Breaking the Law – You Don’t Know What It’s Like #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #JudasPriest

Imagine the scene.

A band of heavy metal giants invaded the hallowed halls of a famous residence in the countryside near Ascot, Berkshire, United Kingdom.

When Judas Priest began to record their album ‘British Steel’ they were at a crossroads in their career. Maybe it was fortuitous, because so to was the country, and it was out of this combination of circumstances that they built the sound and message for this ground-breaking recording.

And it all happened at Tittenhurst, which was famous for being the home of John Lennon and Yoko Ono from 1971-1973 when Lennon recorded ‘Imagine’, and subsequently purchased by Ringo Starr in 1973 for 5 million British pounds. At the time, Ringo Starr was living in Los Angeles with his wife Barbara Bach. As a revenue stream, Ringo would rent Tittenhurst out to many bands because word had got out that the studio had a cool setup and a great sound.

For Rob Halford, it was all a bit of a blur, but they got there.

I’ve never been able to answer the question as to how and why we ended up at Ringo’s place! That’s just kind of crazy when you think about it. But we were there, and for me as a lifelong Beatles fan, and particularly as a lifelong John Lennon fan because he touched me in so many ways outside of the music that he made – it was just crazy to walk around that house.”

By the time Judas Priest converged on Tittenhurst in the early part of 1980 they brought with them a heavy metal spirit and a punk attitude. In the words of vocalist, Rob Halford;

 We’ve got to try and get this punk attitude into our music,” but it certainly seemed to capture some of that anarchy in its projection, musically.”

Part of this approach involved a streamlined creative process that saw Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing write all the songs on ‘British Steel’. In rock and roll the number one rule of song writing has always been, when in doubt, write about what you know, and if that becomes a challenge, do everything you can to write material that relates to you core audience. In Rob Halford’s autobiography, ‘Confess’ he harkens back to the Margaret Thatcher era and the perceived sense of hopelessness that prevailed not only for many of the people he grew up with, but also for future generations.

A lot of bad stuff was going on. The heavy industry and the car makers in the Midlands and around the country were struggling, and there was already talk of factory closures. Unemployment was shooting up. Worst of all, millions of young people had no hope and felt they were being ignored. Writing the lyrics for ‘Breaking the Law,’ I tried to put myself in the mind of a jobless young bloke at his wits’ end.”

Judas Priest was from Birmingham, England and as far as they were concerned, Birmingham was the birthplace of heavy metal. Their role was to carry the torch.

Once Halford, Tipton and Downing took on this perspective the material began to flow. Here is Glen Tipton’s recollection.

We used to meet up at various houses to write, and we just broke into that riff one day and the song wrote itself. We wrote that song in about an hour, I think. Rob just started singing, ‘Breaking the law, breaking the law,’ and before we knew it we had a classic Priest song.”

Rob Halford adds that it was like a heavy metal assembly line and the product was made from authentic ‘British Steel’.

So, you had three minutes of ‘Breaking the Law,’ three-and-a-half minutes of ‘Living After Midnight.’ It was different, but we figured, ‘Maybe that’s the best way to go about it. Don’t think about it too much.’ Going with your gut instinct is always a great thing to do with music.”

Here is ‘Living After Midnight’.

The keep it simple method was employed. They were aiming to reflect the prevailing angst of the time. Out of the ashes of the punk movement, two definite musical genres were evolving. New wave and a more image conscious style of heavy metal. The following quote speaks to themes Judas Priest’s writing triumvirate explored in their album ‘Screaming for Vengeance’ and ‘Defenders of the Faith’.

I’m a bit of a science-fiction fan, and I think I got the lyrics from that world-robots and sci-fi and metal gods, just by word-association. It’s a statement against Big Brother or something, about these metal gods that were taking over”

For an example of the rock gods persona and ‘Big Brother’ theme, here is ‘Electric Eye’ from ‘Screaming for Vengeance’.

To their credit, Judas Priest was relatable to their audience in every way.

Mission accomplished.

Getting back to 1980, Judas Priest’s arrival at Tittenhurst was not the first plan. In late 1979, they had completed a European tour as a supporting act for AC/DC. The band was unified in their respect for AC/DC’s approach to song writing. In the early part of 1980, they began a brief recording session at Startling Studios which is also on the grounds of Tittenhurst. Before too long, these heavy metal gods kicked in the doors of Tittenhurst in a figurative sense and everything was turned up to eleven.

How cool that was, yeah. For many of us, The Beatles really touched us with their music, especially from those early days into more advanced plays of musicians and incredibly innovative and ground-breaking work from [1967’s] ‘Sgt. Pepper’ onwards…Bands could go in there and make a record, so this was surreal, and I remember driving up to the front door, which you see in some of those wonderful videos [like ‘Imagine’]…And oh my god, we’re actually here, walking inside, so we were literally walking in the footsteps of these incredibly powerful, talented musicians, and I think we picked up some Beatle magic in there because ‘British Steel’ turned out to be a really important album for Priest and for metal.”

For Judas Priest, everything became a source for sound; from milk bottles dutifully delivered each morning by the area milkman, to cutlery from Ringo’s kitchen. To their credit, they were very resourceful.

When we were recording that track, we had loads and loads of fun trying to make it sound as metal as we can. We were shaking cutlery trays in front of the microphones to create the sound of metal marching feet…In those days there wasn’t an Internet, so you couldn’t go online and download samples. So, we would whip a piece of guitar chord on a flight case or swish a pool cue in front of a microphone for the audio effects. I lifted and dropped that cutlery tray 100 times, I think.”

Credit for the police siren simulation goes to K.K. Downing who used the tremolo arm on his Stratocaster guitar.

Since its release ‘Breaking the Law’ has been a massive favourite among Judas Priest fans. It checks all the boxes. It is announced by a distinct riff. It has a rebellious message. The repetitive chorus inspires action, and above all, it is short and sweet. It’s a cathartic release.  Best of all, the members of Judas Priest gathered with director Julien Temple to shoot a video that reflects the restlessness and angst of their audience. It begins with singer Rob Halford riding in the back of a 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado convertible. He meets up with the rest of the band at a bank, and they proceed to break in, using their instruments as weapons. Their intention is to enter the vault and crack a safe that holds the object of their heist; a gold record of ‘British Steel’. A bank security guard is first shown to be sleeping, but then wakes up to see the band in the midst of their act while watching on closed circuit TV. Rather than respond, the security begins playing air guitar to ‘Breaking the Law’ as the band jumps into the Cadillac and escapes.

For the record, ‘British Steel’ actually exceeded gold status. It rose to the platinum level.

The video, much like the song speaks directly to their audience They are imploring their fans to put some action in their life.

Here are the lyrics presented by Rob Halford, Glen Tipton and K.K. Downing.

There I was completely wasting, out of work and down
All inside it’s so frustrating as I drift from town to town
Feel as though nobody cares if I live or die
So I might as well begin to put some action in my life

Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law

So much for the golden future, I can’t even start
I’ve had every promise broken, there’s anger in my heart
You don’t know what it’s like, you don’t have a clue
If you did you’d find yourselves doing the same thing too

Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law

You don’t know what it’s like

Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law”

Elements of this song came to life on this day forty years ago when Judas Priest descended upon Madison Square Garden in New York City to promote their ‘Defenders of the Faith’ album. New York DJ, Perry Stone was MCing the event and when he took some time to list a series of acts that were slated to play over the summer of 1984 the crowd became increasingly unruly. It seems they weren’t too big on performers like Neil Diamond and Helen Reddy.

Here is Stone’s recollection.

Naturally, the crowd of 20,000-plus booed me when I introduced myself, but began to get truly unruly when I read that list of uncool acts. The crowd proceeded to throw firecrackers, M-80s, Cherry Bombs and assorted beer bottles at me.”

The scene escalated, and before too long some in the crowd ripped up some foam seats and began throwing them on to the stage. In the end, it is estimated the riot caused $250,000 in damage. Judas Priest was banned from ever playing the venue again which caused Rob Halford to quip with his tongue planted firmly in cheek.

Very metal. The horrible thing is that if we did play Madison Square Garden, there would be some enthusiast who was there from the original riot with his pen knife out. It would start all over again. So, it’s probably best.”

It gets even funnier. A short time later Glen Tipton and K.K. Downing attended a tennis match at Madison Square Garden, featuring John McEnroe. Because they had been banned, the guitar tandem aimed to blend in with the crowd. They thought they had succeeded until this happened.

There’s actually quite a funny ending to that. Me and Ken went there to watch [John] McEnroe play tennis in some indoor tennis championship. We went in hoodies, because we had been banned from Madison Square. Halfway through the tennis match, one of the ushers came down and he went, ‘Thanks for the new seats.'”

So, it seems ‘Breaking the Law’ doesn’t always pay.

Take a seat.

Based on the importance of ‘Breaking the Law’ in the lexicon of the Judas Priest library it is not surprising that the song has been covered by numerous acts since 1980.

Perhaps the most important cover is from Pansy Division in 1997. The ‘queercore’ alt rock band performed ‘Breaking the Law’ during a Pride event in San Diego. Here is a very raw video of that performance which features a special guest.

Take a moment to watch this video which tells the Pansy Division story. At about 57:30 their connection to Rob Halford takes centre stage.

I feel like I’ve been inducted into the rock ‘n roll hall of flame.”

The significance of this performance was far reaching. Less than a year later, Halford gave an exclusive interview with MTV where he came out publicly. The fact that he was well into his career as a rock star before he opening up about his sexuality makes sense because when Halford was growing up in England, homosexuality was outlawed until 1967.

This gives a whole lot of meaning to Rob Halford’s cry…

You don’t know what it’s like.”

It has led to many music fans surmising that for Halford at least, a portion of ‘Breaking the Law’ was deeply personal. In many ways the song was about people who felt they could not express themselves.

Trying to deal with their alienation.”

Judas Priest was giving them a voice.

Looking back on Pansy Division as a band and this concert moment demonstrates an interesting evolution of acceptance. When Pansy Division was rising as a popular musical act nobody was out, but as their popularity increased more and more musicians began to open up about their sexuality. This included artists like KD Lang, Michael Stipe. Etheridge and of course Rob Halford. The list goes on.

Acts like Pansy Division broke down barriers. In their words they served to ‘break the stigma’ of being queer entertainers, and to their credit they held nothing back.

Some people have asked if the message is more important than the music. This is an interesting question, but it says here that the two are inseparable. The message is in the music and the music is the message. Pansy Division were the messengers.

Before we move on to a handful of other covers let’s enjoy this fun adaptation from ‘The Simpsons’ which modifies the message to a desire for conformity. In ‘Respecting the Law’ the FBI goes after Homer who is being accused of piracy for downloading movies and going into hiding.  Judas Priest aims to lure Homer out with this revised take on the song.

Now for some more cover versions. Let’s go to 2006 and a unique take from Skafari. This is from ‘Hard Rockin’ Ska’. This is a blast.

One year later, Hayseed Dixie added ‘Breaking the Law’ to their album ‘Weapons of Grass Destruction’. This bluegrass take, on the heavy metal standard brings out the anguish in the narration. Everything Hayseed Dixie does is awesome, but this is among their best covers. I love these guys.

Now for some heavy hitters. Here is Lemmy and Motorhead with their nod to Judas Priest.

Going in a completely opposite direction, here is an intriguing lullaby version of ‘Breaking the Law’ and it works incredibly well.

Moving on to 2013, here are The Pinstripes with a rockabilly version of ‘Breaking the Law’. Again, really good, and the upbeat roots style works.

In 2017, a Swedish heavy metal band called Sturm und Drang covered ‘Breaking the Law’ on their album ‘Learning to Rock’. They cut their teeth on bands like Judas Priest. In 2017, K.K. Downing of Judas Priest joined the band on stage to do a rousing cover of ‘Breaking the Law’.

A few years later in 2020, a Romanian band called The Iron Cross released a cover of ‘Breaking the Law’. This young band ascended through their love of bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

It speaks to the evolution of this genre and it goes all the way back to Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Once again, all roads lead back to the Midlands

For Judas Priest, it all culminated in their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. Enjoy this mini career retrospective.

Here is Alice Cooper and his induction speech which effectively breaks down the significance of Judas Priest in the lexicon of essential acts in music history. Here are the key points.

• Definitive metal band
• Defined the heavy metal sound
• Explosive dual guitar attack
• Rob Halford’s vocals and range
• The look. Black leather, studs and chains.
• Attitude to spare.
• The motorcycle
• A catalogue of great songs that spoke to their audience.
• A live act that was unforgettable

Alice Cooper is more than a peer. He is a friend and this speech is from the heart.

Immediately following Alice Cooper’s induction speech what else would they launch into? Here they are playing ‘Breaking the Law’. They are energized by the magnitude of the moment. This performance will send chills up and down the spine of any true music fan.

In this passage, Rob Halford summarizes the purpose.

Every night it’s a tiny bit different to any other, and I still get a massive adrenalin rush on hearing those twin guitars fire up. It’s also a great crowd participation number. Everyone’s had a confrontation with a copper and likes to scream about breaking the law, don’t they?”

And when everything gets broken down to the lowest common denominator every fan projects just a little bit of the Beavis and Butthead personality.

All you can say is…

That was cool.”

Two Tribes – Working for the black gas. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #FrankieGoestoHollywood

Today’s feature is yet another example of art imitating life, or maybe more appropriately, a handful of creative people reflecting our world through their art and doing everything they could to show us the reality that was unfolding.

It was so clearly evident that it cannot even be called satire.

‘Two Tribes’ by Frankie Goes to Hollywood’ was written over forty years ago out of deep concern for our future. The West was in the throes of a Cold War with Russia.  Under the puppet regime of Ronald Reagan and the evolving RepubliCON doctrine, theocracy was deemed to be the path to global dominance. Those who pulled the strings propped up an actor to espouse the creed.

A frequently confused Reagan served to perpetuate the ludicrous notion that Christ would return after a nuclear war in order to deliver the survivors to the promised land. Salvation would be their reward for adhering to their fundamentalist beliefs.

Clearly, at the time of writing the ‘Two Tribes’ were America and Soviet Union. This was the prevailing sentiment during the Cold War. The world was under threat. In the ‘80s, we lived with this ominous cloud hanging over our heads. Many lyrics through this period spoke to this theme.

As a teenager, I was not quite as critical so I gravitated more to the premise that WE were the good guys and the Soviet Union were the bad guys. It was obvious, right?

Within a matter of years, I became attuned to a bigger picture and the obvious notion that the world was not nearly so black and white.

By the early part of 1984, about the time ‘Two Tribes’ by Frankie Goes to Hollywood was released I was beginning to recognize the influence of fundamentalist theory in American politics. The ‘Church’ was meddling in U.S. politics and their influence had no checks or balances. Ronald Reagan had become the voice of those who declared themselves to be the ‘moral majority’. Reagan owed them. They controlled much of the air time and their message was getting through to more than enough people to feed their reactionary propaganda to a very susceptible element of U.S. society who seemed to be devoid of critical thinking. Religious TV helped Reagan get into power in 1980, and like a tidal wave it allowed the Republican party to hold on to power for 12 years.

In essence, they flipped the script. They accused the Government of meddling in religion when in reality it was religion that had made it their mission to influence legislation. Their power of projection worked. Everything they accused their political opponents of doing was exactly what they were doing themselves. They had the money through donations, television revenues and corporate backing. They were holding the purse strings and selling fear. If it wasn’t so evil, it could be construed as genius. After all, these charlatans pay zero dollars in taxes.

Their ultimate goal was to take over the United States and the Western world, and the path they were forging over four decades (or more) ago continues. It is actually a superhighway, with off ramps that lead to tributaries that have taken elements of society to countless dead ends.

Still, this machine used their power to influence culture and dominate the media.

Getting back to ‘Two Tribes’ as an example, if you don’t want to read the lyrics, it is all in the video.

It was unfolding before our eyes then and the story is being played out with very different characters now. The difference is that presently, they don’t even try to hide their devious plan. They are out to destroy democracy. Tear everything down and out of the ashes they will build an autocracy that will yield to one supreme ruler.

One nation under God, and an imperfect vessel who is incapable of a coherent thought. A lifelong criminal and eternal con man. An adulterer. A sexual predator. An eternal loser who has never made an honest living. A vile and disgusting human being who despite being born with a silver spoon in his mouth, has gone bankrupt at least six times. Everything he does is a grift, and much like the televangelists that he models himself after, this ingrate who professes to be a billionaire leeches off the vulnerable masses for donations. Presently, the funds are being funneled into his legal defense as he was recently found guilty on 34 counts of falsification of business records

And they pay…

More to come…

Frankie warned us.

It just keeps getting worse because it is allowed to go on.

The portrait that is shared in ‘Two Tribes’ both lyrically and in the video is essentially an allegory for the evil agenda of the radical media. Frankie takes on the role of a host like the present day propagator of fear, ‘Con Mannity’.

Listen to the voice and follow me.”

In the modern day this voice has become the guide. We live in a world divided. On each side of the chasm there exists, ‘Two Tribes’.

Like I said, from 1982, when the song was written to the present, only the characters have changed, but the manipulators are wearing different masks. Religion, corporations, social media exploiters and the media itself perpetuate the lies. For followers, profits and algorithms. Our online behaviour is so predictable and our propensity to confirmation bias feeds into the cognitive dissonance that reinforces belief systems.

The tail is wagging the dog.

Is sex and horror the new God?

It was never about religion either. That was only one of the tools for the most-evil among us to control the masses. Over the past 40 years the masterminds have worked to find new ways to exploit those prone to follow. Religion just became the tool to complete this mass manipulation. It’s the best place to find people who are willing to live by the doctrine of a cult.

It was on this day forty years ago that ‘Two Tribes’ by Frankie Goes to Hollywood was #1 in the United Kingdom. It remained there for nine weeks. More specifically, while ‘Two Tribes’ was rising to #1, their previous single ‘Relax’ climbed back up the charts, all the way back to #2. The #1/#2 combo is very rare space, shared only with Madonna and Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Liverpool predecessors, The Beatles. Among the many honours Frankie Goes to Hollywood enjoyed with ‘Two Tribes’ is the Ivor Novello Award in 1984 for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. Songwriters Peter Gill, Holly Johnson and Mark O’Toole shared in this honour.

In terms of timing, it is not quite as commonly known that ‘Two Tribes’ was written about two years previous to its release, and subsequent massive popularity.  It generated a lot of notice in October of 1982, when Frankie Goes to Hollywood performed it on the popular BBC radio show, the John Peel Session.

So, the basic structure had been created, but by the time ‘Two Tribes’ was released on the album ‘Welcome to the Pleasuredome’, it had become completely redone by producer Trevor Horn and some of his studio associates. In all, there are seven official versions of ‘Two Tribes’. Some of the adjustments are subtle and others are stark. The album itself was the source of some discontent among Frankie fans because the album versions were different than the single versions they were accustomed to hearing. Much like the success of ‘Relax’, ‘Two Tribes’ did benefit from the creative vision of Trevor Horn. Here is Holly Johnson’s breakdown of what Horn brought to the track.

There’s two elements in the music – an American funk line and a Russian line. It’s the most obvious demonstration of two tribes that we have today.”

It was Horn who added the Russian styling in the form of string arrangements. The American funk touch was done with synthesizers which really gave the song its powerful dance beat.

In the extended version of ‘Two Tribes’ this famous quote from Adolf Hitler was paraphrased by British voice actor Chris Barrie. It is now 100 years old, and we may be dealing with a period of time where once again, history is repeating itself.

You may pronounce us guilty a thousand times over, but the goddess of the eternal court of history will smile and tear to tatters the verdict of this court, for she acquits us.”

When Adolf Hitler was tried for his failed attempt to overthrow the German government in 1924, he uttered these exact words in his concluding speech:

 Pronounce us guilty a thousand times over: the goddess of the eternal court of history will smile and tear to pieces the State Prosecutor’s submission and the court’s verdict for she acquits us.”

Understand yet? If no, then…

Let’s go

When two tribes go to war, a point is all that you can score (Score no more, score no more)

When two tribes go to war, a point is all that you can score (Workin’ for the bad guys)

Cowboy number one, a born-again poor man’s son (Poor man’s son)

On the air America, I modelled shirts by Van Heusen (Workin’ for the bad guys)

Hear me more

When two tribes go to war, a point is all that you can score (Score no more, score no more)

When two tribes go to war, a point is all that you can score (Workin’ for the bad guys)

Switch off your shield

Switch off and feel

I’m workin’ on lovin’

I’m givin’ you back the good times

I’m shippin’ out, out

I’m workin’ for the bad guys

 Tell the world that you’re winning, love and life, love and life

Listen to the voice sayin’ follow me

Listen to the voice sayin’ follow me

When two tribes go to war, a point is all that you can score

When two tribes go to war, a point is all that you can score

We’ve got two tribes (We got the bomb, we got the bomb)

Somethin’ this good died

 Are we living in a land where sex and horror are the new gods?

 When two tribes go to war, a point is all that you can score”

There were other very interesting treatments applied to versions of ‘Two Tribes’. In one, British actor Patrick Allen read from a civil defense leaflet, commonly referred to as ‘Protect and Survive public information films’

“The air attack warning sounds like

This is the sound
When you hear the air attack warning

You and your family must take cover”

It goes on to say;

If any member of the family should die whilst in the shelter from contamination. Put them outside, but remember to tag them first for identification purposes.” 

Pay close attention to the lyrics shared above and once again, we come back to the thematic nature of the global politics that were at work when Gill, Johnson and O’Toole got together to write. When they wrote the line about Air America and modelling Van Heusen dress-shirts he was referring to Ronald Reagan and his evolution from being a 1950s B-grade actor who moonlighted in TV commercials to riding Air Force One as President of the United States.

The line “Workin’ for the bad guys” alludes to the prevailing thought that in U.S. politics the head of the snake is very often a puppet carefully controlled by powerful forces in the background.

In addition to the Cold War, at the time, much of the concern also stemmed from strategic positioning when it came to oil production and trade. It is here that the taunt “Working for the black gas” is repeated.

Another very astute line came about through a little bit of happenstance. Holly Johnson was doing some ironing while the 1959 movie ‘Cover Girl Killer’ was on television in the background. Johnson’s attention perked up when a character named ‘Mr. Fairchild’ utters the statement;

Surely sex and horror are the new gods in this polluted world of so-called entertainment?”

Johnson adapted this to;

Are we living in a land where sex and horror are the new gods?”

A degree of the success of ‘Two Tribes’ can be attributed to the MTV era. It was the video created by former 10cc members Kevin Godley and Lol Crème that brought the lyrics to life. The clever bit of ‘cinema’ depicted actors playing the role of Ronald Reagan and Konstantin Chernenko (Soviet Leader from February of 1984 until his death in March of 1985). Chernenko was succeeded by Mikhail Gorbachev. In the video the battle was waged before an assembly of global nations cheering, as the raucous crowd roars “kill, kill, kill” the scene degenerates into chaos.

Here is Kevin Godley’s reflection on the shoot.

It was a very intense shoot. We were trying to get the audience to behave in a manner that we wanted to by chanting, ‘Kill! Kill! Kill!’ A few of them seriously got into the spirit of it by jumping in the ring and beating each other up!”

It seems things got real. The authenticity definitely comes through. From conception to completion there is definitely a haunting similarity to global politics both then…and now.

Let’s go back forty years to this early version from the beginning of 1984. This will give you a sense of the pre-Trevor Horn edition of ‘Two Tribes’.

About the time of its release in June of 1984 this video features Frankie Goes to Hollywood doing Edwin Starrr’s ‘War’ as a prelude to ‘Two Tribes’. The classic protest song exists as the B side to ‘Two Tribes’

Now, here are a few cover versions of ‘Two Tribes’. Here is Rosetta Stone from 2000 bringing the song into the 21^st century. The British goth pioneers put this album of cover versions together which featured covers of several of their favourite artists. The end result was ‘Unerotica’.

In 2008, ‘80s band Doctor and the Medics released their album ‘The Number One Project’. This is a raunchy and energetic cover. My favourite.

This is interesting. What happens when The Producers get together? Here is your answer. Listen to this instrumental cover that features Trevor Horn leading Stephen Lipson, Lol Crème and Ash Soan. I could listen this bass line all day. It drives the song.

When I listened to this gathering, I immediately thought of this bit of Rush brilliance.

Did they take this bass track and accompanying guitar piece and turn it into the sound explosion known as ‘Where’s My Thing’ from their 1991 album ‘Roll the Bones’? There are similarities to the sound and the energy.

All of this is to say is that there is a fine line between art rock, prog rock and new wave (see ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’)

Trevor Horn was right there to bring these genres together whether it be through his presence in studio, or with his obvious influence as a producer and musician.

The Pink Panther Theme – Did they mention the music? #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #HenryMancini #PeterSellers

It is not only music that takes you back to a time and place. Film has a powerful ability to do the same. In some ways Hollywood has an advantage over the soundtrack of our lives because it comes in a video form. The pictures that are indelible in our minds are real; never imagined, but here it must be stated that in the background there is always a score that elevates what our eyes are taking in.

Many times, it is a film’s theme song that is most memorable because it becomes positively associated with the whole production. This is the premise of today’s edition of Ted Tocks Covers.

When I was a kid there were movies that my parents described to me as ‘for grown-ups’. I had this vision in my mind about what sort of revelations would occur in this world that was just out of my reach. I walked and talked among adults, but it seemed they were in possession of knowledge and information that I was not quite ready for. I waited patiently; anticipating the day when I would be deemed mature enough to consume this content.

Among the first ‘grown up’ films, which in Ontario, used to be rated ‘adult accompaniment’ or ‘parental guidance’ was ‘The Return of the Pink Panther’ starring Peter Sellers. Looking back, I am sure a lot of it went completely over my head, but the slapstick humour was brilliant and Sellers’ acting ability in portraying the bumbling Inspector Clouseau was the perfect bridge from cartoons to feature films. For good measure there was even a cartoon.

Today’s feature is ‘The Pink Panther Theme’ which is one of several signature pieces by the legendary composer, conductor and arranger, Enrico Nicola Mancini; better known as Henry.

He may have hated the sound of his own voice, but when he let his music do the talking few were better. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. Enjoy this fun clip from ‘Frasier’ in 1994 (Go to 11:00, or watch the entire piece for some fun TV memories)

For ‘The Pink Panther Theme’ we need to go all the way back to 1963. Henry Mancini and his wife Ginny happened to be on the same luxury liner; the SS France, as director Blake Edwards and his writing partner Maurice Richlin. Edwards and Richlin were planning on writing the script for a new film while onboard. Each day the writers would isolate themselves in their cabin and write, only to come out for dinner, which they frequently enjoyed with the Mancinis. By the time the SS France got to Italy the script was complete in its draft form. Blake Edwards had gathered an impressive cast which included Peter Ustinov as a bumbling detective named Jacques Clouseau, and David Niven as a cagey diamond thief. Soon after work began on the film, Peter Ustinov backed out, leaving Edwards clamouring for a replacement. To everyone’s good fortune, he managed to connect with Peter Sellers who agreed to fly from London to Rome on short notice. Not only did Sellers capably embody the role, he famously became Inspector Clouseau, adding numerous slapstick measures and hilarious idiosyncrasies.

Here is one funny scene which although it lasts only 48 seconds, employs several brilliant techniques. This is what Peter Sellers brought to ‘The Pink Panther’ film series.

While the filming was going on, Henry and Ginny Mancini were enjoying their Italian vacation before heading back to Los Angeles. When Blake Edwards was done filming, he too returned to L.A. to handle the editing. Based in part on their recent connection and more likely on Mancini’s stellar reputation, Edwards offered Henry Mancini the opportunity to write the music for ‘The Pink Panther’. Because Mancini was somewhat familiar with the project, he was eager to accept. He was also very intrigued by Blake Edward’s plan to use a cartoon to present the credits at the beginning of the film. While Henry Mancini familiarized himself with the script, he paid close attention to how David Niven’s character was described.

There were a number of scenes in which David would be slinking around on tippy-toes. I started to write a theme for him — one of the few times I wrote a theme before seeing the actual picture. The music was designed as the phantom-thief music, not to be ‘The Pink Panther Theme.’”

It seemed everyone involved were somewhat in tune because at the same time Edwards was editing and Mancini was composing his music, an animation team was hard at work developing a Pink Panther character that would become the movie’s primary brand. ‘Pink Panther’ enthusiasts will be quick to tell you that the name came from the fictitious diamond that became the target of would-be thieves due to its size and value. The flaw at the centre of the jewel was thought to resemble a pink panther in the process of leaping toward its prey.

The fact that Henry Mancini wrote ‘The Pink Panther Theme’ without actually seeing the film or any of its early edits becomes even more remarkable upon closer inspection to the nuance of the presentation. Here, Mancini expands on the previous quote.

I realized that the theme I had written for David Niven’s character, the jewel thief, was also perfect for the opening credits and the cartoon of the little Pink Panther character. I used it for both.” 

The films animators needed a tune for the associated cartoon character, the ‘Pink Panther’ and Mancini gave them a tempo they could animate to. Famously, ‘The Pink Panther Theme’ features a series of timed musical accents that coincide with the actions of the vibrant feline. This technique is known as chromaticism. The fact that this piece happened to mesh nicely with the composition he had initially written was a happy accident.

One of Henry Mancini’s most distinctive traits is that he was very particular about the musicians who would play on his compositions. He is known to have written his music with specific players in mind.

This is where tenor sax player Plas Johnson enters the story. You can hear his playing on ‘Theme from Peter Gunn’. Here is Henry Mancini’s recollection that appeared in his autobiography ‘Did They Mention the Music’. He speaks to his thought process on writing ‘The Pink Panther Theme’ and who he had in mind for the saxophone part.

I told [the animators] that I would give them a tempo they could animate to, so that any time there were striking motions, someone getting hit, I could score to it. [The animators] finished the sequence and I looked at it. All the accents in the music were timed to actions on the screen. I had a specific saxophone player in mind—Plas Johnson. I nearly always precast my players and write for them and around them, and Plas had the sound and the style I wanted. “

Clearly, Henry Mancini chose well, but how did Plas Johnson feel about his performance? Here, he shares a combination of satisfaction along with a nod to those he shared the stage with during this session.

We only did two takes, I think… When we finished, everyone applauded — even the string players. And that’s saying something… They never applaud for anything.”

These are the moments that help those of us who have enjoyed this recording for six decades understand how the musicians who recorded it felt in the studio.

Just like the composition itself, the moment transcends time and space. For the record, the Blake Edwards, Henry Mancini friendship would continue for the rest of Henry Mancini’s life and include 25 film scores.

For over 60 years, the Pink Panther theme has become synonymous with the animated character and of course David Niven and Peter Sellers who played the thief and Inspector Jacques Clouseau, respectively.

Everybody knows ‘The Pink Panther Theme’ but did you know that Henry Mancini also wrote ‘The Inspector Clouseau Theme’ which was a tribute to Peter Sellers himself.

Here is one more clip that captures the comedy genius of Peter Sellers.

Sadly, Peter Sellers died in 1980 at the age of only 54. He had been battling a handful of health issues, which when combined with drug and alcohol addiction and mental health struggles took a massive toll on the actor. Sellers was planning to attend a reunion dinner with his ‘Goon Show’ partners Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe. He suffered a heart attack at the Dorchester hotel in London, and died two days later.

As for Henry Mancini, specific to ‘The Pink Panther Theme’ the composition was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Score but it lost to the Sherman Brothers for Mary Poppins. ‘The Pink Panther Theme’ did win three Grammys which included; Best Instrumental Arrangement, Best Instrumental Compositions (Other Than Jazz) and Best Instrumental Performance – Non Jazz.

In a world where the credits roll long after the film is over, we also lost the great Henry Mancini on this day thirty years ago.

If the mark of a great human being is measured by whether he made the world a better place, then Henry Mancini definitely qualifies. Here is a very interesting anecdote that speaks to his family legacy.

Henry and Ginny Mancini had three children. Their son Christopher is a music publisher in Los Angeles, and their twin daughters are also both connected to the music industry. Monica is a professional singer and Felice is the Executive Director of The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation (see ‘Beautiful Boy’).

Now let’s take a look at some of the many adaptations of ‘The Pink Panther Theme’ through the years. Perhaps the most accessible examples are the modifications that took place in a series of ‘Pink Panther’ sequels.

Here is ‘Revenge of the Pink Panther’ from 1978 which applies a disco bassline along with a keyboard and guitar solo. Fifteen years later, the music world had changed and Henry Mancini applied his subtle touch to this signature composition

Five years later in 1983 Mancini included some synthesizer treatment in the ‘Curse of the Pink Panther’.

As far as the evolution of the Henry Mancini versions go, the final adaptation was shared just one year before he died. This creative cover features Bobby McFerrin and his vocal prowess.

From a true cover standpoint here is a cool piece by John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola and Paco De Lucia. Their tribute to Henry Mancini plays from 4:40 to about 7:00. The musicianship here will blow your mind. This recording is from the 1980 album ‘A Friday Night in San Francisco – Short Tales of the Black Forest’. Consider this a must listen.

For a fifteen-year period from 1976 to 1991, Bob Barker and ‘The Price is Right’ used ‘The Pink Panther Theme’ as musical accompaniment to the ‘Safe Crackers’ game. Here is a clip featuring a guy named Charles who only wants a new set of golf clubs.

In 2006, composer Christophe Beck put together a ‘Pink Panther Suite’ to go along with the film that included legendary actor/comedian Steve Martin.  

Compare and contrast Steve Martin’s portrayal of Inspector Clouseau with Peter Sellers if you wish.

To close out today’s feature, enjoy the jazzy guitar infused version by David Ricard from 2010. This served as the theme to ‘Pink Panther & Pals’. It is a radical departure.

Shortly after his 70^th birthday Henry Mancini was celebrated with a star-studded birthday bash. During this event President Bill Clinton saluted Mancini with these words.

Your name has become synonymous with 20th-Century music, and it is already clear that your legacy will live on for generations to come.”

For Mancini it was all a true joy.

I just . . . enjoyed the hell out of it. I still do. I just love what I do.”

Love what you do. Do what you love.

If music can accompany your movements, all the better.

Dancing in the Dark/No Surrender – What keeps us human is the ability to keep dreaming. Those romantic dreams remain forty years later. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #BruceSpringsteen #StevenVanZandt

It’s been forty years since Bruce Springsteen released his ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ album.

Forty years?

I recently saw a clip from Canadian actor Brent Butt where he candidly pointed how rapidly the years are flying by.

Okay I just did the math and here is how it how it breaks down. If I, today, listen to music that was popular when I was in high school it’s the same as high school me, listening to music that was popular during World War II. Isn’t that a fun numerical tidbit that isn’t the emotional equivalent of a rhinoceros standing on my groin.”

It may sound better coming from him.

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But we can’t stop time. We can look back through the years because this album brings back great memories. Let it be said here and now that ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ is by no means Bruce Springsteen’s best album nor does it approach the top of my list of favourites from The Boss, but it does offer one of my favourite Springsteen songs. Read on for more, as we take a trip through the past.

Back in the early ‘80s, Bruce Springsteen was on an incredible run. Following ‘The River’ he managed to shift gears with the haunting acoustic release, ‘Nebraska’. Pretty much simultaneously, he was working on material that would become ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ Trying to sort through the timeline of his prolific creativity during this period is the source of endless fascination. It is estimated that he wrote over 80 songs during this two-year creative exploration. With so many songs to choose from it became a matter of sorting it all out and then deciding the most suitable way to present the versatile tracks. In the end, this may be ‘Born in the U.S.A.’s greatest quality.

It’s rock and roll, folk and rockabilly with a touch of ‘80s synth pop and some obvious commercialism. This point brings us to phase one of today’s feature.

Bruce Springsteen thought he was done, but Jon Landau insisted that he write something that could be offered to the radio market as a lead single. For about a decade Springsteen had flown close to the space where #1 records reside. He wrote ‘Blinded By the Light’ which became a #1 for Manfred Mann. He co-wrote ‘Because the Night’ with Patti Smith, and later in the ‘70s ‘Fire’ was a hit for The Pointer Sisters.

In 1982, he released ‘Nebraska’ which was a complete departure from ‘The River’ so as much as his popularity was seemingly at its peak, it was Landau’s contention that he needed to come out strong with his next album. This approach didn’t sit well with Springsteen, because he felt it may come across as contrived. Following an evening of heated debate, he went home and wrote a song about what he perceived to be the pressure to produce, and how at times this was at odds with his integrity as an artist.

Jon [Landau] had been bothering me to write a single, which is something he rarely does. But he did that day. And he wanted something direct. That seemed to be what he was hitting on me for at the time. I was angry. I had written a lot of songs and was kind of fed up with the whole thing. We’d been making the record for a long time and I was bored with the whole situation.”

He made his way home and rather than go to bed angry he began to write down his thoughts. It became a classic case of, if you ever want to know how you feel, start writing.

Forty years later we marvel at the result.

I get up in the evening
And I ain’t got nothing to say
I come home in the morning
I go to bed feeling the same way
I ain’t nothing but tired
Man, I’m just tired and bored with myself
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help

You can’t start a fire
You can’t start a fire without a spark
This gun’s for hire
Even if we’re just dancing in the dark

Message keeps getting clearer
Radio’s on and I’m moving ’round the place
I check my look in the mirror
I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man, I ain’t getting nowhere
I’m just living in a dump like this
There’s something happening somewhere
Baby, I just know that there is

You can’t start a fire
You can’t start a fire without a spark
This gun’s for hire
Even if we’re just dancing in the dark

You sit around getting older
There’s a joke here somewhere and it’s on me
I’ll shake this world off my shoulders
Come on, baby, the laugh’s on me

Stay on the streets of this town
And they’ll be carving you up all right
They say you gotta stay hungry
Hey, baby, I’m just about starving tonight
I’m dying for some action
I’m sick of sitting ’round here trying to write this book
I need a love reaction
Come on now, baby, gimme just one look

You can’t start a fire
Sitting ’round crying over a broken heart
This gun’s for hire
Even if we’re just dancing in the dark
You can’t start a fire
Worrying about your little world falling apart
This gun’s for hire
Even if we’re just dancing in the dark

Imagine being at the height of your popularity and feeling like this? In hindsight, we know that he still hadn’t hit the peak of a career that is now over a half century and counting.

When all was said and done, ‘Dancing in the Dark’ made it all the way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was prevented from hitting the summit by Duran Duran and ‘The Reflex’ and later ‘When Doves Cry’ by Prince. The fact that ‘Dancing in the Dark’ didn’t make #1 was of minimal consequence because over the next 18 months ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ managed to produce a staggering, seven top 10 singles.

‘Cover Me’ – #7

‘Born in the U.S.A.’ – #9

‘I’m on Fire’ – #6

‘Glory Days’ – #5

‘I’m Goin’ Down’ – #9

‘My Hometown’ – #6

This became a source of intense pride for Bruce Springsteen because through it all, despite all of his misgivings, self-doubt, intense pressure and scrutiny he managed to do it his way.

I love this quote from the man himself.

My ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ songs were direct and fun and stealthily carried the undercurrents of ‘Nebraska’.”

For this listener, ‘Nebraska’ is the epicenter of the Bruce Springsteen library. Everything flows from that space. The fact that so much of ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ was created within that time period only lends itself to the value of these songs.

When commercialism is organic it cannot be criticized. In many ways it was the perfect storm and Bruce Springsteen steered the ship through some turbulent waters.

Through the years there have been several magnificent covers of ‘Dancing in the Dark’. Part of the beauty of sharing this feature has been spending a lot of time listening to them as I write. Like so many times before, it has given me the opportunity to hear this song again and truly understand where Bruce Springsteen was coming from when he wrote it. From the outside it seemed as though Bruce had it all, but he was making it pretty clear that his life was lacking something. If you have read Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography ‘Born to Run’ you will understand his struggles with self-doubt and depression. Being pushed by Jon Landau in this period would have created significant internal conflict between his musical integrity and his desire to be the best.

Ironically, the vast range of emotions Bruce Springsteen was experiencing as he seemingly conjured ‘Dancing in the Dark’ out of thin air may be reflected best in this cross section of covers. Check them out for yourself and you will see what I mean.

Enjoy a revitalized Tina Turner who delivers it in her ‘in your face’ style. If we could bottle that energy. What a gift.

When I saw that Mary Chapin Carpenter was among the 100+ artists who have covered ‘Dancing in the Dark’ I was intrigued, but when I listened to it, I was instantly blown away, right from her honest introduction.

This is a bummer song by somebody else. “

She delivers this like she was standing over Bruce’s shoulder when he wrote it. Mary released this on her 1999 album ‘Almost Home’.

In 2002, Pete Yorn broke out with his acclaimed album ‘musicforthemorningafter’

This captures the mood. The harmonica makes it very contemplative and the piano brings the emotion of the cover to a boiling point.

A few years later in 2006, Tegan and Sara blended their captivating vocals with Bruce Springsteen’s honest lyrics and this was the result. I love their harmonies. The guitar work is a powerful companion. They repeat “There is something happening somewhere” which tells the story. The songwriter feels like they are missing something. Life is passing them by.

Listen to this version by Scottish singer/songwriter Amy MacDonald who explains that this is actually a cover of her own cover. She delivers like it is sage advice with the orchestral accompaniment of The German Philharmonic Orchestra. This is from a live performance in 2010.

One year later in 2011, here is former Straycats bassist Lee Rocker offering his take on ‘Dancing in the Dark’. He keeps it simple and then it builds. This cover has a nice groove like a train picking up speed.

I first heard Ruth Moody’s cover version of ‘Dancing in the Dark’ on Tom Power’s morning show on CBC Radio. Each morning Power did a segment called ‘Under the Covers’ where he offered a quality cover version of well-known songs. So many times, he exposed me to new artists and the breadth of talent that existed far outside of the mainstream. Upon reflection, this may have been the first cover of “Dancing in the Dark’ I had ever heard. So, in this moment I offer my thanks to Tom Power who now hosts the incredible CBC interview show called ‘Q’ which is also a must listen for music and entertainment fans. This segment is among a handful of shows that inspired Ted Tocks Covers. It says here, that Ruth Moody should be a household name in Canada. Check out the work with her band or as part of the Wailin’ Jennys.

Another artist that I first heard on ‘Mornings with Tom Power’ was Vance Joy, who is from Melbourne, Australia. Around the time he burst onto the music scene with ‘Riptide’ he put together this tidy cover of ‘Dancing in the Dark’ which he performed on Sirius XM’s ‘The Spectrum’ channel. This is so good. Just a guy and his guitar. Strip it right down and it bares the soul of the artist who is delivering the message.

Here we have another special message. Enjoy John Legend who enjoys a mutual admiration society with Bruce Springsteen. Legend explains how he came to admire Bruce Springsteen’s work as a result of his association with Jimmy Fallon’s band. During the conversation, Howard Stern captures exactly why I write Ted Tocks Covers.

I love when an artist like yourself takes something that you’re not typically into and you kind of make it your own.”

Quest Love helped him make a cool, jazzy, dark version and the end result was getting street cred from Bruce Springsteen’s loyal fans.

Just listen.

Looking back, it is hard to imagine thirty-five years ago and thinking that we would be listening to an industry giant like Trevor Horn adapting Bruce Springsteen’s iconic release. Here is Trevor Horn with The Sarm Orchestra and Gabrielle Aplin. This is stunning.

Remember ‘Beautiful’? Here is James Blunt and an equally beautiful cover of ‘Dancing in the Dark’. This time the piano becomes the focal point and it delivers the emotional side of Bruce Springsteen’s very personal lyrics. This is from BBC Radio 2 and the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show.

Remember the opening clip of today’s feature that addresses the reality that time is simply flying by? Here is a band called The Molly Ringwalds who Ted Tocks Covers has featured on several occasions. They do a great job capturing the nostalgia of the ‘80s. This helps us to accept that almost forty years have passed since ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘Sixteen Candles’.

I See Me, And I Don’t Like What I See, I Really Don’t.”

One thing is for sure, mental health was a serious issue four decades ago too. It was all in the nuance. It was difficult to come right out and say it. We have come a long way, but there is still a long way to go.

This segues nicely into a phenomenal Canadian act called Walk Off the Earth who have been huge advocates for mental health related initiatives (see ‘You Don’t Know How it Feels’)

Keeping it north of the border, here is the talented Shawn Mendes who brings The Boss to a whole new generation. Mendes is another artist who has been very open about his mental health issues. He famously opted to take some personal time to revitalize himself. The message keeps getting clearer.

I get up in the evening
And I ain’t got nothing to say
I come home in the morning
I go to bed feeling the same way
I ain’t nothing but tired
Man, I’m just tired and bored with myself
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help”

The current generation does it their way. They have it right.

Before I sign off, there is a song from ‘Born in the U.S.A. that says more about Bruce Springsteen’s career than any other. For that we need to thank Bruce’s blood brother; the great Little Steven Van Zandt. During the recording of ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ things got a little tense. There were a lot of pieces to the puzzle and the direction was not very clear for everyone who thought they played a role in the process. As mentioned, Jon Landau and Bruce Springsteen were temporarily at odds. The E Street Band were at the mercy of Bruce’s beckoning. Van Zandt had his heart set on his own solo career which yielded his much-heralded album, ‘Voice of America’ (see ‘I Am a Patriot’). When Van Zandt heard about the final track listing for ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ he told his friend that the album was missing the best song. He was adamant that Springsteen include ‘No Surrender’. Van Zandt felt that ‘No Surrender’ acted as a bridge between Springsteen’s early career and what he was working on in the present moment. Not releasing this track would have been a gross injustice. Bruce listened.

The question related to ‘No Surrender’ was how to present it to his devoted audience.

It was a song I was uncomfortable with. You don’t hold out and triumph all the time in life. You compromise, you suffer defeat; you slip into life’s gray areas.”

As Bruce later stated before a Toronto audience.

This is a song about life when you find someone to share it with.”

 One thing that you will note on the album credits is that Van Zandt did not play on the album track that harkens back to the rock and roll style of the early ’60s. Little Steven knew his role. He was Bruce’s confidante and his opinion mattered. This is how this deeply personal track managed to make its way onto ‘Born in the U.S.A.’

Well, we busted out of class
Had to get away from those fools
We learned more from a three-minute record, baby
Than we ever learned in school
Tonight I hear the neighborhood drummer sound
I can feel my heart begin to pound
You say you’re tired and you just want to close your eyes
And follow your dreams down

Well we made a promise we swore we’d always remember
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Like soldiers in the winter’s night with a vow to defend
No retreat, baby, no surrender

Well, now young faces grow sad and old
And hearts of fire grow cold
We swore blood brothers against the wind
I’m ready to grow young again
And hear your sister’s voice calling us home
Across the open yards
Well maybe we’ll cut someplace of our own
With these drums and these guitars

Well we made a promise we swore we’d always remember
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Like soldiers in the winter’s night with a vow to defend
No retreat, baby, no surrender

Now on the street tonight the lights grow dim
The walls of my room are closing in
There’s a war outside still raging
You say it ain’t ours anymore to win
I want to sleep beneath
Peaceful skies in my lover’s bed
With a wide open country in my eyes
And these romantic dreams in my head

Well we made a promise we swore we’d always remember
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Like soldiers in the winter’s night with a vow to defend
No retreat, baby, no surrender”

Let’s enjoy a run of quality covers of ‘No Surrender’.

We begin with Bruce Springsteen and his friend Eddie Vedder. This is from twenty years ago. Listen to the New Jersey crowd sing along. Yet another magical Bruce Springsteen moment.

Here is a fun offering from the popular Boston band, Dropkick Murphys who have frequently professed their admiration for Bruce Springsteen. One of their biggest thrills was when The Boss joined them on stage.

Back in 2012, Joel Plaskett dropped by the Q107 Toronto studios to record a cover of one of his favourite Bruce Springsteen songs.

More recently, here is Jake Thistle from 2020. Ted Tocks Covers has shared his work on several occasions, most often with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tributes. Enjoy!

To summarize, in this writer’s opinion, ‘No Surrender’ is the tie that binds the entire ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ album. It is so important. Essential Bruce Springsteen, and in its naked acoustic form, there are few offerings that reflect Bruce Springsteen’s mindset as honestly.

Now on the street tonight the lights grow dim
The walls of my room are closing in
There’s a war outside still raging
You say it ain’t ours anymore to win
I want to sleep beneath
Peaceful skies in my lover’s bed
With a wide open country in my eyes
And these romantic dreams in my head”

Bruce has always had a way of sharing his philosophy in rhyming couplets. It’s a gift he has shared with us all.

To close out today’s feature, enjoy this version where Bruce shares the stage with Steven Van Zandt and the 2013 version of the E Street Band.

 They made a promise.

Over fifty years later they still both remember.

Ted Tocks Covers – Top 3 Posts for May #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #TomPetty #WarrenZevon #TinyTim #AmyWinehouse #DireStraits #KendrickLamar and #TheKinks

Sometimes when I sit down to write, I feel like I am coming at you like an airplane in the fog. I have no idea where the runway is, but if I follow the flight plan I manage to land safely. It is here that I recognize this reality. Things never seem to happen fast enough for me but the older I get, I am learning that if I am patient and I stay the course, I will get to where I want to go.

There are two quotes from Tom Petty that I find myself turning to as either a mantra, or a form of solace.

The first is from ‘Runnin’ Down a Dream’, and I am sure you all know the closing line.

There’s something good waitin’ down this road
I’m pickin’ up whatever’s mine”

I’m goin’ wherever it leads, but on occasion I struggle with the pace which leads to a constant sense of concern. How do I know what I am doing is right? What is the purpose? Does anybody really understand? I need validation, and sometimes I feel like nobody cares. I sink to a pretty low level, but inevitably I bring myself back with this pearl of wisdom.

I’m so tired of being tired
Sure as night will follow day
Most things I worry about
Never happen anyway”

For years, Heather has told me to stop worrying because things will work out, and truth be told they always do. I know I am not alone here, but man, would I ever feel better if things were a little easier.  This message came my way in my readings recently and it sums things up nicely.

Today, if you find yourself worrying about certain outcomes, or feeling impatient waiting for results, try to focus on the present. Practising the art of patience helps you to surrender and accept any feelings of powerlessness.”

I think it is the last line I am coming to grips with. It’s the perception of powerlessness.

Maybe I am more in control than I think? There is an ebb and flow to the universe and we are all moving together. Each of us are along for the ride, but in the end, there is only one person we can be solely responsible for. Me…You…

For a few years now, each month Ted Tocks Covers has wrapped up each month with a recap of the posts from the previous month. Part of this exercise is an effort to identify themes that have become apparent in the songs I have shared. Pretty much daily, I find myself focusing on what the artists I am featuring are saying through their music and words. This is a primary focus of Ted Tocks Covers. Where I am really fortunate is when people I have never met reach out and let me know how songs I feature have impacted their life. Here is just one recent example.

Just read your review on Jackson Browne’s “Rock Me on the Water”. I’m in the septuagenarian group. I’m also a veteran who got introduced to a lot of great west coast and other regions’ music. More importantly, I got an expanded scope of ideas back then. I lived in that era. Ironic similarities now (maybe worse) as you pointed out. Still hopeful as JB was in those “among us”.
Retired now. Currently have time to reflect, re-discover, and enjoy all the music of my favorite female vocalist since ’67, Linda Maria Ronstadt. I had just listened to RMOTW yet again.
Great work, Ted, glad I found your site. Thanks for the backstory.”

In one paragraph ‘George’ managed to say so much about who he is. Imagine what he has seen? Somehow through it all, he too, manages to make sense of things through the power of music. He has concerns, but he remains optimistic. For over six decades he has been able to turn to the wisdom of Jackson Browne and the tranquil vocals of Linda Ronstadt. Somehow, through the power of search engines, a Ted Tocks Covers feature from over two years ago found its way to him. Through Jackson Browne’s words and Linda Ronstadt’s delivery George and I connected. For this brief moment, music brought us together.

Rock Me on the Water – You left it for somebody other than you to be the one to care. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #JacksonBrowne #BrewerandShipley #JohnnyRivers #LindaRonstadt #KathyMattea

We live in a foggy world, but this plane landed and the familiar strains of ‘Rock Me on the Water’ was playing in the background.

Oh, people, look around you
The signs are everywhere
You’ve left it for somebody other than you
To be the one to care

You’re lost inside your houses
There’s no time to find you now
While your walls are burning, and your towers are turning
I’m gonna leave you here and try to get down to the sea somehow

The road is filled with homeless souls
Every woman, child and man
Who have no idea where they will go
But they’ll help you if they can

But everyone must have some thought
That’s gonna pull them through somehow
While the fires are raging hotter and hotter
But the sisters of the sun are gonna rock me on the water now

Rock me on the water
Sister, will you soothe my fevered brow?
Rock me on the water
I’ll get down to the sea somehow

Oh, people, look among you
It’s there your hope must lie
There’s a sea bird above you
Gliding in one place like Jesus in the sky

We all must do the best we can
And then hang on to that Gospel plow
When my life is over, gonna stand before the Father
But the sisters of the sun are gonna rock me on the water now

Rock me on the water
Sister, will you soothe my fevered brow?
Yeah, rock me on the water, maybe I’ll remember
Maybe I’ll remember how

Rock me on the water
The wind is with me now
So rock me on the water
I’ll get down to the sea somehow

Rock me on the water
Rock me now
Rock me on the water
Rock me now”

Jackson Browne

Show me anybody who is writing music like this these days.

Through music we have the ability to unite through the spirit of song and the message contained within the lyrics. Oftentimes, this is where the stories begin, or maybe it is all just a swirling cycle that keeps coming around. This was definitely something good, and I picked it up.

Thanks for reaching out, George.

One need not look too far in order to understand that there is something here that relates to music and the qualities that the best songwriters bring to their creativity. So often, the lyrics reflect a degree of compassion, and empathy toward some aspect of the human condition. Many times, this portrayal of humanity presents itself in a passionate way. On other occasions they appeal to our conscience in order to recognize the dire state we occupy, or the dangerous road we are heading down. When filtered, the thoughts shared come through in angry or defiant tones, because in order to inspire change some form of powerful emotion needs to be sparked.

Music has this ability and through the magic of song, words do inspire.

This is a timeless reality.

Over six and a half years of writing and listening, in order to share this passion, Ted Tocks’ goal is to focus on the music and the magic. The anecdotes behind what brought these songs to our ears are endlessly fascinating, and I am happy to say the reader engagement continues to grow. This past month over 430 Ted Tocks features generated page views.

Last month, this feature generated well over 5700 page views, which translates to the second-best month ever for Ted Tocks Covers.

This is all important to me, because by sharing Ted Tocks Covers, I am aiming to tell a story. It begins with the music I discuss, and on occasion it flows into what is happening in my life. Here, I must repeat myself by saying that your support provides validation, because some days the readership this project enjoys is the fuel that motivates me as I enter the day…The real world, so to speak.

So often in my life music is the engine that drives the vehicle I call Ted Tocks Covers, and I continue to maintain that you, the reader, are the passenger. Thank you for coming along for the ride.

Ted Tocks Covers is ME sharing myself with YOU.

In May, Ted Tocks Covers was enjoyed by people in over 75 countries worldwide. The highest engagement by far comes from residents of the United States. The U.S. represented over 60 percent of Ted Tocks Covers readership during the past month. Keeping it in North America, Canada resides at #2, followed by the United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland.  

Ted Tocks Covers managed to maintain an average of over 185 page views a day throughout the past month. While this is nothing huge by blogging standards, for a hobby it is quite validating. I continue to be pleased that my love of music is relatable to so many, and gradually…slowly, more and more people seem to be coming on board. Well into its seventh year, Ted Tocks Covers WordPress site has managed to build an audience of over 600 followers. Add to that another 1500 followers on various social media platforms, and the numbers continue to blow my mind. From a modest hobby, to something that others seem to enjoy. It all makes me smile.

Quite often, it is music that serves to soften the most hardened among us. As noted earlier in this post, it definitely gives us a place to land safely.

As always, before I move on to the top three Ted Tocks Covers features for May, I would like to give a nod to a few features from the past that achieved milestones this past month.

Keep Me in Your Heart – A beautiful message from #WarrenZevon and a brief story behind The Wind. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #EddieVedder #TheWailinJennys

Keep Me in Your Heart – During the month of May ‘Keep Me in Your Heart’ by Warren Zevon flew past John Prine and ‘He Was in Heaven Before He Died’ to become the #1 Ted Tocks Covers feature of all time. This beautiful song from ‘The Wind’ now has well over 5500 page views, but the intriguing thing is the numbers keep going up every month as it becomes swept into the fascinating realm of search engines which so often drive the readership of Ted Tocks Covers. I absolutely love this song, and Warren Zevon is among my favourite lyricists, so I am happy to share its #1 status in this post. Enjoy every sandwich.

Tiptoe Through the Tulips – A look back at a 90 year old song and the flamboyant star who made it popular 50 years ago. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #NickLucas #HumaneSociety #TinyTim

Tiptoe through the Tulips – This feature goes all the way back to November of 2019. It had exactly 3 page views. In December, it gained two more readers. Even in 2020, it only had 26 more, but somehow, it got picked up by readers who were either curious about the life of Tiny Tim or the origin of this interesting song. Between 2021 and the present day ‘Tiptoe Through the Tulips’ has over 4100 page views and counting. It really is a fascinating story and it accentuates the life of an intriguing character who was more than a novelty act. This feature resides at #4 all time in terms of Ted Tocks features. The top two are mentioned above and sitting at #3 is ‘Mack the Knife’ by Lotte Lenya, and made famous by Bobby Darin.

Rehab – A song that captures the sad story of #AmyWinehouse. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #LeoMoracchioli #TerraNaomi

Rehab – This song by Amy Winehouse straddles the fine line between a Soul/R&B classic and a tragedy. Amy Winehouse was clearly troubled. She had people around her who cared, but she was also the golden goose. Check out this quote from producer Mark Ronson.

I was walking down the street with Amy. We were in New York and we’d been working together for about a week and we were walking to some store. She wanted to buy a present for her boyfriend and she was telling me about a specific time in her life that was…. I feel bad, like, talking about a friend like this, but I think I’ve told this story enough times…. but she hit, like, a certain low and her dad came over to try and talk some sense into her. And she was like, “He tried to make me go to rehab and I was like, ‘Pfft, no no no.'” And the first thing I was like, “ding ding ding ding ding.” Like, I mean I’m supposed to be like, “How was that for you?” and all I’m like is, “We’ve got to go back to the studio.”

They got their hit, but at what cost?

Now for this month’s top three songs.

The Man’s Too Strong – I still hear his laughter, I still hear his song. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #DireStraits #MarkKnopfler

#3 – The Man’s Too Strong – Admittedly I went on a bit of a rant here, but this provocative song from Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits, speak to the level evil can go if left unchecked. As I type this piece ‘Don the Con’ has become ‘Don the Con’vict’. You can add this descriptive word to all the others adjectives that speak to the vile cretin who was once the ‘President’ and who’s primary goal is to destroy democracy and turn his country into an autocracy and theocracy. A power hungry tool who has no redeeming qualities, yet about 30% of the electorate would vote for this rapist, known adulterer, racist and lifelong criminal who through the manipulation of many other equally evil sycophants have been able to dupe millions of appallingly ignorant and grossly uneducated halfwits who seem incapable of independent thought. Found guilty on 34 counts. Maybe there are consequence to his actions. He has never been made accountable for any of his crimes. This looks good on him. The man’s too strong. Very true. Lock him up and never let him see the light of day. Sadly, I have no confidence in the system. I don’t think he will spend a day in jail, and this too will add to the perception that this imposter is a leader. Don’t even get me started on the stench that has become the Supreme Court. Guilty on 34 counts will mean nothing until they fumigate the entire ‘house’. The house smells like a heaping pile of orange shit. Will they ever get rid of the stench? Depends!

Dear America:

Make your vote count.

The United States as a country is divided. It’s in complete disarray when people like this gain power, the man is definitely too strong.

Ronald Reagan Era (His Evils) – We’re far from good, not good from far. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #KendrickLamar with #AshReiser #AbSoul and #RZA

#2 – Ronald Reagan Era (His Evils) – This example of the early work of Kendrick Lamar lays out the realities of growing up on the streets of Compton, or any inner city in the United States. The underlying theme is the policy set forth by the puppet masters who pulled the strings of ‘Bonzo’ the U.S. President through most of the ‘80s. Ronald Reagan was the figurehead that helped to pave the way to where modern-day Republicanism has arrived. Destroy democracy. Let the corporations run the country and allow hopelessly reactionary churches dictate morality. Women’s rights be damned and make sure that people of colour remain second class citizens. His evils were cleverly disguised. Forty years later, the seed they planted exposed the sick underbelly. You reap the harvest you sow. Many predicted this. Some still call him a hero and a great President. He simply stood on one side of the divide and waved.

Waterloo Sunset – Sing a little Sha-la-la with Ray. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #RayDavies #TheKinks

#1 – Waterloo Sunset – The number one song for the month of May is much more of a feelgood song. It is so necessary. Let’s sing along with Ray Davies and The Kinks. Sha-la-la. ‘Waterloo Sunset’ was a piece that Davies had floating around in his mind for a few years before he was finally moved to write. It began as an homage to the ‘Merseybeat’ and Liverpool, but by the time he put pen to paper he found himself imagining a couple named Terry and Julie meeting on Waterloo Bridge before enjoying a pleasant evening in London. The don’t need no friends, because when they are together, they  have each other. This is everything they need. They are in paradise. May we all get to that place. As always, I shared this with my online friend Dave from www.kindakinks.net and he was kind enough to share it on his Kinks fan site. This leads to a positive trend that whenever I feature a song by The Kinks it enjoys positive readership. That makes me want to sing.

‘Sha-la-la’.

Any time spent listening to The Kinks just makes one feel good.

We need that.

Happy listening as we head toward the halfway point of 2024.  As you listen, take some time and explore the deeper meaning of the songs you enjoy. Understand what the artist is telling you, and then explore a little bit more.

Or

Grab a book. Take time to read. Educate yourself.

We have no way of knowing where we are going if we don’t understand where we have been. Many of the leaders who are orchestrating some of the disastrous decisions that are being made presently are literally counting on the fact that most people are literally paying no attention, and have no concept of the future implications.

As a society, we need to wake up.

If you missed the features listed above the first time around, by all means enjoy them now. If you think a friend might like to spend a few minutes with some good music, please share because…

#MusicisLife

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Thank you for continuing to read Ted Tocks Covers. I will be in touch. You can count on that. There are many great stories to come in the days ahead.

This is all part of the plan.

Stay safe and have a grateful day!