Sniff "N' The Tears: Driver's Seat

It is TV Thursday and today I am featuring a song that is currently being used by Lincoln in their latest series of commercials. The big mystery is the identity of the female artist/band who is singing the cover version now being used. Even Lincoln Motor Company is being mum on this particular detail. Some believe it is Shiny Toy Guns, who have covered a number of songs for commercials for Lincoln and others. Unfortunately, it is not.

With that said, I have found an original version of Sniff ‘N' The Tears 1978 moderate hit, “Driver’s Seat.” It is doubly fitting that I choose a song with this title as my car was hit last night during the snowplowing of a parking lot and completely disabled the passenger door, but I can still sit in the “Driver’s Seat” – budda, boom, crash.

SNIFF 'N' THE TEARS - Driver's Seat ( 1978)

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I remember playing this song by Sniff ‘N' The Tears when I started working as a part-time jock at Ashland, KY’s WAMX and loved it from the very start. It was originally written and recorded as a demo by Sniff front man Paul Roberts back in 1973. While Roberts is playing a Fender Telecaster in the video - it is a obviously an acoustic guitar on the recording. If I am not mistaken, he used a Guild F-50, which is a full-bodied acoustic akin to Gibson's J-200 and Everly Brothers models. I can't tell 100% what type of monophonic synth is being used by keyboardist Alan Fealdman, but it appears to be a Mini-Moog.

The song flopped in the UK due to their record company’s poor timing of the 1978 single release that should have coincided with the band’s performance on “Top of the Pops.” Because of this, it only reached #42 in the UK. “Driver’s Seat” did much better in North America – but lacked something that could to propel it to the Top 10. It charted at #17 in Canada and did slightly better in the US at #15.

The song had its greatest success in the Netherlands as it ended up being a repeat hit for the band. In 1978, it placed on the Dutch Top 40 at #4 (#8 on the chart research of the GfK corporation). When the song was featured in a Pioneer Electronics commercial in continental Europe in 1991, it resurfaced on the radio and was a number one record on both Dutch charts.

Due to the success in the Netherlands, Paul Roberts reformed Sniff ‘N The Tears and began touring in Holland and Germany. With it being used in a European TV ad for Pioneer and a cover version now currently on a US Lincoln TV spot, I would not be hesitant to surmise that “Driver’s Seat” is a “commercial” success . . . budda, boom, crash.

The Hooters: I'm Alive

One of the biggest viewed commentaries on this site was back in early November when I featured the Hooters doing their hit from 1985, “And We Danced.” I am going to let the music do most of the talking today as we ponder the band’s 2008 single “I’m Alive.”

One of the reasons I like this song is that it is upbeat and the video is fun to watch. From the Hooters’ first studio album in 13 years, they enlisted fans to send in videos lip-syncing the vocals and playing air guitar (and other instruments). The concept worked. Although the song never made it to the charts, it still is worth of inclusion.

 

Christmas Card sent to me by the Hooters in 1985

Still fronted by Eric Baziian and Rob Hyman, the Hooters remain high energy performers. Nothing has changed since their hits of the 1980s and they are very much alive. According to Hyman, both titles of the album, “Time Stands Still,” and the single are testimonies to the longevity of these Philadelphia rockers that have withstood the test of time.

The song briefly pays homage to some of the band’s influences with the reference to The Who’s “Summertime Blues” and the inclusion of a Who poster. A subtle allusion to the Beatles occurs with what appears to be a drawing of a “Yellow Submarine.”

As with several of their songs, there is a biblical reference with the line “as I walk through the valley of the shadow.” Previous interviews with band members have indicated that none are particularly religious and their tune “Satellite” was critical of the shady nature of televangelism. Since the biblical references tend to be Old Testament, it may be that Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian are drawing from their own Jewish roots.

Wait a minute, isn't Bazilian an Armenian name. Well, it certainly follows the naming pattern of Armenian surnames. You will also find his name among lists of performers of Armenian descent. In 1986, I even asked him if his name was Armenian and he said it was. Now, it's very possible that it was easier to agree than rather to explain that his ancestors were actually Lithuanian Jews and that somehow the original surname was corrupted at Ellis Island. His own website debunks his supposed Armenian descent and sets forth the truth about his ancestry.

Notwithstanding the lack any past or present religious connection, they confess that the discussion of spiritual matters often occurs in their midst.

Unplugged version with Eric Bazilian on Octave Mandolin

Live Version for German Television; 2007

Lyrics

I've got a condition for which there is no cure
I'm in a position that everyone prays for
Got a sound in my head that could wake up the dead
Like The Who singing Summertime blues
Got no thorn in my side, got no secrets to hide
I'm completely and utterly amused

I'm alive, I'm alive
It's a beautiful day and I'm happy to say
I'm alive, I'm alive
And wherever I go it's amazing to know
I'm alive

From running fast as fast as I could getting nowhere
I'm standing incredibly steadily somewhere
Got a hand on a jug and a girl that I love
And it's driving me out of my mind
I'm a bird on the wing with the world on a string
And I'm feeling incredibly fine

I'm alive, I'm alive
It's a beautiful day and I'm happy to say
I'm alive, I'm alive
And wherever I go it's amazing to know
I'm alive

John Kay: The Bold Marauder

Traditional Tuesdays are set aside for roots music, whether it be a legitimate traditional song or a song of recent origin that has a traditional flavor. Today’s feature is the latter. John Kay performs a Richard Fariña song, “The Bold Marauder.” This cut comes from Kay’s 1972 solo album, "Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes."

Most know John Kay from his role as front man for Steppenwolf, but may not know his personal history. John was born in the former province of East Prussia during World War II, and in early 1945, his mother took her infant son and escaped from the territory with thousands of other German citizens fearing the advance of the Soviet Army.

Settling in what would become the Soviet Occupation Zone (later East Germany), mother and son escaped to the West German province of Hanover in 1948. Ten years later, the family, now joined by a step-father, moved to Toronto and became Canadian citizens.

In 1965, John joined a Canadian folk-rock band named the Sparrows. Although the Sparrows had moderate success in their home country, a move to Los Angeles and adjustments to its membership and its name brought about greater fame for the newly christened Steppenwolf. The band was named after German author Hermann Hesse’s 1927 novel, Der Steppenwolf (the lonesome wolf of the steppes).

Prussian Blues

By the way, John’s home province of East Prussia was divided up by the Soviet Bloc with portions going to Poland and the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. The area where John was from became a part of Russia proper as Kaliningrad Oblast RFSFR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic).

Following the war, a majority of the Germans that had remained in, or had returned to, what had been East Prussia were expelled by the Soviets. After the fall of the USSR in December 1991, the individual Soviet Republics (Estonia, Lithuania, the Ukraine, etc.) became independent states; however, Kaliningrad Oblast remains to this day as a part of the Russian Federation, although it has never been contiguous to the world’s largest country.

Richard & Mimi Fariña

Although some differences of opinion have occurred as to the meaning of today’s song “The Bold Marauder,” the lyrical content suggests that it may be speaking of the Crusades. It was written by Richard Fariña, whose songs were recorded by a number of artists. I learned about the Fariña second hand from Iain Matthews versions of "Reno, Nevada" and "Morgan the Pirate" on the 1971 solo album, "If You Saw Thro' My Eyes."

Richard and his wife Mimi (the sister of Joan Baez) were mainstays of the 60s American folk music scene. Like Mother Maybelle Carter popularized the Autoharp, we might go as far as crediting Richard for inspiring the second wave of interest in the Appalachian dulcimer. His usage built upon the foundation earlier set by Kentucky folksinger Jean Ritchie in the 40s and 50s.

Unfortunately, Richard’s life was cut short on April 30, 1966 when he was killed as a passenger in a motorcycle accident. It is reported that the cyclist, who survived, had lost control while traveling at a speed estimated to be 90 mph. Richard was killed instantly as the pair careened into a barbed wire fence.

Two days prior to the accident, Fariña’s novel, Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me, had just been published and he had spent that morning at a book signing. Coincidentally, the accident occurred on Mimi’s 21st birthday, and the two had apparently fought at the signing because she assumed he had not given her a present. When she finally returned home after the funeral, she found his gift – flowers that were delivered while they were at the signing.

Richard was only 29 at the time of his death and one can only speculate on the caliber of music he would have continued to write had fate permitted. For now, we will have to be content in reviewing his tried and true material, such as his and Mimi’s performance on Pete Seeger’s Rainbow Quest. Unlike John Kay’s version with mandolin, Richard plays his characteristic Appalachian dulcimer. YouTube has removed Richard's version of the song

Lyrics

And it's hi ho hey, I am a bold marauder
And it's hi ho hey, I am the white destroyer
For I will show you silver and gold, and I will bring you treasure
I will wave a widowing flag, and I will be your lover
And I will show you grotto and cave and sacrificial alter
And I will show you blood on the stone and I will be your mentor
And night will be our darling and fear will be our name

And it's hi ho hey, I am the bold marauder
And it's hi ho hey, I am the white destroyer
For I will take you out by the hand and lead you to the hunter
And I will show you thunder and steel and I will be your teacher
And we will dress in helmet and sword and dip our tongues in slaughter
And we will sing a warrior's song and lift the praise of murder
And Christ will be our darling and fear will be our name

And it's hi ho hey, I am the bold marauder
And it's hi ho hey, I am the white destroyer
For I will sour the winds on high and I will soil the river
And I will burn the grain in the field and I will be your mother
And I will go to ravage and kill and will go to plunder
And I will take a fury to wife and I will be your father
And death will be our darling and fear will be our name

Nina Simone: I Shall Be Released

Today’s song is one of those tunes with just some slight modifications could fit an altogether different genre. In 1967, Bob Dylan recorded his song “I Shall Be Released”; however, it was not immediately released by Mr. Zimmerman. In fact, the first official version of the song was issued by the Band on their 1968 debut LP: “Music from Big Pink.”

The late Richard Manuel sang lead on this version; however, his high pitched vocals never cut it for me. I had always felt that by tweaking this song – a little bit here with the arrangement and a little bit more over here with the lyrics and you would have one fantastic gospel song. Many of the other covers almost push it to that level; however, the person who did this best was Nina Simone. Since I feature covers every Monday, I am pleased to present her version from her 1969 album “To Love Somebody.”

This album was released at the time when many of the record companies were attempting to push their jazz artists into the mainstream by having them record the popular songs of the day – to be attractive to that “hip, young audience.” Did it work? Hardly. The younger crowd wanted the originals and the older, er more cerebrally mature jazz aficionados’ loathed this rank commercialization. See my post on Harry Abraham regarding this.

The album title came from, you guessed it, the Bee Gees tune of the same name. In addition to two originals, the LP contained not one, but two Bee Gees songs, three Dylan cuts, Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne,” and Pete Seegar’s “Turn Turn Turn.” This album failed to chart on any of Billboard’s album charts, whereas a half a dozen of her previous LP’s made the R&B charts. “To Love Somebody” did not. These odds, however, didn’t diminish Nina Simone’s performance and her rendition of “I Shall Be Released” gives Dylan’s handiwork an added dimension. It really moves. The input from Ms. Simone to the musicians is a treat in itself.

Positively NOT 4th Street

This leads me to a Dylan story and one that I missed from last summer regarding another side of Bob Dylan. It appears that Bob, in his spare time, has been seeking out the childhood homes of some of music’s more illustrious songwriters. Bob has been to Liverpool to where John Lennon’s home is enshrined, and he has made the pilgrimage to Toronto to visit where Neil Young began rockin’ in the free world.

Flashback to July 23, 2009: Bob was walking through Long Branch, NJ – apparently on a journey to the boyhood digs of one Mr. Bruce Springsteen. Residents in the neighborhood, now mostly Latino, felt that this older man in the blue jacket wondering around in the afternoon was somewhat suspicious. So someone called 911.

When the police arrived, the young female office asked for his ID and Bob, not having any, told her that he was Bob Dylan. She had no idea who Bob Dylan was. A second officer who arrived at the scene to assist didn't recognize his name either. He was, dare I say it, “like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone.” I just want to ask him, “Bob, How does it feel?”

The officer placed Mr. Dylan into the police car and drove to his hotel where the staff verified his identity. The 24-year old officer then radioed headquarters asking if anyone had ever heard of a “Bob Dylan.” Senior officer Craig Spencer reported, “I’m afraid we all fell about laughing. If it was me, I’d have been demanding his autograph, not his ID. The poor woman has taken rather a lot of abuse from us. I offered to bring in some of my Dylan albums. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know what vinyl is either.”

I just wonder if when Bob was in the back of the cruiser, he was singing, “Any day now, any day now, I shall be released.” Well, “It’s time for my boot heels to be wandering.”

Bob Dylan, the Band, and a Cast of 1,000s from the "Last Waltz"

Episode 100 - Rich Mullins: Here In America

Well this is my 100th post on Reading between the Grooves and I'd like to thank all of the followers – those who are acknowledged as such, the clandestine group of folks that comment to me directly regarding these posts, as well as the many lurkers. To quote the album “National Lampoon’s Radio Dinner,” “I know you are out there, because I can hear you bleeding.”

As of yesterday and since I started counting on October 17, 429 unique individuals have visited this blog and there have been 1,699 page views. Prior to mid October, I haven’t a clue how many found these humble essays that I've been preparing daily regarding music. Since counting, the top five highest daily visitations corresponded with the following topics:

• December 17, 2009 – The Who’s “Join Together” – 70 visits.
• December 16, 2009 – Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Way I Feel” – 61 visits.
• November 4, 2009 – The Hooters’ “And We Danced” – 56 visits.
• January 2, 2009 – The Moody Blues’ “Are You Sitting Comfortably” – 51 visits.
• December 6, 2009 – Maria Muldaur’s “Somebody was Watching over me” – 49 visits

For the 100th post, I wanted to do something special. Since I feature spiritual songs on Sunday, I had to find a song that fit both criteria. This really was a tough one for me, but I then decided on taking a song from one of Contemporary Christian Music’s 100 "Greatest Albums in Christian Music." This list was published in 2001, so it is quite dated. Even at that, I am not so sure I agree with all of their choices from previous years.

Going down the list backwards, I had great difficulty finding an album that I considered special enough to include for today's post.  That is until I reached the number three album – Rich Mullins’ “A Liturgy, A Legacy & A Ragamuffin Band” and hence, the LP’s opening track “Here in America” is my 100th post. I will do this LP’s single “Creed” at a later date.

I find it ironic that the song entitled "Here in America" has a video that was primarily shot in County Claire, Ireland. This just may be an example of Rich's sense of humor or he may have been emphasizing the line in the song that states, "But I am home anywhere if You are where I am."

I had a chance to meet Rich Mullins at least once – perhaps twice (hey, my memory is not what it used to be). On several occasions, Rich visited the church I attend, as his brother Dave was the Associate Minister and later the Senior Minister at this congregation in the 1990s.

I found Rich a real rebel in the Christian music business, as he did as his heart dictated. His lyrical content, musical presentation, and how he viewed his own belief system all worked toward his own success. This may not have worked for anyone else, but it fit his personality perfectly.

Rich Mullins was an excellent musician and he made the piano and hammered dulcimer sing. He had a knack of creating solid lyrical content that often was drawn from his own experiences. The crowning moment was the success of his recording “Awesome God,” which has become a praise and worship staple and will go onto the honor roll of hymns. Unfortunately, Rich's voice was silenced when he was involved in an automobile accident on September 19, 1997 and left this world for the next.

Although I met Rich and had a chance to talk with him, I would have loved to have played music with him - an opportunity that never presented itself. The closest I came to this was to accompany his brother Dave and Jon Schwitzerlette during the spring of 2009.

My two basses, Dobro® DX-100B Californian 
by Moserite and fretless Precision bass copy

We performed one of Rich’s songs, “Boy Like Me/A Man Like you” and I played my Dobro® Bass. This was the first time I’ve played bass in public since the 80s - I had the opportunity to play bass again with Jon a couple of months later. Keith Janney played guitar that time and I played a fretless that my wife and I had recently refinished.

Rich Mullins may be physically gone from this planet; however, his legacy will continue on as does his spirit.

Lyrics

Saints and children we have gathered here to hear the sacred story
And I'm glad to bring it to you with my best rhyming and rhythm
'Cause I know the thirsty listen and down to the waters come
And the Holy King of Israel loves me here in America

And if you listen to my songs I hope you hear the water falling
I hope you feel the oceans crashing on the coast of north New England
I wish I could be there just to see them, two summers past I was
And the Holy King of Israel loves me here in America

And if I were a painter I do not know which I'd paint
The calling of the ancient stars or assembling of the saints
And there's so much beauty around us for just two eyes to see
But everywhere I go I'm looking

And once I went to Appalachia for my father he was born there
And I saw the mountains waking with the innocence of children
And my soul is still there with them wrapped in the songs they brought
And the Holy King of Israel loves me here in America

And I've seen by the highways on a million exit ramps
Those two-legged memorials to the laws of happenstance
Waiting for four-wheeled messiahs to take them home again
But I am home anywhere if You are where I am

And if you listen to my songs I hope you hear the water falling
I hope you feel the oceans crashing on the coast of north New England
I wish I could be there just to see them, two summers past I was
And the Holy King of Israel loves me here in America

Moody Blues: On A Threshold Of A Dream

As with every Saturday of late, I have been featuring an album that was of particular significance to me. Over the years, I have been a fan of the Moody Blues and have been contemplating what album of theirs to feature. At this juncture, I am really not certain what my favorite Moody Blues album might be; however, the first album of theirs that I owned was 1969’s “On the Threshold of a Dream.”

With the matter of album choice alone being difficult, I had to narrow down this great album to a single feature cut. Well, I took the 12 cuts and contemplated which ones were the best and the list narrowed to three. I considered the album’s only single, “Never Comes the Day.” The song probably was somewhat musically complex for most Top 40 listeners to appreciate at this time, and hence, it only charted at 91 in the US. Unfortunately, it performed worse in the UK.

My second choice was the song from this album that the Moodies normally perform in concert: “Lovely to See You My Friend.” This driving Justin Hayward tune fits the same Moody Blues’ genre that produced “Ride My See Saw” and “The Story in your Eyes” – both particular favorites of mine. It’s a great song, but I think I will go with a more melodic tune: “Are You Sitting Comfortably?” This Justin Hayward composition conjures up images of the Arthurian mythos. “Let Merlin cast his spell” concerning “The glorious age of Camelot, when Guinevere was Queen.” Whew, I almost had a flashback to Monty Python’s “Holy Grail” for a moment there, “What is your name? What is your quest? What’s the capital of Assyria? Aaaaahhhh!!!!”

I received this album as a Christmas present in 1970 from my brother Chuck. It was my first experience in hearing a Mellotron, and it was the first time I had the opportunity to appreciate the Moody Blues’ talents. In fact, I credit this album for helping me develop my own singing voice. This was my first album that included all of the songs’ lyrics. So for hours on end, I would sit in my bedroom and sing along with the band. I believe it helped me in signing both lead and harmony, and I am much indebted to the extended practice sessions I received vicariously through the Moodies’ tutelage.

Justin Hayward and the author, 1986

Any Moody Blues performance post “Go Now,” is a musical masterpiece – and this album lives up to that reputation. The production is superb from the layered vocals, the double tracked guitars, the interplay between flute and Mellotron, to the driving rhythm of Lodge and Edge on “Lovely to See You again my Friend” and “To Share My Love.” A lifetime of musical influence is heard on this disc. This is evidenced on “The Voyage,” as Mike Pinder summoned the spirit of Richard Strauss through the borrowing from “Also sprach Zarathustra.”

The author with John Lodge, 1986

There are other production gems that feature Ray Thomas, who often takes a back seat to the obvious presence of Justin Hayward and John Lodge. On “Dear Diary,” Ray’s vocals are processed through a Leslie rotating speaker cabinet that gives the chronicler’s voice an ethereal quality. His harmonica playing is integral to the songs where it’s featured. On “Never Comes the Day,” the playing is so simple, but ultimately necessary for the song – I couldn’t imagine it without it. A more intricate harmonica part on “Lazy Day” aids in creating a mirthful disposition that is paradoxically linked to a lyrical content characterizing the monotony of daily living. To create the instrumental hook on “So Deep within You,” Ray’s flute and Graeme Edge’s tympani are inextricably entwined.

Graeme Edge, 1986

The sheer musical genius found among the Moody Blues is evidenced in the multitude of instruments that the band plays. The album’s credits, however, also show a little bit of the British humor found among this quintet. Following the list of every instrument utilized by the group, there is one other person enumerated – Pete Jackson on triangle. I laughed the first time I read this and I was only 15 at the time. It’s still funny 39 years later. I hope you understand the hilarity.

Besides the arrangement and production, there is the profundity of the lyrical content. The LP opens with the very esoteric discourse of “In the Beginning “ that ends: “There you go man, keep as cool as you can. It riles them to believe that you perceive the web they weave, and keep on thinking free.” The bridge for “Lovely to see you again my Friend” recalls the listener’s genetic memory, “Tells us what you've seen in faraway forgotten lands where empires have turned back to sand.” During the fade of Ray Thomas’ “Dear Diary,” a little cold war humor is discharged, “Someone exploded an H-bomb today, but it wasn’t anyone that I knew.”

Moving to side two, the confession in “Never Comes the Day” is powerful: “If only you knew what's inside of me now, you wouldn't want to know me somehow.” From beginning to end, the seeker has pondered his existence. Characteristically, much of the Moody Blues’ music evokes the subconscious, and this concept album answers the seeker as it closes: “Now you know that you are real. Show your friends that you and me – belong to the same world; turned on to the same word. Have you heard? Have you heard? Have you heard? Have you heard? Have you heard?”

For your listening pleasure, I have constructed a YouTube playlist that features all of the songs in order. Please note that there are unnatural breaks here as the original album linked all of the songs together musically – without any normal breaks between tracks. As Mike Pinder recited in “The Voyage,” “Live hand-in-hand, and together we'll stand on the threshold of a dream.”

U2: New Year's Day

Happy New Year and with a new year, change is coming to Reading between the Grooves. Typically on Fridays, I have been using the theme "Fun Fridays"; however, this is being suspended as I am having great difficulty finding "fun" songs that fit the general feel of this site. There has been a dearth of material.

It's Now or Never

With next Friday being the 75th anniversary of Elvis’ birth, I feel obligated to feature some Elvis music on January 8. Beginning January 15, I’ll be initiating a new Friday theme called "Friday Firsts." Every Friday, I’ll spotlight an original version of a song that later became a hit by someone else. This category will not include hit songs that were remade and became cover hits. Therefore, "Friday Firsts" will only feature non-hit original versions of songs.

For example, Nilsson had a colossal hit with “Without You”; however, the song was written by Pete Ham and originally recorded by Badfinger. Paul Young’s hit, “Every Time You Go Away” was written and released several years earlier by Hall & Oates. Everyone remembers Santana’s “Black Magic Woman”; however, the general public is probably unaware that this was a Fleetwood Mac song that was penned by Peter Green. These are the types of tunes you can expect to hear featured. Additionally, I’ll also provide the hit versions for comparison sake. I'll feature the predecessors (yes, I meant plural here) of an early Rolling Stones' hit as our inaugural "Friday Firsts'" showcase.

And oh what heights we'll hit; on with the show, this is it

Since it is “New Year’s Day,” I am featuring the song of the same name by Irish rockers U2.  It was U2’s first hit single outside of their native Ireland. Appearing on their third album “War,” “New Year’s Day” started as a love song dedicated to lead singer Bono’s wife. Consider the lyrics: “And I want to be with you, be with you night and day.”

The song was modified to show support towards Lech Wałęsa’s Solidarity movement in Poland. The accompanying video was shot in sub-freezing temperatures in Sweden. Because of the cold temperatures, the band was unable to do the equestrian scenes– so four teenage girls were enlisted to dress as the band.

By hiding their identity with masks, they were able to be filmed as substitutes for the horseback scenes. The cold temperatures and Bono’s unwillingness to wear a hat also caused him some difficulty when mouthing the lyrics. If Bono's mother is anything like my mother, she would be saying to him, "Now Pauly (his real name is Paul), the next time you'll listen to your mother and wear a cussed hat."

Four horsepeople (is that the politically correct term?)

It hasn’t been stated anywhere that I have found that the four horsemen (or women in this case) represent the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. If so, they only got one color right – the black horse. The best I can tell is that one horse is brown, one is black, and the remaining two could be either color. According to Revelation 6, the black horse represents famine, but one would think that if the horses were to represent war (i.e., the album's title), there would have been at least one red horse – which is definitely a horse of a different color.

Today’s version is the 12 inch single mix that was released in the US and was produced by French born DJ, François Kevorkian. I guess we are fortunate that François Kevorkian mixed this version and not Jack Kevorkian. Now, if Jack had produced the video, he would have chosen four pale horses. Now, you may think that I don’t know Jack, and personally I don’t – but I did know his sixth victim – and I guess that puts me within two degrees of separation from Dr. Death. Now, isn’t that a pleasant New Year’s Day thought? Happy New Year, and watch out for the Pale Rider in the coming year - despite what Blue Öyster Cult says.

Lyrics

All is quiet on New Year's Day.
A world in white gets underway,
And I want to be with you –
Be with you night and day.
Nothing changes on New Year's Day

I will be with you again.
I will be with you again.

Under a blood-red sky,
A crowd has gathered in black and white.

Arms entwined, the chosen few,
The newspapers say, say, say it's true
And we can break through,
Though torn in two, we can be one.

I will begin again, I will begin again.
Oh and maybe the time is right;
Oh maybe tonight

I will be with you again.
I will be with you again.

And so we are told this is the golden age,
And gold is the reason for the wars we wage.
Though I want to be with you –
Be with you night and day.
Nothing changes on New Year's Day.