Song of the Week: "Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down", Temptations

The Flip-Side is digging a new analog to digital recording set up this week. And that means more vinyl is being raised from the deepest reaches of the analog cave we live in. Of all the vinyl we've been digging, The Temptations' Greatest Hits Vol. II (1970) is catching our attention the most. This is a collection of songs the Temptations recorded from '67-'69 with a new attitude (funkier), new producer (Bob Whitfield), new members of the Funk Brothers (the Motown house band) and a new lead singer (Dennis Edwards). The result was pretty funking cool!

Today we look at The Temptations' 1968 number, Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down. It features some pretty killer wah-pedal inflected guitar work (I never thought I would say that) and great bass work from what we think is brand new Funk Brother, Bob Babbitt who had the unenviable job of replacing one of the greatest bassists ever, James Jamerson. Dennis Edwards, the new lead singer for The Temps, adds a much grittier, more "pentecost preacher on a bender" feel to the band. And of course falsetto king, Eddie Kendricks is still there getting that classic Temptations sound: "Remember that old sayin', 'all the glitters ain't gold.' Take heed, don't ignore it, and to your money tightly hold."

Click here to listen to The Temptations' Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down.

Song of the Week: "Shakin' All Over", Johnny Kidd & the Pirates

The final installment of "under the covers" has us Shakin' All Over. Most people under the age of 60 know this song as one of the more powerful numbers from The Who's legendary Live at Leeds album recorded in 1970. Pete Townshend and his cohorts did a pretty serious rework of the number and it is their version that prevails as the norm today. Under The Who's spell the song becomes a slower, brooding and dangerous song driven by Pete Townshend's Gibson SG with P-90 pickups and a host of funky and obscure chords thrown in.

However, that's not how the song started. The song was hugely popular before The Who turned it into a staple of their live set. In fact, the song was number one in the UK singles charts in 1960 when Johnny Kidd and The Pirates first wrote and recorded it. Johnny Kidd and The Pirates get major props from Flip-Side for wearing piratey outfits on stage and Kidd even sported a pirate eye patch. Argh. No sightings of a parrot, sadly. The Pirates were one of England's first pop rock bands and a major influence on bands like The Beatles and, obviously, The Who. The Guitar work by Joe Morretti, who played guitar on yesterday's selection of Brand New Cadillac, is inventive, clean and catchy as hell. It's what makes this song work. In the rock movement of the early and mid 60's this song became a staple of every band who had a halfway decent guitarist.

Now I must say, neither the original or The Who's version is my favorite. Nope, that honor belongs to a version done in 1965 by West Berlin, Germany band, The Lords. Check that killer version out here from YouTube. "Shakin' down da zee vone!"

Click here to listen to both the original Johnny Kidd and the Pirates version and the version made famous by The Who. Have a great Labor Day weekend.

Song of the Week: "Brand New Cadillac", Vince Taylor & The Playboys

In a little exercise we're calling "Under the Covers", we're still exploring the original versions of songs that have been made popular by the cover artist. Today we're getting under the covers with a Brand New Cadillac.

Brand New Cadillac hit the ears of the masses when The Clash recorded it for their third album, the mega great London Calling. The song is a powerful romp that doesn't stray all that far away from it's roots as a rockabilly song. Joe Strummer, one of my all time favorite singers, rasps away in perfection as he makes the song his own: "I said 'Jesus Christ, where'd you get that Cadillac?' She said, 'balls to you daddy'. She ain't never coming back." Strummer's use of a vintage 50's Fender Telecaster to play the main riff ensures that the song keeps it's original feel and restraint. Mick Jones' use of the Gibson Les Paul and Marshall amps ensures the song is given a fresh coat of paint.

So where did The Clash find this gem? From 1950's British Rockabilly artist Vince Taylor. The leather-clad Vince Taylor and his Play-Boys recorded the number for Parlaphone records in 1959. The guitarist was one Joe Moretti who played on the original version of Shakin' All Over. The drummer was none other than Tony Meehan who went on to drum for The Shadows and later for Jet Harris.

Click here to listen to both versions of Brand New Cadillac.

Song of the Week: "That's All Right", Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup

We're back under the covers this morning. Today we're snuggling up with a very young Elvis Presley. In fact, musically, it doesn't get any younger. Today we're looking at Elvis' first ever recording: That's All Right, Mama made for Sam Phillips' Memphis based Sun Records in 1954. Everyone should know this recording. After all, it was one of the earliest "rock" recordings ever made and has made every Elvis Greatest Hits collection out there. It's a great upbeat song and deserves all the praise one can give it. It's just Elvis, Scotty Moore on guitar and Bill Black slapping away at the bass in a live performance in the tiny studio.

The break-out hit for Elvis has its origins from 8 years earlier when it was recorded by it's composer, Mississippi based delta blues musician Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup. Crudup's version is a surprisingly upbeat total band performance that features Crudup's tinny guitar front and center.

Click here to listen to both versions of That's All Right.

Song of the Week: The Everly Brothers -- Gone, Gone, Gone

Back for day two of "under the covers". Today we look at the origins of the recent Robert Plant & Alison Krauss mega hit and cover song, Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On) from the duo's wildly successful Raising Sand album.

I'll state right here and now that I've never been a huge fan of Robert Plant. That was until I heard his work on Gone, Gone, Gone. I guess you need to know that the original version, by the Everly Brothers, is one of my favorite Everly songs of all time. It's hardly one of the Everly's biggest hits -- coming well after their heyday on the charts -- and one might even call it a bit obscure as the record has been out of print since the mid 60's. So when I was driving down the street and heard a new version of Gone, Gone, Gone, I was flabbergasted. At first I thought it was a remix of the original. Not so much. Then I turned to my wife and said, "whoever this is is a hell of a singer. They are nailing the harmonies but also changing them ever so slightly. And the production is perfect." It wasn't for a few more weeks that I would find out that it was Robert Plant (and Alison Krauss). "Whoa" says me. Then I find out it is produced by one of my favorite producers, T-Bone Burnett (whom I used to see play at the Coffee House in Davis, California in the early 80's). "Cool", says me.

My paradigm of appreciation for Robert Plant changed in one instant. Plant's vocal style has been totally contradictory to that of the Everly Brothers. Plant is famous for big, rounded, swoops to hit the note he is seeking. I think he would tell you that. But on this song -- and the album -- he sings in a more traditional country style -- jagged, right angles. A style performed to perfection by the freakishly tight harmonies of the Everly Brothers. The change in Plant's style on Raising Sand is a necessity because of his collaboration with country singer, Krauss. You can't harmonize with big, looping vocal swells. You need to hit the note and hit it hard and fast. Plant still gets in some of those swells on this song in between harmonies, but for the most part, he is sticking the note nicely.

The Everly Brothers wrote and recorded Gone, Gone, Gone in 1964. By this time they were stuck in a rock-n-roll purgatory. The hits were behind them and they were too country for the pop charts and too pop for the country charts and too square for the hipsters. Need proof? Take a look at this video of the Everly Brothers performing Gone, Gone, Gone. Tuxedos. Not cool. Spastic dancers wearing knee length skirts. Not cool. But their harmonies on this live vocal version of the song? Cool. (Note the sax addition).

As a whole, rock-n-roll in the US was on life support at this time and the Everly Brothers were not going to be part of the resurrection. They were just left to make great records and influence singers like McCartney, Lennon and Harrison who knew how cool the Everly Brothers still were. (Look no further than Baby's In Black to hear that Everly influence).

Nobody hit the note more precisely than the Everly Brothers. They sing a harmony like only two siblings can. Don Everly taking the lead and Phil Everly hitting the harmony (usually on the 4th note). They nail it on Gone, Gone, Gone. Stop and listen to Phil's precise note climbing harmonization at the second go-round of the chorus starting around 1:05. Whoo-wee. The song is a huge romp of floor-tom drums, piano and big open chords on the guitar that ends quicker than it begins. If you are lucky enough to own the original Gone, Gone, Gone album, you aren't so disappointed at the brevity of the song as the whole album is killer. But for the rest of you, just hit replay a few times.

Click here to listen to both versions of Gone, Gone, Gone.