Music Break

For the first time this year, I've decided that it's time for some music.  First up is Little Miss Hip Shake, by the British group Mungo Jerry.  This was the B-side of their 1973 single Alright, Alright, Alright.  Depending on which comment on the YouTube page you wish to believe, this song sounds either like something from Creedence Clearwater Revival or from Bob Seger.


In 1982, the Pretenders released My City Was Gone as the B-side to Back On The Chain Gang.  Both would be included on the 1984 album Learning To Crawl.  On both songs, lead singer/guitarist Chrissie Hynde and drummer Martin Chambers were joined by guest musicians Billy Bremner (of Rockpile) on lead guitar and and Tony Butler (of Big Country) on bass.  When the rest of the album was recorded, the band included Robbie McIntosh on lead guitar and Malcolm Foster on bass.  The song gained some notoriety by being used on Rush Limbaugh's radio show, so I guess that there's sort of a conservative connection here.


In 1968, Lynyrd Skynyrd released their first single, Need All My Friends, written by lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Allen Collins, and included in 2000 compilation called Collectybles.  At this time, the band included Van Zant, Collins, guitarist Gary Rossington, bassist Larry Junstrom, and drummer Bob Burns.  Junstrom would later join 38 Special.


This is John Lennon's version of Little Richard's Slippin' and Slidin', from the 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll.  The piano player seems to resemble Lennon, but it's actually someone else.


To finish, here's a tribute to Daryl Dragon (1942-2019), who met his wife Toni Tennille during a break between tours as a keyboardist for the Beach Boys.  Their singer Mike Love gave him the nickname "Captain Keyboard", the first half of which stuck.  Seeking another keyboardist, the band later hired Tennille.  The two eventually formed their own act as Captain & Tennille, and got married in 1975.  Their first single was a cover of Neil Sadaka's Love Will Keep Us Together, written with lyricist Howard Greenfield.  The song features Tennille on lead vocals and piano, Dragon on bass and other keyboards, and studio musician Hal Blaine (of the Wrecking Crew) on drums.  Jane, Louisa and Melissa Tennille contribute backing vocals.  (Two are Toni's sisters, according to something I learned a long time ago, while the other is their mother, but I don't know which is which.)  As the song fades out, Tennille puts in a plug for its composer.