If I Could Only Take One

Once again it’s time to pack my suitcases and head for that imaginary desert island in the sun. However, prior to my departure, I have to make an existential decision. If I could only take one tune by an artist I haven’t covered yet or only given marginal attention, what would be my pick?

More specifically, I’m up to the letter “F” in my online music library. Some of the options I didn’t select include Jose Feliciano, Fleetwood Mac, John Fogerty, The Four Tops and Peter Frampton. In the end, I decided to go with Foghat who sound like they should be right up my alley, yet until now I had not dedicated a post to this English rock band.

Admittedly, my knowledge of Foghat is, well, a bit foggy! While I had been aware of the name for many years, I could only name three of their songs. Perhaps not surprisingly, these are their most popular tunes: Slow Ride, I Just Want to Make Love to You and Fool for the City – all great songs! A look in Spotify revealed another gem I had heard before: Drivin’ Wheel.

And my pick is Slow Ride. Yes, selecting what has been called the group’s signature tune is a predictable choice, but I just love this song! Penned by Foghat co-founder and first guitarist Dave Peverett, Slow Ride first appeared on the group’s fifth studio album Fool for the City released in September 1975.

A shortened version of the 8:14-minute album track also appeared separately as a single in December that year. In fact, Wikipedia notes there are five versions of the song – looks like they really milked that one!

Slow Ride became Foghat’s biggest hit, riding all the way to no. 20 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100. In Canada, it reached no. 14 on the top 100. The great song remains a staple on classic rock radio to this day. And since it’s so much fun, how about a live version? This is from an August 1977 release ingeniously titled Foghat Live, which happens to be the band’s best-selling album with over two million copies sold as of October 1984.

Let’s take a look at Songfacts for some additional tidbits about the tune:

While the “slow love” theme is common in R&B music where the tempo is more congruent with the lyrics, this is a rare rock song that pulls off the feat. The famous guitar riffs change speed and climax near the end, effectively simulating a lovemaking session. [Jeez, sex in rock & roll – I’m truly shocked, this should have been banned! – CMM] Those who are feeling strong can use the album version, but a single cut down to 3:56 with a fade out ending is also available.

A ’70s classic, this was used in the movie Dazed and Confused, which was set in that era. The song also appeared on The Simpsons, Seinfeld, That ’70s Show and My Name Is Earl…Did you know: Foghat got their name when Peverett came up with the word while playing a Scrabble-like game with his brother. Peverett convinced the band to go with it instead of Brandywine [I’ve always wanted to know this but never dared to ask – CMM]

Foghat’s lineup as of 2022 features (from left) Rodney McQuinn (bass), Scott Holt (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Roger Earl (drums) and Brian Bassett (lead guitar)

But, wait, there’s more. Following is a recollection of Foghat co-founder and drummer Roger Earl, the band’s only remaining member who has played in all lineups. This is based on a 2010 interview with Vintagerock.com:

“We took time off to do the Fool For The City album. Nick [Nick Jameson (bass, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals) – CMM] had just joined the band…Rod [Rod Price (lead guitar, backing vocals) – CMM] and I had a house out here on Long Island, so Nick and I drove down from Woodstock and we had a basement, which was soundproof somewhat. And the first song to come out of there was “Slow Ride.””

“It was from a jam. We were just jamming. Nick had a cassette player and he would record whatever we played there. As I recall it, the whole song was written— the middle part and the bass part and the ending were all Nick’s ideas. Basically, Nick wrote the song, but we just jammed on it, and Nick cut the stuff up so it made sense as far as the song goes. And then Dave said, “I’ve got some words.” That’s how that came about (laughs).”

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; Vintagerock.com; YouTube

What I’ve Been Listening to: Savoy Brown/Street Corner Talking

What do you do when you’re in the mood for some great blues rock? You get some! And so I did with Street Corner Talking by Britain’s Savoy Brown released in September 1971. As it oftentimes goes with these types of posts, I got the idea to listen to their seventh studio album after my streaming music provider had served up Tell Mama, the record’s dynamite opener.

Savoy Brown – btw, what a cool name! – have been around for a bit. ‘How long’, you might wonder. How about more than 55 years! Not surprisingly, their line-up has changed many times over the decades, though the founder is still around and going strongly. Before getting to the album, a bit of history is in order. The following background is taken from the band’s bio on their website.

Savoy Brown was formed in 1965 by guitarist Kim Simmonds in London, England. Simmonds has been the group’s guiding hand from the first singles released in 1966 through the band’s newest effort, their forty-first album “Ain’t Done Yet” [released in August 2020. At the time, I featured one of the album’s tunes in a Best of What’s New installment]

…Energetic blues has been the calling card of the band from the beginning. Blues Rock became the catch-all phrase in the late 1960s to describe the band’s music along with that of contemporaries including Cream, Fleetwood Mac, and Jimi Hendrix…

...Through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980’s songs such as “I’m Tired”, “Train to Nowhere”, “Tell Mama” and “Lay Back In The Arms Of Someone” became Hot 100 entries. Two of the band’s albums in the 1970s, “Looking In” and “Hellbound Train”, appeared on the Billboard Top Forty charts…Along the way, Savoy Brown has toured continuously, making it one of the longest running blues rock bands in existence. Through the years, the band has headlined concerts at many prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, the Fillmore East, the Fillmore West, and London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall...

…Former [Savoy Brown] members, having cut their teeth under Simmonds’ leadership, have gone on to complete their careers with other bands. Among others, these include singer Dave Walker with Fleetwood Mac and Black Sabbath, Bill Bruford with King Crimson, Andy Pyle with the Kinks and Paul Raymond with UFO… Three other band alumni – Lonesome Dave Peverett, Roger Earl, and Tony Stevens, went on to become the founding members of the multi-platinum act Foghat. Sounds a bit like John Mayall to me!

Kim Simmonds (guitar, vocals), who has lived in the U.S. since 1980, remains the only original member of Savoy Brown’s current line-up. The other core members include Pat DeSalvo (bass, backing vocals) and Garnet Grimm (drums). Both have been with the band since 2009. With that, let’s get to some music!

I’d like to kick it off with the song that inspired the post. Tell Mama, the first track on the album, was co-written by Simmonds and Paul Raymond, the band’s keyboarder at the time. Just a great catchy rocker with some cool slide guitar action.

Taking on The Temptations perhaps is a near-impossible task, but I have to say I really dig where Savoy Brown took I Can’t Get Next to You. Co-written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, this psychedelic soul gem was first released by The Temptations as a single in July 1969. It also appeared on their 11th studio album Puzzle People that came out in September of the same year. Check out how nicely Savoy Brown’s version of the tune is shuffling along. I also dig the keyboard work.

Time Does Tell is another great track. It was written by Simmonds. Andy Sylvester’s bass work gives this tune a great groove. I also like Simmonds’ guitar solo that starts at about 2:42 minutes. Damn, this is really cool – don’t take it from me, give it a listen!

Here’s the title track, another song Simmonds wrote. I can hear some Cream in that guitar riff. And that’s never a bad thing!

I’d like to wrap things up with another nice cover: Willie Dixon’s Wang Dang Doodle. Dixon wrote that tune in 1960, and it was first released by Howlin’ Wolf in 1961. Haven’t we all felt like hanging out with automatic slim, razor totin’ jim, butcher knife totin’ annie and fast talkin’ fanny to pitch a wang dang doodle all night long? 🙂

This is the first album by Savoy Brown I’ve explored in greater depth, and I really dig it – can you tell? 🙂 This certainly wants me to listen to more from this band. Any tips are welcome!

Sources: Wikipedia; Savoy Brown website; YouTube