Pepper Street Alpha Song Facts and Trivia
The information herein is mostly taken from Wikipedia and Songfacts.com.
“867-5309 / Jenny” – Tommy Tutone, 1981, Chart Position #4:
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This song was composed by songwriter Alex Call and Tommy Tutone‘s guitarist, Jim Keller. Tommy Tutone is the name of the band, not the lead singer. The group, led by Tommy Heath and Jim Keller, formed in 1978 and originally called itself Tommy and the Two-Tones. They had a minor hit 2 years earlier with "Angel Say No," which went to #38 in the US. Thought by many to be a “One-Hit Wonder” band, Tommy Tutone actually released five albums spanning 1980 to 1998. The band never thought “867-5309” would make a record. Alex later spoke about the song in an interview, “…it really didn't have a lot of promotion to begin with, but it was one of those songs that got a lot of requests and stayed on the charts. It was on the charts for 40 weeks. The album with “867-5309,” Tommy Tutone 2, reached #20 on the Billboard 200 Chart.
Hundreds of thousands of people across the country actually dialed this number. With all the telephone exchanges across the US, there are scores of stories of unfortunate people who actually had 867-5309 as their number. In 2004, (212) 867-5309 was up for auction on eBay and the bidding reached $80,000 until eBay terminated the auction, the result of a phone company decision that individuals can not own a phone number. Girls often use this number as a brush-off when asked by men they don't want to date.
“Addicted to Love” – Robert Palmer, 1985, Chart Position #1:
“Addicted to Love” was written by Robert Palmer (1949 – 2003). Palmer wanted this song to be a duet with Chaka Khan and recorded it with her. His label, Warner Brothers Records, would not allow her voice to be used on the record, so he had to erase her part and re-record her high notes before releasing it. Chaka Khan did appear on Steve Winwood's "Higher Love," which beat out this song for the 1987 Record of the Year Grammy. The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week ending 8 February 1986. The song ended up topping the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart. It was one of the last 45 RPM singles to receive a million-selling Gold certification. It also reached number one in Australia, and number five on the UN Singles Chart. The music video, featuring models dressed and made up in the style of Patrick Nagel paintings ranked at number 3 on VH1's Top 20 Videos of the 1980’s. “Addicted to Love” was Robert Palmer’s signature song.
“Ain’t Even Done With the Night” – John Cougar, 1980,
Chart Position #17:
“Ain’t Even Done With the Night” was written by John Mellencamp and is from the album Nothin' Matters and What If It Did, John Mellencamp’s fourth released album, under his pseudonym of John Cougar.
“Amazed” – Lonestar, 1999, Chart Position #1:
"Amazed" was written by Marv Green, Aimee Mayo, and Chris Lindsey. The first version of the song was recorded by the American country music group Lonestar. Their version was released in March 1999, the second single from their 1999 album Lonely Grill. Lonestar's version is their longest-lasting #1 single and biggest hit, spending eight weeks at the top of the Billboard country chart. This Country ballad took 30 weeks to reach the US Top 10, which is a record. Lonestar were also the first Country act to reach #1 on the Hot 100 since "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton in 1983. "Amazed" was the last country-classified song to hit Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 until the week of September 1, 2012, when "We Are Never Getting Back Together Again" by Taylor Swift climbed from No. 72 to No. 1. Two of the writers, Chris Lindsey and Aimee Mayo, are a married couple, and the third, Marv Green, is their friend and songwriting partner. When they wrote the song, Lindsey and Mayo were in the process of falling in love, and drew upon their burgeoning romance for inspiration. "Our feelings for each other just started coming out as we were writing," Mayo said. “Amazed” is the number one song played at weddings in the UK.
“We’re An American Band” – Grand Funk, 1973, Chart Position #1:
Title track of Grand Funk’s seventh album, “We’re An American Band” was the band’s first #1 song. The album was produced by Todd Rundgren. It became #1 on September 29, 1973, Grand Funk guitarist Mark Farner’s 25th birthday. It was written by the bands drummer, Don Brewer, and he also sang the lead vocal on the first verse, alternating between himself with Mark on the second verse and both of them singing the outro.
“Back in the USSR” – The Beatles, 1968, Chart Position #19:
Paul McCartney wrote the song while the Beatles were in Rishikesh, India, studying Transcendental Meditation. The title of the song is a tribute to Chuck Berry’s "Back in the U.S.A.” while the chorus and background vocals pay homage to the Beach Boys “California Girls". Also on the retreat in India was Mike Love of The Beach Boys, who stated in an interview, "Paul (McCartney) came down to the breakfast table one morning saying, 'Hey, Mike, listen to this.' And he starts strumming and singing, 'Back in the U.S.S.R.,' the verses. And I said, 'Well, Paul, what you ought to do is talk about the girls around Russia, Ukraine girls and then Georgia on my mind, and that kind of thing.'
“Back in the U.S. S. R.” is from The Beatles 1968 (white album), and is the opening track. However, tempers flared during the recording session on 22 August 1968, and Ringo Starr walked out announcing that he had quit. The drum part on the song was played by Paul McCartney, with some minor drum parts being added by John Lennon and George Harrison. They all persuaded Ringo to come back a couple weeks later, but not before McCartney also played drums for the album’s second recorded song, “Dear Prudence.”
“Bad Case of Loving You” – Robert Palmer, 1979 Chart Position #14:
This song was written by and recorded in 1978 by Moon Martin, and was on his album Shots From a Cold Nightmare. Known by most as "Doctor, Doctor," this is one of many songs in the Blues/Rock tradition that compares the singers' love to a medical condition. It reached #1 on the Canadian RPM chart in 1979 and was nominated for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards.
The song is relatively unique in that it begins with a stanza written in typical 8-bar blues structure & chord sequence, and then progresses to a 10-bar blues chorus. Mixing bar structure is of course not unique, a prime example being “Bird Dog” (another #1 song in Pepper Street’s repertoire), recorded by The Everly Brothers and written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant in 1957, which has a 12-bar blues stanza and an 8-bar blues chorus. "Doctor, Doctor", however, is one of the very few examples of mixing of the much more rare 10-bar blues structure in charted country compositions.
“Bad Time” – Grand Funk, 1974, Chart Position #4:
This single was the last hit from the LP All the Girls in the World Beware!!! “Bad Time” was written by vocalist Mark Farner while going through a bad time with his first wife Cheryl. He recalled: "I was getting a divorce. My wife was in the kitchen throwing pans around while I was writing 'Bad Time.' It was quite emotional." The song reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1975. "Bad Time" marked the end of the group's two-year run as "Grand Funk," during which time they scored all their major hits. Following this song, their name reverted to "Grand Funk Railroad." “Bad Time” was #61 on the 1975 Billboard Hot 100 songs of the year.
“Bang the Drum All Day” – Todd Rundgren, 1983, Chart Position #63:
In an interview with the DePauw University radio station WGRE, Rundgren explained: "The success of that song is completely organic. It's purposely cynical. The record label wasn't taking it seriously and didn't hear it as a single. It was just something that popped into my head while I slept."
Rundgren added that he believes the song became popular "solely because of the line about banging on the boss's head," and said, "It's a party anthem, and at least once a year I get a request to use it in a commercial or a movie. I hate playing it live, though. I feel ape-like. My hands get tired, my ears get tired. But the audience loves it." Rundgren is a distinguished songwriter, musician and composer, but this novelty romp is one of his most-played songs. All the instruments on this track are performed by Rundgren. It is from the album The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect. The song has become popular as an anti-work anthem or anthem of celebration.
“Bird Dog” – The Everly Brothers, 1957, Chart Position #1:
“Bird Dog” was written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. Released in 1958, “Bird Dog” was a #1 Hit on the Billboard Country Chart. The song also hit number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 as well as peaking at number two for three weeks on the R&B charts. It was also #1 in Australia and Canada. See "Bad Case of Loving You" for more information - and why these two songs share something in common.
“Birthday” – The Beatles, 1968, No Chart Position:
According to Q magazine May 2008, the Beatles were in a rush to get to Paul McCartney's house in time to catch the rock 'n' roll movie The Girl Can't Help It. Consequently they played around with a simple Blues track rather than record anything too involved. Duly inspired after watching the movie, they completed the song back in studio that night. "Birthday" is a song written by Lennon-McCartney and performed by The Beatles on their double album The Beatles, commonly known as The White Album. This serial numbered album included a poster and was said to hold numerous clues to the rumour that Paul McCartney was dead and replaced by "Faux Paul", but that's a whole 'nother story. Birthday is the opening track on the third side of the LP or the second disc in CD versions of the record. Surviving Beatles McCartney and Ringo Starr performed it for Starr's 70th birthday at Radio City Music Hall on 7 July 2010.
"Born on the Bayou" - Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1969,
No chart position:
"Born on the Bayou" was the B-side of "Proud Mary," which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It became CCR's signature song and they opened nearly every concert with it. Written by John Fogerty, he was from California and had never been to a bayou until he met John Fred, of John Fred and The Playboy Band. Fred was from Louisiana, and when CCR played a concert in Baton Rouge, he offered to take Fogerty to a bayou. They drove fifteen minutes to Bayou Forche, where they ate crabs and crawfish, giving Fogerty the idea for the song.
"Born on the Bayou" is #53 on Rolling Stones 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time. The guitar setting for intro is over driven with amp tremolo on slow settting; Fogerty used a Gibson ES-175 on the track, which was stolen from his car not long afterward.
The vocal performance on this song is regarded as one of Fogerty's finest, and the song as one of CCR's best recordings. It is interesting that "Born on the Bayou" never charted.
"Boulevard" - Jackson Browne, 1980, Chart Position #19:
"Boulevard" was written by Jackson Browne and was on his 1980 album Hold Out. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #72 on July 5, 1980, and climbed to #19. The song was on the charts for 16 weeks. It was the fifth biggest hit of Brown's top-forty career. Browne said the song is about runaways, and the lyrics cynically describe the day-to-day and night-to-night life on the "boulevard, ostensibly Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. It was also released as a single in Japan, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the UK.
“Born to Be Wild” – Steppenwolf, 1968, Chart Position #2
“Born to be Wild” was written by Mars Bonfire, which is the stage name of Dennis Edmonton. He wasn't a member of Steppenwolf, but his brother Jerry was the band's drummer. With the line "Heavy Metal Thunder," this became the first popular song to use the phrase "Heavy Metal," which became a term for hard rock. William Burroughs is credited with coining the phrase, as he used it in his 1961 novel The Soft Machine, describing his character Uranian Willy as "the Heavy Metal Kid."
AllMusic’s Hal Horowitz described “Born to be Wild” as "a roaring anthem of turbo-charged riff rock" and "a timeless radio classic as well as a slice of '60s revolt that at once defines Steppenwolf's sound and provided them with their shot at AM immortality." It was the band's third single off their 1968 debut album Steppenwolf and became their most successful single, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed "Born to Be Wild" at No. 129 on the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Also in 2004, it finished at #29 on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema. In 2009, it was named the 53rd best hard rock song of all time by VH1.
This was used in the 1969 movie Easy Rider, a counterculture classic starring Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda as bikers who ride from Los Angeles to New Orleans. Another Steppenwolf song, "The Pusher," was also used in the film.
When the movie was in production, this was simply a placeholder, since Fonda wanted Crosby, Stills and Nash to do the soundtrack. It became clear that the song belonged in the movie, and it stayed. Partly because of its use in Easy Rider, this has become the song most associated with motorcycles.
“Brown Eyed Girl” – Van Morrison, 1967, Chart Position #10
This was Morrison's first release as a solo artist; he was previously with the group Them. The song appeared on his debut solo album Blowin' Your Mind! and again on his 1973 compilation T.B. Sheets. It's one of Morrison's most enduring songs, but he thinks a lot less of it than most of the public. In 2009 he explained to Time magazine: "'Brown Eyed Girl' I didn't perform for a long time because for me it was like a throwaway song. I've got about 300 other songs I think are better than that."
This was originally called "Brown Skinned Girl," and was about an interracial relationship. Morrison changed it to "Brown Eyed Girl" to make it more palatable for radio stations. Some stations banned it anyway for the line, "Making love in the green grass." It featured the Sweet Inspirations singing back-up vocals and is considered to be Van Morrison's signature song. "Brown Eyed Girl" has remained a staple on Classic Rock radio, and has been covered by hundreds of bands over the decades. As of 2015, "Brown Eyed Girl" remains the most downloaded and most played song of the entire 1960s decade.
“Can’t Buy Me Love” – The Beatles, 1964, Chart Position #1
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“Can’t Buy Me Love” was written by Paul McCartney and reached #1 in both the US and the UK. It was from the album A Hard Day’s Night, and later re-released on "The Beatles Again" or as some know it "Hey Jude" album. This was one of The Beatles' songs that held the top five positions on the US chart on April 4, 1964. (Pepper Street drummer Don Bastian’s birthday). The others were: "Twist and Shout," "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," and "Please, Please Me." The week after it hit #1 in the US, The Beatles had 14 songs in the Billboard Hot 100. It's also the first song to hit #1 from outside the Top 20, something that didn't happen again until Billboard began using its "Soundscan" method of recording sales.
“Centerfold” – J. Geils Band, 1981, Chart Position #1
The J. Geils Band signed with Atlantic Records in 1970 and made a name for themselves as a great live act with a Blues-based sound. "Centerfold" was a musical departure for the band - a New Wave sound similar to what The Cars and The Police were doing. It was also their biggest hit, #1 in the US and #3 in the UK, earning them a slot touring with The Rolling Stones, the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, and heavy rotation on the new cable network MTV with a video showing the band playing in a classroom surrounded by girls in Catholic school uniforms.
It was released in autumn 1981, and eventually went to Number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1982, and stayed there for six weeks. It was the first single released from the album Freeze Frame and was an early staple on MTV.
This was written by the band's keyboard player Seth Justman, who wrote or co-wrote all the tracks on the Freeze Frame album. He insists that the reason you didn't hear much synthesizer on earlier J. Geils albums is because they couldn't afford them. The band was trapped in the record company debt cycle, constantly owing money despite their success. The song lists at #52 on Billboard's All Time Top Songs.
“China Grove” – Doobie Brothers, 1973, Chart Position #15
Released from the album The Captain and Me; the third studio album by the Doobie Brothers. It was written by original Doobie Brothers singer / songwriter Tom Johnston. The song is based on a real town in Texas with the same name. The connection is obvious given its real-life proximity to San Antonio, which is referenced in the lyrics. However, the rest of the song is largely a fictional account portraying China Grove as Texas' version of Chinatown. Notable is the mention of samurai, who in fact are Japanese, not Chinese. The song reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Captain and Me also featured the hit, “Long Train Runnin” (another Pepper Street song), which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached #7 in the UK. Johnston's lyrics were influenced by the oriental piano sound that Billy Payne came up with when they were working on the track. Payne was the pianist for Little Feat, and recorded with many other artists, including Elton John and James Taylor. In an interview Johnston told www.songfacts.com "the piano lick went, 'Dadadadun, dadadadadundun.' It was an Oriental sounding lick. And so from there I took off and went to the place I ended up with lyrically. I must have seen that sign and forgotten it. And when the cab driver told me this in Houston, I said, 'You gotta be kiddin' me.' He said, 'There really is a China Grove.' I said, 'No, there isn't.' He says, 'Yeah, there really is. And it is right outside of San Antonio.' I said, 'That's weird.' And it turns out there's one in North Carolina, too."
“Cinnamon Girl” – Neil Young – 1969, Chart Position #55
"Cinnamon Girl" is a song by Neil Young. It debuted on the 1969 album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, which was also Young’s first album with backing band Crazy Horse. Released as a single the following year, it reached #55 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970.
This song displays the very prominent role played by Danny Whitten in the sound of Young's early recordings. The vocals are a duet, with Whitten singing the high harmony against Young's low harmony. The 45 rpm single mix of the song, in addition to being in mono and cutting off the guitar outro, features Whitten's vocal more prominently than the album version. Young performed the song on his then-recently acquired Gibson Les Paul “Old Black.”
The lyrics have the singer daydreaming for a girl to love, singing that he waits "between shows" for his lover. Young has claimed that he wrote the song "for a city girl on peeling pavement coming at me through Phil Och’s eyes playing finger cymbals. It was hard to explain to my wife." The city girl playing finger cymbals is a reference to folk singer Jean Ray. Music critic Johnny Rogan described the lyrics as "exotic and allusive without really saying anything at all. Brian Ray, Paul McCartney's guitarist and Jean's younger brother, claims the song is indeed about his sister. Jean, herself, said she inspired another Neil Young song from the Everybody Knows This is Nowhere album: "Cowgirl in the Sand."
“Do Ya” – ELO – 1972, Chart Position #24
“Do Ya” is a song written by Jeff Lynne, that was originally recorded by The Move, which became a hit for the Electric Light Orchestra. Led by Lynne, ELO originally started as a side project of The Move in 1976. The Move version of “Do Ya” charted at #93 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) began to perform "Do Ya" live with Lynne on lead vocals during 1973–75, and they recorded it in the studio for inclusion on their 1976 album A New World Record. In a 1978 interview for Australian radio stations 2SM and 3XY, Bev Bevasn stated the reason for the re-recording was that after ELO had added the song to their live performances a music journalist asked the band their opinion of the original version by Todd Rundgren. Bevan did not name the journalist but stated the "guy was a professional". He said they decided to re-record it as ELO in order to "let everyone know that it's a Jeff Lynne song".
“Don’t Do Me Like That” – Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, 1979, Chart Position #10
Petty wrote this after his first group Mudcrutch moved from Florida to Los Angeles in 1974. Not one of the group's more meaningful songs, Creem magazine called it a "throwaway romp." It was released in November 1979 as the first single from the album Damn the Torpedoes (1979). It reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band's first Top 10 hit. The single also peaked at number 3 in Canada. Petty strongly considered giving the song to The J. Geils Band because he thought it had their sound, but was convinced by producer Jimmy Iovine to include it on the album because he sensed it would be a hit.
The song appeared in the 2009 romantic comedy It’s Complicated, starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. Streep and Baldwin's character dance to the song in a bar. It also appeared in the movie My Best Friend’s Girl.
“Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)” – The Swingin’ Medallions, 1966, Chart Position #17
“Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)” was a popular song written by Don Smith and Cyril Vetter, and originally recorded by Dick Holler & the Holidays. It was later recorded by The Swingin’ Medallions, who released it as their second single in 1966. The song became a Top 20 hit for the group, peaking at #17 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was banned on many radio stations, due to the lines referring to drugs and sex, including "it was the worst hangover I ever had" and "she loved me so hard". (My how times have changed! – Pepper Street)
The song has since been recorded by numerous artists including The Residents on the album Third Reich and Roll, Joe Stampley and The Cockroaches.
“Drive My Car” – The Beatles, 1965, No Chart Position
“Drive My Car" is a song by The Beatles, written primarily by Paul McCartney, with lyrical contributions from John Lennon. It was first released on the British version of the band's 1965 album Rubber Soul; it also appeared in North America on the Yesterday and Today collection. The upbeat, lighthearted "Drive My Car" was used as the opening track for both albums. Over the years the song has been covered by many artists. The song's male narrator is told by a woman that she is going to be a famous movie star, and she offers him the opportunity to be her chauffeur, adding: "and maybe I'll love you". When he objects that his "prospects are good", she retorts that "working for peanuts is all very fine/but I can show you a better time." When he agrees to her proposal, she admits that she does not have a car, "but [she's] found a driver and that's a start." According to McCartney, "'Drive my car' was an old blues euphemism for sex". This expression was more common in the pre-automatic shift era of automobiles.
When McCartney arrived at Lennon's Weybridge home for a writing session, he had the tune in his head, but "The lyrics were disastrous, and I knew it." The chorus began, "You can buy me diamond rings", a cliché they had used twice before, in "Can’t Buy Me Love" and "I Feel Fine" (as well as in the discarded "If You’ve Got Trouble"). Lennon dismissed the lyrics as "crap" and "too soft". They decided to rewrite the lyrics and after some difficulty – McCartney said it was "one of the stickiest" writing sessions – they settled on the "drive my car" theme (which Bob Spitz credits to Lennon) and the rest of the lyrics flowed easily from that.
Rubber Soul is regarded by fans and critics alike as one of the greatest albums in popular music history. In 2012, Rubber Soul was ranked number five on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". In 2013, after the British Phonographic Industry changed their sales award rules, the album was declared as having gone platinum. It reached No. 1 in 1966 on the Billboard Pop Albums Charts and was certified 6x Platinum in the United States. Rubber Soul was also No. 1 in many other countries and sold over 7 million copies world wide.
“Everybody Wants You” – Billy Squier, 1982, Chart Position #32
"Everybody Wants You" is a hit song written and performed by American Rock singer and guitarist Billy Squier. It appeared as the opening track of his multi-Platinum 1982 album Emotions in Motion, and was released as the second single (following the title track) from that album, reaching No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also reached number one on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, holding the top spot for six weeks, from August 28 to October 8, 1982.
By this time, Squier had become one of the most popular artists on MTV. The music video for this track remained in heavy rotation for months on the cable channel. "Everybody Wants You" has appeared on a number of classic rock compilations, including Squier's 1995 greatest hits package 16 Strokes: The Best of Billy Squier. The song was also made available as a downloadable track for Guitar Hero 5on October 8, 2009, along with the Squier songs "The Stroke" and "When She Comes to Me." "Everybody Wants You" was one of the songs Squier has performed live with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band; one version appeared on the Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band Live 2006 album, along with Squier's 1984 hit "Rock Me Tonight.”
“Everything I Own” – Bread, 1972, Chart Position #5
According to the book 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, at his father's funeral, a friend took David Gates aside and said, "Your dad was so proud of what you were doing." David agreed by replying, "My success would have been so special to him as he was my greatest influence. So I decided to write and record Everything I Own about him. If you listen to the words, 'You sheltered me from harm, kept me warm, gave my life to me, set me free,' it says it all." The song was from the Bread album, Baby I’m A Want You. Billboard ranked it as the No. 52 song for 1972. The song has been covered by more than two dozen other artists.
“Fire Down Below” – Bob Seger, 1976, No Chart Position
Night Moves is the ninth studio album by American Rock singer Bob Seger, and his first with the Silver Bullet Band. It was released in October 1976. Three singles were released from the album; “Night Moves,” Main Street,” and “Rock and Roll Never Forgets.” “Fire Down Below” was not a single release, and hence did not chart, but the album reached No. 8 on the US Billboard 200 Album Charts. Although the front cover only credits backing by the Silver Bullet Band, four of the nine songs on the album feature backing by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.
Funk #49 – James Gang, 1970, Chart Position #59
The James Gang is best known for their guitarist, Joe Walsh, whose playing on this track helped establish him as a superstar axeman. Walsh joined the Cleveland-based group in 1969 after making a name for himself as one of the top guitar men in Ohio. He replaced Glenn Schwartz in the band, who Walsh considers a mentor. They were a 5-piece when Walsh joined, but were down to three (like popular acts Cream and The Jimi Hendrix Experience) when they released their second album James Gang Rides Again. Walsh wrote this song with his band mates, drummer Jim Fox and bass player Dale Peters.
The song is about a girlfriend whose wild ways the singer just can't tame; the female equivalent of Joe Walsh's character in his solo hit "Life’s Been Good". There isn't much in the way of lyrics, as the song is mostly a showcase for Walsh's guitar work. He explained in the book The Guitar Greats, "I came up with the basic guitar lick, and the words never really impressed me intellectually, but they seemed to fit somehow. It was a real good example of how we put things together, bearing in mind that it was a three piece group, and I don't think that there was any overdubbing. The only thing we really added was the percussion middle part, which the three of us actually played, putting some parts on top of the drums, but that's the three piece James Gang, and that's the energy and kind of the symmetry we were all about."
James Gang Rides Again's lead track "Funk #49" has become a standard of the "classic rock" period, and has been used in various media.
“Good Golly Miss Molly” – CCR, 1969, No Chart Position
Creedence Clearwater Revival released their second studio album in 1969, titled Bayou Country. The only single from it was “Proud Mary” with the B-Side of “Born on the Bayou.” “Proud Mary” reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1969. This explains some of the popularity of “Born on the Bayou;” Bayou Country reached position #7 on the US Billboard 200 Album Chart.
“Good Golly Miss Molly” is a hit song first recorded in 1956 by the American music legend and released in January 1958. His version charted at #10 in the US and #8 in the UK. It has since been covered by hundreds of artists, and is a classic staple of old rock and roll songs.
Creedence Clearwater Revival recorded the song in 1969 on their Bayou Country album with slightly changed lyrics. Instead of the result of the gift of a diamond ring being "When she hugs me, her kissin' make me ting-a-ling-a-ling," John Fogerty sang, "Would you pardon me a kissin' and a ting-a-ling-a-ling?”
“Good Lovin’” The Young Rascals, 1966, Chart Position #1
This song was written by Rudy Clark and Arthur Resnick. It was recorded in 1965 for the second time by The Olympics, a Novelty/Doo-Wop group who had hits with "Peanut Butter," "Western Movies" and "Hully Gully." The song was first recorded in early 1965 by Canton, Ohio, R&B singer Limmie Snell under the name "Lemme B. Good". About a month later the song was redone—with considerably rewritten lyrics—by R&B/novelty artists The Olympics, but this version was only moderately successful at best, reaching #81 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart. Felix Cavaliere of The Young Rascals was listening to a New York Soul station when he heard The Olympics version. The Rascals liked it and played a sped-up version at their live performances. They recorded the song for Atlantic Records, and although the group did not like the outcome, famed producer Tom Dowd loved the rawness of it and that version was released, becoming a huge hit. According to Rolling Stone magazine, The Young Rascals were surprised by the success of this track. Felix Cavaliere admitted, "We weren't too pleased with our performance. It was a shock to us when it went to the top of the charts."
Before the Young Rascals version, the song was covered in the same year (1965) by The Who on BBC Sessions Live and by The Tremeloes as B-side of their "I Want Candy" single released by Decca.
“Good Old Rock and Roll” – Cat Mother and The All Night Newsboys, 1969, Chart Position #21
Cat Mother and the All Night News Boys were a New York Rock band that formed in 1967, a time when excessively long band names were in vogue - so much so that The Beatles mocked the trend with their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away was the first album by Cat Mother and The All Night Newsboys, and it was produced by Jimi Hendrix. The band opened for Hendrix on tour, and released 3 more albums.
This song is a medley of '50s Pop hits: "Sweet Little Sixteen" by Chuck Berry, "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard, "Chantilly Lace" by The Big Bopper, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" by Jerry Lee Lewis, "Blue Suede Shoes" by Carl Perkins and "Party Doll" by Buddy Knox. It was the group's only hit.
Other popular songs by the band included "The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away", "Strike a Match and Light Another", and "Cat Mother". However, the band's principal chart success remained "Good Old Rock 'n' Roll", a work not representative of the diversity of its sound but rather the group's ability in original, late 50s rock style. Similar to contemporaries Moby Grape, Poco, and the post-1967 Byrds, as well as predating The Eagles, Cat Mother was one of the first rock bands to blend rock and country music.
“Gimme Three Steps” – Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1973, No Chart Position
This song is based on a true story. As Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington tells it, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, who was about 18 at the time, used a fake ID to get in a bar while his younger band mates Rossington and Allen Collins waited for him in a truck. Van Zant danced with a girl named Linda, whose boyfriend, who was not too happy about it, came up to Ronnie and reached for something in his boot. Figuring he was going for a gun, Van Zant told him: "If you're going to shoot me it's going to be in the ass or the elbows... just gimme a few steps and I'll be gone." He ran to the truck, and he, Rossington, and Collins wrote this song that night.
This was one of the few songs Skynyrd released as a single from the album, Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd. It was their first major-label release, and it didn't chart. Despite this fact, The album features several of the band's most well-known songs, including "Gimme Three Steps", "Simpla Man,” "Tuesday’s Gone" and "Free Bird", the latter of which launched the band to national stardom. Bassist Leon Wilkeson left the band during the album's early recording sessions only playing on two tracks. Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist Ed King was asked to fill in for Wilkeson on bass during the remaining sessions, as Wilkeson already wrote many of the bass parts. This left Skynyrd with only six official members at the time of the album's release. Not long after, King remained with the band, and was made a member, so that they could replicate the triple-guitar lead during live performances. Wilkeson returned to the band when it was time to take the photo for the album cover and embark on the tour for the album. It was certified gold on December 18, 1974, platinum and 2x platinum on July 21, 1987 by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album also peaked at 27 in the Billboard 200 in 1975.
“Hanky Panky” Tommy James and The Shondells, 1966, Chart Position #1
This is the song that set in motion the strange events that led to the rise of Tommy James & the Shondells, and their journey recording for a record company controlled by the Mafia, the full and fascinating story of which is told in our (www.songfacts.com) interview with Tommy James.
The song was written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, which is the team responsible for the hits "Be My Baby" and "Leader of the Pack." Barry and Greenwich recorded it themselves as The Raindrops, and released it as the B-side of their 1963 single "That Boy John." Shortly after the release of the Raindrops' version, 13-year-old Tommy Jackson, who would later become Tommy James, slipped into a club in South Bend, Indiana and listened to a local band, The Spinners (not the hit-makers of the '70s) play the song. After hearing "Hanky Panky" drive the crowd wild, Tommy wanted to record it for his second single - he had released one locally the previous year. He and his group, The Shondells, recorded the song at a radio station in his hometown of Niles, Michigan.
The song was released on the tiny Snap label, the first issue of the record label owned by a DJ friend of Tommy. It sold well in the midwest, then faded into obscurity. A year and a half later - in 1965 - Tommy Jackson graduated from high school and the Shondells went their separate ways.
In late 1965, a Pittsburgh DJ started playing the two-year-old single and touted it as an "exclusive." Another Pittsburgh DJ played HIS copy of "Hanky Panky" at various dance parties and the resulting demand caused a "Hanky Panky" war as bootleggers sold an estimated 80,000 illegal copies of the record. DJ "Mad Mike" Metro called Tommy to inform him of the single's popularity and asked if The Shondells could perform it in Pittsburgh. One minor problem: by then, Jackson was a solo act. When he arrived in Pittsburgh, he asked a local band, The Raconteurs, if they would like to be the new Shondells. They accepted the offer and he adopted the new stage name of Tommy James.
Record companies took notice and lined up to sign the band. Atlantic, Columbia, Epic and Kama Sutra all courted them along with a smaller label called Roulette. But, as Tommy told us, things didn't go as expected: "One by one all the record companies started calling up and saying, 'Look, we gotta pass.' I said, 'What? What are you talking about?' 'Sorry, we take back our offer. We can't…' There was about six of them in a row. And so we didn't know what in the world was going on. And finally Jerry Wexler over at Atlantic leveled with us and said, Look, Morris Levy and Roulette called up all the other record companies and said, 'This is my freakin' record.' (laughs) And scared 'em all away – even the big corporate labels. And so that should have been the dead giveaway right there. So we were apparently gonna be on Roulette Records." (The inference is that the the Mafia owned Roulette Records). The band did sign with Roulette and did a great job promoting the record, which hit #1 in the summer of 1966. Tommy James was 19 years old and a year out of high school.