People keep talkin' about me baby Say I'm doin' you wrong Well don't you worry, don't worry, no don't worry mama Cause' I'm right here at home

Songs Everyone Should Know

“The Joker”, The Steve Miller Band (1973)

  

If you were born under a rock as they say, you may not have heard this song, otherwise, I’m pretty sure you have. Released in late 1973 it went to number one in January 1974.

This song has some interesting lyrics. First of all, he makes reference to ‘Space Cowboy’ and ‘Gangster of Love’, both of which were previous Steve Miller songs.  Some people think it draws heavily from Allen Toussaint’s song ‘Soul Sister’. The cadence sounds similar to me, and similar to other Toussaint songs like ‘Working in a Coalmine’.

Well the rain exploded with a mighty crash As we fell into the sun And the first one said to the second one there I hope you’re having fun

70's Pick of the Week

“Band on the Run”, Wings (1973)

Of all the post-Beatles stuff, this album is my favourite. It seemed to just fall together well with an unintended grace that is beautiful and simple.

When the needle hits the record we heard ‘Band on the Run’, transition to ‘Jet’ and then into the mellow ‘Bluebird’, ‘Mrs. Vanderbilt”, and finally “Let Me Roll It’.

Side 2 kicks it up a bit with the hit “Helen Wheels” (not in the U.K. version), “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty five”, and “Picasso’s Last Word’s’ (with a little help from his friend Ginger Baker at his studio).

Bored with recording in the U.K., McCartney asked EMI for a list of recording studios in the world. Intrigued by Lagos in Nigeria, off they went – without taking time to check it out.