Tag Archives: Robert Palmer

Song of the Week – Bad Case of Loving You, Moon Martin

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Ignored             Obscured              Restored

“Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor Doctor)” became a Top 20 hit for Robert Palmer in 1979, a testament to Palmer’s talent for picking great songs.  With his powerful voice, excellent backing musicians, striking looks, and impeccable sartorial style, Palmer had all the ingredients for success.

However, today’s Song of the Week (SotW) focuses on the original version of the track, written by Oklahoman Moon Martin.

Martin released his rendition on his debut album Shots from a Cold Nightmare (1978), which concocted a new wave-infused rockabilly sound.  For this recording, Martin enlisted fellow Oklahoman Phil Seymour (known for his work with the Dwight Twilley Band) on drums, alongside Blondie bassist Gary Valentine.  The album’s production was handled by Craig Leon, whose credits include work with The Ramones, Blondie, Willie Alexander, and Richard Hell & The Voidoids.  The result was a unique and fresh —  introducing a distinctive style to the music scene.

So, why did I give the nod to Martin’s original over Palmer’s more widely recognized version?  While Palmer’s vocal performance is undeniably fantastic, he loses some points for staying so faithful to Martin’s arrangement.  In this case, I wanted to shine a light on the songwriter himself and give him the credit he deserves.

It’s also worth noting that Martin wasn’t done yet.  Shots from a Cold Nightmare also featured “Cadillac Walk,” which was later given a cool interpretation by Mink Deville, further showcasing Martin’s knack for crafting songs that others couldn’t resist covering.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Never Met a Dog…, Vinegar Joe

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IGNORED OBSCURED RESTORED

As a record collector, I always get a kick out of finding an album that has early, obscure recordings by an artist that went onto much greater stardom later in his/her career.

One such album was by the early ‘70s British R&B band, Vinegar Joe. Vinegar Joe had two singers that left the group to launch successful solo careers. One, Elkie Brooks, had moderate success. The other, Robert Palmer, became an international superstar.

Vinegar Joe (I assume named after the prickly US WWII general, Joseph “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell) was only able to stay together for less than 4 years. In that time, they recorded three pretty good albums. (Unfortunately, I don’t have any of them in my record collection!) Today’s SotW is “Never Met a Dog (That Took to Me)” from the band’s self-titled debut. Vinegar Joe (1972) had a great cover too.

“Never Met a Dog…” was written and sung by Palmer. It is very typical of the “pub rock” genre of the early to mid ‘70s, popular in the UK. Palmer takes the lead but Brooks adds some nice harmony vocals. And it has a solid sax break about mid-way through.

I never saw the band but they were reputed to give great live performances. Although the records are pretty good, their fans often complained that they were never able to capture the energy of their live shows in the recording studio. That’s a shame! But there are an unusually large number of live videos available to see on YouTube, especially considering the technological limitations during the years the band was around.

So, if like me, you like to check out music of artists “before they were great,” listen to the songs of Vinegar Joe.

Enjoy… until next week.