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Post by erik on Sept 6, 2012 8:43:08 GMT -5
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Post by sliderocker on Sept 6, 2012 13:22:39 GMT -5
I heard the news of Joe's death on the oldies radio station about twenty minutes ago. They had played Billy Joe Royal's version of "Hush," which Joe wrote and also played Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools," on which Joe had played guitar on. The oldies station DJ said they're going to be playing other Joe South songs throughout the day. Pity they didn't play more of his music when he was living. I have to wonder if they will play Linda's version of "I Knew You When" at some point? In one of her appearances on the Johnny Cash Show, Linda and Johnny performed a brief version of "Walk a Mile in My Shoes," which wasn't too bad. At least it wasn't "Games People Play," which every lounge lizard seemed to latch onto, though many of those same lounge lizards latched onto "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" as well. I really wish Linda would've done the last big hit Joe had for himself, "Don't It Make You Wanna Go Home," which was about longing for the home of one's youth but finding that home has changed and it's no longer the same place one remembers. That was one song which perfectly described the town I was from originally. I've been back several times and it's changed every time I've been back.
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Post by erik on Sept 6, 2012 13:46:39 GMT -5
"Walk A Mile In My Shoes" was a fairly sizable hit for Joe in the winter of 1970, so it likely seemed right for Linda to do that one with Johnny. This and the fact that Elvis included it in at least his Vegas shows at the same time too. And certainly in the present context of how Arizona is, it would have been right for Linda to have done "Don't It Make You Wanna Go Home."
As for "Games People Play"--well, it's one of those "message" songs of its era (1969), about the hypocrisy of certain hoity-toity types (primarily in religion and politics; in that, it's only gotten worse since then) who talk out of both sides of their mouths. Its message about hypocrisy still holds as true now as it did back in the day (IMHO).
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Post by the Scribe on Sept 7, 2012 0:14:27 GMT -5
 I thought there was a recording out there of Linda singing Games People Play? |
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Post by sliderocker on Sept 7, 2012 1:44:50 GMT -5
"Walk A Mile In My Shoes" was a fairly sizable hit for Joe in the winter of 1970, so it likely seemed right for Linda to do that one with Johnny. This and the fact that Elvis included it in at least his Vegas shows at the same time too.
Winter of 1970??? I thought the song was from late summer to autumn '69 as the song made its debut on Elvis's 1970 album "On Stage February 1970" - which was kind of a cheat as two of the songs on that album, Del Shannon's "Runaway" and the Beatles's "Yesterday" were from Elvis's August 1969 Vegas shows. I would like to have had heard Linda and Johnny perform all of the song rather that just a brief version. Seems like it ran less than two minutes.
And certainly in the present context of how Arizona is, it would have been right for Linda to have done "Don't It Make You Wanna Go Home."
Definitely so, not to mention another Joe South song that could've been a very pointed message to the Jan Brewer-Joe Arapio crowd, "These Are Not My People."
As for "Games People Play"--well, it's one of those "message" songs of its era (1969), about the hypocrisy of certain hoity-toity types (primarily in religion and politics; in that, it's only gotten worse since then) who talk out of both sides of their mouths. Its message about hypocrisy still holds as true now as it did back in the day (IMHO).
Things have definitely gotten worse when you hear people saying things like Nixon and Reagan would've been far too moderate for the extreme righties of today. And religious fanactics who think hating their neighbors in the name of Jesus earns them extra brownie points for admittance into heaven. All of the hits Joe South had for himself (plus "These Are Not My People," a hit for Freddy Weller on the country charts) still hold up today for their relevance to the country today. Not too many other songs from the 1960s can claim that.
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Post by erik on Sept 7, 2012 8:50:50 GMT -5
Yes, "Walk A Mile In My Shoes" was released as a single in December 1969, and stayed on the Hot 100 for four months, peaking at #12 in February 1970 (tying "Games People Play" for being the biggest hit South had as a recording artist). Elvis learned it pretty fast once he heard it on the radio, and likely got his band to work up an arrangement. Linda herself likely knew the song as well, and it worked out for her to do it with J.C. on his show.
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Post by sliderocker on Sept 7, 2012 12:09:54 GMT -5
Yes, "Walk A Mile In My Shoes" was released as a single in December 1969, and stayed on the Hot 100 for four months, peaking at #12 in February 1970 (tying "Games People Play" for being the biggest hit South had as a recording artist). Elvis learned it pretty fast once he heard it on the radio, and likely got his band to work up an arrangement. Linda herself likely knew the song as well, and it worked out for her to do it with J.C. on his show. It was very fast indeed. When you look at the other songs that were on the "On Stage" album, of the other ones that could still be considered relatively new (like "Proud Mary" and "Sweet Caroline"), they had been hits barely a year. Elvis rarely covered a song any quicker than what he did with WAMIMS. I'm surprised he didn't do more of Joe South's catalog, but maybe he just didn't want to constantly overdoing the hits of another artist, like many of the Vegas lounge lizards, second rate country artists and middle of the road/easy listening artists were doing on a regular basis. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2012 12:39:43 GMT -5
some nice songs in his catalog for sure.. From an admittedly biased observer, I consider Linda's version of I knew you when, the definitive one:
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Post by sliderocker on Sept 7, 2012 13:42:13 GMT -5
some nice songs in his catalog for sure.. From an admittedly biased observer, I consider Linda's version of I knew you when, the definitive one. "I Knew You When" was one of those rare songs which were hits for more than just one artist: Billy Joe Royal, who had the first hit on it, followed by Donny Osmond (of all people) and then by Linda. I wonder if there was someone in the country genre who had a hit with the song as well as South's songs were pretty popular with certain country performers. I believe Lynn Anderson did a version did a version of "Down in the Boondocks," another Billy Joe Royal hit that was written by Joe South. That's one I kind of wished Linda had done as well at some point, along with "Hush." Likewise, I consider Linda's version of "I Knew You When" to be the definitive version although the original hit version by Royal isn't bad whereas the Donny Osmond version is largely forgotten today. |
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Post by erik on Sept 7, 2012 14:22:19 GMT -5
I think Linda didn't do "Down In The Boondocks" because she wasn't from down there. In terms of "Hush", she probably would have waited a while if she wanted to record it because Deep Purple's version was such a big hit (their US breakthrough, incidentally).
As for her take on "I Knew You When", obviously, the sheer power of her voice is evident on it, but it also goes to the fact that she maintained the spirit and feel of BJR's original 1965 hit recording and put it into an early 80s L.A. rock context. The fact that it was one of her lower charting records (it only reached #37 in February 1983, and in fact it is the last Top 40 hit she has had as a solo artist to date) doesn't change the impression of it also being one of the most impassioned vocal performances of her career.
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Post by sliderocker on Sept 8, 2012 14:42:03 GMT -5
I think Linda didn't do "Down In The Boondocks" because she wasn't from down there. In terms of "Hush", she probably would have waited a while if she wanted to record it because Deep Purple's version was such a big hit (their US breakthrough, incidentally).
While it's true Linda didn't do "Down in the Boondocks" because she wasn't from "down there," she didn't really have to be from the boondocks just to have sung it. Elvis wasn't from the ghettos of Chicago when he recorded "In the Ghetto," yet his compassion for those living there came through the song in a way that other versions didn't, including versions by Sammy Davis and Rosie Grier, for whom the song was originally written. Being in love with someone when you're from the wrong side of town or tracks is a pretty common theme in movies, TV and music, and I think Linda could've handled the song quite well, even though she wasn't from "down there."
As for "Hush," likewise, I think the late 70s or early 80s would've been a good time for Linda to have recorded the song. I think she could easily have produced a version of "Hush" that would've made everyone forget the version by Deep Purple, but that might have been a tall order to fulfill. Merilee Rush did a version of "Hush" on her "Angel of the Morning" album (which featured the same musicians who played on Elvis's 1969 Memphis sessions) which was one of the weakest cuts on the album. It wasn't bad but one got the impression that producers Chips Moman and Tommy Cogbill gave more attention and detail to the original songs (most of which were owned by Moman's publishing company) than to the few covers that were on the album.
As for her take on "I Knew You When", obviously, the sheer power of her voice is evident on it, but it also goes to the fact that she maintained the spirit and feel of BJR's original 1965 hit recording and put it into an early 80s L.A. rock context. The fact that it was one of her lower charting records (it only reached #37 in February 1983, and in fact it is the last Top 40 hit she has had as a solo artist to date) doesn't change the impression of it also being one of the most impassioned vocal performances of her career.
Linda definitely captured the spirit and feel of the BJR hit, but at the same time, I thought her version had more vulnerability and fragility than what Royal's version had. It was strange the record didn't do better especially when one considers Hall and Oates did extremely well about the same time with the most sterilized version of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" ever produced. I change radio stations every time I hear their version of that song come over on the radio. It's played almost as much, if not more, than the original hit version by the Righteous Brothers whereas Linda's version of "I Knew You When" hasn't been heard in ages. But, for that matter, Billy Joe Royal's version has almost suffered the same fate although I hear it occasionally on the radio. Occasionally being maybe once or twice every twelve to eighteen months!
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