Love Stuff #30, January 25, 1986.

Once upon a time, way back in the 1980’s, I made mix tapes for a girlfriend of mine.  We dated for about 5 years, and so there ended up being over 100 of these cassette mixes.  She understood exactly what I was trying to do, which was to communicate through the songs, and with her encouragement and appreciation I kept on, knowing I had an audience of at least one.  This is when I started to take mixes very seriously.

When I first started this series, I didn’t even have my own cassette recorder.  I went to my friend Nick and asked if I could use his- I brought a pile of LP’s, and even used some of his.  He’s the one who gave the series its name.

At a certain point I began to use whole albums as the basis for a mix.  I kept lists of songs I wanted to use, and then when I had enough I’d start to arrange the songs.  In January of 1986 I had wanted to use a song from the Blind Faith album.  Then, I decided I wanted to use two songs from it.  Then I thought, why don’t I use the whole album, even if some of the songs might not normally make it to the list on their own?  Thus began a concept that I feel is unique and one that, 35 years later, I continue to explore.

My girlfriend’s 19th birthday was approaching, and so I had a few birthday songs in mind.  The idea was to place all the Blind Faith songs on the mix, in the same order as the album, with the original list of birthday songs in between.  Later, I even thought of it as a theme and a sub theme- very serious stuff that at least my girlfriend got;  a random listener might or might not notice- but the juxtaposition of songs thrilled my imagination.

On this mix the birthday songs in between didn’t seem to have much musical similarity to the Blind Faith songs, but they had a continuity of their own which made it valid.  I used 7 songs from the Basement Tapes, which my girlfriend had recently bought for me, including both Bob Dylan and The Band’s material, and a few other random songs.  The funny thing is, after hearing these songs in this particular order for so many years now, it seems like they belong together.

I didn’t realize it then, but now I describe it like this- I was presenting the Blind Faith album as a work of art, and the other songs were inhabiting and informing that work of art- separating the songs on the album and yet keeping the same running order.  Since cassettes had a side one and side two, there was just enough space on each side to place two songs in between each song from an album.

This wasn’t the first time I had used this concept for this series- previously I had done similar mixes based on other albums- McCartney, Plastic Ono Band, Blue, A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night, Days of Future Passed, Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter, Blue Moves, etc.  Most of these had the concept intact, but lacked cohesiveness.    

If I look at the tapes today, I can follow the various artist obsessions I went through back then- Bob Dylan, obviously; Harry Nilsson, Joni Mitchell, Laura Nyro, Marc Bolan, The Beach Boys, Elton John, Leonard Cohen, Frank Zappa.  The series led me to this mix, where the songs in between complimented the songs on the album, and told a story of their own.

Here’s the song list from that first cohesive one- I have since gone back and recreated the mix on cd, even though the 90 minute cassette gave me an extra 10 minutes, and some songs would not fit on the cd.

  1. Had to Cry Today– Blind Faith (Steve Winwood.) My girlfriend had just started going to college about 100 miles away, and it was the first time we had been away from each other for long periods of time.  So we were sad, and the mixes became an even more important form of communication while we were apart. This song is many things at once- a heavy electric guitar workout featuring Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton repeating a powerful riff over and over, which then gives way to a gentle song about being sad enough to cry.  
  2. Birthday– The Beatles.  An obvious birthday choice, and because it is also based on a riff it fits nicely here.
  3. Million Dollar Bash– Bob Dylan.  We were big Bob Dylan fans- I was kind of obsessed with discovering all of his albums, and luckily my girlfriend really liked him too.  A silly, nonsensical song about a big (birthday?) party- so much fun!
  4. Can’t Find My Way Home-Blind Faith. (Steve Winwood.) This was probably the song I had originally wanted to use on the mix, which led me to use the entire album.
  5. Clothes Line Saga– Bob Dylan.  Another light hearted song, supposedly influenced by Ode to Billie Joe, which was a big hit on the radio at the time the Basement Tapes were recorded.  It seems to point fun at the mundane subject matter of that song, where Bobbie Gentry describes everyday scenes, with a heavy subject lurking somewhere in the background.  The Saga randomly mentions January 30th, which was my girlfriend’s birthday.
  6. Katie’s Been Gone– The Band.  One of their sweetest and saddest songs, sung beautifully by Richard Manuel.  It captured perfectly a lot of what I was feeling then.
  7. Apple Suckling Tree– Bob Dylan.  One of Bob’s happiest songs, the lyrics are at least partially unintelligible, and yet they make perfect rhythmic sense.  Bob plays piano, and Garth Hudson displays his awesome talents on organ.
  8. Well Alright– Blind Faith (Buddy Holly.)  A faithful and reverent cover of this rocknroll classic, with a polyrhythmic riff added at the beginning and the end for good measure.
  9. Long Distance Operator– The Band (Bob Dylan.)  In those days I used to work at the old Sears in Union City, in the customer service department- a lovely job.  I used to call my girlfriend from there, long distance, on Sears’ dime. Dylan wrote these simple yet profound lyrics about the good old days before cell phones, and Richard Manuel gives them a comic tone.  Robbie Robertson’s guitar is BLASTING.  
  10. Operator- Grateful Dead (Ron “PigPen” McKernan.) Another song about a forgotten part of life, pre- cell phones.  Quintessential PigPen.
  11. Presence of the Lord– Blind Faith (Eric Clapton.) A sublime song about faith, blind or not. 
  12. The Weight– The Band.  A hymn, not merely a song.  It has become all the more poignant to me just recently, as we lost Jack, our dog, to time.
  13. Sea of Joy– Blind Faith (Steve Winwood.) This song would probably never have been chosen for one of these mixes outside of the context of the Blind Faith album, and yet it adds so much.
  14. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere– Bob Dylan.  I was used to the version on Greatest Hits Vol. II with Happy Traum singing harmony on a wonderful melody with slightly different lyrics.  This version is more deadpan, but just as sweet.
  15. The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys– Traffic (Steve Winwood.) I think I used this song because it was familiar and well known, and it would offset side two of Blind Faith, most of which is obscure and far out.
  16. Bluebird*– Buffalo Springfield. (Steve Stills.) This was the long version that was released on their Retrospective album, later covered by Joe Walsh and the James Gang.
  17. Do What You Like– Blind Faith (Ginger Baker.) A bombastic song in 5/4 time signature, this unfolds as a solo vehicle for Steve Winwood (organ) Clapton (guitar) Rick Grech (bass) and mostly, Ginger Baker (drums.)
  18. Please Mrs. Henry*– Bob Dylan.  A perfect song to wrap up this mix- the irreverent silliness of it picking up on the humorous ending to the previous song, after 15 minutes of ‘serious’ music.

Perhaps the most important thing is that after listening to the songs in this order, the Blind Faith album has been presented and elevated, the birthday songs have done their job, and there’s something new in the world- a personal musical letter.  The Gestalt theory says that in art, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and that’s what’s happening here.

The songs marked with * were deleted from the cd version.

The original song list, with other mixes from the series in the background.

Carpenters- Offering.

I first heard the Carpenters debut album, Offering, in San Francisco in 1995. I had just bought a 1972 VW Transporter in my time off between 4 month stints as a cook on a ship in the merchant marines.

The 120 days in a row working on a ship traveling around Europe may seem glamorous, but aside from cooking lunch and dinner for 40 people every day, I was also washing dishes and cleaning walk in freezers, occasionally getting a half a day off to explore Spain, Italy, France, Greece or wherever we anchored. It was actually a grind, and I promised myself I was getting a bus the next time I got home to Melbourne, Florida. My payoff check was exactly what I needed to get my bus, and I drove it to New Jersey as soon as possible.

While in New Jersey, news came that Jerry Garcia had passed. I had planned to take the bus to a Dead show, and now that would never happen. I then decided to drive cross country from New Jersey with Kent Glenn, a great jazz piano player, to do some gigs in Fort Bragg, northern California.

I had been a fan of the Carpenters when I was a kid, but hadn’t listened to them in years. In second grade our teacher printed up the lyrics to “Top of the World” and had us all sing along. I still have those lyrics, stashed away with my school notebooks. I got their greatest hits collection, The Singles 1969-1973, from the RCA record club in the mid 70’s, but then grew into more of a rock n roll fan. It wasn’t till I heard Offering while on this cross country trip that I dug how hip they had tried to be on their first album.

  1. Invocation– This acapella Renaissance-sounding piece opens the album as if we’re in church, and gives us a glimpse of Richard and Karen’s work before 1969. They used to multi-track their voices on Richard’s home tape recorder, emulating Les Paul and Mary Ford. There is a similarity to Brian Wilson’s acapella work for the aborted Smile album. Richard and Karen worked on recordings at bassist Joe Osborn’s studio during 1967, and several of those demos were used for the Offering album.

My friends Sheri and Lauren were in living in San Francisco and I went to visit. At that time I didn’t have a radio in the VW, but while I was there I got great speakers and a cassette player installed. I bought the budget-line cd of the Offering reissue “Ticket to Ride” too. Lauren lived in Haight-Ashbury at the time, and although the bus never made it to a Dead show, it did get to the epicenter of the Summer of Love.

Offering is the ‘cool’ Carpenters album, and would do well behind a hit of Orange Sunshine. Strongly influenced by the music of 1967- Sgt. Pepper, Notorious Byrd Brothers, Eli and the 13th Confession, Smile, and Pandemonium Shadow Show, the music seems quaint for 1969, when the album was released. It didn’t sell well, and was deleted until after the great success of their second album, Close to You, in 1970, when Offering was reissued as “Ticket to Ride.”

  1. Your Wonderful Parade– The spoken intro to this song, noticeably featuring Richard’s lisp, is almost word for word similar to the opening of Harry Nilsson’s “Pandemonium Shadow Show” album, from 1967. Even with Joe Osborn leading the way with his excellent plucking bass, the song seems quaint in comparison to the music being released in 1969. By then, psychedelic rock had morphed into heavy rock: Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, The Stooges and The MC5 were all releasing albums by this time. In comparison, the Carpenters’ approach seems behind the times, but it was to prove to be just ahead of the mellow singer-songwriter trend of the early 70’s. Richard’s lead vocals are featured here with Karen as counterpoint and harmony, and even though this song seems hopelessly unhip, the vocal wall of sound is exceptional. The cello solo after the second verse is reminiscent of the Byrds’ version of Goin’ Back on Notorious Byrd Brothers. The marching band drums seem to have been added as an overdub, and their heavily phased sound at the end is pure psychedelia, again very similar to sections of Notorious.

While visiting another friend, Robert, in San Francisco, I recorded “Ticket to Ride” onto cassette at his apartment, and listened to it while driving around the country for the rest of my trip. Robert and I attended a Phish show at Shoreline in early September, which was their fourth since Jerry’s passing. They performed “I’m Blue, I’m Lonesome” as a tribute to him. For the rest of this trip, without planning it, I followed the basic path of the Phish tour.

  1. Someday– The melody is introduced by flute and then Karen skillfully carries the rest of the song. Her vocal sound is very mature for a 19 year old: she was a natural born singer. Karen Carpenter is today recognized as one of the best female vocalists of the era, and this early song finds her in full command of her talents. Someday would fit on any of their subsequent albums, featuring one of Richard’s unique arrangements for piano and voice, augmented by an orchestral backing that swells to various peaks and then falls away completely at times.

After Kent and I left northern California and I dropped him off at a friend’s house in Los Angeles, I drove from there to Albuquerque, New Mexico and stayed with Nick and Maria.

  1. Get Together– A clean-cut, slightly fast arrangement of this hippie anthem, recorded by several groups in the mid-sixties, including the Kingston Trio, Jefferson Airplane and We Five. The Youngbloods scored the biggest hit with the song when they re-released it in 1969 (they originally had a minor hit with it in 1967.) Richard sings lead, and his and Karen’s background vocals are put through a Leslie speaker in an effort to be psychedelic. Karen’s drumming is excellent, especially during the coda. Augmented by horns, the Carpenters version of this well-known song works surprisingly well, squeaky clean as it is.

I stayed with Nick and Maria about a week, and continued on through Oklahoma and Texas, still vaguely following the Phish tour. I distinctly remember driving through Texas listening to Hundred Year Hall, a live Grateful Dead release that I had picked up in San Francisco. “Dallas, got a soft machine, Houston, too close to New Orleans…” I arrived in New Orleans on October 17th, just before the night that Shannon Hoon died there on his tour bus. Blind Melon had been traveling a similar route. (Their last show with Hoon was in Houston on October 20th.) While in New Orleans I checked in at the merchant marine Union Hall to have my card stamped.

  1. All of My Life– One of two songs on the album credited solely to Richard Carpenter, and featuring Gary Sims on guitar, this gentle track has the classic Carpenters sound. Karen sings lead, with she and Richard overdubbing the vocal wall of sound that within a year would make them internationally famous.

In early November I rolled in to Atlanta for the Phish show at the Fox Theatre, made a quick jaunt to Chattanooga, and then back to Florida, just in time to get back on the ship. I had spent most of my 4 months off on the road, and a lot of the money I had earned on the previous stint.

  1. Turn Away– Richard sings lead on this track, which seems influenced by Laura Nyro’s Eli and the 13th Confession. It starts as a mid-tempo gospel rave up with sudden tempo changes, perhaps with less soul than Laura’s work. Still, the song is extremely well arranged, with Joe Osborn’s plucking bass sound and clever orchestral string parts. Again, Karen’s drumming is outstanding, and she makes all the right fill choices, especially in the final bars.

Richard Carpenter’s arrangements on Offering are stunning. He also plays keyboards with reckless abandon, kind of like Ray Manzarek minus the LSD, and Karen Carpenter’s drumming is an ace in the hole for her brother’s tricky arrangements. He and Karen had already developed the ‘Carpenters vocal wall of sound’ on the demos they had been recording at home on Richard’s tape deck, so they had their vocal blend worked out. Richard sings lead on 5 songs on Offering. If this album had been a hit, Richard would most likely have kept singing.

  1. Ticket To Ride– This song is worth the ‘ticket’ for the entire album. Originally released as the album’s single in 1969 and reaching #54 on the Billboard chart, Richard’s outstanding arrangement and Karen’s sublime vocal stands as one of the best covers of a Beatles tune. Starting with a classical piano intro that was edited out for the single, it switches the gender to ‘The boy that’s driving me mad’ and Karen delivers a fabulous interpretation of the song’s longing, even retaining the ‘ri-hi-hi hide’ of the original but lengthening it till it almost breaks. The song is in the key of B flat, but Karen resolves to an A natural on ‘care’ which makes it so much more interesting! Richard’s electric piano work is outstanding in the middle section, and they cleverly repeat the first line in the fade out- ‘think I’m gonna be sad…’

Their next album, Close to You, is much better than Offering. My, how they grew in such a short time! Karen sings most of the lead vocals, and the dye was cast for their sound. Two singles from Close To You, “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “Close to You” were HUGE hits, and the Carpenters were phenomenally successful for the next 5 years.

But that album isn’t ‘cool’ like Offering is. Close to You is already MOR. Beautifully, perfectly MOR, but still, you could listen to it with your grandmother. Not so for Offering- it’s too quasi-psychedelic for your grandmother.

  1. Don’t Be Afraid– This tune opens with the vocal wall of sound, and features Richard’s insanely fast electric piano, Karen’s tasteful drumming, along with flutes and horns.

Just recently I picked up a vinyl copy of the original release of Offering. The cover photograph shows Richard and Karen shot from below, wearing matching outfits with white shoes, looking very somber, very unlike the happy music on the album.

  1. What’s The Use– With lyrics by John Bettis, this song perfectly captures the ethos of the 60’s. This was the generation of kids who turned away from chasing prosperity in order to find a simpler way of living. Richard sings most of the lead vocal, with Karen taking the second line of the chorus. The clever arrangement features a modulation between the first chorus and the bridge.

Getting away from all the things that need doing
Lazily here to lose the afternoon
Lying around here on the ground
Is as close to getting up as I can go

Taking a chance to free myself from my worries
Cover them well enough and no one sees
Nobody knows until they show
And the only thing to do is try to cover them again

Hurry yourself, what’s the use? Mountains of wealth, I refuse
To be somebody’s slave for a dime, I’ve got plenty of mountains I’m lookin’ to climb.
Spending my time

Lying around, here on the ground
Is as close to getting up as I can go
Pleasing myself is all that really needs doing
Everything else begins but never ends

Listen to me and you’ll agree
That a man is better off
If he has come to realize

Hurry yourself, what’s the use? Mountains of wealth, I refuse
To be somebody’s slave for a dime, I’ve got plenty of mountains I’m lookin’ to climb.
Spending my time (2x)

This song aptly describes my life at the time- driving my bus around the country, stopping off to see friends along the way, sometimes staying with them, and sometimes sleeping in the bus at rest areas. The best feeling was waking up in the bus, using the facilities at a rest area, grabbing some coffee and heading back on the road. “I’ve got plenty of mountains I’m looking to climb.”

  1. All I Can Do– This is the hardest rocking song on the album, although in a workingman’s jazz-fusion kind of way. Reminiscent of Tribal Gathering on Notorious Byrd Brothers, Karen’s drumming is fantastic- what a left hand!
  2. Eve– Like Someday, Eve could have easily been on any of the Carpenters subsequent releases. A mournful ballad in a minor key, with the hopeful chorus switching to major, this seems to be about a girl who takes too many chances, and perhaps too many drugs.

The Carpenters recorded many covers during their career, but the penultimate song on Offering is probably their best one, although it’s practically unknown.

12.Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing– Written by Neil Young and first recorded by Buffalo Springfield, this is the closest the Carpenters come to being ‘cool.’ Richard’s arrangement is slick- I give him credit for realizing where the hook is and accentuating it- on their version, listen to the opening “Sing!” In the original, this starts and ends the song – the harmonica flourish. The Carpenters march cleanly through the time signature changes (from 4/4 to ¾ and back again.) It is also Richard’s best lead vocal on the album, and possibly in the Carpenters discography. The horn/woodwind arrangement is smooth, and follows Richard’s piano part in places. After the final drum break near the end, the last minute of the song features a frenetic jam with some of Richard’s fastest, most manic playing- it’s doubtful that many people caught on to this section of the album at the time, being as hip as it is.

Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing was Buffalo Springfield’s first single, and received airplay on Los Angeles radio station KHJ, which is most likely where Richard first heard it. The song only reached 110 on the Billboard chart in August of 1966, and was soon supplanted by For What it’s Worth, following the curfew riots on the Sunset Strip later that year. For What it’s Worth was not originally on the Buffalo Springfield’s debut album, but was added to the second pressing in March 1967, after its success as a single. (Interestingly, Ahmet Ertegun added the parenthetical subtitle (Stop, Hey What’s That Sound) so people would recognize it, since the title is never used in the lyrics of the song.) Clancy is one of Neil Young’s first great songs, although its choice as their first single in 1966 was somewhat ambitious. I wonder what Neil thought of the Carpenters version?

13.Benediction– The closing track on the album is once again acapella, until the final orchestrated 30 seconds.

I had my bus for 14 years, and in 2009 I watched it burn to the ground. Luckily it was in a parking lot, and no one got hurt, but I cried for hours afterwards. Later that year we bought our first house- I guess I couldn’t have two places to live. Now I drive a 2010 VW Routan with air conditioning and heat, and that is MUCH better.

This album still blows me away every time I listen to it- it’s short, but there’s a lot in it. It brings me back to those days, when I was free to roam around the country and barely made it back to the ship with money in my pockets.

Special thanks to Chris Astarita for music theory advice. If you get to check this album out, you’ll hear the closest the Carpenters came to being rock n rollers.

The front cover of Offering and the reissue, Ticket to Ride.
Back covers.

The Rolling Stones- cover band, pt. 3- Nanker Phelge.

The Rolling Stones started as a cover band, and grew into a completely self-contained rocknroll unit.  From 1962 to this very day, the Stones have outlasted the Beatles by many years, who they aspired to be like in the early days.  This mix presents in chronological order the early original songs of the Stones, many of them written under the collective pseudonym Nanker Phelge.

It was Brian Jones’ idea to use this name- the whole band would share writing royalties, along with Andrew Oldham and in a few cases pianist Ian Stewart.  Phelge was the last name of a roommate of Brian, Mick and Keith when they shared an apartment in Edith Grove, London, as the band was starting out.  A ‘Nanker’ was a hideous face that they would make, especially Brian. (image below.)

Several of these songs were instrumentals, and listening to this particular mix of songs shows their development, pre-Jagger Richards.  Andrew Oldham had big dreams for the Stones, and his influence on the band cannot be overestimated.  As my previous post (Rolling Stones- Cover Band, Pt. 1) points out, their early strength was in their choice and interpretation of cover songs- blues, RnB, rocknroll, country and pop- but Andrew had worked for the Beatles prior to discovering the Stones, and he knew that their future must include original material, so, he pushed Mick and Keith to begin writing. 

It’s conjecture to wonder if the Stones would have become the greatest rocknroll band in the world on the strength of these early original songs alone- their ability as a cover band carried them to the point where they could develop their songwriting to compete with and even surpass the Beatles.

It’s also debatable whether Andrew was grooming his own version of Lennon-McCartney by pushing Mick and Keith to write outside of Nanker Phelge, thereby shoving Brian and Ian Stewart aside.  This fact, along with Brian’s personal insecurities, psychological problems, and later, his drug use and persecution by crooked British policemen, would eventually drown out his amazing talent and force him to leave the band he started.  Ian Stewart was a key member and architect of the Stones sound, and although he stayed on as piano player extraordinaire for many years, early on he was demoted to road manager.  Andrew decided that Ian’s look wasn’t cool enough for the image he had in mind.

Andrew’s idea was to present the Stones as the antithesis of the Beatles, and early press was generated to paint them as the bad boys of pop.  Lennon-McCartney also provided them with their second single and their first hit- I Wanna Be Your Man, with the first Nanker Phelge release as the B side.

It was cover songs that broke the Stones into pop success- Not Fade Away was their second major hit in the UK, written by Buddy Holly, with a fantastic two chord intro that Keith came up with.  Their first UK #1 hit was It’s All Over Now, written by Bobby Womack, and the second #1 was Little Red Rooster by Willie Dixon- this was the height of Brian’s dream- the Stones had put an authentic blues song on top of the pop charts. In the U.S., their cover of Time is On My Side made it to #6 in late 1964.

In early 1965 The Last Time was the first Jagger Richards UK #1, and they never looked back.  Of course, today the Rolling Stones are synonymous with Jagger Richards, but it wasn’t always that way. 

  1. Stoned– Nanker Phelge.  10-7-63  This was the first ‘original’ composition released by the Stones, as the B side of I Wanna Be Your Man.  It is very similar to Green Onions by Booker T and the MG’s- punctuated by an occasional lyric by Mick at the end of each phrase, this tune also prominently features Ian Stewart on piano.  The double entendre of the title has nothing to do with marijuana- this was well before British pop stars were smoking it.
  2. Now I’ve Got A Witness (Like Uncle Phil and Uncle Gene)– Nanker Phelge.  2.4.64 Another instrumental, with Ian Stewart on organ this time.  The title references the fact that it was recorded right after “Can I Get A Witness” by Marvin Gaye.  Gene Pitney and Phil Spector assisted on the recording.
  3. Little By Little– Nanker Phelge, Phil Spector.  2.4.64  The B Side to Not Fade Away, this is their first original song to feature actual lyrics, although the music seems to borrow heavily from several blues songs.
  4. Andrew’s Blues– Nanker Phelge.  2.4.64  This bawdy bootleg was sung by Gene Pitney and Mick Jagger- the lyrics outline Andrew’s sexual proclivities, and so it was never considered for official release.  Graham Nash and Allan Clarke sing background vocals.
  5. Tell Me– Jagger Richards 2.4.64  The second song credited to Jagger Richards, here we see the roots of their songwriting partnership.  Andrew Loog Oldham prevailed upon them to write their own songs, seeing how Lennon and McCartney were a self-contained song machine.  The story goes that Andrew locked them in their apartment and wouldn’t let them out till they had written a decent song.  Andrew’s influence was huge, although it’s a shame Brian wasn’t pushed along with Mick and Keith.  Brian’s only songwriting credits with the Stones are as part of Nanker Phelge.  Tell Me was featured in the movie Mean Streets in the early 70’s, and was originally  released on their first full length LP, The Rolling Stones, in 1964.
  6. Good Times, Bad Times– Jagger Richards 2.24.64  Another blues-based original, this one features Keith on 12 string acoustic guitar and Brian on harmonica.  It was the B side of It’s All Over Now.
  7. Congratulations– Jagger Richards 5.12.64 An early ballad, which has a similarity to Good Times by Sam Cooke, hints at the cynical approach to songwriting that Mick and Keith would further develop, in line with their public ‘anti-Beatles’ stance.  Of course, this was only Andrew Oldham’s ploy to have a pop group that didn’t compete with the Beatles, but rather would be ‘bad’ where the Beatles had a squeaky clean ‘good’ image.  Keith again plays 12 string acoustic guitar, including a barely passable solo.  First released as the B side to Time is On My Side.
  8. Surprise, Surprise– Jagger Richards 5.12.64  This was originally released on a non-Stones compilation LP in England, and was later included on the American release The Rolling Stones, Now!  Another cynical ‘love’ song, showing their slow but steady development as writers.
  9. Empty Heart– Nanker Phelge 6.11.64 Barely more than a single repeated chord progression, this is a full band creation with everyone contributing- Brian on guitar, harmonica and possibly backing vocals; Bill and Charlie as the churning rhythm section; Ian Stewart on B3 organ; Mick on vocals; and Keith on lead guitar and backing vocals.  This song has a definite similarity to the Pretenders’ song Middle of the Road, especially the background vocals.
  10. 2120 South Michigan Avenue– Nanker Phelge 6.11.64  Recorded at Chess Studios in Chicago, the title of this instrumental is the street address of the studio.  Brian takes a fantastic harp solo, worthy of any classic Chess recording.  The instrumentation is similar to the previous track, adding Mick on tambourine.
  11. Off the Hook– Jagger Richards 9.2.64  A bouncy, humorous stab at songwriting, with a triple entendre- the song itself has a hook, the phone is off the hook, and his girlfriend seems off the hook too- maybe she’s sleeping, maybe her phone is disconnected, maybe she’s with someone else.  Originally released as the B side to Little Red Rooster, the Stones performed a more rocking version of it on the TAMI Show.  I can’t wait for this song to be sampled by an RnB artist.
  12. Grown Up Wrong– Jagger Richards 9.28.64  Led by Brian’s slide guitar, this tune has a somewhat uneven rhythm- but they’re getting there!  Again, the subject matter is slightly negative, in direct contrast with the Beatles early output.
  13. Heart of Stone– Jagger Richards 11.2.64  This is the first truly great song written by Mick and Keith.  Their misogynist lyrics are clearly displayed, and this is in line with many Jagger Richards songs to come.
  14. What A Shame– Jagger Richards 11.8.64  Another bouncy number, with a slightly skewed subject matter- “You might wake up in the morning, find your poor self dead.”
  15. The Last Time– Jagger Richards 1.18.65  Keith said this was the first song they were happy to bring to the band- and it also became their first self-penned #1 single in England.  Various people have noted a similarity to a gospel song done by The Staple Singers called This May Be The Last Time, but Mick and Keith merely used this as a starting point, and came up with a truly original spinoff.  The guitar hook was written and played by Brian Jones.
  16. Play With Fire– Nanker Phelge 1.18.65  It’s odd that the songwriting credit for this one went to Nanker Phelge, since only Mick and Keith (with Jack Nitzsche on harpsichord) appear on the recording.  A classic song with a dark overtone, showing their growing talent and foreshadowing the slightly medieval approach to pop songs they would become famous for.  Released as the B side to The Last Time.
  17. The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man– Nanker Phelge 5.10.65. I hear Bob Dylan and Ray Davies’ influence on this tribute to the ‘suits’ that worked at record labels in the mid-sixties.  Featuring the classic early Stones lineup with Brian on harmonica and Ian Stewart on piano, this is the last song credited to Nanker Phelge, the B side to the Satisfaction single in the U.S.
  18. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction– Jagger Richards 5.12.65 This is the Stones watershed moment- the single went to #1 in the UK, the U.S., Germany, the Netherlands and Australia. From this point on, they were in a league of their own- Beatles, Kinks and The Who notwithstanding.  Keith came up with the riff in a motel room in Florida while on tour- he woke up from a deep sleep with the riff in his head, turned on his cassette recorder and laid it down.  The next morning, there was 2 or 3 minutes of the riff on the tape, followed by 40 minutes of him snoring!  Mick came up with the lyrics while sitting at the motel pool the next day.  Keith was initially against releasing it as a single- he thought their version was more of a demo, and that the riff should be played with horns.  Luckily he was outvoted by the rest of the band, and after he started hearing it on the radio constantly he was not displeased.  When he heard Otis Redding cover it with horns later that year, he thought Otis had gotten it right.  It was also a turning point for Brian Jones, as he saw Mick and Keith usurp his role as leader of the band.
  19. The Spider and The Fly– Jagger Richards 5.12.65 Even at this early stage, the Stones had a knack for writing new songs that sounded like old blues.  The guitar interplay between Brian and Keith is still very strong at this point- their playing is nearly indistinguishable till Keith takes his solo.  Mick had been taking harmonica lessons from Brian, and it shows.  First released as the B side to Satisfaction in the UK.
  20. One More Try– Jagger Richards 5.12.65  Unreleased in the UK until the Stone Age compilation in 1971, this was released in the US on Out of Our Heads.
  21. Get Off of My Cloud– Jagger Richards 9.5.65  With the Dylan influenced lyrics deliberately buried in the mix, Mick continues his description of the pop star alienation the Stones were starting to resent, begun with Satisfaction.  Released as a single in October 1965, it reached #2 in the U.S. and UK.
  22. Gotta Get Away– Jagger Richards 9.5.65  Ditto for this one.  Jagger was learning that it wasn’t so much what he sang, but how he sang it.  Listen to how he leans on the word Baby.  Brian must have been listening to the Byrds during this time, as he uses a 12 string electric guitar.
  23. The Singer Not The Song– Jagger Richards 9.5.65 The title says it all.  Keith sings excellent harmony- something he rarely gets credit for- although this tune doesn’t quite make it, perhaps because of Mick’s sloppy falsetto parts.  Notice how at the end of the second line of each verse we hear only Keith’s voice- “babe you know,” “thrilling me,” “much too long.” The jangly folk rock sound again is courtesy of Brian’s electric 12 string Rickenbacker guitar.  Released as the B side to Get Off Of My Cloud.
  24. Blue Turns to Grey– Jagger Richards 9.5.65 Another Byrds-like tune, a rare thing in the Stones catalog.  Originally released in the US on December’s Children, this was not released in the UK until 1971, on the Decca compilation album Stone Age.
  25. I’m Free– Jagger Richards 9.6.65  The lyrics show Mick and Keith’s resilience in the face of the pressures of stardom- whereas Brian internalized it and suffered from it, they were able to stay free.
  26. As Tears Go By– Jagger Richards 10.26.65  This is the first song that Mick and Keith wrote together, even though along with Andrew they initially felt it was not suitable for the Stones to record, and instead gave the song to Marianne Faithfull, who had a hit with it in 1964.  Mick and Keith eventually recorded it without the rest of the band, with strings arranged by Mike Leander.  Released as the B side of 19th Nervous Breakdown in the UK.
  27. 19th Nervous Breakdown– Jagger Richards 12.8.65  Another song about the crushing effects of touring and pop star alienation, this also seems to refer to Brian’s deteriorating mental state.  The two guitar interplay is very strong here, with Keith adding a distorted riff at times.  Released as a single in February 1966, this made it to #2 in the UK and U.S. 
  28. Sad Day– Jagger Richards 12.9.65 An underrated song that would have fit comfortably on the Aftermath album.  The American B side to 19th Nervous Breakdown.
  29. Paint It, Black– Jagger Richards 3.6.66  The only song on this mix recorded in 1966, Paint It, Black originally did not feature this odd, Turkish sounding rhythm.  After several unsuccessful stabs at recording it, Bill Wyman started playing the chord changes on an organ with a mad, churning rhythm, poking fun at their former manager, Eric Easton, who at one time was the organist in a cinema pit.  Charlie picked up on the rhythm, and Brian added the distinctive sitar part.  Bill assumed this would be credited to Nanker Phelge because of each band member’s input, but he was surprised and disappointed when the single was released and credit for the song went to Jagger Richards.  

It’s odd that halfway through the recording of Aftermath, starting in 1966, Brian sort of refused to play guitar with Keith anymore.  Several tracks on the album feature his guitar and harmonica playing- especially Mother’s Little Helper, Doncha Bother Me, Goin Home, and It’s Not Easy- all but one recorded before the end of 1965.  During these sessions Brian would disappear for days at a time, although Keith noted later that Brian’s diverse contributions on dulcimer, marimba, vibraphone, sitar, recorder, mellotron and piano were spot on when he did show up.  

Most of their next two albums, Between the Buttons and Their Satanic Majesties Request (both released in 1967) still feature Brian prominently, but in a more isolated role, and usually not on guitar- Brian was fading away, and his last real contribution to the band would be on Beggars Banquet in 1968, notably his poignant slide guitar on No Expectations.

The success of Satisfaction put the Stones into the pop stratosphere, but it also did away with Nanker Phelge, and took Brian’s band away from him.

Brian Jones and Keith Richards demonstrating a ‘Nanker.’

Rocketman- An Elton John curation, pt. 5

This series was started over 10 years ago.  The Desert Island mix was done first, and that one was just my personal Elton faves, sort of avoiding most of the big hits.   I then made another mix that ended up being about half country and half gospel, so I obviously thought I could make two separate mixes out of it.  Fast forward to 2019, and I heard the RocketMan movie was coming out soon.  I went back to these mixes and made a few more.  This mix immediately came to mind- Nondescript Elton is not a putdown, just a category- a selection of the ‘other’ songs that perhaps weren’t as well loved as the classics, but represent discipline, hard work, excellent production, and the Taupin-John magic.  Right away I wanted to place Shoulder Holster next to You’re So Static, and Mellow next to Pinky. His less well-known songs are so finely crafted, with a workman like attitude, that they surpass the best songs of many other artists.  The point of these mixes is how good ALL of his material between Empty Sky and Blue Moves is.

Nondescript Elton 1969-1976

  1. Pinball Wizard Released as a promotional only single in the U.S. in 1975, Elton’s version of this song is from Ken Russell’s film version of Tommy.  The scene is many people’s favorite from the film- those boots! The song features the piano instead of guitar for the main riff, and features outstanding contributions from the Elton John Band Mach I- Dee Murray’s confident bass playing rivals John Entwistle.  The arrangement cleverly interpolates “I Can’t Explain” in various spots- see if you can spot where!  Elton’s second best cover song, after “Lucy in The Sky.”
  2. Sails Caleb Quaye shines here on electric guitar, treated with wah-wah and heavy reverb.  This is one of the strongest tracks from Empty Sky, released in England in 1969.
  3. I Think I’m Gonna Kill Myself  Humorously maudlin, a sprightly, tongue in cheek ode to suicide, this track again features outstanding bass playing by Dee Murray, and tap dancing by “Legs” Larry Smith.  From Honky Chateau, 1972.
  4. Elderberry Wine  A low profile wonder, this was the B side to “Daniel.”  After Caribou, this was the second Elton John album that I owned.  In those days department stores had a record section, and I distinctly remember asking my dad to buy me various Elton John albums whenever we’d wander in.  I asked for GYBR once, but my dad took it out of my hands and put it back in the rack.  But I was successful with this one- Don’t Shoot Me, 1973.
  5. Honey Roll  Funky honky-tonk piano and excellent drumming by Nigel Olsson help this low profile track succeed.  The drums are recorded so clearly, showcasing Nigel’s laconic, backbeat oriented style- it seemed he would leave as many spaces between beats as possible, and never fall out of the pocket.  In this one it feels like the drums are in the room with us.  From the Friends soundtrack, 1971.
  6. Grimsby Opinions differ as to the origin of this song- evidently Elton asked Bernie to write about this sleepy fishing village on the Lincolnshire coast of England because Randy Newman had immortalized Cleveland in his song Burn On.  Recorded with the full band, Elton also performed this solo on the Old Grey Whistle Test- dig that video up to see the essence of the riff.  From Caribou, 1974.
  7. Island Girl/Grow Some Funk of Your Own Both songs in this one-two punch from Rock of the Westies were released as singles from the album, with Island Girl reaching #1 in the U.S.  As great as it is, Island Girl is probably Elton’s weakest single- but this proves the point of this mix- other artists would kill to have a song of this caliber be one of their weakest.  Grow Some Funk of Your Own is built around a great riff, co-written by Davey Johnstone, that the Elton John Band Mach II would jam out on in their concerts.  Since the space between these songs is so short on the album but hard to recreate with mp3’s, for my cd mix I used a vinyl rip.
  8. (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket  Built around a heavy guitar riff, this is one of Elton’s hardest rocking tracks, even if it gets buried amidst all the great songs from the Captain Fantastic album.  Based on their desire to sell songs in order to eat, it is one of the more dense and oblique parts of this autobiographical album.  1975.
  9. One Horse Town Again built around great guitar riffs, at times embellished by the nimble string arrangement, which also closely follows the vocal melody in places.  Blue Moves also has many songs with American themes- One Horse Town is ironically about the deep south, even though it ends up sounding almost space age thanks to the slick production, James Newton Howard’s synthesizer parts and Paul Buckmaster’s string arrangement.  1976.
  10. Western Ford Gateway  This relatively unknown song from Elton’s very first album also features great guitar by Caleb Quaye, doubletracked for the main riff.  From Empty Sky, 1969.
  11. Stinker One of Elton’s only straight blues, with a minor blues change similar to “Pretzel Logic” by Steely Dan.  From Caribou, 1974.
  12. Mellow  Another low profile gem, this is a surprisingly steamy love song, extolling the virtues of rolling in bed with a lover, knocking over empty beer bottles.  Features a nearly unrecognizable violin solo by Jean Luc-Ponty, recorded through a Leslie speaker, as well as stately bass from Dee Murray.  From Honky Chateau, 1972.
  13. Pinky  This track fits neatly after Mellow, with a similar theme.  Comparing his lover’s perfection to the Fourth of July, it’s just one example of the overtly American themes on Caribou, 1974.
  14. Valhalla  This gentle tune about Viking heaven fits in with other mystical songs from the 60’s.  From Empty Sky, 1969.
  15. Shoulder Holster  Again featuring an American setting, this time a mid-western girl, Dolly Somers, who takes off after her unfaithful lover with a pistol ‘between her breast’ in a shoulder holster.  The hard hitting arrangement is punctuated by a great horn section by the Brecker Brothers, and a fine saxophone solo by David Sanborn.  Elton could write great music for the least interesting of Bernie’s lyrics, and still end up with a song that other artists would be happy to release.  Spoiler alert- Dolly follows her unfaithful husband across the country, finds him with his new girl, takes her gun out but decides not to use it, and tosses it into a ditch.  A rare double tracked Elton-only vocal, with the overdubbed second vocal taking the lower harmony line and the chorus vocal featuring a heavenly reverb, this song does not feature a guitar player.  Blue Moves, 1976.
  16. You’re So Static  This time taking place in New York City, here’s another of Bernie’s American themes from Caribou, about a prostitute who steals his watch.  With Davey’s guitar fed through a Leslie speaker and a wah-wah pedal, this lesser known track features the Tower of Power horn section in an arrangement that would sound at home on an Amy Winehouse track.  1974.
  17. High Flying Bird  Hidden as the last track on Don’t Shoot Me, hearing this one out of that context gives it new life.  Nondescript Elton, indeed.  1973.

This is the 5th post in this Elton series, and there are 5 left, but I will get to those later on.

Nondescript Elton from the Blue Moves LP.

Rocketman- an Elton John curation, pt. 4

This Elton mix features epics (and mini-epics.)  Even prog rock fans can see the beauty in Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, and there are several more extended and complex pieces here, which, when separated from the albums they were featured on, shine even more brilliantly.  Some of them have a dark, almost scary overtone- another deep, prominent color in Elton’s palette; almost always accompanied by edgy, complex orchestral arrangements.  I really recommend listening to the songs in this order- that’s the whole point of this exercise.  You can ALWAYS go back to the original albums, and after listening in this order, you’ll go back with open ears.

For those of you just joining this series, don’t miss the other installments!

Lowbrow Opera 1969-1976

  1. Funeral for A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding This extended piece is among his most well-known and loved.  The Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album remains his best-selling, and what an opener! Millions of us sat entranced staring at the amazing album cover as kids, being blown away by the visions this medley conjures.  Futuristic synthesizer and eerie sound effects, multiple monster guitar parts by Davey Johnstone, awesome claves by Ray Cooper? – all leading into one of Elton’s hardest rocking songs, lending this epic monstrosity perennial appeal.
  2. Medley: Yell Help, Wednesday Night, Ugly In 1975 Elton did the unthinkable- he fired Nigel Olsson and Dee Murray and formed a new Elton John band.  The first release was a laid back, groove laden album, Rock of the Westies, which indeed shows off this new band to spectacular effect.  The new members were old friends Caleb Quaye and Roger Pope, who had played on earlier EJ albums, as well as James Newton Howard.  This is another medley, albeit less bombastic than Funeral>Bleeding- more fun and lighter in subject matter- the first section is obscure lyrically, but it seems to be the punchline, presented before the joke. (In other words, this medley only becomes decipherable after repeated listenings.)  The third section is about a funky, UGLY prostitute the narrator falls for in the French Quarter, and features some of Elton’s wildest rocknroll vocals.  It also features Labelle on wild backing vocals in the coda.
  3. Tonight Blue Moves was the second album by the new band, but the songwriting, arrangements and production were much more well-crafted than Rock of the Westies.  By 1976 Elton’s reign was ending- punk had arrived and music was trending away from the type of pop of which he had been the almost untouchable, indisputable king since 1972.  Blue Moves was the culmination of this reign, and even though it ONLY reached #3 on the U.S. Billboard album chart, a relative failure for Elton that other artists only dream of, it  was almost universally panned at the time as overly slick and weepy.  It took me years to fully enjoy the album, since by 1976 KISS had taken over for me and my friends, and Elton was suddenly passé.  But I have since realized that this is perhaps his most perfectly realized album- Elton considers it his favorite.  Tonight is a ballad with an extended orchestral arrangement that certainly belongs in this list of epics.
  4. First Episode at Hienton An underappreciated mini opera from the Elton John album, 1970.  The story is about first love- a girl becoming a woman.   The location Hienton remains mysterious, but this song seems invulnerable to time and place- it exists strongly in the mind of the listener.
  5. Candle in The Wind I love the juxtaposition of this popular and well known epic song among some of the lesser-known pieces.  A true classic from GYBR, 1973, in loving tribute to Marilyn Monroe.
  6. Tower of Babel A mini epic, again shining on its own released from the original running order.  It refers to the seedy underbelly of… Hollywood, and the movie business?  London, and the music business?  New York, with every drug imaginable readily available?  

It’s party time for the guys in the Tower of Babel, Sodom meet Gomorrah, Cain meet Abel

Have a ball, y’all  See the leches crawl, with the call girls under the table…

Shades of Marilyn…  From Captain Fantastic, 1975.

  • Hard Luck Story This had been previously recorded by Kiki Dee, who it was originally written for. The writing credit goes to Ann Orson/Carte Blanche- a pseudonym Elton came up with for songs he wrote the music and lyrics to (An ‘orse an’ cart / carte blanche.)  The fade up at the beginning of the song is similar to the one used on Social Disease, as well as the next song.  From Rock of the Westies, 1975.
  • Crazy Water Another well produced, well arranged track with a slight fade up, this song is one of several that must have seemed incredibly boring at the time- perhaps because they so clearly represent that the writers and have grown into early middle age.  Again, as time has passed this one now seems comfortably well adjusted.  What a band- listen to how James Newton Howard’s clavinet locks the rhythm section together!  Super imaginative and complex backing vocals too.  Blue Moves, 1976.
  • I Need You to Turn To An operatic love song, with harpsichord and prominent string arrangement, from the Elton John album, 1970. It occurs to me that this album was made in obscurity and later became very well known, whereas Blue Moves was released under the intense scrutiny of Elton’s fame, and yet they generally share the same mature subject matter- appreciated in the first album, excoriated in the latter.
  • I’ve Seen That Movie Too This cinematic, atmospheric song can also stand mightily on its own, taken out of the context of the original album.  It perfectly evokes a smoky, darkened movie theatre; a lonely, spurned lover in the audience being painfully reminded of lost love by the story of some low budget ‘B film.’  GYBR, 1973.
  • The Greatest Discovery This is about a new baby brother joining a family, seemingly from another child’s point of view.  Several songs from this album seem wise beyond their years- this one again features harp, cello and a lovely string arrangement, as well as Elton’s piano and a drummer.  From Elton John, 1970.
  • Madman Across the Water The song embodies, perhaps most fully and concisely of any of these, Elton’s propensity to write EPIC songs. From the album of the same name, 1971.
  • Gulliver/Hay Chewed The final track from Elton’s first album, Empty Sky, released in England in 1969, which wasn’t released until 1975 in the U.S.  Many of us always consider ‘Elton John’ to be his first album- one reason I kept going back and refining these mixes was that I needed to incorporate more songs from Empty Sky- I have definitely listened to it WAY less than his others.  This track starts with an ominous, epic ballad, then gives way to a jazz influenced jam, which is followed by snippets of each song from the album.  
  • Out of the Blue  When Blue Moves was released, one of the things the negative reviews mentioned was that there were several instrumentals done ‘to the exclusion of sense.’  But this tune is a showcase for the band, both collectively and individually as soloists. Elton’s piano solo has overtones of atonal jazz, with some Latin sounds as well, leading into well-arranged stops, and back to the head.  A section of it was used as the closing title music for Top Gear, a British TV music program.  Oddly, credit for the music goes to Elton and Bernie.  Blue Moves, 1976.
The CD booklet page for Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding.

Rocketman- An Elton John curation, pt. 3

Gospel is an obvious category for Elton’s music, even though it took me several months to shake out all the ‘Gospel’ songs from his 1969-1976 catalog.  I’m sure there are more gospel influenced songs from the albums released after 1976 too.  Elton is a white boy from Pinner, but he’s very comfortable writing, arranging and performing with a gospel feel.

Several of the songs feature gospel choirs, even ‘Bite Your Lip’ which could be described as disco gospel.  Others have church or religious themes, even if the music is full on rock.

Elton Gospel 1970-1976

  1. Border Song This was famously covered by Aretha Franklin, and Elton sang it with her on her Duets special in 1993.  Elton himself actually wrote the last verse.  One of his most perfect songs, with almost universal appeal. From Elton John, 1970.
  2. Salvation  A hopeful song that generally doesn’t get a lot of attention, but fits in this list perfectly.  Excellent bass playing from Dee Murray.  From Honky Chateau, 1972.
  3. If There’s A God in Heaven, What’s He Waiting For? Excellent vocal, featuring Elton’s full range and a fantastic arrangement- check how the strings mesh with the guitar solo.  From Blue Moves, 1976.
  4. All the Nasties An autobiographical piece, for which Elton wrote many of the lyrics, this was a veiled ‘coming out’ song that was too obscure lyrically to have a big impact on the public.  From Madman Across the Water, 1971.
  5. Sugar on the Floor   Written by Kiki Dee. Elton performs this one solo on piano, except for slide guitar from Davey Johnstone, and he delivers an impassioned vocal which this gospel ballad deserves.  The B side of Island Girl, 1975.
  6. Where’s the Shoorah? The debate goes on about the exact meaning of ‘shoorah.’  Some say it refers to a Hebrew sentence or verse, and others claim it is a council or debate among many on a topic.  Whatever the meaning, Elton transforms this into a somber gospel song that is a hidden surprise in his catalog.  From Blue Moves, 1976.
  7. Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me A giant hit in 1974, Elton always disliked his own performance on it, even though he ended up being nominated for a Grammy for best pop vocal, male.  Background vocals from Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson, and Toni Tennille.  From Caribou, 1974.
  8. Someone Saved My Life Tonight Another big hit from 1975, this autobiographical song tells the story of Elton’s attempted suicide in the late 60’s- in his own words, “a very Woody Allen-type suicide.”  He stuck his head in the oven, turned on the gas, opened all the windows, and waited to be rescued!  On the Rocketman dvd there is a deleted scene depicting this story, which was brought on by his imminent marriage to a woman, which he knew he could not consummate.
  9. Boogie Pilgrim Gospel funk!  Complex horn arrangements featuring the Brecker brothers, tasty slide guitar by Davey Johnstone, and outrageous bass playing by Kenny Passarelli.  From Blue Moves, 1976.
  10. Burn Down the Mission A Civil War period piece from Tumbleweed Connection.  Elton has said in interviews that the tempo changes were influenced by Laura Nyro.
  11. Can I Put You On A very under-appreciated track from the Friends soundtrack that was also released on the live album 11.17.70.  Here, as in several songs in this list, the end builds up to a gospel flavored peak, while most of the song is a mid-tempo funky rocker.  Great wah-wah guitar from Caleb Quaye.
  12. Where to Now, St. Peter?  No gospel music here, but rather full on rock.  Told from the point of view of a Civil War soldier waiting at the pearly gates for St. Peter to let him know which way he should go.  More wah-wah from Caleb.  From Tumbleweed Connection, 1970.
  13. Sixty Years On Another one that’s not really gospel, but the subject matter concerns an aging narrator returning to the church.  This version is very much a studio creation with harp and a prominent string arrangement, although the live version from 11.17.70 shows that Elton, Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson could sound just as orchestral.  From Elton John, 1970.
  14. My Father’s Gun This could have been included on the country mix as well, since its subject matter is the thoughts of a Rebel soldier returning home after the Civil War, but the awesome build up at the end make  gospel the prevailing attribute. From Tumbleweed Connection, 1970.
  15. Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!) Funky rock dance tune, not quite disco, but real close- featuring a choir that must have loved recording this- you can imagine them dancing away!  From Blue Moves, 1976.
The label from the 45 of Aretha Franklin’s version of Border Song.

Rocketman- an Elton John curation, pt. 2

Putting this list together was super insightful- Elton has written and recorded many songs that could be loosely classified as country.  If not the music itself, then the subject matter and instrumentation- but you’d be surprised how often he reaches into his bag of tricks to write, arrange and sing as if he was born in Kentucky.  

This goes double for Bernie, the Brown Dirt Cowboy. Bernie was born on a farm, and spent his youth in the countryside of Lincolnshire.  He must have seen a few western movies as a kid, and they seem to have made a lasting impression.  In the film Rocketman, their first meeting ended with them singing “The Streets of Laredo” in a café with the other customers looking on.  Country roots indeed.

Elton Country 1970-1976

1.   Ballad of A Well Known Gun The Band’s influence is huge on this track, especially the guitar playing.  Listen at 2:54 for some the best Robbie Robertson licks this side of… Robbie Robertson.  (The guitar in question was played by Caleb Quaye, and the drums are by Roger Pope, both of whom would later return for a stint in the Elton John Band mach II.) The subject matter brings us back to the wild west- a gunslinger on the run.  Tumbleweed Connection, 1970.

2.   Jackrabbit  B side of Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting, from the GYBR sessions, 1973.  Elton could write music in seemingly ANY style- here’s some bluegrass boogie with Davey Johnstone on mandolin.

3.   Dixie Lily Taken out of context, this innocuous song about a steamboat heading down the Mississippi suddenly stands out.  A hidden country gem from Caribou, 1974.

4.   Country Comfort  How does he do this?  He had only been in America briefly at this point, and usually on tour, playing show after show and flying back to England.  How does he write a genuine country song to die for?  Rod Stewart did an excellent cover of this song.  Tumbleweed Connection, 1970.

5.   Holiday Inn The pitfalls of an English touring musician in the States.  Davey Johnstone had initially been hired because of his acoustic abilities, he’s featured here on mandolin.  Madman Across the Water, 1971.

6.   Between Seventeen and Twenty  At first listen, in the context of the album it was originally on, this doesn’t sound like country, but in this setting it fits perfectly.  More mandolin by Davey Johnstone, and a twangy electric solo from Caleb Quaye- an underappreciated song from Blue Moves, 1976.  

7.   Texan Love Song Prescient subject matter in 2021- good ole boys from Texas, mourning the long haired hippy liberals stealing their girlfriends, and disrespecting their president.  

      “The minds of our daughters are poisoned by you, With your communistic politics and those Negro blues…”  

       Yes, more mandolin from Davey.  From Don’t Shoot Me, 1973.

8.   Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy  Bernie and Elton letting their roots show- an autobiographical tour de force.  Again, amazingly authentic, and again, Davey on mandolin.  From the album of the same name, 1975.

9.   Slave This was one of the easiest and most satisfying Elton mixes to work on.  He certainly isn’t renowned for the facility with which he and Bernie wrote and Elton performed with such hillbilly songs, but they are EVERYWHERE on his albums.  Davey on banjo this time. From Honky Chateau, 1972.

10. Cage The Songbird  Another sneaky country song from Blue Moves, this time as a tribute to Edith Piaf. David Crosby and Graham Nash on vocals.

11. Roy Rogers  I rest my case.  Elton on a rare double tracked harmony vocal.  Dolly Parton could easily do a convincing cover!  GYBR, 1973.

12. Social Disease  More banjo from Davey Johnstone, not to mention precise tambourine by Ray Cooper. 

13. No Shoestrings on Louise This seems to be about a madam at a whorehouse.  Someone has suggested on Wikipedia that this was intended as an homage to the Rolling Stones, and if so it succeeds.  From the Elton John album, 1970.

14. Rotten Peaches  Written from the point of view of an inmate at a “U.S. state prison.” Country gospel from Madman Across the Water, 1971.  Exquisite bass by Dee Murray.

15. Son of Your Father Misunderstanding and murder on an East Virginia farm.  Chromatic harp gives this a honkytonk feel.  Tumbleweed Connection, 1970.

16. Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future) Along with Rocket Man and I’ve Seen the Saucers, here’s yet another Taupin-John song about a space traveler.  Country funk from Rock of the Westies, 1975.

17. The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-1934) This one isn’t country music, but it’s definitely country in theme.  

      “We’re running short of heroes, back up here in the hills, without Danny Bailey we’re gonna have to break up our stills.  So mark his grave well, cos Kentucky loved him, born and raised proper, I guess life just bugged him.”  

       Enthusiastic strings arranged by Del Newman.  GYBR, 1973.

18. Planes  Even Elton’s extra songs are better than many artist’s A sides.  Unreleased bonus track, mandolin by guess who, from Rock of The Westies, 1975.

19. House of Cards  The B side of Someone Saved My Life Tonight, 1975.

Elton and Bernie on the cover of Tumbleweed Connection, a snapshot from their collective country consciousness.

Rocketman- an Elton John curation.

I went to see Rocketman in a movie theatre in June of 2019.  (Remember going to a theatre to see a movie?)  It was a revelation- as big of an Elton fan as I have been throughout my life, I never knew many details of his childhood that are wonderfully depicted in the film. Like many people I noticed that the songs in the film were not in chronological order, but this hardly mattered- the songs served the screenplay well.  Rocketman is exceedingly honest, and it’s hard not to develop a deep empathy for Elton that is rare in such biopics.

After seeing the film I went back to some mixes I had started 10 years earlier, and began to refine and expand them.  I had started with the mix below- my own personal favorite Elton songs, popular or not.  I had also done a Country mix, and a Gospel mix, which were obvious categories to place his songs in.  The scene in the film where Elton writes Your Song really touched a nerve- I hadn’t listened to that song with an open mind for many years, and now I went back and made a mix of his most famous songs, favorites or not.  And then I realized ALL of his songs were worth listening to, and I was determined to use EVERY song he recorded between 1969 and 1976.

So I ended up with TEN mixes.  Having listened to his albums so many times over the years it was liberating to hear the songs out of their original context and instead put them together by subject matter, style, etc.- essentially these mixes are curated like paintings in an exhibition.  The mixes reinforce the point that ALL of his songs were of the highest caliber, whether they were obscure album tracks, instantly recognizable singles, or rare B sides.  I also included a few songs that Elton played on with other artists during his meteoric career from 1969 to 1976.

I secretly wished I could send the mixes to Elton and Bernie.  I actually sent Bernie a message on his website about them.  Then, lo and behold, in November of 2020, Elton released a box set of HIS OWN curated mixes, along with two discs worth of rare B sides.  I haven’t seen the actual track listing for this set, called Jewel Box, but I know that mine is more detailed, and Monika can tell you just how much time I spent listening to and making slight changes to each one last year.  (A LOT of time.)

The idea was out there in the universe, and now it’s here for you to enjoy.  The premise of my blog is to point people back to deep listening- not an attack on the Spotify concept, but rather an invitation to look up songs for your playlists.  Most of my posts consist of a mix that was done on an 80 minute cd, and this one is no different.  I’ll be posting all ten throughout the year.  

(For some background on my history with Elton, see my previous post about Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.) https://jeffsanchezwordsandmusic.com/2013/10/.

#1 Desert Island Elton 1970-1976

  1. Your Starter For…  A rare instrumental track, this was actually written by guitarist Caleb Quaye and shows off the tight Elton John Band mach II, as well as Gus Dudgeon’s outstanding recording and production skills.  From Blue Moves, 1976.
  2. Friends  Elton has SO many more-than-great songs- although lesser known, this album is well worth finding.  From the Friends soundtrack, 1971.
  3. Skyline Pigeon  The original version of this was on Empty Sky- this version is a sublime remake that wound up as the B side of the Daniel single, 1973.  
  4. This Song Has No Title  This song took me a while to appreciate- as an 8 year old it sailed over my head, but now it’s obviously a favorite.  Artists only.  From GYBR, 1973.
  5. Come Down in Time  Beautifully arranged, written and performed, an exquisite love song.  From Tumbleweed Connection, 1970.
  6. Philadelphia Freedom  Written for Elton’s friend Billie Jean King, a perfect song in every way.  Released as a stand-alone single, 1975.
  7. Sweet Painted Lady  A true depiction of a sailor’s life, this one became quite dear to me during my time in the merchant marines, especially when visiting the former Soviet Georgia on the Black Sea.  GYBR, 1973.
  8. Amoreena  I wonder if Bernie made up this name as a play on the Latin word for love.  From Tumbleweed Connection, 1970.
  9. Bennie and the Jets  Elton was surprised when this became a MONSTER hit- it even went to #1 on the soul charts.  Sheer perfection. One of Donald Fagen’s favorite songs as well.  GYBR, 1973.
  10. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds  Such was Elton’s confidence in the mid-seventies that he chose to remake a Beatles classic, and actually IMPROVE on it.  Featuring John Lennon on guitar and vocals, this was a stand-alone single in 1974.
  11. Whatever Gets You Through the Night  As I was refining these mixes it occurred to me there was nothing stopping me from including this, even though it was written by John Lennon.  From Walls and Bridges, 1974, Elton on piano and vocals.
  12. One Day at A Time  A rare B side, again written by John Lennon, and featuring a beautiful piano solo from Elton. It was the B side to Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.
  13. Empty Garden  This particular sequence of Elton/John Lennon collaborations had to include this sad tribute.  It was a single from the Jump Up album, 1982.
  14. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters  The penultimate song in the Lennon sequence on this mix, made ever more poignant in this context.  From Honky Chateau, 1972.
  15. Levon  It’s hard to pick just one favorite Elton John song, but this one comes mighty close.  From Madman Across the Water, 1971.
  16. We All Fall in Love Sometimes  Another one that took me years to appreciate, but of course it’s never too late.  From Captain Fantastic, 1975.
  17. Harmony  Yet another nearly perfect song.  GYBR, 1973.
  18. The King Must Die  Long Live the KING!  From Elton John, 1970.
  19. I Saw Her Standing There (live)  The last song of my Lennon sequence, this is from John’s last concert appearance in 1974 with the Elton John Band, mach I.  Elton thought Whatever Gets You Through the Night was good enough to go to #1, and he made Lennon promise that if it did he would make a guest appearance at one of his concerts.  B side of Philadelphia Freedom, 1975.
  20. Variation on Friends  Another instrumental, with kudos to Paul Buckmaster.  From Friends, 1971.
A snap I took in the theatre.

The Rolling Stones, cover band, pt. 2.

After the two year period (1966-1968) when the Stones didn’t record any covers, the blueprint for their next phase was started with Beggars Banquet.  This album featured all Jagger-Richards compositions except for Prodigal Son, written by Reverend Robert Wilkins.  Most of the studio albums the band released since then have a similar balance of 95% original, 5% covers, and six albums have no covers at all- Goats Head Soup, Emotional Rescue, Tattoo You, Steel Wheels, Voodoo Lounge, and Bridges to Babylon.  Another tradition started on Beggars Banquet is that Keith would hereafter usually sing one song per album.  (He sings three on Bridges to Babylon.) The list features a Keith Richards solo single, as well as a song recorded by Peter Tosh featuring Mick Jagger.

Interestingly, the Stones went back to the well of older blues artists, 60’s Motown, Soul, and, of course, Chuck Berry during this period, (1968-2002.)

  1. Prodigal Son– May-June 1968.  Reverend Robert Wilkins. A folk blues cover, apparently featuring Brian Jones on harmonica, although it’s way down in the mix.
  2. Love in Vain– February-March 1969.  Robert Johnson.  This heartfelt rearrangement of classic blues has an almost country feel, with several chords added to the progression.
  3. I Don’t Know Why– June-July 1969.  Stevie Wonder. This was recorded during the first series of sessions with Mick Taylor in 1969, but not released until 1975 on the Metamorphosis album.  Features killer slide guitar from Taylor, who had just recently replaced Brian Jones.
  4. Little Queenie– 11/28/69. Chuck Berry.  Recorded during the 1969 tour and released on Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out.  The Beatles had also included this in their early live shows, but never recorded it.
  5. You Gotta Move– 12/4/69.  Mississippi Fred McDowell.  From Sticky Fingers, with Mick Taylor again giving it his slide treatment.
  6. Let it Rock- 3/13/71.  Chuck Berry. This live track was released as the B side of Brown Sugar in the UK.
  7. Shake Your Hips– June-October 1971. Slim Harpo.  A very faithful version- their second Slim Harpo cover, this one from Exile on Main St., with outstanding vocals and harmonica by Mick Jagger.
  8. Stop Breaking Down– June-October 1971.  Robert Johnson. Jagger’s harmonica again lifts this track into the stratosphere, not to mention Mick Taylor’s slide.
  9. Ain’t Too Proud to Beg– 11/14/73. Norman Whitfield-Edward Holland.  Recorded by the Temptations.  The Stones again make this Motown nugget their own.
  10. Cherry Oh Baby– 12/14/74 Eric Donaldson.  Released on Black and Blue, the first Stones studio album to feature Ronnie Wood.
  11. Mannish Boy– 3/5/77. Muddy Waters. Live at the El Mocambo Club just after Keith’s Canadian drug bust.  This fantastic cover and the next two were released as side three of Love You Live, along with Little Red Rooster.  Evidently guitar and harmonica were overdubbed in the studio later on.
  12. Cracking Up– 3/5/77 Bo Diddley.  The Stones gave this one a distinct reggae feel.
  13. Around and Around– 3/5/77. Chuck Berry.  The definitive version of the Stones covering Chuck Berry- no overdubs were added to this track.  What a band!
  14. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)– October- December 1977. Norman Whitfield-Barret Strong.  The original is quite soft and tender- the Stones rock it out and yet remain faithful to the Temptations version.
  15. (You Gotta Walk) Don’t Look Back- 1978.  Smokey Robinson, Ronald White.  Another one originally recorded by the Temptations.  Mick Jagger and Keith Richards both made guest appearances on Peter Tosh’s 1978 album, Bush Doctor, released on Rolling Stones Records.  Mick sang on this track, and performed it with Peter on Saturday Night Live and a few shows during their 1978 tour, for which Tosh’s band was the opening act.
  16. Run Rudolph Run– December 1978.  Chuck Berry.  A Keith Richards solo single, released to coincide with Christmas!
  17. The Harder They Come– Jimmy Cliff.  The B side of Run Rudolph Run.  Keith was heavily influenced by reggae, and especially the soundtrack to the film The Harder They Come.
  18. Goin’ To A Go-Go– 12/9/81- Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, Bobby Rogers, Marvin Tarplin. Smokey and the Miracles originally released this in 1966.  This version is from the live album Still Life, and was a popular single in 1982.
  19. Harlem Shuffle– April-June 1985. Bob and Earl.  The original was recorded in 1963.
  20. Too Rude– April- June 1985. HalfPint. The original song was called Winsome- Keith adapted the tune and changed the title.  Authentic dub reggae.
  21. Love Train– Live only, 2002-2003. The O’Jays.  Anyone have a recording of the Stones doing this?  I’d love to hear it!

The Stones were now an original band that sometimes did covers.  They never lost their roots! This post is dedicated to the memory of Phil Spector, who worked with the Stones in 1964.

The Rolling Stones- cover band, pt. 1.

The Rolling Stones started as a cover band.  Most of their early albums are chock full of blues, RnB, Motown, pop and even country covers- some well-known, many obscure; most of them well chosen.  Once they broke through in America with ‘Satisfaction’ Mick and Keith worked hard at writing more and more original songs.  They released the Aftermath album in 1966, their first album of all original material, and their next two albums (Between the Buttons and Their Satanic Majesties Request) had no covers at all.  Starting again with Beggars Banquet in 1968 and continuing well into the 80’s, their albums consisted mostly of original Jagger-Richards songs and generally one cover per album.  

The early Stones recordings feature the imaginative and visionary musicianship of Brian Jones- his authentic slide guitar parts and outstanding harmonica playing make many of these blues covers entirely valid.  “He plays with a finesse with which few white guitarists have been able to compete.” – (from The Rolling Stones, All The Songs, page 86.)  Duane Allman, Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, John Fogerty, Alvin Lee and so many other guitarists owe Brian a huge debt.  Later he veered off into playing dulcimer, vibes, mellotron, sitar, autoharp, recorder, etc., and the band’s sound became more diverse, but perhaps less rocknroll.  Keith always wished Brian would have stayed with guitar, and as soon as Mick Taylor came in to replace Brian the two-guitar assault returned.

I started collecting records when I was 8 years old, and so by the time I was in my early teens I had ‘outgrown the ordinary.’  During those years I went from Elton John to KISS to The Doors and then the Stones, and I bought all the used Stones LP’s I could find.  Like the Beatles, the British and American Stones LP’s had VERY different song selections- the American releases would include hit singles, which were almost always separate from the British album releases.  I have often said that I’m glad I heard all the early American Stones albums on cheap stereos- there is nothing so anarchic than these obscure songs, sometimes in ‘mono reprocessed for stereo’ blasting out of a cheap stereo with an old, worn needle.  Maybe that’s why the mono sounds so great today!  The Rolling Stones mono box set is essential- it contains both the British and American versions of these early Stones albums, in glorious mono.  Also, the recent Stones compilation called GRRR! includes many of these early gems.

The original Rolling Stones lineup with Brian Jones was a well oiled machine, effortlessly combining blues, RnB, Motown and soul ballads.  The Stones eventually combined these influences in their original songs to become the band as we know them today- the greatest rocknroll band in the world.

Here’s a list of their recorded covers, in chronological order of the recording sessions, from 1963 to 1965- Forty five songs recorded in just slightly more than two years. The list of their original compositions from this same period is MUCH shorter, although it’s just as interesting. 

  1.  Come On– Chuck Berry.  5/10/63 This is the very first recording released by the Stones, and their first single, chosen by Andrew Loog Oldham.  The Stones always disliked it and refused to perform it in their shows- it is very uncharacteristically pop, featuring a spiffy arrangement with a modulation! It made the charts however, and to Oldham’s credit, probably did make it possible for the Stones to record their first album.
  2. I Want to Be Loved– Willie Dixon, recorded by Muddy Waters.  5/10/63 The B side of the first single, a slightly sped up blues.
  3. Fortune Teller– 7/9/63 Allen Toussaint, recorded by Benny Spellman.  It’s hard to think of the Stones doing ‘novelty’ tunes, but here you go!
  4. Bye Bye Johnny– 8/8/63 Chuck Berry.  The second of SEVEN Chuck Berry covers by the Stones, 1963-1965.  They would record several more in later years, live in concert.
  5. You Better Move On– 8/8/63 Arthur Alexander.  A very faithful folk-soul cover, linking the band to the Beatles, who covered Alexander’s “Anna.”
  6. I Wanna Be Your Man– 10/7/63 Lennon-McCartney.    Also recorded by the Beatles on their second album, this version is a sped up, zoomed out cacophony with Brian’s searing slide part leading the way.  
  7. Money– 11/14/63 Berry Gordy, Janie Bradford, Barrett Strong, recorded by Barrett Strong.  The Beatles also covered this classic.
  8. Poison Ivy– 11/14/63 Lieber-Stoller, recorded by The Coasters.  More novelty pop- but they rock this one out!
  9. Route 66– 1/3/64 Bobby Troup, recorded by Nat King Cole.  While the original is a smooth jazz romp, the Stones make it almost punk with the energy they give it.
  10. Carol– 1/3/64 Chuck Berry.  This version is fast- the Stones kept it in their set list throughout the years, slowing it down slightly.
  11. Mona (I Need You Baby)– 1/3/64 Bo Diddley.  Brian’s tremolo laden guitar gives this tremendous authenticity.
  12. Not Fade Away– 1/10/64 Buddy Holly.  Keith came up with the two chord intro that the Grateful Dead would continue to use in their live shows. Brian on harmonica.
  13. Can I Get A Witness– 2/4/64 Holland-Dozier-Holland, recorded by Marvin Gaye.  This sounds like a gospel rave up with Ian Stewart’s organ to the fore.
  14. I Just Want to Make Love To You– 2/24/64 Willie Dixon, recorded by Muddy Waters.  Another blues cover that reaches punk energy levels.
  15. Honest I Do– 2/24/64 Jimmy Reed.  A mid-tempo blues, showing that the Stones could play a plethora of styles and tempos.
  16. I’m A King Bee– 2/24/64 Slim Harpo. One of two covers of Slim Harpo by the Stones, again given an authentic sound by Brian’s slide guitar playing.
  17. You Can Make It If You Try– 2/24/64 Ted Jarret, recorded by Gene Allison.  A showcase for Mick’s interpretive vocal style.
  18. Walking The Dog– 2/24/64 Rufus Thomas.  The Stones make this tune their own- with a rare Brian Jones backing vocal (and whistles.)
  19. It’s All Over Now– 6/10/64 Bobby and Shirley Womack, recorded by the Valentinos.  One of the Stones’ most well-known cover versions.
  20. I Can’t Be Satisfied– 6/10/64 Muddy Waters.  An underappreciated track- again, Brian’s masterful slide guitar gives this cover lasting validity. It was his personal favorite!
  21. If You Need Me– 6/11/64 Wilson Pickett, recorded by Solomon Burke.  Another gospel tinged ballad, showing the Stones’ versatility.
  22. Confessin’ the Blues– 6/11/64 Jay McShann and Walter Brown.
  23. Around and Around– 6/11/64 Chuck Berry.  This song stayed in the Stones’ repertoire for years, although it got faster as the years went by, especially in the excellent live version on Love You Live, recorded at the El Mocambo Club.
  24. Down  the Road Apiece– 6/11/64 Don Raye, recorded by the Will Bradley Trio, and Chuck Berry. Originally a boogie woogie tune, the Stones identified more with Chuck Berry’s rocked up version.
  25. Look What You’ve Done– 6/11/64 Muddy Waters.  They often chose more obscure songs to cover- if they liked it, they did it.
  26. Time is on My Side– 11/8/64 Jerry Ragavoy, recorded by Irma Thomas.  Another very well-known Stones cover.
  27. Little Red Rooster– 9/2/64 Willie Dixon, recorded by Howlin’ Wolf.  This was a milestone, and a testament to the Stones devotion to American blues artists.   They insisted it be released as a single- against Andrew Oldham’s objections- and it went to #1 in the UK.
  28. Under the Boardwalk- 9/2/64 Arthur Resnick and Kenny Young, recorded by The Drifters.  Recorded the same day as Little Red Rooster, this pop cover again showcases their versatility as a cover band.
  29. You Can’t Catch Me– 9/28/64 Chuck Berry.  John Lennon borrowed lyrics from this song for Come Together.
  30. Susie Q– 9/28/64 Dale Hawkins. Also famously covered by Creedence Clearwater Revival 3 years later, complete with a slowed down, swamp blues groove, and an extended psychedelic guitar solo.
  31. Pain in My Heart– 11/2/64 Allen Toussaint, recorded by Otis Redding. Soul ballads were a big part of their multifaceted repertoire.
  32. Everybody Needs Somebody to Love– 11/2/64 Bert Berns, recorded by Solomon Burke.  Later famously covered by the Blues Brothers (and stolen by the Clams.)
  33. Down Home Girl– 11/2/64 Jerry Leiber and Arthur Butler, recorded by Alvin Robinson.  The Stones make this their own, with a swampy mid-tempo groove.
  34. Hitch Hike– 11/2/64 Marvin Gaye, Clarence Paul, Mickey Stephenson, recorded by Marvin Gaye.  Performed by Marvin Gaye on the TAMI show, the Stones give it a rock n roll treatment, replacing the flute solo in the original with a minor key Keith Richards solo.
  35. Oh, Baby (We Got A Good Thing Goin’)– 11/2/64 Barbara Lynn Ozen.  The Stones learned this one in the studio just hours before recording it, and make it sound like they’d been playing it for years.  No cover was out of bounds- even songs by female singers.
  36. I’m Moving On– 3/6/65 Hank Snow.  The Stones took this pure country tune and turned it into an ominous sounding rocknroll workout, complete with Brain’s squealing slide. Recorded live in concert in 1965.
  37. I’m Alright– 3/6/65  Bo Diddley.  Another cover from their Got Live if You Want It EP.
  38. Mercy Mercy– 5/10/65 Don Covay, Ronald Dean Miller, recorded by Don Covay and the Goodtimers, featuring Jimi Hendrix and Bernard Purdie.  Finding an old single of this original version in Steve’s 45’s led to this exploration of the Stones’ covers.  
  39. That’s How Strong My Love Is– 5/10/65 Roosevelt Jamison, recorded by Otis Redding.  The Stones recorded three songs that Otis sang, and he returned the compliment with an awesome version of Satisfaction, improvising his own lyrics.
  40. I’ve Been Loving You Too Long– 5/11/65 Otis Redding. This soul ballad features some of Mick’s best singing, and Keith manages to sound just like Steve Cropper.
  41. My Girl– 5/12/65 Smokey Robinson, Ronald White, recorded by The Temptations.  The Stones attempt at this Motown classic is reverent and faithful, if not slightly out of character.  They recorded several Temptations covers throughout the years.
  42. Good Times– 5/13/65 Sam Cooke.  Again showcasing their love of straightforward pop, the Stones sound just as at home in this style as the blues or RnB.
  43. Cry To Me– 5/13/65 Bert Berns, recorded by Solomon Burke.  Soul ballads are very common in the Stones’ cover repertoire.  Great interplay between Mick’s vocal and Keith’s lead guitar.
  44. She Said Yeah– 9/6/65 Sonny Bono, Roddy Jackson, recorded by Larry Williams.  This doesn’t SOUND like punk, it IS punk. Another link to the Beatles, who covered Williams’ Dizzy Miss Lizzie and Bad Boy.
  45. Talkin’ Bout You– 9/15/65 Chuck Berry.  Another Chuck Berry tune, their seventh, this was the last cover they recorded until 1968.  The Stones had by this time synthesized all of this material into their own style.

Look up these covers and the original versions up on Spotify- you won’t be disappointed- you’ll be amazed and surprised!

Two great Rolling Stones’ discographies.
The Rolling Stones Mono Box Set.