It’s been a minute…..what were we talking about?
I posted about Tom Rush’s Circle Game album back in August of 2012. As I noted back then, Tom is a great interpreter of songs written by other great singer/songwriters. Today we feature Tom performing Child’s Song (written by Canadian Singer/Writer Murray McLauchlan) in 1970 and in 2013. I think you will agree that Tom has lost none of his magic as a performer during the last forty some years…….
Child’s Song – Tom Rush 1970
This performance is from Festival Express, a 2003 documentary film about a 1970 train tour across Canada with a variety of musical acts performing along the way. Be watching for a post soon featuring the complete Festival Train movie!
Child’s Song – Tom Rush 2013
Here are the lyric from this beautiful song about leaving home….something that we all have to do!
Goodbye momma goodbye to you too pa
Little sister you’ll have to wait a while to come along
Goodbye to this house and all it’s memoriesWe just got too old to say we’re wrong
Got to make one last trip to my bedroom
Guess I’ll have to leave some stuff behindIt’s funny how the same old crooked pictures
Just don’t seem the same to me tonight
There ain’t no use in sheding lonely tears mammaThere ain’t no use in shouting at me pa
I can’t live no longer with your fears mamma
I love you but that hasn’t helped at allEach of us must do the things that matter
All of us must see what we can see
It was long ago you must rememberYou were once as young and scared as me
I don’t know how hard it is yet mamma
When you relaize you’re growning oldI know how hard is not to be younger
I know you’ve tried to keep me from the cold
Thanks for all you done it may sound hollowThank you for the good times that we’ve known
But I must find my own road now to follow
You will all be welcome in my homeGot my suitacse I must go now
I don’t mind about the things you said
I’m sorry Mom I don’t know where I’m goingRemember little sister look ahead
Tomorrow I’ll be in some other sunrise
Maybe I’ll have someone at my sideMamma give your love back to your husband
Father you’ve have taught we well goodbye
Goodbye Mamma goodbye to you too pa
Goodbye momma goodbye to you too paLittle sister you’ll have to wait a while to come along
Goodbye to this house and all it’s memories
We just got too old to say we’re wrongGot to make one last trip to my bedroom
Guess I’ll have to leave some stuff behind
It’s funny how the same old crooked picturesJust don’t seem the same to me tonight
There ain’t no use in sheding lonely tears mamma
There ain’t no use in shouting at me paI can’t live no longer with your fears mamma
I love you but that hasn’t helped at all
Each of us must do the things that matterAll of us must see what we can see
It was long ago you must remember
You were once as young and scared as meI don’t know how hard it is yet mamma
When you relaize you’re growning old
I know how hard is not to be youngerI know you’ve tried to keep me from the cold
Thanks for all you done it may sound hollow
Thank you for the good times that we’ve knownBut I must find my own road now to follow
You will all be welcome in my home
Got my suitacse I must go nowI don’t mind about the things you said
I’m sorry Mom I don’t know where I’m going
Remember little sister look aheadTomorrow I’ll be in some other sunrise
Maybe I’ll have someone at my side
Mamma give your love back to your husband
Father you’ve have taught we well goodbye
Goodbye Mamma goodbye to you too pa
If you are a long time reader of this blog you know that I’m a huge fan of everything Canadian. I’ve spent a lot of time in Canada, I love the Canadian people, I love the natural beauty of the country, and most importantly….I love Canadian music. To celebrate that love I have a an amazing Special Performance for you today……Randy Bachman and Neil Young performing two different versions of Prairie Town, one electric and one acoustic and both absolutely great. As a bonus I’ve included a short video from 1987 of a celebration of the music of Winnipeg, Canada that features both Randy, Neil, and Burton Cummings. Enjoy……
Prairie Town (Electric)
Prairie Town (Acoustic)
1987 Winnipeg Rock Reunion
Here’s a great Bad Company Behind the Music feature from VH1 to continue our Bad Company focus from the last couple of days. Lots of interesting history with regards to Bad Company and Free. Enjoy……
I couldn’t agree more with John Mellencamp’s comments about Paul’s voice…..absolutely perfect!
Here are some great Bad Company live tracks from circa 1974. There is some really good stuff here but given it’s age the video quality is not what we used to today. Regardless….I think you will enjoy this.
Can’t Get Enough
Bad Company from Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert (a US music show from the 70s)
Rock Steady (better video source for Rock Steady from the above concert)
In the spring of 1974 I was finishing up my third year of college and working two jobs. It was a pretty stressful time but the great music releases made everything better. Releases during April, May, and June included new music from some of my favorite artists and a debut release from a new group (see picture above) that would quickly become one of my favorites. Let’s jump right in listen to some great music……
April 1974 Album Releases
Secret Treaties – Blue Oyster Cult
In 1974, Blue Oyster Cult was one of my “go to” groups for “heavy” music. Secret Treaties was their third album and featured a very cool drawing of an German ME262 fighter. Here’s a great cut from that album called Astronomy,,,,,,
Live ‘n’ Kickin – West, Bruce, and Laing
In 1974 West, Bruce and Laing were carrying on a long tradition of three man, power chord based, rock groups. I was a fan of Leslie West and Corky Laing from their time with Mountain and of course was a huge fan of Jack Bruce from his time with Cream so it was only natural that I was a fan of West, Bruce, and Laing. Live ‘n” Kickin was their third and final album as a group and it rocked! Listen to Play With Fire and it will tell you everything you need to know about the group!
Diamond Dogs – David Bowie
After he retired the Ziggy Stadust character, we were all interested to see what Bowie came up with next. When I heard the first single from the record, a glam rock stunner called Rebel Rebel, I knew we were in for a real treat. Have a listen for yourself…..
Second Helping – Lynyrd Skynrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s second album, the appropriately named Second Helping, managed to avoid the sophomore jinx that strikes a lot of groups. It was a double platinum hit and features some of their most memorable songs including my favorite, Sweet Home Alabama. Let’s listen……
May 1974 Album Releases
Too Much Too Soon – New York Dolls
I mentioned the glam rock nature of Bowie’s Rebel Rebel single above so it’s only fitting that the New York Dolls, the ultimate glam band, released their second album the month after Diamond Dogs. It was hard to pick a song to feature from Too Much Too Soon but you can’t go wrong with Babylon. Give it a listen and see what you think!
Sheet Music – 10cc
As an illustration of the diversity of rock music in May of 1974, we transition from the glam rock of the New York Dolls to the art rock of 10cc. Sheet music was 10cc’s second release and featured the Wall Street Shuffle, a really catchy radio hit for them. Go back in time with me and do the Wall Street Shuffle as you listen……
June 1974 Album Releases
Bad Company – Bad Company
Bad Company, pictured at the top of this post, was one of the many supergroups that formed in the 1970s from the wreckage of other groups from the late 60s/early 70s. In this case, Bad Company was formed by:
- vocalist extraordinaire Paul Rogers from Free
- drummer Simon Kirke from Free
- guitarist Mick Ralphe from Mott the Hoople
- bassist Boz Burrell from King Crimson
While some supergroups proved to be disappointing, this was definitely not the case with Bad Company. They rocked hard throughout the 70s and produced an impressive string of great albums. The song I have for you today is named Bad Company, it comes from the album Bad Company, and was written and performed by the group called Bad Company……very strange…….
Holiday – America
The guys in America were Air Force brats like myself so I had an immediate kinship with them. Their third album, Hat Trick, had been a little of a disappointment from a commercial perspective so the group had a lot riding on Holiday when it was released in 1974. To turn things around the group had recruited George Martin, of Beatles fame, to produce Holiday and he came through for them. Holiday was a huge commercial success starting with Tin Man, the first single released from the album. You have to like this song…..
Walking Man – James Taylor
James Taylor’s Walking Man album was his fifth and was not a commercial success! It even failed to becoming a gold record which is truly shocking but…..to many fans like myself….. it’s still a favorite. Listen to the title track and I think you will understand…….
238 years old and counting. We aren’t perfect but I’m proud to be an American. As I said in the title…..Let’s Rock!!!
Livin In The USA – Steve Miller
Rockin In the USA – Kiss
R. O. C. K. in the USA – John Mellencamp
Surfin USA – The Beach Boys
Born in the USA – Bruce Springsteen
There are some strange but wonderful musical friendships in Rock music but perhaps none as strange as the one between David Crosby and Phil Collins. Although I was huge fans of both David and Phil I would have never imagined that the drummer of Genesis and a Southern California folk rock hero would have had much in common but what do I know. It was Phil that paid for David’s liver transplant in the 1990s when David could not afford it…..that is a friend indeed (one has to wonder where all of David’s money went…..that is a hell of a lot of drugs).
Their friendship, fortunately for us, has produced several musical collaborations and associated special performances. David and Phil co-wrote Hero, a hit song from David’s third solo album and collaborated on it’s performance. Let’s listen and watch David and Phil in the video produced for the song……
Another Day in Paradise is one of Phil’s biggest hits and David’s vocal contributions to the song were significant. Here is a great performance of the song from the Arsenio Hall show……
Did you notice the bass player. That was none other than Leland Sklar who is without a doubt the greatest sessions bassist of all time.
With the on-going news stories coming out of Iraq this week, the “war birds” in the US Congress are already calling for the US to once again get involved in a fight that can’t be won and that has nothing to do with us. It’s amazing how short some people’s memories are!
As American’s let’s rise up and say: We must not, We will not……Get Fooled Again……
Every great movement needs a theme song……for ours I propose this great 1973 live performance of Won’t Get Fooled Again from Philadelphia, the birthplace of the American Constitution……
The Trailer Song, is another great song from Kacey Musgraves’ debut album that I have talked about in earlier posts. I absolutely love the sense of humor that is reflected in Kacey’s songs. I think you will like this one…..
FYI – this was her first performance at the Grand Ole Opry!
