Song of the Week – F.U.C. Her, The New Barbarians

IGNORED OBSCURED RESTORED

This was a terrible week for rock and roll. We lost two giants in the field, albeit they were guys that toiled in the background. Sax man Bobby Keys died last Tuesday at the age of 70. Ian McLagan died the next day at the age of 69.

I needn’t reiterate their bios here. Anyone that reads these posts already knows who they are and appreciates the huge contributions they made to rock music. In fact, for just that reason I hadn’t planned to dedicate today’s SotW to them. But Friday my friend John S. reminded me that they toured together in 1979 as the New Barbarians – a band Ron Wood and Keith Richards assembled to help Keith meet some obligationsto the Canadian government and to support Ron’s solo effort, Gimme Some Neck. That confluence is just too good to pass up. (Thanks John!)

The SotW is dirty little number called “F.U.C. Her” from the first leg of that tour.

The reason I’ve chosen this song from the album is because it highlights the contributions of McLagan and (especially) Keyes better than most of the others on the album. The band plays it fast and loose, just as you would expect from this group of hell-raisers. A little past the midpoint, Keyes rips off a sax solo that highlights his playing style. The only problem with the performance is that the vocals are unbearable – so just hang in there for the sax solo.

So thank you Bobby and Ian for adding your magic to hundreds of great recordings we all know and love and sing and play. Your memory will live on for decades. Rest in peace.

Enjoy… until next week.