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4 episodes with Detroit Wheels
5 episodes with Detroit Wheels
2 episodes with Detroit Wheels
2 episodes with Detroit Wheels
2 episodes with Detroit Wheels
2 episodes with Detroit Wheels
2 episodes with Detroit Wheels
4 episodes with Detroit Wheels
2 episodes with Detroit Wheels
With mid-‘60s hits such as “Jenny Take a Ride!” and “Devil with a Blue Dress On,” Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels all but created the rock ‘n' soul rave-up, and he became the musical godfather of the so-called blue-collar rockers including Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp. In this career-spanning conversation conducted from his Michigan home, the 80-year-old Ryder reflects on the impact that he and Detroit had on each other, the genesis of those early hits, the assist he gave the Who and Cream, the insulting question he fielded from the British press, his reasons for stepping away from the rock ‘n' roll life in the early '70s, his resurgence in Europe and his continued work into 2025 with a new album, With Love, produced by fellow Detroiter (and previous Caropop guest) Don Was. There's also a priceless Prince story. (Photo by Alejandro Saldana.)
In this episode, we take a first listen to the new album from Mitch Ryder, called With Love the latest chapter in the career of the rock and soul icon. With the release of his 21st studio album, Ryder calls it one of the most honest works of his career—raw, autobiographical, and packed with his grit and soul. Produced by Don Was, the album marks a 2025 moment in Ryder's decades-long career. We'll also hear Ryder's roots—from fronting The Detroit Wheels in the mid-60s with hits like “Devil with a Blue Dress On” and “Jenny Take a Ride!” to his transformation into a blue-eyed soul singer and bandleader of The Mitch Ryder Show and his later career in Germany. His influence stretches across generations, as seen in collaborations with John Mellencamp and his induction into the R&B Hall of Fame in 2017. We also talk about Ryder's unexpected second act in Germany, where he's cultivated a devoted fan base and recorded much of his later work. Highlights include a live performance listen to The Roof Is on Fire, captured during his 75th birthday tour. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to Mitch Ryder's music, we hear his new music first - right here. How's it sound? What do you think?
The 47th edition of Variety Hits! Artists include Eddie Money, The Beatles, Falco, Bill Withers, Mick Jagger, Howard Jones, Kenny Rogers, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, Lucy Woodward, Keith Urban and more!
Selección de Rock’n’Roll con aderezo soulero. Play it loud!!Playlist;(sintonía) THE SATANS PILGRIMS “Soul pilgrim”THE RAUNCH HANDS “Chicken scratch”THE LOST CRUSADERS “Downward road”THE MEOWS “Sugar woman”LOS CHICOS “Treat her right”KING KHAN and THE SHRINES “Land of the freak”THE FUZZTONES “99th floor”MITCH RYDER and THE DETROIT WHEELS “I’d rather go to jail”GENTLEMEN’S AGREEMENTS “Sock it to me baby”IGGY POP “Pleasure”THE SAINTS “Know your product”THE WOGGLES “Big bird”THE FLESHTONES “I surrender”ANDRE WILLIAMS “I ain’t guilty”HEAVY TRASH “Lover street”THE SOLUTION “Get on back”SCOTT MORGAN “Mom, Scott’s smoking”SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS “Soulfull garage”RAMONES “Time has come today”Escuchar audio
I scored this green plastic 4 track cart of musical magic on Ebay, along with Bookends by Simon and Garfunkel, and The Live Adventures of Bloomfield and Kooper, Vol. 2. I needed to acquire an antiquated device through which to hear them because 4s don't play on standard 8 track machines, so I tracked down a heavy wooden Muntz cabinet model that still works. You have to change tracks with a lever - like an old time train conductor - (which is thrilling enough by itself) - but when I heard Nick Gravenites crooning “Groovin' is Easy” and “Killin' Floor” through the jerry-rigged Jensen speakers, I was hooked. I read that Mike Bloomfield had first approached Mitch Ryder to be lead singer, but he didn't want to leave the Detroit Wheels. Nick was a better fit. This writer of “Born in Chicago”, and collaborator with Janis Joplin and Quicksilver Messenger Service was the Chicago to California connection that made perfect sense at Monterrey, where the band debuted. I had forgotten that Bloomfield's mission when he first assembled his cracker jack, “All American” band, was to encompass more native musical genres and to seamlessly mix R&B, Soul, Gospel, Country, and Pop. This was more than what the Chicago blues scene from which he emerged afforded. And, horns were part of the secret sauce. This happened at exactly the same time that Al Kooper's Blood, Sweat, and Tears were forming. Unfortunately, heroin, and other intrusions caused Bloomfield's band to break up before it could take its rightful crown, but this document, along with the soundtrack of Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson's film, “The Trip” bears witness to their promised glory. Groovin' may be easy, but Mike Bloomfield never did anything easy.
"From Steel Pulse to Wu-Tang: A Festival of Musical Diversity"Larry Mishkin discusses a review of various experiences and performances, starting with a cannabis event called "Miracle in Mundelein," which took place over the past weekend. The main focus of the review is a discussion of a Grateful Dead show from September 9, 1987, at the Providence Civic Center in Rhode Island. The show was notable for being the second night of a three-show run, marking the opening of the Grateful Dead's 1987 East Coast fall tour.Key highlights include:"Hey Pocky Way" Performance: This was the first time the Grateful Dead performed the song "Hey Pocky Way," which is originally by the Meters, a New Orleans funk band. The song became a fan favorite, primarily due to the influence of Brent Mydland, the band's keyboardist. However, the song fell out of rotation after Brent's death in 1990."Jack Straw" Performance: Another song featured was "Jack Straw," a Grateful Dead classic written by Bob Weir and Robert Hunter. It was originally performed in 1971 and became a staple in the band's setlists. The song was performed in the second spot of the setlist during the 1987 show, indicating the band's tendency to feature it early in their concerts.Music News Segment: The transcript also includes a segment on music news, which starts with a brief history of the band Cheap Trick, particularly their song "I Want You to Want Me."Review of the Miracle in Mundelein Festival: The review shifts to discussing the recent "Miracle in Mundelein" festival, where several acts performed:Steel Pulse: A roots reggae band from Birmingham, England, who delivered a lively and energetic performance.The Soul Rebels: A New Orleans brass band known for their energetic live shows and collaborations with major artists. Their set featured Raekwon and GZA from the Wu-Tang Clan, adding a strong hip-hop element to the performance.Wiz Khalifa: The headliner of the event, Wiz Khalifa, is praised for his stage presence and connection with the audience. The review notes his strong advocacy for cannabis and how his music resonated well with the crowd.Overall, the review captures the blend of nostalgia with the Grateful Dead's classic performances and the fresh, dynamic energy of the Miracle in Mundelein festival, highlighting both the music and the culture of cannabis.https://www.cheaptrick.com/ Grateful DeadSeptember 9, 1987 (37 years ago)Providence Civic CenterProvidence, Rhode IslandGrateful Dead Live at Providence Civic Center on 1987-09-09 : Free Borrow & Streaming : Internet Archive Second night of a three show run, the opening shows of 1987 East Cost fall tour. INTRO: Hey Pocky Way Track #1 :35 – 2:03 First time ever played Hey Pocky Way was written by George Porter Jr., Leo Nocentelli, Art Neville & Joseph Modeliste, founding members of The Meters, an American funk band formed in 1965 in New Orleans by Modeliste (drums), Porter Jr. (bass), Nocentelli (guitar) and Neville (keyboards). The band performed and recorded their own music from the late 1960s until 1977 and played an influential role as backing musicians for other artists, including Lee Dorsey, Robert Palmer, Dr. John, and Allen Toussaint. Song was released on Rejuvenation the band's fifth studio album in 1974. In 2003, the album was ranked number 138 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,[6] and 139 in a 2012 revised list. Beginning with this show, the Dead began to feature Hey Pocky Way, usually as a show opener. Sung by Brent who really got into it with both his keyboard playing and strong singing, it became a fan favorite. But as a Brent influenced tune, it died when he did. Played: 25 timesFirst: September 9, 1987 at Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI, USALast: July 22, 1990 at World Music Theatre, Tinley Park, IL, USA (Brent's second to last show) SHOW No. 1: Jack Straw Track #2 4:00 – 5:50 "Jack Straw" written by Bob Weir and Robert Hunter. The track first appeared on the album Europe '72. The song was first performed in concert on October 19, 1971, in Minneapolis, Minnesota at new keyboardist Keith Godchaux's first appearance with the band. In the song's earliest performances (c. 1971–72), Weir sang all of the vocals. By the time the 'Europe 72' version was recorded, (at the Olympia Theater in Paris on 5-03-72), Weir and Jerry Garcia were switching up the vocals - as they had on April 26th when 'Hundred Year Hall' was recorded. The song appeared in both the first and second sets until the band's short hiatus in 1974-1975. After re-forming, the song almost exclusively appeared in the first set. After Brent Mydland joined the band in 1979, the song almost exclusively opened the band's first set. The band also often extended the jam after the second verse after Mydland's joining, often extending the song to over six minutes. Dead and Company have also further extended the song, often adding an abstract opening jam prior to the song's first verse.[1] Bob Weir stated in a 2004 interview that the song's lyrics were partly based on John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men.[2] The song's themes include riding the rails, the Great Depression, and hobo (homeless) camps of the era. Jack Straw is also—perhaps coincidentally—the name of the original plantation owner, who lived controversially with his gay lover, Peter Ochello, in Tennessee Williams's play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.[3] Always a great song to hear in concert, the fans loved it and it was always an omen of good things to come in the show. Played: 477 timesFirst: October 19, 1971 at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN, USALast: July 8, 1995 at Soldier Field in Chicago MUSIC NEWS Miracle In Mundelein – second year of the festival in Mundelein a suburb northwest of Chicago. Missed last year with JRAD but made it this year on Saturday with my sons Jonathan and Daniel, Jonathan's fiancé, Bella and Daniel's buddy AJ. Different theme to this year's music focusing on hip hop and rap, not part of my regular music, but certainly a key genre for Daniel and AJ who filled me on details during the show. Acts:Steel Pulse - Steel Pulse are a roots reggae band from the Handsworth area of Birmingham, England. They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, and were composed of David Hinds (lead vocals, guitar), Basil Gabbidon (lead guitar, vocals), and Ronald McQueen (bass); along with Basil's brother Colin briefly on drums and Mykaell Riley (vocals, percussion). Steel Pulse were the first non-Jamaican act to win the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. They were initially refused live dates in Caribbean venues in Birmingham due to their Rastafarian beliefs. During the popularization of punk rock in the mid-1970's, Steel Pulse began to play punk venues such as the Hope and Anchor in London and The Electric Circus in Manchester in 1976.[1] Aligning themselves closely with the Rock Against Racism organization and featuring in its first music festival in early 1978, they chose to tour with sympathetic elements of the punk movement,[1] including the Stranglers and XTC. Eventually they found a more natural home in support slots for Burning Spear, which brought them to the attention of Island Records. Fun set that was in progress when we arrived, great sound and lots of energy that kept the crowd moving. The Soul Rebels - The Soul Rebels (also Soul Rebels Brass Band, Soul Rebels or The Rebels) are an eight-piece New Orleans based brass ensemble that incorporate elements of soul, jazz, funk, hip-hop, rock and pop music within a contemporary brass band framework. Starting out as a local New Orleans favorite, The Soul Rebels have evolved into collaborating live with major artists in all worlds of music including:Katy PerryNasMetallicaGreen DayTrombone ShortyProdigyString Cheese IncidentUmphrey's McGeeGalacticSuzanne VegaEurythmicsLettuceGov't Mule And many more The band has built its career around an eclectic live show that harnesses the power of horns and percussion in a funky party-like atmosphere. The band routinely plays over 250 shows a year. They have been described by the Village Voice as "the missing link between Public Enemy and Louis Armstrong. The Soul Rebels consist of percussionists and founding members Lumar LeBlanc and Derrick Moss, trumpet players Julian Gosin and Marcus Hubbard, trombonists Corey Peyton and Paul Robertson, saxophonist Erion Williams, and sousaphonist Manuel Perkins Jr. On Saturday, they featured Raekwon and GZA from Wu Tang Clan. RAEKWON - Corey Woods[2] (born January 12, 1970),[3][4] better known by his stage name Raekwon (/reɪˈkwɒn/, ray-KWON), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success following the release of their debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), in 1993. Raekwon would subsequently pursue a solo career, releasing his first solo album, entitled Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., in 1995. The album received critical acclaim, and is regarded by many critics as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, as well as a staple of 1990s rap. Raekwon attributes the name Raekwon to the Five-Percent Nation, an offshoot of the Nation of Islam, when he was a "young kid."[11] He converted to Islam in 2009. Growing up, he witnessed his mother being hit and abused by different men, an experience which he said "affected [him] a lot."[10] As a young man, his mother kicked him out of their Park Hill home when Raekwon got into an argument with her boyfriend and his mother sided with the boyfriend. During this time, he spiraled into a pattern of hopelessness and violent behavior.[8] He became addicted to cocaine and crack cocaine until he became aware of how the crack epidemic was affecting those around him, at which point "it was an automatic stop."[10]Raekwon and rap partner Ghostface Killah attended junior high school together on Staten Island.[14] Raekwon attended New Dorp High School, where he befriended rappers Remedy, Method Man and Inspectah Deck.[15] Woods first rapped as Sha Raider. In 1992, he joined the Wu-Tang Clan, an originally nine-member rap group drawing mainly from the Staten Island but also from the Brooklyn boroughs of New York City. He rapped as Raekwon The Chef, and also used the aliases Lex Diamonds, Shallah Raekwon, and Louis Rich. After being caught in a crossfire and accidentally shot four times, Raekwon began rapping in earnest. He later described being shot as an "important eye opener." In September 2009, MTV ranked Raekwon tenth among "hottest" rappers. In December, HipHopDx's 2009 awards named Only Built For Cuban Linx... Pt. II album of the year, calling it "the Hip Hop equivalent to The Godfather 2, with Rae as revitalized as Marlon was". Raekwon won Emcee of the Year—the prior year, Nas won—while HipHopDX staff explained, Raekwon brought it back to lyrical, dope rap. He released an album that spoke to teens, twenty-somethings, thirty-somethings, and beyond. Without compromising, the Chef made an edgy Hip Hop record that refused to bastardize the catalog he laid down 15 years ago. On top of that, Rae (along with Ghostface) was a go-to for numerous rappers making albums, ranging from the Playaz Circle to Jadakiss to BK One. That's beyond real, as was a year filled with performing in arenas, clubs and even churches. When it came to mastering the ceremony, Rae had 'em all following the leader.[28]— HipHopDX GZA - Gary Eldridge Grice[2] (born August 22, 1966), better known by his stage names GZA (/ˈdʒɪzə/JIZ-ə) and The Genius,[3] is an American rapper. A founding member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is the group's "spiritual head", being both the first member in the group to receive a record deal and being the oldest member.[4] He has appeared on his fellow Wu-Tang members' solo projects, and has maintained a successful solo career starting with his second album Liquid Swords (1995). His lyrical style often dismisses typical rap story lines in favor of science and wide-ranging philosophies and has been characterized as "armed with sharp metaphors and a smooth flow".[5][6][7][8] An analysis of GZA's lyrics found that he has the second largest vocabulary in popular hip hop music.[9][10] He teamed up with an education group to promote science education in New York City through hip hop. In 1992, GZA joined the Wu-Tang Clan, a group of nine, formed by his cousin RZA. GZA had some high-profile appearances on the group's debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993), including a solo track, "Clan in da Front".[22] This, combined with appearances on other Clan members' albums such as Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (1995) and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (1995) brought him much recognition. According to Method Man, "we form like Voltron and GZA happens to be the head". The combination of the Soul Rebels beat and Raekwon's and GZA's rapping made for an exceptional set of music that caught me off guard but was worth the price of admission. With lots of cannabis references scattered throughout their lyrics and stage talk, they were a perfect match for this festival. Wiz Khalifa - Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987),[2] better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He signed with the local independent label Rostrum Records to release his debut studio album, Show and Prove (2006). His contract entered a short-lived joint venture with Warner Bros. Records the following year. His Eurodance-influenced 2008 single, "Say Yeah" received urban radio airplay and entered both the Rhythmic Top 40 and Hot Rap Songs charts, becoming his first minor hit.[3] Outside of music, Thomaz has delved into acting with television roles in Dickinson and The Eric Andre Show, the lead role alongside Snoop Dogg in the 2012 stoner comedy film Mac & Devin Go to High School, and voice roles in the animated series American Dad!, Duncanville, and Big City Greens. Thomaz founded the record label Taylor Gang Entertainment in 2008, through which he has signed artists including Juicy J, Ty Dolla Sign, and Berner. Known for his abundant usage of cannabis, Thomaz launched his own cannabis brand, Khalifa Kush, in 2016, which expanded for release in nationwide dispensaries in 2022. His stage name is derived from Khalifa, an Arabic word meaning "successor", and wisdom, which was shortened to Wiz when Khalifa was a young boy.[10] Khalifa stated to Spinner.com that the name also came from being called "young Wiz 'cause I was good at everything I did, and my granddad is Muslim, so he gave me that name; he felt like that's what I was doing with my music." He got a tattoo of his stage name on his 17th birthday.[11][12] By the age of 15, he was regularly recording his music at a local studio called I.D. Labs.[13] Impressed by the young teen's talent, E. Dan, the owner of the studio offered Khalifa an intern job at the studio in exchange for free recording time. Dan, being a veteran of the Pittsburgh hip-hop scene, would help develop and mentor the young artist early on in his career. He was the headliner and lived up to the billing. Great tunes, great stage presence, great spokesperson for cannabis. My first experience with his music and it was very positive. A great musical education for me with my tutors, Daniel and AJ. More in MJ News Herbie Flowers RIPJerry Miller RIPGoose this week at the Salt Shed, Thursday and Friday SHOW No. 2: Greatest Story Ever Told Track #9 3:25 – end INTO Devil With a Blue Dress Track #10 0:00 – 1:33 Greatest Story – written by Hunter/Bobby/Mickey, originally called “The Pump Song” on Mickey Hart's 1972 album Rolling Thunder. As the opening tune of Ace, it is called Greatest Story Ever Told. But this isn't about that song. Here, it is the lead-in to a first set couple of “extras” thrown in for some fun. "Devil with a Blue Dress On" (also known as "Devil with the Blue Dress") is a song written by Shorty Long and William "Mickey" Stevenson, first performed by Long and released as a single in 1964. A later version recorded by Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels in 1966 peaked at No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. "Devil with the Blue Dress" was originally released as Shorty Long's debut single on Motown in 1964, but the single failed to chart. The song describes a femme fatale in a blue dress and not an actual devil.[2] Two years later, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels recorded the song at Bell Sound Studios in New York City[3] as a medley with an original arrangement of Little Richard's "Good Golly, Miss Molly". Their version, released on their album, “Breakout . . . . !”, was notably more up-tempo than Long's more blues-influenced rendition.[2] Reaching No. 4 on the Hot 100, their version of the track would end up becoming their most well-known and highest charting hit in the United States. Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it No. 428 on their list of Top 500 Songs of All Time. Basically, another great cover to showcase Brent's singing and keyboard skills. This was the first of 3 times the Dead covered the song. Another fun diversion by the band that kept the Deadheads guessing and not wanting to ever miss a show. The transition out of Greatest Story is seamless and makes it so you can't hear the end of Greatest Story without hearing the signature beat of Devil making it a “natural” fit. Played – 3 timesFirst: September 9, 1987 at Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI, USALast: October 4, 1987 at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA, USA SHOW No. 3: Good Golly Miss Molly Track #11 0:00 – end INTO Devil With a Blue Dress Track #12 0:00 – 0:51"Good Golly, Miss Molly" is a rock 'n' roll song first recorded in 1956 by American musician Little Richard and released in January 1958 as single on the Specialty label, and later on the album, Little Richard in July 1958.[1] The song, a jump blues, was written by John Marascalco and producer Robert "Bumps" Blackwell. Although it was first recorded by Little Richard, Blackwell produced another version by the Valiants, who imitated the fast first version recorded by Little Richard, not released at that time. Although the Valiants' version was released first (in 1957), Little Richard had the hit, reaching No. 4.[2] Like all his early hits, it quickly became a rock 'n' roll standard and has subsequently been recorded by hundreds of artists. The song is ranked No. 92 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Little Richard first heard the phrase "Good golly, Miss Molly" from a Southern DJ named Jimmy Pennick.[4] He modified the lyrics into the more suggestive "Good golly, Miss Molly/You sure like to ball." Little Richard himself later claimed that he took Ike Turner's piano intro from his influential 1951 rock and roll song "Rocket 88", and used it for "Good Golly, Miss Molly".[5] "I always liked that record," Richard recalled, "and I used to use the riff in my act, so when we were looking for a lead-in to 'Good Golly, Miss Molly', I did that and it fit." In 1966, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels incorporated "Good Golly Miss Molly" into their version of "Devil with a Blue Dress On". Their version scored a major hit, not only in Ryder's native Detroit, but nationwide, placing at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 100. As with Devil, a Brent thing. Unfortunately, it was only around for a month. Then vanished from the Dead's playlist thereafter. Played: 3 times, makes senseFirst: September 9, 1987 at Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI, USALast: October 4, 1987 at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA, USA MJ NEWS: Miracle in Mudelein – a great event sponsored by Rise Dispensaries and Rhythm cultivators. Second year, featuring great music, excellent food and drink and too many booths for dabbing from various types of rigs including a Studenglass Gravity Bong – my first time using one and it is not your father's four foot Graffix bong! Daniel and AJ were all over it and as it turned out, the wait in line was well worth the experience. Rather than try to explain it to you, just Google Gravity Bong and see for yourself! Great high. Miracle is that Lake County, a more conservative leaning county, and Mundelein permitted the event. Attendees can bring in their own flower or extracts (supposedly only if purchased at an Illinois dispensary), smoking accessories, etc. Rise also was selling products at the show. A wonderful thing to attend an event and not have to hide and smuggle in your cannabis. People lighting up everywhere, offering to share, talking strains, etc. Police were there to keep order and otherwise let it all go on. Very professional. Excellent mellow crowd (what else would you expect?). Well run. Shot joints out of a canon. A wonderful day and experience for those who enjoy cannabis, especially not having to hide it or pretend you don't have any when everyone knows attendees are smuggling it in anyway. A great way to promote cannabis and help normalize it within the community. And a fun event to be able to share with my boys, Bella and AJ. Fun had by all. SHOW No. 4: Not Fade Away Track #24 (NOTE – this song is listed as Track #23 AND #24, be sure to use #24) 0:00 – end "Not Fade Away" is a song credited to Buddy Holly (originally under his first and middle names, Charles Hardin) and Norman Petty (although Petty's co-writing credit is likely to have been a formality[3]) and first recorded by Holly and his band, the Crickets. Holly and the Crickets recorded the song in Clovis, New Mexico, on May 27, 1957, the same day the song "Everyday" was recorded.[1] The rhythmic pattern of "Not Fade Away" is a variant of the Bo Diddley beat, "Not Fade Away" was originally released as the B-side of the hit single "Oh, Boy!" on 10.27.1957 and was included on the album The "Chirping" Crickets (1957). The Crickets' recording never charted as a single. In 2004, this song was ranked number 107 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The song is closely associated with the Grateful Dead as one of their signature tunes—one which the band transformed from Holly's 1950s boy/girl romanticism to one reflecting the 1960s' more spiritual universal love. Their 1971 recording of the song is included on their second live album, Skull and Roses, paired with Going Down The Road Feeling Bad, a regular happening in the early ‘70's. Primarily a second set tune that used to show up in the second half of the second set after Drums-Space. Beginning in 1983, the Dead began to play it as the second set closer, trailing off with “Love is real will not fade away” as they exited the stage. A few years later, the Deadheads starting chanting the line as the Dead left the stage and in some cases, kept it up until the band reappeared for their encore, when the band would pick back up on the beat and play it for another minute or so before their encore tune, such as with this show. Great example of the Deadheads making their mark on the show and the band being tuned in enough to play along with it. Although sometimes if the Dead took too long to come out for the encore, the chanting would start to fade off. And sometimes even when the chant made it all the way to the band's return on stage, the band would ignore it and just dive straight into their encore. Fun when it all came together like this show. Played: 561 timesFirst: February 19, 1969 at Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, USALast: July 5, 1995 at Riverport Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights, MO (St. Louis) OUTRO: The Mighty Quinn Track #25 2:11 – 3:48 Bob Dylan wrote and first recorded the song in 1967 during the Basement Tapes sessions, but did not release a version for another three years. The song's first release was in January 1968 as "Mighty Quinn" in a version by the British band Manfred Mann, from their album Mighty Garvey, and became a great success. A demo of 14 of the 1967 Basement Tapes recordings, including the first of two takes of "Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)", was produced in 1968, but was not intended for release. Recordings taken from the demos began appearing on bootlegs, starting with Great White Wonder,[7] a double-album bootleg that came out in July 1969. The first official release of the song was in 1970 on Dylan's Self Portrait album,[14] a live recording from 1969's Isle of Wight Festival. The live version (titled "The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)") was also selected in 1971 for the second compilation of Dylan's career, Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II. Covered by: the Hollies, Leon Russell and Phish, among others. Although they never played the song with Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead started playing "The Mighty Quinn" in concert in 1985. It became a favorite encore among the Grateful Dead's fans, and remained so to the end of their career. Last verses, end with, “when Quinn the Eskimo gets here, everybody's gonna want to doze” but the Deadheads heard it as “dose” and always gave it a big cheer. Played: 59 timesFirst: December 30, 1985 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA, USALast: July 2, 1995 at Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, IN, USA Shoutouts: Lary Vinocur – birthdayElena Mishkin – birthday .Produced by PodConx Deadhead Cannabis Show - https://podconx.com/podcasts/deadhead-cannabis-showLarry Mishkin - https://podconx.com/guests/larry-mishkinRob Hunt - https://podconx.com/guests/rob-huntJay Blakesberg - https://podconx.com/guests/jay-blakesbergSound Designed by Jamie Humiston - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-humiston-91718b1b3/Recorded on Squadcast
Send us a Text Message.Long before NASCAR came to Chicago, this town had races, racers, and racetracks. Today we're talking about Chicago's Motor Speedways.Show your support of the show for the cost of a coffee:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistoryLeave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here: https://www.chicagohistorypod.comUp your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1kAffiliate Links (anything you buy through these links - not just this stuff - helps benefit the show at no additional cost to you):BOOKS:Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR by Neal Thompsonhttps://amzn.to/4csaSj7Fifty Years of Stock Car Racing: A History of Collectibles and Memorabilia by Ken Breslauerhttps://amzn.to/45SL6CcCLOTHING:Chicago Skyline Race Car Shirthttps://amzn.to/3zxbLZcWant to read hundreds of books for FREE every month? Try Kindle Unlimited: https://amzn.to/4dInhRbChicago History Podcast Art by John K. Schneider (angeleyesartjks AT gmail.com)Gear used in the recording of this podcast:Shure MV7 Microphone: https://amzn.to/4aN8Xo6Zoom H6 Recorder: https://amzn.to/3y0wWh0Support the Show.
We've got vintage movers, shakers, and dance floor destroyers from Benny Latimore, Junior Parker, The Untamed, Jimmy Hughes, the Detroit Wheels with and without Mitch Ryder, a great cover of a Roy Orbison hit, and tunes from two different Tom Jones! Originally broadcast May 26, 2024 Willie Mitchell / That Driving BeatThe Wheels / Dancing In The StreetThe Olympics / Bounce AgainLaddins / Dream BabyPeggy March / This Heart Wasn't Made To Kick AroundTimothy Carr / A Stop Along The WayMitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels / Baby Jane (Mo Jo Jane)The Henchmen / The James BrownJo Armstead / I've Been Turned OnBenny Latimore / Girl I Got News for YouThe Peermonts / You Gotta Love Me TooTom Jones / Sixteen TonsThe Sapphires / Gotta Be More Than FriendsBobby Brooks / Wise Like SolomanJunior Parker / I'm In LoveNella Dodds / You Don't Love Me AnymoreTommy Brown / Ain't SoJimmy Hughes / It Ain't What You GotLee Rogers / Love For A LoveTom Jones / Nothing But FineJerry Palmer / Walking the DogSam Hawkins / Hold On BabyThe Marvelettes / Strange I KnowThe Debs / Sloopy's Gonna Hang OnThe Untamed / Gimme, Gimme Some ShadeJoe Perkins / Movin' In The GrooveThe Amazers / Without A WarningWillie Walker / You're Running Too FastThe Heartbeats / I Found A JobThe McCoys / Beat The ClockThe Paramours / That's The Way We LoveSam Hawkins / Let Me DreamBad Boys / You're Not Alone AnymoreGarnet Mimms / It Was Easier To Hurt HerDan & The Clean Cuts / One Love, Not TwoNella Dodds / Come See About MeThe Temptations / Beauty Is Only Skin DeepThe Capitols / Ain't That Terrible Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The very first Righteous Brothers release was "Little Latin Lupe Lu" in '62. It has a slight rockabilly/surf feel, with the great vocals we came to expect, plus the immortal love song line, "She's My Mash Potato Baby"! In 1964, our frat friends The Kingsmen trashed the song, a la "Louie Louie." It's clubfooted, stiffarmed, not soulful, and great. We follow that up with two versions by TWO Dimensions! The first one from Chicago, with some tetanus tambo, and the second a NC band who waxed the track in 65, and it's a hot-footin' verzh fer sher. We also feature a hearsecore rendition from 66 by The Morticians and Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels hit version, that you heard all about in "High Fidelity" - shake it shake it!!
On this episode of Our American Stories, long before NASCAR's rampant commercialism lurks a not so distant history that has been carefully hidden from view—until now. Here to tell the true story behind NASCAR's hardscrabble, moonshine-fueled origins is Neal Thompson, author of Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
L. Russell Brown writes hit songs. He is one of the greatest songwriters of the rock era. His catalogue includes two massive hits for Tony Orlando and Dawn - “Tie A Yellow Ribbon” and “Knock Three Times”. “Yellow Ribbon” is one of the most recorded songs of all time and has taken on another life as a song of hope for returning veterans and others. He also wrote “C'mon Marianne” for The Four Seasons, “Sock It To Me Baby” for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, and many others. His songs have been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Lesley Gore, Johnny Mathis and Donny Osmond. And at 83 he's got a hit record on the charts with “Every Chance I Get I Want You In The Flesh” by Dan Auerbach. My featured song is “Right Now”. Spotify link. ---------------------------------------------The Follow Your Dream Podcast:Top 1% of all podcasts with Listeners in 200 countries!For more information and other episodes of the podcast click here. To subscribe to the podcast click here.To subscribe to our weekly Follow Your Dream Podcast email click here.To Rate and Review the podcast click here.“Dream With Robert”. Click here.—----------------------------------------“MILES BEHIND”, Robert's first album, was recorded in 1994 but was “lost” for the last 30 years. It's now been released for streaming. Featuring Randy Brecker (Blood Sweat & Tears), Anton Fig (The David Letterman Show), Al Foster (Miles Davis), Tim Ries (The Rolling Stones), Jon Lucien and many more. Called “Hip, Tight and Edgy!” Click here for all links.—--------------------------------------‘THE SINGLES PROJECT” is Robert's new EP, featuring five of his new songs. The songs speak to the ups and downs of life. From the blissful, joyous “Saturday Morning” to the darker commentary of “Like Never Before” and “The Ship”. “This is Robert at his most vulnerable” (Pop Icon Magazine)Reviews: “Amazing!” (Top Buzz Magazine)“Magical…A Sonic Tour De Force!” (IndiePulse Music)“Fabulously Enticing!” (Pop Icon Magazine)“A Home Run!” (Hollywood Digest)Click here for all links.—--------------------------------------“IT'S ALIVE!” is Robert's latest Project Grand Slam album. Featuring 13 of the band's Greatest Hits performed “live” at festivals in Pennsylvania and Serbia.Reviews:"An instant classic!" (Melody Maker)"Amazing record...Another win for the one and only Robert Miller!" (Hollywood Digest)"Close to perfect!" (Pop Icon)A Masterpiece!" (Big Celebrity Buzz)"Sterling effort!" (Indie Pulse)"Another fusion wonder for Project Grand Slam!" (MobYorkCity)Click here for all links.Click here for song videos—-----------------------------------------Audio production:Jimmy RavenscroftKymera Films Connect with the Follow Your Dream Podcast:Website - www.followyourdreampodcast.comEmail Robert - robert@followyourdreampodcast.com Follow Robert's band, Project Grand Slam, and his music:Website - www.projectgrandslam.comYouTubeSpotify MusicApple MusicEmail - pgs@projectgrandslam.com
From the 55 Yard Line is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear. EPISODE SUMMARY Greg and Dave spend a morning (Japan)/evening (America) with Pro Football Researchers Association member and World Football League historian Mark Speck. Mark is the foremost expert on the defunct league and has written four books and counting on the league and two of the league's more unique franchises, the Detroit Wheels and Florida Blazers. The conversation runs the gambit from a story of stolen player identity, the legend of King Corcoran, the fabled Hawaiians, and much more! You can find all of Mark's books for purchase on Amazon, and also connect with he and other WFL experts over at the WFL Project on Facebook, and the Florida Blazers page, also on Facebook. Mark also previously appeared on the sports history podcast "Good Seats Still Available," with friend of the show Tim Hanlon, at Good Seats Still Available, the episode of which is a must listen! FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUND From the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports. The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
From the 55 Yard Line is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear. EPISODE SUMMARY Greg and Dave spend a morning (Japan)/evening (America) with Pro Football Researchers Association member and World Football League historian Mark Speck. Mark is the foremost expert on the defunct league and has written four books and counting on the league and two of the league's more unique franchises, the Detroit Wheels and Florida Blazers. The conversation runs the gambit from a story of stolen player identity, the legend of King Corcoran, the fabled Hawaiians, and much more! You can find all of Mark's books for purchase on Amazon, and also connect with he and other WFL experts over at the WFL Project on Facebook, and the Florida Blazers page, also on Facebook. Mark also previously appeared on the sports history podcast "Good Seats Still Available," with friend of the show Tim Hanlon, at Good Seats Still Available, the episode of which is a must listen! FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUND From the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports. The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
From the 55 Yard Line is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYGreg and Dave spend a morning (Japan)/evening (America) with Pro Football Researchers Association member and World Football League historian Mark Speck. Mark is the foremost expert on the defunct league and has written four books and counting on the league and two of the league's more unique franchises, the Detroit Wheels and Florida Blazers. The conversation runs the gambit from a story of stolen player identity, the legend of King Corcoran, the fabled Hawaiians, and much more! You can find all of Mark's books for purchase on Amazon, and also connect with he and other WFL experts over at the WFL Project on Facebook, and the Florida Blazers page, also on Facebook.Mark also previously appeared on the sports history podcast "Good Seats Still Available," with friend of the show Tim Hanlon, at Good Seats Still Available, the episode of which is a must listen!FROM THE 55 YARD LINE BACKGROUNDFrom the 55 Yardline is anchored by former rugby player and sports executive David Cieslinski, who resides near the Canadian border, and retired naval intelligence and information warfare officer Greg St. James, who resides in Japan (he is also the co-host of the Gridiron Japan podcast). Both are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen and on the internet airwaves. In addition to Dave and Greg, From the 55 Yardline also features veteran journalist and contributor Fran Stuchbury, of https://OurSportsCentral.com, where he writes extensively on the happenings in minor league sports.The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at https://www.Adamsonmedia.com. David, Greg, and Fran can be contacted directly via the podcast's Twitter account at https://www.twitter.com/Fromthe55.
1. Graham Nash 2. Anna St Louis 3. First Aid Kit 4. Clementine Valentine 5. Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers 6. Brownsville Station 7. Holly Golightly 8. Talking Heads 9. Wolfmother 10. Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels 11. Deer Tick 12. Robert Scott 13. Belly 14. Wand 15. Emerson Lake And Palmer
On this episode of Our American Stories, long before NASCAR's rampant commercialism lurks a distant history of dark secrets that have been carefully hidden from view—until now. Here to tell the true story behind NASCAR's hardscrabble, moonshine-fueled origins is Neal Thompson, author of Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bob Crewe1930- 2014Inducted Into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame In 1995.While songwriter/producer/recording star, Bob Crewe, is perhaps best remembered for the notable parade of hits penned with co-writer Bob Gaudio for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, his songwriting credits began considerably earlier.In the early '50s, New Jersey-born Crewe first tasted success on the music charts with writing teammate Frank Slay with a batch of hits for a variety of artists. Among the best known were "Silhouettes" and "Daddy Cool" for The Rays; "Lah Dee Dah" and "Lucky Ladybug" for Billy and Lillie; and Freddy Cannon's "Tallahassee Lassie" and "Okefenokee."In 1961, Crewe also blossomed as a recording artist himself, with a pair of solo albums on Warwick Records. Kicks, featuring "The Whiffenpoof Song," and Crazy in the Heart, both produced by one of the more colorful producers of that time.Following these successes as a solo recording act, Crewe joined forces with songwriter Bob Gaudio, and good fortune struck almost immediately for the pair with the smash hit, "Sherry," for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Thus began a years-long association with an uninterrupted string of chart successes including "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Rag Doll," "Ronnie," "Walk Like a Man," "Bye Bye Baby" and "Connie 0," as well as the monumental Frankie Valli hit, "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You."Other Crewe and Gaudio successes include "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine," for The Walker Brothers and "Silence Is Golden" by The Tremeloes. Following this phase, Crewe moved out again on his own to form The Bob Crewe Generation ("Music to Watch Girls By"), utilizing studio musicians and original material for instrumental music collections. Bob Crewe later teamed with writer, Charles Fox, in penning the soundtrack for Dino De Laurentis' film, "Barbarella."During the mid-sixties, Bob Crewe turned discoverer, locating a band known as Billy Lee and The Rivieras, which he later re-named, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, a major success on the charts with such Crewe-arranged smashes as "Jenny Take a Ride," "Devil With the Blue Dress On" and "Sock It to Me Baby."As the '60s were coming to a close, Crewe had also established his own recording firm, Crewe Records, which owned hits by Oliver and Lesley Gore, among others. Later, Crewe wrote and produced the song, "Eternity," which became an international hit for Vicki Carr. Following a short stay with Motown Records, when he produced what turned out to be Bobby Darin's final album, Crewe rejoined forces with Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli, and bought back from Motown the tape master for Valli's "My Eyes Adored You," a song co-written with Kenny Nolan, which became a huge new hit for Valli on Private Stock Records. The song "Lady Marmalade," another joint effort for Crewe and Nolan, went on to reach hit status and also helped re-establish Patti LaBelle as an artist of major stature.Still later, Crewe and Gaudio teamed with another writer, Jerry Corbetta, in penning the hit song "You're Looking Like Love to Me," for Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson. Crewe also collaborated with Corbetta and the writer, Ellie Greenwich, in producing the original cast album for Greenwich's Broadway musical, "Leader of the Pack."In addition to his music, Crewe also owned impressive credentials in the art world. He has designed numerous album covers and has been featured in several one-man gallery showings, including The Earl McGrath Gallery and Thomas Solomon's Garage in Los Angeles.
Singles Going Around- Back To Mono Volume ThreeThis episode of the podcast is Volume 3 of Back To Mono! All selections from mono records, recorded and transferred in mono. Play Loud!The Monkees- "Theme From The Monkees" (COM-101)The Beach Boys- "California Girls" (T 2354)The Rolling Stones- "Can I Get A Witness" (LK 4605)Wilson Pickett- "In The Midnight Hour" (ATL 8129)The Beatles- "Drive My Car" (T 2553)The International Submarine Band- "Blue Eyes" (Sundazed 5530)The Byrds- "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" (CL 2372)The Louvin Brothers- "Satan Is Real" (LITA 073)13th Floor Elevators- "She Lives (In a Time Of Her Own) (Charly 112L)Chuck Berry- "Roll Over Beethoven" (Chess 5565)The Yardbirds- "Over Under Sideways" (LN 24246)Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels- "Oo Papa Doo" (NV 2002)Pink Floyd- "Let There Be More Light" (PFRLP 29)Cream- "Sweet Wine" (ATCO 33-206)Booker T & The MG's- "Slim Jenkins Joint" (Stax 717)Dave Clark Five- "Do You Love Me" (LN 24185)Sonny & Cher- "The Letter" (ATCO 33 177)Solomon Burke- "Stupidity" (ATL 8085)The Monkees- "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone" (COM 102)The Beatles- "You Can't Do That" (T 2080)The Rolling Stones- "Let's Spend The Night Together" (LL 3499)*All selections from records listed.
"One is the loneliest number that you'll ever doTwo can be as bad as oneIt's the loneliest number since the number oneNo is the saddest experience you'll ever knowYes, it's the saddest experience you'll ever know'Cause one is the loneliest number that you'll ever doOne is the loneliest number, whoa-oh, worse than two"Let's make each others 1 a 2 simply join me at Midnight for the Red Eye Edition of Whole 'Nuther Thing.Joining us are T Bone Burnett, The Shadows of Knight, Savoy Brown, Aretha Franklin, Little River Band, Miles Davis, The Doors, Robin Thicke, Jackson Browne, Johnny Rivers, AlKooper with Stephen Stills, Rhinoceros, John Mellencamp, Brian Auger w Julie Driscoll, Rolling Stones, Bill Withers, Moody Blues, Glen Campbell, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, Grass Roots, Synicate Of Sound, Love and Three Dog Night.
Singles Going Around- Back To Mono Volume OneI've been wanting to do this episode for a while. Mono records, recorded and transferred in mono. Play this one LOUD.Dave Clark Five- "Any Way You Want It"The Crystlals- "Da Doo Ron Run"The Beach Boys- "I Get Around"The Beatles- "Money"Chuck Berry- "Maybellene"Wilson Pickett- "Land of 1000 Dances"The Rolling Stones- "Satisfaction"The Everly Brothers- "Claudette"The Yardbirds- "I'm A Man"Booker T & The MG's- "Hip Hug-Her"Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels- "Shakin With Linda"Sam The Sham & The Pharoahs- "Little Red Riding Hood"The Doors- "Love Me Two Times"The Vettes- "Devil Driver's Theme"The Beatles- "Baby's In Black"Johnny Cash- "Orange Blossom Special"The Beach Boys- "Good Vibrations"The Rolling Stones- "Let's Spend The Night Together"The Kinks- "This Is Where I Belong"The Yardbirds- "Jeff's Boogie"The Byrds- "Mr. Tamborine Man"The Readymen- "Surfer Blues"The Beach Boys- "Little Pad"*All selections from mono Lp's and 45's.
Singles Going Around- Bayou BoogieThe Yardbirds- "Boom Boom"David Bowie- "Queen Bitch" (2021 Mix)Rolling Stones- "Mercy Mercy" Otis Day- "Day Tripper" (Live)Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels- "Oo Papa Do"Cream- "Stepping Out" (BBC Recording)Captain Beefheart- "Moonlight On Vermont" (Live)Joe South- "Down In The Boondocks"Creedence Clearwater Revival- "I Put A Spell On You"Everly Brothers- "Hi Heel Sneakers"Rolling Stones- "Miss Amanda Jones"Elvis Presley- "Wearin' That Loved On Look"Eric Clapton & Duane Allman- "Mean Old World"Beach Boys- I'm Waiting For The Day"The Byrds- "Mr Tamborine Man"The Monkees- "Salesman"Cream- "Spoonful"*All selections taken from vinyl.
On this episode of Our American Stories, long before NASCAR's rampant commercialism lurks a distant history of dark secrets that have been carefully hidden from view—until now. Here to tell the true story behind NASCAR's hardscrabble, moonshine-fueled origins is Neal Thompson, author of Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From 2007 - Neal Thompson, author of 'Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR."
Mitch Ryder, one of the most distinctive and soulful voices to come out of Detroit's 1960s rock music scene, will be inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame June 11, at the Music Hall in Detroit.This year's crop of inductees also includes Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Impressions, Larry Williams, and posthumous inductees James Brown, Isaac Hayes and Mary Wells.Ryder may have fronted a rock band, but make no mistake, his soul props are solid. As a suburban teenager, he made the trek from Warren to hang out at the Village club just off Woodward, to catch sets by the likes of Nathaniel Mayer. By the time he was 17, Ryder sang (and recorded) with a soul group, the Peps.Later he fronted his own rock band, Billy Lee and the Rivieras, which was renamed Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. The group had an explosive sound that combined the drive of garage rock with Ryder's raw, emotional vocals. That sound drove Bob Crewe-produced hits that included “Devil with a Blue Dress,” “Jenny Take A Ride,” “Sock it to Me, Baby” and “Little Latin Lupe Lu.”Ryder was pleased to hear of his induction alongside some of his soul idols. “I looked at the names of some of those who came before me and it became a celebration of joy for me,” Ryder said in a statement released by his publicist, Cary Baker. “I mean, Aretha Franklin, David Ruffin, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke and so many other voices that brought me great pleasure throughout my life and career. It is still thrilling me, and I'm afraid to wake up from the dream!”After the Wheels split up, Ryder teamed up with Booker T. and the MGs for the acclaimed album “The Detroit-Memphis Experiment.” Later, he joined back up with Wheels drummer Johnny Badanjek in a group they dubbed Detroit, which was managed by Creem magazine publisher Barry Kramer. Detroit recorded a memorable cover of Lou Reed's “Rock and Roll,” which many felt surpassed the original. Later, John Mellencamp produced Ryder's solo album “Never Kick a Sleeping Dog,” which featured his superb rendition of Prince's “When You Were Mine.”Ryder is on the short list of artists who have been unjustly overlooked by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but in a sense, the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame is the more fitting place for him.For his part, Ryder says his induction is “an honor which will stay cherished by me for the rest of my life.”The 5th annual Black Tie Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Concert will take place at 6 p.m. Sunday June 11 at the Music Hall, 350 Madison, in Detroit. The event will serve as a fundraiser to secure a permanent building for the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame.
The Mountain Goats "This Year"Wanda Jackson "Whole Lot Of Shakin' Goin' On"Iron & Wine "Sunset Soon Forgotten"The Ronettes "Walking In the Rain"Mississippi John Hurt "Louis Collins"Elvis Costello "Radio Radio"Alex Chilton/Hi Rhythm Section "Lucille"The Bottle Rockets "Indianapolis"Flat Duo Jets "Go Go Harlem Baby"Drag The River "Here's to the Losers"Pavement "Cut Your Hair"Dale Hawkins "Susie-Q"Loretta Lynn "Coal Miner's Daughter"Endless Boogie "Back in '74"Palace Music "Work Hard / Play Hard"The Replacements "Anywhere's Better Than Here"Fontella Bass "Rescue Me"John Hiatt "Slow Turning"Steve Earle & The Dukes "Billy Austin"The Low Anthem "Home I'll Never Be"Cedric Burnside Project "Hard Times"Fela Ransome- Kuti and The Africa '70 "Swegbe And Pako Part II"Cat Power "Nude As The News"Muddy Waters "Southbound Train"Roy Orbison "Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)"Jon Dee Graham & The Fighting Cocks "Beautifully Broken"Clem Snide "Beautiful"Clem Snide "I Love the Unknown"The Clash "Spanish Bombs"Two Cow Garage "Movies"Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers "Southern Accents"The Staple Singers "I'm Willin', Pt. 1"Dr. John "Stealin'"Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels "Devil with the Blue Dress On / Good Golly Miss Molly"Patsy Cline "Walkin' After Midnight"The Box Tops "I Met Her In Church"Solomon Burke "Stepchild"The Shangri-Las "The Train From Kansas City"Kris Kristofferson "The Devil to Pay"Patterson Hood "Better Off Without"Tift Merritt "Good Hearted Man"Little Richard "Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes"The Handsome Family "Far from Any Road"Cory Branan "Miss Ferguson"
"The highways jammed with broken heroesOn a last chance power driveEverybody's out on the run tonightBut there's no place left to hideCome on with me, tramps like usBaby, we were born to run"Please join me and let's run together on the "Daytripper" version of Whole 'Nuther Thing. Joining us this afternoon are Savoy Brown, The Rascals, The Raspberries,Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Outsiders, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, The Duprees, Dusty Springfield,Paul Simon, Ronettes, Queen, Cream, Bobby Darin, Colosseum, Shirelles, Harry Belafonte, Bobby Vinton, Bruce Springsteen and more...
On this episode of Roger The Wild Child Show: Hollyweird we are joined by actor Eric Roberts and Ted Nugents drummer, Jason Hartless!ERIC ROBERTSRoberts is an Academy Award nominee for his role in Runaway Train, and a three-time Golden Globe nominee for Runaway Train, Star 80, and King of the Gypsies.In addition, Roberts received acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival for his role in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints and It's My Party. He also starred in La Cucaracha, which won Best Film at the Austin Film Festival, and for which Roberts won Best Actor at the New York Independent Film Festival that same year. Other notable performances include his roles in The Dark Knight, Final Analysis, and Paul Thoman Anderson's Inherent Vice for Warner Bros., Millennium Films' Lovelace and The Expendables for Lionsgate.On television, Roberts' memorable recurring roles include USA's Suits, CSI and Code Black for CBS, NBC's Heroes, and Crash for Starz. He has appeared in guest star roles on ABC's Greys Anatomy, NBC's Will & Grace, Fox's Brooklyn Nine-Nine, CBS' Hawaii Five-O, HBO's Entourage, and so much more.Upcoming, Roberts plays Matt Dillon's doctor in Head Full of Honey, a Warner Bros. Germany production that is directed by Til Schweiger. Emily Mortimer and Nick Nolte also star. He also has a supporting role in the independent Hard Luck Love Song directed by Justin Corsbie. Roberts will play "Skip," a grizzled doorman whom offers advice to characters played by Michael Dorman and Sophia Bush. JASON HARTLESSJason Hartless is a 23 year old Touring/Session drummer that has performed with legendary artists such as Ted Nugent, Joe Lynn Turner & Mitch Ryder.Jason has over the years toured as the support act with Motley Crue, God Smack, Ted Nugent, Theory of a Deadman, Drowning Pool, Rev Theory, Mountain and Warrior Soul just to name a few. Worked in some of the finest recording studios in North America while working with world renowned producers such as, Dale Penner (Nickelback), Paul Orofino (Millbrook Recording Studios), Tom Morris (Kamelot, Less Than Jake, Destiny's Child) and Chuck Alkazian (Pop Evil, Asking Alexandria, Soundgarden). Jason has been mentored by drummers such as Corky Laing (Mountain), Tommy Clufetos (Black Sabbath, Rob Zombie), Eric Singer (Kiss, Alice Cooper), Todd Sucherman (Styx), Anton Fig (Renown Session Drummer) and many more. Jason started drumming at the tender age of 6 months. He created a buzz in the music industry when at age 8 years old he recorded his first album with rock legends Corky Laing (Mountain), Richie Scarlet (Ace Frehley) and Jim McCarty (Cactus, The Rockets, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels).*******Roger the Wild Child Show: Hollyweird is streamed live every Wednesday night 9pm ET/ 6pm PT on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. The show is rebroadcasted on 20+ different podcast platforms. Each week they talk with different celbrities, musicians, and other influencers in the Hollyweird world. Roger is joined by his co-host and best friend, Darin Scheff. Plus our entertainment gossip queen, Ike Avelli, gives us the Hollyweird ReportCheck out the video/audio podcasts and the rest of our linksLinkTree https://linktr.ee/wildchildradio
On this episode of Our American Stories, Neal Thompson, author of Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR tells the true story behind NASCAR's hardscrabble, moonshine-fueled origins. Horst Schulze tells us the difference between “management” and “leadership.” Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Time Codes: 00:00 - Moonshine Runners and the Birth of NASCAR 35:00 - “The Union is coming! The Union is coming!” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Detroit gave us the rowdiest blue-eyed soul band of the '60s, and this CD packs in 20 of their best including every hit! Includes Jenny Take a Ride!; Devil with a Blue Dress On & Good Golly Miss Molly; Sock It to Me-Baby!; Little Latin Lupe Lu and more.
“The Mighty Jim McCarty”, as his friend Ted Nugent calls him, is one of the great legendary blues rock guitarists of the rock era. He hit the top of the charts as a teenager playing with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels on “Devil With The Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly”. He's gone on to play with a Who's Who including Buddy Miles, Cactus (with Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert of Vanilla Fudge fame), Mystery Train and others. He recorded with Jimi Hendrix and Bob Seger. We talk about his life in rock and roll, and we do a Songfest.My featured song in this episode is “The One I'm Not Supposed To See” from the album East Side Sessions by my band Project Grand Slam. Spotify link HERE.-------------------------------------------- Jim and I discuss the following:Mitch Ryder and the Detroit WheelsSiegel-Schwall BandBuddy MilesJimi HendrixTed NugentCactusRockets Songfest:“Devil With The Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly”“Juggernaut”“Dexter Digs In”“Excelo Boogie” (live)“Blues For Mr. Boiteau” If you enjoyed the show, please Subscribe, Rate, and Review. Just Click Here. “The Shakespeare Concert” is the new album by Robert's band, Project Grand Slam. It's been praised by famous musicians including Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad, Jim Peterik of the Ides Of March, Joey Dee of Peppermint Twist fame, legendary guitarist Elliott Randall, and celebrated British composer Sarah Class. The music reviewers have called it “Perfection!”, “5 Stars!”, “Thrilling!”, and “A Masterpiece!”. The album can be streamed on Spotify, Apple and all the other streaming services. You can watch the Highlight Reel HERE. And you can purchase a digital download or autographed CD of the album HERE. Robert's “Follow Your Dream Handbook” is an Amazon #1 Bestseller. It's a combination memoir of his unique musical journey and a step by step how-to follow and succeed at your dream. Available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. Get your Complimentary DREAM ROADMAP with Robert's 5 steps to pursue and succeed at YOUR dream. Just click here: https://www.followyourdreampodcast.com/DreamRoadmap Connect with Jim and buy his music at:jimmccarty3@gmail.comwww.facebook.com/jim.mccarty.184www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063571627797www.facebook.com/Mystery-Train-130872343609817/ Connect with the Follow Your Dream Podcast:Website: www.followyourdreampodcast.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/FollowYourDreamPodcastEmail Robert: robert@followyourdreampodcast.com Follow Robert's band, Project Grand Slam, and his music:Website: https://www.projectgrandslam.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/projectgrndslamStore: https://www.thepgsstore.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PGSjazzFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectgrandslam/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/04BdGdJszDD8WtAFXc9skWApple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/project-grand-slam/274548453Email: pgs@projectgrandslam.com
Episode 152: 80's Movie Soundtrack Mania! Did you know that the Against All Odds soundtrack has music NOT by Phil Collins on it?! It was news to Joe and Kari! Kid Creole and the Coconuts perform a delightful song and even appear in the movie! Other obscure movie tunes from The Heavenly Kid, The Lost Boys, Secret Admirer and (sigh) Hunk pop up as well. Just a Bit Outside: An offshoot of the Detroit Wheels and a Grammy-winning sound engineer are the two acts featured who *almost* hit the Top 40.
Hey Guys! I hope you are doing ok out there. so I have a show on Sunday for anybody who listens to my podcast who lives in LA currently and wants to see me play live. you will hear 4 BRAND NEW songs that will be off my upcoming EP. and some songs off my last EP as well. so if you wanna come, it's at Trip in Santa Monica and I go on at 9pm and it's FREE! so PLEASE come through if your a fan of my podcast and would like to come check out more of my original music. this week I dive into the history behind last week's song and talk more about the history of Blue Eyed Soul and talk about the history behind this group as well. here's the link to last week's song just in case you wanted to listen to it again:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51TeD6GwJBoYou can also follow me & reach out to me on Instagram & Tik Tok right here:https://www.instagram.com/iheartoldies/https://www.tiktok.com/@iheartoldies?lang=enplease do also check out more of my original music right here:https://www.samwilliamsmusic.netPlease do also check out the EP I put out last year as well. I LOVE each and every song off of this EP and will be playing these songs at my next show plus songs off my upcoming EP as well. but definitely let me know whatcha think of this one in the meantime while I'm in the middle of recording the next one. you can do that by emailing me at samltwilli@icloud.com, you can also reach out to me on Instagram @iheartoldies: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/samlwilliams/turquoise-apricotwould also LOVE it if you could check out the two interviews I did last year. I hope to do more soon. definitely email me when you have read these interviews, you can do that at my email address which is samltwilli@icloud.com, i would absolutely LOVE to meet you in person if you listen to this podcast from LA. I hope you guys enjoy these two interviews: https://shoutoutla.com/meet-sam-l-williams-musician-songwriter-podcast-host/https://honkmagazine.com/sam-l-williams-talks-about-his-career-path-influence-and-new-music/don't forget to also check out the official Spotify and Youtube playlists for this podcast. here you'll be able to find all of the songs I have talked about so far including some of the ones that I have mentioned in past interviews of my podcast. if you enjoyed these and would like to suggest to me songs I should talk about next on my podcast that I haven't yet, please email me at samltwilli@icloud.com, you can also reach out to me on Instagram @iheartoldies: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/21f3uBS6kU4hUF6QAC5JMjhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS1sYR7xky8&list=PL66sgq_GAmRcXy8yKZJfVmAD14HUYj7Nfalso PLEASE do check out the official Redbubble Merch store for this podcast. here you'll be able to find all of these SUPER COOL merch items which include my very own custom logo for this podcast. if you enjoyed these merch items and you would like to let me know whatcha think of them, please email me at samltwilli@icloud, or you can also reach out to me on Instagram @iheartoldies and definitely let me know if you would like to purchase one of these as well: https://www.redbubble.com/people/60ssam95/works/36806158-keep-things-groovy?asc=u&ref=recent-ownerdon't forget to also PLEASE check out the official music video for Keep Her In my Back Pocket. the next video will come out eventually, but I will keep you guys posted as to when that will come out. for now, you can enjoy this one. definitely let me know whatcha think of this one, you can do that by emailing me at samltwilli@icloud.com, you can also reach out to me on Instagram @iheartoldies:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTbmSoW6RyYif you learned some REALLY cool facts about this week's artist and song and you have NEVER heard of this group before and you learned some GREAT facts about them and your a millennial, PLEASE email me at samltwilli@icloud.com, you can also reach out to me on Instagram @iheartoldies.
Hello, so I did it. I hit 170 episodes of my podcast! and to celebrate, I'm going to cover a specific genre/style I haven't talked about in a long time, and that is Blue Eyed Soul, but the HARD ROCK & ROLL KIND! YES! this week, I'm covering one of my all time FAVORITE Rock bands from the 60's and SERIOUSLY, I have NEVER heard of any other 60's band that rocked harder then these guys!. these guys were one of the HARDEST rocking 60's bands on the planet! these guys were pure balls to the wall unadulterated ROCK & ROLL! and today, I analyzed one of their BIGGEST hit songs from the 60's, and next week, I'll dive into their history and what happened behind the scenes with the band's history. for now, you can enjoy this week's song and here's the link to where you can find it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51TeD6GwJBoPlease do also follow me & reach out to me on Instagram and Tik Tok right here:https://www.instagram.com/iheartoldies/https://www.tiktok.com/@iheartoldiesYou can also check out more of my original music right here:https://www.samwilliamsmusic.netPlease do also check out the EP I put out last year as well. don't forget, I"m in the middle of recording the next one, but for now, PLEASE check out the EP that I put out last year and if you like it and you would like to let me know whatcha think of it, PLEASE email me at samltwilli@icloud.com, you can also reach out to me on Instagram @iheartoldies: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/samlwilliams/turquoise-apricotalso, would absolutely LOVE IT if you could check out & subscribe to the premium subscription version of this podcast, here you'll be able to find all the current and upcoming interview episodes of this podcast. here you'll be able to find a two part interview with me and Felix Cavaliere and an interview with two guys from the 1910 Fruitgum Company, and coming up next is an interview with Stan Zizska, the lead singer of the Del Satins who sang background on MANY of Dion's hits, and you can find that all right here: https://themillennialthrowbackmachine.supercast.comPlease do also check out the Official Spotify and Youtube playlists for this podcast, here you'll able to find all of the songs I have talked about on my podcast so far including some of the ones that I have mentioned in interview episodes of my podcast (the past ones before I went premium with those interview episodes) if you liked these playlists and would like to suggest to me some songs I should cover next on my podcast that I haven't yet, PLEASE email those ideas to me at samltwilli@icloud.com, you can also reach out to me on Instagram @iheartoldies: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/21f3uBS6kU4hUF6QAC5JMjhttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/21f3uBS6kU4hUF6QAC5JMjdon't forget to also check out the official Music video for one of the songs that I put out last year as well, I WILL Be shooting another music video for one of the songs I put out last year as well, but for now, please enjoy this one, and if you liked it, PLEASE let me know, you can email me at samltwilli@icloud.com, you can also reach out to me on Instagram @iheartoldies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTbmSoW6RyYdon't forget to also check out the two interviews I did recently as well with Honk Magazine and ShoutoutLA magazine. if you REALLY liked these interviews and would like to meet me in person and you live in LA after reading these interviews, PLEASE email me at samltwilli@icloud.com, you can also reach out to me on Instagram @iheartoldies:https://shoutoutla.com/meet-sam-l-williams-musician-songwriter-podcast-host/https://honkmagazine.com/sam-l-williams-talks-about-his-career-path-influence-and-new-music/PLEASE do also check out the official Redbubble Merch store for this podcast, here you'll be able to find these SUPER Cool Merch items for this podcast, if you REALLY liked these merch items and you would like to purchase something from this store, PLEASE email me at samltwilli@icloud.com, you can also reach out to me on Instagram @iheartoldies: https://www.redbubble.com/people/60ssam95/works/36806158-keep-things-groovy?asc=u&ref=recent-ownerif you REALLY liked my analysis on this week's song and you have NEVER heard of it before and you are around my age, and you thought this group ROCKED and your a fan of 70's classic rock and you absolutely fell IN LOVE with this group and your a millennial, PLEASE email me at samltwilli@icloud.com, you can also reach out to me on Instagram @iheartoldies
The Deep Purple Podcast Show Notes Episode #137 November 29, 2021 Deep Purple - Turning to Crime (Part 1) Subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Anchor.fm, Breaker, PodBean, RadioPublic, Amazon Music, or search in your favorite podcatcher! How To Support Our Show: Leave us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts Buy Merch at Our Etsy Store! Become a Patron on Patreon Donate on Paypal (Donate one time or click “make this a monthly donation” box) Thanks to Our Executive Level Patrons: Show Update: Nate & John (and assorted patrons and listeners) will be in Florida in February, 2022 for the first two Deep Purple shows in nearly two years! February 10, 2022 - Hollywood, Florida - Hard Rock Live Arena. Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0D005B4FDCAFD529 Meet up: TBD February 12, 2022 - St. Petersburg, Florida - Mahaffey Theater Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0D005B52C1FCD2C9 Meet up: TBD More info will be released in our various social media channels as we get it. Deep Dive Podcast Network: http://deepdivepodcastnetwork.com/ Lead up to the Album: Thanks to Our Core Level Patrons: Album Tracks: “7 and 7 Is” (Love) From the 1966 album “Da Capo.” Prominent Ramones cover as well. Official video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtFiVyYto4c “Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” (Huey "Piano" Smith) From the 1959 Huey Smith & The Rhythm Aces album “Having a Good Time.” Official video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECGft-VgIsg “Oh Well” (Fleetwood Mac) Single from 1969. Fleetwood Mac single, included on later releases of “Then Play On.” Official video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTfNINPcjU8 “Jenny Take A Ride!” (Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels) From the 1967 self-titled album by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels. “Watching the River Flow” (Bob Dylan) Bob Dylan single included on “Greatest Hits: Vol. II.” “Let the Good Times Roll” (Ray Charles & Quincy Jones) From the 1959 album “The Genius of Ray Charles.” Thanks To Our Foundation Level Patrons: Listener Mail/Comments Comments about the show? Things you'd like us to cover? We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email at info@deeppurplepodcast.com or @ us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
The Deep Purple Podcast Show Notes Episode #136 November 22, 2021 Turning to Crime (Originals Preview) Subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Anchor.fm, Breaker, PodBean, RadioPublic, Amazon Music, or search in your favorite podcatcher! How To Support Our Show: Leave us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts Buy Merch at Our Etsy Store! Become a Patron on Patreon Donate on Paypal (Donate one time or click “make this a monthly donation” box) Welcoming Our Newest Patron(s): At the $5.99 “Nice Price” Tier - Robert Smith! At the $10 “Some One Came” Tier - Saul Evans! Thanks to Our Executive Level Patrons: Apple Podcast Reviews: Jasur M (Jah-soor) - Russia - 5 Stars! Social Media Update: Sent by Marcelo Soares via Twitter: Gal Costa - Meu nome é Gal Perhaps inspired by a certain guitar/vocal duo around the 1:40 mark. Original Tracks: With guesses as to which member of the group picked which song. “7 and 7 Is” (Love) From the 1966 album “Da Capo.” “Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” (Huey "Piano" Smith) From the 1959 Huey Smith & The Rhythm Aces album “Having a Good Time.” “Oh Well” (Fleetwood Mac) Single from 1969. “Jenny Take A Ride!” (Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels) From the 1967 self-titled album by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels. “Watching the River Flow” (Bob Dylan) Bob Dylan single included on “Greatest Hits: Vol. II.” “Let the Good Times Roll” (Ray Charles & Quincy Jones) From the 1959 album “The Genius of Ray Charles.” “Dixie Chicken” (Little Feat) From the 1973 album “Dixie Chicken” by Little Feat. “Shapes of Things” (Yardbirds) Single by The Yardbirds from 1966. Thanks to Our Core Level Patrons: “The Battle of New Orleans” (Lonnie Donegan/Johnny Horton) From the 1962 album by Lonnie Donegan, “A Golden Age of Donegan.” “Lucifer” (Bob Seger System) From the 1970 album “Mongrel” by Bob Seger System. “White Room” (Cream) From the 1968 Cream album “Wheels of Fire.” “Going Down” (Moloch) From 1969 album “Moloch” by the band Moloch. Also covered by Freddie King in 1971 and likely popularized by Jeff Beck in 1972 Mark 4 used to cover this live. “Green Onions” (Booker T. & The MG's) From the 1962 album “Green Onions” by Booker T. & The MG's. “Hot ‘Lanta” (The Allman Brothers) From the 1971 live album “Live at Fillmore East” by The Allman Brothers. “Dazed and Confused” (Led Zeppelin) From Led Zeppelin's self-titled debut album in 1969. “Gimme Some Lovin' (Spencer Davis Group) A single from 1966 by Spencer Davis Group. Thanks To Our Foundation Level Patrons: $3 “Nobody's Perfect” Tier For Further Information: Comments about the show? Things you'd like us to cover? We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email at info@deeppurplepodcast.com or @ us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Episode 134 of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “In the Midnight Hour", the links between Stax, Atlantic, and Detroit, and the career of Wilson Pickett. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a fifteen-minute bonus episode available, on "Mercy Mercy" by Don Covay. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Errata I say “After Arthur Alexander had moved on to Monument Records” – I meant to say “Dot Records” here, the label that Alexander moved to *before* Monument. I also misspeak at one point and say "keyboard player Chips Moman", when I mean to say "keyboard player Spooner Oldham". This is correct in the transcript/script, I just misread it. Resources No Mixcloud this week, as there are too many songs by Pickett. The main resource I used for the biographical details of Wilson Pickett was In the Midnight Hour: The Life and Soul of Wilson Pickett. Information about Stax comes primarily from two books: Soulsville USA: The Story of Stax by Rob Bowman, and Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion by Robert Gordon. Country Soul by Charles L Hughes is a great overview of the soul music made in Muscle Shoals, Memphis, and Nashville in the sixties. The episodes of Cocaine and Rhinestones I reference are the ones on Owen Bradley and the Nashville A-Team. And information on the Falcons comes from Marv Goldberg. Pickett's complete Atlantic albums can be found in this excellent ten-CD set. For those who just want the hits, this single-CD compilation is significantly cheaper. Patreon This podcast is brought to you by the generosity of my backers on Patreon. Why not join them? Transcript A quick note before I start, just to say that this episode contains some discussion of domestic abuse, drug use, and abuse of employees by their employer, and one mention of an eating disorder. Also, this episode is much longer than normal, because we've got a lot to fit in. Today we're going to move away from Motown, and have a look at a record recorded in the studios of their great rival Stax records, though not released on that label. But the record we're going to look at is from an artist who was a bridge between the Detroit soul of Motown and the southern soul of Stax, an artist who had a foot in both camps, and whose music helped to define soul while also being closer than that of any other soul man to the music made by the white rock musicians of the period. We're going to look at Stax, and Muscle Shoals, and Atlantic Records, and at Wilson Pickett and "In the Midnight Hour" [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett: "In the Midnight Hour"] Wilson Pickett never really had a chance. His father, Wilson senior, was known in Alabama for making moonshine whisky, and spent time in prison for doing just that -- and his young son was the only person he told the location of his still. Eventually, Wilson senior moved to Detroit to start earning more money, leaving his family at home at first. Wilson junior and his mother moved up to Detroit to be with his father, but they had to leave his older siblings in Alabama, and his mother would shuttle between Michigan and Alabama, trying vainly to look after all her children. Eventually, Wilson's mother got pregnant while she was down in Alabama, which broke up his parents' marriage, and Wilson moved back down to Alabama permanently, to live on a farm with his mother. But he never got on with his mother, who was physically abusive to him -- as he himself would later be to his children, and to his partners, and to his bandmates. The one thing that Wilson did enjoy about his life in Alabama was the gospel music, and he became particularly enamoured of two gospel singers, Archie Brownlee of the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi: [Excerpt: The Mississippi Blind Boys, "Will My Jesus Be Waiting?"] And Julius Cheeks of the Sensational Nightingales: [Excerpt: The Sensational Nightingales, "God's World Will Never Pass Away"] Wilson determined to become a gospel singer himself, but he couldn't stand living with his mother in rural Alabama, and decided to move up to be with his father and his father's new girlfriend in Detroit. Once he moved to Detroit, he started attending Northwestern High School, which at the time was also being attended by Norman Whitfield, Florence Ballard, and Melvin Franklin. Pickett also became friendly with Aretha Franklin, though she didn't attend the same school -- she went to school at Northern, with Smokey Robinson -- and he started attending services at New Bethel Church, the church where her father preached. This was partly because Rev. Franklin was one of the most dynamic preachers around, but also because New Bethel Church would regularly feature performances by the most important gospel performers of the time -- Pickett saw the Soul Stirrers perform there, with Sam Cooke singing lead, and of course also saw Aretha singing there. He joined a few gospel groups, first joining one called the Sons of Zion, but he was soon poached by a more successful group, the Violinaires. It was with the Violinaires that he made what is almost certainly his first recording -- a track that was released as a promo single, but never got a wide release at the time: [Excerpt: The Violinaires, "Sign of the Judgement"] The Violinaires were only moderately successful on the gospel circuit, but Pickett was already sure he was destined for bigger things. He had a rivalry with David Ruffin, in particular, constantly mocking Ruffin and saying that he would never amount to anything, while Wilson Pickett was the greatest. But after a while, he realised that gospel wasn't where he was going to make his mark. Partly his change in direction was motivated by financial concern -- he'd physically attacked his father and been kicked out of his home, and he was also married while still a teenager, and had a kid who needed feeding. But also, he was aware of a certain level of hypocrisy among his more religious acquaintances. Aretha Franklin had two kids, aged only sixteen, and her father, the Reverend Franklin, had fathered a child with a twelve-year-old, was having an affair with the gospel singer Clara Ward, and was hanging around blues clubs all the time. Most importantly, he realised that the audiences he was singing to in church on Sunday morning were mostly still drunk from Saturday night. As he later put it "I might as well be singing rock 'n' roll as singing to a drunken audience. I might as well make me some money." And this is where the Falcons came in. The Falcons were a doo-wop group that had been formed by a Black singer, Eddie Floyd, and a white singer, Bob Manardo. They'd both recruited friends, including bass singer Willie Schofield, and after performing locally they'd decided to travel to Chicago to audition for Mercury Records. When they got there, they found that you couldn't audition for Mercury in Chicago, you had to go to New York, but they somehow persuaded the label to sign them anyway -- in part because an integrated group was an unusual thing. They recorded one single for Mercury, produced by Willie Dixon who was moonlighting from Chess: [Excerpt: The Falcons, "Baby That's It"] But then Manardo was drafted, and the group's other white member, Tom Shetler, decided to join up along with him. The group went through some other lineup changes, and ended up as Eddie Floyd, Willie Schofield, Mack Rice, guitarist Lance Finnie, and lead singer Joe Stubbs, brother of Levi. The group released several singles on small labels owned by their manager, before having a big hit with "You're So Fine", the record we heard about them recording last episode: [Excerpt: The Falcons, "You're So Fine"] That made number two on the R&B charts and number seventeen on the pop charts. They recorded several follow-ups, including "Just For Your Love", which made number 26 on the R&B charts: [Excerpt: The Falcons, "Just For Your Love"] To give you some idea of just how interrelated all the different small R&B labels were at this point, that was originally recorded and released on Chess records. But as Roquel Davis was at that point working for Chess, he managed to get the rights to reissue it on Anna Records, the label he co-owned with the Gordy sisters -- and the re-released record was distributed by Gone Records, one of George Goldner's labels. The group also started to tour supporting Marv Johnson. But Willie Schofield was becoming dissatisfied. He'd written "You're So Fine", but he'd only made $500 from what he was told was a million-selling record. He realised that in the music business, the real money was on the business side, not the music side, so while staying in the Falcons he decided he was going to go into management too. He found the artist he was going to manage while he was walking to his car, and heard somebody in one of the buildings he passed singing Elmore James' then-current blues hit "The Sky is Crying": [Excerpt: Elmore James, "The Sky is Crying"] The person he heard singing that song, and accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, was of course Wilson Pickett, and Schofield signed him up to a management contract -- and Pickett was eager to sign, knowing that Schofield was a successful performer himself. The intention was at first that Schofield would manage Pickett as a solo performer, but then Joe Stubbs got ideas above his station, and started insisting that the group be called "Joe Stubbs and the Falcons", which put the others' backs up, and soon Stubbs was out of the group. This experience may have been something that his brother later had in mind -- in the late sixties, when Motown started trying to promote groups as Lead Singer and The Group, Levi Stubbs always refused to allow his name to go in front of the Four Tops. So the Falcons were without a lead singer. They tried a few other singers in their circle, including Marvin Gaye, but were turned down. So in desperation, they turned to Pickett. This wasn't a great fit -- the group, other than Schofield, thought that Pickett was "too Black", both in that he had too much gospel in his voice, and literally in that he was darker-skinned than the rest of the group (something that Schofield, as someone who was darker than the rest of the group but less dark than Pickett, took offence at). Pickett, in turn, thought that the Falcons were too poppy, and not really the kind of thing he was at all interested in doing. But they were stuck with each other, and had to make the most of it, even though Pickett's early performances were by all accounts fairly dreadful. He apparently came in in the wrong key on at least one occasion, and another time froze up altogether and couldn't sing. Even when he did sing, and in tune, he had no stage presence, and he later said “I would trip up, fall on the stage and the group would rehearse me in the dressing room after every show. I would get mad, ‘cos I wanted to go out and look at the girls as well! They said, ‘No, you got to rehearse, Oscar.' They called me Oscar. I don't know why they called me Oscar, I didn't like that very much.” Soon, Joe Stubbs was back in the group, and there was talk of the group getting rid of Pickett altogether. But then they went into the studio to record a song that Sam Cooke had written for the group, "Pow! You're in Love". The song had been written for Stubbs to sing, but at the last minute they decided to give Pickett the lead instead: [Excerpt: The Falcons, "Pow! You're in Love"] Pickett was now secure as the group's lead singer, but the group weren't having any success with records. They were, though, becoming a phenomenal live act -- so much so that on one tour, where James Brown was the headliner, Brown tried to have the group kicked off the bill, because he felt that Pickett was stealing his thunder. Eventually, the group's manager set up his own record label, Lu Pine Records, which would become best known as the label that released the first record by the Primettes, who later became the Supremes. Lu Pine released the Falcons' single "I Found a Love", after the group's management had first shopped it round to other labels to try to get them to put it out: [Excerpt: The Falcons, "I Found a Love"] That song, based on the old Pentecostal hymn "Yes Lord", was written by Pickett and Schofield, but the group's manager, Robert West, also managed to get his name on the credits. The backing group, the Ohio Untouchables, would later go on to become better known as The Ohio Players. One of the labels that had turned that record down was Atlantic Records, because Jerry Wexler hadn't heard any hit potential in the song. But then the record started to become successful locally, and Wexler realised his mistake. He got Lu Pine to do a distribution deal with Atlantic, giving Atlantic full rights to the record, and it became a top ten R&B hit. But by this point, Pickett was sick of working with the Falcons, and he'd decided to start trying for a solo career. His first solo single was on the small label Correc-Tone, and was co-produced by Robert Bateman, and featured the Funk Brothers as instrumental backing, and the Primettes on vocals. I've seen some claims that the Andantes are on there too, but I can't make them out -- but I can certainly make out the future Supremes: [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "Let Me Be Your Boy"] That didn't do anything, and Pickett kept recording with the Falcons for a while, as well as putting out his solo records. But then Willie Schofield got drafted, and the group split up. Their manager hired another group, The Fabulous Playboys, to be a new Falcons group, but in 1964 he got shot in a dispute over the management of Mary Wells, and had to give up working in the music industry. Pickett's next single, which he co-wrote with Robert Bateman and Sonny Schofield, was to be the record that changed his career forever. "If You Need Me" once again featured the Funk Brothers and the Andantes, and was recorded for Correc-Tone: [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "If You Need Me"] Jerry Wexler was again given the opportunity to put the record out on Atlantic, and once again decided against it. Instead, he offered to buy the song's publishing, and he got Solomon Burke to record it, in a version produced by Bert Berns: [Excerpt: Solomon Burke, "If You Need Me"] Burke wasn't fully aware, when he cut that version, that Wilson Pickett, who was his friend, had recorded his own version. He became aware, though, when Double-L Records, a label co-owned by Lloyd Price, bought the Correc-Tone master and released Pickett's version nationally, at the same time as Burke's version came out. The two men were annoyed that they'd been put into unwitting competition, and so started an unofficial nonaggression pact -- every time Burke was brought into a radio station to promote his record, he'd tell the listeners that he was there to promote Wilson Pickett's new single. Meanwhile, when Pickett went to radio stations, he'd take the opportunity to promote the new record he'd written for his good friend Solomon Burke, which the listeners should definitely check out. The result was that both records became hits -- Pickett's scraped the lower reaches of the R&B top thirty, while Burke, as he was the bigger star, made number two on the R&B chart and got into the pop top forty. Pickett followed it up with a soundalike, "It's Too Late", which managed to make the R&B top ten as there was no competition from Burke. At this point, Jerry Wexler realised that he'd twice had the opportunity to release a record with Wilson Pickett singing, twice he'd turned the chance down, and twice the record had become a hit. He realised that it was probably a good idea to sign Pickett directly to Atlantic and avoid missing out. He did check with Pickett if Pickett was annoyed about the Solomon Burke record -- Pickett's response was "I need the bread", and Wilson Pickett was now an Atlantic artist. This was at the point when Atlantic was in something of a commercial slump -- other than the records Bert Berns was producing for the Drifters and Solomon Burke, they were having no hits, and they were regarded as somewhat old-fashioned, rooted in a version of R&B that still showed its roots in jazz, rather than the new sounds that were taking over the industry in the early sixties. But they were still a bigger label than anything else Pickett had recorded for, and he seized the opportunity to move into the big time. To start with, Atlantic teamed Pickett up with someone who seemed like the perfect collaborator -- Don Covay, a soul singer and songwriter who had his roots in hard R&B and gospel music but had written hits for people like Chubby Checker. The two got together and recorded a song they wrote together, "I'm Gonna Cry (Cry Baby)": [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "I'm Gonna Cry (Cry Baby)"] That did nothing commercially -- and gallingly for Pickett, on the same day, Atlantic released a single Covay had written for himself, "Mercy Mercy", and that ended up going to number one on the R&B chart and making the pop top forty. As "I'm Gonna Cry" didn't work out, Atlantic decided to try to change tack, and paired Pickett with their established hitmaker Bert Berns, and a duet partner, Tami Lyn, for what Pickett would later describe as "one of the weirdest sessions on me I ever heard in my life", a duet on a Mann and Weil song, "Come Home Baby": [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett and Tami Lyn, "Come Home Baby"] Pickett later said of that track, "it didn't sell two records", but while it wasn't a hit, it was very popular among musicians -- a few months later Mick Jagger would produce a cover version of it on Immediate Records, with Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards, and the Georgie Fame brass section backing a couple of unknown singers: [Excerpt: Rod Stewart and P.P. Arnold, "Come Home Baby"] Sadly for Rod Stewart and P.P. Arnold, that didn't get past being issued as a promotional record, and never made it to the shops. Meanwhile, Pickett went out on tour again, substituting on a package tour for Clyde McPhatter, who had to drop out when his sister died. Also on the tour was Pickett's old bandmate from the Falcons, Mack Rice, now performing as Sir Mack Rice, who was promoting a single he'd just released on a small label, which had been produced by Andre Williams. The song had originally been called "Mustang Mama", but Aretha Franklin had suggested he call it "Mustang Sally" instead: [Excerpt: Sir Mack Rice, "Mustang Sally"] Pickett took note of the song, though he didn't record it just yet -- and in the meantime, the song was picked up by the white rock group The Young Rascals, who released their version as the B-side of their number one hit, "Good Lovin'": [Excerpt: The Young Rascals, "Mustang Sally"] Atlantic's problems with having hits weren't only problems with records they made themselves -- they were also having trouble getting any big hits with Stax records. As we discussed in the episode on "Green Onions", Stax were being distributed by Atlantic, and in 1963 they'd had a minor hit with "These Arms of Mine" by Otis Redding: [Excerpt: Otis Redding, "These Arms of Mine"] But throughout 1964, while the label had some R&B success with its established stars, it had no real major breakout hits, and it seemed to be floundering a bit -- it wasn't doing as badly as Atlantic itself, but it wasn't doing wonderfully. It wasn't until the end of the year when the label hit on what would become its defining sound, when for the first time Redding collaborated with Stax studio guitarist and producer Steve Cropper on a song: [Excerpt: Otis Redding, "Mr. Pitiful"] That record would point the way towards Redding's great artistic triumphs of the next couple of years, which we'll look at in a future episode. But it also pointed the way towards a possible future sound for Atlantic. Atlantic had signed a soul duo, Sam & Dave, who were wonderful live performers but who had so far not managed to translate those live performances to record. Jerry Wexler thought that perhaps Steve Cropper could help them do that, and made a suggestion to Jim Stewart at Stax -- Atlantic would loan out Sam & Dave to the label. They'd remain signed to Atlantic, but make their records at Stax studios, and they'd be released as Stax records. Their first single for Stax, "A Place Nobody Can Find", was produced by Cropper, and was written by Stax songwriter Dave Porter: [Excerpt: Sam and Dave, "A Place Nobody Can Find"] That wasn't a hit, but soon Porter would start collaborating with another songwriter, Isaac Hayes, and would write a string of hits for the duo. But in order to formalise the loan-out of Sam and Dave, Atlantic also wanted to formalise their arrangement with Stax. Previously they'd operated on a handshake basis -- Wexler and Stewart had a mutual respect, and they simply agreed that Stax would give Atlantic the option to distribute their stuff. But now they entered into a formal, long-term contract, and for a nominal sum of one dollar, Jim Stewart gave Atlantic the distribution rights to all past Stax records and to all future records they released for the next few years. Or at least, Stewart *thought* that the agreement he was making was formalising the distribution agreement. What the contract actually said -- and Stewart never bothered to have this checked over by an entertainment lawyer, because he trusted Wexler -- was that Stax would, for the sum of one dollar, give Atlantic *permanent ownership* of all their records, in return. The precise wording was "You hereby sell, assign and transfer to us, our successors or assigns, absolutely and forever and without any limitations or restrictions whatever, not specifically set forth herein, the entire right, title and interest in and to each of such masters and to each of the performances embodied thereon." Jerry Wexler would later insist that he had no idea that particular clause was in the contract, and that it had been slipped in there by the lawyers. Jim Stewart still thought of himself as the owner of an independent record label, but without realising it he'd effectively become an employee of Atlantic. Atlantic started to take advantage of this new arrangement by sending other artists down to Memphis to record with the Stax musicians. Unlike Sam and Dave, these would still be released as Atlantic records rather than Stax ones, and Jerry Wexler and Atlantic's engineer Tom Dowd would be involved in the production, but the records would be made by the Stax team. The first artist to benefit from this new arrangement was Wilson Pickett, who had been wanting to work at Stax for a while, being a big fan of Otis Redding in particular. Pickett was teamed up with Steve Cropper, and together they wrote the song that would define Pickett's career. The seeds of "In the Midnight Hour" come from two earlier recordings. One is a line from his record with the Falcons, "I Found a Love": [Excerpt: The Falcons, "I Found a Love"] The other is a line from a record that Clyde McPhatter had made with Billy Ward and the Dominoes back in 1951: [Excerpt: Billy Ward and the Dominoes, "Do Something For Me"] Those lines about a "midnight hour" and "love come tumbling down" were turned into the song that would make Pickett's name, but exactly who did what has been the cause of some disagreement. The official story is that Steve Cropper took those lines and worked with Pickett to write the song, as a straight collaboration. Most of the time, though, Pickett would claim that he'd written the song entirely by himself, and that Cropper had stolen the credit for that and their other credited collaborations. But other times he would admit "He worked with me quite a bit on that one". Floyd Newman, a regular horn player at Stax, would back up Pickett, saying "Every artist that came in here, they'd have their songs all together, but when they leave they had to give up a piece of it, to a certain person. But this person, you couldn't be mad at him, because he didn't own Stax, Jim Stewart owned Stax. And this guy was doing what Jim Stewart told him to do, so you can't be mad at him." But on the other hand, Willie Schofield, who collaborated with Pickett on "I Found a Love", said of writing that "Pickett didn't have any chord pattern. He had a couple of lyrics. I'm working with him, giving him the chord change, the feel of it. Then we're going in the studio and I've gotta show the band how to play it because we didn't have arrangers. That's part of the songwriting. But he didn't understand. He felt he wrote the lyrics so that's it." Given that Cropper didn't take the writing credit on several other records he participated in, that he did have a consistent pattern of making classic hit records, that "In the Midnight Hour" is stylistically utterly different from Pickett's earlier work but very similar to songs like "Mr. Pitiful" cowritten by Cropper, and Pickett's longstanding habit of being dismissive of anyone else's contributions to his success, I think the most likely version of events is that Cropper did have a lot to do with how the song came together, and probably deserves his credit, but we'll never know for sure exactly what went on in their collaboration. Whoever wrote it, "In the Midnight Hour" became one of the all-time classics of soul: [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "In the Midnight Hour"] But another factor in making the record a success -- and in helping reinvent the Stax sound -- was actually Jerry Wexler. Wexler had started attending sessions at the Stax studios, and was astonished by how different the recording process was in the South. And Wexler had his own input into the session that produced "In the Midnight Hour". His main suggestion was that rather than play the complicated part that Cropper had come up with, the guitarist should simplify, and just play chords along with Al Jackson's snare drum. Wexler was enthusing about a new dance craze called the Jerk, which had recently been the subject of a hit record by a group called the Larks: [Excerpt: The Larks, "The Jerk"] The Jerk, as Wexler demonstrated it to the bemused musicians, involved accenting the second and fourth beats of the bar, and delaying them very slightly. And this happened to fit very well with the Stax studio sound. The Stax studio was a large room, with quite a lot of reverb, and the musicians played together without using headphones, listening to the room sound. Because of this, to stay in time, Steve Cropper had started taking his cue not just from the sound, but from watching Al Jackson's left hand going to the snare drum. This had led to him playing when he saw Jackson's hand go down on the two and four, rather than when the sound of the snare drum reached his ears -- a tiny, fraction-of-a-second, anticipation of the beat, before everyone would get back in sync on the one of the next bar, as Jackson hit the kick drum. This had in turn evolved into the whole group playing the backbeat with a fractional delay, hitting it a tiny bit late -- as if you're listening to the echo of those beats rather than to the beat itself. If anyone other than utterly exceptional musicians had tried this, it would have ended up as a car crash, but Jackson was one of the best timekeepers in the business, and many musicians would say that at this point in time Steve Cropper was *the* best rhythm guitarist in the world, so instead it gave the performances just enough sense of looseness to make them exciting. This slight delayed backbeat was something the musicians had naturally fallen into doing, but it fit so well with Wexler's conception of the Jerk that they started deliberately exaggerating it -- still only delaying the backbeat minutely, but enough to give the record a very different sound from anything that was out there: [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "In the Midnight Hour"] That delayed backbeat sound would become the signature sound of Stax for the next several years, and you will hear it on the run of classic singles they would put out for the next few years by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Booker T. and the MGs, Eddie Floyd and others. The sound of that beat is given extra emphasis by the utter simplicity of Al Jackson's playing. Jackson had a minimalist drum kit, but played it even more minimally -- other than the occasional fill, he never hit his tom at all, just using the kick drum, snare, and hi-hat -- and the hi-hat was not even miced, with any hi-hat on the actual records just being the result of leakage from the other mics. But that simplicity gave the Stax records a power that almost no other records from the period had: [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "In the Midnight Hour"] "In the Midnight Hour" made number one on the R&B charts, and made number twenty-one on the pop charts, instantly turning Pickett from an also-ran into one of the major stars of soul music. The follow-up, a soundalike called "Don't Fight It", also made the top five on the R&B charts. At his next session, Pickett was reunited with his old bandmate Eddie Floyd. Floyd would soon go on to have his own hits at Stax, most notably with "Knock on Wood", but at this point he was working as a staff songwriter at Stax, coming up with songs like "Comfort Me" for Carla Thomas: [Excerpt: Carla Thomas, "Comfort Me"] Floyd had teamed up with Steve Cropper, and they'd been... shall we say, "inspired"... by a hit for the Marvelettes, "Beechwood 45789", written by Marvin Gaye, Gwen Gordy and Mickey Stevenson: [Excerpt: The Marvelettes, "Beechwood 45789"] Cropper and Floyd had come up with their own song, "634-5789", which Pickett recorded, and which became an even bigger hit than "In the Midnight Hour", making number thirteen on the pop charts as well as being Pickett's second R&B number one: [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "634-5789"] At the same session, they cut another single. This one was inspired by an old gospel song, "Ninety-Nine and One Half Won't Do", recorded by Sister Rosetta Tharpe among others: [Excerpt: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Ninety-Nine and One Half Won't Do"] The song was rewritten by Floyd, Cropper, and Pickett, and was also a moderate R&B hit, though nowhere as big as "634-5789": [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "Ninety-Nine and One Half Won't Do"] That would be the last single that Pickett recorded at Stax, though -- though the reasoning has never been quite clear. Pickett was, to put it as mildly as possible, a difficult man to work with, and he seems to have had some kind of falling out with Jim Stewart -- though Stewart always said that the problem was actually that Pickett didn't get on with the musicians. But the musicians disagree, saying they had a good working relationship -- Pickett was often an awful person, but only when drunk, and he was always sober in the studio. It seems likely, actually, that Pickett's move away from the Stax studios was more to do with someone else -- Pickett's friend Don Covay was another Atlantic artist recording at Stax, and Pickett had travelled down with him when Covay had recorded "See Saw" there: [Excerpt: Don Covay, "See Saw"] Everyone involved agreed that Covay was an eccentric personality, and that he rubbed Jim Stewart up the wrong way. There is also a feeling among some that Stewart started to resent the way Stax's sound was being used for Atlantic artists, like he was "giving away" hits, even though Stax's company got the publishing on the songs Cropper was co-writing, and he was being paid for the studio time. Either way, after that session, Atlantic didn't send any of its artists down to Stax, other than Sam & Dave, who Stax regarded as their own artists. Pickett would never again record at Stax, and possibly coincidentally once he stopped writing songs with Steve Cropper he would also never again have a major hit record with a self-penned song. But Jerry Wexler still wanted to keep working in Southern studios, and with Southern musicians, and so he took Pickett to FAME studios, in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. We looked, back in the episode on Arthur Alexander, at the start of FAME studios, but after Arthur Alexander had moved on to Monument Records, Rick Hall had turned FAME into a home for R&B singers looking for crossover success. While Stax employed both Black and white musicians, FAME studios had an all-white rhythm section, with a background in country music, but that had turned out to be absolutely perfect for performers like the soul singer Joe Tex, who had himself started out in country before switching to soul, and who recorded classics like "Hold What You Got" at the studio: [Excerpt: Joe Tex, "Hold What You Got"] That had been released on FAME's record label, and Jerry Wexler had been impressed and had told Rick Hall to call him the next time he thought he had a hit. When Hall did call Wexler, Wexler was annoyed -- Hall phoned him in the middle of a party. But Hall was insistent. "You said to call you next time I've got a hit, and this is a number one". Wexler relented and listened to the record down the phone. This is what he heard: [Excerpt: Percy Sledge, "When a Man Loves a Woman"] Atlantic snapped up "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge, and it went to number one on the pop charts -- the first record from any of the Southern soul studios to do so. In Wexler's eyes, FAME was now the new Stax. Wexler had a bit of culture shock when working at FAME, as it was totally unlike anything he'd experienced before. The records he'd been involved with in New York had been mostly recorded by slumming jazz musicians, very technical players who would read the music from charts, and Stax had had Steve Cropper as de facto musical director, leading the musicians and working out their parts with them. By contrast, the process used at FAME, and at most of the other studios in what Charles Hughes describes as the "country-soul triangle" of Memphis, Muscle Shoals, and Nashville, was the process that had been developed by Owen Bradley and the Nashville A-Team in Nashville (and for a fuller description of this, see the excellent episodes on Bradley and the A-Team in the great country music podcast Cocaine and Rhinestones). The musicians would hear a play through of the song by its writer, or a demo, would note down the chord sequences using the Nashville number system rather than a more detailed score, do a single run-through to get the balance right, and then record. Very few songs required a second take. For Pickett's first session at FAME, and most subsequent ones, the FAME rhythm section of keyboard player Spooner Oldham, guitarist Jimmy Johnson, bass player Junior Lowe and drummer Roger Hawkins was augmented with a few other players -- Memphis guitarists Chips Moman and Tommy Cogbill, and the horn section who'd played on Pickett's Stax records, moonlighting. And for the first track they recorded there, Wexler wanted them to do something that would become a signature trick for Pickett over the next couple of years -- record a soul cover version of a rock cover version of a soul record. Wexler's thinking was that the best way for Pickett to cross over to a white audience was to do songs that were familiar to them from white pop cover versions, but songs that had originated in Pickett's soul style. At the time, as well, the hard backbeat sound on Pickett's hits was one that was more associated with white rock music than with soul, as was the emphasis on rhythm guitar. To modern ears, Pickett's records are almost the definition of soul music, but at the time they were absolutely considered crossover records. And so in the coming months Pickett would record cover versions of Don Covay's "Mercy Mercy", Solomon Burke's "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love", and Irma Thomas' "Time is on My Side", all of which had been previously covered by the Rolling Stones -- and two of which had their publishing owned by Atlantic's publishing subsidiary. For this single, though, he was recording a song which had started out as a gospel-inspired dance song by the R&B singer Chris Kenner: [Excerpt: Chris Kenner, "Land of a Thousand Dances"] That had been a minor hit towards the bottom end of the Hot One Hundred, but it had been taken up by a lot of other musicians, and become one of those songs everyone did as album filler -- Rufus Thomas had done a version at Stax, for example. But then a Chicano garage band called Cannibal and the Headhunters started performing it live, and their singer forgot the lyrics and just started singing "na na na na", giving the song a chorus it hadn't had in its original version. Their version, a fake-live studio recording, made the top thirty: [Excerpt: Cannibal and the Headhunters, "Land of a Thousand Dances"] Pickett's version was drastically rearranged, and included a guitar riff that Chips Moman had come up with, some new lyrics that Pickett introduced, and a bass intro that Jerry Wexler came up with, a run of semiquavers that Junior Lowe found very difficult to play. The musicians spent so long working on that intro that Pickett got annoyed and decided to take charge. He yelled "Come on! One-two-three!" and the horn players, with the kind of intuition that comes from working together for years, hit a chord in unison. He yelled "One-two-three!" again, and they hit another chord, and Lowe went into the bass part. They'd found their intro. They ran through that opening one more time, then recorded a take: [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "Land of a Thousand Dances"] At this time, FAME was still recording live onto a single-track tape, and so all the mistakes were caught on tape with no opportunity to fix anything, like when all but one of the horn players forget to come in on the first line of one verse: [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "Land of a Thousand Dances"] But that kind of mistake only added to the feel of the track, which became Pickett's biggest hit yet -- his third number one on the R&B chart, and his first pop top ten. As the formula of recording a soul cover version of a rock cover version of a soul song had clearly worked, the next single Pickett recorded was "Mustang Sally", which as we saw had originally been an R&B record by Pickett's friend Mack Rice, before being covered by the Young Rascals. Pickett's version, though, became the definitive version: [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "Mustang Sally"] But it very nearly wasn't. That was recorded in a single take, and the musicians went into the control room to listen to it -- and the metal capstan on the tape machine flew off while it was rewinding. The tape was cut into dozens of tiny fragments, which the machine threw all over the room in all directions. Everyone was horrified, and Pickett, who was already known for his horrific temper, looked as if he might actually kill someone. Tom Dowd, Atlantic's genius engineer who had been a physicist on the Manhattan Project while still a teenager, wasn't going to let something as minor as that stop him. He told everyone to take a break for half an hour, gathered up all the randomly-thrown bits of tape, and spliced them back together. The completed recording apparently has forty splices in it, which would mean an average of a splice every four seconds. Have a listen to this thirty-second segment and see if you can hear any at all: [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "Mustang Sally"] That segment has the one part where I *think* I can hear one splice in the whole track, a place where the rhythm hiccups very slightly -- and that might well just be the drummer trying a fill that didn't quite come off. "Mustang Sally" was another pop top thirty hit, and Wexler's crossover strategy seemed to have been proved right -- so much so that Pickett was now playing pretty much all-white bills. He played, for example, at Murray the K's last ever revue at the Brooklyn Paramount, where the other artists on the bill were Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, the Young Rascals, Al Kooper's Blues Project, Cream, and the Who. Pickett found the Who extremely unprofessional, with their use of smoke bombs and smashing their instruments, but they eventually became friendly. Pickett's next single was his version of "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love", the Solomon Burke song that the Rolling Stones had also covered, and that was a minor hit, but his next few records after that didn't do particularly well. He did though have a big hit with his cover version of a song by a group called Dyke and the Blazers. Pickett's version of "Funky Broadway" took him to the pop top ten: [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "Funky Broadway"] It did something else, as well. You may have noticed that two of the bands on that Paramount bill were groups that get called "blue-eyed soul". "Soul" had originally been a term used for music made by Black people, but increasingly the term was being used by white people for their music, just as rock and roll and rhythm and blues before it had been picked up on by white musicians. And so as in those cases, Black musicians were moving away from the term -- though it would never be abandoned completely -- and towards a new slang term, "funk". And Pickett was the first person to get a song with "funk" in the title onto the pop charts. But that would be the last recording Pickett would do at FAME for a couple of years. As with Stax, Pickett was moved away by Atlantic because of problems with another artist, this time to do with a session with Aretha Franklin that went horribly wrong, which we'll look at in a future episode. From this point on, Pickett would record at American Sound Studios in Memphis, a studio owned and run by Chips Moman, who had played on many of Pickett's records. Again, Pickett was playing with an all-white house band, but brought in a couple of Black musicians -- the saxophone player King Curtis, and Pickett's new touring guitarist, Bobby Womack, who had had a rough few years, being largely ostracised from the music community because of his relationship with Sam Cooke's widow. Womack wrote what might be Pickett's finest song, a song called "I'm in Love" which is a masterpiece of metrical simplicity disguised as complexity -- you could write it all down as being in straight four-four, but the pulse shifts and implies alternating bars of five and three at points: [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "I'm In Love"] Womack's playing on those sessions had two effects, one on music history and one on Pickett. The effect on music history was that he developed a strong working relationship with Reggie Young, the guitarist in the American Sound studio band, and Young and Womack learned each other's styles. Young would later go on to be one of the top country session guitarists, playing on records by Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings and more, and he was using Womack's style of playing -- he said later "I didn't change a thing. I was playing that Womack style on country records, instead of the hillbilly stuff—it changed the whole bed of country music." The other effect, though, was a much more damaging one. Womack introduced Pickett to cocaine, and Pickett -- who was already an aggressive, violent, abusive, man, became much more so. "I'm in Love" went to number four on the R&B charts, but didn't make the pop top forty. The follow-up, a remake of "Stagger Lee", did decently on the pop charts but less well on the R&B charts. Pickett's audiences were diverging, and he was finding it more difficult to make the two come together. But he would still manage it, sporadically, throughout the sixties. One time when he did was in 1968, when he returned to Muscle Shoals and to FAME studios. In a session there, the guitarist was very insistent that Pickett should cut a version of the Beatles' most recent hit. Now obviously, this is a record that's ahead in our timeline, and which will be covered in a future episode, but I imagine that most of you won't find it too much of a spoiler when I tell you that "Hey Jude" by the Beatles was quite a big hit: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Hey Jude"] What that guitarist had realised was that the tag of the song gave the perfect opportunity for ad-libbing. You all know the tag: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Hey Jude"] And so on. That would be perfect for a guitar solo, and for Pickett to do some good soul shouting over. Neither Pickett nor Rick Hall were at all keen -- the Beatles record had only just dropped off number one, and it seemed like a ridiculous idea to both of them. But the guitarist kept pressing to do it, and by the time the other musicians returned from their lunch break, he'd convinced Pickett and Hall. The record starts out fairly straightforward: [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "Hey Jude"] But it's on the tag when it comes to life. Pickett later described recording that part -- “He stood right in front of me, as though he was playing every note I was singing. And he was watching me as I sang, and as I screamed, he was screaming with his guitar.”: [Excerpt: Wilson Pickett, "Hey Jude"] That was not Pickett's biggest hit, but it was one of the most influential. It made the career of the guitarist, Duane Allman, who Jerry Wexler insisted on signing to his own contract after that, and as Jimmy Johnson, the rhythm guitarist on the session said, "We realised then that Duane had created southern rock, in that vamp." It was big enough that Wexler pushed Pickett to record a whole series of cover versions of rock songs -- he put out versions of "Hey Joe", "Born to be Wild" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On" -- the latter going back to his old technique of covering a white cover version of a Black record, as his version copied the Vanilla Fudge's arrangement rather than the Supremes' original. But these only had very minor successes -- the most successful of them was his version of "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies. As the sixties turned into the seventies, Pickett continued having some success, but it was more erratic and less consistent. The worlds of Black and white music were drifting apart, and Pickett, who more than most had straddled both worlds, now found himself having success in neither. It didn't help that his cocaine dependency had made him into an egomaniac. At one point in the early seventies, Pickett got a residency in Las Vegas, and was making what by most standards was a great income from it. But he would complain bitterly that he was only playing the small room, not the big one in the same hotel, and that the artist playing the big room was getting better billing than him on the posters. Of course, the artist playing the big room was Elvis Presley, but that didn't matter to Pickett -- he thought he deserved to be at least that big. He was also having regular fights with his record label. Ahmet Ertegun used to tell a story -- and I'm going to repeat it here with one expletive cut out in order to get past Apple's ratings system. In Ertegun's words “Jerry Wexler never liked Crosby, Stills & Nash because they wanted so much freaking artistic autonomy. While we were arguing about this, Wilson Pickett walks in the room and comes up to Jerry and says, ‘Jerry,' and he goes, ‘Wham!' And he puts a pistol on the table. He says, ‘If that [Expletive] Tom Dowd walks into where I'm recording, I'm going to shoot him. And if you walk in, I'm going to shoot you. ‘Oh,' Jerry said. ‘That's okay, Wilson.' Then he walked out. So I said, ‘You want to argue about artistic autonomy?' ” As you can imagine, Atlantic were quite glad to get rid of Pickett when he decided he wanted to move to RCA records, who were finally trying to break into the R&B market. Unfortunately for Pickett, the executive who'd made the decision to sign him soon left the company, and as so often happens when an executive leaves, his pet project becomes the one that everyone's desperate to get rid of. RCA didn't know how to market records to Black audiences, and didn't really try, and Pickett's voice was becoming damaged from all the cocaine use. He spent the seventies, and eighties going from label to label, trying things like going disco, with no success. He also went from woman to woman, beating them up, and went through band members more and more quickly as he attacked them, too. The guitarist Marc Ribot was in Pickett's band for a short time and said, (and here again I'm cutting out an expletive) " You can write about all the extenuating circumstances, and maybe it needs to be put in historical context, but … You know why guys beat women? Because they can. And it's abuse. That's why employers beat employees, when they can. I've worked with black bandleaders and white bandleaders who are respectful, courteous and generous human beings—and then I've worked with Wilson Pickett." He was becoming more and more paranoid. He didn't turn up for his induction in the rock and roll hall of fame, where he was scheduled to perform -- instead he hid in his house, scared to leave. Pickett was repeatedly arrested throughout this time, and into the nineties, spending some time in prison, and then eventually going into rehab in 1997 after being arrested for beating up his latest partner. She dropped the charges, but the police found the cocaine in his possession and charged him with that. After getting out, he apparently mellowed out somewhat and became much easier to get along with -- still often unpleasant, especially after he'd had a drink, which he never gave up, but far less violent and more easy-going than he had been. He also had something of a comeback, sparked by an appearance in the flop film Blues Brothers 2000. He recorded a blues album, It's Harder Now, and also guested on Adlib, the comeback duets album by his old friend Don Covay, singing with him and cowriting on several songs, including "Nine Times a Man": [Excerpt: Don Covay and Wilson Pickett, "Nine Times a Man"] It's Harder Now was a solid blues-based album, in the vein of similar albums from around that time by people like Solomon Burke, and could have led to Pickett having the same kind of late-career resurgence as Johnny Cash. It was nominated for a Grammy, but lost in the category for which it was nominated to Barry White. Pickett was depressed by the loss and just decided to give up making new music, and just played the oldies circuit until 2004, at which point he became too ill to continue. The duet with Covay would be the last time he went into the studio. The story of Pickett's last year or so is a painful one, with squabbles between his partner and his children over his power of attorney while he spent long periods in hospital, suffering from kidney problems caused by his alcoholism, and also at this point from bulimia, diabetes, and more. He was ill enough that he tried to make amends with his children and his ex-wife, and succeeded as well as anyone can in that situation. On the eighteenth of January 2006, two months before his sixty-fifth birthday, his partner took him to get his hair cut and his moustache shaped, so he'd look the way he wanted to look, they ate together at his assisted living facility, and prayed together, and she left around eleven o'clock that night. Shortly thereafter, Pickett had a heart attack and died, alone, some time close to the midnight hour.
Entertainer Darren Dowler is one of the finest variety performers in show business. Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, The Lettermen, The Beach Boys Al Jardine, Mitch Ryder, and the Detroit Wheels, Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night, Mary Wilson of The Supremes, The Fifth Dimension, The Backstreet Boys, The Ojays, The Jordanaires, Jerry Lee Lewis are but few of the names he's shared worldwide concert stages with. An award winning vocalist, entertainer, screenwriter and film director, he's known for his blues rock vocals, guitar and writes and performs music of most genres. He's currently producing new material and working on the pilot for a new television series. On tour he's performs his new show, 'Darren Dowler Live', a mixture of great music, including new songs and songs from many of the famous groups he's performed with, impressions, and comedy. His show is premiering around the world, on the main stage on larger cruise ships, private shows, conventions and soon in New York and Las Vegas. Join the mailing list below for updates on his performance schedule and activities.
By 1973 Elvis had definitely not left the building. In fact, January 1973 would be the month that Elvis Presley would broadcast a concert live via satellite to 38 countries. The concert would air in the United States on NBC in April 1973, and would be the basis for the album we are featuring - Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite, the four-month delay being a result of a conflict with Super Bowl VII (which Miami Dolphin fans will recall as the culmination of Miami's undefeated season).Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis's manager, got the idea of a live satellite broadcast from Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China. There is also speculation that Parker took this step in lieu of an international tour to avoid revealing his status as an illegal immigrant in the United States (Parker was Dutch). The concert was scheduled at the conclusion of the fifty-nine show engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton.The special was produced by Marty Pasetta, who had produced television specials for others like Perry Como, Glen Campbell, and multiple specials from Hawaii for Don Ho. Pasetta was concerned after seeing what he considered a lackluster live Elvis show in Long Island. Despite a dismissive stance from Colonel Parker, Pasetta took his ideas directly to Presley. He wanted a lower stage with a runway, allowing better audience participation. He wanted mirrors to frame the stage and neon lights to read "Elvis" in the language of all the countries to which the concert was broadcast. Finally, and most controversially, he wanted Elvis to lose weight for the show. Presley was impressed with his frankness, and took up his ideas, even embarking on an exercise routine at Graceland. Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite would bookend the comeback era for Elvis which was started with his 1968 television special. Elvis would encounter difficulties in his family life, health, and prescription drug use that would eventually result in his untimely death in 1977. Also Sprach Zarathustra/See See RiderThe Ricard Strauss tone poem made famous in "2001: A Space Odyssey" starts off the concert. The intro leads into the blues standard "See See Rider" first performed by Gertrude "Ma" Rainey in the 1920's, and covered by many performers including Chuck Willis, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, and the Animals.Burning LoveDennis Linde wrote this song for Elvis in 1972, and it was a big hit, rising to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track would be the last Elvis song to reach the 1op 10 in the U.S.My WayThis song is a cover originally performed by Frank Sinatra in 1969. The lyrics are from Paul Anka. Although it remains closely associated with Sinatra, it would also become a staple of Elvis performances in the 70's, and would hit number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 shortly after Presley's death.American TrilogyCountry composer Mick Newbury wrote this medley, and it would be popularized by Presley as the showstopper for many of his concerts. The medley includes the 19th century southern song, “Dixie,” the marching hymn of the Union army, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and the African American spiritual “All My Trials.” ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:Theme from the television series “Bonanza"The final episode of this long-running Western TV series aired in this month. STAFF PICKS:Papa Was a Rollin' Stone by the TemptationsBruce's staff pick is a funky and long song, with the album version of the song running 11 minutes and 46 seconds. Originally released by The Undisputed Truth, the Temptations would take this song to number 1, and would win 3 Grammy awards. “Papa was a rollin' stone. Wherever he laid his hat was his home, and when he died, all he left us was alone.” You Turn Me On I'm a Radio by Joni MitchellRob heads into the folk genre with singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell and this single from her fifth studio album. David Crosby, Graham Nash, and Neil Young all participated in the recording session for this song, but only Nash's harmonica work made it to the final cut. This was Mitchell's first top 40 hit in the United States. Dixie Chicken by Little FeatWayne's Southern Rock staff pick was actually recorded by a Los Angeles band. Bonnie Raitt sings backing vocals on this song. The story is about a guy who marries a girl in a drunken haze, only to be left shortly thereafter.Living In the Past by Jethro TullBrian's pick is a 5/4 metered song by rock flutist Ian Anderson. This is the highest charting track from Jethro Tull. It was a rejection of the happy tone that was fashionable in the post-Beatles music of the time. Despite its success, Anderson did not like it. FINISHING TRACK:I Can't Help Falling in Love With You by Elvis PresleyElvis closed out his concert with this song, and we're closing out this week's podcast the same way..
Episode 123 of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", the Righteous Brothers, Shindig! and "blue-eyed soul". Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a ten-minute bonus episode available, on "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Erratum I say the music in the bridge drops down to “just the bass”. Obviously there is also a celeste on that section. Resources No Mixcloud this week due to the number of Righteous Brothers songs. A lot of resources were used for this episode. Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother's Memoir is Bill Medley's autobiography. Always Magic in the Air: The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era by Ken Emerson is a good overview of the Brill Building scene, and I used it for bits about how Mann and Weil wrote their songs. I've referred to two biographies of Spector in this episode, Phil Spector: Out of His Head by Richard Williams and He's a Rebel by Mark Ribkowsky. This two-CD set contains all of the Righteous Brothers recordings excerpted here, all their hits, and a selection of Medley and Hatfield's solo work. It would be an absolutely definitive set, except for the Spector-era tracks being in stereo. There are many compilations available with some of the hits Spector produced, but I recommend getting Back to Mono, a four-CD overview of his career containing all the major singles put out by Philles. Patreon This podcast is brought to you by the generosity of my backers on Patreon. Why not join them? Transcript Today we're going to look at a record that according to BMI is the most-played song of the twentieth century on American radio, and continued to be the most played song for the first two decades of the twenty-first as well, a record that was arguably the artistic highpoint of Phil Spector's career, and certainly the commercial highpoint for everyone involved. We're going to look at "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" by the Righteous Brothers: [Excerpt: The Righteous Brothers, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"] In this episode we're going to take one of our first looks at an American act who owed their success to TV. We've seen these before, of course -- we've talked in passing about Ricky Nelson, and there was an episode on Chubby Checker -- but there have been relatively few. But as we pass into the mid-sixties, and television becomes an even more important part of the culture, we'll see more of this. In 1964, ABC TV had a problem. Two years before, they'd started a prime-time folk TV show called Hootenanny: [Excerpt: Jack Linkletter introducing Hootenanny] That programme was the source of some controversy -- it blacklisted Pete Seeger and a few other Communist folk musicians, and while Seeger himself argued against a boycott, other musicians were enraged, in part because the term Hootenanny had been popularised by Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and other Communist musicians. As a result, several of the top names in the folk scene, like Joan Baez and Ramblin' Jack Elliott, refused to appear on the show. But plenty of performers did appear on the show, usually those at the poppier end of the spectrum, like the New Christie Minstrels: [Excerpt: The New Christie Minstrels, "This Train (live on Hootenanny)"] That lineup of the New Christie Minstrels featured, among others, Barry McGuire, Gene Clark, and Larry Ramos, all of whom we should be seeing in future episodes. But that in itself says something about the programme's problems, because in 1964, the music industry changed drastically. Suddenly, folk music was out, and rock music was in. Half the younger musicians who appeared on Hootenanny -- like those three, but also John Sebastian, John Phillips, Cass Elliot, and others -- all decided they were going to give up singing mass harmony versions of "Go Tell it on the Mountain" accompanied by banjo, and instead they were going to get themselves some electric guitars. And the audience, likewise, decided that they'd rather see the Beatles and the Stones and the Dave Clark Five than the New Christie Minstrels, the Limeliters, and the Chad Mitchell Trio, if that was all the same to the TV companies. And so ABC needed a new prime-time music variety show, and they needed it in a hurry. But there was a problem -- when the music industry is shifting dramatically and all of a sudden it's revolving around a style of music that is based on a whole other continent, what do you do to make a TV show featuring that music? Well, you turn to Jack Good, of course. For those of you who haven't listened to all the earlier episodes, Jack Good had basically invented rock and roll TV, and he'd invented it in the UK, at a time when rock and roll was basically a US-only genre. Good had produced a whole string of shows -- Six-Five Special, Oh Boy!, Boy Meets Girls, and Wham! -- which had created a set of television conventions for the presentation of rock and roll, and had managed to get an audience by using a whole host of British unknowns, with the very occasional guest appearance by a visiting American rocker. In 1962, he'd moved to the US, and had put together a pilot episode of a show called "Young America Swings the World", financed with his own money. That programme had been on the same lines as his UK shows, and had featured a bunch of then-unknowns, like Jackie DeShannon. It had also featured a band led by Leon Russell and containing Glen Campbell and David Gates, none of whom were famous at the time, and a young singer named P.J. Proby, who was introduced to Good by DeShannon and her songwriting partner Sharon Sheeley, whose demos he worked on. We talked a bit about Proby back in the episode on "LSD-25" if you want to go back and listen to the background on that. Sheeley, of course, had known Good when he worked with her boyfriend Eddie Cochran a few years earlier. "Young America Swings the World" didn't sell, and in 1964, Good returned to England to produce a TV special for the Beatles, "Around the Beatles", which also featured Millie singing "My Boy Lollipop", Cilla Black, Sounds Incorporated, the Vernons Girls, and Long John Baldry singing a Muddy Waters song with the Beatles shouting the backing vocals from the audience: [Excerpt: Long John Baldry, "Got My Mojo Working"] The show also featured Proby, who Good had brought over from the US and who here got his first TV exposure, singing a song Rufus Thomas had recorded for Stax: [Excerpt: P.J. Proby, "Walking the Dog"] Around the Beatles obviously sold to the US, and ABC, who bought it, were suddenly interested in Jack Good's old pilot, too. They asked him to produce two more pilots for a show which was eventually named Shindig! Incidentally, I've seen many people, including some on the production staff, say that the first episode of Shindig! was an episode of Ready Steady Go! with the titles changed. It wasn't. The confusion seems to arise because early in Shindig's run, Around the Beatles was also broadcast by ABC, and when Dave Clark later bought the rights to Around The Beatles and Ready Steady Go!, he released a chunk of Around the Beatles on VHS as a Ready Steady Go special, even though it was made by a totally different production team. Good got together with Sharon Sheeley and her husband, the DJ Jimmy O'Neill, and they started collaborating on the pilots for the show, which eventually credited the three of them as co-creators and producers. The second pilot went in a very different direction -- it was a country music programme, hosted by Roy Clark, who would later become a household name for co-hosting Hee-Haw, and featuring Johnny Cash, along with PJ Proby doing a couple of cover versions of old folk songs that Lonnie Donegan had made famous -- "Rock Island Line" and "Cumberland Gap". But for the third pilot, Good, Sheeley, and O'Neill went back to the old Oh Boy! formula -- they got a couple of properly famous big guest stars, in this case Little Richard and the Angels, who had had a number one the previous year with "My Boyfriend's Back", and a rotating cast of about a dozen unknown or little-known musical acts, all local, who they could fill the show with. The show opened with a medley with all or most of the cast participating: [Excerpt: Shindig Pilot 3 Opening Medley] And then each artist would perform individually, surrounded by a dancing audience, with minimal or no introductions, in a quick-paced show that was a revelation to American audiences used to the polite pacing of American Bandstand. For the most part, they performed cover versions -- on that pilot, even the Angels, rather than doing their own recentish number one record, sang a cover version of "Chapel of Love" -- and in a sign of the British influence, the pilot also featured what may be the first ska performance by an American group -- although they seem to think that "the ska" is a dance, rather than ska being a style of music: [Excerpt: the Hollywood All-Stars, "Jamaica Ska", plus Jimmy O'Neill intro] That show featured Delaney Bramlett, who would later go on to become a fairly well-known and important performer, and the Blossoms, who we've talked about previously. Both of those would become regular parts of the Shindig cast, as would Leon Russell, Bobby Sherman, Jackie and Gayle, Donna Loren, and Glen Campbell. That pilot led to the first broadcast episode, where the two main star acts were Sam Cooke, who sang a non-waltz version of "The Tennessee Waltz" and "Blowin' in the Wind", both from his cabaret act, and the Everly Brothers -- who as well as doing their own songs performed with Cooke at the end of the show in a recording which I only wish wasn't so covered with audience screams, though who can blame the audience? [Excerpt: Sam Cooke and the Everly Brothers, "Lucille"] Shindig was the first prime-time pop music show in the US, and became massively popular -- so much so that it quickly spawned a rival show on NBC, Hullabaloo. In a sign of just how much transatlantic back-and-forth there was at this time, and possibly just to annoy future researchers, NBC's Hullabaloo took its name, though nothing else, from a British TV show of the same name. That British TV show was made by ABC, which is not the same company as American ABC, and was a folk and blues show clearly patterned after Hootenanny, the show Shindig had replaced on American ABC. (And as a quick aside, if you're at all interested in the early sixties British folk and blues movements, I can't recommend Network's double-DVD set of the British Hullabaloo highly enough). Shindig! remained on air for two years, but the show's quality declined markedly after Jack Good left the show a year or so in, and it was eventually replaced on ABC's schedules by Batman, which appealed to largely the same audience. But all that was in the future. Getting back to the first broadcast episode, the Everlys also appeared in the opening medley, where they sang an old Sister Rosetta Tharpe song with Jackie and Gayle and another unknown act who had appeared in the pilot -- The Righteous Brothers: [Excerpt: Jackie and Gayle, The Righteous Brothers, and the Everly Brothers, "Gonna Build a Mountain/Up Above My Head"] The Righteous Brothers would appear on nine out of sixteen episodes broadcast between September and December 1964, and a further seventeen episodes during 1965 -- by which time they'd become the big breakout stars of the show, and had recorded the song that would become the most-played song, *ever*, on American radio, beating out such comparatively unpopular contenders as "Never My Love", "Yesterday", "Stand By Me" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You", a record that was played so much that in thirty-six years it had clocked up forty-five years of continuous airtime. The Righteous Brothers were a Californian vocal duo consisting of baritone Bill Medley and tenor Bobby Hatfield. Medley's career in the music business had started when he was nineteen, when he'd just decided to go to the office of the Diamonds, the white vocal group we mentioned in passing in the episode on "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" who much like the Crew Cuts had had hits by covering records by Black artists: [Excerpt: The Diamonds, "Little Darlin'"] Young Bill Medley fancied himself as a songwriter, and he brought the Diamonds a few of his songs, and they ended up recording two of them -- "Chimes of My Heart", which remained unreleased until a later compilation, and "Woomai-Ling", which was the B-side to a flop single: [Excerpt: The Diamonds, "Woomai-Ling"] But Medley was inspired enough by his brief brush with success that he decided to go into music properly. He formed a band called the Paramours, which eventually gained a second singer, Bobby Hatfield, and he and Hatfield also started performing as a duo, mostly performing songs by Black R&B artists they grew up listening to on Hunter Hancock's radio show. While Medley doesn't say this directly in his autobiography, it seems likely that the duo's act was based specifically on one particular Black act -- Don and Dewey. We've mentioned Don and Dewey before, and I did a Patreon episode on them, but for those who don't remember their brief mentions, Don "Sugarcane" Harris and Dewey Terry were an R&B duo signed to Specialty Records, and were basically their second attempt at producing another Little Richard, after Larry Williams. They were even less successful than Williams was, and had no hits themselves, but they wrote and recorded many songs that would become hits for others, like "Farmer John", which became a garage-band staple, and "I'm Leaving it Up to You", which was a hit for Donny and Marie Osmond. While they never had any breakout success, they were hugely popular among R&B lovers on the West Coast, and two of their other singles were "Justine": [Excerpt: Don and Dewey, "Justine"] And "Ko Ko Joe", which was one of their few singles written by someone else -- in this case by Sonny Bono, who was at that time working for Specialty: [Excerpt: Don and Dewey, "Ko Ko Joe"] Hatfield and Medley would record both those songs in their early months working together, and would also perform them on Shindig! The duo were different in many ways -- Medley was tall and Hatfield comparatively short, Medley sang in a deep bass-baritone and Hatfield in a high tenor, and Hatfield was gregarious, outgoing, and funny while Medley was self-effacing and shy. The duo would often perform comedy routines on stage, patterned after Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, and Hatfield was always the comedian while Medley was the straight man. But on the other hand, Hatfield was actually quite uncomfortable with any level of success -- he just wanted to coast through life and had no real ambition, while Medley was fiercely driven and wanted to become huge. But they both loved R&B music, and in many ways had similar attitudes to the British musicians who, unknown to them at the time, were trying to play R&B in the UK. They were white kids who loved Black music, and desperately wanted to do justice to it. Orange County, where Medley and Hatfield lived, was at the time one of the whitest places in America, and they didn't really have much competition on the local scene from authentic R&B bands. But there *was* a Marine base in the area, with a large number of Black Marines, who wanted to hear R&B music when they went out. Medley and Hatfield quickly became very popular with these audiences, who would address them as "brother", and called their music "righteous" -- and so, looking for a name for their duo act, they became The Righteous Brothers. Their first single, on a tiny local label, was a song written by Medley, "Little Latin Lupe Lou": [Excerpt: The Righteous Brothers, "Little Latin Lupe Lou"] That wasn't a success to start with, but picked up after the duo took a gig at the Rendezvous Ballroom, the surf-rock venue where Dick Dale had built his reputation. It turned out that "Little Latin Lupe Lou" was a perfect song to dance the Surfer's Stomp to, and the song caught on locally, making the top five in LA markets, and the top fifty nationally. It became a standard part of every garage band's repertoire, and was covered several times with moderate success, most notably by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, whose cover version made the top twenty in 1966: [Excerpt: Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, "Little Latin Lupe Lou"] The Righteous Brothers became *the* act that musicians in Southern California wanted to see, even though they were very far from being huge -- Elvis, for example, would insist on his friends coming to see the duo when he was in LA filming, even though at the time they were playing at bowling alleys rather than the more glamorous venues his friends would rather visit. Georgie Woods, a Black DJ in Philadelphia who enjoyed their music but normally played Black records coined a term to describe them -- "blue-eyed soul" -- as a way of signalling to his listeners that they were white but he was going to play them anyway. The duo used that as the title of their second album, and it soon became a generic term for white people who were influenced by Black music -- much to Medley's annoyance. As he put it later "It kind of bothers me when other singers call themselves “blue-eyed soul” because we didn't give ourselves that name. Black people named us that, and you don't just walk around giving yourself that title." This will, of course, be something that comes up over and over again in this history -- the question of how much it's cultural appropriation for white people to perform in musical styles created by Black people, and to what extent it's possible for that to be given a pass when the white musicians in question are embraced by Black musicians and audiences. I have to say that *to me*, Medley's attempts to justify the duo's use of Black styles by pointing out how much Black people liked their music don't ring *entirely* true, but that at the same time, I do think there's a qualitative difference between the early Righteous Brothers singles and later blue-eyed soul performers like Michael Bolton or Simply Red, and a difference between a white act embraced by Black audiences and one that is mostly appealing to other white people. This is something we're going to have to explore a lot more over the course of the series, and my statements about what other people thought about this at the time should not be taken as me entirely agreeing with them -- and indeed it shouldn't be taken as me agreeing with *myself*. My own thoughts on this are very contradictory, and change constantly. While "Little Latin Lupe Lou" was a minor hit and established them as locally important, none of their next few singles did anything at all, and nor did a solo single that Bobby Hatfield released around this time: [Excerpt: Bobby Hatfield, "Hot Tamales"] But the duo picked up enough of a following as a live act that they were picked for Shindig! -- and as an opening act on the Beatles' first US tour, which finished the same week that Shindig! started broadcasting. It turned out that even though the duo's records hadn't had any success, the Beatles, who loved to seek out obscure R&B records, had heard them and liked them, and George Harrison was particularly interested in learning from Barry Rillera, the guitarist who played with them, some of the guitar techniques he'd used. Shindig! took the duo to stardom, even though they'd not yet had a hit. They'd appear most weeks, usually backed by a house band that included Delaney Bramlett, James Burton, Russ Titelman, Larry Knechtel, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, Ray Pohlman, Glenn Hardin, and many other of the finest studio musicians in LA -- most, though not all, of them also part of the Wrecking Crew. They remained favourites of people who knew music, even though they were appearing on this teen-pop show -- Elvis would apparently regularly phone the TV company with requests for them to sing a favourite song of his on the next week's show, and the TV company would arrange it, in the hopes of eventually getting Elvis on the show, though he never made an appearance. Medley had a certain level of snobbery towards white pop music, even after being on that Beatles tour, but it started to soften a bit after the duo started to appear on Shindig! and especially after meeting the Beach Boys on Shindig's Christmas episode, which also featured Marvin Gaye and Adam Faith. Medley had been unimpressed with the Beach Boys' early singles, but Brian Wilson was a fan of the Righteous Brothers, and asked Medley to accompany him into the men's toilets at the ABC studios -- not for any of the reasons one might imagine, but because the acoustics in the room were so good that the studio had actually installed a piano in there. There, Wilson asked Medley to listen to his group singing their version of "The Lord's Prayer": [Excerpt: The Beach Boys, "The Lord's Prayer"] Medley was blown away by the group's tight harmonies, and instantly gained a new respect for Wilson as an arranger and musician. The two became lifelong friends, and as they would often work in adjoining rooms in the same studio complex, they would often call on each other to help solve a musical problem. And the reason they would work in the same studios is because Brian Wilson was a huge admirer of Phil Spector, and those were the studios Spector used, so Wilson had to use them as well. And Phil Spector had just leased the last two years of the Righteous Brothers' contract from Moonglow Records, the tiny label they'd been on to that point. Spector, at this point, was desperate to try something different -- the new wave of British acts that had come over were swamping the charts, and he wasn't having hits like he had been a few months earlier. The Righteous Brothers were his attempt to compromise somewhat with that -- they were associated with the Beatles, after all, and they were big TV stars. They were white men, like all the new pop stars, rather than being the Black women he'd otherwise always produced for his own label, but they had a Black enough sound that he wasn't completely moving away from the vocal sound he'd always used. Medley, in particular, was uneasy about working with Spector -- he wanted to be an R&B singer, not a pop star. But on the other hand, Spector made hits, and who didn't want a hit? For the duo's first single on Philles, Spector flew Mann and Weil out from New York to LA to work with him on the song. Mann and Weil took their inspiration from a new hit record that Holland-Dozier-Holland had produced for a group that had recently signed to Motown, the Four Tops: [Excerpt: The Four Tops, "Baby I Need Your Loving"] Mann and Weil took that feeling, and came up with a verse and chorus, with a great opening line, "You never close your eyes any more when I kiss your lips". They weren't entirely happy with the chorus lyric though, considering it a placeholder that they needed to rewrite. But when they played it for Spector, he insisted that "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" was a perfect title, and shouldn't be changed. Spector added a long bridge, based around a three-chord riff using the "La Bamba" chords, and the song was done. Spector spent an inordinate amount of time getting the backing track done -- Earl Palmer has said that he took two days to get one eight-bar section recorded, because he couldn't communicate exactly how he wanted the musicians to play it. This is possibly partly because Spector's usual arranger, Jack Nitzsche, had had a temporary falling out with him, and Spector was working with Gene Page, who did a very good job at copying Nitzsche's style but was possibly not as completely in tune with Spector's wishes. When Spector and Mann played the song to the Righteous Brothers, Bill Medley thought that the song, sung in Spector and Mann's wispy high voices, sounded more suitable for the Everly Brothers than for him and Hatfield, but Spector insisted it would work. Of course, it's now impossible to think of the song without hearing Medley's rich, deep, voice: [Excerpt: The Righteous Brothers, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"] When Mann first heard that, he thought Spector must have put the record on at the wrong speed, Medley's voice was so deep. Bobby Hatfield was also unimpressed -- the Righteous Brothers were a duo, yet Medley was singing the verses on his own. "What am I supposed to do while the big guy's singing?" he asked. Spector's response, "go to the bank!" But while Medley is the featured singer during Mann and Weil's part of the song, Hatfield gets his own chance to shine, in the bridge that Spector added, which for me makes the record -- it's one of the great examples of the use of dynamics in a pop record, as after the bombast of the chorus the music drops down to just a bass, then slowly builds in emotional intensity as Medley and Hatfield trade off phrases: [Excerpt: The Righteous Brothers, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"] The record was released in December 1964, and even though the Righteous Brothers didn't even perform it on Shindig! until it had already risen up the charts, it made number one on the pop charts and number two on the R&B charts, and became the fifth biggest hit of 1965 in the US. In the UK, it looked like it wasn't going to be a hit at all. Cilla Black, a Liverpudlian singer who was managed by Brian Epstein and produced by George Martin, rushed out a cover version, which charted first: [Excerpt: Cilla Black, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"] On their second week on the charts, Black was at number twelve, and the Righteous Brothers at number twenty. At this point, Andrew Oldham, the Rolling Stones' manager and a huge fan of Spector's work, actually took out an ad in Melody Maker, even though he had no financial interest in the record (though it could be argued that he did have an interest in seeing his rival Brian Epstein taken down a peg), saying: "This advert is not for commercial gain, it is taken as something that must be said about the great new PHIL SPECTOR Record, THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS singing ‘YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELING'. Already in the American Top Ten, this is Spector's greatest production, the last word in Tomorrow's sound Today, exposing the overall mediocrity of the Music Industry. Signed Andrew Oldham P.S. See them on this week's READY, STEADY, GO!" The next week, Cilla Black was at number two, and the Righteous Brothers at number three. The week after, the Righteous Brothers were at number one, while Black's record had dropped down to number five. The original became the only single ever to reenter the UK top ten twice, going back into the charts in both 1969 and 1990. But Spector wasn't happy, at all, with the record's success, for the simple reason that it was being credited as a Righteous Brothers record rather than as a Phil Spector record. Where normally he worked with Black women, who were so disregarded as artists that he could put records by the Ronettes or the Blossoms out as Crystals records and nobody seemed to care, here he was working with two white men, and they were starting to get some of the credit that Spector thought was due only him. Spector started to manipulate the two men. He started with Medley, who after all had been the lead singer on their big hit. He met up with Medley, and told him that he thought Bobby Hatfield was dead weight. Who needed a second Righteous Brother? Bill Medley should go solo, and Spector should produce him as a solo artist. Medley realised what was happening -- the Righteous Brothers were a brand, and Spector was trying to sabotage that brand. He turned Spector down. The next single was originally intended to be a song that Mann and Weil were working on, called "Soul and Inspiration", but Spector had second thoughts, and the song he chose was written by Goffin and King, and was essentially a rewrite of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". To my mind it's actually the better record, but it wasn't as successful, though it still made the US top ten: [Excerpt: The Righteous Brothers, "Just Once in My Life"] For their third Philles single, Spector released "Hung on You", another intense ballad, very much in the mould of their two previous singles, though not as strong a song as either. But it was the B-side that was the hit. While Spector produced the group's singles, he wasn't interested in producing albums, leaving Medley, a decent producer in his own right, to produce what Spector considered the filler tracks. And Medley and Hatfield had an agreement that on each album, each of them would get a solo spot. So for Hatfield's solo spot on the first album the duo were recording for Philles, Medley produced Hatfield singing the old standard "Unchained Melody", while Medley played piano: [Excerpt: The Righteous Brothers, "Unchained Melody"] That went out on the B-side, with no production credit -- until DJs started playing that rather than "Hung on You". Spector was furious, and started calling DJs and telling them they were playing the wrong side, but they didn't stop playing it, and so the single was reissued, now with a Spector production credit for Medley's production. "Unchained Melody" made the top five, and now Spector continued his plans to foment dissent between the two singers. This time he argued that they should follow up "Unchained Melody" with "Ebb Tide" -- "Unchained Melody" had previously been a hit for both Roy Hamilton and Al Hibbler, and they'd both also had hits with "Ebb Tide", so why not try that? Oh, and the record was only going to have Bobby Hatfield on. It would still be released as a Righteous Brothers record, but Bill Medley wouldn't be involved. That was also a hit, but it would be the last one the duo would have with Philles Records, as they moved to Mercury and Medley started producing all their records. But the damage had been done -- Spector had successfully pit their egos against each other, and their working relationship would never be the same. But they started at Mercury with their second-biggest hit -- "Soul and Inspiration", the song that Mann and Weil had written as a follow-up to "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'": [Excerpt: The Righteous Brothers, "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration"] That went to number one, and apparently to this day Brian Wilson will still ask Bill Medley whenever they speak "Did you produce that? Really?", unable to believe it isn't a Phil Spector production. But the duo had been pushed apart. and were no longer happy working together. They were also experiencing personal problems -- I don't have details of Hatfield's life at this period, but Medley had a breakdown, and was also having an affair with Darlene Love which led to the breakup of his first marriage. The duo broke up in 1968, and Medley put out some unsuccessful solo recordings, including a song that Mann and Weil wrote for him about his interracial relationship with Love, who sang backing vocals on the record. It's a truly odd record which possibly says more about the gender and racial attitudes of everyone involved at that point than they might have wished, as Medley complains that his "brown-eyed woman" doesn't trust him because "you look at me and all you see are my blue eyes/I'm not a man, baby all I am is what I symbolise", while the chorus of Black women backing him sing "no no, no no" and "stay away": [Excerpt: Bill Medley, "Brown-Eyed Woman"] Hatfield, meanwhile, continued using the Righteous Brothers name, performing with Jimmy Walker, formerly the drummer of the Knickerbockers, who had been one-hit wonders with their Beatles soundalike "Lies": [Excerpt: The Knickerbockers, "Lies"] Walker and Hatfield recorded one album together, but it was unsuccessful, and they split up. Hatfield also tried a solo career -- his version of "Only You" is clearly patterned after the earlier Righteous Brothers hits with "Unchained Melody" and "Ebb Tide": [Excerpt: Bobby Hatfield, "Only You"] But by 1974, both careers floundering, the Righteous Brothers reformed -- and immediately had a hit with "Rock and Roll Heaven", a tribute to dead rock stars, which became their third highest-charting single, peaking at number three. They had a couple more charting singles, but then, tragically, Medley's first wife was murdered, and Medley had to take several years off performing to raise his son. They reunited in the 1980s, although Medley kept up a parallel career as a solo artist, having several minor country hits, and also having a pop number one with the theme song from Dirty Dancing, "I've Had the Time of My Life", sung as a duet with Jennifer Warnes: [Excerpt: Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, "I've Had the Time of My Life"] A couple of years later, another Patrick Swayze film, Ghost, would lead to another unique record for the Righteous Brothers. Ghost used "Unchained Melody" in a crucial scene, and the single was reissued, and made number nineteen in the US charts, and hit number one in many other countries. It also sparked a revival of their career that made "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" rechart in the UK. But "Unchained Melody" was only reissued on vinyl, and the small label Curb Records saw an opportunity, and got the duo to do a soundalike rerecording to come out as a CD single. That CD single *also* made the top twenty, making the Righteous Brothers the only artist ever to be at two places in the top twenty at the same time with two versions of the same song -- when Gene and Eunice's two versions of "Ko Ko Mo" had charted, they'd been counted as one record for chart purposes. The duo continued working together until 2003, when Bobby Hatfield died of a cocaine-induced heart attack. Medley performed as a solo artist for several years, but in 2016 he took on a partner, Bucky Heard, to perform with him as a new lineup of Righteous Brothers, mostly playing Vegas shows. We'll see a lot more blue-eyed soul artists as the story progresses, and we'll be able to look more closely at the issues around race and appropriation with them, but in 1965, unlike all the brown-eyed women like Darlene Love who'd come before them, the Righteous Brothers did become the first act to break free of Phil Spector and have hits without him -- though we will later see at least one Black woman Spector produced who became even bigger later. But still, they'll always be remembered primarily for the work they did with Spector, and somewhere, right now, at least one radio station is still playing "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", and it'll probably continue to do so as long as radio exists.
"You never give me your money, you only give me your funny paper And in the middle of negotiations, you break down One sweet dream, pick up the bags and get in the limousine Soon we'll be away from here, step on the gas and wipe that tear away. One sweet dream came true today Came true today” Please join me for a sweet dream of music. On tap is David Bowie, Linda Ronstadt, ELO, Moody Blues, Tears For Fears, Wilson Pickett, Ben Folds, Genesis, Billy Joel, America, Bette Midler, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, Little Feat, Van Morrison, Savoy Brown, The Who, Steve Miller Band, Steely Dan, Byrds, Flying Lizards, Buffalo Springfield and The Beatles…
The 44th president has been cast. Plus, what inspired Kelly Clarkson to write nearly 60 songs. And, which '60s soul singer was backed-up by his band, The Detroit Wheels?
Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode discussing Craig's hope for a modern-day Richard Nixon (???) to save Florida from the disastrous M-CORES project, better known as the "Roads to Ruin." He explains the connection.Chadd highlights a project working to secure American Beach's historic character and how you can help.This week's guest is Neal Thompson, author of "Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR." Neal talks about Bill France, how France organized NASCAR in Daytona Beach in 1947 from its bootlegging roots, and how it's evolved since then."Welcome to Florida" is sponsored by Hipcamp which needs your help welcoming guests to our state. If you are a landowner in Florida, Hipcamp can put extra money in your pocket while using your land to host visitors. Hipcamp features simple plots of land, developed cabins, and everything in between. No matter what you have, you’re ready to get started today. Host when you want, get paid every week, and Hipcamp takes care of all the details, including insurance. Learn more today by visiting Hipcamp.com/land.
To honor the great Tim Bogert, we present to you the Cactus Family Al-bum. We'll talk a bit about Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels & the follow-up Detroit, Vanilla Fudge, Amboy Dukes, Beck Bogert Appice, & The Rockets. Great music & great stories. Check it out!
Greetings: The Captain here. Join Bobby as we continue our music journey on Beyond The Stars, episode six / part two of underrated groups. Bobby talks about several groups including Creation, a group that weren't together very long. They had a tune called Painter Man. Group number two is a band formed in LA, called Spirit. A different kind of band for the period. A blend of Jazz and Rock with unique arrangements. They had a radio airplay tune called I got a line on you. Underrated group number three is Cactus, this lineup included Tim Bogart, Rusty Day, Carmine Appice and Jim McCarty, formerly with Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels. Group number four on the list is a band from Liverpool called The Searchers. They had early success in 1963 with a single called Needles and Pins, written by Sonny Bono. Followed with another hit, Love Potion Number Nine. Bobby talks about his hearing them at a show with The Zombies. Underrated group number five is Captain Beyond. Formed in LA, with Rod Evans of Deep Purple, Larry “Rhino” Reinhardt and former Iron Butterfly bassist Lee Dorman. Bobby talks about their signing to Capricorn Records, gigs, touring and more. The final group, an English band called Trapeze, formed in 1969. Bobby talks about album number two, You Are The Music. Bobby reflects on his impressions of them when they opened for Captain Beyond. Finally, Bobby talks about group number seven on his list, King Crimson. Founded by the Giles Brothers in 1967, then teamed up with Robert Fripp. More inside reflections by Bobby when Captain Beyond and Crimson performed together on concert dates. In conclusion “Captains Corner” where Bobby answers your questions. Finally, a hint at future episodes, including the history and music from the period known as The British Invasion. Stay Tuned.
The Danny Lane Music Museum is an institution that conserves a collection of artifacts and other objects of musical and historical importance. Ordinary museums make these items available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. The Danny Lane Music Museum is for listening and remembering the great rock & roll music of the past. There are many large museums located in major cities throughout the world, while thousands of local museums exist in smaller cities, towns, and rural areas. This museum is a global effort. We are available around the world and at any time you want. Ordinary museums have varying aims, ranging from serving researchers and specialists to serving the general public. We serve the world. Enjoy - - - - Join the conversation on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008232395712 or by email at dannymemorylane@gmail.com - - - - You’ll hear: 1) Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me Of You) by Nino & The Ebb Tides (1961) 2) Jenny Take A Ride! by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels (1965) 3) The Wanderer by Dion (1962) 4) The Locomotion by Little Eva (1962) 5) Nag by The Halos (1961) 6) Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home) by The Impalas (1959) 7) I Understand (Just How You Feel) by The G-Clefs (1961) 8) La Bamba by Ritchie Valens (1958) 9) You Don't Know What You've Got (Until You Lose It) by Ral Donner (1961) 10) Pretty Girls Everywhere by Eugene Church & The Fellows (1958) 11) Barbara-Ann by The Regents (1961) 12) Dance by the Light of the Moon by The Olympics (1961) 13) Hey Paula by Paul & Paula (1963) 14) My True Story by The Jive Five (w/ Eugene Pitt) (1961) 15) Little Latin Lupe Lu by The Righteous Brothers (1962) 16) Cry to Me by Solomon Burke (1962) 17) Air Travel by Ray & Bob (1962) 18) Rock 'n' Roll Music by Chuck Berry (1957) 19) She's Got You by Patsy Cline (1961) 20) I Like It Like That by The Dave Clark Five (1965) 21) Guess Who by Jesse Belvin (1959) 22) Let Me In by The Sensations (1962) 23) Willie And The Hand Jive by The Johnny Otis Show (1958) 24) Tired Of Waiting For You by The Kinks (1965) 25) Summertime, Summertime by The Jamies (1958) 26) Bongo Rock by Preston Epps (1959) 27) Bye Bye Johnny by The Rolling Stones (1964) 28) Shout (Parts 1 & 2) by The Isley Brothers (1959) 29) Travelin' Man by Ricky Nelson (1961) 30) Let's Have A Party by Wanda Jackson (1959) 31) Hey Little One by Dorsey Burnette (1960) 32) We Got Love by Bobby Rydell (1959) 33) Roll Over Beethoven by The Beatles (1964) 34) Love Hurts by The Everly Brothers (1960) 35) Over and Over by Bobby Day (1958) 36) She Belongs to Me by Bob Dylan (1965) 37) This Time by Troy Shondell (1961) 38) Beechwood 4-5789 by The Marvelettes (1962) 39) A Summer Song by Chad & Jeremy (1964) 40) You Cheated by The Shields (1958) 41) Girls On The Beach by The Beach Boys (1965) 42) Tiger by Fabian (1959) 43) The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) by The Tokens (1961) 44) The Joker (That's what they call me) by Billy Myles (1957) 45) All In My Mind by Maxine Brown (1961) 46) Little Sister by Elvis Presley (1961) 47) Goodnight My Love (Pleasant Dreams) by Ray Peterson (1959) 48) Last Night by The Mar-Keys (1961)
In a very special episode of The What Podcast, Brad and Barry sit down with rock-and-roll and blues legend Mitch Ryder. Not only has Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels played Itchycoo, he was the last person to perform with Otis Redding. Intro Music: "Devil with a Blue Dress On" By Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels
RATB:n Sami Ruokangas ja Pauli Kauppila tuovat kahvipöytäänsä kumpikin kaksi kiinnostavaa cover-versiota: Led Zeppelin: Bring It On Home, Cactus: Evil, Janis Joplin: Ball and Chain ja The Who: Young Man Blues. Jutuissa mukaan putkahtelevat myös Sonny Boy Williamson, Willie Dixon, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, The Yardbirds, Rolling Stones, Big Bill Broonzy, Earl Hooker, Vanilla Fudge, Tim Bogert, Carmine Appice, John Bonham, Monster Magnet, The Dead Daisies, Jim McCarty, KISS, Ace Frehley, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, Fred Astaire, Rod Stewart, Dio, Vinny Appice, Black Sabbath, Derringer, Vivian Campbell, Big Mama Thornton, Robert Plant, Mose Allison, John Mayall, Aerosmith, Tom Waits, Lemmy, Keith Moon, Mike Portnoy, Dream Theater, Joe Bonamassa, Foo Fighters, Roger Daltrey, Rabbit Bundrick, Pino Palladino, Free, Mick Green ja Pete Townshend. Jakson soittolista: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4L29yL1N5JoXElK9lleNtW?si=vTJ9IYhmRTeMZUUazhybNw
It's an ALL-DRUMMER-EDITION of the “It's Only Rock And Roll PODCAST”, with longtime member of Billy Joel's recording and touring band Liberty DeVitto discussing his professional journey, starting with Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, to his thirty years with The Piano Man, and now as an author with his best selling autobiography “Liberty: Life, Billy and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Also, drummers Don DiMuccio and co-host Mike Labelle discuss....well... drums and the drummers who made them wanna drum! Visit the 'It's Only Rock And Roll PODCAST' online at: ° Homepage – www.ItsOnlyRockAndRollPodcast.com ° Facebook - facebook.com/ItsOnlyRockAndRollPodcast/ © 2020 Howlaround Productions. All rights reserved.
I don't want much. I just want a little bit. Written by Rosco N. Gordon III in 1959. "Just a Little Bit" was developed when Gordon was touring with West Coast blues artist Jimmy McCracklin. According to Gordon, McCracklin started to write the song and agreed that Gordon could finish it, with both of them sharing the credit. Gordon later presented a demo version to Ralph Bass at King Records, who was reportedly uninterested in the song. Gordon then approached Calvin Carter at Vee-Jay Records, who agreed to record it. Meanwhile, Federal Records, a King Records subsidiary, released a version of "Just a Little Bit" by R&B singer Tiny Topsy (1959 Federal 45-12357), with songwriting credit given to Ralph Bass and several others unknown to Gordon. The Tiny Topsy song, featuring a pop-style arrangement with background singers and flute, did not reach the record charts. Elvis Presley (1973) Animals (1977) Freddie King (1973) Jerry Lee Lewis (1973) Etta James (1968) Dave Berry (1964) Liverpool Five (1966) Gene Simmons (1964) Magic Sam Blues Band (1969) Mitch Ryder and the The Detroit Wheels (1966) Rory Gallagher (1975) Rosco Gordon (1959) The original. I find this version has a swing to it that the others don't possess. As if they took the part that didn't swing and emphasized THAT because it was just easier. Roy Head (1965) Slade (1974) I like Slade, but this is the worst version here. The Undertakers (1964) Them (1965) Also a pretty bad version. Tiny Topsy (1959) Note the additional composers. Tony Worsley and the Blue Jays (1965) Homer & Jethro - Gonna Send 'Em Home (1964) Nobody sent anybody home. Janis Joplin - Half Moon (1969) Written by John and Joanna Hall. How exciting it must have been! John Hall - Voyagers (1978) With James Taylor and Carly Simon on backing vocals. With all that star power, how could this fail? Didn't even reach the top 200. John Hall - Nu Toone (1970) John Hall Band - Crazy (1982) Kangaroo - I Never Tell Me Twice (1968) John Hall's band before Orleans. La Bionda - I Wanna Be Your Lover (1980) JUST TAKE MY MONEY!!! Orleans - Please Be There (1973) John Hall - Power (1979) More Carly and JT. No sales, but it must have been nice to have your song sung at the No Nukes thingie. Stevie Wonder - As (1976) Genesis - Behind The Lines/Duchess (1980) I distinctly remember the Duke tour booklet saying to "expect some surprises". Selling out was a surprise, I admit.
Another honor for Garth Brooks. Plus, what Jon Bon Jovi is calling Prince Harry. And, which sixties soul singer was backed-up by his band The Detroit Wheels?
Lots of music was coming out of Detroit in the 60's, and one of the high energy groups coming out of the Michigan rock scene was Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels. The group had crossover appeal with a little soul, a little funk, and a lot of energy. Breakout...!!! was their second album, and was indeed a breakout for this Motor City band.Mitch Ryder (stage name for William Sherille Levise, Jr ) was originally a backup singer with a soul band, but racial animosities forced the white Mitch Ryder to move on. Much of the music done by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels was cover songs.The group was legendary for their onstage presence and intensity. Breakout...!!! was an album compiled and released only after the songs had been released as singles. Walking the DogThis song is a cover performed by Rufus Thomas, and was done by many groups."Ooh Poo Pah Doo"If you get the image of a toga party when listening to this music, you're not alone! This song was originally written and performed by Jessie Hill, and was a hit for Hill in 1960. You get a sense for Ryder's vocal chops on this one.Little Latin Lupa LuThis Righteous Brothers cover was mentioned in the film “Hi Fidelity.” The sound of a revved up R&B permeates all of the rock genre.Devil With A Blue Dress OnOne of the more famous Ryder songs, this was first recorded by Shorty Long in 1964, but Ryder's version would pick up the tempo, and proved more popular than the original.ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:Theme from the television series “Star Trek”This long-standing staple of the science fiction genre got its start in 1966, and the original series would run for (only!) 3 years.STAFF PICKS:“Working In The Coal Mine” by Lee DorseyRob presents a song written by producer Allen Toussaint, and recorded by New Orleans native Lee Dorsey. Dorsey was in boxing and auto repair before becoming a singer. You may be more familiar with the Devo version of this cover recorded in 1981.“Sunshine Superman” by DonovanBruce features the title track from Donovan's third album. This would be his breakthrough song. John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page were in this band, and would go on to fame in Led Zeppelin. ...“Superman or Green Lantern ain't got a-nothin' on me.”“Who Do You Think You Are?” by The ShindogsBrian's staff pick features the harmonies of LA-based Shindogs, who were formed as the house band for the ABC television show “The Shindigs.” They remained with the show until it's cancellation in 1965, and continued on until shortly after this song was released.“I'll Keep Holding On” by The ActionWayne's staff pick was a mod group, playing soul-influenced pop music in London. They had no hits, but were a warm-up band for The Who, and were known as a great live band. This song was originally recorded by a Motown group called The Marvelettes.INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:“Wade in the Water” by Ramsey Lewis TrioWe finish off this week with a horn-based instrumental gospel song on the charts at the time.
Motown misses by failing to recognize the R&B potential of a song. I know, I don't get it either. Devil With A Blue Dress, originally by Shorty Long, covered by Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, and by The Cramps. Outro music is Good Golly Miss Molly by Little Richard.
Herman's Hermits [00:30] "I Can Take or Leave Your Loving" MGM Records K 13885 Reached number 22 on the US charts. Bobby Darin [03:02] "Mack the Knife" ATCO Records 45-6147 1959 Bobby Darin's number one smash hit interpretation of the Berthold Brecht/Kurt Weill classic. The Fabulous Echoes [06:07] "Please Leave Her to Me" Liberty Records 55755 1964 Hong Kong garage rockers who would eventually become part of Don Ho's circle of musicians. Victor Lundberg [08:24] "Open Letter to My Teenage Son" Liberty Records 55996 1967 Phew... that may be the longest 4 minutes and 23 seconds of my life. Oh those rascally teenagers. This spent exactly 6 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100, peaking out at number 10. Vic Dana [14:05] "Lovey Kravezit" Dolton Records No. 317 1966 Definitely a new one by me. Evidently inspired by a character from the C-grade James Bond cash-in The Silencers featuring Dean Martin as Matt Helm. The character in question is portrayed by Beverly Adams, who also appeared in two other Matt Helm vehicles, as well as How to Stuff a Wild Bikini as the object of Eric Von Zipper's affections and the Bewitched episode "George the Warlock" as Dora "D. D." Danger O'Riley The Buckinghams [16:32] "Kind of a Drag" U.S.A. Records TM 1783 1966 A number one hit on the Hot 100 for this Chicago band. Wayne Fontana [18:37] "Pamela, Pamela" MGM Records K 13661 1966 So this is what Wayne gets up to without the Mindbenders. Who kissed whom in the woods? Dude, you're totally crossing pop culture references. Irma Thomas [20:48] "Some Things You Never Get Used To" Imperial Records 66095 1965 A mighty fine single from the Soul Queen of New Orleans. Somehow this Van McCoy single never gained any traction on the charts. However it did become a big hit on the Northern Soul scene. Ed Ames [25:01] "My Cup Runneth Over" RCA Victor 47-9002 1967 A number one hit on... the Adult Contemporary charts in 1967 from one of the Ames Brothers and frequent portrayer of Native Americans on television. Three Dog Night [27:45] "Joy to the World" Dunhill/ABC Records 45-4272 Three Dog Night bringin us their 1971 smash hit. Penned by Hoyt Axton, this easily made it to the number spot on the Hot 100. Jimmy Holiday [31:08] "Baby I Love You" Minit MIN 32002 1966 Some quality soul from who helped compose "Put a Little Love in Your Heart". This single reached number 98 on the Hot 100 and number 21 on the R&B charts. Brewer and Shipley [33:43] "One Toke Over the Line" Kama Sutra KA-516 1970 Yeah, somehow this one made it to number 10 on the Hot 100 despite Spiro Agnew's protestations. And produced by Occidental, California resident Nick Gravenites. The Osmonds [38:13] "One Bad Apple" MGM Records K 14193 1970 If this number one gold record sounds like The Jackson 5, well that's because it was written by papa George Jackson. Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels [41:02] "Devil with a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly" New Voice Records 817 1967 This uptempo version of Shorty Long's "Devil..." reached number 4 on the hot 100, the most successful outing. King Harvest [44:19] "Dancing in the Moonlight" Percecption Records P 515 1972 Zut alors, a little number from a Paris-based band King Harvest. This made it up to number 13 on the Hot 100. The 5th Dimension [47:18] "Save the Country" Bell Records B 895 1970 The most succesful recording of this Laura Nyro tune, reaching as far as number 27 on the Hot 100. Music behind the DJ: "Mack the Knife" by Dick Hyman
When the World Football League launched its inaugural season in 1974, all of the leagues 12 teams had very high hopes. But one team in particular thought it was going to do much better than it did – the Detroit Wheels. But, in reality, this team never stood a chance. After all, how can team expect to succeed when it’s operated with a pay-as-you-go mentality? The Wheels had 33 owners and none of them stepped forward to become the face of the team and actually run the franchise. Sure, the Wheels had a team president, general manager and a head coach. But none of them had a budget to run the franchise. The team president and general manager couldn’t sign any players while they sat idly by watching other WFL teams sign players. The team couldn’t find a place to play in Detroit, so it had to turn to Ypsilanti and Eastern Michigan University for a home. Fans didn’t show up. In fact, much to the embarrassment of the team, they thought they were going to sell out games, so they brought in auxiliary stands and at one particular game just one person could be seen sitting in one of the auxiliary stands. Not good. The coach didn’t have any professional coaching experience and that led to some very poor in-game decisions. Worse, the Wheels won just one of their first 14 games, and then they ceased operations with six games still to play! Truly an after thought, the WFL rushed the team into the field, and it probably should have waited until the league’s second season before launching in Detroit. Doomed from the beginning, the Detroit Wheels were, perhaps, the most poorly run franchise in the history of sports. Mark Speck who has written several papers, articles and books about the WFL and its teams including, “Nothing But A Brand New Set of Flat Tires,” visits Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for an in-depth discussion about this ill-fated franchise. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes
All Roads Lead to Brennan. With SpyGate on the verge of blowing sky high, Maria Bartiromo goes on the warpath -- pointing directly at former CIA chief John Brennan as the "mastermind" of it all. From the spying to the attempted coup. Lindsey Graham says he suspects the CIA as prime mover, as does reporter John Solomon, fresh from his interview with Joseph Mifsud's lawyer. Perilously close to proof that Mifsud was a Western asset, not Russian, as falsely claimed by Comey & Mueller. AG Barr & John Durham bearing down hard on The Origins. IG Horowitz report getting longer. Stefan Halper forced to admit his spook credentials. Bruce & Nellie Ohr approaching indictment territory. The latest SpyGate analysis from Tom Fitton and Sara Carter. Wondering how far The Perps will push this country? Will they ever tap the brakes on their own malfeasance? Before the next Civil War perhaps? These are extremely dangerous people. Luckily, the good guys are winning. Onward. Devil with a Blue Dress. Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy. Toy Story 4 and Keanu Reeves. Riding the Glory Train. With Listener Calls & Music via Chris Stapleton, 10cc, The Alexandrov Ensemble and Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels. Sacred Song from Ricky Nelson. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Manager of the Amazon Literary Partnership Interview starts at 15:41 and ends at 52:45 “I feel strongly that everyone has a story, and everyone deserves to have the opportunity to tell their story. The rest of us don't have an obligation to buy that story, but if it's out in the world and there's a way for people to find it, that's doing good work.” News “What exactly is the point of Amazon's Treasure Truck?” by Kaitlyn Tiffany at Vox - May 28, 2019 “Amazon to Joe Biden: We pay all the taxes we owe” at by Lydia DePillis at CNN Business - June 13, 2019 Interview with Neal Thompson Amazon Literary Partnership 2019 “Amazon Literary Partnership Announces 2019 Grant Recipients” - press release May 20, 2019 Examples of organizations receiving support from Amazon Literary Partnership: Words Without Borders, Pen America World Voices Festival and Best Translated Book Awards, Asian American Writers' Workshop, Cave Canem, Kundiman, Black Mountain Institute (creator of the City of Asylum program), Young Writers Project, Transit Books, Hurston/Wright Foundation Amazon Literary Partnership web site Academy of American Poets (creator of the Poem-a-Day skill for Alexa) Hugo House Community of Literary Magazines and Presses National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Literature programs Books by Neal Thompson: Kickflip Boys: A Memoir of Freedom, Rebellion, and the Chaos of Fatherhood, A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!” Ripley Light This Candle: The Life and Times of Alan Shephard, and Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR Books recommended by Neal Thompson: Working by Robert A. Caro, The Library Book by Susan Orlean, The Nickel Boys: A Novel by Colson Whitehead (available for preorder with delivery July 16, 2019), and Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon Next Week's Guest Noah, a co-founder of N2Kindle Please check out my latest video review, “How to Choose a Kindle.” Music for my podcast is from an original Thelonius Monk composition named "Well, You Needn't." This version is "Ra-Monk" by Eval Manigat on the "Variations in Time: A Jazz Perspective" CD by Public Transit Recording" CD. Please Join the Kindle Chronicles group at Goodreads! Right-click here and then click "Save Link As..." to download the audio to your computer, phone, or MP3 player.
David Allan Coe [00:22] a side: "The Ride" b side: "Son of a Rebel Son" Columbia Records 38-03778 1983 A fine if slightly goofy ghost song on the a-side. The b-side, well... interesting definition of freedom there, but perhaps my perspective as a son of a son of a Yankee son is different. Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs [06:44] a side: "Ring Dang Doo" b side: "Don't Try It" MGM Records K13397 1965 Some mighty fine Tex Mex (https://youtu.be/8JLhj9NFu48). Cymarron [12:11] a side: "Rings" b side: "Like Children" Entrance Records ZS7 7500 1971 This is the first single on Columbia's Entrance label, a short-lived country rock label. The Standells [18:59] a side: "Riot on the Sunset Strip" b side: "Black Hearted Woman" Tower Records 314 1967 Heck yeah. If you're the sort who enjoys American International Pictures exploitation flicks from the 60s, check out the film of the same name (https://youtu.be/Z32goIG0axU). The riots are also mentioned in The Source Family documentary. Rush & Attack [25:11] a side: "Road Rash/Every Night/About Me" b side: "Bike/Dreams/Black Smoke" Three Ring Records TRR079 2013 Truly the best 6 minutes of your day. The Gants [31:06] a side: "Road Runner" b side: "My Baby Don't Care" Liberty Records 55829 1965 Meep meep. A fine cover, but Bo knows (https://youtu.be/9Hy6EiiNUmA) best. Detroit with Mitch Ryder [36:28] a side: "Rock 'N Roll" b side: "Box of Old Roses" Paramount Records PAA-0133 1971 A cownbell rocker from fka The Detroit Wheels, featuring the guitar work of Steve Hunter who would go on to play with Lou Reed and whose hot licks can be heard on Reed's Rock and Roll Animal. The Clash [42:57] a side: "Rock the Casbah" b side: "Long Time Jerk" Epic Records 34-03245 1982 The ubiquitous sound of popular music tastes in American changing. Music behind the DJ: "Caravan" by Thelonius Monk.
In a league uniquely rich in comic misadventures and financial disasters, perhaps no one franchise from the World Football League’s inaugural 1974 season stood out more for its own brand of woeful ineptitude than the Detroit Wheels. Saddled from inception by an unwieldy ownership group of 33 different founding investors – including Motown Records superstar Marvin Gaye and Little Caesar’s Pizza founder (and budding Detroit pro sports patron) Mike Illitch – the Wheels’ front office featured neither cohesive management nor adequate funding to cover even the most basic of operating expenses, let alone a realistic budget from which to field a competitive team. Unwilling to spend more than $10,000 per player, management unwittingly took the club out of contention for most of the NFL and CFL veterans flocking to other WFL franchises, while securing only three signings from its 33 picks in the league's college draft. In pre-season desperation, the Wheels even advertised an open tryout that drew over 600 hopefuls, yet produced none good enough to make the roster. As training camp progressed at Eastern Michigan University, one owner even suggested that the team move the players into tents in a nearby public park to help cut costs. Worse still, the Wheels couldn’t secure a lease at either Detroit’s downtown Tiger Stadium or Ann Arbor’s (University of) Michigan Stadium – having to settle instead for Eastern Michigan’s Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, 35 miles and full hour’s drive outside of the city. Unsurprisingly, the team averaged just 11,264 fans across five-ever home games, save for a relocated sixth match played in even further-distant London, Ontario, Canada before an assemblage of barely 5,000. Not that there was much to cheer for anyway. The Wheels lost their first ten games of the season, winning only once (a 15-14 away squeaker at the then-league-leading Florida Blazers in Orlando on September 11, 1974), before dropping their next three to fall to a WFL-worst 1-13 record. By October 10th, creditors and the league had had enough, and the Wheels folded into oblivion – six games short of completing their first and only season. WFL researcher Mark Speck (Nothing but a Brand-New Set of Flat Tires: The Sad, Sorry Saga of the 1974 Detroit Wheels of the World Football League) returns to the show to fill in the rest of the details! Be sure to visit our sponsors OldSchoolShirts.com, Streaker Sports, SportsHistoryCollectibles.com, and 503 Sports for great World Football League garb and gear!
Our Sunday edition of Whole 'Nuther Thing features tuneage from (not in order of appearance) Les Dudek, Humble Pie, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Little Richard, Elvin Bishop, Lenny Kravitz, Paul Simon, Jeff Buckley, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Jeff Beck, Deep Purple, Ian Hunter, Moody Blues, Joe Walsh, Elton John, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels and King Crimson. Plus a musical tribute to John Lennon...
This episode is about the importance of place; where you grew up, and what music had an impact on your identity. (Note: Some tech issues are reflected in the audio quality). Nevertheless, this playlist was gathered from Yonkersonians and the songs they associate with YOTOWN! 1. Neil Simon “Lost in Yonkers” composed by Elmer Bernstein from Lost in Yonkers 2. Chip Taylor “Yonkers Girls” from Yonkers NY (2009) 3. Simon & Garfunkel “Cecilia” from Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970) on Columbia (USA) 4. Rex Smith “You Take My Breath Away” from Sooner or Later (1979) on Columbia/Legacy 5. Barbra Streisand & Louis Armstrong “Hello, Dolly!” from Hello, Dolly! (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) (1969) 6. Ella Fitzgerald “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” from Ella Fitzgerald: The Voice of Jazz (1953) 7. Lovin Spoonful “Summer in the City” from A Real Spoonful of the Lovin Spoonful 8. Martha Reeves & The Vandellas “Jimmy Mack (Single Version (Mono))” from 50th Anniversary The Singles Collection 1962-1972 on UNI/MOTOWN 9. Martha Reeves & The Vandellas “(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave (Single)” from The Ultimate Collection: Martha Reeves & The Vandellas (1998) on Motown (USA) 10. Martha Reeves & The Vandellas “Dancing In the Street (Single Stereo)” from The Ultimate Collection: Martha Reeves & The Vandellas (1998) on Motown (USA) 11. Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels “Devil With a Blue Dress On; Good Golly Miss Molly” from Disc Jockey Hits on Craze Productions 12. Aerosmith “Walk this way” from Aerosmith / Toys In the Attic on Columbia (USA) 13. Lou Reed and the Tots “Vicious” from Vicious
HIPPIEFEST is coming to New Brunswick on July 26! Featuring Vanilla Fudge, Rick Derringer, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, and Badfinger featuring Joey Molland. Mark Stein of Vanilla Fudge joins us to chat about what people can expect from the show and what it's like still performing after 50 years. Check out the event page for all the details: https://www.stnj.org/event/hippiefest-2018
Flower power is back and it’s coming to New Brunswick with Hippiefest on July 26! Mitch Ryder of Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels joins us to discuss an evening of incredible acts and how music affected his life. Check out the event page for details: https://www.stnj.org/event/hippiefest-2018
RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL EPISODE _057 PRESENTS THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF MITCH RYDER This edition of "Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll" spotlights one of the most dynamic stars in rock and roll history. His live shows and his recordings emanated pure energy. Most of his hits were blistering re-makes of other singers’ originals – often combined into medleys. He injected them with a power that excited audiences and a unique sound that sold millions of 45s and 33s. Although he and his backup band were a popular attraction in his hometown Detroit area, international stardom finally came when a tape of one of performances was sent by a well-known Motor City radio disc jockey to the famed producer of the Four Seasons, who also just happened to own a record company. Our featured artist is Mitch Ryder – best known for his hits with the Detroit Wheels. So, buckle the seatbelt on your podcast player, as we take a ride through rock and roll history with all of Mitch Ryder’s hit singles and a whole lot more.
THE TAKE 12 RECOVERY RADIO SHOW Mark Elder was born in Spokane, Wa. In the early 50’s. He started playing guitar at age eleven and studied guitar under the jazz guitarist John LaChapelle in Richland, Wa. Mark started songwriting in his teens and has been writing and performing music for 45 years. In 1971 he joined the band Bordersong and in 1975 they recorded the album “Morning” in which Ann and Nancy Wilson sang background vocals on Mark’s song “It’s Time Agan”. Mark has had the pleasure of warming up for such bands as The Oakridge Boys, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks, Elvin Bishop and Commander Cody. Over the years he has had his original songs recorded by Crystal Gayle, Bordersong, and two albums with Midlyfe Crysis. To date Mark has recorded two solo albums “What A Ride” and “Just For Today A Journey In Recovery From Addiction”. Over the years he has performed with many acts from Rock and Jazz groups to Acoustic/Folk bands. As well as performing live Mark owns the records in his own studio, Oldgyz Productions. Visit: https://markelder.hearnow.com/ to purchase Mark's CD, "Just for Today" Visit: www.what-aride.com for more of Mark's music
It’s time for episode 98 of Love That Album. Soul music can be raw or it can be smooth. It can convey emotions of the heart or it can be about confronting social injustice. Above all, soul music is about the groove and making you feel honest emotion….. On this month’s episode I am honoured to be joined again by film and music enthusiast Will Smith, co-host of the magnificent Gentlemen’s Guide to Midnite Cinema podcast (bringing class to the trash since 1977). Will is a huge devotee of soul music, so we decided to introduce each other to three great soul albums and then discuss our thoughts about the music and the artist. In no particular order, those albums are: Soul Power – Curtis Harding Etta James – Rocks The House Darondo – Listen to my Song: The Music City Sessions Emma Donovan and the Putbacks – Dawn Millie Jackson – Caught Up Jackie Shane – Live These albums are diverse and are both old and new. They also are not limited to American geographical boundaries (Emma is Australian, Jackie is an honorary Canadian). However, they all share a sense of honesty and grit. Eric Reanimator jumps on the soul train (sort of) with his Album I Love segment where he talks about Rev Up: The Best of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. There’s surely some high energy soul being covered by Mitch featuring songs previously done by Little Richard, Ray Charles, James Brown. It takes confidence to carry that material off, but Ryder and the Wheels had IT. So get some soul in your bowl (….it rhymes, what can I say?) and join Will, Eric and myself to hear exactly why you need these albums in your life. You can download the show by searching for Love That Album in the iTunes store or downloading streaming directly from http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com. Send the show feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum If you enjoy what you hear, please tell a friend or ten to tune in.
Neal Thompson was born (1965) and raised in New Jersey, outside New York City. After graduating from the University of Scranton, he began his award-winning journalism career as a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer. For the next 15 years, he worked at newspapers up and down the East Coast - specializing in profiles, narratives and investigations.
Today's program features a multimedia tribute to those who have served in the Armed Forces and especially those that have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice their lives serving our country. Additional tunage from Grand Funk Railroad, The Rascals, Beatles, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, The Outsiders, Wilson Pickett, The Dovells, Bob Dylan, Dire Straits, Ray Manzarek with Michael McClure, The Doors, Ben Sidran, Michael Franks, Steely Dan, Alice Cooper, Bee Gees, The Jayhawks and Neil Young and Crazy Horse.
Mitch Ryder stormed out of Michigan with the Detroit Wheels scoring mid-60’s hits with “Jenny Take a Ride,” “Devil With the Blue Dress On,” and “Sock it To Me-Baby!” For a shining moment, he was one of the few American artists that could rival the British bands in intensity. But, after the hits dried up, Ryder’s career collapsed in a haze of drugs and shady management deals. He managed to pick himself up and find a whole new adoring audience in Europe.He’s just written his autobiography, Devils and Blue Dresses – My Wild Ride As a Rock and Roll Legend (Cool Titles), and released a brand new album produced by Don Was called The Promise. Icon Fetch talks with Ryder about doing music his way and the possibility of a musical based on his life. He also tells a great story about how John Lennon saved his life.
The legendary leader of the Detroit Wheels credited with shaping the Motor City’s rock and roll sound chats by phone with some amazing words of rock wisdom about recording his iconic hits, his audience in Europe, touring with cats from … Continue reading → The post MITCH RYDER – Revvin’ the Engine appeared first on Bill Murphy Show.
The legendary leader of the Detroit Wheels credited with shaping the Motor City’s rock and roll sound chats by phone with some amazing words of rock wisdom about recording his iconic hits, his audience in Europe, touring with cats from … Continue reading → The post MITCH RYDER – Revvin’ the Engine appeared first on Bill Murphy Show.
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