Monthly Archives: November 2021

Song of the Week – Baby Come Back, The Equals; Police on My Back, The Clash

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Ignored            Obscured             Restored

In 1965 Eddie Grant (yes, the Grant of 1983’s “Electric Avenue”) was a founding member of one of England’s first integrated bands, The Equals.  The others in the group were John Hall, Pat Lloyd, and brothers Derv and Lincoln Gordon.

Beginning in 1968 they enjoyed some international success with a series of hit singles, including “I Get So Excited”, “Viva Bobby Joe”, “Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys”, and their biggest hit “Baby Come Back.”

The ska-influenced “Baby Come Back” was originally the B-side to “Hold Me Closer” but proved to be much more popular.  It’s easy to see why.  “Baby Come Back” is simple, but irresistibly catchy.  It rose to #1 in the UK though it barely crashed the Top 40 in Billboard in the US.  Dig the opening, fat string guitar riff, and the way they build tension by repeating the final word of each verse as they ascend into the chorus.  And listen carefully for the addition of a syncopated beatbox at the end.

Bonnie Raitt, no slouch when it comes to picking cool songs to record, covered “Baby Come Back” on the underappreciated Green Light (1982), which may be her most rock and roll album.

Grant penned another song for the Equals that was brought to widespread popularity in the form of a cover version.  The Clash released “Police on My Back” on Sandinista! (1980).

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – And We Danced, The Hooters; Never Enough, Baby Grand

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Ignored            Obscured             Restored

In 1985, the Philadelphia based band The Hooters, released the album Nervous Nights that contained three Top 40 hits – “Day by Day” (#18), “Where Do the Children Go?” (#38), and “And We Danced” (#21).

The song title — “And We Danced”— is perfect for this ‘80s dance club, power-pop nugget.  The Melodica (a hooter) and mandolin intro draw you in, then the song explodes with enough energy to “shake the paint off the walls.”

The Hooters were formed by Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian who had met over a decade earlier when they were both students at the University of Pennsylvania.  Hyman co-wrote “Time After Time” with Cyndi Lauper, which was a #1 hit for her in 1984 from the She’s So Unusual album.  (Hyman and Bazilian also provided most of the musical accompaniment on that album.)

Earlier, Hyman and Bazilian were recording albums together in a late ‘70s band called Baby Grand.  Their sound is of its time.  It sure ain’t punk rock, but it is music that is arranged and played well, and displays its own songcraft.  Worth a listen in the same way that you might enjoy Journey, Foreigner, or Toto.

“Never Enough” was revived by producer Rick Chertoff as a hit for Scandal singer Patty Smyth in 1987, albeit with rewritten lyrics.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – That Old Sweet Roll, The City; Smack Water Jack, Jo Mama; Ain’t Gonna Worry My Life Anymore, B.B. King

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Ignored            Obscured             Restored

Carole King had two phases of mega-success.  The first was as a Brill Building songwriter with her partner and then-husband, Gerry Goffin.  The hits they penned as teens in the early ‘60s include “Up on the Roof”, “One Fine Day”, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”, and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”, among others.

The second phase was as a singer-songwriter and performer.  The pinnacle of her fame during this period was the now 50-year-old album Tapestry.  It’s a classic that is in just about everyone’s record collection (if you have a record collection!).

But there was a period in between when King was doing other things.  In 1968 she was in a band called The City.  That band, which included old friend and colleague Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar (guitar), future husband Charles Larkey (bass), and Domino (as in Layla) Jim Gordon (drums).  They released one Lou Adler produced album – Now That Everything’s Been Said (1968).  One song on the record was called “That Old Sweet Roll” and was later made a hit by Blood, Sweat & Tears as renamed “Hi-De-Ho.”

By 1970, Kootch and Larkey had moved on to their next project, Jo Mama.  Their sophomore effort, J Is for Jump (1971), was a fine collection of blue-eyed-soul.  Though King didn’t play on the album, she let them release a version of “Smackwater Jack” that would also appear on Tapestry.

In 1970 King went to work for King, as in B.B. King.  Really!  B.B.’s album Indianola Mississippi Seeds was produced by Bill Szymczyk in a successful bid for crossover success from the blues market into Rock.  Carole played piano and electric piano on “Ain’t Gonna Worry My Life Anymore.”  The interplay between the two Kings sparkles.

So as you can see, King remained quite busy and prolific during her “middle” period.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Rock ‘Til the End of Time, Little Johnny and the Sivertones

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Ignored            Obscured             Restored

In 2008, the Norton Records reissue label released “Rock ‘Til the End of Time” by Little Johnny and The Silvertones.

The Norton website description of the song says:

Blood curdling unissued 1963 R&B booze savagery!…  This recently unearthed Ohio acetate is over the top WILD!!! Dig these lyrics, dad – I wanna cash my check at the liquor store/Crawl into that barroom door/Goin’ to the bar get me a jug of wine…Savage guitars, pounding drums, this is IT!!!!

‘Nuff said!

Enjoy… until next week.