... And I Couldn't Even Talk To You

"At one point my wife and I had a mild misunderstanding. I wouldn't even call it a fight. She was miffed, taking our young son out, wishing I'd be a little more involved. But there I was, the musician manic and possessed, holding everything up. Without me, it all collapses, so I'm feeling quite put upon. As she walks out the door, I say to myself, 'I wrote a song for everyone and I couldn't even talk to you.' It was actually a true emotion that took on a larger meaning. It's still a special song in the sense that it keeps my feet on the ground. You sit and write these songs, yet you try to talk to your own son and daughter and maybe you're totally inadequate, trying to explain life to a child."
--John Fogerty, 1997



Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy take a playful spin through the Fogerty songbook, that glorious intersection of country, soul, rock 'n' roll, and gospel. If anyone asks, this is American music.

Dedicated with love to my daughter, Leilani.

Clarence White: Roadmaster: 1972 (Pt. 10)

How good was Clarence White on guitar? He knocked out this dude purely with awesomeness!

1972 was a bit of a transition year for Clarence White. Even though The Byrds were still a going concern, most of their touring commitments were completed by May. Meanwhile, Roger McGuinn was negotiating an original Byrds reunion that ultimately proved to be a pointless exercise in brand name shuffling. This freed up White for session work, a few of which follow.

Arlo Guthrie - Mapleview (20%) Rag
Clarence White: acoustic lead guitar
Byron Berline: fiddle
Doug Dillard: banjo
Arlo Guthrie or Jim Dickinson (?): piano
Roger Bush: acoustic bass
Jim Keltner: drums

Clarence appeared on his third straight Arlo Guthrie album (Hobo's Lullaby), kicking things off with his usual monster riffage, and offering an understated solo from :47-1:01. However, this track is all about the ensemble, featuring a veritable Mount Rushmore of progressive bluegrass talent. White, Berline, Dillard, and Bush all helped bridge twang and rock in the late '60s and early '70s and you'd be hard-pressed to find four more significant figures in west coast bluegrass. Add in the mighty Jim Keltner on drums and either Arlo (pictured right) or Jim Dickinson on piano ... it could be either, but my money is on Guthrie ... and you have two minutes of instrumental bliss.

I'M A TRAVELING GUITAR PICKER

Gene Clark - Roadmaster

Roadmaster is a compilation of Gene Clark tracks recorded between 1970 and 1972, with contributions from various Byrds, Burrito Brothers, our old friend Byron Berline, and of course, CW. The most surprising name involved in the sessions is Spooner Oldham, who lends his funky electric piano to the title track. Clarence weaves in and out with atypically bluesy riffs, including a double-tracked guitar solo from 2:39-2:58.

Skip Battin - Ballad Of Dick Clark

The Byrds bassist from 1969-73, "Dick Clark" comes from his 1972 solo debut. Honestly, if Clarence White wasn't shredding all over this song (and album), it would be entirely forgettable. What can I say? As a songwriter, Skip Battin was a hell of a bass player. Sorry Skip fans. If I wanted to hear novelty songs, I wouldn't have given away my Weird Al Yankovic vinyl collection.

LOST MY DRIVIN' WHEEL

Whatever The Byrds' deficiencies as a functioning band, they entered the studio a few times with decent results. Unfortunately, the two songs that were actually pretty good remained buried in the vaults until 2000, when Farther Along was reissued on CD with bonus tracks.

Byrds - Lost My Drivin' Wheel
Rec date: January 12, 1972

"Drivin' Wheel" is a cover of obscure Canadian folksinger, David Wiffen, whose original, released in 1971, was simply titled, "Driving Wheel." If I had to guess, I'd say that McGuinn got turned onto the song via Tom Rush, who covered the song while opening for The Byrds in '72. Great song, solid arrangement, McGuinn sings with purpose, and Clarence (panned left) is on fire. In fact, it sounds less like The Byrds than it sounds like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers covering The Byrds. It also sounds like a song that My Morning Jacket should be covering. But hey, maybe that's the peyote talking.

Byrds - Bag Full Of Money
Rec date: August 1972

"I wanna get out of country music. I've always gone through a lot of different bags of music, mostly because I don't want to be classified. I guess I'll always be an experimental folk musician of some sort. (I want to get into) more rock 'n' roll, man, and synthesizer, like, well, back to where we left off at Notorious Byrd Brothers. That's what I want to get into. I know I'm capable of it, it's just I feel that I've been loaded down by people who weren't sympathetic or tolerant of that in me."
Roger McGuinn, Crawdaddy!, 1972

Written by McGuinn and Jacques Levy, "Bag" comes from the last Byrds session to feature McGuinn, White, and Battin. On drums is John Guerin, who replaced Gene Parsons (pictured above with Clarence) in June, and the pedal steel is courtesy of studio whiz, Buddy Emmons. What's interesting to me is that while McGuinn was publicly disavowing his country direction, "Bag" proves that it was a genre for which he was ideally suited. In fact, with the benefit of hindsight, his bandmates were doing him a favor by poo-pooing his ridiculous excursions into synth-rock, especially knowing what we know about the synthesizer's impact on '70s rock. Or, does McGuinn feel cheated that he wasn't able to beat Mannheim Steamroller to the punch? And as I've pointed out previously, whose fault is it that he all but stopped writing songs? Battin's songs were mostly terrible, but at least he was trying his best. What was McGuinn's excuse? Oh right, his bandmates "weren't sympathetic or tolerant." Sure, that makes sense.

STORIES WE COULD TELL

Everly Brothers - I'm Tired Of Singing My Songs In Las Vegas

"I've been wanting to quit for three years now and it's finally time to just do it. I'm tired of being an Everly Brother. I still like to sing 'Bye Bye Love' sometimes, but I don't want to spend my life doing it. I've got to find something else."
--Don Everly, 1973

Clarence renewed his association with the Everly Brothers for their good, but probably not great, 1972 album, Stories We Could Tell. Here he's panned right, offering up a bevy of sweet bender licks that counterpoint John Sebastian's harmonica riffs, which are panned left. Speaking of Sebastian, he not only wrote the brilliant title track, but the album was recorded in his living room (pictured below).

L-R: John Sebastian, Paul Rothschild (producer), Phil Everly, Don Everly

"Las Vegas" was written by songwriter, Dennis Linde, but it could've easily been written by either Phil or Don, perfectly summing up their boredom and frustration with the nostalgia circuit, let alone each other. This frustration culminated in their initial break-up about a year later. In fact, it's a very eerie coincidence that their final show took place at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, on Saturday, July 14, 1973. A few hours later and about 90 miles away, Clarence White would be killed by a drunken asshole outside of BJ's in Palmdale. To my knowledge, no one else has noted the geographical and historical proximity between the last Everlys gig and the last Clarence gig, but there it is.

With that, I think we're ready to move on to 1973. But, before we do, let's revisit the Byrds at their acoustic best. This video is listed as being from 1972, but I think it's actually from May 1971. If so, please indulge me.



NEXT TIME: THE TRAGIC DEATH OF A MUSICAL GENIUS

Don Rich Redux

Since it's clear the Adios Lounge hosts a formidable Don Rich fan club, here's a few more nuggets from the vault. And when I say nuggets, I'm talking pure gold. Enjoy.



A surprisingly excellent Rich bio courtesy of his ... high school alumni association??? True. Great footage, fleshes out Rich's background, but it's mildly depressing that the most thorough overview of Don Rich's life and career is the product not of a music production company or anything "Hall of Fame-y," but of the sons and daughters of Oly? Thank God for the youtube.



Interesting thing about "Guitar Pickin' Man" is that it was actually written by Wayne Moore, Clarence White's old bassist in The Reasons (aka Nashville West). In fact, CW played on Moore's original 1967 recording during his stint with Gary S Paxton at Bakersfield International. How likely is it that Rich learned of this song through White? I'd say likely.

Says Gene Parsons: "Clarence was a big fan of Don Rich and Don was a big fan of Clarence's. Later, Don came to some sessions when we were in The Byrds. He was a really nice guy, great guitar player and singer."



Are you kidding me? This is so good and I can't believe I didn't know of its existence until RJ pointed it out to me a few days ago. Sweet ghost of Rick Danko, this is a king harvest of badass.

Don Rich: Buckersfield Harmony

"Don Rich was the quintessential driving force behind Buck Owens. His lead guitar, fiddle playing, and soulful tenor made the Buckaroos the premier band in country music in the '60s and early '70s. When a guy loses his best friend/sidekick, life is never the same."
--Chris Hillman

"Don was to country music what James Burton was to early rock and roll. Don's guitar work made 'city boys' really listen to California country music. Buck was a lucky guy!"
--Herb Pedersen

While working on my 'Clarence White 1972' piece, it occurred to me that Rich, Buck Owens' right-hand man for 14 years (1960-74), died in a motorcycle accident almost a year to the day after White was killed by a drunk driver. Clarence White: July 15, 1973. Don Rich: July 17, 1974. Had he lived, Rich's 69th birthday would've been next week (he was born August 15, 1941). Since everyday is a good day to be reminded of "Dangerous" Don's genius, let's get our twang on.

Don Rich was as important as Buck Owens in creating the Bakersfield Sound, one of the few sustained commercial alternatives to Nashville. If California country music had a tipping point, it was Buck and Don throwing down hit after hit in the 1960s. Rich was one of country music's most distinctive guitar players and tenor harmony singers, and a solid fiddler to boot.

I think harmony is the key word in explaining the Don Rich magic. I'm not just talking about vocal harmonies, but harmony on multiple levels: vocals, guitar, songwriting, temperament, you name it. For example, Rich was a decent enough singer on his own, but his own songs could veer cornball. In harmony with Owens, though, Rich's voice was pure gold. Dig it.


The Buck Owens Ranch Show, March 15, 1966

This harmony extended to guitar. People forget that Buck was a hotshot guitar badass throughout the 1950s and that Don joined him mainly as a singer/fiddler. Once Don heard those sweet Tele licks, though, there was a change of plans.

"He was younger than I was by a few years. He was learning to play the guitar in an odd way; he was sweating Ray Charles. He was learning chords that were normally not played on guitar; they came off the keyboard of Ray Charles. He worked hard at it in the camper in between dates. He was only 17 at the time and his drive, and his awareness of the fact that he had a lot of learn, was there. He was, I think, the most important person in Buck Owens' life."
--Merle Haggard

He willed himself to become the Telesattva, taking over lead guitar duties from Buck, and subsequently inspiring thousands of budding twangologists. Many guitar players have been faster, but I'll put Don Rich's sweet tone and sense of economy against any of them. Put it this way ... do you know anyone who doesn't like Rich, given even the slightest exposure? I can see Buck Owens not being in a country fan's all-time Top 5. Barely, but an argument can be made. But not liking Don Rich??? Not an option. In fact, I'll put the classic 1964-66 Buckaroos lineup ... Owens: vocals, guitar; Rich: guitar, vocals, fiddle; Tom Brumley: steel guitar; Doyle Holly: bass; Willie Cantu: drums ... against any country band ever and I think they'd do all right.


The Jimmy Dean Show, 1966


The Jimmy Dean Show, 1966

These clips from The Jimmy Dean Show are primary evidence of Buck Owens and The Buckaroos at their apex. Perfect harmonies, great guitar sound, badass rhythm section, Brumley on steel really steps up, but Rich is the glue. Love that beat-up Tele with the 'Don Rich' sticker. I wonder if it still exists? Please say yes. By the way, did you know that Jim Henson got his first real break on the Jimmy Dean Show? True story. Rowlf the Dog wanted you to know that.


Hee Haw, August 24, 1969 (exactly 21 days after I was born ... I'm sure you feel better knowing that)

You may notice that Brumley isn't on steel for the Buckaroos. That position is occupied by Jay Dee Maness, a SoCal kid whose resume in 1969 included the International Submarine Band and Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. Not bad. His presence here actually carbon-dates the performance as he only played with Buck for a few months in the summer and fall of '69, his brief stint coinciding with the first 10 or so Hee Haw broadcasts, as featured here. In 1986, Maness joined Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen in The Desert Rose Band. Also, the drummer on "Buckaroo" is Jerry Wiggins, who replaced Cantu in 1967, and stayed with Owens until 1978.


The Buck Owens Ranch Show, March 15, 1966

"I don't know whether (Don) was ever appreciated as he should have been as a fiddle player. We'd do 'Second Fiddle' on the show, and boy, tears would just come to my eyes as he played. And they would (come to) his eyes, too! He just played with such feeling, heart and soul."
--Tom Brumley

"I honestly believe (Don) was a better fiddle player than he was a guitarist, and he was a GREAT guitarist. But he played FANTASTIC fiddle. He didn't like to play fiddle, because his mother and father made him take lessons from the time he was five or six years old, and all he did in his formative years was play fiddle! Don could hold his (own against) the top fiddlers in the country. I'm talking about a lot of the old guys, even the Bob Wills-style fiddlers."
--Jerry Wiggins


The Buck Owens Ranch Show, August 17, 1970

As with any tragic death, it's easy to caught up in the what ifs. But, the musical loss represented by Don's death was deceptive. It wasn't just that *his* career was over. Buck's career, for all intents and purposes, also ended in July 1974. The twin architects of the Bakersfield Sound, effectively silenced. Sure, in the years to follow Buck would trot out the hits every now and then and there were television, radio, Crystal Palace, and other responsibilities. But, that was business. The love and passion that drove Buck Owens to become the best guitarist, singer, songwriter, bandleader, and the undisputed King of Bakersfield ... aka Buckersfield ... died with Don Rich.

"What can I share with you about Don Rich? There was only one and I doubt there will ever be another. He was a one-of-a-kind musician and as great as he was, he was even better as a human being. Something I never said before, maybe I couldn't, but I think my music life ended when his did. Oh yeah, I carried on and I existed, but the real joy and love, the real lightning and thunder, was gone forever. But ... I'll see him over there."
--Buck Owens, who rejoined Don on March 25, 2006

Don Reno: Country Boy Rock & Roll

Don Reno kickin' it

Thanks to a reader's recent comment, we're gonna take a look at bluegrass pioneer, Don Reno. I suspect that he's unknown beyond hardcore bluegrassionados, but he was a giant in the field from its inception. Says Bill Malone, in his essential reference tome, Country Music USA:

"In a musical style where versatility seemed to be the norm, Don Reno, from Spartanburg, South Carolina, possessed a range of talents that almost staggers the imagination. He was a good songwriter, an excellent tenor harmony singer, a comedian, and a master of several instruments, including the mandolin, guitar, and banjo. His guitar work has often been overlooked in the flood of praise that surrounds his seminal banjo contributions, but he was one of the first men in bluegrass to play the guitar as a lead instrument in a flatpicking fashion. The stellar Doc Watson credits Reno as an influence on his own style. As a banjoist, Reno was surpassed by no one, not even Earl Scruggs, adept at both the three-finger and plectrum styles that were indebted to guitar and pedal steel playing."

Reno's banjo mastery went beyond fingerpicking techniques. He was also a killer single-string soloist, incorporating blues and jazz voicings that went way beyond strict Book of Monroe fundamentalism. For example, here he is with longtime buddy, Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith (pictured left on Tele), on "Feudin' Banjos."

Arthur Smith & Don Reno - Feudin' Banjos (1955)

This was the specific recording that inspired the version in Deliverance, which Smith later established in court. Dig Reno's sweet banjo runs from :25-:42, :58-1:07, and 1:16-1:32. Brilliant.

"I think by watching Joe Maphis and Merle Travis and those kinds of guitar players on Town Hall Party, he picked out a couple things. But we were never serious about doing it in the band. Then I acquired a record, (Don) Reno and (Red) Smiley's, 'Country Boy Rock 'n' Roll.' I liked the way (Reno) played guitar on that, so I kind of learned it and brought to Clarence's attention, and in no time he played it. He just knew exactly where to go with it."
--Roland White to Scott Nygaard, Farther Along: The Guitar Revelations of Clarence White, Acoustic Guitar magazine, June 1998, p. 56

Don Reno, Red Smiley, and the Tennessee Cut-Ups - Country Boy Rock & Roll (1956) [CD]

Clarence White - Country Boy Rock & Roll (1962) [CD]

You mean to tell me that Clarence White was influenced by a multi-talented guitar/banjo player with pioneering roots in bluegrass who drew upon disparate musical forms??? Shocking. What makes the White/Reno (pictured right on banjo) connection doubly sweet is that the first recording on which Clarence ever appeared was the Eric Weissberg/Marshall Brickman vehicle, New Dimensions In Banjo & Bluegrass (1963). Of course, this was better known seven years later in its incarnation as the Deliverance soundtrack. Worlds collide ... yet again.

"All Up In The Interweb": New Bob Forrest Radio Show!

Thanks to DJ Roky Manson, I've learned that Bob Forrest from Thelonious Monster is hosting an online radio show every Wednesday night from 8-10pm west coast time on Indie1031.com. Yes, that means tonight. And sure, it's not really radio since it's the internet, but it's Bob playing tunes and expounding on an endless variety of topics in the manner of an old-school college radio show. Check out a taste:



Incidentally, Roky is offering a full download of Bob's debut show from last week. Get it while you can. I'm sure once the kids get a hold of this information, his servers are going to crash bigtime. It's Bob Forrest, my peeps. Tuning in is a no-brainer.

WHEN & WHERE
Wednesdays, 8-10pm PST, www.indie1031.com

Nice Guys Don't Get Paid

Soul Asylum's historical reputation is deservedly based upon their 1986-90 peak, a 4-year hot streak of consistently great shows, strong songwriting, good to very good albums (though a bit betrayed by period production values), oddball covers, and pure balls. Since it's always nice to be reminded of this band at its best, let's revisit.



What's not as well known about Soul Asylum during this era was their equally compelling acoustic side. That's where this collection comes into play. It's a combo platter of radio gigs and Dave Pirner/Dan Murphy acoustic performances that highlights the SA high point.

1. Oh, Lonesome Me [Don Gibson/Neil Young]

2. Chevy Van [Sammy Johns]
KFAI, Minneapolis, 1986

1986 was the year Soul Asylum made the jump, releasing Made To Be Broken, While You Were Out, and Time's Incinerator, the latter on the visionary XLII 90 format (pictured left). On top of the officially-released treasures is this radio gig, featuring a rare vocal appearance by bassist, Karl Mueller, on "Chevy Van." RIP Karl.

3. Cartoon
4. Closer To The Stars
The Siberia, NYC, January 13, 1988

Soul Asylum's two best songs??? "Cartoon" certainly is. "Stars" has to be way up there. How many bands were better than SA in 1988? Let's get a list going. I'll start with I don't know.

5. Never Really Been
6. Gullible's Travels
7. Let The Good Times Roll [The Cars]
8. Drive [The Cars]
KJJO, Minneapolis, October 10, 1990

"Yeah, we're just gonna drop by the studio and play the best acoustic versions of 'Never Really Been' and 'Gullible's' you've ever heard, plus throw in a couple of hilarious Cars references, k?" Saw these guys for the first time a little over a month later at the Country Club in Reseda, California, with Thelonious Monster opening. Probably Top 10 show ever.

9. Nice Guys Don't Get Paid
10. Twiddly Dee
11. P-9
12. Sonic Reducer [Dead Boys]
Top Note, Chicago, April 1991

It's hard to believe this gig took place when the future of Soul Asylum was very much in doubt. And The Horse They Rode In On is probably the band's best album, but it was roundly ignored upon its release in 1990, and A&M dropped them to focus on Soundgarden ("It's louder than love, but I don't think they know what it means").

Pirner and Murphy played as an acoustic duo throughout 1991-92 in an effort to drum up label interest, eventually getting Columbia to take a chance. Say what you will about Clarence selling out to the milk carton, Soul Asylum brought the noise for a decade before making it, with 4 of those years being years other bands would kill for. Dig it.

13. Hoot Medley
The Siberia, NYC, 1/13/88

Basically, "James At 16" done acoustically. And god bless 'em for it.

American Pie [Don McLean]
Delta Dawn [Tanya Tucker]
Wildfire [Michael Murphey]
Black Water [Doobies]
Afternoon Delight [Starland Vocal Band]
One Toke Over The Line [Brewer & Shipley]
Amazing Grace [Traditional]
The Gambler [Kenny Rogers]
Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song [BJ Thomas]
The One I Love [REM]
Renegade [Styx]
Rock And Roll All Night [Kiss]
Luka [Suzanne Vega]
Dueling Banjos [Deliverance]
P-9
....
Forever Young [Dylan]

Download full playlist [71 MB]

We're Gonna Do a Thing Called 'Machine Gun'

Like Funkadelic's "Maggot Brain," Band Of Gypsys' "Machine Gun" is a mostly-instrumental parable about Vietnam that has to rank as one of the greatest performances ever captured on film. This is Jimi Hendrix at his hyper-focused best. According to legend, famed promoter, Bill Graham, challenged Jimi to play his performance straight, not shuck-and-jive the audience with his "Wild Man of Borneo" act. With Buddy Miles and Billy Cox laying down the heavy pocket, this was Hendrix's response to Graham. "Fuck you, Bill. Don't question me. But, since you did, here's the 'no bullshit' set." Nothing but pure, sustained brilliance. Game set match Hendrix.

Like Burning Fire Shut Up In My Bones

"His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones,
And I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay."
Jeremiah droppin' lyrical science in the King James Bible (20:9)

Today we connect the dots between Alex Chilton and a few of his southern contemporaries in the late '60s and early '70s. We begin this journey on April 7-8, 1996, in ... Glasgow, Scotland??? Damn straight, hippie. On those two nights, Alex played now-legendary gigs at The 13th Note with Teenage Fanclub as his backup band, a formidable collaboration between master and #1 disciples. The 4/8 show was later broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland and remains widely available on torrent sites. Amidst those gigs, the group also found time to cut this video at a local soundstage or at the 13th Note itself.

Please note that the Donkey Kong switch has been set to the 'ON' position.


"I Never Found Me A Girl" [Eddie Floyd] + "My Heart Stood Still" [Rodgers & Hart]

This performance tells us several things, among them one of Alex Chilton's most valuable assets. He was a folksinger in the truest sense, keeping great old songs alive in the public consciousness. True, "I Never Found Me A Girl" was a modest hit for Eddie Floyd back in the day, but he wasn't close to Otis Redding in terms of name recognition in 1996, even less so now. And while "My Heart Stood Still" was a Rodgers & Hart standard, that doesn't mean much to anyone younger than 50. The beauty of the 13th Note setlists is that they drew upon everyone from Joe Meek and the Everly Brothers to T. Rex and Ernest Tubb. Thus, among his many other talents, Alex Chilton was a missionary for the hidden gem. To wit:



Released in 1962, would anyone be shocked if Paul McCartney or John Lennon were fans of this song when it came out? That cool bridge ("Not a single word was spoken, I can tell you knew") points straight to 1963-65 Lennon/McCartney ("No Reply," "All I've Got To Do"). Ironically, from a composition standpoint, what he and Lennon were doing was introducing musical elements into The Beatles that could be said to be Richard Rodgers-esque.

Heady possibilities given that "My Heart" is an obscure version by girl-group singer, Bernadette Carroll, from whom Chilton pilfers his nod. In fact, Alex Fanclub covered two of her songs at the Glasgow shows, "Heart" and "Party Girl." Lord knows how Chilton discovered Bernadette Carroll (pictured bottom). She was in a post-"My Boyfriend's Back" incarnation of The Angels, a vocal group featuring a singer named Jiggs Allbut (pictured left). Say that name out loud. Jiggs Allbut. Really? Not only is she a looker, but one letter away from having the perfect porn name. Why am I just finding out this information?!?!

NOTHING MOVES WITHOUT A PUSH

Let's also raise a glass to Teenage Fanclub. They were an inspired choice as Chilton's backup band and not just because of their Big Star fandom, though that helped. Rather, at the time they were touring behind arguably their finest album, Grand Prix, and had consistently been touring for 5-6 years, with five excellent albums under their belt. By April 1996 they were a well-oiled machine. Whether by luck or cold calculation, the Fannies were a perfectly timed choice to support Alex Chilton. Here's one of my faves from Grand Prix, a Norman Blake special:

Teenage Fanclub - Neil Jung (1995) [CD]

How can you not love this tune??? It demonstrates perfectly that Teenage Fanclub gave Chilton the necessary levels of pop and power (Neil Jung & Crazy Horse, maybe?). Norman Blake and Ray McGinley were legit guitar foils for Alex, but add in bassist, Gerard Love, and that's *four* different songwriters in one unit (including Chilton) possessing a wondrous ear for melody. Hook City.

The lilting swing in the TFC rhythm section also serves Chilton well, and that's particularly evident on the tape of the show. Much respect to then-drummer Paul Quinn, but I must again single out Gerry Love for his sweeping, inventive basslines. Speaking of McCartney. Say what you will about Chilton's artistic unpredictability, the best moments in his career invariably featured a strong rhythm section, or at least emphatic rhythm, and that's not any different here. You can take the boy outta Memphis, yo.

HERE'S WHERE THE STRINGS COME IN

"I Never Found Me A Girl" was a hit for Eddie Floyd and Stax Records in the summer of 1968. What I like about the Alex Fanclub version is that it goes in a direction that plays to the strengths of Teenage Fanclub. They give Stax a power-pop shine because that's what they do best and Alex is smart enough to recognize this. And, lest we forget, the original is a great fucking song. Eddie Floyd could sing his ass off.

Eddie Floyd - I Never Found Me A Girl (1968) [CD] [MP3]

"The song begins with a gorgeous upper string melody played by violins and violas. Cellos play a subtle countermelody to Floyd's vocal on the verse, beginning with the line, 'It's like burning fire all shut up in my bones.' Booker (T Jones of the MGs)' most masterful touch, though, is the employment of the violins playing pizzicato during the guitar break. The effect is exquisite."
--Rob Bowman, Soulsville USA: The Story of Stax Records, p. 151

According to Bowman, "Never Found" marks the point where strings became a regular part of the Stax sound, a development that was a direct response to the success of strings at Motown. the song was a collaboration between Floyd, Al Bell (Stax songwriter, producer, and COO), and Booker T. Jones (de los MGs). Floyd and Bell conceived of the basic idea, but it was Jones who brought it to life, playing bass, guitar, keyboard, and arranging the strings. Did you know that Booker T. was a child prodigy on several instruments and directed his high school band all four years there, during which time he also contributed baritone sax to Stax's first hit ("Cause I Love You," by Rufus and Carla Thomas), joined Willie Mitchell's band (which also happened to feature Al Jackson on drums), and co-wrote a timeless rock 'n' roll classic ("Green MF'in Onions")? Yeah, me either. He did all that before his 18th birthday. When I was 18, I was learning to do kegstands. Damn overachievers.

"Dan, what is it about Memphis?"
"It ain't Memphis. It's the South"
"Well, what is it about the South?"
"People down here don't let nobody tell them what to do."
"But how does it happen that they know what to do?"
"It ain't any explanation for it."
--Dan Penn to Stanley Booth, 1968

This is where the story gets interesting. Guess which Memphians Eddie Floyd and Stax were directly competing against for chart space in July/August 1968? That would be Alex Chilton and The Box Tops. True. "Never Found" was climbing the charts at the same time as "I Met Her In Church," a song written by Dan Penn and Chips Moman and cut at Moman's American Studios.

Box Tops - I Met Her In Church (1968) [CD]

Raise your hand if you hadn't given this song its just due. "I Met Her In Church" is some of the funkiest white boy soul I've ever heard, like Brian Wilson weaned on WDIA. Penn, of course, was the Box Tops producer and he more or less ministered the band's career to its dispiriting conclusion in 1969-70. Which is why the Alex Fanclub cover of the Penn/Moman classic, "Dark End Of The Street," is so intriguing. Whatever Chilton's negative feelings about Dan Penn and his time in the Box Tops ... "Well I'm free again to do what I want again/Free again to sing my songs again" ... he knew greatness when he heard it. And "Dark End Of The Street" is greatness. That's just good science.

THEY'RE GONNA FIND US SOMEDAY

Alex Chilton & Teenage Fanclub - Dark End Of The Street
The 13th Note, Glasgow, Scotland
April 8, 1996

Flying Burrito Brothers - Dark End Of The Street [CD]
Gilded Palace Of Sin LP, 1969

I'm sure it's just coincidence that both Alex Chilton and Gram Parsons both drew from the Penn/Moman well. What are the odds that two of the 20th century's most distinctive southern songwriters would find common ground in one of the 20th century's most distinctive southern songwriting tandems? The Burritos sound like a blend of James Carr and the Everlys. Alex Fanclub sounds like a combination of the Burritos, "Wichita Lineman," and "To Love Somebody." Which is to say, they sound like Slobberbone. This makes perfect sense given that Brent Best was unashamedly influenced by Big Star, Teenage Fanclub, and Gram Parsons. I mean, if you're into that whole continuum of quality songwriting thing. I'm weird that way.

I know what you might be thinking. So what if Parsons and Chilton had overlapping tastes? Aside from the venn diagram possibilities, hundreds of other groups covered Penn/Moman songs. It's not like Big Star covered GP songs. Ummm, you said what now???

Big Star - Hot Burrito #2 [CD]
Lafayette's Music Room, Memphis
January 1973

They were two southern iconoclasts who chose two very different roads ... of the 20,000 available, I presume. And yet, despite their superficial differences, Alex Chilton and Gram Parsons are forever bonded by their southern music roots, that peculiar mix of R&B, country, gospel, and just enough pop to be dangerous. It bonded not just Alex and Gram, but Dan Penn, Chips Moman, Spooner Oldham, Booker T and the MGs, and thousands of other southern musicians of that era, and to a lesser extent since. Why do we not have time machines again?

WE'RE GONNA GET BORN

Big Star - Jesus Christ [CD]
Recorded between 1974-78

Again, I'm sure it's just coincidence that Chilton invoked JC in the wake of Big Star's "Hot Burrito #2" cover. Don't worry, atheists and agnostics, this isn't conversion text. But, the impact of religion in the American experience, particularly the southern musical experience, is profound and beyond category. If nothing else, no gospel, no soul music. Is that what you want??? I thought so.

Penn and Oldham get the last word, with Moman's influence a given. Watch this and ask yourself, "How is Penn not recognized as one of the greatest soul singers ever?" Phenomenal talent on both sides of the ball.

Happy Birthday America

This weekend I apply the final coats of paint to my Alex Chilton post, which has morphed beyond its original framework ... not a bad thing by any stretch. So, while we wait for that to dry, how about we celebrate our nation's existence LA styley? Sun, surf, a very large flag, Corona (5 cent deposit), and Mexican kids shooting fireworks below. Hey baby, it's the Fourth of July.

X - 4th of July [CD] [Vinyl] [MP3]

As a bonus, here's Dave Alvin's video for "4th of July," which he wrote during his brief time in X. This vid was probably shot within six months of the See How We Are sessions and is the leadoff track to Dave's 1987 debut, Romeo's Escape. Thanks to Mark Utley of Magnolia Mountain for the heads up.