Years ago, instrumental songs were everywhere– on the radio, the jukebox, and the Billboard Hot 100 chart. But over time, the instrumental faded from mainstream popularity. When was the last time you heard a new instrumental, or saw one topping the charts? In this episode– our 100th show— we explore the history of the pop instrumental as we ask the question. “Whatever happened to the instrumental hit song?“
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"Ninety-Nine And A Half (Won't Do)" (Eddie Floyd, Steve Cropper, Wilson Pickett) Copyright 1966 Irving Music and Pronto Music Inc.
Wilson Pickett only recorded 9 songs during his time at Stax in Memphis, but they were defining records. “Ninety-Nine And A Half (Won’t Do)” is the last of those singles, released in May 1966. Though not as well-known as “In The Midnight Hour”, “634-5789” or “Mustang Sally”, this song is a stone-cold classic in my book. Let’s see what it’s made of.
“Ninety-Nine And A Half (Won’t Do)” (Eddie Floyd, Steve Cropper, Wilson Pickett) Copyright 1966 Irving Music and Pronto Music Inc.
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After 50 years locked away in a vault, the world finally got to see and hear some of the abandoned footage from the Beatles “Let It Be” sessions. The new documentary “Get Back” gives us almost 8 hours of never-before seen film and an unprecedented look at The Beatles at work. It was worth the wait. On this Special Edition of the podcast, we’re joined by 3 of the biggest Beatle fans I know– Ken Mills, Craig Smith and Brian Jacobs— to discuss this fascinating look at the most important band in rock history.
— This show is one of many great music-related podcasts on the Pantheon network. You should check them out! And remember to follow this show, so you never miss an episode
"Shangri-La" (Ray Davies) Copyright 1969 Davray Music Limited, Carlin Music Corp
In the novel Lost Horizon, Shangri-La is the mystical, hidden paradise of legend. In The Kinks song, it’s the name given to the humble home of Arthur, the main character in Ray Davies’ concept album/rock opera Arthur (Or The Decline and Fall of The British Empire). Written as the accompaniment for a TV movie that was never produced, Arthur still stands as one of The Kinks’ best works, and “Shangri-La” is the stand-out track from this album.
“Shangri-La” (Ray Davies) Copyright 1969 Davray Music Limited, Carlin Music Corp
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It’s another episode of our “Albums That Made Us” series, where we explore how music has made a big impact on our lives. We’ll be joined by a guest to discuss an album that shaped their lives in some way.
On this edition, we’re joined by Chris Porter, who’s had a long career in the music business as a concert producer, even programmer, talent buyer, and booking manager. And he’s also an old friend. So join us for a discussion on “Aftermath” by The Rolling Stones and The Who’s “Who’s Next”.
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"In The Basement (Part 1)" (Billy Davis, Raynard Miner & Carl Smith) Copyright 1966 Chevis Music Inc BMI
Sugar Pie DeSanto (born Umpeylia Marsema Balinton) was a ton of dynamite in a tiny 4′ 11″ frame… and still is, at the time of this recording. Let’s have a listen to this super-fun classic track, recorded with the great Etta James in 1966.
“In The Basement (Part 1)” (Billy Davis, Raynard Miner & Carl Smith) Copyright 1966 Chevis Music Inc BMI
TRANSCRIPT: Welcome to the party, friends! This is the “I’m In Love With That Song” podcast, coming to you on the Pantheon Podcast Network. I’m your Master of Ceremonies, Brad Page, and on this episode we’re tossing out all the pretensions and going to the place where we can dance to any music we choose– “In The Basement” with Sugar Pie DeSanto
Umpeylia Marsema Balinton was born in Brooklyn New York in 1935, to a Filipino father and an African-American mother. Her mom had been a concert pianist, so she had music in her blood. Her family moved to San Francisco when she was four. She was close friends with Jamesetta Hawkins, who was discovered by Johnny Otis and renamed Etta James. Umpeylia won a number of talent contests in San Francisco and LA, and eventually Johnny Otis turned his sights to her, signing her in 1955 and changing her name to Sugar Pie DeSanto.
Sugar Pie stood only 4 feet 11 inches tall, but she packed an explosive amount of talent in that small frame. She had a giant voice and boundless energy, doing backflips on stage. Her first hit came in 1960 with “I Want To Know”, which reached number 4 on Billboard’s R&B chart.
[Music]
Sugar Pie moved to Chicago and signed with Chess Records, where she recorded more singles. Her biggest hit with Chess was a track called “Soulful Dress” in 1964.
[Music]
In 1966, she reunited with her friend Etta James for a duet called “Do I Make Myself Clear”:
[Music]
After the success of that single, Sugar Pie and Etta James went back into the studio in ’66 to cut another song together: “In The Basement”.
“In The Basement” didn’t turn out to be a big hit, but I think it’s one of the all-time great dance party songs– right up there with “Dancing In The Street”. “In The Basement” was written and produced by Billy Davis, Raynard Miner and Carl Smith. The song kicks off with a snare drum hit, then a classic bass guitar riff, doubled on the piano:
[Music]
You can tell the party’s already started with the crowd noise in the background. After two bars of the intro riff, there’s a short one-beat pause then the intro riff transitions into the main riff. It is a bit of a different riff, and that’s where the guitar joins in.
[Music]
This is where the first verse comes in, and to set the stage, here’s what Etta James said about the recording of this track:
“I flew up to Chicago where I recorded with my old friend from San Francisco, nutty wild-ass Sugar Pie DeSanto. I dug singing “Into The Basement”, a song that took us back to when we were kids; cutting up, smearing on lipstick, kissing on boys, being bad gang girls with our homemade tattoos and floppy jeans. With happy voices chattering in the background, the record is an all-night-long party, with funky music blaring.”
That pretty much says it all. Here’s the first verse:
[Music]
“Where can you go when the money gets low? In the basement.” Kids with no money, no transportation, too young for the clubs… what do you do? You get together in a friend’s basement where you can turn up the music and have a space of your own.
Now, granted, we were suburban white kids, far from the inner city where I grew up, but we did basically the same thing; hanging out in the basement, playing tunes. A couple times a year, we’d set up our guitars and drums in a friend’s basement and play a show for a dozen of our closest friends. Those moments of escape, freedom and promise… pretty universal experience for most American teenagers, I think.
"Where can you dance to any music you choose,
you got the comforts of home and a nightclub, too.
There's no cover charge or fee,
and the food and drinks are free,
down in the basement."
That’s the second verse.
[Music]
I love the scream and the backing vocals here.
Let’s bring up the vocals on this last verse
[Music]
“In The Basement” by Sugar Pie DeSanto and Etta James.
Sugar Pie, like so many artists, never made it to the big-time commercially. She’s had to eke out a career over 50 years now, but she kept on going. In 2008, she received the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm And Blues Foundation. At the ceremony, she performed “I Want To Know”, her first hit. And in the middle of the song, she got down on the floor and did a backward somersault.
At the time of this recording, Sugar Pie DeSanto is 85 years old, still going strong. She’s overcome a lot in her life: drugs, alcohol, and tragedy– she was married five times, twice to the same man, Jesse Davis, who died in a fire at their apartment in 2006. Sugar Pie said “He saved my life, but he couldn’t save his own”.
If you’d like to hear more of Sugar Pie DeSanto, there’s a great compilation CD called “Go Go Power: The Complete Chess Singles” that I highly recommend.
Thank you for being a part of this episode. The “I’m In Love With That Song” podcast will be back again soon! Find us on Facebook, where you can write a review or leave a comment; you can find all of our previous episodes on our website, lovethatsongpodcast.com.
This show is part of the Pantheon Network of podcasts, where you’ll find discussions and conversations on all the great bands and artists. Thanks again for listening, and let’s keep the party going with “In The Basement” by Sugar Pie de Santo.
It’s our annual Bonus Holiday Episode – This time, we travel back in time & around the world for a truly psychedelic Christmas trip with the He 5. See you on the other side!
"The Green Manalishi (with the Two-Prong Crown)" (Peter Green) Copyright 1970 Palan Music Publishing Ltd.
There’s never been any shortage of drama with Fleetwood Mac… long before the soap opera of Rumours, there was the psychodrama of Peter Green (and Jeremy Spencer, and Danny Kirwan…). The saga of how Peter Green– one of the brightest guitarists to come out of ’60’s Britain, right up there with Clapton/Beck/Page– was lost to a drug-fueled spiritual black hole is one of the great “if only…” tales in Rock History. When he passed away in July 2020, I knew it was time to tackle a Green-era Mac classic… I just had to gin up the courage to revisit the nightmare that awaits in “The Green Manalishi (with the Two-Prong Crown)”
“The Green Manalishi (with the Two-Prong Crown)” (Peter Green) Copyright 1970 Palan Music Publishing Ltd.
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"I Heard It Through The Grapevine" (Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong) Copyright 1966 Jobette Music Co, Inc., BMI
Hard to believe now, but Motown resisted releasing this song as a single. Marvin’s version sat on a shelf for months before being relegated to an album track– until some DJ’s discovered it, and the rest is history. It became Motown’s biggest selling hit at that time. And it’s a true classic. In this episode, we’ll look at how the track was put together and marvel at Marvin’s performance. One of the greats.
“I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong) Copyright 1966 Jobette Music Co, Inc., BMI
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"Listen Listen!" (Emitt Rhodes) Copyright 1968 Thirty Four Music/La Brea Music Inc (ASCAP)
Emitt Rhodes had an extraordinary gift as a songwriter, a fantastic voice and was a remarkable musician– he was one of the first artists to record by himself, playing every instrument on his albums. He passed away in July 2020, leaving behind a small but significant collection of albums. In tribute to this under-appreciated talent, I’ve selected a song from his most successful band, The Merry-Go-Round, a song that itself is a celebration of great music & great bands. Psychedelic ’60’s pop never got better than this.
“Listen Listen!” (Emitt Rhodes) Copyright 1968 Thirty Four Music/La Brea Music Inc (ASCAP)
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