https://exchange.prx.org/p/583111
This week Rockin' in the Days of Confusion brings you another baker's dozen of tasty tunes, ranging from hit singles from the Rolling Stones, Blues Image and Stealer's Wheel to a whole slew of classic album tracks, with a rather creepy Eric Clapton B side tossed in for good (or bad) measure.
Artist: Rolling Stones
Title: It's Only Rock 'N' Roll (But I Like It)
Source: Stereo 45 RPM single (promo)
Writer(s): Jagger/Richards
Label: Rolling Stones
Year: 1974
You'd think that after writing such legendary classics as (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, Jumpin' Jack Flash and Honky Tonk Women, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards would be pretty much tapped out for the rest of their lives. But, nope. They had to come up yet another iconic song in 1974, It's Only Rock 'N' Roll (But I Like It). Hell, the title alone probably should be inscribed over the entrance of the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame. The song itself was reportedly written in response to critics who seemed to think that the Stones, and Mick and Keith in particular, somehow had a responsibility to be role models, and were not living up to those critics' expectations of how they should be conducting themselves.
Artist: Jo Jo Gunne
Title: S&M Blvd.
Source: European import CD: Jo Jo Gunne (originally released on LP: "So...Where's The Show?"
Writer(s): Jay Ferguson
Label: Rhino/Edsel
Year: 1974
By the time Jo Jo Gunne released their fourth LP, "So...Where's The Show?", half of the band's original members had been replaced, with only bandleader Jay Ferguson (vocals, keyboards, guitar) and William "Curly" Smith (drums, harp) left from the original lineup. Bassist Jimmie Randall had joined the band as Mark Andes's replacemen shortly after the release of their first LP, with John Staehely taking over guitar duties from Matt Andes for their fourth and final LP. Someone who had only heard Jo Jo Gunne's first album would be hard pressed to recognize "So...Where's The Show?" as being by the same band. Staehely's style was more aggressive than Matt Andes's relying more on distortion and guitar effects. The band's image had been updated as well, anticipating the spandex era by a few years. As for the songs themselves, a listen to Ferguson's S&M Blvd. should answer any questions one might have.
Artist: John Lennon
Title: Surprise Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox)
Source: CD: Lennon (box set) (originally released on LP: Walls And Bridges)
Writer(s): John Lennon
Label: Capitol (original label: Apple)
Year: 1974
In June of 1973, as John Lennon was getting started on his third LP, Mind Games, his wife Yoko Ono decided that the two of them should separate. This led to Lennon relocating from New York to California and getting into a relationship with Ono's personal assistant May Pang. This relationship (reportedly instigated by Yoko herself) lasted eighteen months, a period that Lennon would later refer to as his "lost weekend". During this time Lennon began hanging out (i.e. getting drunk) with fellow songwriter Harry Nilsson and making his first attempt at recording an album of cover songs with producer Phil Spector. For obvious reasons (see above) those sessions didn't work out, and Lennon returned to New York the following year. In July of 1974 Lennon began working on what would be his last album of original material for nearly five years: Walls And Bridges. The album yielded two top 10 singles (including his only #1 solo hit during his lifetime, Whatever Gets You Through The Night), as well as several noteworthy album tracks. Although many of the songs on Walls And Bridges addressed Lennon's feelings about his separation from Yoko Ono, the first song he wrote for the album, Surprise Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox), was inspired by his relationship with May Pang.
Artist: Chicago
Title: In The Country
Source: CD: Chicago (II)
Writer(s): Terry Kath
Label: Rhino (original label: Columbia)
Year: 1970
Although guitarist Terry Kath was by no means the most prolific songwriter in Chicago, he did pen some of the band's most memorable early works, such as In The Country, from the group's second double-LP. The song was considered so strong, in fact, that it was used as the band's set opener when they played Carnegie Hall, recording the performance for their first live album.
Artist: Neil Young
Title: Southern Man
Source: CD: After The Gold Rush
Writer: Neil Young
Label: Reprise
Year: 1970
Neil Young stirred up a bit of controversy with the release of the album After The Gold Rush, mostly due to the inclusion of Southern Man, a scathingly critical look at racism in the American South. The song inspired the members of Lynnard Skynnard to write Sweet Home Alabama in response, although reportedly Young and the members of Skynnard actually thought highly of each other. There was even an attempt to get Young to make a surprise appearance at a Skynnard concert and sing the (modified) line "Southern Man don't need me around", but they were never able to coordinate their schedules enough to pull it off.
Artist: Eric Clapton
Title: Next Time You See Her
Source: 45 RPM single B side (taken from LP: Slowhand)
Writer(s): Eric Clapton
Label: RSO
Year: 1977
Eric Clapton's interpretation of the blues takes a darker turn with Next Time You See Her, from his 1977 album Slowhand. Beyond that, I'm not sayin' a thing.
Artist: Janis Joplin
Title: Trust Me
Source: LP: Pearl
Writer(s): Bobby Womack
Label: Columbia
Year: 1971
By far the most polished of Janis Joplin's albums was Pearl, recorded in 1970 and released in January of 1971. Much of the credit for the album's sound has to go to Paul Rothchild, who had already made his reputation producing the Doors. Another factor was the choice of material to record. In addition to some of Joplin's originals such as Mercedes Benz and Move Over, the LP featured several cover songs such as Bobby Womack's Trust Me, which the singer had released as a B side in 1967.
Artist: Steely Dan
Title: Show Biz Kids
Source: LP: Countdown To Ecstasy
Writer(s): Becker/Fagen
Label: ABC
Year: 1973
Steely Dan's second LP, 1973's Countdown To Ecstasy, did not sell as well as their 1972 debut LP. The reason usually cited for this dropoff in sales is the lack of a hit single, although at least two singles were released from the album. The second of these was Show Biz Kids, a song that sums up the Los Angeles lifestyle, a theme that songwriters Walter Becker and Donald Fagen would continue to explore for the rest of the decade. The song is best known for its repeated line "going to Lost Wages", a play on a certain city in Nevada.
Artist: Blues Image
Title: Ride Captain Ride
Source: CD: Open
Writer: Blues Image
Label: Sundazed (original label: Atco)
Year: 1970
After having mild commercial success with their self-titled debut album in 1969, Blues Image deliberately set out to write a hit song for their second LP, Open. The result was Ride Captain Ride, which made the top 40 in 1970. The album itself, however, did not do as well as its predecessor, and was the last one issued by the band's original lineup.
Artist: Ten Years After
Title: Circles
Source: LP: Cricklewood Green
Writer: Alvin Lee
Label: Deram
Year: 1970
Cricklewood Green continued the development of Ten Years After away from its blues roots and toward a more progressive rock sound that would ultimately lead them to their only top 40 hit, I'd Love To Change The World. That song, however, was still a couple albums in the future when Cricklewood Green was released in 1970. The seldom-heard Circles is basically an acoustic solo number from Alvin Lee.
Artist: Uriah Heep
Title: High Priestess
Source: British import CD: Salisbury
Writer(s): Ken Hensley
Label: Sanctuary/BMG (original US label: Mercury)
Year: 1971
The shortest track on Uriah Heep's 1971 album Salisbury was a Ken Hensley composition called High Priestess. The song was one of only two tunes on the LP's second side, with the title track taking up the other sixteen minutes.
Artist: Stealer's Wheel
Title: Stuck In The Middle With You
Source: 45 RPM single (stereo promo copy)
Writer(s): Egan/Rafferty
Label: A&M
Year: 1973
Stealer's Wheel was formed in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland by former schoolmates Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty in 1972. By the time their first album was released, however, Rafferty had already left the group for a solo career. The single Stuck In The Middle With You was such as success, however, that Rafferty was persuaded to rejoin the group. They were never able to duplicate the success of that first single, however, and by 1975 Stealer's Wheel had ceased to exist. Rafferty, once again a solo artist, would have a huge hit in 1978 with the song Baker Street.
Artist: Grand Funk Railroad
Title: I Don't Have To Sing The Blues
Source: CD: Closer To Home
Writer(s): Mark Farner
Label: Capitol
Year: 1970
Capitol Records may not have had the most artists on their roster in the 60s and early 70s, but they did have some of the biggest names. In the early 60s the Beach Boys were undisputably the most successful surf group in the world. Then came the Beatles. In the early 1970s it was Flint, Michigan's Grand Funk Railroad, who, despite being universally panned by the rock press, consistently sold out the largest venues in the history of rock music, pretty much single-handedly creating arena rock in the process (they were too loud to play anyplace smaller than sports arenas). The power trio of Mark Farner (guitar), Mel Schacher (bass) and Don Brewer (drums) hit their commercial stride in 1970, when all three of their studio albums (the first two of which were released the previous year), as well as their first live album, went gold in the same year. The last of these was Closer To Home, which included their first bonafide radio hit, I'm Your Captain. Among the other notable tracks on Closer To Home is I Don't Have To Sing The Blues, the lyrics of which incurred the ire of feminists everywhere. The band, of course, took the criticism in stride, having learned early on that bad press is better than no press at all.
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