I'm driving in my car, I turn on the radio I'm pulling you close, you just say no You say you don't like it, but girl I know you're a liar 'Cause when we kiss Hmmm, fire

70's Pick of the Week

“Fire” by the Pointer Sisters (1979)

The idea of sister or brother groups is not new. The advantage of this arrangement can be stability. Have you ever heard the expression “You can choose your friends but you can’t choose family”? Well in some cases it works and others not so much. In the case of the Pointer sisters it gave them depth and versatility that saw them endure and reach great success.

Their parents, Reverend Elton and Sarah Pointer encouraged them as girls to listen and participate in gospel music. They told the girls that rock and roll and the blues was “the devils music”. This was not uncommon really. Secretly they sang songs when they were away from their parents until one day the youngest, June, brought home a copy of Elvis’ “All Shook Up”. Her mother had discovered the ‘B’ side of the album with “Crying in the Chapel” so let her pay it.

The Everly Brothers - All I Have To Do Is Dream (Shindig! 1964)

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine, any time night or day. Only trouble is, gee whiz, I’m dreamin’ my life away.

Sappy Song Department

“All I Have to Do is Dream” by The Everly Brothers (1958)

There is always a lot of discussion of the R&B contribution to music, but the Everlys brought their contribution from another angle – they may really have been the most successful country or maybe even hillbilly band to make their mark on rock. Like Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and not to forget Elvis, they had a country music that morphed into rockabilly and then quickly leapt into rock and Roll.  The difference was that they were an inseparable duo from childhood – and made a contribution only a duo could make.

Not that long ago...well at least it would seem...

B.B. King - Blues on the Bayou

Dan Fogelberg - Phoenix

Daniel Lanios - Acadie

Neil Young - Everyone Knows this is Nowhere

Boz Scaggs - Jo Jo Live 2004

Jo Jo dig those spinning lights, way out games and dizzy heights below him. It’s all below him

Quick Hit

“Jo Jo” by Boz Scaggs (1980)

I was on vacation last week and started to frequent this coffee shop called ‘Jo-Jo’s Cafe”. It reminded me of the Boz Scaggs song “Jo Jo”. Very strangely (yes this really did happen!) when I snapped on the radio to drive to the restaurant for dinner they were playing “Jo Jo” on the radio. Just days before that I had purchased some great Boz Scaggs at the Fillmore posters.  These combined events had me thinking that the universe was implying something and I decided I better do a blog on Boz before I am struck down by lightening or something.

 Born in Ohio and raised in Oklahoma and Texas, Boz met Steve Miller while there were still in school. They went on to university together and Boz sang in their band the Marksmen, the Ardells and then the Fabulous Knight Trains.

War - Low Rider

All my friends know the low rider. The low rider is a little higher. Low rider drives a little slower

Quick Hit

“Low Rider” by War (1975)  

I once was in Orange County and saw this car with several Chicano gentlemen looking very serious pull up at the intersection. The car bobbed up and down on its hydraulic lifters and I just could not help myself and I laughed. I was not laughing at them per se, but just struck by how so unlikely it was to see something so stereotypically real down to the headbands and glimmering hubcaps. They could have shot me or something if they wanted to I’m sure so I pretty quickly took the grin off my face.

I was in a summer vacation town recently and was watching the cars go up and down the strip. Every town has a strip and every town had the boys that drive up and down them. The prosperity of the towns vary, so therefore so do the quality and quantity of the cars. The one thing that seems to be constant however is the attitude. The look that they have in their eyes is always the same – the incarnation of James Dean or Elvis or something - don’t you know it is never cool to smile!

Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music

Play that funky music white boy Play that funky music right Play that funky music white boy Lay down that boogie and play that funky music till you die…

Quick Hit

“Play that Funky Music” by Wild Cherry (1976)

They used to be called “Wild Cherry” flavoured, but now if you check the box of cherry Vicks cough drops they just say “Cherry”. When they were called “Wild Cherry”, Rob Parissi (lead singer, guitar) was recovering from a hospital stay and thought the name on the box sounded like a good name for his new band. From Steubenville, Ohio, the band originally played straight up rock music and produced a few fairly unknown albums.

Ben E. King - Stand by me

If the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall and the mountains should crumble to the sea I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear just as long as you stand, stand by me

Songs Everybody Should Know

“Stand By Me” by Ben E. King (1961)

Last week Jerry Leiber of the famous song-writing team Leiber and Stoller died of heart issues at age 78. It was almost a half century run for the versatile song-writer and producer. His start really came with L&S penning “Hound Dog” for Big Mamma Thornton (later covered by Elvis). Leiber & Stoller went on to pen many others for Elvis including “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Jailhouse Rock”. A string of popish hits for the Coasters included “Yakity Yak”, “Along Came Jones”, and “Charlie Brown” and “Searchin’” put them at the top of their game. They became in demand as producers and song-writers for many years including producing such acts as Steelers Wheel (Stuck in the Middle) and writing classics such as “On Broadway” for the Drifters and “Stand By Me” for Ben E. King.

Benjamin Edward King was one of the principal lead singers of the Drifters that L&S worked with in the late ‘50s and early ‘60’s. After the original lead singer of the Drifters was fired, King stepped in to record such classics as “There Goes My Baby”, “Save the Last Dance for Me”, and “This Magic Moment”.

After a salary and royalty discussion gone bad in early 1960, King went on his own. Charlie Thomas, who replaced King, would lip-synch King’s songs in live performances. Remaining with Atlantic records now as ‘Ben E. King’, he hit with “Spanish Harlem” in early 1961 and followed up with the irrepressible classic “Stand By Me” which he actually helped L&S write having known them from his Drifter’s days.

“Stand By Me” is one of the most covered songs of all time, having been recorded over 400 times by artists ranging from John Lennon to Elton John. It is based on the spiritual song “Lord Stand by Me”, which in turn has roots in Psalms 46 of the Bible. The song went to number 1 of the R&B charts and was top 10 in 1961 and again in 1987 when it was used as the theme song of the movie of the same name. The movie was based on a Stephen King short story called “The Body” and is not a bad ‘coming of age’ movie packed with great oldies.

Ahmet Ertegun¹ said “King is one of the greatest singers in the history of rock and roll and rhythm and blues”. Ahmen Brotha...

 

1.        Ahmet Ertegun was the Turkish immigrant founder and president of Atlantic Records known for its classic R&B and later rock acts.