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Post by inger on Apr 9, 2022 9:55:38 GMT -5
Very definitely. It was a huge hit. I still have my vinyl R. Dean Taylor album! Can't say I've listened to it much over the past half- century. I'm pretty sure several posters here remember that one. "I Fought The Law" by The Bobby Fuller Four (originally done by The Crickets after Buddy Holly's death and later covered by Tom Petty among others) remains my favorite running from the cops song. The BF4 was a great group whose career was cut very short by the suspicious death of Bobby Fuller. But even that song didn't give us sirens and police ordering the perp to give up. It's so fun that you guys remember these, which to me are obscure. I had no idea it reached number one! It only reached #5 on the Billboard 100, but it did reach #1 on the competing Cashbox 100. It was a #2 in Canada and also hit #1 in the UK. R Dean was on the Dick Clark Show to promote it, and there was a special stamping of the record in red vinyl. Now I have to go work my booth with “Indiana Wants Me” blaring in my head all day. “Give yourself up.”… Thank goodness the crime was committed in a four-syllable state to fit the musical format. M-ah-a-ane wants me? Nah. Wouldn’t have worked… |
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Post by pippsheadache on Apr 9, 2022 10:06:05 GMT -5
Very definitely. It was a huge hit. I still have my vinyl R. Dean Taylor album! Can't say I've listened to it much over the past half- century. I'm pretty sure several posters here remember that one. "I Fought The Law" by The Bobby Fuller Four (originally done by The Crickets after Buddy Holly's death and later covered by Tom Petty among others) remains my favorite running from the cops song. The BF4 was a great group whose career was cut very short by the suspicious death of Bobby Fuller. But even that song didn't give us sirens and police ordering the perp to give up. It's so fun that you guys remember these, which to me are obscure. I had no idea it reached number one! There has to be some advantage to being old. A reckoning with the law song that was a monster hit when I was a little kid was "Tom Dooley" by The Kingston Trio. Not too many songs are built on the premise of knifing someone to death. At least back in those days. |
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Post by rizzuto on Apr 9, 2022 10:19:55 GMT -5
It's so fun that you guys remember these, which to me are obscure. I had no idea it reached number one! There has to be some advantage to being old. A reckoning with the law song that was a monster hit when I was a little kid was "Tom Dooley" by The Kingston Trio. Not too many songs are built on the premise of knifing someone to death. At least back in those days. Certainly, not in those more innocent days, which I miss. There was Johnny Cash who shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. Jim Croce had Big Jim Walker cut in about a hundred places and shot in a couple more. Bob Marley shot the sheriff but had nothing to do with shooting the deputy. |
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Post by inger on Apr 9, 2022 18:55:47 GMT -5
There has to be some advantage to being old. A reckoning with the law song that was a monster hit when I was a little kid was "Tom Dooley" by The Kingston Trio. Not too many songs are built on the premise of knifing someone to death. At least back in those days. Certainly, not in those more innocent days, which I miss. There was Johnny Cash who shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. Jim Croce had Big Jim Walker cut in about a hundred places and shot in a couple more. Bob Marley shot the sheriff but had nothing to do with shooting the deputy. Marley and Clapton both claimed responsibility for the sheriff, and both denied shooting the deputy. My guess is that one of them thought he hit the sheriff, but the bullet actually went in the deputy. There was “The Killing of Georgie” (parts one and two), by Rod Stewart. “In The Ghetto” describes the aftermath of an apparent (police?) shooting of a young boy, “As his momma cries”… |
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Post by pippsheadache on Apr 9, 2022 19:57:47 GMT -5
There has to be some advantage to being old. A reckoning with the law song that was a monster hit when I was a little kid was "Tom Dooley" by The Kingston Trio. Not too many songs are built on the premise of knifing someone to death. At least back in those days. Certainly, not in those more innocent days, which I miss. There was Johnny Cash who shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. Jim Croce had Big Jim Walker cut in about a hundred places and shot in a couple more. Bob Marley shot the sheriff but had nothing to do with shooting the deputy. True, those songs all had murder in them, but the hit versions at least were released 10-15 years after "Tom Dooley" and in a very different society. "Folsom Prison Blues" was written by Johnny Cash in 1955 and made the C&W charts, but the widely-remembered version that made the general Billboard charts was from 1968. "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" was released in 1972 and "I Shot The Sheriff" in 1973. What there was a lot of in the late 50s and early 60s were "teen tragedy" songs, most of them ridiculously melodramatic. Probably the worst was "Teen Angel" by Mark Dinning, in which his girlfriend is killed running back to get her engagement ring from a car stalled on the railroad tracks as a train approached. She didn't quite make it. To me, this was a healthy application of Social Darwinism, but was not so perceived by the buying public. "Ebony Eyes" (not the later Bob Welch song) is probably the only Everly Brothers song I don't like. In this one, they are waiting at the airport for the girlfriend who is flying home when an announcement comes over the PA system that people having friends or loved ones on the flight should assemble at the chapel across the street for an important announcement. I think their antennae started to go up at that point. "Patches" by Dicky Lee, "Running Bear" by Johnny Preston and even Pat Boone in "Moody River" all imply suicide or something close to it by star-crossed lovers. The "Leader Of The Pack" is so distraught by the Shangri-Las lead singer breaking up with him that he doesn't get a block away on his Harley before crashing it and ending his short miserable life. "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers was another teen death on the road song. Maybe the most gruesome one was 1965's "I Want My Baby Back" by Jimmy Cross. It was actually intended to be a conscious parody of the above kinds of songs, but had very limited airplay because it described how the various body parts of Jimmy's girlfriend were scattered all over the road from a car accident -- "Over there was my baby -- and over there was my baby -- and waaaay over there was my baby." It had a "happy" ending when the aggrieved lover couldn't take it anymore and went to the cemetery to dig her up and went down into the crypt with her. It got a lot more airplay many years later courtesy of Dr. Demento, so you might know it from that. |
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Post by rizzuto on Apr 9, 2022 20:00:39 GMT -5
I introduced my millennial niece to Willie Nelson's Stardust not long ago. She had no idea and loves it.
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Post by Renfield on Apr 9, 2022 20:06:36 GMT -5
Certainly, not in those more innocent days, which I miss. There was Johnny Cash who shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. Jim Croce had Big Jim Walker cut in about a hundred places and shot in a couple more. Bob Marley shot the sheriff but had nothing to do with shooting the deputy. True, those songs all had murder in them, but the hit versions at least were released 10-15 years after "Tom Dooley" and in a very different society. "Folsom Prison Blues" was written by Johnny Cash in 1955 and made the C&W charts, but the widely-remembered version that made the general Billboard charts was from 1968. "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" was released in 1972 and "I Shot The Sheriff" in 1973. What there was a lot of in the late 50s and early 60s were "teen tragedy" songs, most of them ridiculously melodramatic. Probably the worst was "Teen Angel" by Mark Dinning, in which his girlfriend is killed running back to get her engagement ring from a car stalled on the railroad tracks as a train approached. She didn't quite make it. To me, this was a healthy application of Social Darwinism, but was not so perceived by the buying public. "Ebony Eyes" (not the later Bob Welch song) is probably the only Everly Brothers song I don't like. In this one, they are waiting at the airport for the girlfriend who is flying home when an announcement comes over the PA system that people having friends or loved ones on the flight should assemble at the chapel across the street for an important announcement. I think their antennae started to go up at that point. "Patches" by Dicky Lee, "Running Bear" by Johnny Preston and even Pat Boone in "Moody River" all imply suicide or something close to it by star-crossed lovers. The "Leader Of The Pack" is so distraught by the Shangri-Las lead singer breaking up with him that he doesn't get a block away on his Harley before crashing it and ending his short miserable life. "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers was another teen death on the road song. Maybe the most gruesome one was 1965's "I Want My Baby Back" by Jimmy Cross. It was actually intended to be a conscious parody of the above kinds of songs, but had very limited airplay because it described how the various body parts of Jimmy's girlfriend were scattered all over the road from a car accident -- "Over there was my baby -- and over there was my baby -- and waaaay over there was my baby." It had a "happy" ending when the aggrieved lover couldn't take it anymore and went to the cemetery to dig her up and went down into the crypt with her. It got a lot more airplay many years later courtesy of Dr. Demento, so you might know it from that. Then there's always "Dead Skunk in the Middle of th Road." "The blood and the guts gonna make you swoon..." |
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Post by rizzuto on Apr 9, 2022 20:08:32 GMT -5
Certainly, not in those more innocent days, which I miss. There was Johnny Cash who shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. Jim Croce had Big Jim Walker cut in about a hundred places and shot in a couple more. Bob Marley shot the sheriff but had nothing to do with shooting the deputy. True, those songs all had murder in them, but the hit versions at least were released 10-15 years after "Tom Dooley" and in a very different society. "Folsom Prison Blues" was written by Johnny Cash in 1955 and made the C&W charts, but the widely-remembered version that made the general Billboard charts was from 1968. "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" was released in 1972 and "I Shot The Sheriff" in 1973. What there was a lot of in the late 50s and early 60s were "teen tragedy" songs, most of them ridiculously melodramatic. Probably the worst was "Teen Angel" by Mark Dinning, in which his girlfriend is killed running back to get her engagement ring from a car stalled on the railroad tracks as a train approached. She didn't quite make it. To me, this was a healthy application of Social Darwinism, but was not so perceived by the buying public. "Ebony Eyes" (not the later Bob Welch song) is probably the only Everly Brothers song I don't like. In this one, they are waiting at the airport for the girlfriend who is flying home when an announcement comes over the PA system that people having friends or loved ones on the flight should assemble at the chapel across the street for an important announcement. I think their antennae started to go up at that point. "Patches" by Dicky Lee, "Running Bear" by Johnny Preston and even Pat Boone in "Moody River" all imply suicide or something close to it by star-crossed lovers. The "Leader Of The Pack" is so distraught by the Shangri-Las lead singer breaking up with him that he doesn't get a block away on his Harley before crashing it and ending his short miserable life. "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers was another teen death on the road song. Maybe the most gruesome one was 1965's "I Want My Baby Back" by Jimmy Cross. It was actually intended to be a conscious parody of the above kinds of songs, but had very limited airplay because it described how the various body parts of Jimmy's girlfriend were scattered all over the road from a car accident -- "Over there was my baby -- and over there was my baby -- and waaaay over there was my baby." It had a "happy" ending when the aggrieved lover couldn't take it anymore and went to the cemetery to dig her up and went down into the crypt with her. It got a lot more airplay many years later courtesy of Dr. Demento, so you might know it from that. I used to listen to Dr. Demento when I got my first "stereo" when I was 14, which was comprised of a record player, AM/FM radio, and a cassette player. It sat atop my dresser, and I thought I was rich. My life was much less lonely because of music and various DJ's in my room. That was my one real life line to the outside world. This is the only "Patches" song that I know: www.youtube.com/results?search_query=patches+song |
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Post by inger on Apr 9, 2022 20:40:25 GMT -5
True, those songs all had murder in them, but the hit versions at least were released 10-15 years after "Tom Dooley" and in a very different society. "Folsom Prison Blues" was written by Johnny Cash in 1955 and made the C&W charts, but the widely-remembered version that made the general Billboard charts was from 1968. "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" was released in 1972 and "I Shot The Sheriff" in 1973. What there was a lot of in the late 50s and early 60s were "teen tragedy" songs, most of them ridiculously melodramatic. Probably the worst was "Teen Angel" by Mark Dinning, in which his girlfriend is killed running back to get her engagement ring from a car stalled on the railroad tracks as a train approached. She didn't quite make it. To me, this was a healthy application of Social Darwinism, but was not so perceived by the buying public. "Ebony Eyes" (not the later Bob Welch song) is probably the only Everly Brothers song I don't like. In this one, they are waiting at the airport for the girlfriend who is flying home when an announcement comes over the PA system that people having friends or loved ones on the flight should assemble at the chapel across the street for an important announcement. I think their antennae started to go up at that point. "Patches" by Dicky Lee, "Running Bear" by Johnny Preston and even Pat Boone in "Moody River" all imply suicide or something close to it by star-crossed lovers. The "Leader Of The Pack" is so distraught by the Shangri-Las lead singer breaking up with him that he doesn't get a block away on his Harley before crashing it and ending his short miserable life. "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers was another teen death on the road song. Maybe the most gruesome one was 1965's "I Want My Baby Back" by Jimmy Cross. It was actually intended to be a conscious parody of the above kinds of songs, but had very limited airplay because it described how the various body parts of Jimmy's girlfriend were scattered all over the road from a car accident -- "Over there was my baby -- and over there was my baby -- and waaaay over there was my baby." It had a "happy" ending when the aggrieved lover couldn't take it anymore and went to the cemetery to dig her up and went down into the crypt with her. It got a lot more airplay many years later courtesy of Dr. Demento, so you might know it from that. I used to listen to Dr. Demento when I got my first "stereo" when I was 14, which was comprised of a record player, AM/FM radio, and a cassette player. It sat atop my dresser, and I thought I was rich. My life was much less lonely because of music and various DJ's in my room. That was my one real life line to the outside world. This is the only "Patches" song that I know: www.youtube.com/results?search_query=patches+songMy papa was a greater man I can see him with a shovel in his hand… |
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Post by inger on Apr 9, 2022 20:44:05 GMT -5
All right you SOBs. Just try not to cry when you read this one:
Shannon is gone, I hope she's drifting out to sea
She always loved to swim away
Maybe she'll find an island with a shaded tree
Just like the one in our backyard
****
If that doesn’t turn the water works on, I’m pulling “Old Shep” on you… 😀
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Post by rizzuto on Apr 9, 2022 21:01:03 GMT -5
All right you SOBs. Just try not to cry when you read this one: Shannon is gone, I hope she's drifting out to sea She always loved to swim away Maybe she'll find an island with a shaded tree Just like the one in our backyard **** If that doesn’t turn the water works on, I’m pulling “Old Shep” on you… 😀 That was my first girlfriend’s name. The only reason I know the song. |
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Post by Renfield on Apr 9, 2022 21:12:25 GMT -5
All right you SOBs. Just try not to cry when you read this one: Shannon is gone, I hope she's drifting out to sea She always loved to swim away Maybe she'll find an island with a shaded tree Just like the one in our backyard **** If that doesn’t turn the water works on, I’m pulling “Old Shep” on you… 😀 That was my first girlfriend’s name. The only reason I know the song. Old Shep was your girlfriend's name? |
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Post by inger on Apr 9, 2022 21:21:21 GMT -5
That was my first girlfriend’s name. The only reason I know the song. Old Shep was your girlfriend's name? Neat me to it, dang you! … Dang me! Dang me! They outta take a rope And hang me! High from the highest tree!… |
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Post by pippsheadache on Apr 10, 2022 4:50:41 GMT -5
True, those songs all had murder in them, but the hit versions at least were released 10-15 years after "Tom Dooley" and in a very different society. "Folsom Prison Blues" was written by Johnny Cash in 1955 and made the C&W charts, but the widely-remembered version that made the general Billboard charts was from 1968. "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" was released in 1972 and "I Shot The Sheriff" in 1973. What there was a lot of in the late 50s and early 60s were "teen tragedy" songs, most of them ridiculously melodramatic. Probably the worst was "Teen Angel" by Mark Dinning, in which his girlfriend is killed running back to get her engagement ring from a car stalled on the railroad tracks as a train approached. She didn't quite make it. To me, this was a healthy application of Social Darwinism, but was not so perceived by the buying public. "Ebony Eyes" (not the later Bob Welch song) is probably the only Everly Brothers song I don't like. In this one, they are waiting at the airport for the girlfriend who is flying home when an announcement comes over the PA system that people having friends or loved ones on the flight should assemble at the chapel across the street for an important announcement. I think their antennae started to go up at that point. "Patches" by Dicky Lee, "Running Bear" by Johnny Preston and even Pat Boone in "Moody River" all imply suicide or something close to it by star-crossed lovers. The "Leader Of The Pack" is so distraught by the Shangri-Las lead singer breaking up with him that he doesn't get a block away on his Harley before crashing it and ending his short miserable life. "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers was another teen death on the road song. Maybe the most gruesome one was 1965's "I Want My Baby Back" by Jimmy Cross. It was actually intended to be a conscious parody of the above kinds of songs, but had very limited airplay because it described how the various body parts of Jimmy's girlfriend were scattered all over the road from a car accident -- "Over there was my baby -- and over there was my baby -- and waaaay over there was my baby." It had a "happy" ending when the aggrieved lover couldn't take it anymore and went to the cemetery to dig her up and went down into the crypt with her. It got a lot more airplay many years later courtesy of Dr. Demento, so you might know it from that. I used to listen to Dr. Demento when I got my first "stereo" when I was 14, which was comprised of a record player, AM/FM radio, and a cassette player. It sat atop my dresser, and I thought I was rich. My life was much less lonely because of music and various DJ's in my room. That was my one real life line to the outside world. This is the only "Patches" song that I know: www.youtube.com/results?search_query=patches+songYeah, that was a good one. From the man who gave us "Slip Away" also. Definitely a different (and much better) song than the Dicky Lee effort. You would think there are enough possibilities for song titles out there that you wouldn't have to double down on a name like Patches. I can think of at least three totally different songs entitled "Gloria." The first is a classic doo-wop ballad from the 1950s by The Cadillacs, who most famously gave us "Speedo." In the 1960s, Van Morrison/Shadows of Knight did a garage band staple (G-L-O-R-I-A.) Then there was the 1982 Laura Branigan dance-club song of that name. There is probably another version being recorded as we speak. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Apr 10, 2022 4:55:31 GMT -5
Old Shep was your girlfriend's name? Neat me to it, dang you! … Dang me! Dang me! They outta take a rope And hang me! High from the highest tree!… Roger Miller. Hilarious song. He also did "You Can't Roller Skate In A Buffalo Herd" and his biggest hit "King Of The Road." He and Jerry Reed could always make me laugh. "When You're Hot You're Hot" and "Amos Moses." |
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