Savoy Brown: I Ain't Superstitious

It’s been a while since I played some straight blues – so how about a little Savoy Brown to satisfy your palate. From their first album “Shake Down” when the band was known as the Savoy Brown Blues Band, they do a raucous rendition of Willie Dixon’s “l Ain’t Superstitious.”

Although the song was penned by Dixon, who wrote many of the hits on the Chess label, it will be forever intertwined with the career of Howlin’ Wolf who recorded it first in 1961. Savoy Brown’s version features the guitars of Kim Simmonds and Martin Stone, the piano of Bob Hall, and Brice Portius on vocals.

By the time of the second album, the personnel of Savoy Brown changed dramatically with only Kim Simmonds and Bob Hall remaining from the original sextet. In fact, Simmonds has been the constant throughout the band’s history and has become synonymous with the Savoy Brown brand.

I don’t think this album was originally released in the US, as I’ve only seen it as import on the British Decca label. I could be wrong about this, but I think that “Getting to the Point” may have been the first North American release by Savoy Brown. If my memory serves me correctly, the first time I saw “Shake Down” was in the import record rack at Cox’s Department store in downtown McKeesport, PA in 1972.

Only 55 more posts until “Reading Between the Grooves” will be retired.

Horslips: The High Reel

This morning I awoke with Horslips’ song “Speed the Plough” on my mind for some reason, but alas I have already featured that great rock tune from the Irish band who took their name from a Spoonerism of “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” – “Four Poxmen of the Horslypse.” The name evolved into Horslips.

Since I’ve featured most of their best known tunes, I’ve turned to their first album – my first exposure to the band. Forty years ago, Horslips released “Happy to Meet . . . Sorry to Part.” In the US, the album was released on the ATCO label. It was an interesting packaging, as the album was octagon shaped and depicted a concertina. I was fortunate that a friend gave me a promo copy of the album – so I have it on a rare white label pressing.

Since the studio version of their single release “The High Reel” is not available on YouTube, I decided to show a live version from the same era. “The High Reel” features the fiddle work of Charles O’Connor – the only member of the band born in England.

The guys are so young looking, especially guitarist Johnny Fean; however, he was the youngest member in the band and was only 19 at the time. Recorded for German TV, this is a very strange video. What on earth is drummer Eamon Carr wearing and why does Barry Devlin have a stuffed parrot muting the strings on his bass? So many questions – so little time.

Chuck Owston: Jesus Won't You Come By Here?

Today is my brother Chuck’s 70th birthday and I thought that a song from his many recordings might be fitting for this auspicious occasion. Reaching back into the archives, I have pulled out the first recording session in which I was involved. The date was November 19, 1973 and I was almost eighteen years old at that time. I had only been playing mandolin since September and was honored by the fact that Chuck, who had been involved in the recording of five albums, one EP, and one single; would ask me to participate.

He had recently heard Lightning Hopkins’ recording of “Needed Time” in the movie “Sounder” and decided to record it, but under the title of “Jesus Won’t You Come By Here?” Chuck played his National Duolian steel bodied resonator guitar, wailed on the harmonica, and sang lead. He was joined on guitar by Kevin Yeager who also sang harmony vocals. I played mandolin. Not only did Kevin and I, both freshmen at Kentucky Christian College, get to play on the recording, we were credited on the single.

Kevin Yeager, Chuck Owston, & Jim Owston from summer 1974.

Kevin and I played on three songs total: “Jesus Won’t You Come By Here?” – the “A” side; “You Better Have Jesus” – a reworking of “Denomination Blues” without the denominational verses – the “B” side; and “Gospel Ship” – a song that turned up on Chuck’s album “Reflections” that was issued a few years later. On the other two songs, Kevin just played rhythm acoustic guitar. On “Gospel Ship,” Chuck played mandolin and I played his National in slide guitar style. All three of these tunes were in the key of "G" and Chuck's National was tuned to an open "G" or "Spanish Tuning."

Although there were numerous photos taken at the session,
I could only find this one of "Gospel Ship."

In addition to these three songs, Chuck recorded some solo tunes – many, if not all of these, appeared on “Reflections.” The entire set of songs was recorded in the studios of WKCC in Grayson, Kentucky. Dave Bennett served as engineer and recently both Dave and I reminisced about this session and the orange-red labeled 45 that resulted. It was pressed at Rite Records in Cincinnati and I believe it was available in late January or early February 1974 and was issued on Chuck's Southern Cross label. The label's entire catalog of works consisted of six albums, one EP, and two singles. Every issue's label had a different color combination.

All of this session's songs were recorded in mono, as WKCC was a 10-watt mono FM station and only had two mono reel-to-reel decks – a half-track Ampex and a full-track Magnecord 1021. The deck of choice was the Magnecord. Despite being mono, it was a quality deck that served the station for many years. I was later WKCC's program director from 1975-1978.

Only two mics were used – both were Electro Voice EV635A dynamic microphones – typical for broadcast usage, but everything was as balanced as we could get it. They are workhorse microphones, and if you are not using them for that purpose, they can substitute as a hammer without much damage to the nail.

The recording session began shortly after sign-off at midnight and probably continued until two in the morning. It was so memorable that I still have the shirt I wore that night – I can’t fit into it, but I have it in storage. By the way, it was green with a cream colored pineapple motif - it was a shirt my mother bought me to take to college that fall. Chuck was wearing some funky red pants and a pretty wild shirt.

Tonight Chuck is performing an acoustic concert in a very low-key setting at the Bryn Mawr Church of Christ in White Oak, PA. Unfortunately, a recent illness has prevented me from participating. I am sure he will do “Jesus Won’t You Come By Here?” It is a staple for both of us as we perform. Good luck Bro and have fun. Wish I was there.

James Gang: Funk #49

If there was a quintessential James Gang song, it would have to be “Funk #49” from their 1970 second album “Rides Again.” I got thinking about this tune about six weeks ago when a friend of mine started playing it on an acoustic guitar and I followed suit on my mandolin.

It was the first time I tried playing the song on mandolin and the rhythm part was not difficult; however, I attempted to do the bass line and that was a little more difficult. I often use the bass line as a warm-up when I rarely play that instrument, but making the transition to mandolin was a little difficult as it was a paradigm shift.

There are several aspects to “Funk #49” that make it readily recognizable – the guitar work of Joe Walsh and the unison runs of Walsh’s guitar and Dale Peters’ bass . . . and don’t forget no one will ever say “more cowbell,” as “Funk #49 has a hefty dose of that percussive tool courtesy of Jim Fox.

The James Gang was truly a power trio and the album rides again features only help from one musician on one song. Steel guitarist Rusty Young plays on “There I Go Again.” During the heyday of the band with Joe Walsh at the helm, the band only garnered prominence in the Rust Belt.

“Funk #49” was the band’s second single, but do you remember their first? It was “Funk #48” from “Yer Album” in 1969. The significance of the name and numbers are unknown to me, but the latter was the bigger hit; however, it missed the Top 40 and charted at #59, and therefore, qualifies as our bubbling under hit.

Linda Ronstadt: White Rhythm & Blues

Last week’s Friday Flipside was from The Souther, Hillman, Furay Band and it got me thinking about another Asylum Records artist, Linda Ronstadt. In 1978, Ronstadt released her “Living in the USA” album and the first single release was Chuck Berry’s “Back in the USA.” While the “A” side was the hit and charted at #16, I was partial to the flip “White Rhythm & Blues.”

As a J.D. Souther composition, “White Rhythm & Blues” featured a Rhodes Piano lead by Don Grolnick. Dan Dugmore’s pedal steel guitar is heavily represented in the mix. I saw Linda in Huntington, WV in August 1978 during this tour, and I will have to say, that while she has a beautiful singing voice, she lacks stage presence. Her producer and percussionist, and former member of Peter and Gordon, Peter Asher and guitarist Waddy Wachtel made up for it with their ever present enthusiasm.

“Living in the USA” produced four singles in total. The others included her rendition of Smokey Robison’s “Ohh Baby Baby,” Doris Troy’s “Just One Look,” and Elvis Costello’s “Allison.” The later was the first 45 RPM picture disc that I ever purchased.

J.D. Souther’s Version

Souther recorded his own version of the song in 1979 as a duet with Phil Everly. The single, which appeared on his “You’re Only Lonely” album, did poorly charting at #106 in 1980.

Rosemary Clooney & Perez Prado: Sway

A few weeks while being sick, I was scanning through the channels and landed on a horrible movie named “Repo Men.” Starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker, the plot has the two primary characters repossessing transplanted body parts when their new owners defaulted on their payments. Quite dark and bloody, it was strange and unusual.

What drew me to the movie was the opening theme – Rosemary Clooney and Perez Prado and their recording of “Sway.” Originally written as an instrumental named “¿Quién será?” by Pablo Ruiz in 1953, English lyrics were added in 1954 by Norman Gimble and the song became a Top 20 hit for Dean Martin.

This mambo was recorded for Clooney and Prado’s 1959 collaboration, “A Touch of Tobasco.” I prefer Clooney’s vocal interpretation to Dean Martin’s. Her version is our TV Thursday selection for this week. Only 60 more posts until Reading Between the Grooves exits stage left.

Phil Seymour: Precious To Me

Today’s One Hit Wonder Wednesday selection reminds me of when I moved to my current town of Beckley, WV in early 1981. Although Phil Seymour had a hit in 1975 with the Dwight Twilley Band’s “I’m on Fire,” he only had one solo hit record.

As one of the early artists signed to Neil Bogart’s short-lived Boardwalk Records, “Precious to Me” peaked at #22. Although, “I’m on Fire” charted higher at #16; however, I would venture to guess that by today’s standards, “Precious to Me” is better known today.