recording and edited it; they reordered the parts and deleted some sections altogether, editing the 4:45 seconds Starstruck version down to just 2:25 seconds for the Ram Jam single. Now, the version released on the Ram Jam album is closer to the original’s length– it’s 3:57 seconds. But once you know that this track has been significantly edited, you can pretty easily hear where the edits were made.

So, now let’s get into the track– and remember, this is just the same musicians that played on the Starstruck version, re-edited into this Ram Jam version.

It’s the same intro as the Starstruck version, including a gong with a phasing effect on it.

Here comes that gong again with more of that phasing or flanging effect on it.

Now, right there, is the first of the edits, and it’s maybe the most noticeable edit in the whole Song.

Now this is interesting… it’s actually kind of crazy. They are going to take the intro of the song– which you just heard less than a minute ago– and they’re going to splice it in here, repeating the exact same intro, including the same guitar solo again.

There’s clearly another edit right there. It’s particularly noticeable in the way the cymbal or gong is abruptly cut off rather than its natural decay.

They’re double tracking his vocals here.

Now, the Starstruck version has this whole guitar riff thing that they do here, and then they go into a sped-up version of the verse.  On the Ram Jam edit, they move that guitar riff to later in the song, and delete the sped up verse altogether. Instead, they take a different guitar riff from later in the song and move it up here.

We even get a little mini drum solo here.

After that, we get a short dual guitar harmonized part, and then the song speeds up, but only for the guitar solo. There’s no vocal part here.

Bill Bartlett is ripping it up on guitar there. But it’s equally impressive what the bass player and drummer are doing behind him. This was played by David Fleeman on drums and David Goldflies on bass, both from Starstruck.

And now here’s where they splice in that riff played earlier in the Starstruck version.

And here comes another drum break– It’s actually the same drum solo from earlier in the Song, edited back in again.

Here’s another twin guitar part. I really like this one. First, let’s hear just the guitars.

And now let’s hear that with the whole band.

“Black Betty” by Ram Jam. Or should I say Starstruck?

The song’s been covered quite a few times since then, including a version by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds; that version is pretty reminiscent of the old Lead Belly version.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this song has had its share of controversy. The NAACP called for a boycott of the Ram Jam song when it first came out… and you can see why a bunch of white guys singing about “Black Betty” could be seen as offensive. But considering the fact that the song was originally written and performed by black artists, and it’s always been murky whether the song was about liquor, a gun, a prison wagon, a whip, or a woman, I feel comfortable enough including the song in this show. I hope you liked it, and maybe learned a little something about the creation and evolution of songs.

Thanks for joining me for this edition of the “I’m In Love With That Song” Podcast here on the Pantheon Podcast Network. If you’d like to support the show, one way to do it is to tell your friends about the show and help spread the word.

Another way you can support the show is to buy a t-shirt from oldglory.com. You’ll find shirts and merch from all your favorite bands at oldglory.com, and when you use our discount code, lovethatsong, you’ll get 15% off and you’ll be helping to support the show. The website is oldglory.com and the discount code is lovethatsong. Thanks in advance for helping us out. I will be back in about two weeks with another new episode. Until then, turn up your favorite version of “Black Betty”. Bam-a-Lam!

REFERENCES:

Ram Jam
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Jam

Black Betty
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Betty

Midnight Train to Georgia
Creation & Evolution: Gladys Knight & The Pips “Midnight Train To Georgia” – The “I’m In Love With That Song” Podcast – Music Commentary, Song Analysis & Rock History (lovethatsongpodcast.com)

James Ironhead Baker
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/james-iron-head-baker-mn0001048749

John Lomax
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lomax

Alan Lomax
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Lomax

Lead Belly
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_Belly

Odetta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odetta

Manfred Mann
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_Mann

Lemon Pipers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lemon_Pipers

Green Tambourine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Tambourine

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Cave_and_the_Bad_Seeds

NAACP
https://naacp.org/

Humble Pie – “Stone Cold Fever”

Steve Marriott, Peter Frampton, Greg Ridley, Jerry Shirley - Copyright 1971 Unart Music Corp (BMI), UMG Recordings, Inc.

Humble Pie is often overshadowed by bands like Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, and Queen, but they were a considered a “supergroup” when they formed in 1969– fronted by Steve Marriott from the Small Faces and Peter Frampton from The Herd. Their first 2 albums are a mixed bag, but by the time they signed with A&M Records in 1970 they had refined their style down to a bluesy, hard-rockin’ sound. Rock On (1971) was their most successful album to date and features “Stone Cold Fever“, which is itself a stone-cold classic.

“Stone Cold Fever” (Steve Marriott, Peter Frampton, Greg Ridley, Jerry Shirley) Copyright 1971 Unart Music Corp (BMI), UMG Recordings, Inc.

Visit OldGlory.com and pick up some t-shirts & merch from your favorite bands– and use our discount code lovethatsong to save 15% off!

TRANSCRIPT:

I’ve got a Stone Cold Fever, but I don’t need no doctor!  Welcome to the “I’m In Love With That Song”  Podcast. I’m your host, Brad Page. In each episode of the show, I pick one of my favorite songs and we explore it together, looking at it from every angle, trying to get a handle on what makes the song work, and why do I like it so much? Musical knowledge or experience is not a prerequisite here. We don’t get technical. This show is for anyone who loves music.

This episode, we’re taking another look at one of the best hard rocking bands from the 1970’s, a band that’s kind of overlooked now. They’ve been overshadowed by groups like Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Deep Purple, Queen… those all became iconic bands, but for a while there, Humble Pie was right up there with them. This time out, we’re digging into a song that’s one of their classics, from a pivotal album in their career. This is “Stone Cold Fever” by Humble Pie.

Humble Pie were somewhat of a supergroup when they formed in 1969. Steve Marriott had been the front man for the Small Faces, and Peter Frampton was the breakout star from a Band called The Herd. They got together and formed a new band with Greg Ridley on bass– He’d been playing with Spooky Tooth– and a young drummer named Jerry Shirley. He was only about 17 when he joined Humble Pie.

Now we’ve discussed Humble Pie, and the Small Faces. on this show before, so I’m not going to rehash everything again, you can go back and listen to those episodes. But essentially, both Marriott and Frampton wanted to be taken more seriously as musicians. They were tired of being perceived as pop stars, so Humble Pie was their shot at credibility.

They signed with Immediate Records and released their first album, “As Safe As Yesterday Is”, in August 1969. Interestingly, one of the earliest uses of the term “heavy metal” appears in a review for this album. I don’t think anybody today would describe this album as anything close to “heavy metal”. In reality, this record is kind of a mixed bag with some rockers, but also some bluesy numbers, acousticy folk, and even a touch of post-psychedelic rock.

Their second album, “Town And Country”, was released just a few months later, in November 1969. This one was more acoustic than the first album, but Immediate Records was in financial trouble and they quickly went bankrupt. So this album, “Town And Country”, was never even released in the US at the time.

After the collapse of Immediate Records, they signed a new deal with A&M Records, and the band refocused. Most of the acoustic stuff was gone. They developed a harder, heavier sound and they concentrated on the American market, determined to break through here. Their first album for A&M, which most people in America thought was their first album period, was just called “Humble Pie” and came out in July 1970. It features a great version of the Muddy Waters classic “I’m Ready”.

They continued to refine their sound, and in March 1971, they released their strongest, most successful album yet, “Rock On”. There’s a half-dozen rock-solid songs on this album, including “Stone Cold Fever”. Most of the tracks on “Rock On” had been part of their live set for a while, so they’d worked out all of the kinks and they were well rehearsed by the time they hit the studio to record this album.

The album was produced by the band along with Glynn Johns. All four band members share songwriting credit on “Stone Cold Fever”. The song was performed by Peter Frampton on guitar and backing vocals, Greg Ridley on bass and backing vocals, Jerry Shirley on drums and Steve Marriott on guitar, harmonica, keyboards and lead vocals. The track begins with the guitar riff– and what a great guitar riff this is. It’s played by Peter Frampton in the left channel.

After two times around, the rest of the band starts coming in, including Steve Marriott’s guitar in the right channel.

They add these little trills to the guitar riff. Marriott does it first in the right channel, and then Frampton adds a harmony to it.

Let’s back it up a bit and we’ll play into the first verse. It’s an interesting vocal sound on this track. I used to think that they just used some heavy slapback echo on the vocal to get that sound, but now, listening to it more closely, I think that Steve Marriott actually double-tracked his vocal; he sang it twice. So, the natural inconsistencies in any human performance keep the tracks from sounding 100% identical, which produces the sound we hear on the final mix.

So, let’s try to isolate each one of these vocal performances. Here’s the first one.

And here’s the second vocal.

Now, they sound pretty much the same when you listen to them in isolation, but if we can combine them together, you can hear how those slight differences between the two tracks provide the sound we hear in the final mix.

All right, let’s go back, put that all together, and hear that verse again in the final mix.

That leads us into a new riff. The first time through, Marriott and Frampton play it in unison. The second time around, Frampton plays a harmony which climbs with each cycle.

Next is a short harmonica solo played by Steve Marriott over the main riff. Also notice Jerry Shirley’s banging on a cowbell in the background.

Let’s go back and listen to the two guitars during that verse. They’re essentially playing the main riff, but each of them are playing it pretty loosely, improvising around it as they go along. They’re not trying to play it exactly or perfectly, and they’re not trying to match each other. This gives the recording a spontaneous live feel. Again, its Frampton in the left channel, Marriott in the right.

And that brings us to the second riff with the harmonica.

After that nice drum fill by Jerry Shirley– and remember, he was only about 19 when they made this record– that fill takes us into a jazzy section featuring a fantastic guitar solo by Peter Frampton. Frampton’s name doesn’t often come up when listing the great guitarists, but I absolutely think he’s one of the best. So, let’s hear just his guitar first.

Frampton is an incredibly tasteful player, and his jazz-influenced licks are really distinctive. There’s no one else who really plays quite like him. Now let’s hear how that solo works in the final mix.

Then we get a short harmonica break before the guitarists return with another riff.

The next riff is accentuated with some backing vocals. Let’s hear those backing vocals first.

And now let’s hear that in context.

“Stone Cold Fever” by Humble Pie.

“Rock On” was their best-selling album up until this point, but Peter Frampton was feeling frustrated. He was fine with the harder rocking material, but he wanted more than that, too. And he wanted to be more than just the guitar player; he wanted more opportunity to write and sing. And let’s face it, Steve Marriott was not the easiest guy to deal with. So later in 1971, just after they had recorded a live album, “Rockin’ The Fillmore”, Frampton left to pursue a solo career.

When “Rockin’ The Fillmore” was released, it became a big hit. It’s still the album that Humble Pie is most remembered for, and as Frampton watched his former band’s album climb the charts while he struggled to get his solo career off the ground, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d made a big mistake. But things worked out for him a few years later, though. That’s a topic for another podcast.

As we’ve mentioned on previous podcasts, Steve Marriott died tragically in a fire, in April 1991, age 44. One of the greatest vocalists of his generation.

Greg Ridley died in November 2003 from complications from pneumonia. He was 56.

Peter Frampton suffers from a somewhat rare progressive muscular disorder called Inclusion Body Mitosis. He initially announced his retirement from music, but he’s still been able to play, so he’s kept going. Above all, he is a true guitar player at heart, and he’ll play for as long as he can.

Jerry Shirley is still with us, and thankfully, as far as I know, he’s still healthy and still playing drums today.

Thanks for joining me here on the Pantheon Podcast network for this edition of the “I’m In Love With That Song” podcast. If you’d like to support the show, and I hope you do, zip on over to oldglory.com and buy a t-shirt or two. They carry shirts and merchandise from all of our favorite bands, and if you’re like me, you can never have too many t-shirts. So support your favorite artists, wear their shirts with pride. And when you use our discount code, “lovethatsong”, you’ll get a nice discount and you’ll be helping out this show. That website is oldglory.com and the discount code is lovethatsong. Thanks in advance.

I’ll be back in about two weeks with a new episode, so I’ll see you then. In the meantime, catch up on all of our previous episodes– there’s over 180 of them now– on our website, lovethatsongpodcast.com, or find us in your favorite Podcast app.

Now go dig out some Humble Pie records and rock on with “Stone Cold Fever”.

RESOURCES:

Humble Pie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humble_Pie

Peter Frampton
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Frampton

Steve Marriott
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Marriott

Rock On album
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_On_(Humble_Pie_album)

Glynn Johns
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyn_Johns

Rockin’ the Fillmore
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance_Rockin%27_the_Fillmore

Inclusion body myositis
https://www.mda.org/disease/inclusion-body-myositis

Immediate Records
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immediate_Records

A&M Records
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%26M_Records

Small Faces
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Faces

The Herd
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Herd_(UK_band)

Spooky Tooth
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spooky_Tooth

The Plimsouls – “A Million Miles Away”

"A Million Miles Away" (P. Case, J. Alkes, C. Fradkin) Copyright 1982 Baby Oh Yeah Music BMI/Nineties Music BMI

The Plimsouls, led by guitarist/singer/songwriter Peter Case, released a couple of terrific albums in the early ‘80’s, fusing power pop, punk and R&B into their own unique blend. “A Million Miles Away” was featured in the film Valley Girl, and should’ve catapulted The Plimsouls onto greater fame, but their career stalled and the band split up by the mid-’80’s. To some, this song marks The Plimsouls as One-Hit-Wonders, but their albums are chock-a-block with great songs. Still, there’s no denying the brilliance of “A Million Miles Away” and on this episode, we take a close look at this timeless classic.

“A Million Miles Away” (P. Case, J. Alkes, C. Fradkin) Copyright 1982 Baby Oh Yeah Music BMI/Nineties Music BMI

TRANSCRIPT:

String theory is the theoretical concept that all of reality is made up of these infinitesimally small vibrating strings. Smaller than atoms, smaller than electrons and protons, smaller than quarks, vibrating at different frequencies. And what is a guitar, or a violin, or a piano, but a bunch of vibrating strings? The whole universe is just one big song. Welcome to the Pantheon Podcast Network and the “I’m In love With That Song” podcast.

My name is Brad Page, and each edition of this podcast, I pick one of my favorite songs and we dig deep into it. Maybe not down to the level of quarks or electrons, but we go deep enough to examine all the elements that make it a great song. So you don’t have to be a scientist or a musical expert to enjoy this show. Just a little curiosity is all that’s required.

On this episode, we’re exploring a classic power pop band from the early ‘80’s that still sounds as fresh and vital today. This is The Plimsouls and “A Million Miles Away”.

Peter Case was a member of The Nerves, a band that straddled the line between punk and power pop in the mid-seventies. Along with Jack Lee and Paul Collins, they released one four-song EP in 1976 and then broke up. But those four songs were great, including the classic “Hanging On The Telephone”.

Of course, that track was later covered by Blondie, and they had a big hit with it.

Peter Case then put together The Plimsouls, named after a type of shoe, I believe. Initially they were a three piece with Peter Case on guitars and vocals, Dave Pahoa on bass and Lou Ramirez on drums. A little later, Eddie Munoz came on board on lead guitar. They released a five-song EP called “Zero Hour” in 1980.

They became pretty popular around LA and signed a deal with Planet Records, and released their first full album, self-titled, in 1981.

That first self-titled album is a great album, but it didn’t really sell, and they ended up parting ways with Planet Records. Then they independently released “A Million Miles Away” as a single. And that song ended up in the movie “Valley Girls”. In fact, the band is actually featured in that film. That got them some attention. They ended up getting signed by Geffen Records and released their second album, “Everywhere At Once”, in 1983. That album features a re-recorded version of “A Million Miles Away”.

The song was performed by Peter Case on lead vocals and twelve string guitar, Eddie Munoz on lead guitar, Dave Pahoa on bass, and Lou Ramirez on drums and percussion. It was produced by Jeff Eyrich.

The song kicks off with a flam on the snare drum and a great guitar riff. Sounds to me like that riff is played on the twelve string. Let’s hear just the guitars.

The bass and drums have a great groove going on too. Let’s go back and listen to those two together. We’ll pick it back up from that part of the verse.

They repeat that riff twice there. And then we get a new section, essentially a pre chorus. The chords here are a little dreamier, a little spacier, with lyrics to match: “I started drifting to a different place I realized I was falling off the face of the world and there was nothing left to bring me back:

There’s really great guitar accompaniment on this pre-chorus. This is definitely played on the twelve-string. Let’s go back and hear that.

And that pulls us right into the first chorus. Let’s listen to that all the way through. Let’s hear the whole band underneath the vocals. The guitars really work well together here. And there’s more cool riffing on the twelve-string.

All right, let’s back it up a bit and then play through the end of the chorus. Let’s pull up the vocals for this second verse.

Sounds like he’s doubling the vocals. Let’s pick it up at the next pre-chorus.

And let’s bring the vocals up again for this chorus.

Listen for the echoes on this next line.

Next up, Eddie Muniz lets loose with a pretty tasty guitar solo. There’s some more tasty playing going on behind the vocals there, so let’s go back and just listen to this section without the vocals.

Let’s bring it back in for the last chorus. Here comes the echoes on the vocals again.

The Plimsouls “A Million Miles Away”

The Plimsouls would break up after this album. Peter Case has continued to write and record. He’s released plenty of solo albums, and he’s still out there. A pioneer and founding father of indie rock, The Plimsouls have reunited a few times and they got one more album in 1998 called “Cool Trash”. I recommend all of their albums. They’re all worth seeking out.

Thanks for checking out this edition of the “I’m In love With That Song” podcast. New episodes of this show are released into the wild on the first and the 15th of every month, so I’ll be back soon. If you can’t bear to wait for the next episode, you can catch up on all of our previous shows. There’s over 150 of them on our website, lovethatsongpodcast.com or look for us on your favorite podcast app. And of course, there’s plenty of other shows on the Pantheon Podcast Network, so check some of those out too.

Please leave a review of the show wherever it is that you listen that helps, and share the show with your friends, family and neighbors. Your word-of-mouth support is the best advertising we can get, so thanks for that. And thanks for listening to this episode on “A Million Miles Away” by The Plimsouls.

RESOURCES:

The Plimsouls
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Plimsouls

Peter Case
http://petercase.com/

The Nerves
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nerves

Blondie
https://www.blondie.net/

Valley Girl (film)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086525/

Geffen Records
https://www.geffen.com/

Earth, Wind & Fire – “Serpentine Fire”

"Serpentine Fire" (Maurice White, Verdine White & Reginald "Sonny" Burke) Copyright 1977 SBK April Music Inc/Free Delivery Music

Many bands would be running out of ideas by their 8th album, but not Earth, Wind &Fire – many consider All ‘n All to be their best record.  Freshly inspired by the varied sounds & rhythms of South America, Maurice White brought his genre-blending compositions to new heights on this 1977 album, as evidenced by the opening track, “Serpentine Fire”, which White himself described as Earth Wind & Fire’s “most ambitious single”.

“Serpentine Fire” (Maurice White, Verdine White & Reginald “Sonny” Burke) Copyright 1977 SBK April Music Inc/Free Delivery Music

TRANSCRIPT:

Sing a song and keep your head to the sky, ‘cause you’re all shining stars. This is the “I’m In Love With That Song” podcast, one of many fine shows on the Pantheon Podcast Network, and I’m your host, Brad Page.  Each episode, I pick one of my favorite songs and we dig into it together, looking and listening for all those magic moments, the little things that turn a good song into a great one. Don’t worry if you’re not a musician or musical expert, you don’t need to be. We’re just going to tune our ears into the arrangements, the performances and the production that make it a great song.

This episode we’re listening to one of the biggest, most successful acts in history. Call ‘em R&B, call ‘em funk, call ‘em Afro pop, jazz, soul…. any way you look at it, this band has an incredible catalog of music and a bunch of huge hits. We’re going to explore one of those hits right now: This is Earth, Wind And Fire with “Serpentine Fire”.

This is our second visit with Earth Wind And Fire. We covered the song “Shining Star” back on Episode 56– check that one out if you haven’t heard it yet. It’s one of my favorites.  So let’s recap just a little of Earth Wind and Fire’s history here.

Maurice White was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1941. For a while he played with Booker T in Memphis before he moved to Chicago to live with his mother and stepfather. He attended the Chicago Conservatory of Music, played drums around the scene, and worked as a session drummer at Chess Studios, where he played with many of the greats: Etta James, Chuck Berry, Junior Wells, Muddy Waters, just to name a few.

In 1969, he formed the Salty Peppers with Wade Flemings and Don Whitehead. Eventually he moved to LA and changed the name of the band to Earth Wind and Fire, based on his astrological sign. In 1970, his brother Verdine White joined the band as their bass player. Earth Wind and Fire released their first self-titled album in 1971. Their second album, “The Need of Love”, came out the same year, and a third album, “Last Days And Time”, was issued in 1972. That was the first album with vocalist Philip Bailey, who would share vocals with Maurice White and become a critical factor in the band.

“Head To The Sky” came out in 1973, and “Open Our Eyes”, their fifth album, in 1974. This album features “Mighty Mighty”, which was kind of their first big crossover hit.

In 1975, they released “That’s The Way of the World”, their 6th album. It was also the soundtrack to the film That’s The Way of the World, and the band appears in the movie. “Shining Star” is from this album, and it would become their first #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. See our previously-mentioned Episode 56 for more details.

The title cut was also issued as a single.

Maurice White was a musical visionary, but he was more than that, too. He envisioned bringing people together spiritually through his music. He viewed their next album, the album that would become “Spirit”, as their most important album so far. He was also interested in showing a different vision of black masculinity than what you typically got from celebrities. He wanted to present the band as “sons of a royal and noble Africa”.

The album cover featured the band all dressed in white, eyes closed in meditative poses with three large white pyramids behind them. This was the first of many album covers that would feature eastern and Egyptian imagery.

He wanted to awaken spirituality among his audience. Not so much religion, but spirituality. His goal was to share his interests– mysticism, Buddhism, Egyptology. As Maurice said, “Our vibe was definitely afro-centric, but not a separatist one. It was about community, the family of man.”

Sadly, as they were working on the “Spirit” album, they lost a key member of their family. Charles Stepney had worked closely with the band on their last few albums as producer, arranger and contributing songwriter. He died on May 17, 1976 from a heart attack. He was 45 years old. He was a close friend of Maurice White and the whole band, really. The album would be in many ways a tribute to Stepney. “Spirit”, their 7th studio album was released in September 1976.

After the success of the “Spirit” album and the massive tour that followed, by now, Earth Wind and Fire were putting on an amazing stage show and they were a huge concert draw. But Maurice White was exhausted. He needed a break. He took the first vacation of his life, spending two months touring South America. He visited drum schools in Brazil and absorbed the sounds and rhythms of the various cultures. When he returned home, he brought these fresh ideas to the next Earth Wind and Fire album, which would be called “All In All”, their 8th album of all new material.

Now, you would think at that pace, eight albums plus a live album, all within six years, that they would have run out of steam. But many people consider “All In All” to be their best album.

“Serpentine Fire” is the song that opens the album, and what a way to kick it off. It was written by Maurice White, Verdine White and Reginald Sonny Burke. It was produced by Maurice White.

\Maurice has described the song as “profoundly odd, an idiosyncratic mixture of African music, tango and gospel blues, with an abstract lyric about Kundalini energy.” Kundalini is a form of divine feminine energy located at the base of the spine. When awakened, it leads to spiritual liberation. Kundalini is a Sanskrit word meaning “coiled, or coiled like a snake”.

Maurice White says “Serpentine Fire” is Earth Wind and Fire’s most ambitious single because it’s so musically abstract. The song begins with an intro played by the bass, keyboards and percussion, with the horns joining in after the first four measures. You can already hear that Latin feel in the percussion.

Let’s go back and listen to the keyboards because it’s a very dense mix. A lot going on. Sometimes it’s hard to pick out the individual parts. There are at least two keyboard parts, one on the left and one on the right. The one on the right has a phasing effect on it. From there, it’s going to break out into a supremely funky track.

Let’s break that down a bit. Like all good funk songs, at the heart of the groove is the bass guitar. Adding to this syncopation is both the percussion and the horn parts. So let’s listen to those.

Little further down in the mix are the keyboard parts.

And there is one guitar part in the left channel. Let’s hear all of that together again. Now for the first verse.

Let’s check out the vocals. This is Maurice White with an occasional harmony by Philip Bailey. The vocals are doubled with a decent amount of reverb on them.

Let’s continue with the rest of that verse. This is the chorus where Philip Bailey takes over. Philip was renowned for his falsetto, and the way it contrasted and complemented Maurice White’s vocals is one of the most magical things about Earth Wind and Fire.

At the end of the chorus is a short section where they bring in the gospel influence. You can see how they’re blending all kinds of elements together.

That brings us back to the main riff. I love that vocal bit at the end there.

We’l pick it back up for the next verse.

That groove is so great. I want to hear just a little of the bass, the horns and the percussion. We’ll keep a little of the guitar in there, too.

I want to hear more of Maurice White’s vocal track.

And I’d like to hear just the vocals on that part, too.

There’s kind of a big finish there this time around. They could have ended the song right there, but just when you think it’s done, they kick back in.

Notice how there’s tuned percussion.

And that brings us to the last chorus. The guitars and keyboards are going to make their way forward a bit in the mix here at the end. The guitars are still difficult to make out, but there are two guitar parts in there. That’s pretty crazy, right? And of course, there are still the two keyboard parts. And of course, that killer bass guitar part that I just got to hear it by itself one more time.

All right, let’s go back to the final mix. We get another round of the chorus vocals, then the horns take over as the song fades out.

“Serpentine Fire” by Earth Wind and Fire. The “All In All” album was released in November 1977. The album cover featured artwork by Shusei Nagaoka. Shusei didn’t speak English, and Maurice didn’t speak Japanese, but they met and Maurice was able to articulate his ideas by showing him books on Egyptian art and UFO’s. Nagaoka sketched out some ideas and a relationship was forged that would result in a whole string of album covers for Earth Wind and Fire. Nagaoka created a bunch of other album covers for ELO, Jefferson Starship, and Deep Purple, but my favorites of his are the covers he did for Earth Wind and Fire.

Thanks for being a part of this edition of the “I’m In Love With That Song” podcast. You can find all of our previous episodes on our website, lovethatsongpodcast.com, or just look for us in your favorite podcast app.  We’ll be back in about two weeks with another new episode. Until then, check out some of the other great podcasts on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

It’d be great if you left a review wherever you listen to the show, and if you’d like to contact us, you can find us on Facebook, or send an email to lovethatsongpodcastmail.com.

If you’d like to support the show, the best thing you can do is to tell a friend about it, because your recommendation really does mean a lot. As always, remember to support the artists you love by buying their music. And thanks for listening to this episode on Earth wind and Fire with “Serpentine Fire”.

Grand Funk Railroad – “Footstompin’ Music”/”Rock ‘N Roll Soul”

"Footstompin' Music" (Mark Farner) Copyright 1971 Storybook Music - BMI; "Rock 'N Roll Soul" (Mark Farner) Copyright 1972 Cram Renraff Co. - BMI

Imagine a time when a band could sell out Shea Stadium faster than The Beatles, without the support of radio airplay or the blessing of music critics– and no social media. Grand Funk Railroad did just that, and in this episode, we’re back with another look at the high-octane world of live rock concerts. Discover how Grand Funk Railroad became a music phenomenon, becoming one of the biggest bands of the ’70’s. We’re delving into a live album where the opening tracks weren’t just songs but declarations of a rock and roll manifesto. From the adrenaline rush of “Footstompin’ Music” to the soulful grooves of “Rock ‘N Roll Soul,” this episode isn’t just a history lesson– it’s a backstage pass to one of the greatest shows on earth.

“Footstompin’ Music” (Mark Farner) Copyright 1971 Storybook Music – BMI
“Rock ‘N Roll Soul” (Mark Farner) Copyright 1972 Cram Renraff Co. – BMI

Take advantage of our discount code lovethatsong and save 15% off t-shirts & merch from your favorite bands at OldGlory.com!

TRANSCRIPT:

We’re coming to your town, we’ll help you party it down– we’re the Pantheon Podcast Network, and this is the “I’m In Love With That Song” podcast. I’m your host, Brad Page– I’ve got the whole show, that’s a natural fact. In this episode here, we explore one of my favorite songs, getting a deeper understanding of what makes them tick, what makes them a great song.

On the last few episodes, we’ve been looking specifically at live recordings, how a song can come to life when played by a real band in front of a real audience. We’ve been looking at some of the different aspects of live music, how a song can be reinterpreted live, how a band can really take flight live and just play.

And one of the other aspects is the full concert experience itself, from the opening number to the final encore, how a show is built and paced. Some of my favorite moments on live albums are the first tracks; the show openers — from the way deep purple tear into “Highway Star” on their classic “Made In Japan” album; Cheap Trick, kicking off “At Budokan” with “Hello There”, the perfect opening track; when Paul McCartney and Wings open the “Wings Over America” live album with the medley of “Venus and Mars” into “Rock Show” into “Jet”– It’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever heard.

Another one of my favorite one-two punch opening numbers is when Grand Funk Railroad opens their live album, “Caught In The Act” with two back-to-back tracks that set the tone for a rock and roll celebration. So this time, on this episode, we’re going to be listening to not one, but two songs. So let’s get this party started with “Footstompin’ Music” and “Rock ,N Roll Soul” by Grand Funk Railroad.

You may think I’m exaggerating when I say that for a time, Grand Funk Railroad was the biggest rock band in the world. But in the early seventies, they were bigger than Black Sabbath or Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin. They had at least six platinum-selling albums in a row and sold out Shea Stadium in 72 hours– that was faster than the Beatles did. And they did this with virtually no help from the critics or the radio. The critics hated them, and they got almost no airplay on the radio until their 7th album. But let’s start at the beginning.

Terry Knight was a local DJ in Flint, Michigan and a Grade A hustler. He formed a band called Terry Knight and The Pack, which included a drummer named Don Brewer and a bass player named Mark Farner. The Pack never had much success, though they released two albums and some singles and gigged around a lot. Eventually, Terry Knight left the band to start a solo career in New York and ended up as a producer. Meanwhile, Brewer and Farner carried on with The Pack, but eventually they hit rock bottom. Stranded on Cape Cod in Massachusetts in February, in the middle of a blizzard, with no gig and no money, they returned home to Flint and contacted Terry Knight because they knew he had contacts.

Knight agreed to manage them, but at a cost: he wanted complete control as manager and producer. But with no other options, they agreed. By now, Mark Farner had switched to playing guitar, so the first thing they did was recruit a bass player, Mel Schacher, who had been playing with Question Mark and The Mysterians.

The next thing they did was change their name. Terry Knight rechristened them Grand Funk Railroad. It’s kind of a pun, based on the Grand Trunk and Western Railroad, which ran through the Midwest.

Their first big break came when they were able to get on the bill at the Atlanta Pop Festival in 1969. They weren’t even paid for the gig, but they made the most of it by playing their asses off and earning a standing ovation. They went over so well that they were invited back the next day, and the day after that. By the end of the festival, they were the hot new thing and immediately signed to Capitol Records.

Their first album, “On Time”, came out in August 1969. In December, only four months later, they released their second album. It’s just called “Grand Funk”, but fans like to refer to it as “the Red Album”.

They steamrolled across the country, selling out shows, some concerts ending in riots. They released their third album, “Closer To Home” in March. That’s three albums in less than a year. But they were actually getting better. This was their strongest album yet.

Terry Knight celebrated their success by erecting a 60-foot-high billboard in Times Square to promote the “Closer To Home” album. Terry Knight kept up the hype, and he kept the boys busy by constantly being on the road… and away from their books. Knight was taking a big cut of their royalties and performance fees. Mark, Don and Mel were essentially just employees of Grand Funk Railroad enterprises. Terry had all the control.

By now, the band were selling out shows not just in the US, but in the UK and Japan. It was in July 1971 when they sold out Shea Stadium faster than The Beatles. More records followed, including “E Pluribus Funk”, in my opinion, the best of their early albums.

But trouble was brewing. The band was chafing under Knight’s control, and they started wondering, “where’s all the money?” A bitter dispute followed. They sued Knight, and he sued them back. This legal battle went on for two years, and in the end, Knight ended up with a big load of cash and the rights to all their recordings and their songwriting royalties. All the band was left with was the rights to the name Grand Funk Railroad.  Ironically, if they had just waited three more months instead of suing, that contract would have expired.

In 1972, they brought in a fourth member, keyboard player Craig Frost, and they released album number six, “Phoenix”. This is kind of a dividing line for fans, from “Phoenix” on. They embraced their R&B roots more, and their sound got just a little more melodic, more hooks. To some fans, this is where they get off the Grand Funk train. But for me, this is where the records get better.

It’s certainly where the records get more popular. In 1973, they bring in Todd Rundgren to produce their next album, “We’re An American Band”, and the title cut is their first number one hit.

They bring Todd Rundgren back to produce their next album, “Shining On”, in 1974, which includes their hit version of “The Locomotion” and the title cut, “Shining On”.

By December of 74, they release another album, “All The Girls In The World Beware”, which featured two big hits: “Some Kind Of Wonderful” and “Bad Time”.

They toured in ‘74 and ‘75 and then released their second live album. They had released a previous live album in 1970, simply called “Live Album”. This second live album is called “Caught In The Act”, and it features all the hits, plus a ton of great album cuts. The band, Mark Farner on vocals, guitar and occasionally keyboards; Craig Frost on keyboards; Mel Schacher on bass; and Don Brewer on vocals and drums, are augmented on this tour by The Funkettes, two backing vocalists named Lorraine Featherson and Jana Giglio.

The original album opens with a long introduction. The sound of the crowd and fireworks going off. That lasts almost three minutes. When the album was issued on CD, they cut most of that out, fading up the crowd just before the band kicks off their opening number “Footstompin’ Music”.

Don and Mel laying down the groove. So there’s Don on drums, Mel on bass and two keyboard parts, because both Mark and Craig are playing organ here. Mark’s keyboard is in the right channel, Craig is in the left. Sounds like Craig maybe switched to playing a clavinet while Mark stays on the organ. Let’s hear just those keyboard parts for a bit.

That’s Don Brewer with the ad libs there. It’s Mark handling the lead vocal.

Let’s focus on just the bass and the drums here, especially that great walking bass part that Mel Schacher is playing.

There’s some great dueling organ swirls there. Let’s just listen to that.

Now Mark is going to step away from the organ and do some good old-fashioned rock and roll preaching.

Now, Mark has had his guitar on this whole time, but he hasn’t played a note on it until now. On this tour, Mark was playing a Valeno 72 Standard. It’s a pretty unusual guitar; it’s made of aluminum. Mark has a fairly unique guitar tone all through this album, but how much of that is strictly due to this guitar? I don’t know.

Let’s bring up this guitar solo in the mix.

And Mark is going to switch back to the organ here.

Let’s bring those vocals to the front.

Let’s go back and just hear that drum fill.

Alright, here comes the big finale. And listen to Mel Shocker’s bass in particular; he is riffing like a madman.

Here’s another great drum fill by Don Brewer.

So “Footstompin’ Music” ends right there. But the party is just getting started. They pause for just a few seconds and then they count right into the next number. “Rock ‘N Roll Soul”.  I really dig this whole introduction.

So right there, Mark says “we done this song a long time ago”. This concert was recorded in 1975; the song originally appeared on the “Phoenix” album in 1972. So I don’t know, three years doesn’t seem like a long time ago to me. But I suppose when you’re still in your twenties, releasing two to three albums a year and living at the pace these guys were, three years maybe seems like an awful long time.

I love that transition into the actual song.

Let’s bring up the vocals.

Notice how they change up the groove on this section, especially on the drums. Don Brewer is going to take over the vocals for this section. And I really like what Craig Frost is doing on the keyboards in the left channel. It’s very simple, but I love how it plays off the rhythm of the guitar and the drums.

Mark Farner takes another guitar solo. But first I want to hear what the bass and drums are doing under this section.

Okay, let’s go back and hear that with the guitar solo. More guitar. Now he’s got a flanger on his guitar.

The base goes wild again.

“Footstompin’ Music” and Rock ‘N Roll Soul” by Grand Funky Railroad.

This would be the peak for Grand Funk Railroad. They would release a couple more albums, but sales were declining, and there was tension building within the band… and by 1976, they split.

Mark Farner released a couple of solo albums and Frost, Brewer and Schacher soldiered on, releasing one album under the name “Flint”. They got back together a few times, starting in 1981, and released a couple more albums. In my opinion, those records don’t really hold up.

For quite a while, both Brewer and Frost joined Bob Seeger’s Silver Bullet Band. In fact, Frost still plays with Bob Seeger today. Mel Schacher left the music biz for a while, but he and Brewer have toured versions of Grand Funk Railroad since the late nineties. Mark Farner does his own thing with Mark Farner’s American Band.

Grand Funk can sometimes be a punchline today. They are, after all, Homer Simpson’s favorite band.

But they’re no joke to me. Yes, it’s meat and potatoes rock, but there is some great stuff in their catalog, and I legitimately love this album. As a teenager, I played it over and over, and spent many an hour playing air guitar to this record.

Thanks for joining me here on the Pantheon Podcast Network for another edition of the “I’m In Love With That Song” podcast. We’ll be back in about two weeks with another new episodes, so join me again then. All of our previous shows, and there’s over 160 of them, can be found on our website, lovethatsongpodcast.com, or find them in your favorite podcast app. Just look for us. You’ll find us in there.

Keep in touch with us on Facebook or send me an email– Lovethatsongpodcastmail.com is the address.  And if you’d like to support the show, all I ask is that you tell a friend about it because your recommendation is worth more than any advertising.

I thank you again for listening to this episode. Now go find yourself a copy of “Caught In The Act” by Grand Funk Railroad; put it on your turntable and crank up those first two tracks, “Footstompin’ Music” and “Rock ‘N Roll Soul”.

RESOURCES:

Grand Funk Railroad
https://www.grandfunkrailroad.com/

Shea Stadium
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shea_Stadium

Terry Knight and the Pack
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Knight_and_the_Pack

Mark Farner
http://www.markfarner.com/

Don Brewer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Brewer

Mel Schacher
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Schacher

Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band
https://www.bobseger.com/

Mark Farner’s American Band
http://www.markfarner.com/

Caught in the Act (album by Grand Funk Railroad)
https://www.discogs.com/Grand-Funk-Railroad-Caught-In-The-Act/master/99202

Elvin Bishop – “Calling All Cows”

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by Earley Dranne - Copyright Excellorec Music Co. BMI 

Strap in for a wild ride with Elvin Bishop and his fiery ensemble as they tear through the raucous track “Calling All Cows“, from the rollicking 1977 live album Raisin’ Hell. We dig into this electrifying live performance that showcases a band at the top of their game. A prime example of the musicianship that made the ’70s a golden era for live albums; Elvin Bishop’s Raisin Hell stands out as a testament to that time.

For those who have never heard Elvin’s work, this episode is a perfect introduction. And for long-time fans, it’s a chance to fall in love with his music all over again. 

“Calling All Cows” (Earley Dranne) Copyright Excellorec Music Co. BMI 

Take advantage of our discount code lovethatsong and save 15% off t-shirts & merch from your favorite bands at OldGlory.com!

TRANSCRIPT:

Welcome to the “I’m In Love With That Song” podcast. You are listening to us on the Pantheon Podcast Network, and I am your host, Brad Page. And each episode of this show, I pick one of my favorite songs and we dive into it together, listening for all of those little moments, the special touches that make it a great song. No musical skill or knowledge is required here– all you need is a love for music, and you’re going to fit right in here.

Now, usually on this show we focus on studio recordings, looking at how songs were put together in the recording studio. But on this batch of episodes, we’re focusing on live recordings, tracks from some of my favorite, and kind of lesser-known, live albums. On this episode, we’re going to listen to a track by Elvin Bishop from his 1977 live album “Raisin’ Hell”, featuring his smokin’ hot band, showing just how exciting it can be when a really tight group of musicians cut loose and play. This song is six minutes of pure fun. It’s called “Calling All Cows”.

Elvin Bishop’s image has always been as a country boy, a real hayseed. But as is often the case, the truth, it’s a little bit more nuanced than that. He was born in Glendale, California, in 1942, but he grew up on a farm in Iowa with no electricity, no running water, no indoor plumbing. His family moved to Oklahoma when he was ten, but he was a smart kid. He graduated from high school as a National Merit scholar, earning him a full scholarship to the University of Chicago. Ostensibly, he went there to major in physics, but not coincidentally, it just happened to bring him closer to the blues and R&B music that he loved.

While at the University of Chicago, he met a harmonica player named Paul Butterfield, and they would visit the Chicago clubs, learn from the blues greats, people like Otis Rush, Hound Dog Taylor, Buddy Guy. They formed the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 1963. Though Bishop was the original guitarist in the band, he was largely overshadowed by Mike Bloomfield, who joined in 1965. That’s not surprising, as Bloomfield was one of the greatest guitar players of his generation. Almost anyone would have taken second fiddle to him, but Elvin was no second-rate guitarist.

The Butterfield Blues Band released their first album in 1965 and about a year, later cut their second album called “East West”. “East West” is one of the most influential albums of the 1960’s. Along with a selection of typical blues covers, the album features two lengthy instrumental tracks which let the band cut loose, experiment with jazz and elements of Indian ragas. One of the first albums to incorporate these exotic elements in a rock and blues context.

Mike Bloomfield quit the Butterfield band after “East West”. Elvin Bishop would hang on for two more albums, and then he left, too, to start his solo career in 1968. The first Elvin Bishop group album was released in 1969, and over the course of four or five more albums, Elvin built a band around him of tasteful, flexible players who could really jam.

Donnie Baldwin on drums. Michael “Fly” Brooks on bass, Johnny Vernazza on second guitar. These guys were tight, but these albums were all largely under the radar; none of them were close to breaking any sales records.

A singer named Mickey Thomas had been singing background vocals on the last few Elvin Bishop group albums. But on their 6th album, “Strutting My Stuff”, in 1975, Mickey was promoted to full-time band member and got to sing lead vocals on a few tracks, including a little number called “Fooled Around And Fell In Love”.

That was it. That was the secret sauce. The band needed a group of super-tight players who could really hit the groove. Elvin’s guitar out front and Mickey Thomas’ vocals on top. They had a bona fide hit.

They followed the “Strutting My Stuff” album with their next record, “Hometown Boy Makes Good”, and then in 1977 released a live album called “Raisin’ Hell – Elvin Bishop Live”.

1977 was peak Live Album era; everyone was releasing live albums. Many of them became big hits. This is a pretty typical live album of the period. It’s a double album offering a nice retrospective of Elvin’s solo career with a few surprises thrown in. Robert Christgau, the “Dean of American rock critics”, actually gave this album an A minus. So that’s at least one thumbs up. But I really like this album a lot. It’s a selection of tracks recorded across five shows, from March 1976 through February 1977. This particular track, “Calling All Cows”, was recorded at the February 1977 show at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco. “Calling All Cows” originally appeared on the “Juke Joint Jump” album from 1975. Here it’s expanded a bit to really let the band play. And this was a big band. There’s a lot of players on that stage. Of course, you have Elvin Bishop on lead guitar and lead vocal on this track. Mickey Thomas on backing vocals. Johnny Vernazza on guitar. Melvin Seals on keyboards. Don Baldwin on drums. Michael “Fly” Brooks on bass. Billy Slais on saxophone and keyboards, Renee Slais and Debbie Cathey on backing vocals. And Chuck Brooke, Bob Claire, Dave Grover and Bill Lamb on horns. The album was produced by Alan Blazek.

The song kicks off with a drum fill, and it sounds like there’s some percussion, conga drums maybe in there, too. Then the bass and synthesizer play a funky little riff together.

Elvin’s telling someone to wait a minute, I don’t know if he’s talking to the band or the audience, but this song isn’t stopping for anyone.

I love that bass part right there. They’re hitting such a great groove already. Listen to how the horns punch up certain little bits throughout the song. It’s classic.

And now we got a twin guitar part. Elvin and Johnny V playing in harmony. They’re both playing slide guitar here.

Let’s hear just the bass and the drums. Listen to that groove they’re laying down. Here comes the first verse sung by Elvin with, I think, Johnny V singing along with him.

“We’re gonna have a little milk we’re gonna have a little cream, we’re gonna have a little butter, a little margarine”. I mean, come on, is that great or what? I love this song.

There’s a great little lick in there in the left channel. I think it’s played by Johnny V on guitar. But then again, it could be Melvin Seals on keyboards. Let’s back it up a bit and play into that second verse.

Listen to those horn accents and the way they’re locked right in with the drums. This band is tight.

Let’s bring up those twin guitars. Notice how the guitar solo takes a break for the horns to do their thing, before we go back to the guitars. This isn’t just a free form jam. There’s an arrangement here. It feels like they’re just jamming, but there’s a structure behind it all.

Elvin is going to play a little solo. Listen to how the horns are building things up behind the solo, and then they bring it down to just the groove.

The keyboards get a few licks in here. And now another taste of those twin harmony guitars by Elvin and Johnny V. Another crescendo from the horns and back to the twin guitar riff.

And then the last verse. Let’s back off the vocals and just listen to the groove the band is laying down behind them.

Let’s bring the vocals back up now. Here comes a new little piece with some tasty guitar work. On the studio version of this track, the song just fades out at some point. They added this section, and this is actually where they would end the song live, right there. But by this time, they had added the horn section. And here they let the horns pick it back up right at the break and lead the band into an extended finale. It’s an example of how a song can evolve and grow as it’s performed live.

Listen to the bass and drums build the tension here. And then how the whole band just hits this riff. Listen to that bass.

We continue to build to a big finale. They are not done yet. They are going to squeeze every little bit out of this big ending.

The Elvin Bishop Group, “Calling All Cows”.

Commercial success was fleeting for Elvin Bishop. “Fooled Around And Fell In Love” was his one and only hit. But he’s kept making records and touring. He’s a member of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame, and he’s been nominated for a Grammy for Best Blues Album quite a few times, though he hasn’t won yet. At 83 years old, he’s still playing, still got a shot at that Grammy. Hope he gets one. He deserves it.

Mickey Thomas would leave the Elvin Bishop Group after this live album, and not long after that, he joined Jefferson Starship. I love Mickey Thomas’ voice, and I expect we’ll hear from him on this show again sometime.

You know, Elvin has always portrayed himself as a fun-loving, good time boy, but there’s more to his life than just that image. Honestly, I kind of hesitate to bring this up because I don’t like to sensationalize things, but Elvin has suffered real tragedy and pain in his life. In August of 2000, both Elvin’s wife and his daughter were murdered. I can only imagine the toll that that must have taken on him. And again, I don’t want to play up anyone’s suffering for the sake of a podcast, but I think it’s important to acknowledge Elvin Bishop as a full person and respect what he’s been through and his ability to carry on.

Thanks as always for being a part of this episode. I’ll be back in about two weeks with another new show. Who knows what we’ll be talking about then, but I hope you join us. If you missed any of our previous episodes, you can catch up on our website, lovethatsongpodcast.com or find us wherever you listen to podcasts. We’re on iTunes and Spotify and YouTube and pretty much everywhere you can listen to podcasts.

If you’d like to support the show– and I hope you do– he first thing you can do is to just tell someone about the show, share it with your friends or family, because it’s recommendations by smart, knowledgeable people like you that really help us out.

On behalf of all the shows here on the Pantheon Podcast Network, I thank you for listening. Go out and find yourself a copy of Elvin Bishop’s “Raisin’ Hell” album. Crank it up and listen to this version of “Calling All Cows”.

RESOURCES:

Elvin Bishop
https://www.elvinbishopmusic.com

Raisin Hell Album
Raisin’ Hell – Elvin Bishop | Album | AllMusic

Paul Butterfield Blues Band
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-butterfield-blues-band-mn0000019552

East West Album
East-West (The Butterfield Blues Band album) – Wikipedia

Jefferson Starship
https://jeffersonstarship.com

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
https://www.rockhall.com

Blues Hall of Fame
https://blues.org/blues_hall_of_fame/

Joe Walsh – “Meadows”

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by Joe Walsh & Patrick Cullie - Copyright 1973 Songs of Universal Inc., Barnstorm Music Inc. and Belkin Music Company

We dive into the electrifying atmosphere of live music on this episode, as we take a detour from studio recordings to explore the raw energy and spontaneous magic of live performances. This time around, we’re sizing up “Meadows” by Joe Walsh, from his dynamic 1976 live album, You Can’t Argue with a Sick Mind.

Join us as we trace the origins of Joe Walsh’s musical journey and examine the intricate layers of “Meadows,” from the driving guitar riff that hooks you in, to the dual drummers and star-studded band lineup that includes the likes of Don Felder, Jay Ferguson, and Willie Weeks. With two drummers, two keyboard players, and a percussionist, you’ll discover how this ensemble manages a tight, uncluttered sound that defines true musicians. Whether you’re a die-hard Joe Walsh fan or just love the thrill of a great live album, tune in and turn it up.

“Meadows” (Joe Walsh & Patrick Cullie) Copyright 1973 Songs of Universal Inc., Barnstorm Music Inc. and Belkin Music Company

TRANSCRIPT:

We are back once again for another edition of the “I’m In Love With That Song” podcast. We’re here on the Pantheon Podcast Network, and I’m your host, Brad Page. Each episode, I pick one of my favorite songs, and we delve into it together to see how it works: what goes into making it a great song? As always, musical knowledge or experience isn’t a prerequisite here. We don’t get into music theory or anything too technical. We’re just going to use our ears and sharpen our listening skills.

Now, usually on this show, we focus on studio recordings, where we can examine how a song was put together, the choices made during production and recording. But in the next few episodes, I want to take a look at some live recordings. There are a lot of great live albums out there, some pretty popular and some really famous ones. You know the ones I’m talking about– from “Frampton Comes Alive” to “Kiss Alive”, Allman Brothers “At the Fillmore East”, Thin Lizzy “Live and Dangerous”, Humble Pie “Performance Rocking The Fillmore”, I mean, there’s just so many great live albums.

But what I want to do is go off the beaten path a little bit and play some probably less familiar tracks that highlight different aspects of what I love about my favorite live albums. This time, we’re looking at a track by Joe Walsh from his 1976 live album, “You Can’t Argue With A Sick Mind”. This is a song called “Meadows”.

Joseph Fiddler was born in Kansas in 1947, but he was an army brat and moved around a lot. His father was killed in a plane crash in Okinawa, Japan, when Joe was only a year and a half old. His mother would later remarry when Joe was five, and he took his stepfather’s surname, Walsh.

Like many kids, he was insecure. Never felt like he fit in. But he had a talent for music. His mom was a classical piano player. Maybe he inherited that from her. He got a guitar when he was about ten years old, but it was hearing The Beatles for the first time that really kicked him into gear.

He went to college at Kent State in Ohio and gigged around regularly with a band called The Measles, and eventually hooked up with the James Gang out of Cleveland and became their guitar player. The James Gang was originally a five-piece. But when their keyboard player and lead singer quit right before a gig in Detroit, Joe stepped up and became their lead vocalist as well.

The James Gang built a following, got a recording contract and released three albums between 1969 and 1971, and they had a pretty big hit with the song “Funk #49”.

But Joe was restless with the limitations of that band, and quit the James Gang in ’71.  He put together a band called Barnstorm and recorded a couple albums with them, which were really marketed as solo albums. The second album featured “Rocky Mountain Way”, which of course became a big hit.

It was around this time that Joe had met Irving Azoff, who became his manager. Azoff was also managing a little band called The Eagles.

In April of 1974, his wife was driving his daughter to school when someone ran a red light and crashed into them. His wife was knocked unconscious, but his four-year-old daughter suffered major head trauma and didn’t survive. As you can imagine, it was heartbreaking and pushed Joe further into alcohol and cocaine abuse.

At the end of 1974, he released his next album titled “So What”. A number of The Eagles appeared on various tracks on that album, and within a year or so, Joe would become a permanent member of The Eagles.

But in November 1975, before he officially joined The Eagles, Joe was invited to appear on “Don Kirchner’s Rock Concert”, one of the all-time great rock music TV shows. So many great performances on that show, and they’re worth watching just for Don Kirschner’s awkwardly stiff introductions. Classic.

Anyway, Joe put together an all-star band and filmed a live show at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on November 26, 1975. It was broadcast on Don Kirchner’s Rock Concert and billed as “Joe Walsh And Friends”. I don’t believe the video of that show was ever officially released; you can find it on YouTube, but the quality is pretty rough. But some of those tracks were released as a live album in March 1976. It was called “You Can’t Argue With A Sick Mind”.

This was the height of live album mania, of course. “Frampton Comes Alive” came out that same year, but this album was a relatively concise single LP. It doesn’t feature everything from the Don Kirchner footage, but it’s really well recorded and well performed. And it’s one of those live albums where I prefer most of these versions over the original studio versions.

This episode we’re listening to the song “Meadows”, which is the second track on this live album. First, let’s have a quick listen to the original studio version, which was released on Joe’s second solo album called “The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get” in 1973.

The live version is a few beats-per-minute faster, as is often the case, but I think the riff and the groove of this song really benefit from being faster. It just feels, well, livelier. And the performance is just great. I mean, look at the lineup of this band:

Of course, you’ve got Joe Walsh on guitars and vocals; Don Felder of The Eagles, also on guitar; Jay Ferguson on keyboards– e was in Jo Jo Gunne and Spirit. We covered one of his Spirit songs in a previous episode. He also had a big solo hit in the seventies called “Thunder Island”.

You also have David Mason on keyboards. This isn’t the Dave Mason who played in Traffic. This is a different David Mason who spent some time playing in Todd Rundgren’s Utopia. You have the great Willie Weeks on bass; he was one of those go-to players. He was on records by David Bowie, George Harrison, Donnie Hathaway, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder. He just played on tons of albums.

And then there are two drummers on this song, both playing together. Andy Newmark and Joe Vitale. Again, both highly regarded session players. Each of them has a credit list a mile long.

Plus you have a percussionist, Rocky Dzidzornu, also known as Rocky Dejon. He played on tons of tracks, including “Sympathy For The Devil” by The Rolling Stones. Now that is what you call an all-star lineup.

Now, let’s get into the track. It begins with Joe Walsh playing the riff before the whole band joins in. I gotta say, this is one of my favorite guitar riffs of all time. So let’s just hear those guitars for a second.

Let’s go back and hear the full band version. And remember, besides two guitars and bass, there are two keyboard players, two drummers and a percussionist all playing together. But notice it doesn’t sound cluttered. Nobody’s over playing. They’re very tight. Those are signs that you’re dealing with real professionals here.

The verses are a little mellower. The keyboards come more to the front. Jay Ferguson is playing piano while David Mason is on the organ. And of course, Joe Walsh with the lead vocal.

Let’s try to bring up the piano and the organ so you can hear how they interact.

I wouldn’t describe Joe Walsh as a typical singer. There’s a lot of quirks to his voice, but I’ve always loved it. It’s unmistakably him. I think he sounds great on the next part of this verse, so let’s hear that.

The riff comes back. Listen to that bass part by Willy Weeks.

Here’s the next verse. Some things are left unspoken some things are handed down the circle stands unbroken sending it back around.

Around during the verses, Andy Newmark is playing the traditional drum kit, but Joe Vitale is just adding fills, playing kettle drums with a pair of mallets. Listen for that.

Now at this point, we come to a new section featuring a guitar solo played by Don Felder. This is different than the studio version. There’s no guitar solo here on that version.

Now if you listen closely, you can hear a buzzing sound, probably coming from one of the guitar amplifiers.  These days, they’d be able to remove something like that, but I kind of like it when these things are left in. It makes it feel like a genuine live recording, that they’ve captured something real. Let’s bring up Don Felder’s guitar.

Another thing to note about that section is that Joe Vitale switches from playing drums to playing synthesizer. So there’s only one drummer during that section, but there’s actually three keyboard parts.

At this point, the song builds back into the final verse, but there’s still plenty more of the song left to go.

We’re back to two drummers playing here. And this drum fill coming up is one of the few times where it’s very clear there are two drummers on this song.

Some more tasty playing by Willy Weeks on bass and a nice little Joe Walsh guitar lick here.

Now this is interesting: this is where the song seems like it should end. But they add a whole new section– and this is not part of the original studio version. Jay Ferguson is going to play a little bit on piano and then we’re going to get some extended guitar playing from Joe Walsh and Don Felder. That’s Joe Walsh on the right and Don Felder on the left. This is the kind of dueling guitars that these two would perfect on Hotel California, but they did it here first.

And here’s another new piece of music. Again, this is not part of the original studio recording, either. Jay Ferguson is once again going to take the lead on piano and now Joe Walsh is going to take a solo on his own. Let’s bring up Joe’s guitar for a little bit.

Joe Walsh – “Meadows”.

You can find the video of this performance on YouTube. Just search for “Joe Walsh Meadows live” and you’ll find it. It’s worth watching. Joe wears this goofy coon-skin cap through the whole performance. It looks ridiculous, but that’s Joe. It’s such a great performance though.

Of course, The Eagles would go on to massive success before imploding in 1980. Joe continued making solo records, but he descended deeper into alcoholism and drug dependency. When The Eagles started talking about reforming in 1992, they told Joe straight up they couldn’t do it unless he cleaned himself up. And he did. He got sober, and against all odds, Joe Walsh is still with us today– looking, playing and sounding great.

Thanks for listening to this episode of the “I’m In Love With That Song” podcast. We’ll be back in two weeks with another new episode. If you missed any of our previous shows, you’ll find them all on our website, lovethatsongpodcast.com, or look for them in your favorite podcast app.

Be sure to share your thoughts on this song, or any of the other songs we’ve talked about, on our Facebook page; just search for “I’m In Love With That Song” on Facebook and you’ll find us. And of course, you can always send an email to lovethatsongpodcastmail.com.

And if you’re hankering for even more music related podcasts, well, the Pantheon Podcast Network has a bunch of other great music related shows, just waiting for you to discover them. So check them out.

And as always, if you’d like to support this show, the best thing that you can do is to tell someone about it. Recommend it to your friends, your family, or your coworkers, because your endorsement carries a lot of weight. So thank you.

I’ll see you again soon. Thanks for listening to this edition of “I’m In Love With That Song” featuring “Meadows” by Joe Walsh.

RESOURCES:

Joe Walsh
https://www.joewalsh.com/

The James Gang
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Gang

Kent State University
https://www.kent.edu/

Jo Jo Gunne
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Jo_Gunne

Spirit (Band)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_(band)

Todd Rundgren’s Utopia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopia_(American_band)

Willie Weeks
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Weeks

The Eagles
https://eagles.com/

Don Kirchner’s Rock Concert
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Kirshner%27s_Rock_Concert

The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get (Album)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smoker_You_Drink,_the_Player_You_Get

Hotel California (Song)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_California_(Eagles_song)

Jackie Shane – “Any Other Way”

William Bell - Published by Bais Music (BMI) & Irving Music (BMI)

Throughout the tapestry of music history, certain figures stand out not just for their talent but for their sheer courage and resilience. Count Jackie Shane among them– a groundbreaking black trans woman who made a mark on the music scene in the 1950’s and 60’s. In our latest podcast episode, we delve into the life and legacy of Jackie Shane, a trailblazer whose story is as compelling as her music.

“Any Other Way” William Bell – Published by Bais Music (BMI) & Irving Music (BMI)

TRANSCRIPT:

Welcome back to the “I’m In Love With That Song” Podcast– dreaming, screaming and streaming to you through the Pantheon Podcast network. My name is Brad Page, host of the show, and each episode here, I pick one of my favorite songs, and we kind of do the audio equivalent of taking out the magnifying glass and getting a close-up look at the song, uncovering all the elements that make it a great song.

So let’s get this out of the way right at the outset: If you’re one of those folks who gets all bent out of shape about things being “Woke”, well, I gotta tell you, this is our wokiest episode yet. June is Pride Month, and as an old straight white guy, I am perfectly happy to stand with our LGBTQ+ friends. And on this episode, we are going to celebrate a groundbreaking figure in the history of the gay and trans community, who is largely unknown but no less important. This is Jackie Shane and a song called “Any Other Way”.

Jackie Shane was born in May 1940 in Nashville, Tennessee. She was born in a boy’s body, but from the beginning, her mind, heart and soul was a black woman. At four years old, she was putting on high heels and dresses, trying on her mom’s makeup. She lived with her mother and grandparents, and they were all supportive of Jackie.

She started singing in church when she was eight, and joined the glee club in junior high. By the time she was 13, she considered herself a woman in a man’s body and started wearing makeup to school. This couldn’t have been easy… this was the 1950’s, after all. But Jackie was confident and stubborn and determined to be herself. She learned to play drums and had her first professional gigs, playing with a trio– herself a piano player and a guitarist. Jackie would play drums standing up and singing lead. Her first recording was in 1957, playing drums on a track called “I Miss You” by Lillian Offit. Lillian’s singing isn’t anything special and the guitar is out of tune, but Jackie’s simple drum beat swings.

Jackie kept busy playing drums on more recording sessions for Excello Records, and playing a ton of live shows in and around Nashville, playing with Big Mabel, Gatemouth Brown, Little Willie John, Joe Tex and more. Around 1958, on the advice from Joe Tex, she left Nashville. She spent time touring with a carnival. The carnival eventually made its way to Canada, where Jackie split with the carnival and made her way to Montreal. It was a smart move. Being black in the South in the ‘50’s was hard enough, being openly gay… but in Canada she felt free.

Not that things weren’t hard… or weird. She was dodging the mob and at one point, was essentially kidnapped by a gangster who thought he was going to make her a star. She talked her way out of that one.

In Montreal, Jackie met a trumpet player named Frank Motley, and she joined his band, the Motley Crew. No, not that Motley Crue. The band would rotate between gigs in Montreal, Toronto, Boston and Washington DC. When they would play in Boston, they were one of the hottest tickets in town. And Jackie was the star of the show. She’d work the audience until they went wild. Tables would be turned over. It was a whole scene.

Jackie had star power, but she wasn’t outrageous. She was subtle. She did her hair and wore makeup, but she didn’t dress outlandish. Her clothes were stylish but androgynous. Her performance style was subtle, too. One musician described her as “gliding like silk”. Focused, controlled, refined in command. She could be mesmerizing.

And this was Jackie offstage, too. This was not an act. She was not a drag queen or what they used to call a “female impersonator”.  On stage or off, she was graceful, dignified and always open, honest and authentic about who she was.

In 1960, while playing the clubs in Washington DC, Frank Motley booked some studio time. After laying down a handful of his tracks, he asked Jackie to sing a few numbers. Jackie felt like she was being put on the spot. She wasn’t prepared to record anything, but reluctantly, she cut a few tracks, including a version of Barrett Strong’s “Money”. These recordings remained unreleased for years, until 1966– six years later, “Money” was released as a single on the Stop label out of Boston.

Meanwhile, Motley, Jackie and the band continued to work their circuit, building quite a following in Montreal and Toronto, as well as DC and Boston. It was while they were in Boston in 1962 that Jackie recorded the song that would be her signature tune. It was originally written and recorded by Stax recording artist William Bell. Here’s a bit of his version.

“Any Other Way” was a brand new song; t this time, it probably had only been out a few weeks before Jackie picked up on it. In fact, the band had likely only played it a handful of times before they recorded it for this session. And the clock was ticking in the studio. Time was tight, and she only had time to record one take– and she nailed it.

The song begins with a short introduction led by the horns. This is unique to Jackie Shane’s version; the original William Bell version doesn’t have this part, but it’s a major hook in Jackie’s version. The tempo is also just a little bit slower, giving a little more sultry feel to Jackie’s recording.

Everything here is very restrained; the horns pull back, the drummer is playing lightly, tapping his stick on the rim of the snare drum. It’s a classic technique. And Jackie turns in a tasteful vocal. No histrionics here, just a smooth, classy vocal.

Now, some people have pointed out that line, “Tell her that I’m happy, tell her that I’m gay”, and tried to assign some meaning to that.  But that line was already in William Bell’s original version of the song. The intent of that lyric seems pretty clear. It’s not to say Jackie was unaware of the interpretation, but let’s not read too much into that. Let’s listen to Jackie’s vocal.

That ends the first verse. And another blast of the horns sets us up for verse number two. There’s even some snare drum fills in here.

I like Jackie’s little laugh before that last line.

You can hear Jackie pop the microphone there. That’s due to what we call “plosives”. That’s when a blast of air from your mouth, from the pronunciation of certain letters, causes the microphone to distort for a split second. That’s the kind of thing you would redo, especially today. But remember, Jackie had only one take, one chance to get it done. There was no time for do-overs.

And those horns return to bring us into the third and final verse. It’s a short song, two and a half minutes– just three verses, no bridge. Here’s that last verse.

And we’ll ride out over that horn riff through to the fade.

Jackie Shane – “Any Other Way”.

Jackie continued to work up through the end of the 1960’s with Frank Motley and the Motley crew, but also with other musicians, too. In fact, George Clinton and Funkadelic wanted to work with her, but she said no. They were just a little too far out, even for Jackie Shane.

One night, Frank Motley showed up to a gig drunk and the promoter called off the show. That was too much for Jackie. She decided she’d had enough. When she told Motley that she was leaving, he lost it– pulled a knife on her and threatened her. But she stood her ground and demanded that she got paid for the gig.

She played her last shows, and in December 1971, she walked off stage after her final performance in Toronto, and left the music business forever.

She essentially disappeared. She lived out the rest of her life in private, spending time caring for her mother, who passed in 1997. She had accomplished what she wanted, and she was content to stay out of the limelight. At the age of 78, Jackie Shane passed away in her sleep in February 2019.

Jackie only recorded a handful of tracks, and there is virtually no film or video of her performances. The only one I know of is an appearance on the local Nashville TV show “Night Train” in 1965. It’s a tight, fun performance, though Jackie is pretty reserved; she did not like doing TV and I believe this was her one and only TV performance. You can find it on YouTube if you look for it.

There is one album available, a live recording called “Jackie Shane Live”. It’s been reissued and you can find that one. And if you really want to dig deeper, there is a 2-CD set called “Any Other Way” that includes an excellent booklet outlining Jackie’s story. It was written by Rob Bowman, and I borrowed liberally from that book to put this episode together. So my thanks to Rob and to the Numero Group for putting out that collection.

Jackie Shane was a trailblazer. She was courageous and brave and strong. She had to be to be out in the world as a black trans woman in the 1950’s and 1960’s. I can’t even imagine. So, if paying tribute to someone with the strength, courage, and dignity of Jackie Shane makes me “woke”, well, I’m more than happy to be woke.

Thanks for joining me here on the Pantheon Network for this edition of the “I’m In Love With That Song” Podcast. New episodes come out on the 1st and the 15th of every month, so I’ll meet you back here then. You can catch up on all of our previous episodes on our website, lovethatsongpodcast.com, or find the episodes on your favorite Podcast app.

If you’d like to support the show, just go tell a friend about it. Your word-of-mouth support is the best promotion I could ask for. So thanks for that.

And thanks for listening to this episode on Jackie Shane and “Any Other Way”.

REFERENCES:

Jackie Shane
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Shane

Frank Motley
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Motley

Excello Records
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excello_Records

Rob Bowman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Bowman_(music_writer)

Numero Group
https://numerogroup.com/

Any Other Way (Album)
https://numerogroup.com/products/jackie-shane-any-other-way

Night Train TV Show
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Train_(TV_series)

William Bell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bell_(singer)