Playing in the Band – Remembering three bands beyond description jamming at Watkins Glen. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #GratefulDead #TheBand #AllmanBrothersBand #BobWeir #TheOtherOnes #PunkisDead #JoeRussosAlmostDead #Phish #DarkStarOrchestra #DeadandCompany

Admittedly, today’s feature song has been selected as a means to introduce the theme of the post.

On this day 50 years ago the guys that were ‘Playing in the Band’ put on a concert for the ages at Watkins Glen Grand Prix Raceway just outside of Watkins Glen, New York.

Before we go there, let’s spend a few minutes at the Hammerstein Ballroom in the Manhattan Center, New York City. The recording that opened this post is from April 6, 1971. It was recorded for the Grateful Dead album ‘Skull and Roses’. ‘Playing in the Band appeared as the closing track on side one of this double live offering that became the Grateful Dead’s first gold album.

Somehow, this seems appropriate because the Dead experience was always best captured live.

Now let’s head upstate to Watkins Glen.

How much?

Ten bucks!

Let me get this straight…$10 to see The Band, The Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead?

Yep!

Count me in.

Well not exactly. For me that was a story to be told a little further down the line, but on this day 50 years ago, these three monster bands got together to play an epic one-day concert at Watkins Glen Raceway for an estimated 600,000 music fans. The Guinness Book of World Records called Watkins Glen the “largest audience for a pop festival.”

Promoters; Shelly Finkel and Jim Koplik got the idea for this concert extravaganza after they brought the Grateful Dead to Hartford, Connecticut in July of 1972.  It just happened that Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley and Jaimoe from the Allman Brothers Band showed up and jammed with the Dead on ‘Not Fade Away’, ‘Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad’, ‘Hey Bo Diddley’ and ‘Johnny B. Goode’ to close the show.

When they floated the idea to the two bands they were greeted with an enthusiastic response. Finkel and Koplik asked the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band who else they would like to play with, and the response was unanimous.

The answer was, The Band.

Planning began for the show that would take place in the summer of 1973. Depending on your perspective, the project represented either modest expectations or the loftiest of dreams.

They settled on the site and drew on the expertise of the legendary Bill Graham for the stage design and sound. Ticket prices were set at just $10. The goal was established at about 100,000 people. Promotion would be focused on the Eastern seaboard of the United States and along the Canadian border from Toronto to Montreal.

Here is Jim Koplik, briefly commenting on what transpired.

Who can explain it. We spent less than $30,000 on advertising and we wound up selling 150,000 tickets at $10 each. But we never dreamed we’d have this many people. I guess they just found the concept appealing — a day of music in the country.”

Jim Koplik

When Koplik speaks of ‘this many people’ he is referring to the fact that when the concert began well over half a million people had descended upon the concert site. Music fans arrived more than 24 hours early and they kept on coming.

Like the song says…

Some folks trust to reason
Others trust to might
I don’t trust to nothing
But I know it come out right

Say it once again now
Oh, I hope you understand
When it’s done and over
Lord, a man is just a man

Playing
Playing in the band
Daybreak
Daybreak on the land

Some folks look for answers
Others look for fights
Some folks up in treetops
Just look to see the sights

I can tell your future
Look what’s in your hand
But I can’t stop for nothing
I’m just playing in the band

Playing
Playing in the band
Daybreak
Daybreak on the land

Standing on a tower
World at my command
You just keep a turning
While I’m playing in the band

If a man among you
Got no sin upon his hand
Let him cast a stone at me
For playing in the band

Playing
Playing in the band
Daybreak
Daybreak on the land
Playing
Playing in the band
Daybreak daybreak on the land”

Robert Hunter, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart

Much like Woodstock, Watkins Glen became a free concert. Like Blind Willie McTell said:

I’m goin’ to the country
Baby, do you want to go?
‘Cause if you can’t make it, baby
Your sister Lucille said she wanna go
And I sure will take her”

Blind Willie McTell

Somehow, it all worked out just fine.

Even the soundchecks became epic experiences. When all the bands arrived the day before, Robbie Robertson suggested that they take a soundcheck. Because well over 200,000 people had already made their way through the backroads and secret trails that led to the venue these sets turned into mini performances. The Band encouraged audience participation during ‘The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down’.  Rick Danko sang ‘Raining in My Heart’ by Buddy Holly.

“More piano”

Man! This voice is missed.

The Allman Brothers Band played ‘Ramblin Man’ from ‘Brothers and Sisters’ and ‘One Way Out’.

The Grateful Dead jammed for an hour and a half. Here is a portion of their trademark experimentation which was released on ‘So Many Roads – 1965-1995’.

This portion was highlighted by ‘Eyes of the World’ which had only been unveiled to Deadheads in February of 1973.

Here is another section of the jam experience that morphed into ‘Wharf Rat’. Just imagine being there?

And we haven’t even got to concert day…

 At exactly noon on Saturday July 28, Bill Graham got up on the stage, and like he had done hundreds of times before, he introduced the Grateful Dead.

From Marin County to Watkins Glen, the Grateful Dead”

Bill Graham

The Dead’s first set opened with ‘Bertha’ and appropriately closed with ‘Playing in the Band’. This was the beginning of a legendary set of music that saw them play for four hours in the blazing heat. It should be noted here, that the Grateful Dead had lost their bandmate and dear friend Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan in March of 1973.

Following the Grateful Dead at about 6 pm was The Band who played a fragmented two- hour set. It was divided by a wicked thunderstorm. The interlude jam that connected their portion of the show became known as ‘Too Wet to Work’. It was inspired by Garth Hudson who performed a memorable version of his standard experimental keyboard expose know as ‘Genetic Method’.

This led into the classic Band song ‘Chest Fever’ which brought the massive audience back to life.

The Watkins Glen expanse had turned into a swamp, but the 600,000 music fans were completely unphased.

Levon stated that Garth Hudson’s monstrous performance at Watkin’s Glen on this day would be;

Forever burned into my memory.”

Levon Helm

Another song that The Band weaved into their set was ‘W.S. Walcott Medicine Show’.

I was reminded of the lyrics which managed to effectively capture the scene.

When your arms are empty, got nowhere to go
Come on out and catch this show
There’ll be saints and sinners, you’ll see losers and winners
All kinds of people you might want to know
Once you get it, you can’t forget it
W.S. Walcott Medicine Show”

Robbie Robertson

See what I mean?

At 10 pm the Allman Brothers Band took the stage. This was the band’s opportunity to unveil ‘Brothers and Sisters’ before the adoring audience. This is marketing at its finest. Similar to the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers Band was going through a period of profound loss.  As we all know the ‘Brothers’ had lost Duane Allman in the fall of 1971 and one year later Berry Oakley died under eerily similar circumstances. The band replaced these two seemingly irreplaceable talents with the keyboard prowess of the great Chuck Leavell, and the grooving bass skills of Lamar Williams

The Allman Brothers played a thunderous three hour set that left the throng in a frenzy. They played all their hits, and jammed into the night. One of the many highlights of their performance was ‘Come and Go Blues’ which would be released in 1976 on ‘Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas’

For a sense of the experience, here is a soundboard recording of the four-hour Dead set which features members of The Band and the Allman Brothers Band during a one-hour encore that featured ‘Not Fade Away’, ‘Mountain Jam’ and ‘Johnny B. Goode’.

In the book ‘Aquarius Rising’ author Robert Santelli offered this mindboggling analysis of the significance of this extraordinary Watkins Glen concert.

“Many historians claimed that the Watkins Glen event was the largest gathering of people in the history of the United States. In essence, that meant that on July 28, one out of every 350 people living in America at the time was listening to the sounds of rock at the New York state racetrack. Considering that most of those who attended the event hailed from the Northeast, and that the average age of those present was approximately seventeen to twenty-four, close to one out of every three young people from Boston to New York, was at the festival”

An event of such proportions would be unfathomable in today’s grossly divided world for many reasons, but on this day fifty years ago ‘The Music Never Stopped’.

Couldn’t resist sharing this Bob Weir/ John Barlow gem.

Speaking of Bob Weir and today’s symbolic feature song, ‘Playing in the Band’, the legendary rhythm guitar wizard offered his own version of this song on his debut solo album ‘Ace’. The personnel actually makes ‘Ace’ resemble a Dead album but Weir’s version is unique. The most salient difference is the backing vocals offered by Donna Jean Godchaux.

The original Grateful Dead version has only Bill Kreutzmann on drums and Donna wasn’t around yet to contribute vocals. For this listener at least, count me in on the 1971 original which was written by master lyricist Robert Hunter along with Bob Weir and Mickey Hart.

Now let’s explore a host of covers and tributes of ‘Playing in the Band’ through the years. I will share these in rapid succession.

Twenty-five years ago, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart assembled a quality group of musicians and appropriately called them The Other Ones. Other members included, the impossibly talented honorary Grateful Dead member Bruce Hornsby on piano and keyboards as well as Dave Ellis on saxophone, Steve Kimock on guitar, Mark Karan on guitar and John Molo on drums.

This collective released ‘The Strange Remain’ which was a gathering of some highlights from their Furthur Festival tour throughout 1998.

From the ‘and now for something completely different’ department, here is Punk is Dead from 2010. Time to wake up. This is a blast.

Among the countless musical ensembles that produce tributes to the work of the Grateful Dead, few rival the prowess and remarkable interpretation of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. Enjoy this epic rendition of ‘Playing in the Band’ from Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York.

This is an important cover for several reasons. Here is Phish with Bob Weir in 2016. On the surface, this is a ton of fun, but it becomes more intriguing when we recall that in 2015 when the Grateful Dead played their brief ‘Fare Thee Well’ 50^th anniversary tour, it was Trey Anastasio of Phish that the Grateful Dead selected to be their lead guitarist. Add to this the fact that although music festivals at Watkins Glen were relatively rare, it was back in 2011 that Phish played four consecutive shows at this venue. Phish performed similar runs in 2015 and 2018.

Almost done; this time from last year. This is the Dark Star Orchestra. Another in a long line of quality musicians who got on the bus and delivered the music to anyone who wanted to listen along the way.

Earlier this month Dead and Company featuring Bob Weir and Mickey Hart as the only remaining original members played their final show. Enjoy the ‘Playing in in the Band’ reprise along with Oteil Burbridge on bass, Jeff Chimenti on keyboards and Jay Lane on drums. John Mayer continued his personal mission to pay tribute to Jerry Garcia in spirit and style.

As a concluding statement, my introduction to the live Grateful Dead experience occurred a little over a decade after the Watkins Glen date. It was the first day of summer in 1984 at Canada’s Wonderland. The bill included The Band, minus Robbie Robertson of course, and the Grateful Dead. The show was part of the Seva Benefit series. Seva was founded by Hugh Romney, also known as Wavy Gravy. The Seva Foundation’s mission is ‘a world free of blindness’. Through the work of Seva, local eye care providers have developed self-sustaining eye programs around the world. Although over a billion people live with unaddressed vision impairments and hundreds of millions need ongoing eyecare, over 90% of all of these impairments can be treated or prevented. For over four decades Seva has provided eyeglasses, treatment and other eye care services to over 50 million people in more than 20 countries.

Seva is a Sanskrit word meaning “selfless service to others”.

The ticket was just $10.

The best $10 I ever spent.

Over a decade had past and the lineups for the bands were slightly different, but the experience, while scaled down significantly from Watkins Glen was still formative.

All these years later I can still close my eyes and picture the scene.

Much like the thousands of people who still post their Watkins Glen memories all these years later. Here is just one.

I arrived very early, and had a spot very close to the stage. The soundcheck the night before the actual show, was tremendous in itself. The Dead were at their very best, definitely more on point than the following day at noon. It was hot and insufferably humid, not the best for playing stringed instruments! There was a lot of Ramrod’s notorious “White Lightning” acid around the grounds, and mescaline as well. It seemed everybody was tripping. The Band, though interrupted by a flash rainstorm, was transcendent.”

Paul

Transcendent!

That’s the word.

Remembering Sinead – The Wild Untamed Saint. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #SineadOConnor #BobMarley #KrisKristofferson #PeterGabriel

On way too many occasions I share reflections on artists who we speak of in the past tense.

It saddens many of us, because with each song, positive memories accompany the familiar strains of the music.

With Sinead O’Connor there was definitely a therapeutic element. The emotional power of her voice was uplifting. The idea that someone could lay their soul to bare before us in such a way was cathartic. Her sessions healed us, yet they seemed to leave her in a spiralling state.

Pretty much all her life, Sinead O’Connor was crying out for help.

We marvelled at her voice…Some called her brave…Many mocked her…The most compassionate among us told her she was right.

She sang Bob Marley’s ‘War’ with such conviction.

Until the philosophy which hold one race
Superior and another inferior
Is finally
And permanently
Discredited
And abandoned
Everywhere is war
Me say war

That until there are no longer
First-class and second-class citizens of any nation
Until the colour of a man’s skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes
Me say war

That until the basic human rights
Are equally guaranteed to all
Without regard to race
Dis a war

That until that day
The dream of lasting peace
World citizenship
Rule of international morality
Will remain in but a fleeting illusion to be pursued
But never attained
Now everywhere is war
War

And until the ignoble and unhappy regime
That hold our brothers in Angola
In Mozambique
South Africa
Sub-human bondage
Have been toppled
Utterly destroyed
Well, everywhere is war
Me say war

War in the east
War in the west
War up north
War down south

War, war
Rumors of war
And until that day
The African continent
Will not know peace
We Africans will fight, we find it necessary
And we know we shall win
As we are confident
In the victory
Of good over evil

Good over evil, yeah!
Good over evil
Good over evil, yeah!
Good over evil
Good over evil, yeah!”

Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie – Address to United Nations in 1963

And I will always remember Kris Kristofferson for just holding her on the Madison Square Garden stage at Bob Dylan’s tribute concert thirty years ago.

Sinead was right. So why did her torment have to continue?

Because we continue to make the same mistakes. There has to be knowledge and understanding. Listen to this history lesson in ‘Famine’.

Similar stories could be shared the world over.

See, we’re like a child that’s been battered
Has to drive itself out of its head because it’s frightened
Still feels all the painful feelings
But they lose contact with the memory

And this leads to massive self-destruction
Alcoholism, drug addiction
All desperate attempts at running
And in its worst form becomes actual killing

And if there ever is gonna be healing
There has to be remembering and then grieving
So that there then can be forgiving
There has to be knowledge and understanding

Sinead O’Connor

Sadly, we continue this trend of lamenting the hardships and tragedy that these resilient people manage to overcome. As long as they are still with us, the highest of praise is heaped upon them, and when they leave suddenly, we grieve and collectively wish we had done more.

Are we getting better at this?

Let me know the next time we mourn, as we repeat the above steps.

I’ve said enough.

Here is a touching tribute from Perdita Finn.

Sinead

She died on the feast day of the lost Irish mother goddess Anu…goddess of the oceans and the howling winds and the windswept earth. Anu who the Catholic Church tried to turn into St. Anne the grandmother…but who could not really be tamed.

So many of us, as young women, who first heard her howls knew she spoke for us, expressed what was in our souls for generations. She was so damn brave. So wild. So utterly untamed.

I listened to her songs over and over again and I howled with her and afterwards I would feel better.

The deaths of people with whom I am not personally intimate does not usually matter too much to me.

But this one feels very painful indeed.

Let her be our wild untamed saint. Let her help us take the tape off our mouths and our hearts. Let us always be too loud, too much, too loving, too fierce, too all of it…in her honor.”

Perdita Finn

Deeper tracks from Sinead are plentiful. I urge you to explore and really listen.

Nothing Compares to You – I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #Prince #SineadOConnor

Other than Peter Gabriel, who could have sung this better?

Don’t Give Up – Somewhere there’s a place where we belong #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #PeterGabriel #KateBush #SineadOConnor #PaulaCole #AneBrun #WillieNelson #MaireBrennan #MichaelMcDonald #Gregorian #SarahBrightman #Saga #AlannahMyles #Bono #AliciaKeys #HerbieHancock #Pink #JohnLegend #Feist #TimberTimbre #DonnyOsmond #LauraWright

Got to walk out of here
I can’t take anymore
Gonna stand on that bridge
Keep my eyes down below
Whatever may come
And whatever may go
That river’s flowing
That river’s flowing”

Peter Gabriel

Be there for someone today.

My Old School – The teacher tried to warn us. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #SteelyDan #DonaldFagen #WalterBecker #JeffSkunkBaxter #GGordonLiddy #LexingtonLabBand #LeonidandFriends

It seems I have been reading about G. Gordon Liddy, since I have been old enough to care.

Donald Fagen and Walter Becker tried to warn us about ‘Daddy G’ and his ilk.

Let’s head back to Annandale-on-Hudson, and learn some more.

In today’s opening announcements, let’s raise a glass to Steely Dan. It was 50 years ago today that the album ‘Countdown to Ecstasy’ was released by this infinitely talented collection of musicians.

For more on this album refer to your notes from September 3, 2018 where we discussed ‘Show Biz Kids’. Sadly, the music world lost Walter Becker in September of 2017.

Our lesson resumes with a trip on the ‘Wolverine’ to Bard College in Duchess County, New York, in May of 1969.

The drug bust was a combination of a case of betrayal and a matter of an overzealous local assistant District-Attorney looking to add to his resume of ‘owning the libs’. According to Donald Fagen;

 These were the days when there was a ‘war on longhairs,’ as they used to call it, and Bard’s in this kind of rural district. They picked up about 50 kids just at random. There were a few warrants, and one was for me, which was based totally on false testimony.”

Donald Fagen

The A.D.A. was G. Gordon Liddy who had a history of sniffing around his New York district and trying to drum up dirt on the people he and his ilk deemed to be subversives. In 1966, Liddy who resigned from the F.B.I. four years previous, was hired as a prosecutor in the well-known case where a drug raid was executed on the Hitchcock Estate in Millbrook, New York. This is where it was alleged that Timothy Leary and friends were experimenting with LSD. None of these charges stuck, but gradually the folks who hung out at Millbrook moved out to California. This is a story unto itself.

In the Bard College case, Liddy sent N.Y. State police and sheriff’s deputies onto the campus at 4 am to conduct a sweep of what amounted to 10% of the school’s population. In all 45 state police and 35 deputies took part. They proudly reported that that the raid concluded several months of undercover investigations. In all, 44 people were arrested. Charges ranged from possession of ‘dangerous drugs’ to possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Donald Fagen’s hair was cut off during his brief stay in a Poughkeepsie, New York jail. Bail was set at $5000 which was paid by Bard. Fagen who reflected on the incident in subsequent interviews noted that Walter Becker and his girlfriend at the time, Dorothy White were not bailed out because technically, they were not students. It was this treatment that inspired the line;

I’m never going back to my old school.”

Donald Fagen and Walter Becker

Let the record show that this was a classic example of the conservative establishment sending a message to the much more progressive, emerging generation of leaders.

By the way, Donald Fagen did go back in 1985, when he received an Honorary ‘Doctor of the Arts’ degree.

Here is the song we all know.

I remember the thirty-five sweet goodbyes
When you put me on the Wolverine
Up to Annandale
It was still September
When your daddy was quite surprised
To find you with the working girls
In the county jail
I was smoking with the boys upstairs
When I heard about the whole affair
I said oh no
William and Mary won’t do

Well I did not think the girl
Could be so cruel
And I’m never going back
To my old school

Oleanders growing outside her door
Soon they’re gonna be in bloom
Up in Annandale
I can’t stand her
Doing what she did before
Living like a gypsy queen
In a fairy tale
Well I hear the whistle but I can’t go
I’m gonna take her down to Mexico
She said oh no
Guadalajara won’t do

[Chorus]

California tumbles into the sea
That’ll be the day I go
Back to Annandale
Tried to warn you
About Chino and Daddy Gee
But I can’t seem to get to you
Through the U.S. Mail
Well I hear the whistle but I can’t go
I’m gonna take her down to Mexico
She said oh no
Guadalajara won’t do

Donald Fagen and Walter Becker

The music belies the bitter tone of the subject. Beyond the emphatic chorus, ‘My Old School’ is most memorable due to the trademark Steely Dan musicianship. The instrumental section brings everything together, featuring two intricate guitar solos from Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter, balanced by Donald Fagen’s piano work and a horn section that comes through like the defiant student body.

Even without the horn section ‘My Old School’ teaches us a lesson. Check out Baxter along with the wonderful backing vocals on a summer of 1973 edition of ‘Midnight Special’.

In 2022, Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter laid down this guitar-based rendition. Just a reminder to the rock and roll student body that his role in this song was essential.

Fifty years later ‘My Old School’ still shines on like a statement against corruption and abuse of power…

…which brings us back to ‘Daddy Gee’.

Ol’ G. Gordon Liddy is most (in)famous for his role in the Nixon Watergate scandal.

Daddy G. was a puppet of magnificent proportions. His political aspirations were set aside in exchange for strategic support of Richard Nixon and the Republican party.

Following his time as Assistant District Attorney, Liddy ran in a Republican Party primary but was unsuccessful. He actually withdrew toward the end, but his name was left on the ballot. During this time, he was offered a role in Richard Nixon’s Treasury Department. He also served as a county director during Nixon’s successful 1968 Presidential run. This combined with his past FBI and legal associations gained Liddy a political appointment as a special assistant for narcotics and gun control in Washington D.C.

Beginning in 1970, G. Gordon Liddy served with David Young as an aide to Domestic Affairs Advisor John Ehrlichman in the Executive Office of the President. He was Invited by Egil “Bud” Krogh who had worked with Liddy in the Treasury Department.

If these names are all familiar, it is because Krogh, Young, Ehrlichman and of course G. Gordon Liddy were all indicted for conspiracy to commit burglary in September of 1973.

Among the allegations that surfaced and were subsequently proven were Liddy and Co’s plots known as ’Operation Gemstone’.

• A plot to kidnap anti-war protestors and transport them to Mexico during the Republican National Convention.
• A plan to lure campaign officials to a Miami houseboat where they would be photographed in compromising positions with hired prostitutes.
• It is recognized that these plans were rejected by Attorney General John Mitchell
• Liddy was instructed to break in to offices at the Watergate Complex. This enterprise was led by Liddy. This occurred in May/June 1972. He supervised the break in and was charged with conspiracy, burglary and illegal wiretapping.
• He received a 20-year sentence which he began to serve in January of 1973. He was also ordered to pay $40,000 in fines.
• President Jimmy Carter commuted his sentence to 8 years, in 1977.

Here is President Jimmy Carter’s justification.

In the interest of equity and fairness based on a comparison of Mr. Liddy’s sentence with those of all others convicted in Watergate related prosecutions.”

President Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter was and always will be a class act. Any good in all of the Republican Party combined wouldn’t add up to the virtue James Earl Carter Jr. holds in his heart.

After serving only 4 ½ years, G. Gordon Liddy was released in September of 1977 whereupon this shameless cretin continued his efforts to denigrate anyone to the left of Roger Stone. He used his radio pulpit to suggest to his mindless listeners to shoot federal law enforcement officer. He was once actually quoted as saying people should shoot at their head because it is the only exposed area. Perhaps most famously, following the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, when President Bill Clinton pointed to the radical right movement on U.S. talk radio, Liddy doubled down on his orders to target key Democrat figures by stating that he uses President Clinton and his wife Hillary for target practice.

Remarkably, this hideous fossil lived to the age of 90. Just one more vile character in an endless clown-show of criminals, hypocrites, manipulators and con artists who twist the system only to further their own dubious agenda.

There are countless examples.

Just remember, Donald Fagen and Walter warned you.

Let’s close out today’s post with a musical celebration. Today’s covers will bring us back to a familiar one-two combination.

First, we get the Lexington Lab Band from 2018.

And now, enjoy Leonid and Friends in 2021.

This pairing was presented about a month ago when Ted Tocks Covers offered ‘Feelin’ Stronger Every Day’.

This was not at all planned. The path of discovery in Ted Tocks Covers has taken me to many new and interesting places, but sometimes the journey brings me back to familiar locales.

Just like when you are spinning old vinyl, and as you flip through hundreds of albums you settle on a quality recording from a half century ago.

When you place that needle on the grooves…close your eyes and listen…

It’s a ‘Countdown to Ecstasy’.

Jump in the Fire – Tempting you and all the earth to join our sinful kind. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #Metallica #DaveMustaine #JamesHetfield #DeeDeeRamone

Metallica has been described as the band that transformed metal music in the early ‘80s. It was an evolution, and it took on many forms but the Metallica model was the one that had substance, and as a result, they remained.

It was forty years ago today that Metallica released ‘Kill ‘em All’. No matter the rock n’ roll genre, the journey to get to the top is arduous, and for some, just getting to the starting line is a story unto itself. Today’s feature is ‘Jump in the Fire’, which speaks to the process.

For mega-fans of Metallica, this story has been often told, but not everyone is aware so here is a brief introduction.

Metallica got their start by playing clubs in the competitive L.A. music scene. While they plied their craft before heavy metal devotees and club owners, they worked on a demo in the garage of bass player Ron McGovney. McGovney was a childhood friend of James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. The trio added guitarist Dave Mustaine through a newspaper advertisement. As a group they put together a nine-song demo which included two originals. The first was ‘Hit the Lights’ and the other was the Dave Mustaine penned ‘Jump in the Fire’ which balances familiar themes of teen angst and pent up sexual desire.

Sitting in my room with my head in my hands
I just can’t seem to move
I’ve gotta get up, get out, get high
Get back in the groove
There’s a job to be done and I’m the one
You people chose to do it
Now I tight up my belt and see you are felt
It’s time to get your way

So come on
Jump in the fire
So come on
Jump in the fire

Moving my hips in a circular way
Just forward a bit
Pull your body into my waist
And feel how good it fits
And there’s a job to be done and I’m the one
You people chose to do it
Now I take off my pants, see you chained to get down
It’s your turn to wait”

Dave Mustaine

Slightly older music fans may hear a little bit of Deep Purple’s ‘Space Truckin’ here. Influence is everywhere. Here is the demo of ‘Jump in the Fire’ which Mustaine brought to Metallica from his earlier band known as Panic. Dave was just 16 when he wrote this call to action.

This early incarnation of the band, and the material is important because the devotion to their craft garnered them a lot of attention. Metallica’s second gig was in March of 1982, at the famed Whisky a Go Go, where they opened for Saxon as a replacement for Motley Crue, who cancelled, because bigger and better opportunities were calling. In the early gigs, Dave Mustaine took on the role as front man because James Hetfield was reluctant to take the spotlight.

For the remainder of 1982, Metallica played gigs and worked on demos. On the surface, things seemed positive, but behind the scenes, Dave Mustaine’s self-destructive behavior was taking a toll. Ron McGovney quit the band in December as a result. As fate would have it, Lars Ulrich had his eye on the bass player for a band called Trauma, who Metallica had played on a bill with at The Troubadour.  They invited Cliff Burton to join Metallica in the early part of 1983 and he agreed on the condition that the band relocate to the San Francisco area. It was here that Metallica rehearsed their material at the home of Mark Whitaker, who was the manager of a group called Exodus. Metallica practiced until they felt ready to record their debut album. Their plan was to go back to Los Angeles and record on their industry contact Brian Slagel’s Metal Blade Records, but Slagel couldn’t work with the $8000 budget. Not to be deterred, Lars Ulrich shopped the group around and found support on the east coast from Jon Zazula, who was a New Jersey record store owner and promoter. Zazula was a major proponent of heavy metal music. To help finance the operation, the Jersey entrepreneur sold copies of Metallica’s demo tape under the name ‘No Life ‘til Leather’. This was the beginning of Megaforce Records.

As the band settled in the tri-state area, things were coming to a head with Dave Mustaine’s self-destructive lifestyle. The group fired him in early April. On the recommendation of Mark Whitaker, Metallica reached out to Kirk Hammett. They sent Hammett a tape of their material and he learned the songs. Within a month the guitarist became a member of the band and they headed to Rochester to record what would become ‘Kill ‘Em All’.

The final tally for the recording of ‘Kill ‘Em All’ came in at approximately $15,000. This nearly bankrupted Jon Zazula, who doubled down on his belief in Metallica by shopping around for a label to distribute the album. In the United States and Canada, he sold the group’s merit to Relativity Records and in Europe he found Music for Nations.

Metallica fans will know this, but for the casual followers of the band it is fun to know that the working title of ‘Kill ‘Em All’ was ‘Metal Up Your Ass’. It was Zazula who convinced the group to modify the label. The result was no less aggressive, and it literally defined the odyssey that took the group from its early days to the time of pressing the album, complete with their frustration in finding labels willing to distribute their hard work.

You can thank Cliff Burton for the candid thought that was ultimately adapted.

Those record company fuckers … kill ’em all!”

Cliff Burton

‘Metal up your ass’ would ultimately become a live bootleg of a 1982 show, and the group used the intended album artwork as part of a t-shirt design.

So, there you go. Everybody wins.

As far as the song ‘Jump in the Fire’ goes, the lyrics below depict how the song evolved. James Hetfield modified the lyrics to a piece that imagines a group of rebellious people who are damned to Hell for their defiance. Reflecting on the rewrite, Lars Ulrich claims that Iron Maiden was an influence with the recent success of ‘Run to the Hills’. Once again, one heavy metal giant inspires another.  

Metallica invites devoted fans to ‘Jump in the Fire’.

Here is what was ultimately recorded.

Down in the depths of my fiery home
The summons bell will chime
Tempting you and all the earth
to join our sinful kind
There is a job to be done and I’m the one
You people make me do it
Now it is time for your fate and I won’t hesitate
to pull you down into this pit

So come on
Jump in the Fire
So come on
Jump in the Fire

With hell in my eyes and with death in my veins
The end is closing in
Feeding on the minds of man
and from their souls within
My disciples all shout to search you out
And they always shall obey
Follow me now my child not the meek or the mild
But do just as I say

So come on
Jump in the Fire
So come on
Jump in the Fire

Jump by your will or be taken by force
I’ll get you either way
Trying to keep the hellfire lit
I am stalking you as prey
Living your life as me I am you you see
There is part of me in everyone
So reach down grab my hand walk with me through the land
Come home where you belong

So come on
Jump in the Fire
So come on
Jump in the Fire”

James Hetfield

Fans of Metallica were all too ready to follow their lead.

Before I move on to today’s awesome cover enjoy this version of ‘Jump in the Fire’ from Metallica’s 30^th Anniversary show that includes Dave Mustaine sharing lead guitar with Kirk Hammett, along with Robert Trujillo on bass guitar.

As a casual observer, my appreciation for the thrash metal style that Metallica refined to an artform stems from the groups brilliant blend of combining the best of heavy metal and punk rock. The result is an overtly aggressive and angry invitation to rebel. It gave a new generation of music fans hope; something to believe in. This provides a perfect segue into today’s cover version.

Check out the legendary Dee Dee Ramone.

Once again, music lovers are exposed to the lineage that connects about a half century of music and society. People need something to take their mind off the frustrations of day- to-day life. Music helps people cope with the challenges. This has been the reality for ages. Through the years, the name of the messenger has changed but the message has been hammered home.

Music is the answer,

In today’s post you can draw a line from Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. From here it is a jump to the right before you arrive at acts like Slayer and Anthrax. The pioneers of speed metal and thrash metal, who fortunately eschewed the trappings of glam metal for something more substantial.

This is the space where Metallica managed to build a firm foundation. As a result, they have defined the genre for four decades.

Their longevity speaks volumes.

Like them or not, they are a vital band in the long and endlessly fascinating history of music.

What Was Going Through My Head – I wake up, I don’t know where I’ve been and then I start all over again. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #GrapesofWrath #GreatLakeSwimmers

It says here, if Oasis were Canadian, they would be Grapes of Wrath.

Humble, prolific and infinitely more likeable.

Do you feel like I do when you hear ‘What Was Going Through My Head’ 34 years later?

The video of today’s feature song begins with a home movie of (help me here) Chris or Tom Hooper playing the Peter Frampton classic ‘Do You Feel Like We Do’.

Then the video flows seamlessly into the song that was released on this day in 1989.

From the first time I heard ‘What Was Going Through My Head’ I was reminded of The Beatles. The combination of style and harmony conjured memories of the ‘Rubber Soul’ era Lennon/McCartney compositions.

Sing along. This will take you back.

Let me see through all the lights
I know I’ll feel better in time
You should have told me a lie
I’ll tell you why, I don’t know
What was going through my head

Now things have cleared, I’m not dead
Now that I’ve settled in bed
You should have told me a lie
I’ll tell you why, I don’t know
What was going through my head

What if I walked off the line?
And what if I never revived?
You should have told me a lie
I’ll tell you why, I don’t know
What was going through my head
You know, it should have been red
You know, I should have been led

Down in, deep inside, I am safer
Now and then I want to fly
Away from everything, on my own
On my way through the night

I wake up, I don’t know where I’ve been
And then I’ll start over again
You should have told me a lie
I’ll tell you why, I don’t know
What was going through my head
You know, it should have been red
You know, I should have been led
You know, I could have been dead”

Tom Hooper, Kevin Kane, Chris Hooper and Vincent Jones

I have to give credit where credit is due. It was Much Music that turned me on to Grapes of Wrath in 1987 when they put ‘Peace of Mind’ on a heavy rotation on the stations’ video playlist.

‘Peace of Mind’ became a hit single from the album ‘Treehouse’ which was produced by Ton Cochrane.

Why is the world so damn unkind
To one so righteous in her mind
The sun won’t rise and shine
Will you never find your peace of mind”

Tom Hooper, Kevin Kane and Chris Hooper

‘Treehouse’ represented the culmination of a ten-year journey that began when brothers Chris and Tom Hooper met Kevin Kane as teenagers in their hometown of Kelowna, British Columbia. They began as a punk ensemble called Kill Pigs. Their initial partnership was short-lived but it forged a foundation that they would come back to in 1983, when they began rehearsing and playing countless gigs up and down the B.C. and Washington state coast. During this time, they opted to work under the name Grapes of Wrath, which was taken as an ode to the iconic John Steinbeck novel.

Incidentally, ‘Grapes of Wrath’ by John Steinbeck presently finds itself banned in the United States. Why? Because the families of rich white people who claim to be religious don’t like the way they are portrayed through history. Here is an interesting passage.

There is a crime here that goes beyond denunciation. There is a sorrow here that weeping cannot symbolize. There is a failure here that topples all our successes. The fertile Earth, the straight tree rows, the sturdy trunk, and the ripe fruit. And the children dying of (hunger) must die because a profit cannot be taken from an orange. And coroners must fill in the certificates – died of malnutrition – because the food must rot (if not sold at a profit)…and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy. Growing heavy for the vintage.”

John Steinbeck

In other words, nothing that is happening in the present day is new. The ultra-rich want to take advantage of the less fortunate, and live off the fruits of their exploitation. They just never want to be exposed, nor do they desire to be held accountable.

For more on where the disparity of wealth meets the exploitation of the working class and immigrants/migrants read:

Deportee – Celebrating the birthday of one of the most important songwriters ever. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #WoodyGuthrie #JoanBaez #PeteSeeger #ArloGuthrie #MartinHuffman

The point is, everything old is new again and for Grapes of Wrath a social conscience was subtly weaved within their artistic persona.

In 1984, Grapes of Wrath were signed to Vancouver based Nettwerk Records by Terry McBride who had been handed a four-song demo tape along with rave reviews of Grapes of Wrath’s work ethic.

Vancouver became the new home for Grapes of Wrath and in the summer of 1985, they released their debut album, ‘September Bowl of Green’. This recording gained widespread attention, and in no time the group signed a record deal with Capitol-EMI Records. The first recording for this label was the aforementioned ‘Treehouse’ which was released in the fall of 1987. Ironically, Tom Cochrane left the ‘Treehouse’ sessions shortly before the album was finished. Cochrane and engineer Ric Arboit had creative differences related to ‘Peace of Mind’. He felt strongly that the song would have benefited with a pedal steel guitar and keyboard combination. It’s hard to argue with success, but it says here that Cochrane’s vision would have made for an impressive take.

The album went gold in Canada, and this success combined with strong financial backing led to a 68 date U.S. tour.

Two years later, in 1989, Grapes of Wrath followed ‘Treehouse’ with the much anticipated ‘Now and Again’ which led off with an incredible trio of songs.

Enjoy ‘All the Things I Wasn’t’.

Once again, comparisons to John Lennon were rampant.

Hours of hiding, spent apart
The wall was all we’d shared
About the closest you could get
About all I would bear

Tell me all the things I wasn’t
Would have made this big a difference
To all the things you are

Years of listening taking in
To one day take away
From all the guilt and pity I
Could barely keep at bay

Time apart I’d realized
The name’s the most we’d shared
Unlike you there’s no way I
Could spend forever there”

Tom Hooper, Kevin Kane, Chris Hooper and Vincent Jones

Short and sweet.

This was followed by ‘What Was Going Through My Head’ which fed into the slightly more aggessive ‘Do You Want to Tell Me’.

What would music be without the open contemplation of relationships?

Do you want to tell me
How much it is you need me
Or are you saying you would rather be alone?
Do you want to tell me
How, when you’re around me
You’re scared of taking down a heart besides your own”

Tom Hooper, Kevin Kane, Chris Hooper and Vincent Jones

But the Grapes of Wrath fanbase could definitely relate. They were right there, dancing to every rhythm and singing along with every word.

‘Now and Then’ became Grapes of Wrath’s best-selling album. It went Platinum in Canada. It should be noted that the band did heed Tom Cochrane’s advice to some degree. They added keyboardist Vince Jones to the mix which created some stellar results.

A few other short notes related to ‘Now and Again’ that need to be shared.

• This Anton Fier production was recorded in a church in Woodstock, New York. Rumour has it, that the church was haunted.
• The great Chuck Leavell of the Allman Brothers Band and the Rolling Stones fame, added some keyboard parts to the album.
• Remember Tom Cochrane’s wish for pedal steel? Well, Grapes of Wrath and Anton Fier brought Sneaky Pete Kleinow of the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers acclaim in to lend his talent.
• Adding to the clear Beatles influence the B-side of ‘Do You Want to Tell Me’, was ‘Let Me Roll It’ from the Paul McCartney and Wings classic ‘Band on the Run’ This was recorded on CBC Radio’s ‘Brand New Waves’.

Each of these side notes add some depth to how the album came together.

The Grapes of Wrath are just one more quality group that served notice to the world that the music industry in Canada was right up there with that of any country.

It always has been, and it always will be.

For today’s cover version, I didn’t need to look very far because in 2014, Nettwerk Records gathered Canadian artists together to present ‘Cover to Cover: 30 Years at Nettwerk’. Out of this creation we get this quality version of ‘What Was Going Through My Head’ by Ted Tocks favourite, Great Lake Swimmers. They stay true to the original.

Enjoy!

To close out this post I will add two great tracks from Grapes of Wrath’s follow up album to ‘Now and Again’, which was 1991’s ‘These Days’.

Here is ‘You May Be Right’. Listen to Vince Jones. Just awesome.

Once again, the clever Lennon/McCartney wordplay influence is evident.

It’s been far too long,
You know I’ve never been a friend.
You can’t see a thing
The more I try the less you know.
So don’t ask what’s wrong,
I’ll tell you all the same things again

Tom Hooper, Kevin Kane, Chris Hooper and Vincent Jones

Let’s close out with ‘I am Here’.

Initially, the lyrics come across as simple but as you delve deeper there are complicated layers to the message.

There are times when all is wrong,
And no one knows who’s side you’re on.
It’s not,
Too clear,
To me.

Everyone see what they see,
But I don’t see you listening to me.
It’s not,
Too clear,
To me.

I’ve heard you talk of everything,
And I’m not trying to disagree,
And all I know is

I’ll be there,
And I do care,
Sometimes it’s like I’m not,
But I am here.

Tom Hooper, Kevin Kane, Chris Hooper and Vincent Jones

This leads to the message of today’s post. I will conclude in much the same way I began.

It says here, if Oasis were Canadian, they would be Grapes of Wrath.

Grapes of Wrath managed to do it all without the arrogance, pretence and drama.

Too Canadian?

Perhaps?

But, above all…

Remember who came first!

In the End – Changing the culture of mental health. It starts with one. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #LinkinPark #ChesterBennington #MikeShinoda #ChrisCornell #320ChangesDirection #Logic #AlessiaCera #Khalid #TommeeProfitt #MellenGi #Fleurie #JonathanYoung #Caleb Hyles #RobynAdeleAnderson

It hardly seems possible that Linkin Park released ‘Hybrid Theory’ all the way back in the fall of 2000. It became the best-selling debut album since Guns N’ Roses offered ‘Appetite for Destruction’ in 1987.

So much time has passed by. Life is fleeting.

From a personal perspective, my youngest son, Nathaniel was born in May of 2000. When I think of everything that has happened over this two plus decades it makes me pause.

There is so much water moving underneath the bridge, and clearly the clock keeps ticking.

We move along with the flow.

Today’s feature song is the provocative, multi-phased anthem ‘In the End’. Listening to this song is an experience. There is so much going on musically, and when you focus on the lyrics, the contemplation takes you away. Much like life, it flashes by in a blink of an eye. Hit replay, and listen again.

At first it is the piano that grabs you. The melancholy piece introduces the message. Then, like a wave, the song just washes over you.

I designed this rhyme to explain in due time
All I know
Time is a valuable thing
Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings
Watch it count down to the end of the day
The clock ticks life away
It’s so unreal
You didn’t look out below
Watch the time go right out the window”

 Joseph Hahn, Chester Bennington, Brad Delson, Mike Shinoda, Robert Bourdon

Mike Shinoda’s rap comes across as an open plea.

The interplay between Shinoda and Chester Bennington as they share the vocals makes ‘In the End’ even more meaningful. It begs you to stop everything and listen.

Initially Bennington didn’t like ‘In the End’. He wasn’t convinced it was something Linkin Park’s audience would gravitate to. Once ‘Hybrid Theory’ was released the fan’s genuine reaction made him recognize the song’s relatable value.

He put his trust in his fans.

Here is an early demo where Chester Bennington’s vocals are a little softer and Mike Shinoda’s accents on the rap rhyming is a little less forceful.

Ultimately Linkin Park delivered this dynamic and eternally introspective set of lyrics for ‘In the End’. Infinitely honest and emotionally raw.

[Chester Bennington:]
It starts with one
[Mike Shinoda:]
One thing I don’t know why
It doesn’t even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind, I designed this rhyme
To explain in due time

[Chester Bennington:]
All I know
[Mike Shinoda:] Time is a valuable thing
Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings
Watch it count down to the end of the day
The clock ticks life away

[Chester Bennington:]
It’s so unreal
[Mike Shinoda:]
It’s so unreal, didn’t look out below
Watch the time go right out the window
Trying to hold on, but didn’t even know
I wasted it all just to watch you go

[Chester Bennington:]
Watch you go
[Mike Shinoda:]
I kept everything inside and even though I tried, it all fell apart
What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when I tried so hard

[Chester Bennington:]
I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter

[Mike Shinoda:]
One thing, I don’t know why
It doesn’t even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind, I designed this rhyme
To remind myself how I tried so hard

[Chester Bennington:]
I tried so hard
[Mike Shinoda:]
In spite of the way you were mocking me
Acting like I was part of your property
Remembering all the times you fought with me
I’m surprised it got so far

[Chester Bennington:]
Got so far
[Mike Shinoda:]
Things aren’t the way they were before
You wouldn’t even recognize me anymore
Not that you knew me back then
But it all comes back to me in the end

[Chester Bennington:]
In the end
[Mike Shinoda:]
You kept everything inside and even though I tried, it all fell apart
What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when I tried so hard

[Chester Bennington:]
I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter

I’ve put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this
There’s only one thing you should know

I’ve put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this
There’s only one thing you should know

I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter

Joseph Hahn, Chester Bennington, Brad Delson, Mike Shinoda, Robert Bourdon

Sometimes the true mark of a song is how it translates to the live stage. For Linkin Park, ‘In the End’ became a showcase for their talent and vision as a group. Watch as they perform at Live 8 on July 2, 2005 before approximately one million people on a stage at the end of a mile long strip of Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. In the name of ‘brotherly love’ Mike Shinoda reminds the audience why they were gathered.

We’re here in the name of unity”

Mike Shinoda

The audience responds.

Do they ever.

Watch how Mike and Chester work together. What a combination.

Chester Bennington’s battles with personal demons throughout his life are well documented. He wore his heart on his sleeve. His public persona inspired others to pay attention when he spoke out on issues related to mental health, gun control and politics. He really turned heads in 2011 when he made this astute comment about a mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona that left six people dead including federal District Court Judge John Roll. 13 others were wounded including U.S. House Representative Gabby Giffords and a 9-year-old girl. The shooting occurred during a ‘town hall’ session at a Safeway supermarket. Giffords branded this session as ‘Congress in Your Corner’. The clearly troubled shooter opened fire on Giffords and several others in the small crowd before being restrained by a combination of brave by-standers.

There’s a non-violent way to express yourself and get your point across – regardless of what you’re saying or what your point is. In a free society, people have a right to believe whatever they want to believe. That’s their business and they can speak their mind. But nobody, even in a free society, has the right to take another person’s life. Ever. That’s something that we really need to move beyond.”

Chester Bennington

Bennington was always open about his personal circumstances in interviews. His struggles with addiction were well documented and he was a strong proponent of understanding mental illness; advocating for support, care and compassion in a society that seemed more inclined toward ignorance, rejection and indifference.

In May of 2017, Chester Bennington was shattered by the suicide death of his close friend Chris Cornell. Two days later, Linkin Park performed at a live concert for the ‘Jimmy Kimmel Show’ and dedicated ‘One More Light’ to their friend.

Should’ve stayed, were there signs, I ignored?
Can I help you, not to hurt, anymore?
We saw brilliance, when the world, was asleep
There are things that we can have, but can’t keep

Joseph Hahn, Chester Bennington, Brad Delson, Mike Shinoda, Robert Bourdon

Man, this took everything he had, to deliver.

If they say
Who cares if one more light goes out?
In the sky of a million stars
It flickers, flickers
Who cares when someone’s time runs out?
If a moment is all we are
We’re quicker, quicker
Who cares if one more light goes out?
Well I do”

Joseph Hahn, Chester Bennington, Brad Delson, Mike Shinoda, Robert Bourdon

Watch as he screams “Well I do” into the microphone.

Clearly, Chester Bennington gave and gave some more. Here he is delivering the Leonard Cohen classic ‘Hallelujah’ as a eulogy along with his Linkin Park bandmate Brad Delson during Chris Cornell’s funeral

Six weeks later, here is one more meaningful version of ‘In the End’. This is Linkin Park’s final show with Chester Bennington by their side. This is the whole concert from Birmingham, England on July 6, 2017. Watch the whole show or skip ahead to 1:20:35 if you want to see ‘In the End’.

One thing stands out to me. In terms of presentation, this was Mike’s song. Chester allows Mike to drive the message home. By comparison, and knowing what we know now, Bennington seemed slightly subdued. He resided somewhat in the shadows during ‘In the End’.

Just a thought.

I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter”

Joseph Hahn, Chester Bennington, Brad Delson, Mike Shinoda, Robert Bourdon

Two weeks later, Chester Bennington took his own life.

Who cares when someone’s light goes out…Well I do.”

Joseph Hahn, Chester Bennington, Brad Delson, Mike Shinoda, Robert Bourdon

This is why we need to be more available to people who struggle with mental health issues. Not only the individuals, but their families. We need to erase the stigma and create a culture where people feel comfortable in sharing their challenges and know that the support and care they deserve is close at hand.

Too often, people who exist in this space feel isolated. They live in their own head, and they can’t see beyond.

When someone falls, we need to pick them up. We need to be there for each other.

We can do better.

When we know better, we can do better.

Please refer to ‘320 Changes Direction’, which is a program created by Chester Bennington’s widow, Talinda Bennington. Here is her mission statement in its entirety.

The idea for 320 was born out of my personal experience and the recognition that we can do better to address the needs of those who are suffering with mental health concerns and addiction. For 13 years I watched my husband Chester struggle with depression and substance use. I often felt scared and alone. I was uneducated about the challenges he faced and I wanted information – but finding answers to my questions and available help for our family was very difficult.

After my husband lost his battle with depression and addiction, I knew I had to make a change to the mental health landscape. I began speaking to as many mental health groups as I could find. Whitney Showler and Music for Relief have been very supportive and helpful on this journey.

So here is what I learned. We don’t need to create more programs – there are good ones out there. But we do need to do two things. We need to streamline access to the help that IS available. And we need to change the culture of mental health so that those in need – and their family members – are able to speak openly about their struggles so that they can seek the care they deserve.

I am proud to join ‘Give an Hour’ the lead organization for the Campaign to Change Direction, and the Campaign’s 500+ organizations working to drive culture change. And together with Give an Hour and other partners, we will build a new approach to ensure that those in need can easily find help – when they need it.

Most important to me is that we will build a resource – 320 – for friends and family members who are seeking answers to questions about mental health, mental illness and addiction – so that they can support the people in their lives who are suffering emotionally.

Stay tuned – and thank you for supporting our vision.

Join us and together we will #ChangeDirection!”

Talinda Bennington

Once again, it is about unity.

In keeping with this theme please take a moment to watch and listen as Logic performs his single ‘1-800-273-8255’ (at the time, this was the U.S. Suicide Prevention Hotline phone number) alongside Alessia Cara and Khalid during the 60^th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018. This came with a message.

I just wanna take a moment right now and thank you all so much for giving me a platform to talk about something that mainstream media doesn’t wanna talk about. Mental health, anxiety, suicide, and so much more that I talk about on this album. From racism, discrimination, sexism, domestic violence, sexual assault and so much more. I don’t give a damn if you’re black, white or any colour in between. I don’t care if you’re Christian, you’re Muslim, you’re gay, you’re straight. I am here to fight for your equality, because I believe that we are all born equal, but we are not treated equally and that is why we all must fight. We must fight for the equality of every man, woman and child regardless of race, religion, colour, creed and sexual orientation. So, I say here and now if you believe in my lessons of peace, love, positivity and equality for all then I demand that you rise to your feet and applaud, not only for yourselves, but for the foundation we are laying for our children.”

Logic

This performance was dedicated to musicians who died in 2017 with a video acknowledgement that included Chris Cornell and concluded with Chester Bennington.

Later in 2018, Tommee Profitt, Mellen Gi and Fleurie offered this beautiful cover. I just love this haunting rendition.

One of the best things about covers is the fact that as a listener you are given the opportunity to see musicians pay their deepest respect for the artists who have inspired them in some way. Watch as Jonathan Young and Caleb Hyles do just that in this video. I raised an eyebrow when I saw that this version is hovering in the 6 million view range. It didn’t take me long to understand why. They literally act out the song in this captivating performance.

To conclude the cover portion of today’s feature, please enjoy a Ted Tocks Covers favourite, cover artist Robyn Adele Anderson. Her and the String Band do a nice swing version of ‘In the End’. This is from the heart.

Linkin Park was a huge influence in my life growing up. When I found out that Chester Bennington had passed away, I wanted to honor him by covering one of my favorite Linkin Park songs. Hopefully we continue to shine ‘more light’ on the importance of mental health especially in the hardest of times. Rest In Peace Chester.”

Robyn Adele Anderson

I love this quote because it ties in perfectly to the theme of today’s post. Notice the allusion to ‘more light’?

This incredible interpretation captures the essence of why I write this blog.

Passion for the power of song, and the urge to discover new music.

There is no better way to end this post than a heartfelt tribute to Chester Bennington featuring Linkin Park at the Hollywood Bowl. This is from October of 2017. Watch as Mike Shinoda shares the mic with the audience.

It starts with one.

I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter”

Joseph Hahn, Chester Bennington, Brad Delson, Mike Shinoda, Robert Bourdon

The ultimate tribute.

When the Lights Are Out – Hope for a better world filled with limitless jukeboxes jam packed with great rock and roll. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #BobSegarini #TheIceMan #Slade #TheFamilyTree #AprilWine

Ted Tocks Covers is a labour of love. Clearly, it is a celebration of music. That is obvious. Beyond that, this blog is an opportunity to relive memories and moments that have served to define my passion for music. For my generation and ones before, radio served as the catalyst. Perhaps, Roger Taylor of Queen captured this sentiment best when he wrote ‘Radio Ga Ga’.

Everything I had to know. I heard it on my radio.”

Roger Taylor

Today’s post will commemorate a man who captured the imagination of music fans across the Southern Ontario airwaves and beyond. As always, there will be an original song and a quality cover.

Bob Segarini, otherwise known as ‘The IceMan’ defined cool.

A few years ago, I wrote a post about my favourite DJs when I featured Tom Petty and his lament known as ‘The Last DJ’. Elements of this post did not age well, but I stand by everything I wrote, at least in the moment I wrote it.

Looking back, Bob Segarini is another DJ that I easily could have mentioned in that reflective post. He died last week at the age of 77. Truth be told, perhaps it is better that he was left out of my ‘Last DJ’ post because he was way more than a DJ.

The accompanying quote shared in the headline of today’s post was offered as part of an online tribute from Bob’s friend Jaimie Vernon.

From where I sat Bob Segarini was infinitely cool. It was clear that he did not suffer fools gladly, and he always did things his way. In retrospect, it was likely due to his unyielding integrity that his radio stint is just a brief chapter in his very eventful life.

In life there are leaders and there are followers. Bob Segarini was clearly the latter. Everywhere Bob Segarini went he initiated trends. This is why today’s post takes us beyond radio and quite literally to the cutting edge of the entertainment scene that unfolded while we were growing up. While many take this evolution for granted, some people existed as a driving force.

Bob Segarini was among those who could be considered an innovator because he had an innate understanding for what people wanted to hear and see.

So, where to begin?

How about we go right back to the beginning?

Bob Segarini was born and raised in California. During his teenage years he embraced everything about music and its ability to channel life. He observed, and he wrote, and over time he carved out a life that saw him mingle with some interesting people.

In the mid ‘60s he was part of an LA group called The Ratz with Gary Duncan who went on to form Quicksilver Messenger Service.

When The Ratz broke up in 1966, he formed The Family Tree. They released one album – a concept album called ‘Miss Butters’. Using the words ‘concept album’ seems so easy almost six decades later, but consider this fact. To the most astute in the industry ‘Miss Butters’ is recognized as one of the first concept albums. It chronicles the life of Segarini’s kindergarten teacher. As the story goes, she was unlucky in love and after a series of failed relationships, she chose to devote her life to her school children.

‘Miss Butters’ was produced by Rick Jarrad, with songs arranged by George Tipton. Jarrad and Tipton were also working with Harry Nilsson on ‘Aerial Ballet’. Nilsson collaborated with Segarini on ’Butters Lament’.

After The Family Tree dissolved, the determined Segarini formed Roxy. They signed with Elektra in 1969. It was here that he worked with the acclaimed producer Jac Holzman. This brought Bob into the orbit of The Doors where he hung out with Jim Morrison. His neighbour In Los Angeles was Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees.

Eventually Roxy evolved into The Wackers. This act released three albums, and under Holzman’s tutelage they gravitated to the emerging glam rock scene. Jac felt The Wackers best option was to move forward in the style of David Bowie who had just released ‘Hunky Dory’ to critical acclaim.

The Wackers toured North America in order to promote themselves. Their experiences took them to some of the most iconic venues, including Carnegie Hall. Through it all, it was Montreal of all places that they fell in love with. The feeling was mutual. In interviews, Segarini recalls they “were treated like The Beatles.” In the early ‘70s The Wackers received airplay on the city’s preeminent radio station CHOM-FM.

They loved the city so much that they recorded their second album ‘Hot Wacks’ there. In a fantastic interview on ‘Toronto Mike’, Segarini recalls this period with a gushing fondness.

From day one every time we played there, you couldn’t move. It was packed, and we had a ball…7 Days a week, eight sets a night. It was like we had come back from Hamburg. When we went back to California, we were tight. “

Bob Segarini

After they returned to California, The Wackers soon decided to head back to Montreal for good. All but one original member made the return trip.

Montreal’s burgeoning music scene included Michael Pagliaro, Mahogany Rush and April Wine among many others. They played clubs and high schools. They felt like they owned the city.

I was in the right place. Montreal’s music scene was insanely vibrant.”

Bob Segarini

During their time in Montreal the band hung out with the guys from Monty Python for two weeks. The British comedy legends were in Montreal crafting their plan to change comedy.

All good things must come to an end, and The Wackers had broken up by 1974. Unphased, Segarini formed The Dudes out of The Wackers, along with Ritchie and David Henman who were part of an early version of April Wine. It was here that he became good friends with Brian Greenway.

Bob Segarini has left the planet. RIP Bob, we had some good laughs.”

Brian Greenway

Greenway went on to become an integral member of (in my opinion) the best lineup of April Wine, later in the ‘70s.

Bob Segarini’s time in Montreal amounted to about five years, and it was politics that forced him to leave. In the late ‘70s, Quebec elected Rene Levesque and his separatist agenda. The anti-anglophone sentiment was too much to endure and he opted to leave along with his wife and baby daughter.

An industry friend had arranged for some studio time in Toronto, so he was moving from one great music scene to another. He began working on an EP and his engaging presence led to some career defining experiences.

Before I move on, enjoy Bob Segarini’s live version of today’s feature song, ‘When the Lights Are Out’ by Slade. Listen, as he shares the essence of the Slade story.

This track also appeared on Segarini’s 1978 album ‘Gotta Have Pop’.

‘When the Lights are Out’ was written by Slade’s Noddy Holder and Jim Lea. It was produced by renowned producer, Chas Chandler. Those familiar with Slade will recognize that this song features a rare appearance of Lea on lead vocals, with Holder doing a killer job on backing vocals. ‘When the Lights are Out’ appeared on the 1974 album ‘Old New Borrowed and Blue’ which in North America was released as ‘Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet’. Typical to the Slade story, neither the album, nor the single gained any chart success on this continent.

Back in Toronto, Segarini was pioneering new trends. This centred around a club called the Crash and Burn which was the epicentre of Toronto’s burgeoning Punk and New Wave scene, gestating in Toronto’s theatre district. Although he was about a decade older than his contemporaries, Bob was right in the middle. He handled the sound, and his presence was a magnet for bands like Thin Lizzy and Blondie’s Debbie Harry as they came though Toronto. As legend has it, The Ramones first Toronto gig was at the Crash and Burn.

Here is great tribute from Bob Segarini’s manager and friend, Ralph Alfonso.

Very very sad to hear that Bob Segarini has passed away. He led The Wackers to god-like stature in Montreal in the 70s and when they broke up, headed to Toronto where he got introduced to myself and The Diodes via Greg Shaw/Robert Charles-Dunne and The Nerves (who headlined the first Crash’n’Burn show with Segarini at the soundboard). Bob was a true American hustler/genius and he had the talent to back it all up. His musical trajectory is vast and his tales of hanging out with Jim Morrison and others were always mind-boggling. He was a true champion of the early Toronto punk scene and indie artists in general. It’s really hard to wrap up his career (music, radio, TV, online) in a few sentences. Basically, if it was happening, Bob was there. God bless and thank you for your friendship and encouragement over the years.”

Ralph Alfonso

The thing is, it seems that for every bar there is a story. Here is a fascinating excerpt from Bob Segarini’s blog called ‘Don’t Believe a Word I Say’. Here he shares memories from his days at the El Mocambo. Pay close attention to how he weaves so many of his personal connections. This is not done out of conceit. It was just reality.

After the move to Toronto, I went to the venue quite often because the entertainment upstairs was always first rate. I was also heavily invested in spreading the word about the brand-new punk scene and would talk about it passionately with whomever wanted to discuss it. One night, the discourse turned to argument and I was escorted out of the club by a bouncer named Reggie. He literally tossed me down the stairs and out the door. Several months go by and ‘Gotta Have Pop’ (and my band) became very popular in Toronto. I was offered the upstairs venue and was thrilled beyond belief. After all, the closest I had come to playing there was when April Wine played two songs I had written when they opened for The Rolling Stones at The ElMo back in March of that year.”

Bob Segarini

Here is ‘Teenage Love’.

For good measure, enjoy ‘Juvenile Delinquent’.

Carrying on with this quote…

My only concern was with the bouncer who had thrown me out months earlier. Was he going to be a problem? Would he even let me in the club? I hadn’t been back since. Was this going to be a train wreck? I get to the club and there, standing on the sidewalk, is Reggie the bouncer. He glares at me. Here we go, I think, wondering how fast I’ll have to be to outrun him. Reg walks up to me, picks me up off my feet and carries me up two flights of stairs to the showroom. He walks me over to the stage and puts me down right in front of it. “Uh, Thanks”, I manage. “No problem”, says Reggie, “Really like the album. Have a great show”, and turns to walk away. “So why the hell did you carry me up here”, I ask. He looked back over his shoulder at me as he walked away, “I threw you down the stairs the last time you were here. The least I could do was carry you back up”, and disappeared around the corner. We became good friends. Reg Bovaird and the others on his team were part of the fabric of the place.”

Bob Segarini

For those of you who are keeping score, Bob Segarini had a front row seat to genre defining music scenes in San Francisco with Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead

Then he moved on to Los Angeles where he rubbed shoulders with the Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, and the Doors. Working with Jac Holzman, he helped to navigate the transition from the ‘60s scene into the new American glam rock/alt rock genre.

He then moved on to become a legend within the Montreal music scene which was crucial in defining Canadian classic rock or CanCon.

His work at the Crash and Burn put Toronto on the map along with London, England and New York City as cornerstones of the Punk and New Wave movement, which to this day have links to some of the biggest names in the last half century of music.

In his own humble words, by “accident and destiny” Bob Segarini was part of it all. This is his lasting legacy and we haven’t even got to radio and TV.

So how does a musician with seemingly endless projects on the go, and long nights of partying, get into radio? When Bob Segarini was asked that question, his answer was simple.

I answered the phone”

Bob Segarini

The call came from CHUM-FM. He had done some voiceover work in the industry and clearly, he was connected, so this transition was more of a hop than a leap.

Segarini was asked if he wanted to be the late night DJ. The catalyst for the invitation was an article he wrote for the Toronto Star about the music scene in Toronto. True to his style, he took local radio to task for not promoting local music. The message created a buzz in the industry and when Warren Cosford of CHUM-FM called he hung up. He thought it was one of friends playing a joke. Cosford called back. This time he listened. His love of music, and ability to talk made him a natural.  

For an on-air name, Cosford took Segarini back to his early teens where he recalled his multi-racial friend group in California, referred to him as ‘The IceMan’ because he had such a cool wardrobe and demeanour. The Ice Man cometh…and he made his mark almost immediately.

His time slot was 10 pm ‘til 2 am. Interestingly, he was followed by the great Kelly Jay of Crowbar fame. What a one-two combination!

According to Segarini they each broke every rule in radio and perhaps contemporary society. This was Toronto free form radio at its finest.

He lasted 6 months.

Bob Segarini loved to test the boundaries. If he didn’t, nobody would ever have known his name. Because he did, he became legendary. The final straw at CHUM-FM came after an interview with Motorhead. The station was concerned because Lemmy, ‘Fast’ Eddie Clarke and Phil ‘Philthy Animal’ Taylor had a reputation for being a little rambunctious. Segarini’s program director gave him two songs he could play and told him had 20 minutes.  So, what did Segarini and Motorhead do? They drank tea and chatted amicably for six hours and over the course of this interaction they played songs. The listeners loved it. Sounds good, right?

Well, you can’t turn him into a company man
You can’t turn him into a whore
And the boys upstairs
Just don’t understand anymore”

Tom Petty

Well, the fact Segarini was given a list of what he COULD the ‘Iceman’ turned this upside down. What If I spin what I am FORBIDDEN to play? CHUM-FM had a section of albums in its library that their executives would not allow to be played due to questionable content. These albums were marked with red stickers. To occupy his time with Motorhead, Segarini compiled enough of those albums to program a free flowing six hour time slot.

Well, the top brass don’t like him
Talking so much
And he won’t play what they say to play
And he don’t want to change
What don’t need to change”

Tom Petty

They all enjoyed the music, and each other’s company while taking the red stickers off the forbidden records. They played as much of the music as they could. Listeners called in, and interacted with the guys in the booth. It was everything radio should be.

Bob Segarini created a great radio moment. In his words;

It just happened, and I let it.”

Bob Segarini

He went on to say that while the outcome was not planned, the moment was a dig at the industry, and in truth it was the reason why he was invited onto the airwaves in the first place.

I am not one of those people who puts a lot of thought into spontaneity.”

Bob Segarini

Bob Segarini was pointing out the hypocrisy of the conservative mindset that controlled the station.

Needless to say, he hated modern day radio.

I wouldn’t survive 18 seconds.”

Bob Segarini

Bob Segarini’s formula for success in any business is;

Great management hires great people and then leaves them alone…People can either prove themselves worthy, or not.”

Bob Segarini

Back to CHUM-FM.

He was fired.

This led Segarini to state;

You can’t call yourself a broadcaster if you have not been fired at least three times.”

Bob Segarini

The story carries forward at breakneck speed. He was actually hired by Gary Slaight, the owner of Q-107 the same day.

This is where I became familiar with the great work of the ‘IceMan’. I have fond memories of he and the great Bob Mackowycz on the ‘Six o’clock Rock Report’. I learned so much while listening to them tell their stories and share the rock news of the day.

One of the best features was the ‘Ice Pick of the Day.’ In my mind, if it was good enough for ‘The IceMan’, it was good enough for me to at least listen. He broadened my musical perspective.

The team at Q-107 were instrumental in developing and promoting local talent through initiatives like their ‘Homegrown’ contest, and the ultimate creation of a venue called ‘Rock and Roll Heaven’ for local acts to perform. Bob was in on the ground floor. One of the acts that emerged from this commitment in the early ‘80s was Coney Hatch.

Wow, it’s truly a sad day for broadcasting and the Canadian music & radio industry in general. We just heard of the passing of Bob Segarini, known to many of us as The ICEMAN. For those of us old enough to remember, Bob was the founding member of the Canadian band The Dudes and then went on to a solo career and released ‘Gotta Have Pop’. Most will remember Bob when he hit the airwaves on CHUM-FM in the early 80’s and then his many stints on Q107. Bob was a great, witty, entertaining fellow that will be missed by many. Our sincere condolences go out to Bob’s daughter Amy and all the other family members and friends, RIP Bob!”

Coney Hatch

According to Segarini, his time at Q-107 was the most fun he ever had. He likened it to working at a frat house. He and his Q colleagues were playing the music they loved. They each understood the energy that flowed across the airwaves. They were not only selling the station. They were selling the music through their passion. They mattered. People loved it.

It was like having a bunch of renaissance poets writing the history of rock and roll. Bob Mackowycz saw the music we played in a completely different light. He brought such depth to everything.”

Bob Segarini

An argument could be made that there was never a better era of Toronto radio and Bob Segarini was right in the middle of it, and thankfully, I got to experience it.

This was radio at its absolute rodeo best. Radio when what was being said and who was saying it was as important as the music that was being played.”

Bob Segarini

In Bob Segarini’s eyes, Q-107 was right up there with CHOM-FM in Montreal and CFNY in Toronto as the three best radio stations in the country. Each for different reasons, and only for a brief moment in time that has now long since passed.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last. It faded away due to corporate meddling, greed and the shit streaming services offered up by the internet. We reap the harvest we sow.

For Segarini, once again his days were numbered but it was a matter of circumstance rather than behavior. He was offered an intriguing opportunity to help launch CITY TV’s new project called ‘MUCH MUSIC’. This would be Canada’s answer to MTV. They offered him a role as a producer. In the moment, Gary Slaight wouldn’t let him work both jobs; citing policy.

Segarini opted for the ‘MUCH MUSIC’ position.

It is interesting to note that only a couple of years later a similar situation arose and Slaight gave Steve Anthony free reign to work at Q-107 and ‘MUCH MUSIC’. It says here that Anthony was great on Q, but his schtick became irritating at best behind the camera.

Ultimately, Bob Segarini was fired from his Much role, but he was offered the position of the first host of CITY TV’s ‘Late Great Movies’.

Late Great Movies was created to burn off all of the shit movies.”

Bob Segarini

Because of Segarini’s reputation, he owned the city. He promoted Toronto and the show became must see TV. Even though at first the movies were crap. Segarini and his small team filled the airwaves with great content and people tuned in, in droves.

The motto became ‘T.O.’s got the future’.

As great as it was, Segarini’s larger than life personality drove CITY TV’s owner Moses Znaimer crazy.  The ability to test boundaries in a visual medium opened the door to even zanier antics, and Bob and crew were up to the task.

Well, some folks say they’re gonna hang him so high
‘Cause you just can’t do what he did
There’s some things you just can’t
Put in the mind of those kids”

Bob Segarini

A segment where Segarini and his cohorts feigned throwing a cat out of a window drew the ire of a small group of sensitive viewers and when Znaimer expressed his displeasure, Segarini protested vehemently.

This isn’t for you. This is for bartenders and waitresses, and cab drivers and rock bands. People who get it all.”

Bob Segarini

In this case, Bob Segarini didn’t get fired. He just walked away. He left and never went back. He admits that he would have been fired though.

In an interview he admits that he still respects Moses Znaimer, and everyone else he ever worked for because they all gave him the opportunity.

Everything I’ve ever done was to entertain me.”

Bob Segarini

He worked from the heart and people got it. He felt the respect and he appreciated the love.

As the years rolled along Bob Segarini became the victim of agism within the industry.

As we celebrate mediocrity
All the boys upstairs want to see
How much you’ll pay for
What you used to get for free”

Bob Segarini

He openly laments this sad fact.

Western culture is the only culture that rejects and discriminates against their elderly. When every other culture embraces their knowledge and experience.”

Bob Segarini

Somehow, when it all comes down to it, people just have this desire to move on. Everything becomes self-serving and as a result quality is sacrificed for immediate gratification.

One of Bob Segarini’s parting statements really struck me as poignant. He suggested that society would be in a much better place if we;

Put humanity before the economy. Nobody needs what so few have when so many have so little.”

Bob Segarini

Few could say this so well, with such an economy of words and I have far surpassed mine.

There goes the last DJ
Who plays what he wants to play
And says what he wants to say”

Tom Petty

Godspeed Bob!

Full disclosure:

Much of what I shared in this post was prompted by this phenomenal interview conducted by ‘Toronto Mike’.

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/remembering-bob-iceman-segarini-toronto-miked-1290/id557260245?i=1000620905000

I must give credit where credit is due. This allowed memories to come flooding back. It also inspired me to dig deeper into several chapters of Bob’s life.

Hopefully some day a book will be written about this fascinating character.

Here is a closing quote from his friend Doug Thompson. It describes how he was seen by those closest to him.

(Bob Segarini) was an unending talent, infinite ideas, a wicked wit and a brain that moved faster than any supersonic jet.”

Doug Thompson

This is the end…beautiful friend.

Fireworks – Believing in the country of me and you. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #TheTragicallyHip #GordDownie #TalkShowHost #TheTrews

In life, it seems everything is measured by time. Sometimes that measurement comes more into focus when music is tied into that timeline, because music has the ability to take us back to a time, and a place.

It was on this day a quarter century ago that The Tragically Hip released their acclaimed album ‘Phantom Power’. In Canada, during the ‘90s, any album release by ‘The Hip’ was highly anticipated and this unveiling proved to be no exception. ‘Phantom Power’ was an immediate success.

It would go on to win a 1999 Juno for Best Rock Album and Best Album Design.

‘Phantom Power’ led off with ‘Poets’ which appropriately was the lead single. Because of its sustained popularity, ‘Poets’ was followed by ‘Something On’, ‘Fireworks’, ‘Bobcaygeon’ and ‘Escape Is at Hand for the Travellin’ Man’.

This album was deep, and as always, the lyrical content inspired plenty of contemplation. For the band’s massive Canadian fan base ‘Bobcaygeon’ and ‘Fireworks’ were particularly packed with references to Canadian nostalgia, both good and bad.

The good was front and centre. The bad was hidden in the layers, because like any song penned by Gord Downie there is depth to the meaning.

Because, that’s what poets do…

Speaking to today’s feature, ‘Fireworks’ is often referred to as a hockey song but in reality, it is more; way more.

Come on, just let’s go…

Okay, the first verse is clearly about hockey. It serves as a perfect lead in to the narrator’s rite of passage, that led from a boyish innocence to the occasional complication of relationships and awareness of global politics. The 1972 ‘Canada-Russia Summit Series’ provided the perfect backdrop for this introduction. Few could weave this combination of themes as eloquently as Gord Downie.

Here is the first verse.

If there’s a goal that everyone remembers
It was back in old seventy-two
We all squeezed the stick and we all pulled the trigger
And all I remember is sitting beside you
You said you didn’t give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr”

Gord Downie

Pay attention to this quote from Gord Downie which was revealed in an interview with hockey analyst Bob McKenzie. It seems this moment was life altering

There actually was a girl who said she didn’t give a fuck about hockey. I had never heard a girl swear and I’d never heard someone say that before. It was like there was some whole other world out there, which is hard to fathom at times.”

Gord Downie

It must be said that for Canadians at least, the Canada-Russian hockey showdown was a galvanizing moment for this nation. The premise was that an all-star team of NHL hockey players of Canadian heritage would play in an eight-game showcase. Four games would be played in major Canadian centres, before the hockey cavalcade would head over to Moscow to play behind the ‘Iron Curtain’.

Multiple themes were at work here. Canada felt they were the undisputed best at hockey. For a couple of decades, the Canadian hockey psyche had been dented because they were unable to send their best players to the Olympics. During this window, the Soviets had dominated, much to the chagrin of Canadian hockey purists. Conversely, because the Russian hockey model was built behind a Communist wall much of what they had achieved was looked upon with a combination of skepticism and outright mistrust.

In 1972, Canada felt that this unprecedented opportunity to ice their absolute best would lead to a slaughter.

The series captured the imagination of Canadian hockey fans from coast to coast. An eight year old Gord Downie had a very personal rooting interest. His godfather, Harry Sinden, was the coach of Team Canada.

What began as an international hockey exhibition turned into a classic good versus evil grudge-match. On Canadian ice, Canada only managed one victory, while losing two and tying one. Even the Canadian fans had turned on their hockey heroes. Foreign ice proved to be hostile as well. Game five at the Luzhniki Ice Palace saw Canada fall a goal short. If Canada was to pull this series out, they would need to win three games in a row under less-than-ideal circumstances.

As we all know, in a story that has been often told Canada did just that. By the time game eight rolled around Team Canada rose above a mountain of adversity and won the next two games by two games by a one goal difference. This set up a hockey showdown on September 28, 1972.This nation came to a standstill. With 34 seconds left in game eight, Paul Henderson scored the goal ‘that everyone remembers’ and temporarily national pride was restored.

Isn’t it amazing anything’s accomplished
When the little sensation gets in your way
Not one ambition whispering over your shoulder
Isn’t it amazing you can do anything”

Gord Downie

This is how Gord Downie fed a unifying national moment into a four-minute song that reflects on everything from relationships, school boy memories, Canada’s fickle entertainment industry and the Cold War that hung over us all like a cloud for over three decades.

We hung out together every single moment
‘Cause that’s what we thought married people do
Complete with the grip of artificial chaos
And believing in the country of me and you”

Gord Downie

This passage speaks to retreat within a relationship. A theme that also emerged in ‘Bobcaygeon’ earlier on ‘Phantom Power’, although Downie got to ‘Bobcaygeon in a much different way.

Crisis of faith and crisis in the Kremlin
And, yeah, we’d heard all that before
It’s wintertime, the house is solitude with options
And loosening the grip on a fake cold war”

Gord Downie

Right on cue, the chorus repeats…

Isn’t it amazing what you can accomplish
When you don’t let the nation get in your way
And not one ambition whispering over your shoulder
Isn’t it amazing you can do anything”

Gord Downie

As mentioned, Gord Downie takes us all back to his mid ‘70s days as a public school student in Kingston.

Next to your comrades in the National Fitness Program
Caught in some eternal flexed arm hang
Dropping to the mat in a fit of laughter
Showed no patience, tolerance or restraint”

Gord Downie

Gord Downie uses an economy of words to say so much here. One of the most salient observations that emerged from the Canada-Russia hockey series was the incredible fitness of the Russian athletes. The perception was that as a nation we were becoming weak, and in the moment, the Soviet state would serve as a model. As is so often the case, perception was not reality. Meanwhile in Canada, anyone in this age group will remember the Canada Fitness Program? While not directly influenced by the dreaded communist wave, a paranoia took over, and across the country boys and girls found themselves striving for bronze, silver, gold or for the greatest among us, Award of Excellence patches in the Canada Fitness Award Program. Here is an interesting summary from C. John Runions, as recalled in ‘The Never Ending Present’ by Michael Barclay.

I think there are two memories of my childhood that Tragically Hip lyrics most strongly evoke. They both come from the song Fireworks. I do remember where I was when Henderson scored the goal and I also remember being ‘caught is some eternal flexed-arm hang.’ I am Gord’s age or thereabouts so I can tell you that he is talking about himself in public school Gym class. The Canadian government decided that Canadians were too flabby so they started the Canada Fitness Program as a social experiment. This was later encompassed by the ‘Participaction’ advertising campaigns of the 1970’s. School kids were evaluated in six fitness tests: vertical jump, 100-yard dash (before metric), speed sit-ups, flexed-arm hang, the shuttle run, and something else that I don’t remember – probably the mile run or ‘endurance’ run that I am forgetting due to the trauma involved. Based on overall score, students were awarded bronze, silver, gold, or the much sought after ‘Award of Excellence’ crests. In the flexed arm hang, one had to hang from a bar with arms bent at 90 degrees at the elbows for as long as possible. This was hard to do and usually resulted in you and your comrades ‘falling to the floor in fits of laughter’ within 5-30 seconds. Some of the super heroes could go on for 2 minutes or more. Gord’s use of the word ‘comrades’ nicely ties this Canadian program in with the cold war imagery of the rest of the song. Most of us weren’t great at the fitness tests but we had fun doing them for the most part.”

C. John Runions

I have vivid memories of this experience, and while forgetting the actual years I recall battling for a bronze in my first effort before rallying in sheer determination for gold in year two.

I suppose at the time I believed in a country of me.

As ‘Fireworks’ moves toward a fast-paced conclusion, again from Michael Barclay, Gord Downie shares some cynical thoughts related to the music industry. Overnight sensations are created. He uses the imagery of ‘temporary towers’ and the idea of these icons becoming god-like, before they explode, fading into oblivion.

Fame is temporary and anything authentic or pure becomes obscured by the glitter and glamour.

The pattern continues to this day.

Fireworks exploding in the distance
Temporary towers soar
Fireworks emulating heaven
Till there are no stars any more
Fireworks aiming straight at heaven
Temporary towers soar
Till there are no stars shining up in heaven
Till there are no stars any more”

Isn’t it amazing what you can accomplish
When the little sensation gets in your way
No ambition whispering over your shoulder
Isn’t it amazing what you can accomplish

This one thing probably never goes away
I think this one thing is always supposed to stay
This one thing doesn’t have to go away”

Gord Downie

This closing passage speaks volumes when it comes to Downie’s choice of song title and allegory.

Fireworks are infinitely temporary in every way. So is life. Having said that, our accomplishments from day to day can have an impact. Who we are and what we mean should always remain with the people who are closest to us.

Our memory should never fade away.

It is with a sense of irony, that ‘Fireworks’ becomes the focal point of the song when as a physical property they exist in complete contrast to the song’s message.

On many occasions, Ted Tocks Covers has stated that few songwriters can offer this type of depth within their writing. This reflects the importance of Gord Downie as a lyricist.

This is always supposed to stay. It is one thing that that definitely doesn’t have to go away.

Through the years ‘Fireworks’ was a popular song within The Tragically Hip setlist. Right back to the release of ‘Phantom Power’.

Here is The Tragically Hip in 1998, live on KFOG in New York City.

Four years later ‘The Hip’ brought their show to the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Thirty years later the hockey theme fit well as the Canadian Women’s Hockey Team had just won their first gold medal, defeating the defending champions from the United States on their home ice. Here, they join The Tragically Hip on stage for their set opener, in a moment that I am sure they will all remember for the rest of their lives.

We got a percussion section bigger than Santana.”

Gord Downie

This is a grainy CBC video, but it needed to be shared.

Whenever I discuss The Tragically Hip in Ted Tocks Covers, I know I am in for a Canada’s Got Talent’ like array of cover versions. After watching several, I opted to share this version by Talk Show Host from April of 2017. It offers an indy-punk edge. Best of all, proceeds from this cover were donated to the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research which was established by Gord Downie a short time after it was revealed that he was living with glioblastoma.

Just days after the nation learned that Gord Downie had succumbed to brain cancer in October of 2017, The Trews concluded their set in Niagara Falls with this Tragically Hip favourite.

As much as I have aimed to convey the fact ‘Fireworks’ is layered with meaning, it still comes back to the goal that everyone remembers.

Right?

If you were around, and gave a fuck about hockey, you likely have a story too.

Here’s mine.

I was in my first month of grade one at Robert Little School in Acton. Looking back, I think I was in the minority of kids who were aware of the series, but I could be wrong. At home I recall watching snippets of the first two games in Montreal and Toronto. My father kept me informed as the series moved out west, and then to Moscow. By the time game eight rolled around I understood about as much as a five-year-old could, that the game was important. I knew that it was being played half way around the world which to my rudimentary understanding of time zones meant that the game was taking place in the early afternoon, our time, while I was in Mrs. Gamble’s grade one class with about thirty other six and seven year old children.

I have vivid memories of the scene.

I know that the office staff were watching the game because every time an announcement came over the P.A. I could hear the broadcast. I perked up every time this happened. I could hear Foster Hewitt’s voice (how lucky we were that he came out of retirement for this occasion) describe the scene, dropping names like Esposito, Dryden, Ellis, Henderson and Cournoyer for Canada and Shadrin, Yakushev and the maddening goalie Tretiak who seemed determined to deny Canada at every turn.

As the afternoon moved on there were murmurs out in the hall. The teachers were gathering. Initially, I sensed frustration but as time went on this turned to a degree of excitement. Then the announcement came from Principal McKenzie that students were to follow their teachers to designated rooms in the school where we could watch the game on TV.

Our class was moved into, what felt like a tiny little room in the Kindergarten/Grade One wing of the school along with the other grade one class. Looking back, I don’t know why we didn’t all just gather in one of the much larger grade one classrooms? The TV was on a stand at the front of the small room and a bunch of kids sat on the floor with varying degrees of interest.

Evidently, Canada had gone down 5-3 after two periods which explained the concerned voices I heard in the hallway. Early in the third period Canada’s undisputed leader, Phil Esposito, brought his team within one goal, and with seven minutes left, the ‘Roadrunner’, Yvan Cournoyer tied the game at 5. Looking back, none of this surprised me because my father had told me that Canada had come back to win game six and seven. One of my Toronto Maple Leafs heroes, Paul Henderson, had scored the winning goal in both games. So, once the game was tied, the decision was made to allow the students to watch Canadian history unfold. By the time we all got settled in there could not have been much more than three minutes left in what was still a tie game. There was definitely tension in the air.

All of this is being said in order to say that although I was only five years old, I remember the Paul Henderson goal as it actually happened. We have all seen it or heard it hundreds of times. It is etched upon our minds.

It is definitely the goal that everyone remembers.

I have two distinct memories from the moments that followed.

Our teacher, Mrs. Gamble who was in her final year of teaching will always be associated with this moment. She actually taught my father about 25 years before. She appeared as grandmotherly to me and displayed an affection toward her students, but she had a strict nature. Perhaps because of my familial connection she seemed to like me. Having said all this, it was pretty clear that she was not a hockey fan. On a few occasions I could see teachers explaining things to her when she appeared confused by what was going on, but when Paul Henderson scored, she was bouncing off the walls with the enthusiasm of a cheerleader. In fact, she was so exuberant that when CTV showed the replay of Henderson’s go-ahead goal, she was so captured by the scene that she thought they had scored again. Her colleague pointed out that it was just a replay. She settled down while the final 34 seconds ticked away, and then she celebrated all over again.

Priceless.

A short time later, I walked home with my friends Ian and Rhys. We were still buzzing.

When I got home, my Dad’s car was in the driveway. This was really unusual. Clearly, he had snuck home from his office at Beardmore, to catch the game, much like hundreds of thousands of other Canadians.

When I walked through the door, he came up the stairs. As I recall, all I asked was, “Did you see it?” and he said “Yes”.

We both smiled. Nothing more needed to be said.

A fitting moment for a father and son.

One week later, I played my first game of organized hockey in the Acton Legion House League. My hockey coach gave me #7 because my name is Ted Lindsay, but truth be told I wore it with pride because at the time, I absolutely loved Phil Esposito. Next to Dave Keon, he was my hockey hero.

For over a decade I played hockey in Acton, and my father was always right there. For every early morning game and practice.

As a hockey player, I never amounted to much, but I love the game to this day.

The game that captured my imagination up to the time of the Summit Series conclusion reached epic proportions when Paul Henderson scored. Over fifty years later, I still appreciate the best qualities of the sport, and everything my father did to instill the appreciation.

I also thank the heavens for the fact Canada won.

From my perspective, there is only one way to conclude today’s post. Here is The Tragically Hip performing ‘Fireworks’ during their final performance.

Another occasion that brought this nation together. At least one-third of the country, and maybe up to half, took the time to watch this show as it was broadcast live on CBC.

What a moment.

Just like ‘old ‘72’.

Isn’t it amazing?

Makeba – Her music inspired a powerful sense of hope in all of us. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #Jain #MiriamMakeba #SaturdayNightLive #BillHader #NinaSimone

Over the years one of the primary functions of Ted Tocks Covers has seen a recounting of timelines related to any hit song, and ultimately the cover versions that end up being discussed.

Today’s post is not so much about any cover version; it is more about a TikTok sensation that will likely hit one billion views soon after this feature is posted.

To some, the story of ‘Makeba’ by Jeanne Louise Galice, better known by her stage name, Jain began in 2015 when this rising French singer-song writer released her debut album, ‘Zanaka’.

The catchy song stands on its own, but it was definitely enhanced by the video that runs just shy of four minutes. It was a carefully choreographed piece that opens with the final frame of Jain’s song ‘Come’ from the same ‘Zanaka’ recording.

This leads into the catchy beat of ‘Makeba’ which is a celebration of the South African singer and social activist.

This is where the story takes us back about 90 years, to 1932.

Let’s follow the timeline and learn a little more about Miriam ‘Zenzile’ Makeba, also known as ‘Mama Africa’ who was appropriately described by Jain as ‘Que bella’ or ‘how beautiful’.

Here is the wonderful set of lyrics by Jain, that just envelops the listener as the music flows. Yes, the music takes you in, but there is a message.

Ooh-ee
Ooh-ee

Ooh-ee, Makeba
Makeba, ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh-ee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you
Ooh-ee, Makeba
Makeba, ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh-ee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you
Ooh-ee, Makeba
Makeba, ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh-ee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you
Ooh-ee, Makeba
Makeba, ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh-ee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you

I wanna hear your breath just next to my soul
I wanna feel oppressed without any rest
I wanna see you sing, I wanna see you fight
‘Cause you are the real beauty of human right

Ooh-ee, Makeba
Makeba, ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh-ee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you
Ooh-ee, Makeba
Makeba, ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh-ee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you

Nobody can beat the Mama Africa
You follow the beat that she’s gonna give ya
Only her smile can all make it go
The sufferation of a thousand more

Ooh-ee, Makeba
Makeba, ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh-ee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you
Ooh-ee, Makeba
Makeba, ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh-ee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you
Ooh-ee, Makeba
Makeba, ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh-ee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you
Ooh-ee, Makeba
Makeba, ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh-ee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you
Ooh-ee, Makeba
Makeba, ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh-ee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you
Ooh-ee, Makeba
Makeba, ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh-ee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you

(Ooh-ee)
(Makeba, ma che bella)
(Ooh-ee)
(Makeba, ma che bella)
(Ooh-ee)
(Makeba, ma che bella)
Ooh-ee
Makeba, ma che bella
Ooh-ee
Makeba, ma che bella
Ooh-ee
Makeba, ma che bella

Ecnad ydob ym sekam (Ooh-ee)
Abekam ?”Ee-hoo” a teg I nac (Makeba, ma che bella)
Alleb ehc am, Abekam (Ooh-ee)
Abekam, ee-hoo (Makeba, ma che bella)
Uoy rof ecnad ydob ym sekam (Ooh-ee)
Abekam ?”Ee-hoo” a teg I nac (Makeba, ma che bella)
Alleb ehc am, Abekam (Ooh-ee)
Abekam, ee-hoo, for you (Makeba, ma che bella)
Ecnad ydob ym sekam (Ooh-ee)
Abekam ?”Ee-hoo” a teg I nac (Makeba, ma che bella)
Alleb ehc am, Abekam (Ooh-ee)
Abekam, ee-hoo (Makeba, ma che bella)
Uoy rof ecnad ydob ym sekam (Ooh-ee)
Abekam ?”Ee-hoo” a teg I nac (Makeba, ma che bella)
Alleb ehc am, Abekam (Ooh-ee)
Abekam, ee-hoo, for you (Makeba, ma che bella)
Ecnad ydob ym sekam (Ooh-ee)
Abekam ?”Ehoo” a teg I nac (Makeba, ma che bella)
Alleb ehc am, Abekam (Ooh-ee)
Abekam, ee-hoo (Makeba, ma che bella)
Uoy rof ecnad ydob ym sekam (Ooh-ee)
Abekam ?”Ee-hoo” a teg I nac (Makeba, ma che bella)
Alleb…”

Jain

To get a sense of how ‘Makeba’ by Jain took off as a viral hit we need to go back to a Saturday Night Live skit from an episode presented in the second half of 2015. It featured Bill Hader playing the role of ‘Alan’ who was a robotic programmed doll whose sole purpose is to provide entertainment for his owners by doing a repetitive dance routine

All of this was recalled in the spring of this year when an innovative TikToker used the Bill Hader character to create a series of hilarious memes.

This practice went viral.

One could get lost in this Tik Tok craze.

Put it this way; since May, over one million Tik Tok videos have been created, and presently there have been more than 653 million views.

It just goes to show you that pop culture sensations are never predictable, but when you dig deep, they are endlessly fascinating.

When Heather pointed this story out to me, I was intrigued, and naturally, I needed to learn more.

I have shared a little about Jain.

Let’s talk more about Miriam Makeba?

Admittedly, this abbreviated biography will not do her life justice, but ideally it will give you a sense of how important she is to world history, and her legend has a significant impact that leads right to the present day.

Miriam ‘Zenzile’ Makeba was born in March of 1932. Her father, Caswell was a school teacher and her mother Christina was a domestic worker. In order to make ends meet for her family Christina brewed home-made beer on the side. This was a long-standing South African tradition but the practice was banned by the South African government shortly after colonization. Christina was arrested and sent to prison for 6 months…

…Yes, for brewing beer…

Miriam was just 18 DAYS old.

In order to be with her mother, Miriam spent the first six months of her life in prison.

While this was happening, Miriam’s father, Caswell was having difficulty finding work as a teacher. He took a job with Shell Oil Company, but it was a long way from the family home. Upon her release, Christina moved to Johannesburg to do domestic work for a white family. Miriam was forced into the care of her grandparents.

One silver lining to all this is it was while living with her grandparents that Miriam discovered music. Her appreciation was founded in traditional African rhythms as well as jazz and gospel.

Like many young South African girls. Miriam married young, at the age of 17, in 1949. A short time later she gave birth to a daughter. Sadly, to compound things, Miriam was physically and emotionally abused by her husband. Two years into their marriage, Miriam fled. Like her mother, she gained domestic employment, but more importantly she supplemented her income by singing at weddings and funerals.

This exposure gave her the opportunity to put her talent on display, and it gradually opened the door to a couple of professional gigs. She performed with a handful of groups including the Cuban Brothers, the Manhattan Brothers and the Skylarks. The setlists for each of these acts focused on a combination of traditional African music, jazz and popular Western music.

The association with the Skylarks gave rise to one of Miriam Makeba’s most popular songs. Here is the Afro-pop song ‘Pata Pata’ which was originally recorded by The Skylarks in 1956 or 1959 depending on sources.

Pata Pata is the name of a dance [sat si pata pata] We do down Johannesburg way [sat si pata pata]

And everybody starts to move [sat si pata pata] As soon as Pata Pata starts to play – hoo [sat si pata pata]”

Miriam Makeba

‘Pata Pata’ was re-recorded by Makeba for Reprise in 1967.

‘Pata Pata’ became a global hit. Songwriting credit was shared by Miriam Makeba and Jerry Ragovoy. You may recognize Ragovoy’s name. He hit the big time when Janis Joplin covered ‘Piece of My Heart’ which he co-wrote with Bert Berns.

By 1959, Miriam Makeba was seen as a rising star on the international music scene. Her life was becoming a cycle of recording and touring. In her home country of South Africa, she was forced to perform to segregated audiences. Miriam was Infuriated by this. Between songs her commentary often alluded to these archaic practices and her anger toward authorities was palpable. She did not limit her thoughts to the segregation of her audience. She expanded on the many atrocities she and her Black audience had endured throughout their lifetime.

She used this opportunity to create a sense of solidarity with her Black brothers and sisters, while educating the often ignorant, White fans of her music. Because of apartheid, White South Africans were often unaware or willfully ignorant of the horrible way Black South Africans were being treated.

Miriam Makeba used her voice, as well as her unique position to fight for equality, and advocate for change. Later in 1959, Miriam Makeba caught the attention of Lionel Rogosin who was working on the revolutionary anti-apartheid film ‘Come Back Africa’. Part of Rogosin’s mission was to juxtapose the disgraceful treatment of segregated Black South Africans with their incredible spirit, as they took refuge in music and the company of each other. A subtitle that was shared speaks to ‘Joy in the Face of Suffering’

‘Come Back Africa’ introduced the world to apartheid. Here are some clips which represent the importance of music in Black South African culture.

Miriam Makeba became a symbol of hope for oppressed communities.

Listen to ‘Khawuleza’ where she tells the story of her people within the safe confines of a stunning piece of music. The title loosely translates to;

Hurry mama! Please! Please don’t let them catch you.”

Miriam Makeba

Such a beautiful song; yet laced with violence, racism and torture.

‘Khawuleza’ speaks to so many elements of the apartheid experience. It was initially recorded by Makeba’s friend Dorothy Masuka. Although the pair were musical rivals, they were good friends. The song speaks to the frequent police raids that the segregated communities in the townships, endured. Miriam felt the song took her back to her earliest days, as an infant, when her mother was jailed for brewing beer.

By 1960, the song took on an even deeper meaning. In March of that year the Sharpeville Massacre shook the world, although it doesn’t seem as though many paid much attention. It was in this South African township that 7000 protestors gathered to oppose anti-black legislation called ‘pass laws’. These acts restricted the flow of black South African citizens from city to city. Obviously, these restrictions made employment difficult, but on a grander scale they represented an assault on any semblance of freedom. Passbooks had to be used by anyone over the age of 16. This legislated the requirement of an identity card, proof of employment and authorization of movement from the labour bureau and their employer. Any other relevant personal history also needed to be provided. In apartheid era South Africa frequent police raids on these communities pretty much guaranteed virtually every Black South African had some form of record.

Personal advancement was virtually impossible.

Sharpeville was intended to initiate some form of change, but things went horribly wrong, as it often does when protestors are met with resistance by a racist police force. 69 people were killed including eight women and ten children. When it all was over 180 protestors were injured. Many were shot in the back as they fled from the police.

To this day, March 21 is commemorated with a public holiday. The message remains as a symbol of the importance of honouring human rights.

For Miriam Makeba, the Sharpeville Massacre was a bridge too far and her stage banter became even more militant. As a result, her music was banned in South Africa and her citizenship was revoked.

Based on the success of the ‘Come Back Africa’ and her memorable role in the film, Miriam Makeba was invited to Italy to accept an award for her gripping performance.

Upon her return she learned that government officials had denied her citizenship. Her records were banned. A short time later when her mother, Christina died she was still refused entry. Miriam Makeba was unable to attend her own mother’s funeral.

Somehow, through it all Miriam Makeba used all of this tumult for good. She obtained passports for Algeria, Guinea, Belgium and Ghana in order to travel freely.

Her anti-apartheid stance got her honourary citizenship in 10 countries.

Much of her efforts saw her speak openly in the United States where she recommended that the United Nations impose a trade embargo on South Africa.

Here is a famous excerpt from her address.

All the leaders of the world. Would you act differently? Would you keep silent and do nothing if you were in our place? Would you not resist if you were allowed no rights in your own country because the colour of your skin is different to that of the rulers? And if you were punished even for asking for equality. “

Miriam Makeba

Through the ‘50s and into the early ‘60s Miriam nurtured several important friendships. Acclaimed singer, actor and activist, Harry Belafonte became a mentor. They met in London and notably, they performed together at John F. Kennedy’s birthday party in 1962. Ironically, even while she was playing such a crucial role on a global level, Makeba was denied entry into an Atlanta area restaurant during Jim Crow era U.S. racial oppression.

The more that things change, the more they stay the same.

On a positive note, she became the first South African to win a Grammy as a result of her collaboration with Harry Belafonte called ‘An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba’.

She toured the world and exposed the injustices of apartheid to her audiences.

Other notable performances included an alliance with Nina Simone who also, quite sadly was maligned for her public stance against racism, and her vocal advocacy for human rights. In 1968, Miriam Makeba married Stokely Carmichael who was considered subversive by U.S. authorities, as a member of the Black Panthers. Due to her political stance, audiences began to turn on Makeba as well.

The combination of Makeba/Simone is shared in order to introduce an emotional cover version of the Bob Dylan song ‘I Shall Be Released’.

They say every man needs protection
They say that every man must fall
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Somewhere so high above this wall”

Bob Dylan

This is extremely powerful given the context.

This translates roughly to “Be still, country, do not cry. Freedom, we will find…”

In 1990, after Nelson Mandela was freed, he invited Miriam Makeba to return to her home country after a 31-year exile. She was named South Africa’s Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations.

Her haunting melodies gave voice to the pain of exile and dislocation which she felt for 31 long years. At the same time, her music inspired a powerful sense of hope in all of us.”

Nelson Mandela

Jumping back a few years, watch as Miriam Makeba is Introduced to an audience in Zimbabwe by Paul Simon during his ‘Graceland’ tour in 1987.

You can feel the reverence for ‘Mama Africa’.

Tragically, Miriam Makeba died in 2008. She collapsed on stage in Italy while singing her signature song ‘Pata Pata’.

I share all of this today because in all truthfulness I never learned any of this in school.

My personal awareness to apartheid and Nelson Mandela can be attributed to Little Steven Van Zandt. He was a driving force behind Artists United Against Apartheid in 1985 which ultimately fed into the Nelson Mandela 70^th Birthday tribute concert where the musicians invited the audience to chant ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ from the Wembley Stadium stage in 1988.

Further awareness and outrage can also be traced to Peter Gabriel’s emotional recounting of the death of Stephen Biko, in ‘Biko’.

Much like the artists from my generation, when Jain wrote ‘Makeba’ in 2015, she put her love and respect for Miriam Makeba out in the open and as a result, millions who may not have been aware of her courage and legacy, were similarly educated.

I really admire her, because she was a strong woman and she was an incredible performer… When I watch videos of her shows, she had this thing — this aura — around her, full of determination and joy. And she had this groove.”

Jain

It was this love of the artist that inspired Jain to share this story in song.

I wanna see you sing, I wanna see you fight, Cause you are the real beauty of human rights”

Jain

From there, quite innocently Saturday Night Live used the groove in what was a more or less, a forgotten skit.

Then Tik Tok opened the door.

Thanks to Jain these words were re-introduced.

Nobody can beat the Mama Africa
You follow the beat that she’s gonna give ya
Only her smile can all make it go
The sufferation of a thousand more”

Jain

There you go…

Just follow the beat she’s gonna give ya.”

Jain

‘Mama Africa’ continues to educate us, and make us smile.

It is all attached to an important lesson in world history.

Miriam Makeba is yet another artist who transcended music and art, and educated listeners worldwide about the plight of her brothers and sisters.

Once again, if you want to know what’s really going, it is often the artists who open people’s eyes to reality.

Thank you Miriam Makeba!

Thank you Jain!

One Week – I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #BarenakedLadies #EdRobertson #ATribeCalledQuest #WeirdAlYankovic #ShawnODonnell #AlexMelton #ChoirChoirChoir

It was 25 years ago today that the Barenaked Ladies released the album ‘Stunt’.

The lead single from this celebrated recording was the timeless hit ‘One Week’ which still exists as a prime example of Ed Robertson’s phenomenal lyrical capabilities.

When Barenaked Ladies learned that ‘Stunt’ producers Susan Rogers and David Leonard, along with Sue Drew who was the Vice President and A&R of Reprise Records planned on releasing ‘One Week’ as the lead single they were a bit skeptical.

It’s such a silly song. We were getting quite serious about song writing, and so we assumed it would be a fun B-side or bonus track. When the label told us it was going to be the lead single, I said: “You can’t do that. We’re a serious band.”

Ed Robertson

However, the more you learn about ‘One Week’ the more you can understand the brilliance that lies beneath.

As we all know, Steven Page handles the lead vocal on the ‘One Week’s chorus while he and Ed Robertson share the pre-chorus. Where ‘One Week’ really stands out is on the incredible rap section offered by the talented Robertson.

This portion of ‘One Week’ was definitely Robertson ‘s idea. The problem was, initially he had trouble coming up with words and a rhyme that felt authentic. It was here that longtime friends, Page and Robertson had a bit of a Lennon/McCartney moment. Steven Page simply suggested that Robertson improvise. He was drawing on a creative approach that had served the Barenaked Ladies well for about a decade.

I wrote the chorus structure of the song, but I couldn’t figure out the verses at all. I got together with Steve [Page] a bunch of times and said, ‘I have this idea for a song, and I couldn’t figure out where to go with it.’ And finally, Steve said to me at some point, ‘Just freestyle it! Just do what you do onstage every night. It’s gonna be great.’ There were some extra verses and stuff, I just culled it down to what I thought were my favorite lines. But it was written as a freestyle.”

Ed Robertson

So, Robertson set up a video camera and initially slowed the pace to allow for emphasis on the rhyme. He managed to come up with four minutes of intriguing content which represented a series of pop culture references interspersed with a mini tour of the Barenaked Ladies life through their Scarborough hotspots.

When he brought the lyrics to the band, barely a word needed to be changed. They simply edited some of the more superfluous content out.

While researching this post I discovered a really interesting Q and A between comedian Jake Smith and Barenaked Ladies Ed Robertson where the songwriter was asked about the memorable line;

I’m the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral.”

Ed Robertson

This is interesting, honest and deeply personal.

Barenaked Ladies offer surprising insight into curious lyric from ‘One Week’

It also demonstrates the inner workings of a very tight band.

If you want to see a really funny take on the lyrical influence, check out this tongue in cheek article by Nathan Kamal of ‘The Hard Times’.

Barenaked Ladies Reveal “One Week” is About the Time Phil Collins Saw a Guy Drowning

To many, ‘One Week’ exists as Barenaked Ladies’ signature song. While the true quality of the composition is undeniable both on a lyrical level and an artistic basis, part of the songs’ success comes from the work they put into promoting it throughout the United States in the latter part of 1998. The group committed to doing a promotional tour of U.S. radio stations where they would play in studio and then answer questions from local DJs and fans. It was an arduous process, but it paid off. ‘One Week’ generated a ton of airplay and before too long the song made its way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for…

You guessed it…One week.

This success prompted Ed Robertson to quip;

I maybe should have called it fifty-eight weeks but, the title was more prophetic than I ever could have hoped.”

Ed Robertson

Before I move on to some really interesting live versions and a couple of creative cover versions here is a brief rundown of the references in Robertson’s rap section.

Bert Kaempfert – Keyboard player Kevin Hearn was a big fan of this European composer and frequently played his music in the band’s dressing room.

Harrison Ford’s movie, ‘Frantic’ had just come out and this line fed perfectly into the Sting reference related to his public endorsement of tantric sex.

‘Chickity China’ was a tribute to Busta Rhymes from the song ‘Scenario’ by A Tribe Called Quest. It also combined a topical allusion to the Asian bird flu that was in the news cycle at the time.

Swiss Chalet is a major Canadian chicken restaurant and sushi restaurants were becoming all the rage for local diners.

Birchmount Stadium is a Scarborough landmark and home to a host of amateur sporting events including football, soccer and rugby. One of Birchmount’s most significant roles is playing host to an annual soccer tournament known as ‘The Robbie’.

There are several other interesting references. Read on and discover for yourself.

It’s been one week since you looked at me
Cocked your head to the side and said, “I’m angry”
Five days since you laughed at me saying
“Get back together come back and save me”
Three days since the living room
I realized it’s all my fault, but couldn’t tell you
Yesterday you’d forgiven me
But it’ll still be two days ’til I say I’m sorry

Hold it now and watch the hoodwink
As I make you stop, think
You’ll think you’re looking at Aquaman
I summon fish to the dish, although I like the Chalet Swiss
I like the sushi
‘Cause it’s never touched a frying pan
Hot like wasabi when I bust rhymes
Big like LeAnn Rimes
Because I’m all about value
Bert Kaempfert’s got the mad hits
You try to match wits, you try to hold me but I bust through
Gonna make a break and take a fake
I’d like a stinking aching shake
I like vanilla, it’s the finest of the flavours
Gotta see the show, ’cause then you’ll know
That vertigo is gonna grow
‘Cause it’s so dangerous
You’ll have to sign a waiver

How can I help it if I think you’re funny when you’re mad
Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad
I’m the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral
Can’t understand what I mean?
Well, you soon will
I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve
I have a history of taking off my shirt

It’s been one week since you looked at me
Threw your arms in the air
And said, “You’re crazy”
Five days since you tackled me
I’ve still got the rug burns on both my knees
It’s been three days since the afternoon
You realized it’s not my fault
Not a moment too soon
Yesterday you’d forgiven me
And now I sit back and wait ’til you say you’re sorry

Chickity China the Chinese chicken
You have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin’
Watchin’ X-Files with no lights on
We’re dans la maison
I hope the Smoking Man’s in this one
Like Harrison Ford I’m getting frantic
Like Sting I’m tantric
Like Snickers, guaranteed to satisfy

Like Kurosawa I make mad films
Okay, I don’t make films
But if I did they’d have a Samurai
Gonna get a set a’ better clubs
Gonna find the kind with tiny nubs
Just so my irons aren’t always flying off the back-swing
Gotta get in tune with Sailor Moon
‘Cause that cartoon has got the boom anime babes
That make me think the wrong thing

How can I help it if I think you’re funny when you’re mad
Tryin’ hard not to smile though I feel bad
I’m the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral
Can’t understand what I mean?
You soon will
I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve
I have a history of losing my shirt

It’s been one week since you looked at me
Dropped your arms to your sides
And said, “I’m sorry.”
Five days since I laughed at you and said
“You just did just what I thought you were gonna do”
Three days since the living room
We realized we’re both to blame
But what could we do?
Yesterday you just smiled at me
Cause it’ll still be two days ’til we say we’re sorry

It’ll still be two days ’til we say we’re sorry
It’ll still be two days ’til we say “Wasabi”
Birchmount Stadium, home of the Robbie”

Ed Robertson

Needless to say, through the years ‘One Week’ has been a set highlight for the Barenaked Ladies. For a band that thrives on improv the opportunity to come up with something a little bit different is a challenge that the group has always rose to with entertaining results.

Here they are in Indiana in 1999 during Farm Aid, a short time after ‘One Week’ hit #1. They bring ‘the genuine article’ on stage. Watch as a corn farmer strums the rhythm to ‘Jack and Diane’ by John Mellencamp as Ed Robertson forms the chords. Ed improvises a new verse as the crowd shouts their appreciation. They then launch into ‘One Week’. Taking it all to America’s heartland.

Back in the early part of 2005, the CBC and numerous Canadian artists joined forces to produce ‘Canada for Asia’ which was a tsunami relief effort following the devastating natural disaster in January 2005. This is Barenaked Ladies do a quality bluegrass version of ‘One Week’ complete with a little ‘Dueling Banjos’ and Rush mixed in. They are introduced by ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ host Ron McLean

This is a fun acoustic version featuring Ed Robertson and Steven Page. They call it the Bathroom Sessions which takes fans back to their early days when they were discovered on City Tv’s ‘Speakers Corner’.

Five years ago, Barenaked Ladies reunited for a surprise performance of ‘One Week’ and ‘If I Had a Million Dollars’ during the 2018 Juno Awards. Watch as they are joined by several other great Canadian artists. This is a ton of fun.

Now we move on to the covers, and it all begins with a parody by the great Weird Al Yankovic who turns it into a mock Jerry Springer episode.

It’s been one week since we got to see
Cheatin’ lovers and cousins that marry
Five days since they had the show
With the hermaphrodite, the slut and the crack ho
Three days since we heard the tale
About the guy who learned his woman was a she-male
Yesterday it occurred to me
That I’ve been watchin’ a bit too much Jerry Springer”

Weird Al Yankovic

Of course, Jerry Springer died in late April. I was never a fan of his efforts to exploit people at their most vulnerable. I give him some create though. The ‘ringmaster of civilization’s end’ did state that his greatest wish for anyone was to never appear on his show. Essentially, the ‘Jerry Springer Show’ was a microcosm of the U.S. social system’s constant effort to denigrate anyone they consider to be lower than them on the social scale. Perceived power comes from strange places. Especially in America.

This is priceless.

While searching for covers of ‘One Week’ I gravitated to versions that offered a unique style. Here is a quality punk rendition by Shawn O’Donnell.

Take a moment and listen to this. Alex Melton presents this creative take that considers, what if Blink 182 wrote ‘One Week’?

Bringing it all back home to Canada, here is Choir Choir Choir in 2019. They are joined by the Barenaked Ladies and what we get is a 500+ person singalong. This event raised $15,000 for Covenant House in Toronto.

This is Canada. We pronounce it sorry”

Choir Choir Choir

Perfect!

Especially when you consider the fact the initial premise is about Ed Robertson aiming to preserve some of his own dignity after an argument with his wife.

When I’m having a fight with my wife, even though I know I’m wrong, you still have to go through various stages of the fight to save face. So, I had an idea for a song about the stages of arguments in a relationship. I had the architecture of the choruses and the development of the fight. I kept trying to write these silly topical verses, but they never felt right.”

Ed Robertson

Once more, the building blocks of a song, become the intriguing background to the story but, what’s more is the fact that when a songwriter sticks to the integrity of what he is aiming to deliver, the ultimate success of the song becomes even more authentic.