Mitch Ryder (born Bill Levise Jr.) was full of potential that never seems to have been fully realized. Amazingly powerful voice and a strong presence on the stage never translated into a must-have catalogue of original material. But there is still great stuff out there to be had squirreled away on his records.
The young Detroit, Michigan native hooked up with producer Bob Crewe in the Summer of 1965 for his first release under the name, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels. But today we feature the Flip-Side of Mitch Ryder's second release. The song is the Crew/Levise Jr. composed Baby Jane (Mo Mo Jane) and it was released on New Voice Records in November, 1965. Baby Jane is the under side of Jenny Take A Ride, perhaps Ryder's most famous number. The understated song tells the tale of Mitch with his first experience smoking marijuana. It starts with a riff reminiscent of Bo Diddley's I'm A Roadrunner, but with the addition of the bopping bass it takes on originality. Great guitar work in this one with a very brief, but charming solo. And a rhythm section fade-out makes fade-outs almost acceptable.
Very cool! Dig the rhythm section breaks!
ReplyDeleteVocal delivery and lyrics has a strong Dylan influence, no?