‘The Ballad of Dwight Fry’ has been haunting Halloween revelers for fifty years. It is considered one of the scariest songs of all time. It definitely makes my list of songs that work as a mood enhancer for the ‘Trick or Treat’ scene. Read on, for a little bit of background on this timeless piece of rock and roll theatre.
If you want to talk about influential artists from the ‘70s, look no further than the great Alice Cooper. He is credited as being among the first to combine musical performance with acting and visual effect. ‘The Ballad of Dwight Fry’ represents the dawn of this aspect of the Alice Cooper vision. It serves as the crescendo on side two of Alice Cooper’s breakthrough third studio album, ‘Love it to Death’ which was released in March of 1971. This release coincided with the act joining forces with visionary producers Jack Richardson and Bob Ezrin. The result of this collaboration was a much more disciplined act. The new focus came through in the form of better songwriting and more refined, albeit hard edged songs. The release yielded the act’s first top forty single in ‘I’m Eighteen’ and their first top forty album.
Because of its lasting impact on audiences ‘The Ballad of Dwight Fry’ achieves legendary status. Since its release the song has come to be the highlight of Alice Cooper’s live show Based on the theatrics the term ‘shock rock’ entered the rock and roll lexicon. The song depicts a patient in a mental asylum. The introduction is a ‘child’s voice’ saying:
Mommy, where’s daddy? He’s been gone for so long. Do you think he’ll ever come home?
Alice Cooper and Michael Bruce
On the album, this voice was actually a female friend of the band who was in her early 20’s. This is followed by the layering of piano and rhythm guitar played by co-writer Michael Bruce. Then enters Alice Cooper’s vocals, as he channels the troubled subject of the piece. As the artistry continues the listener is treated to an epic performance. The anguished plea from Alice repeating “I’ve gotta get out of here” is haunting. As the story goes, Cooper was pushed into a crawl space and covered by a quantity of discarded furniture, all while being recorded by Bob Ezrin. This lent itself to Alice Cooper’s phobia of confined spaces, so the panic you hear is real. The underlying theme of ‘The Ballad of Dwight Fry’ really emerges once the subject makes good on his promise to escape. Once he gets outside, the freedom he is hoping to enjoy is greeted by the troubling images of a “man that was choking there, I guess he couldn’t breathe?” This speaks as just one example of the timelessness of the song. He could have escaped the asylum in 2020 and encountered a similar scene. The ambiguity continues…
Said to myself this is very strange I’m glad it wasn’t me But now I hear those sirens callin’ And so I am not free
Alice Cooper and Michael Bruce
Who are the sirens for? Is he really free? Does he want to be? What are the implications of freedom if everything you have fought for is being stifled??
The ambiguity is almost as haunting as the song itself. In Alice Cooper’s masterful way, the song fades out with:
I didn’t wanna be I didn’t wanna be I didn’t wanna be
See my lonely life unfold (I didn’t wanna be Leave me alone I didn’t wanna be Don’t touch me) See my lonely mind explode When I’ve gone insane
Alice Cooper and Michael Bruce
Maybe he was better off inside?
On the album, the song leads into ‘Sun Arise’ before closing. Here is that song:
This is so good. Ironically, this is a cover version of a song by Australian entertainer Rolf Harris and environmentalist Harry Butler that implies hope through its images of sun and light.
Some tribes see the sun as a goddess. Each time she wakes in the morning, her skirts of light gradually cover more and more of the land, bringing back warmth and light to the air.”
Harry Butler
Here is the original by Harris and Butler.
Harris’s career as a performer ended in disgrace a few years back, as he was convicted in the sexual assault of four underage girls.
One more interesting piece related to ‘The Ballad of Dwight Fry’ is its actual inspiration was an actor named Dwight Frye who portrayed maniacal characters in a series of early Hollywood horror films, including ‘Dracula’ in 1931. Cooper dropped the ‘e’ from the actor’s last name in order to avoid a lawsuit.
I could be wrong, but I am relatively certain ‘The Ballad of Dwight Fry’ has been a mainstay of Alice Cooper’s setlist on every tour since its release. As the song begins, he is led off the stage by a nurse and returns to perform the song in a straightjacket. He would then escape from the confines of the jacket and strangle the nurse. As the years and stage show evolved, the shock rocker was condemned to death and beheaded by a guillotine.
Here is a live version from 1990. Take your pick though. There are many videos on YouTube.
All in a day’s work for this legendary artist, and by all indications, just a great guy.
Everything up to this point was a preamble to a personal story related to Halloween. In our early days on the ‘Shire’ our family used to celebrate Halloween to maximum effect. Led by Heather, we would create a massive scene complete with a haunted house in the garage, a graveyard on the front lawn and a mixed tape of what I considered to be ‘scary songs’. That was my job. Alice Cooper made his way onto this setlist twice. I also added ‘Welcome to My Nightmare’. Not that too many two to twelve year old kids in North Burlington were familiar with Alice Cooper’s library, but I was entertained. One in about fifty adults, would throw a compliment my way. Meanwhile, Heather was the one who truly stole the show. She resided in the garage dressed up as a witch, in the haunted house, serving up a cauldron of ‘eyeball stew’. The overall scene was enhanced by a rolling cloud of dry ice. These are great memories for our family. Halloween was one of our favourite events and it was definitely a family affair. Everyone would help. Sebastian and Jeremy would do sidewalk chalk up the driveway and help decorate. Some of this even predates Nathaniel, but once he was old enough, he was right in there too. It was all pretty special, and the memories remain. So do the lingering screams of frightened children and adults who dared to enter Heather’s lair. I included this story in 2018 as part of ‘Season of the Witch’ by Donovan.
For old time’s sake Heather, Nathaniel and I decorated the front yard for Halloween yesterday. It is a fraction of what we used to do, but at Heather’s prompting we created a scene for the neighborhood kids to enjoy. We have no idea how many children will make their way up the court, but we are hoping for many. In the days of COVID-19 and rising case numbers it is very unpredictable. Heather’s plan is to put a table at the end of the driveway complete with candy and an optional bottle of hand sanitizer. Let the kids come out and play. Keep it safe but, keep it fun…for the children.
Earlier in this post I mentioned Alice Cooper’s influence on acts over the next five decades. This is evident in the range of cover versions of his songs. Here is a cover of ‘The Ballad of Dwight Fry’ by The Melvins from their 1992 album ‘Lysol’.
Trick or Treat?
I will go with ‘treat’. Here is Alice performing ‘The Ballad of Dwight Fry’ with Foo Fighters. Likes do attract. Collectively, this band is known for being endlessly approachable and cool. It just seems appropriate that they would collaborate on this presentation, complete with David Letterman on guitar.
Happy Halloween! Thank you for the background Alice!
Today’s post will feature a signature ‘60s song and it will
also tell a brief story of the sequence of events that conspired to make its most
well known release possible.
Fans of the San Francisco music scene and the ‘summer of
love’ will appreciate this background and be familiar to the answer to this
trivia question. Who was the original singer of the Jefferson Airplane? Every
fan of that era is aware of Grace Slick but not so many recall Signe Toly-Anderson.
Anderson was a prominent jazz and folk singer in the Bay area in the early
‘60s. Jefferson Airplane founders Marty Balin and Paul Kantner spent a lot of
time at a club called the Drinking Gourd and the pair discovered Toly and
invited her to join their band that was soon to take off. She would handle the vocal duties for the Jefferson Airplane’s debut album. As…
Today’s feature is a cover version of
an old Muddy Waters blues standard. ‘Trouble No More’ was popularized by the Allman
Brothers Band in 1969 on their self-titled debut album and then again on their
groundbreaking 1972 release, Eat a Peach, which featured a live version from
their renowned Fillmore East concerts in 1971. I will begin with the Allman
Brothers’ version as we pay tribute to the great Duane Allman on the 48th
anniversary of his tragic death.
Eat a Peach was supposed to mark a new
chapter for the Allman Brothers Band. The previous year marked a ton of success
from a fan and critical acclaim standpoint, but internally the band had become
torn by rock and roll excess. Band members and their entourage, including Duane
Allman had checked into rehab to confront their heroin addictions. Allman and bass player Berry Oakley came out of the facility…
On this date in 1886, the Statue of Liberty was gifted to the United States of America, from France. To quote:
(This) gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States, is dedicated in New York Harbor by President Grover Cleveland, originally known as “Liberty Enlightening the World”.
Dedication of The Statue of Liberty
It is 134 years later and the Statue of Liberty still stands tall over New York Harbour, but sadly her shine has been tarnished by vile and traitorous imposters. A fascist regime has taken over The White House and threatened virtually everything she literally stands for in her majestic glory.
This poem by Emma Lazarus was added later. It was used in an effort to raise money for the construction of its platform.
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Emma Lazarus
It is all a very interesting story. The reason I bring it up is the anniversary coincides with The USA Singers; most recent release called ‘Dancing on Your Grave’. The USA Singers are the first band of the resistance. In truth, they are one of few, in a music world that is more bent on mass appeal than making any form of important statement. As I read through the lyrics, listened to the song and watched the hysterically funny and creative video I was captured by this line written by the prolific Rutherford Purple Hayes: Hayes
Send out invitations. This is what they will say
“Bring your tired, poor, your huddles masses! Lift your glasses! Shake your asses! Celebrate!”
While dance we on your grave. Dancing on your grave – a glorious tombstone cotillion.
As you decay we embrace. Dancing on your grave.”
Rutherford Purple Hayes
Hayes conjures up the image of the glorious Statue of Liberty inviting any U.S citizen who actually cares about people to a party. Not just any party though. A ‘big ol’ ball in an old time dance hall. If you wear a mask, you can even take the growing throng down to the mall. The point is, The USA Singers want every like-minded citizen to join in and spread the word.
This country is going to be the ‘Land of a Thousand Dances’ and you are on the guest list. Do whatever dance you like (except that spastic and contorted ‘COVID Twist’ thing that the fake president does at his Nazi rallies for the mindless sheep and intellectually vacant) and head on out and dance on the grave of everything that represents the archaic doctrine of the squatters that currently reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
As ‘Dancing on Your Grave’ shakes and shimmies its way through your consciousness it offers up a clever series of dance crazes in one glorious verse. Here is the list:
Mambo
Salsa
Limbo
Cha-Cha
Tango
Rumba
Conga
Polka
Vogue
Gangham Style
Twist
Whip and Nae Nae
The Carlton
Charleston
Cupid Shuffle
Humpty
Hustle
Foxtrot
Robot
Pop and Lock
Lindy Hop
Electric Boogaloo
That’s some pretty good writing.
All of this is presented by The USA Singers in an eclectic big band musical style that takes the listener back many decades. The lineup for this production includes:
Rutherford Purple Hayes – Vocals
Frankie D. Roosevelvet – Piano, Organ and Theremin
Super Grover Cleveland – Drums
Charles Darwingus – Bass
Ronnie Ray Gunn – Banjo
They are joined by the Blue Wave Front Line featuring:
Louis Neil Armstrong – Trumpet
Buzz Aldrinaline – Clarinet
John Glenn Miller – Trombone
These guys are out of this world.
This band has a library of approximately twenty songs and to their creative credit not one has duplicated another in terms of style. To call this talented group versatile may not be enough, but for the purposes of today’s post it will suffice. To be able to produce art like this while expressing some very powerful messages in a legitimately funny way is admirable to say the least.
I knew they had a trick up their sleeve as the U.S. election approached, but I could never have predicted this epic release. With the election just days away and Halloween on the horizon it conjures up a recollection of H.G. Wells ‘The War of the Worlds’. The USA Singers are declaring war on the regressive politics that has taken over the country and they are requesting you to accompany them to the dance.
Figuratively speaking they want you to dance on the graves of this horrific four years of world history and then move on to a better place. Be an America that is inclusive rather than hopelessly divided.
There is only one answer.
Get out and vote. Join the resistance. Do what President Barack Obama said. Make sure everyone you know does the same.
Today’s post will be a little bit different. It has been inspired by recent news stories and the cover version of a song I witnessed at a concert last year. The performance inspired me. It stuck with me. So, this post will meander a little, but it will all be centred around the same theme.
The song is called ‘I Pity the Country’ by Willie Dunn. I don’t know how I got through almost 53 years without hearing this song or learning about Willie Dunn, but better late than never. This Canadian singer-songwriter, film director, activist and politician, was an exceptional man. Born in 1941, he was the son of a free spirit Scottish father and a Mi’kmaq mother. As a youth he was forced to navigate a divided world. Although his mother did not discuss her heritage, she went through Canada’s residential school system. Since Dunn was raised off the reserve much of what he learned came from the harsh lessons delivered by a grossly intolerant society. The message lingered.
When you don’t grow up on the reservation, you grow up in the white world, you have a very different experience immediately when you find out that there is a division between the two worlds.”
Willie Dunn
At a relatively young age Dunn decided to join the army where he spent time in the Congo. When he returned, his brother gave him a guitar. He taught himself how to play and began to frequent blues and jazz bars in his native Montreal. The timing was perfect because his infatuation with music and songwriting coincided with a period where social change inspired through music was thriving. According to biographer and filmmaker Zachary Johnston, this provided Willie Dunn with an opportunity to connect with a significant element of his heritage.
He saw his people, as people he didn’t get to really grow up [with] … and started connecting with [them] when he got back from his service. He decided to make his art mean something powerful for those people. He was rediscovering part of who he was that he’d never had access to. And also given the time of the late ’60s, early ’70s, there was a lot to protest about for the Native communities.”
Zachary Johnston
Willie Dunn’s musical career produced six albums. The first was the self-titled ‘Willie Dun’ in 1972. His musical offerings continued through 2004 when he released ‘Son of the Sun’. Many of his songs focus on indigenous rights issues, socio-political commentary and pleas to respect the environment and understand the ravages of climate change. The result is a library of thought-provoking songs that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys good music with a message. Out of this powerful catalogue, I selected ‘I Pity the Country’. Before I explain my introduction to this song, here are the lyrics. Read them as you listen. Trust me when I say, it should resonate to the point that it clings to your soul; no matter where you live or what your cultural background. That is the power of Willie Dunn’s songwriting.
I pity the country I pity the state And the mind of a man Who thrives on hate.
Small are the lives Of cheats and of liars Of Bigoted newspress Fascist town criers
Deception annoys me Deception destroys me The Bill of rights throws me Jails they all know me
Frustrated are churchmen The saving-of-soul men The Tinker the tailor The Colonial governor
They pull and they paw me They’re seeking to draw me Away from the roundness of the life
Silly Civil Servants They thrive off my body Their trip is with power Back bacon and welfare
Police they arrest me Materialists detest me Pollution it chokes me Movies they joke me
Politicians exploit me City life it jades me Hudson’s Bay fleeces me Hunting laws freak me
Government is bumbling Revolution is rumbling To be ruled in impunity Is tradition continuity
I pity the country I pity the state And the mind of a man Who thrives on hate
Willie Dunn
Last October Sebastian took me to see ‘Secret Path Live’ which was a re-creation of the 2016 Gord Downie concert performance of ‘Secret Path’ which brought together a series of renowned Canadian musicians to help share the story of Chanie Wenjak. The goal was to bring to the forefront the atrocities of Canada’s dark past related to the residential school system and mistreatment of indigenous children as they were torn away from their families for several generations. The concert was a stunning and provocative display of music, passion and emotion. One of the performers was a gentleman named William Prince. I had a passing awareness of his music through my love of CBC Radio and their mission to present rising Canadian artists. Early in the show William came out and sat on a stool before the engaged audience and told us we were in for a wonderful evening. This drew appreciative applause. He then introduced ‘I Pity the Country’ and delivered a heartfelt rendition of the song. Just thinking of this performance gives me goosebumps. Every time I have listened to this song since it reaches out and takes me in. Again, I ask why is Willie Dunn not a household name in this country?
Beyond his career as a singer/songwriter, Willie Dunn was a filmmaker and political activist. His work in this area included the magnificent ten-minute song and film produced by the National Film Board of Canada called ‘The Ballad of Crowfoot’. It speaks to the unjust and often inhumane treatment of the Indigenous community. Willie Dunn’s message to his brethren was to take control of their destiny, get engaged and make their voice heard. Willie Dunn backed these words up, not only through his music and film, but he also became an active member of the New Democratic Party. In 1993 he ran for the Federal seat of Ottawa-Vanier. He is a renowned figure in the Indigenous community and beyond. Willie Dunn was inducted into the Aboriginal Walk of Honour in 2005. Sadly, he passed away in August of 2013. To many, Willie Dunn’s music, filmmaking and advocacy provide a foundation for the activism that is necessary to the present day. His voice can still be heard.
If torches are passed from songwriter to songwriter over the years, then one can draw a line between Willie Dunn and William Prince. The fact that Prince dropped this song in my lap on that night affirms this connection to some degree. Since that time, I have listened to a lot of his music and watched many of his performances and live streams. Man, he is good. Every song is delivered with such honesty and his voice is so soothing.
Unfortunately, I could not find a version of him playing ‘I Pity the Country’ but from my perspective, I owe him a huge thank you. My way of thanks is by sharing his voice in this post. Ideally, at least one of you will turn on and tune in. Since that day last October, I have told several people and they have all come away with a positive impression.
For a quick taste of William Prince here is ‘Breathless’ from 2018.
In March of 2021, indigenous singer and activist Lisa Betasamosake Simpson released ”Theory of Ice’. This album consists of several of her poems about water and humans inherent connection, into seven songs with a folk pop edge. The centerpiece of this creativity is a stirring cover of ‘I Pity the Country’.
To conclude today’s post, I want to illustrate why it is important to lend your name and voice to a cause that you truly believe. This too, illustrates a lineage that stems from Willie Dunn to a revered local artist named Tom Wilson. It’s not a straight line, but there is a link that brings us to the news of the present day and the importance of advocacy for any just cause. Briefly, I will share this fascinating story.
In short, Tom Wilson is an original. He does things his way and he does it well. He has been a songwriter and performing artist for the better part of forty years through a series of incarnations including the Florida Razors, Junkhouse, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and Lee Harvey Osmond. He grew up in Hamilton, Ontario; raised by his great aunt and uncle, Bunny and George Wilson. In an ironic twist, for fifty-three years of his life he was under the impression that these people were his parents. George; a WWII hero, a gunner in a Lancaster bomber, who came home blinded, and scarred from what he experienced. Bunny, who resided as a life’s influence; a rock and a rebel.
I put the spirit of Bunny into everything I did. She was everywhere. She was in my art, my day-to-day life. Her brutal and inappropriate observations and her irreverent, rebel attitude stood beside me, guiding me through a world of bullshit.”
Tom Wilson
In truth, his parents were a Mohawk man named Louis Beauvais and Janie Lazare (Bunny’s niece), who was part Mohawk. In Tom’s words he went from thinking he was simply a white, cigarette and coffee kind of guy from Hamilton to 75% Mohawk. The realization was life altering. This is not to say he had not made a mark. The story is chronicled in his captivating autobiography ‘Beautiful Scars’. If you haven’t read it, it is a must read. It is 230 pages of honesty and personal revelations that speak to an upbringing tinged by poverty, but overcome through resolve and true spirit. The person he became is intrinsically linked to everyone in this complicated chain. He carries this like a badge of honour, and the story is still being written.
It is realizing what I knew I should be a part of that I never was, the fact that (during the Oka Crisis in 1990) my brothers, Christopher and Kyle (Beauvais), made out their wills, picked up automatic weapons and marched out to the woods to (potentially) die in a war that I was at home in Hamilton listening to on the radio and watching on The National. If I’d been born five hours east of Hamilton, if I’d been raised on the reserve, that might have been my life, you know.”
Tom Wilson
Listen to this recitation from ‘Beautiful Scars’. This is just a glimpse into the story this book tells.
Why do I share all of this in this post?
Two weeks ago, Tom Wilson was arrested. It is here that the story ties into the message of today’s post. Tom made it his mission to stand with the Indigenous community in Six Nations. Here is a very brief synopsis of the current occupation crisis. In a land dispute known as ‘1492 Land Back Lane’, a tract of land that rightfully belongs to the Indigenous community going back to the 1784 Haldimand Proclamation, has been sold to developers (and in turn to prospective homeowners). Since the summer, the land has been occupied by Indigenous residents who claim the site is on Haudenosaunee territory. They are steadfast in their assertion that the land was never legally signed away to the crown. In truth, it was sold by a squatter and the government never looked back. It would be the equivalent of Ontario’s Indigenous community taking over Queen’s Park or Parliament Hill and then selling the land to developers so they could build some semi-detached houses or condos.
There’s an idea…
Anyway, Tom Wilson and some musician friends headed over to Caledonia in a show of solidarity. They brought some warm clothing and food. Apparently, Doug Ford’s henchmen known as the Ontario Provincial Police were taking license plates, and a little later on, he was served with two trespassing related charges.
I have always stood and continue to stand in solidarity with the Haudenosaunee Land Keepers of Six Nations and my fellow Indigenous Sisters and Brothers and Indigenous sovereignty. I look forward [to] fighting these charges in court.”
Tom Wilson
Like I said, ‘I Pity the Country’…
Before I sign off, I have a few Tom Wilson memories. Each one makes me smile.
I have seen him perform on several occasions through the various incarnations that make up his career. Sadly, I never saw Junkhouse, which would have been an experience. I distinctly remember seeing Blackie and the Rodeo Kings perform on Parliament Hill in the early 2000s. I was in Ottawa on Canada Day, with my family. We sat and watched their set and I was struck by how lucky we were to see Tom along with the ultra-talented Colin Linden and Stephen Fearing. Each of them are incredible songwriters and musicians on their own, but together; they take it to new heights.
About five years ago, we saw Tom as part of his alter ego act known as Lee Harvey Osmond at the Greenbelt Festival in Dundas. Their set that day was solid, but by virtue of the days lineup we were treated with more. Part of Lee Harvey Osmond’s band was Tom Wilson’s son Thompson, who plays bass guitar. He is a strong musician in his own right and later that day the younger Wilson played a set on a side stage. I was watching that set with Sebastian, when I looked about two feet beside me and I was standing next to Tom. Part of me wanted to say hello and tell him how much I enjoyed his set, but I could see the pride in his face as he watched. I didn’t want to steal his moment. If he ever reads this, he will know, the thought was there.
Thompson is a hardworking musician who is capably following in his father’s footsteps. My introduction to his music was through his role in the band Harlan Pepper. Listen to their 2011 album ‘Young and Old’ and their 2014 follow up ‘Take Out a $20 and Live Life to the Fullest’. Unfortunately, the band disbanded shortly after their second release and the younger Wilson is now working on a solo career as well as being bassist for Lee Harvey Osmond.
As mentioned earlier, I am a big fan of CBC Radio, because they actually strive to promote Canadian artists. I caught wind of this show called ‘Torn from the Pages’. Tom Wilson wrote a song called ‘Beautiful Scars’ because he was inspired by ‘All My Puny Sorrows’, a book written by the prolific Canadian author Miriam Toews. Watch her reaction.
As an aside…read anything by Miriam Toews. It will only leave you wanting to read more. She is an extraordinary world class author. Her characters are always real, often flawed and endlessly funny. Her books are therapeutic. Trust me.
Finally, two years ago I saw ‘Secret Path Live’ at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre in Burlington and Tom Wilson was among the performers. The facility made an effort to ensure that the majority of artists on the bill had an Indigenous background. He came out and recited a passage from his autobiography ‘Beautiful Scars’ that paid tribute to Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip. Then, accompanied by only a pianist performed ‘Fiddler’s Green’. Another magical musical moment from Tom Wilson. He is passion personified.
A year later he closed out the Secret Path Live show at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto, that I referenced earlier, with his rendition of ‘Here, Here and Here’. You could have heard a pin drop. The pure emotion in his delivery was indescribable.
By all indications Tom Wilson is everything as advertised. There is nothing pretentious about him. He is the genuine article. In Hamilton, everyone has a story about how his music and art has touched many. He has time for everyone he encounters. A friend of mine helped edit his book and she can’t say enough about what a down to earth guy he is. These are the people we need to celebrate in this country. These are the stories we all need to hear.
So, when you see stories of Indigenous communities struggling to hold onto land that is rightfully theirs, or protesting in order to ensure that their rights to fishing areas that have been dominated by corporate conglomerates are maintained, or even worse, the fact that they haven’t had access to clean drinking water for generations, just know that the struggle is real and they need our help. Pay attention to the voices that are helping to bring the story to the mainstream. Tom Wilson is one of those voices. Listen and learn.
I have said it before, and I will say it again. People in this country need to educate themselves. The stories as portrayed on the surface are not giving you a complete perspective. Like another artist with some indigenous heritage once said;
There’s more to the picture, than meets the eye.”
Neil Young
Dig deeper. Challenge authority. Learn. Act.
To quote Tom Wilson;
You have to lead with your heart.”
Tom Wilson
Each of the artists presented today has shown us the possibilities when we follow their lead.
Sometimes songs are so good the artist just keeps on coming up with variations in order to keep his fan base on their toes. ‘Sweet Jane’ is one of two widely known Lou Reed songs. Along with ‘Take a Walk on the Wild Side’ they represent signature tunes within the Lou Reed library. The notable thing about ‘Sweet Jane’ is the fact it has been released in twelve forms and every one of them is distinct, raw and honest. The original ‘Sweet Jane’ was written by Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground and released on their ‘Loaded’ album in 1970, but the bridge was edited which infuriated Reed. Ultimately this may have led to its initial popularity. The shorter release grabbed people’s attention but the full version was released on the Velvet Underground’s ‘Live at Max’s Kansas City’ album. A re-release of the ‘Loaded’ album had the full version too…
In my continuing quest to find interesting stories and
combine them with outstanding songs or cover versions, I learned about this
fact. It was on this day in 1966 that Jeff Healey; who was adopted as an
infant, had surgery to remove his right eye. His left eye was removed four
months later. Both eyes were replaced with ocular prostheses. Healey who was
diagnosed with retinoblastoma as an infant, was seven months old at the time of
his first surgery. While this process gives rise to an element of sadness, it
is what he and his family did with the hand he was dealt that tells the real
story.
When Jeff Healey was four years old, his father gave him his
first guitar. He learned to play it on his lap. By the time he was nine he had begun to develop a level of notoriety. He was featured on…
Today’s Ted Tocks will offer a brief focus on a prolific songwriting tandem, a widely covered song, the artist who first made it famous and his connection to one of the saddest days in music history. So, let’s get right into it…
Let’s go back to a simpler time. In the summer of 1961 Bobby Vee released ‘Take Good Care of My Baby’. In hindsight, this song was a can’t miss effort. It was written by the legendary Carole King and her songwriting partner Gerry Goffin. Goffin and King began their careers as members of the staff of songwriters who worked out of New York City’s Brill Building. They are considered to be one of the most recorded songwriting duos ever. King herself is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century. Nearly 120 songs credited to her name made the Billboard Hot 100. In the early ‘60s Carole King wrote with her then husband, Gerry Goffin, and during this nine year partnership they wrote over twenty chart topping hits including ‘Take Good Care of My Baby’. This is only where the story begins.
In this era of music it was common for managers and producers to have what they considered to be great acts. Every hot music executive was looking for the next Elvis. All they needed was the perfect song. This scene was playing out all over the United States, and the U.K. for that matter. What everybody needed was the material that would put their artist over the top. This is why Carole King, Gerry Goffin and the Brill Building writers were so in demand. They wrote incredible songs. When producer Snuff Garrett heard a demo of Carole King doing ‘Take Good Care of My Baby’ he loved it, and knew he had the perfect artist to deliver the piece. Enter Bobby Vee…
First, here is the Carole King demo.
It is interesting to note that although Garrett loved the song, he felt it needed a better introduction, so he had Carole King write an opening passage that spoke to the longstanding musical theme of lost love.
My tears are fallin’ ‘Cause you’ve taken her away And though it really hurts me so There’s something that I’ve got to say”
Carole King
When Bobby Vee recorded ‘Take Good Care of My Baby’ he was fortified by a strong cast of studio musicians that included; Barney Kessel, Tommy Allsup, Earl Palmer and Howard Roberts who were all members of the renowned group of studio musicians known as The Wrecking Crew.
‘Take Good Care of My Baby’ was released as a single on July 20, 1961, and it was an immediate hit on the Billboard Hot 100, climbing to #1 on the first day of fall. It spent three weeks at #1 in the United States, while also achieving top of the charts status in Canada, the U.K. and New Zealand. The song was so successful for Bobby Vee that over a decade later, in 1972, he opted to re-record ‘Take Good Care of My Baby’ as a ballad. Here is that version from his album ‘Ain’t Nothing Like a Sunny Day’. Note the name of the artist. Robert Thomas Veline is Bobby Vee’s real name.
So, who was Bobby Vee? Without getting into too much detail, here is a brief snapshot. Vee (Veline) was born in Fargo, North Dakota (this location is important so read on) in 1943. He grew up in the Fargo area and as he hit his teen years, rock and roll was beginning to capture the eyes and ears of kids in America. The young man was obsessed by the possibilities. One of his favourites was a rising star from Texas named Buddy Holly. Bobby wrote a song called ‘Suzie Baby’ as a nod to his hero’s hit ‘Peggy Sue’. He recorded the song at the age of fifteen for a Minneapolis based record label called Soma. It became a hit in the Minnesota area and garnered some national attention. This may also be because Bobby Vee managed to be in the right place at the right time during what has become known as one of the saddest days in music history. We all know the story of ‘The Day the Music Died’. The tragic story of the plane crash that claimed the lives of the Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly began with this musical entourage leaving a gig known as ‘The Winter Dance Party’ in Clear Lake, Iowa, and heading to their next stop in North Dakota.
For more on this story read ‘La Bamba’. This tells the fateful story of Tommy Allsup who went on to play guitar on the Bobby Vee version of ‘Take Good Care of My Baby’.
As hard as it is to believe, in the music industry of the day, back in the late ‘50s the show must go on. When it looked like there would not be a concert that night in the Fargo area guess who volunteered to perform. You got it…Bobby Veline and a group of hastily assembled friends called themselves The Shadows and served the difficult task of playing the venue in North Dakota that would have featured Buddy Holly and the Crickets, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. By all accounts, Bobby Vee and the Shadows went over very well, and this performance served as the catalyst to a strong career. Bobby Vee went on to record thirty-eight Hot 100 chart hits, ten of which hit the top 20, six of them were certified gold. In 1963, Bobby Vee signed on as the headline act for Dick Clark’s American Bandstand ‘Caravan of Stars’ national tour. Much like the lineup that Buddy Holly headlined a few years earlier this troupe travelled the country to perform to receptive teen audiences. On November 22, 1963 the ‘Caravan of Stars’ was set to perform in Dallas, Texas. On this night the show did not go on…Earlier that day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while he and his entourage proceeded through the streets of Dallas in their open car cavalcade.
I just found this connection to be interesting and thought I would share.
It was on this day in 2016 that Bobby Vee passed away peacefully with his family by his side. He had been living with Alzheimer’s disease since 2012. He was 73 years old.
This served as his last public communication shortly after his diagnosis.
Needless to say, it was a moment that stunned my family and myself to the core. Since this time I have chosen to remain private and to focus on what is most important to me: my family and my music.”
Bobby Vee
It is at this point of this particular Ted Tocks that I need to share a personal thought. There are features that I write, where I am very familiar with the content, and the post flows out of this awareness. Elements of today’s post were known to me in advance, but I must say the Bobby Vee information was a new discovery. The more I wrote, the more fascinated I became. This is what Ted Tocks Covers is all about. By all indications, Bobby Vee was a fascinating man. The elements of a pretty cool bio pic exist here when you add this anecdote. Somewhere between the performance in February of 1959 and 1961 a young man from Duluth, Minnesota was a part of Bobby Vee’s band, known as The Shadows. Unfortunately, he didn’t make the cut. The bandleader, Bobby Vee felt he had no future as a musician.
The man’s name was Robert Zimmerman. You may know him as Bob Dylan.
For more on this story in Bobby Vee’s words read this interview from Gold Mine:
As mentioned at the outset, ‘Take Good Care of My Baby’ is an often covered song. I will share a few.
It only seems appropriate to start with another Bobby V. Here is Bobby Vinton and his 1968 version.
I am jumping around a bit here. Let’s head back to 1961 and another renowned ‘60s act; Dion. This was actually the first version recorded. It was released on his November, 1961 album known as ‘Runaround Sue’. By the time this famous album was unveiled to the buying public, Bobby Vee already had a #1 smash. It’s still a very important recording.
Notice, the lack of introduction. That really is the crucial hook. It ties the song together. What an astute observation by producer, Snuff Garrett.
Another connection to musical greatness and a classic case of rejection is evident in the fact that the Beatles recorded ‘Take Good Care of My Baby’ as part of their Decca audition tape on January 1, 1962. George Harrison took the lead vocal. Famously, the response from the Decca executives was a hard no.
Regular readers of Ted Tocks Covers (I hope you have made it this far) may recognize that this song is a little bit different in terms of my usual offerings. From a personal perspective it actually goes back to my very early days of music consumption. I would have been around eleven years old, and as a big fan of the Hardy Boys book series, I became captivated by a television portrayal of the stories. This TV show included an actor by the name of Shaun Cassidy. Part of the presentation depicted Cassidy, who played Joe Hardy, as not only a detective, but as a budding rock and roll star. I learned that Shaun Cassidy had an album out and I just had to have it. I think I received it as an Easter gift. That album included ‘Take Good Care of My Baby’. This album is where my musical journey began. Because of this memory, I will always have a soft spot for Shaun Cassidy.
This story has been well documented in previous Ted Tocks Covers. See ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’. By all means, check it out if you get a moment.
Have a wonderful day and remember, if you do nothing else today, take good care of your baby.
Some songs just reach out and grab you on an emotional level and they don’t let go. Today’s song is a perfect example. There is something about Adele. I know I am by no means unique in my respect for her singing and songwriting. Typically, I am not one to gravitate to current artists with mass appeal because they tend to be either extremely mundane or just flat out predictable. I will never understand the universal appeal of Drake. Justin Bieber might be talented but he is only just beginning to tap into his real abilities. I have huge respect for Ed Shearon because he has integrity. Kanye West…don’t even get me started. The point is, for me true artistry most often begins with the lyrics, and by extension the delivery of the song. In this regard, Adele nails it. I was blown away when I was looking into this…
Some of you who consider yourselves regular readers of Ted Tocks have mentioned that you like the ‘80s references. Today’s post may bring back good memories. I will get to the version that you likely know best, but first I will focus on the interesting story of its origin.
‘There’s Always Something There to Remind Me’ was written in the early 1960s by the songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. In 1963 Dionne Warwick recorded a demo version but the first version released was actually by Lou Johnson in the summer of 1964. Johnson’s distinct version is actually my favourite of the early recordings. It went to #49 on the Billboard Hot 100. This showing was topped by a young phenom named Sandie Shaw who was managed by Eve Taylor. Taylor discovered ‘There’s Always Something There to Remind Me’ while visiting the U.S and specifically looking for material…
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