Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

Another week, another journey through the decades with songs that became hits and others that didn't make it, but are still worth listening to again.

1967: The Box Tops

1972: T. Rex

1978: Buzzcocks

1978: Rick James

1994: Stone Temple Pilots

1991: Nirvana

1969: Dusty Springfield

1980: Stevie Wonder

1981: J. Geils Band

1970: Quicksilver Messenger Service

1979: XTC

Who Do You Love

The recent days Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love appeared on my way to office. Diddley wrote this classic almost 70 years ago inspired by Muddy Water's Hoochie Coochie Man and it still a classic from the stoneage of rock 'n' roll. A mean guitar and his rough voice made this a hit from this era.

Bo Diddley - Who Do You Love

This made me searching for different versions of this great song. One of the earliest version is by Ronnie Hawkins. Not much different but played by a white artist. And he became popular with this version. I have to admit that is not the best or inspired version but much better than the rest of his work.

Ronnie Hawkins - Who Do You Love

In 1968 John Cippolina's Quicksilver Messenger Service released their debut Happy Trails and a highlight of this 60's West Coast band was an extended version of this song. A blues guitar inspired and apparently never ending version I had always a favor for.

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Who Do You Love

On his second in 1978 album George Thorogood released probably the ultimate version of this song. Some people called him the sultan of slide in these days and this was true. His first two records were full of powerful versions of songs everybody had heard sometimes. Rough guitars and his bluesy voice made this song a classic one.

George Thorogood - Who Do You Love

Monday's Long Song

45 years ago Welsh rockers released at the dawn of their career Maximum Darkness a live recording in collaboration with Quicksilver Messenger's guitarist John Cippolina. This record shows everything Man stood for. Guitar improvisations and long jams over a solid rock basement. Always played with verve and a straight pushing forward rhythm makes this record a classic of psychedelic rock.

Man - 7171-551

Pool Hall

Since a few month I meet with some friends for playing pool at our local pub. I was sitting at the bar drinking my pint when I came in contact with an retired old man and we started talking about this and that, politics and sports and finally we talked about playing pool. Soon we started playing and I got a lot of lessons learned. I started playing when I was a kid of 15 years and played every couple of years later. Knowing that I was just a regular player that is able to play the rules the old man showed me the abilities of the game. He told me a lot about playing slow and waiting for the chance. Since then we meet with a couple of friends to play a weekly competition. And I have to say: the more I play the better I get. It is just another way to get rid of all the things that bothered me during the working week. Here are a few songs that were inspired by playing pool.

Enjoy.


 

What Happened To Pub Rock # 16

Nearly two week ago George from Jim McLean's Rabbit posted a song by the Welsh Prog-Rock band Man. Because up to this time he knew nothing or only a little of this group I have promised more about this group to post. Here we go:

The band is based in South Wales and they played a very own mixture of West Coast psychedelia, Prog-Rock, Blues, Country and Pub-Rock. I feature them because the were an excellent live band and well known for the extended jams in their liver performances. You can read the whole story of this band here. I became aware on this group in the early 70s as Jörg Gülden in SOUNDS (one of the best music magazines at this time) swarmed about this group has. His euphoric criticism has made me to myself buy a record. And I was not disappointed. Only a few songs on each side showed the possibilities the band had. Based on a perfect and steady beat the guitars pushed the songs forward. Man were always a live-band and the best record for me is Maximum Darkness from 1975 featuring John Cipollina as special guest. He was the founder and famous lead guitarist from the West Coast band Quicksilver Messenger Service. He had his own style playing the guitar and this collaboration makes this record something special.

Man - 7171-551
Man - Codine
Man - Bananas