Rikki

I heard that the Steely Dan song was about Rick Derringer.

Not sure about that, to me the song smacked of being about a homosexual relationship.

Here is Rick’s other hit.

https://youtu.be/xQPqbUaNH_U?si=XXHzQkYVdvS7lstx

My grandmother bought me the 45 rpm record of Rock and Roll, Hootchie Koo.

Richard Dean Zehringer, RIP

Better known to the world as Rich Derringer passed away yesterday, 26-May-2025. He was 77 years old.

When I was in high school, my grandmother gave me a two 45 records, one of which was Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo which I thoroughly enjoyed. The other 45 was the Carpenters' Top of the World, so there's that. Derringer had already achieved majors success as the front man for the McCoys and their hit single Hang on Sloopy, to which the following link is worth a glance, he looks so young. The students at Ohio State should be in mourning today.

After his solo hit single, Derringer worked with many well known performers such as such as Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter Group, Steely Dan, Bonnie Tyler, Cyndi Lauper, Barbara Streisand, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, B.B. King, Roger McGuinn, and Leslie West.

Rest in peace.

More Gram Parsons

Maybe I am on a Gram bender.

On hearing this version of Love Hurts I figured it was the original that Nazareth covered but no.

The song was written and performed first by the Everly Brothers, in 1961.

Dark End of the Street

It is a lot of fun to compare versions of a song done in soul and then country.
Here we have Gram Parsons' version of a song written by Dan Penn and Chips Moman.


And the version I like best, from the movie The Commitments.


And the version most folks will recognize, by Percy Sledge.

Percy is gone now having passed in 2015.
Gram, a Georgia boy, has been gone for nearly 44 years.

Sunday Morning Coming Down

The two together in a 1978 Johnny Cash Christmas show.

Love this song to death.

L.A. Freeway

This song, better known for the version performed by Jerry Jeff Walker, was penned by Guy Clark.

Guy Clark passed away this week, the writer of some of the most eloquent songs written in the modern era. Because he worked in country music, not many people know of him. This song paired with the poignant "Desperados Waiting for the Train", are a career by themselves.

For Prince, the media would lead you to think, the world of entertainment stopped with his death.

A sense of proportion is missing, the world does not end for any person.

For Guy Clark, his writing was loved by many singers and he will be missed.

The Weight

Love the song, love Emmylou Harris, love Steve Earle.

This lacks only Levon Helm's smiling face

Take Me In Your Arms

A few weeks ago, I was riding in the car and absentmindedly, recognized lyrics to a song without ever having heard the version.

The Doobie Brothers it turned out were doing a cover of a Motown song written by Holland-Dozier-Holland. I think I like the Doobies version better but the contrast is interesting.

Wikipedia has a quote from Jeff Baxter

"That song was like a dream come true for us. Every musician I've ever known has at some point wanted to achieve Motown's technically slick soul sound - it's so dynamic. We sat down to try to duplicate it, and to see if our version could emerge as a successful single."

When I saw the Doobie Brothers in the 1976 Black Water tour, Baxter never got out of his chair while he played.
Enjoy

Me and Mrs. Jones

It saddened me to learn this evening that Billy Paul, the R&B singer known best for the song "Me and Mrs. Jones" died from cancer on April 24th.
The song "Me and Mrs. Jones" was popular when I was an adolescent. The content of the song was beyond my understanding at that age. Regardless the deep soulfulness of the song made a lasting impression on me.
Enjoy

Rest in peace Billy Paul, and thank you.

How Do I Kiss The Lips

At Night That Chewed Out My Ass Out All Day Long


Heard this for the first time when he was a playing one-and-one a concert with Lyle Lovett.
One of the best shows I've seen in years.
Funny as hell.

Let the Girl Try It

Emmylou Harris gets prettier every day, her grey is impressive.
As is her voice.

The One Most Recognize

Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson sing the same Townes Van Zandt classic.

There is one more out there that I want to share.

Townes Daddy

Continuing with the Townes Van Zandt birthday tribute.
Steve Earle named his son after him, before his passing.
I very much enjoy this version of Pancho & Lefty.

Happy Birthday Townes

Wonderful music from a troubled man.
Today Townes Van Zandt would have been 72 years old.
Good stuff.

The Revenge of Vera Gemini

Back in the day this was one of my favorite pieces.



Now after some back ground reading, have learned that Patti Smith was considered as the lead singer for Blue Öyster Cult.
Enjoy.

The Road Goes on Forever

Saw Robert Earl Keen on Sunday night for the first time.
A Father's Day gift from my son.
Thank you Ty.

Creepy

This was copied from one of the "red carpet" styled shows, pictures taken from the most recent Grammy Awards. The caption for this picture was....

Sean Lennon and Yoko Ono/Grade D-: The 38-year-old musician son and 80-year-old widow of the late John Lennon definitely made a style statement in a pair of black suits and hats. While Sean went with a hipster-style. 

What is creepier, a 38 year old irrelevant musician that copies his father or, an 80 year old hag showing off her cleavage? Maybe, it is a 53 year old blogger thinking that cleavage looks pretty good.

Where Was I In 1992

Apparently in limbo, or something like that.
Twice to today, I have heard references to a song called "Baby Got Back".
First a local radio station spoke of am ap to be released on iTunes, then on Sirius Radio they played the song.
The song is written and performed by a gentleman named Anthony Ray, also known as Sir Mix-a-Lot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Mix-a-Lot
This is fairly nasty stuff, the first verse includes "I like big butts and I cannot lie...", but nothing worse than anything David Alan Coe ever did.
Enjoy...



Hopefully I did hear this 19 years ago and selectively repressed.
http://www.sirmixalot.com/

21 Years Ago Today

Charles Westover committed suicide on this day in 1990.
In April 1961 he had the number one hit in the United States.
Twenty-nine years later, he was rumored to take the place of the departed Roy Orbison in the band "The Taveling Wilburys".
Better known as Del Shannon, his song Runaway is one of the seminal songs in pop music.
For me, after watching the movie American Graffiti, this haunting song my favorite of the era leading up to the British invasion.

RIP Del Shannon.

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Gerry Rafferty RIP

Thirty something years ago, when I graduated from high school, Gerry Rafferty had a very popular album that included this Platinum single.



Maybe it is a kid thing, but in my life I've associated certain songs with different periods and women. This song is one of those, arousing feelings loss.

Gerry Rafferty passed away shortly after the New Year. He had been out of the spotlight since the middle eighties trying to recapture a fleeting moment of fantastic popularity. Perhaps because of reluctance to perform publicly, perhaps because of a reported drinking problem, Mr. Rafferty did not come close.

As a partner in the band Stealer's Wheel, Rafferty first stuck goad with the song "Stuck In the Middle With You", later made infamous in the movie "Reservoir Dogs".

RIP Gerry Rafferty (16 April 1947 – 4 January 2011)

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