Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay

Stax house band member and session guitarist extraordinaire Steve Cropper died this week.  Most people haven't heard of him, but he was instrumental in defining the "Memphis Soul" sound of the 1960s, and co-wrote or played on countless recordings, including decade-defining songs like "Knock on Wood", "In the Midnight Hour", "Soul Man", "Green Onions", and of course, "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay".  

Cropper was a musician's musician, revered for his feel, timing, and soul. Our friend Gregg Brooks told us of his meeting Cropper in 2004. When Gregg told Steve of his love of Al Jackson Jr., Steve showed Gregg one of Al's old kits that was still in the studio. 

Rolling Stone's "12 Essential Steve Cropper Songs" is a great review of his contributions, and had a few surprises for me, including Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night" and Big Star's cover of the Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale".  "Femme Fatale" is one of my favorite songs and I was tempted to use it for Cropper's passing, but upon further reflection, how could I pass up the universally beloved "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay"?

Otis Redding (and Steve Cropper) - "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay"

Bonus link: Big Star - "Femme Fatale" 

Fleetwood Mac - "Black Magic Woman" (the song remains the same)

Peter Green, a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, died last week.  I already covered Peter Green's contributions to Fleetwood Mac, including their existence long before prior to Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joining in 1975, so I won't retell that story here.  Instead, I will focus on yet another popular song that you might not have known that Peter Green wrote, and the parallels between Peter Green and Syd Barrett.

First, the similarities with Syd Barrett.  Like Syd, Peter Green left a band that he founded after only a few years.  Also like Syd, his career afterwards was limited, in part by substance abuse and mental illness. And like Syd, Peter apparently briefly reappeared during a 1970s recording session with the old band. And like Syd, many artists list him as an influence.

One measure of influence is the number of covers you inspire.  This will news to most, but although Santana popularized "Black Magic Woman" in 1970, it was written by Peter Green and originally released by Fleetwood Mac in 1968 as a non-LP single.  Although you've heard the Santana version 1000 times, give a listen to the original (admittedly, Carlos Santana is one of my least favorite -- yet undeniably talented -- guitar players, but that's a story for another time).  Peter Green's version is heavier than the smooth Santana version.

It's been a long time since Peter Green was in Fleetwood Mac, but his influence was significant.

Fleetwood Mac - "Black Magic Woman" (live 1970)
Santana - "Black Magic Woman"

Joan Jett - "Crimson and Clover" (the song remains the same)

In honor of Pride Month, I'm featuring Joan Jett's 1981 cover of "Crimson and Clover" (from her second LP).  Joan hasn't actually come out, but she's an LGBTQ icon regardless.  Even though I didn't know about that in 1981 (who did?), I remember liking this song immediately.  I'm pretty sure I heard her version before the original, 1968 version from Tommy James and Shondells but I'm not certain.  And, sure I like the "underwater" / psychedelic original too, but Joan's version rawks, with those delicious power chords.

Why this song for Pride Month instead of others from her?  First, unlike in her cover of "I Love Rock and Roll"*, she does not change the gender of the love interest ("Ah, now I don't hardly know her / But I think I can love her).  Why did she keep the gender in one cover song but not the other? In retrospect, perhaps this was a clue.

Second, it's not like she was a purist; she did change the lyrics in C&C, and in the process made it 100X better.  Tommy James and The Shondells:

Yeah, my mind's such a sweet thing
I wanna do everything

What a beautiful feeling
Crimson and clover, over and over

Joan Jett and The Blackhearts:

Yeah, I'm not such a sweet thing
I wanna do everything
What a beautiful feeling
Crimson and clover, over and over

Perhaps TJ&TS couldn't get away with that line in 1968, but can we all agree that Joan's change of that one improves the rest of the stanza?

Tommy James and The Shondells - studio LP version, studio single version, live 1995,

Joan Jett and The Blackhearts - studio version, 1983 (live?, probably lip-synched), 2007(?) live version




* As per my previous post, "I Love Rock & Roll" is still a stupid song that even Joan can't redeem.


Bonus images: quick, name a rock artist other than Joan Jett who looks better, and not just by a little bit, some 25+ years after they first made it big.  Swapping the big hair for a buzz cut and ditching the one-piece coverall is a big part of it, but still...

Joan ca. 1983, as New York Dolls refugee:

Joan ca. 2007, as punk matriarch:

Any questions?

Tammy Wynette - "Stand By Your Man" (the song remains the same)

A special topical Women's History Month installment: Kellyanne Conway standing by her man.  Perhaps more accurately, standing by her other man.

"Stand by your man" is the single (released in 1968) from Tammy Wynette's 1969 LP of the same name.  What can I say about this universally recognized song that hasn't already been said?  I'll just point out that in 2010 the Library of Congress selected it for preservation because it is "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".  Obviously, that's the highest honor I can think of...

There are more covers of this song than I could possibly address, so I'll choose just one: the 1982 duet by Lemmy and Wendy O. Williams. 

Tammy Wynette - "Stand by your man"
Plasmatics & Motorhead - "Stand by your man"

Sometimes it's hard to be a woman
giving all your love to just one man.
You'll have bad times
And he'll have good times,
Doin' things that you don't understand.

 Right, Kellyanne?

Merle Haggard - "Mama Tried" (forgotten song)

Country music icon Merle Haggard died today.  He's probably best known for "Okie from Muskogee", but my favorite would probably be  "Mama Tried", the title track from his 1968 LP (honorable mention to 1983's "Pancho and Lefty").  I have to confess that I first heard it via the Grateful Dead.

It is universally acknowledged that all good country songs involve "prison", and this song is true to form.  The Library of Congress obviously agrees, and so "Mama Tried" was recently placed on the National Recording Registry for its "cultural, artistic and/or historical significance to American society and the nation's aural legacy."

Merle Haggard - "Mama Tried" (on the Johnny Cash Show?)

Grateful Dead - "Mama Tried"

Johnny Cash - "Mama Tried"

Freddie Scott - "(You) Got What I Need" (the song remains the same)

Here is an gem of a song that you probably won't recognize until you play it... Freddie Scott was a song writer turned performer that had a few hits in the 1960s, but never became really famous. In 1968, he released the single "(You) Got What I Need" on Shout Records (no, it's not Motown even though it sounds like it). You probably recognize the song because Biz Markie built an entirely new song based on the the piano riff and 1/2 of the chorus of YGWIN for his 1989 single "Just A Friend". Some dismiss Biz as novelty rap, but I think he is hilarious and if he's good enough to guest for the Beasties, he's good enough for me ("The Biz vs. The Nuge"). Adam Green & Lissy Trullie must agree, since they did a loose cover of "Just A Friend", screwing around in what looks to be a back stage dressing room. They get most of the words right. If Biz never borrowed from "(You) Got What I Need", the only place you would have heard it would be on the mix LP "Product Placement" from DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist, where they sandwich it between Kool & The Gang's "N.T." and James & Bobby Purify's "I'm Your Puppet" (~6:39 -- 8:33 in the studio version of "Part 1", starting at 8:34 in this live version, but it is cut off right as the song breaks). Freddie Scott: YouTube Biz Markie: YouTube (bonus link: the "literal" version of the video) Adam Green & Lissy Trullie: YouTube

The Kinks - "Days" (forgotten song) (the song remains the same)

Although I first heard it as performed by Elvis Costello on the the 1991 soundtrack "Until the End of the World Soundtrack", "Days" was originally a 1968 single from The Kinks (it also appeared on some versions of their 1968 LP "The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society").

Before Costello, Kristy MacColl covered the song in 1989 on her LP "Kite" with an arrangement pretty true to the original. But it's the Elvis Costello version that strips away the modish production of the original and reveals yet another excellent song from Ray Davies.

And while the original single apparently did well in 1968, I don't recall it receiving radio airplay on classic rock radio stations. The Kinks canon is filled with great songs, but here's one that you probably haven't heard before, or maybe haven't heard in a long time.

The Kinks: YouTube 1, YouTube 2.

B-Side Bonus Link: The Kinks - "She's Got Everything".

Kristy MacColl: YouTube 1, YouTube 2.

Elvis Costello: Lala, Grooveshark.

Elvis Costello & Chrissie Hynde: MSN, Metacafe.