Who's That? Won't Get Fooled Again

Day four of our “Who’s That?” feature with another cover a classic Who song. The original version of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” charted in the US at #15, and it was the fourth highest charting Who single in the US, as it was outpaced by “I Can See for Miles,” “See Me, Feel Me,” and “Who Are You.” “Won’t Get Fooled Again” was the final cut on my favorite Who LP, “Who’s Next.”

Today’s cover is by the late Richie Havens from his last album “Nobody Left to Crown.” The album was released in 2008, five years before Havens passed away. It is a slightly slower acoustic version of this classic Who rocker. Stephanie Winters emulates the synthesize on the original during parts of the recording. The song also features Keith Christopher on bass and Shawn Pelton on drums. Richie Havens and Walter Parks are both featured on guitar, Parks also plays some of the original synthesizer parts on his guitar as well. 

Not your typical Who cover, but I think you’ll like Havens’ take on Townshend’s composition. Enjoy.

Tom Petty: I Won't Back Down

It’s a few days since we got word that Tom Petty died at age 66; these were followed by alerts that it was a false report. Since being taken off life support, his demise was certainly eventual and he passed away on Monday, October 2, 2017 at 8:40 PM Pacific Daylight Savings Time at UCLA Medical Center. He had suffered a cardiac arrest and was found at his home on Sunday.

It seems as I get older, more and more of my heroes of the stage and screen, as well as family and friends, are passing away. This is a reminder of my own mortality – but with life comes death. As with Tom, it will be for all of us when our number is called.

I wasn’t an early follower of his music, but I must thank Dave Alley, who worked at West Virginia Public Radio in the 1970s, for alerting me of his musical genius. I remember particularly one afternoon Dave was making the argument that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were the musical descendants of one of my favorite groups, The Byrds.

I’ve been busy and couldn’t get to this tribute until tonight and am sorry I couldn’t post it sooner. Since it is a Wednesday, I thought an acoustic version of one of his hits – “I Won’t Back Down” is in order. Recorded live, the song comes off well with the organ being the only electric instrument on it. Listen for Mike Campbell’s mandolin parts. We’ll miss you Tom. Rest in peace.

Sarah Jarosz: Ring them Bells

It’s a Wooden Music Wednesday and here’s an artist that I’ve heard quite a bit on National Public Radio’s “Prairie Home Companion.” Sarah Jarosz, a 26-year old mandolin prodigy from Texas, has been recording with Sugar Hill Records since 2009. Today we feature “Ring them Bells,” which is a Bob Dylan composition that was featured on his 1989 “Oh Mercy” album. Sarah recorded it on her second LP, “Follow Me Down” where the arrangement centers around her banjo picking. We’ll play the studio version, which is excellent, later.

But for now, here’s a live studio cut featuring Sarah on an octave mandolin – one of my favorite instruments. While I have one, her instrument is of better quality than mine. This acoustic version was recorded at Minutia Studios in Nashville in 2013 as part of The American Sessions from Vanguard Records and Sugar Hill Records.

AMPEX Records: One Too Many Mornings

Singer-songwriter John Hartford recorded one song and only one song for AMPEX Records – not even enough to fill both sides of the single it carried. Written by Bob Dylan, “One Too Many Mornings” was the lead cut on the soundtrack for the motion picture “Jud.”

The movie was about Jud Carney, a Vietnam vet, who returned home at Christmas and did not get the welcome he expected. Needless to say, it was a box office flop. AMPEX Records released the soundtrack to coincide with the movie’s release.

The single featuring Hartford didn’t even list an artist for its flip of “Solitary Sanctuary,” which was actually performed by Alan Brackett, John Merrill, and Barbara Robinson. Another version of the same song was the last cut on the LP and was performed by the American Breed.

Hartford, who was under contract at the time to RCA, recorded this tune as a one-off for the soundtrack. I think it was one of his better early recordings. Unfortunately, like the movie, the song never took off. Too bad.

Mac McAnally: Zanzibar

I got to know the music of Mac McAnally back in the late 1970s with his first album and its single release “It’s a Crazy World,” which received a modicum of airplay, but unfortunately it just scratched the Top 40 surface. His songs spoke to me, and as I rediscovered his music on YouTube, I learned how good a guitarist he is.

I’m not sure how I found today’s song, but I landed on it about two months ago. McAnally says he doesn’t know what inspired “Zanzibar,” as it is nothing like any of his songs. Maybe he was channeling Django Reinhardt – I don’t know.

The tune was recorded at “Hear and Now Live at Blackbird Studio” in Nashville. I am not sure when this occurred or who the other three players are, but the video was uploaded to YouTube a year ago. I wish I knew more, but the quality of the writing of and playing on “Zanzibar” says it all.

Charades of Deep Purple: Child in Time

The Deep Purple song “Child in Time” has evolved over the years from its beginning as an It’s a Beautiful Day’s instrumental “Bombay Calling” to our current “Charades of Deep Purple” rendition by Stary Olsa. Hailing from Belarus, Stary Olsa (who are named for a Belarusian stream) typically play medieval music from the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania – a rather large territory that included parts of a number current Eastern European countries.

When not doing songs from antiquity, Stary Olsa also tries their hands at a number of rock songs from a variety of genres. One of those is Deep Purple’s “Child in Time,” which originally appeared on their LP “In Rock.” What I find interesting is the instrumentation. “Child in Time” features the following members of the band and their respective instruments:

• Alieś Čumakoŭ on vocals and gusli (an Eastern European zither).
• Maryja Šaryj on fipple flute and shawm.
• Illia Kublicki on lute and cittern.
• Zmicier Sasnoŭski on Belarusian bagpipes.
• Siarhiej Tapčeŭski on bass drum.
• Aliaksiej Vojciech on dumbek.

What I am particularly amazed by is the clarity of the gusli. It is basically a scaled down zither which uses the fingers and thumb of the left hand to dampen strings to play certain chords much like the chord buttons on an autoharp. This is truly an ancestor of the modern autoharp.

I hope you like this unusual arrangement of this classic Deep Purple tune.

Rolling Clones: Play With Fire

In looking for Rolling Stones covers by other artists, I found an acoustic version of “Play with Fire” by Michelle Branch. While it is one of the better known Stones’ ballads, “Play with Fire” was issued as a flip side to “The Last Side” and received some airplay in its own right. Unlike “The Last Time” that was propelled to the #9 position, the Stones’ version of “Play with Fire” only made it to #96.

Grammy winning Branch recorded “Play with Fire” in 2012, but it is uncertain whether it will appear on her yet unreleased album “West Coast Time.” As it stands, it’s not in the unofficial list of songs for the CD – so chances of making it to the album does not look good. The single is available for free download.

While her version doesn’t sport the harpsichord as found on the original, her version features a number of guitars, percussion, and bass. “Play with Fire” was produced by John Leventhal.

Crosby, Stills, & Nash: Helplessly Hoping

One of my all-time favorite albums is Crosby, Stills, and Nash’s debut LP from 1969. What a great collection of songs that occurred by the chance collaborations of three superstars: David Crosby who took flight from The Byrds, Stephen Stills who was seeking a musical home following the divorce of Buffalo Springfield, and Graham Nash who left the Hollies over creative differences. The result was one of the most enduring marriages of rock music from the sixties forward – and this first album was just a taste – but a very good taste of the wonderful things to come.

A peak into some of the songs gives us some insight into the mind of one of its members: Stephen Stills. Judy Collins had recently broke off her relationship with Stills and nearly a third of the album is his dealing with the loss. The results were “49 Bye-Byes,” “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” and “Helplessly Hoping.” While “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” was a musical magnum opus with its different movements, “Helplessly Hoping” was a lyrical masterpiece with Stills’ painting a series of alliterations into a coherent set of lyrics over a canvas of a song.

While Nash and Crosby supply some guitar to the album’s various tunes and Dallas Taylor was drummer on all cuts except “Marrakesh Express,” the majority of the instrumentation on “Crosby, Stills & Nash” was strictly Stephen Stills. His work as a multi-instrumentalist shines.

But, the band was not known specifically for its instrumentation. Their three part harmonies are their signature . . . and the vocals on “Helplessly Hoping” are just wonderful – it just sends chills up and down my spine when I hear it. “Helplessly Hoping” is sparse by comparison to the other tracks – it’s only the vocals and one finger-style guitar courtesy of its author Stephen Stills.

“They are one person – they are two alone – they are three together – they are for each other.”

Dave Grohl: Times Like These

Well, it had been awhile since I’ve had a Wooden Wednesday selection so I thought I’d find an acoustic song to satisfy this craving. While listening to WRLF in Fairmont, WV last night, I heard the Foo Fighters’ 2002 alternative hit “Times like These.” While searching YouTube for it to use as future post, I also found Dave Grohl’s acoustic rendition of this classic. Grohl provides all guitars, keyboards, and vocals on this solo video.

Written in the key of D, it is not in standard Ionian mode, but rather in mixolydian. This is basically a G-scale that uses the D note as the root. In other words, the scale is D-E-F#-G-A-B-C-D. Grohl’s acoustic version was released nearly four years after the Foo Fighter’s original and got a modicum of airplay as well. Nice stuff.

Steve 'n' Seagulls: The Trooper

For today, I’m going to revert back to the Wooden Music Wednesday feature with a little acoustic rock and roll. While Canada has its Wailin’ Jennys, Finland has Steve ‘n’ Seagulls. It’s not often that you find an acoustic rendition of an Iron Maiden tune, but I love Steve ‘n’ Seagulls’ version of the song loosely inspired by “The Charge of the Light Brigade”: “The Trooper.”

Had it not been for my former radio coworker Doug Dillon posting this on Facebook last week, I would have missed this nugget. It features a nice mix of acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass, and cajon. The instrumentation is great and the vocals pristine. Eddie would be proud.

Leo Kottke: Buckaroo

Now that I’m back to blogging, I’ve been thinking about a new feature for instrumentals: Wordless Wednesday. Today’s cut finishes off our former Wooden Music Wednesday and serves to introduce the new feature. Last week, I was catching up on some music by Leo Kottke and was reminded of his cover of the Buck Owens and The Buckaroos’ number one country single from 1965.

When Kottke moved from Capitol Records to Chrysalis in 1976, he led off his new self-titled LP with “Buckaroo.” Playing both 12 and 6 string guitars, Kottke breathed new life in this classic that was authored by country musician Bob Morris. Kottke even plays a bit of slide on this version.

Kottke’s rendition is a little faster than Owens’ original and he slightly changed the arrangement – thus making the song truly his own. While all of the other cuts on the LP were composed by Kottke, “Buckaroo” was my favorite. Both the original and Leo Kottke’s version were played in C# - a highly unusual key for guitar. While watching a live video of Kottke playing “Buckaroo,” it appears that he tuned his 12-string a half step lower and is playing the song in D – but it sounds as C#. Neat stuff.

Bang Records: Ride 'Em Cowboy

Day two of our look at Bang Records takes us back to 1974 when singer-songwriter Paul Davis had his first Top 40 hit. “Ride ‘Em Cowboy” was one of two Davis’ singles that charted on the pop, adult contemporary, and country charts. While it peaked at #23 on the Hot 100, its biggest success came on the A/C side where it charted at #4. While the song had a country flavor, it was not ready for prime time in that particular genre as “Ride ‘Em Cowboy” only made it to #47 as a country 45.

Although signed to Bang in 1970, it took Davis four years to have his first bonafide hit record. It would be three more years before Davis would have is first Top 10 hit with “I Go Crazy.” Davis has the distinction of being the last artist to record for Bang with his self-titled LP and the singles “Do Right” and “Cry Just a Little.” Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of his death from a heart attack.

“Ride ‘Em Cowboy” was also the name of Davis’ third album which was unique in a number of ways. First of all, it was manufactured in the shape of a denim jacket. Secondly, while the single failed to make a large dent on the country singles chart, it was Davis’ only album to chart on the country album chart where it peaked at #19.

Nick Drake: Hazey Jane I

Like many people, I didn’t get to know the music of Nick Drake until after his tragic death in 1974. What I’ve heard since, I have really liked. In 1970, Drake recorded his second album “Bryter Layter” – an album that is heralded by a number of different music publications as being one of the best albums ever recorded.

Notable is the fact that several members of Fairport Convention appeared as session musicians on “Bryter Layter.” Today, I feature “Hazey Jane I” (yes there is a “Hazey Jane II, which appears earlier on the album – if you can figure that one out).

This little nugget features the very tasty acoustic guitar and vocals by Drake. Two members of Fairport, Dave Mattacks (drums) and Dave Pegg (bass), round out the rhythm section. Additionally, the song is layered with a string arrangement by the late Robert Kirby. Nice stuff that Pandora reminded me of just recently.

Daylight Savings: Time In A Bottle

Never intended for release as a single, Jim Croce’s “Time in a Bottle” became one of the two songs by singer-songwriter to chart at #1 – and it did so for two weeks. Shortly after Croce’s death on September 1973, “Time in a Bottle” was featured over the credits of a made for TV movie. That initial burst of activity prompted disc jockeys to start playing the album cut because of its lyrical content concerning immortality.

The single was released in November and its popularity also reinvigorated the 1972 album “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim.” The initial release of the album only managed to make it to #30 on the Top 200 Album Chart; however, “Time in a Bottle” propelled the LP back on the charts for a five week run at #1.

Although Croce wrote the song in 1970 when he found out he was going to be a father, the combination of Croce’s recent death and the song’s prophetic message resonated with the public.

When I hear “Time in a Bottle” and “I Got A Name,” which was released the day after Croce’s death, I immediately think about hearing the tragic news on the radio. It was the day after the crash and some friends and I were driving home from college for the first time – we were immediately saddened by the report.

Lyrics

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day
Till Eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you

If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and then,
Again, I would spend them with you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go
Through time with

If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty
Except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go
Through time with

Harry Manx: Spoonful

Harry Manx calls his unique merging of eastern and western music as “Mysticssippi blues.” Up to a few weeks ago, I had never heard of this Canadian musician, his style, or his unique instrument – a Mohan Veena. That is until his prized instrument was stolen from the baggage claim at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport in February. Manx’s plight went viral on Facebook where I first heard of him and the Mohan Veena. I decided to investigate and loved his unusual music immediately.

Manx had his Mohan Veena for 20 years and he received it from his mentor who invented the instrument. It was built and named for its craftsman Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. The instrument is an altered arch-top guitar that has three playing strings, five drone strings, and 12 sympathetic strings. It looks like a cross between a guitar and sitar.  When it’s played with a slide, it makes for one crazy blues instrument. 

By the way, Manx was reunited with his prized instrument yesterday, and the perpetrator was apprehended by the Chicago Police on February 24. The absence of his instrument for a few weeks no doubt caused him great consternation, but in the process he gained a number of new fans.

It’s fitting that in the following cut he plays some Chicago blues penned by the late Willie Dixon of Chess Records’ fame. While numerous artists including Muddy Waters and Cream have recorded this tune, Manx’s version has to be the most original because of the Mohan Veena.

Harry Manx explains the Mohan Veena

 

Uni Records: Banks of the Ohio

Uni Records was not known for a plethora of acoustic music, so finding a Wooden Wednesday selection was a little difficult; however, Olivia Newton-John charted with a recording of a 19th century American murder ballad.

“Banks of the Ohio” was Olivia’s second single for Uni and was released in October 1971. The song peaked only at #94 on the pop charts and crossed over to the Adult Contemporary chart at #34. “Banks of the Ohio” appeared on two American albums: “If Not for You” and “Olivia” – which was different than the “Olivia” album issued elsewhere in the world.

Although sporting the same cover and title as her international release, the American issue of “Olivia” was quite different musically. Six of its 10 tracks were repacked from “If Not for You” and only two songs originally appeared on the international version of the “Olivia” album.

The “If Not for You” album was released on Uni in 1971 while “Olivia” was issued on the newly formed MCA Records label in 1973. The “Olivia” album featured five songs that had been released as singles: “If Not for You,” “Banks of the Ohio,” “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Just a Little Too Much,” and “Let Me Be There.” The only single up to this point that was missing was “What is Life,” and it had appeared on the international version of “Olivia.” “What is Life” would not appear on an American album until 1992.

Her first American single, Bob Dylan’s “If Not for You,” and her third single, George Harrison’s “What is Life,” both had pop arrangements; however, this second Uni single was a country recording by anyone’s standards. Neither albums’ liner notes reveal the name of the backing vocal group on this release, but their style is in an Oak Ridge Boys/Statler Brothers’ vein.

The song also features a high-strung guitar which was typical for Nashville productions of that day although the single was recorded in London. It’s a wonder that “Banks of Ohio” didn’t chart on the country music side of things, as seven of her later hits were Top 10 country records.

Town Mountain: I'm on Fire

I don’t remember where I first heard Town Mountain’s version of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire,” but I’m pretty sure it was on Pandora. I immediately loved it and found it on YouTube and added it to my favorite selections. They’re not your granddad’s bluegrass band, but they aren’t new grass either. One reviewer said that they were “bluegrass as it should be played.”

Featuring the traditional string instruments of guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and upright bass; Town Mountain hails from Asheville, NC – a town I had an opportunity to visit for the first time last summer. Additionally, Town Mountain was the 2013 International Bluegrass Music Association Band of the Year and their lead vocalist, Robert Greer, was named Vocalist of the Year.

Their rendition of this Springsteen classic is as authentic sounding as if it were a bluegrass ballad from the past. Check it out this track from their second CD: “Heroes and Heretics.”

Sire Records: Streets of London

When Ralph McTell wrote “Streets of London,” he intended to be on his first album “Eight Frames a Second” in 1968; however, the song didn’t make the cut, as he decided it was too depressing. He did, however, record it for his second album “Spiral Staircase” in 1969. Transatlantic Records, did not issue the song as a single, and numerous artists clamored to record the tune and have a go at it as a single.

McTell’s Transatlantic label mates The Johnstons was part of that number and released “Streets of London” in 1970. Since Transatlantic did not have a corresponding label in the US, Sire Records issued it as a single in North America. Richard Gottehrer, one of the two owners of Sire came to London to produce the single for Transatlantic’s Big T label (as well as for Sire).

The press released touted that “Ralph [McTell] considers The Johnstons’ interpretation of the song the best he has heard.” Incidentally it was The Johnston’s only release on Sire; two previous singles had been issued on Tetragrammatron Records. The Johnston’s interpretation of “Streets of London” failed to chart.

Starting with a harpsichord and then quite a bit of overproduction with horns, “Streets of London” featured the lead vocals of Adrienne Johnston. Others on the single include band members and multi-instrumentalists Mick Moloney and Paul Brady. There is some question on whether Lucy Johnston is on this record, as she left the band in early 1969, but she is depicted on two versions of the single’s picture sleeve.

Speaking of Mick Moloney, I had an opportunity to meet and chat with him after a concert in Beckley, WV in 1988. At the time, he was working on his PhD in Folklore and Folklife at the University of Pennsylvania. He currently teaches in the Irish Studies program at New York University. Adirenne Johnston suffered a broken neck in a fall that led to her death in 1981. Some have suggested that her demise was not accidental.

As for McTell, Transatlantic remixed several songs from McTell’s 1969 albums including “Streets of London” in 1970. The remix was issued in the Netherlands as a single and peaked at #9 in 1972. McTell re-recorded the song and it was eventually released in the UK as a single in 1974. It charted at #2 and is considered by some his signature song.

“Streets of London” also appeared on the American version of McTell’s 1971 album “You Well-Meaning Brought Me Here.” I first heard this LP in 1974 about 500 yards from where I am now sitting, and I would later procure a copy from a Huntington, WV radio station’s discard pile in 1979.

High Strung Guitar: Woodsmoke and Oranges

Today’s high strung guitar selection is not as well known as some of the others that I’ve featured this week. Canadian Ian Tamblyn’s “Woodsmoke and Oranges,” which also serves as our Wooden Music Wednesday selection, was actually inspired by a lick he first played on a high strung guitar some thirty years ago. In 2007, he re-recorded the song for his “Superior: Spirit and Light” CD. Tamblyn said that the high strung part sounded like the North Coast of Lake Superior.

The title intrigues me, as I am not sure what “Woodsmoke and Oranges” really means. Perhaps I’m dense, but the oranges may refer to the colors of autumn and of course the fires burning in the distance provides the woodsmoke.

Add to the title’s mystique is the fact that folk-singer Paul Siebel titled his 1970 debut album with the same phrase – yet no song named “Woodsmoke and Oranges” appears on the record. Perhaps Tamblyn was paying tribute to Siebel – unfortunately, I do not know this for a certainty.

I like the tune and if you listen, you’ll hear the high strung guitar.

Live Version from 2012

I have also included a live video where Tamblyn talks about how the guitar configuration motivated the song’s writing.

David Crosby: Laughing

Last week my friend Greg Rector posted on my Facebook account that he and a couple of coworkers were discussing what three albums they would take with them on a deserted island. If you’ve ever contemplated this, you know how difficult it is to whittle down a collection to only three albums. Not so for Greg though, he has his three selections already in mind for the post apocalyptic world: Little Feet’s “Waiting for Columbus,” Graham Nash’s “Songs for Beginners,” and David Crosby’s album “If I Could Only Remember my Name.” Greg was amazed that neither one of his friends had any familiarity with the album.

I must confess, of the solo albums released in 1971-72 by the members of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young; this is one that I don’t have in my collection. That was not by decision – it just never happened. It’s not an obscure LP, as “If I Could Only Remember my Name” charted on the Top 200 Album charts at #12 and has never gone out of print since its initial release in July 1971 – which shows Atlantic’s commitment to the LP.

As I have rekindled my knowledge of this album, I could see why it holds a special place in Greg’s heart. He asked that I feature the song “Laughing” for a Wooden Music Wednesday selection and I’m happy to oblige by making it the first selection of 2014.

The album features a veritable Who’s Who of musicians – especially from the San Francisco music scene. I remember in 1971 that Circus Magazine did a feature on the cross-pollination of musicians from the Bay Area and that contained groups like CSN&Y, the Grateful Dead, Santana, Quicksilver Messenger Service, the Jefferson Airplane, and their splinter bands. The article, which charted the activities of these musicians, was spurred on by the Crosby album and the release of the first Jefferson Starship project by Paul Kantner.

“If I Could Only Remember my Name” contains personnel from many of the aforementioned bands. “Laughing” features Crosby on all of the guitars and lead vocals. Back-up harmonies were provided by Crosby, his partner in crime – Graham Nash, and longtime friend Joni Mitchell.

Members of the Grateful Dead fill out the remainder of the musicians. Jerry Garcia is on pedal steel guitar – a role he held on with CSN&Y’s “Teach Your Children.” Bill Kreutzmann handles the back beat while Phil Lesh attacks the bass with a vengeance.

Even during his tenure with The Byrds, Crosby’s songs were notoriously complex and his compositions on “If I Could Only Remember my Name” are no different. The chord changes are unique and the harmonic qualities of his arrangements are unlike any other artist at this time. Good stuff for a New Year. Happy New Year all.