Another Mite Bites the Dust

I’ve never been the biggest Queen fan in the world, but I had one of their greatest hits collections on cassette tape back in the day. (In terms of taste, I think they were too operatic for my ears.) Today, I heard one of their songs on my drive in to work and it got me thinking about about the song’s composition and its legacy. In hindsight, it makes sense that “Another One Bites the Dust” was written by Queen bassist John Deacon. The bass has a fairly hypnotic effect, doesn’t it?

After doing a quick search on Wikipedia, I found out this bass riff was inspired by a song called “Good Times” by Chic.

You can hear some similarity, but they’re obviously not identical. The two songs are both from that whole disco era. When I was listening to “Another One Bites the Dust” I thought about The Rolling Stones song “Miss You” which was released two years earlier, but has a similar vibe to it.

Lyrically, everyone remembers the chorus, but I think the first time I saw the printed lyrics to this tune, I never knew what Freddie Mercury was singing in the first line “Steve walks warily down the street. With the brim pulled way down low.” Some musicians say sounding good is about the notes you DON’T play, which brings me to the middle section of this one. I could hear there was some kind of effect on the recording, but couldn’t place it. It turns out it’s not a record being scratched or a synthesizer. It’s something called the Eventide Harmonizer which added a really cool atmosphere to the song. One perk of YouTube, is you can find these isolated recording tracks which break down the vocals, instruments, and effects.

What else can you say about this song? Well, it was released in 1980 the band’s album entitled “The Game.”

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

P.S. Weird Al Yankovic did his thing called “Another One Rides the Bus.”

Reggae-ish

I woke up thinking about reggae music and the whole vibe of it today. I’m far from an expert on it, but I think I have a dubbed cassette of “Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers” somewhere in all of my stuff. Most likely I learned about Bob Marley by hearing Eric Clapton’s cover of “I Shot the Sheriff.” While Marley was an incredible songwriter and had a massive following, I started thinking more about reggae’s overall influence on popular music.

Take, for example, the British band Musical Youth. In 1982, they had a smash hit called “Pass the Dutchie” which had some extremely catchy pop hooks to it.

I remember hearing this song on the radio and seeing the video somewhere…maybe on Solid Gold or some other music program. Like most listeners/viewers, I always assumed they wrote the song, but they didn’t. It was actually a new, lyrically cleaner version of the “Pass the Kouchie” by Mighty Diamonds. Apparently, “kouchie” is slang for weed.

I realize not every reggae song is about smoking pot, but it it’s a definite theme. It seems like dreadlocks are, too. Apparently, they are both part of the Rastafari religion. A couple of other general things I have noticed about reggae bands and individual musicians is they have memorable names. I remember “Musical Youth” from the 80s and Mighty Diamonds is another strong choice. I’ll also say that “Bunny Wailer” is probably the best stage name of all time. It has a much cooler ring to it than Neville O’Riley Livingston and is easier to remember. Maybe part of reggae’s appeal is the chance to learn about and get the feel of other cultures.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

P.S. Here’s a little more info https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pass_the_Dutchie

Random Music Quote Quiz #1

When I was in college, I told a friend of mine that I wanted to write or compile a book of music quotes. My idea was to pick a topic like love, money, cars, weather, etc. and then pick my favorite quotes on the subject for readers to enjoy. I think the idea has been done (probably more than once), but I think there is still some merit to it. If you’re a music nut, it’s just part of your world, isn’t it?

Instead of committing to the act of actually writing a book, I’m going to dabble with the same idea in quiz form. For this installment, I’m thinking about the first lines of songs. When I was a beginning guitarist, I found a lot of folk music books had very helpful indexes like this. (In other words, someone might remember the first line of “Hey-hey, mama, said the way you move, Gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove” as opposed to the song title of Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.”)

No Turtle Wax will be given during this quiz. The honor system is in effect so no Googling until you’re completely stumped. I’m sharing the Jeopardy theme song for effect.

Questions:

Who WROTE this first song line? – “I don’t know why I love you like I do.” Bonus, which song is it?
- A. David Byrne
- B. Al Green
- C. Bob Dylan
- D. George Harrison

2. What is the title of this Bob Dylan song featuring this first line? – “Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son? “

_______________________________________

3. This George Harrison composition begins with the line, “Because you’re sweet and lovely girl, I love you.” Is it:

“Something”
“Old Brown Shoe”
“Wah Wah”
“For You Blue”

4. “If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you” is the first line of this Led Zeppelin song. Is it:

“Stairway to Heaven”
“Thank You”
“Whole Lotta Love”
“The Battle of Evermore”

5. What Beatles song starts with the line, “Flew in from Miami Beach, B-O-A-C”? Bonus, what album does the song open?

____________________, Bonus: _____________

6. “As you brush your shoes, and stand before the mirror “ is the first line of which Van Morrison composition?

“Wild Night”
“Blue Money”
“Gloria”
“Jackie Wilson Said”

7. “The police in New York City chased a boy right through the park” is the first line of which Rolling Stones song?

“Lady Jane”
“She’s So Cold”
“Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)”
“Midnight Rambler”

8. “Dirty old river, must you keep rolling, Flowing into the night” is the first line of which song by The Kinks?

“Lola”
“Death of a Clown”
“Waterloo Sunset”
“All Day and All of the Night”

So what do you think? Are the questions too hard….too easy? I thought about providing a whole grading scale for correct answers, but if you get them all correct, you probably think you’re a musical genius, right? Obviously, that’s what I would think. Feel free to share your opinion and let me know if you’re stumped.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

If It Comes, Let It Rain Down Easy

Today, I woke up thinking about not only the weather forecast in my area, but an accompanying song to go along with it. The song is “Let It Rain” which was written and recorded by Eric Clapton and released on his 1970 self-titled album. (Bonnie Bramlett also shares a writing credit on this one. Clapton toured with Delaney and Bonnie before striking out on his own.) Melodic is the word that I would use to describe this one.

There are a lot of well-known musicians on this track doing their respective thing(s). Apparently, Stephen Stills played the guitar solo over the bridge section. Then there are backing vocalists which not only include Bonnie Bramlett, but also Rita Coolidge…and Sonny Curtis (from The Crickets fame). Then you have Dave Mason, Leon Russell, and a bunch of other names you might recognize.

I started thinking about how Clapton and George Harrison were pals…and if Harrison had any input or influence on this track’s songwriting. The song has a certain feel that I could see/hear Harrison doing. I haven’t found anything to that effect, but I kept thinking the chord changes in the song sounded familiar. It took me a minute, but Ringo Starr’s hit “It Don’t Come Easy” shares some similarities. Harrison produced the recording sessions and it’s thought that he contributed a lot to this song, despite Starr receiving sold songwriting credit.

By the way, musicians like Gary Wright, Pete Ham & Tom Evans of Badfinger played on the track along with Beatles insider and Hamburg pal Klaus Voorman.

Here’s a demo version with Harrison singing lead. Naturally, there’s a bit of “Hare Krishna” in the backing vocals.

What do you think? It’s an interesting listening comparison to me. I dig the background vocals on all of them whether the lyrics being sung are:rain, whoo whoo, aaaah, or Hare Krishna.

The primary chords used in both songs are D, A minor, C, and G. (There’s also an F in “It Don’t Come Easy.”) You can find those chords used together in plenty of other songs like “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” and numerous others.

Any way you slice it, I’m glad we have both songs in our world — rain or shine.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

The Fixx & Steven Tyler’s Mouth

It’s that time again…my 6-month checkup at the dentist. You know… that day when you slide into the dentist’s chair and they start putting different foreign objects into your mouth. And they’re not just any old foreign objects. A suction hose, a rinsing device, and the cleaning “tool” which resembles a Klingon weapon used by Worf on Start Trek: The Next Generation. Not to mention the rope…I mean floss. My mind wanders during the cleaning procedure so I can think about anything BUT what’s happening. In any event, I escaped with zero cavities!! That means my new dental visit theme song is “Saved by Zero” by The Fixx.

I remember this song and its accompanying video from the early days of MTV. It featured The Fixx’s lead singer walking around singing with his, you know, 80s Duran-Duran-ish hair. I vaguely remembered the chorus of the song, but had no idea what it was really about. According to Wikipedia, it was inspired by a Buddhist concept called Śūnyatā. I’m going to leave the research to someone else on that one.

I had another thought while a full-grown adult had her hand spelunking in my mouth. What’s the average size of a human mouth? A quick Google search revealed it’s around 2 inches or roughly 50 millimeters. Then, I had to think about the bite radius of Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.

Steven Tyler seems like he’s a pretty good sport so I feel like I should share an Aerosmith song. “Kings and Queens” seems like one I haven’t heard in a while.

Did Henry VIII have a Royal Dentist? It seems like that would be a less than ideal career choice. In any event, please look for your Dental Spelunking Action Pack at retailers near you. It should include a life size replica of Steven Tyler’s mouth, a Buddha, a 45 RPM record of The Fixx, and Worf with not only his usual weapon, but some rope ( I mean floss), a hose, and a custom helmet for whatever is going on with the middle of his head.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Doomsday Dream & The Del-Vikings

Dreams are on my mind today. Why? Well I had a bizarre one last night. I think there were a couple of factors that went into its formulation. First, I went to a work event which was a couple of hours away. On the way back I got into a lengthy conversation with a new coworker. It turns out we have some mutual acquaintances from college, etc. One of them was a guy whom he described as “an oddball who should have been born twenty years before his time.” I immediately remembered him because this guy used to work at the student union’s greasy spoon. I hadn’t heard this guy’s name in years, but I remember he used to request one song regularly on our now-defunct college radio station. The song is called “Come Go with Me” by a 1950s doo-wop group called The Del-Vikings.

I never thought of The Del-Vikings as doomsday music, but I mowed the grass last night before some torrential rain, straight line winds, and Law & Order reruns. Put those together and it churned out a doomsday dream. I can’t remember everything but somehow I think I was being chased by The Ducky Boys street gang on a college campus. My old college roommate was involved and campus security was trying to quell an angry mob of parents for some reason. I think things escalated and shots were being fired. Before the dream/nightmare concluded, Lt. Anita Van Buren and Detective Lenny Briscoe from Law & Order made appearances. (I’m pretty sure it was a sequel episode like the El Camino Breaking Bad thing. Oh, then the earth had to be flooded because things just weren’t working out.)

So what is the moral of the story? I think it’s that I should avoid drinking the tasty lemon-lime soda pop Starry before bed.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

A Big Blunt Log for Viktor Krauss

I’ve been thinking about the Robert Plant song “Big Log“, which is one of those song titles that isn’t mentioned in the actual song lyrics — kind of like Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” or “Immigrant Song”. It has a catchy riff that grabs your attention and then has some killer clean tone electric guitar from the song’s cowriter Robbie Blunt. Blunt recorded and toured with Plant during the 80s. The recording and subsequent MTV video has a sort of dreamy feel to it. The video never did much for me so I’m not including it.

“Big Log” was recorded for Plant’s solo release “The Principle of Moments” (1983). Pianist Gerald “Jezz” Woodroffe also recorded and toured with Plant and shares a songwriting credit on this one. I’ve read a couple of different things about the inspiration for the title so I’ll leave it open to interpretation.

One thing I didn’t know until I started researching this song is that it was also recorded by Viktor Krauss. Krauss is not only a bass player, but also the brother of Alison Krauss. In my opinion, it’s a pretty fantastic cover.

Alison Krauss is often labelled “bluegrass”, but maybe “Americana” is a better one. I’m going to have to check out some more of her cover songs. I don’t know if it was her brother’s idea to record this song, but I think it was a great choice. Most people know that Robert Plant and Alison Krauss recorded a couple of albums together as well.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Lyrically Instrumental Train?

How many songs do you know that have been recorded both with and without lyrics? I don’t mean one which as been edited after the fact or a studio demo, but intentionally recorded one way with lyrics and another without lyrics. Case in point is the song “Night Train.” Most people would consider the version by James Brown and the Famous Flames as the definitive one.

Brown throws in some raspy yelps a bit throughout the song and does the whole “shout out” to different American cities, but the song is more or less an instrumental in the 12-bar blues structure. The original version by Jimmy Forrest is a bit mellower, but still features the saxophone.

While I was researching different versions of the song, I found an interesting one by Rod Stewart with Jools Holland. This one actually has some lyrics to go along with it. I’d say the song is pretty swingin’ !

I have to say I enjoy Rod Stewart’s take on this one. Is it schmaltzy? Yes, but I still dig it. I listened to a few others takes on “Night Train” and it sounds like Stewart may have had the Wynonie Harris version of this one in his collection.

I wonder whose idea it was to start the recording with train sounds? It looks like a pretty groovy album cover accompanied it, too.

How did I get turned on to this song? Well, I remember hearing the James Brown version during the film “Apollo 13” and then researching it. I also remember seeing a Bob Costas TV interview with John Cougar Mellencamp and they discussed JCM’s love for James Brown’s music including this one.

Hopefully this song puts some pep into your step today.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Down, Down, Down…Down, Down

I’ve had one song on my “to blog about” list for this year and today is the day to put it out there. In my mind, the definitive version of “Going Down” was recorded by blues guitarist Freddie King. (I think I really came to know King’s name when Eric Clapton covered “I’m Tore Down”). Rollicking is the word I would use to describe the feel of this song.

Another thing I noticed about this song is the chord changes are descending or “going down” as King is singing the same thing in the lyrics. I wonder if there’s a fancy musical term for that?

The song was actually written by a musician named Don Nix. From what I’ve read, Nix was born in Memphis and had ties to Stax Records. The driving piano on the Freddie King version was played by Leon Russell.

Like many listeners, I didn’t know about any other versions out there. It turns out a group named Moloch actually recorded the original one. It has a heavier feel than the blues-tastic version by King.

The beauty of this song is there are close to 80 other versions out there. Some of those include The Who, Deep Purple, Tab Benoit, and Gary Hoey. Perhaps I’ll re-blog some time.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

American Badass

It’s a sad day for the United States of America and the global martial arts community. One of the O.G., best-known, truly legit, martial arts badasses is gone. Chuck Norris lived to be 86.

I did a quick search on Google and he appeared in over 35 films, not to mention his TV show “Walker: Texas Ranger”, among numerous other shows. At some point, Chuck Norris Facts (jokes) started to take over the internet. I have seen a few interviews with Norris and he laughed about them as the host read some aloud. Things like, “When Chuck Norris does push-ups, he doesn’t push himself up, he pushes the Earth down.”

Carlos Ray Norris was born and raised in the Midwest, then joined the United States Air Force. He started training in the Korean martial art Tang Soo Do (“the way of the Tang Hand”) and earned his black belt. Later, he was stationed in California and not only started competing in martial arts tournaments, but also opening his own schools, and training celebrities.

Whether you love or hate Norris’ films or acting ability, you CANNOT deny him as a self-made success. Norris made his own way as a competitor. He went up against the best and, more often than not, beat the best. He got into Hollywood movies and even appeared in “The Way of the Dragon” with Bruce Lee.

If you’re short on motivation, I recommend researching Norris. I consider him a true pioneer who spread martial arts and fitness throughout America. He was the oldest of three brothers. His brother Wieland was killed in action during the Vietnam War, which may explain his dedication to American Veterans.

Norris earned numerous black belts in a variety of martial arts and was worth an estimated $70 million dollars. From what I saw of him in interviews, my impression of Norris was a successful guy with a great sense of humor and a positive mindset. I think his competitive drive is what really set him apart from so many others.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!