Mentor Williams, Writer of "Drift Away" Passes

via youtube

It's been quite a while since I've written something new for this music blog. The reason has nothing to do with inspiration and everything to do with monetization. As in, my life is much more enjoyable when I get paid to write, so besides some writing for a site or two that have been supportive to me in other ways, earning a living is where my focus has been.

That being said, when this blog began nearly five years ago its purpose was to "shine a little light on some damn fine music." The first blog post acknowledged the passing of the singer whose biggest hit expressed exactly what music meant to me. The singer was Dobie Gray, and the song was "Drift Away."

"Gimme the beat boys and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away."

Yeah.
We lost Dobie in 2011, and today word comes that we've lost the writer of that song, Mentor Williams. A longtime resident of Taos, it's easy to see where he found his inspiration. A journeyman songwriter, he held seminars and gave lectures on his craft, helping young songwriters in the business he knew best. Mentor also produced and worked with artists from Paul McCartney to Kim Carnes and Gerry Rafferty.

Over the years, I've called "Drift Away" the quintessential song written about music. I still believe that today. Thank you Mentor Williams for believing in the song and letting us all get lost in your rock & roll and drift away.

Easy Journey.

Oh, give me the beat boys and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Yeah, give me the beat boys and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

And when my mind is free

You know a melody can move me

And when I'm feelin' blue

The guitar's comin' through to soothe me

Thanks for the joy that you've given me

I want you to know I believe in your song

And rhythm and rhyme and harmony

You've helped me along

Makin' me strong

Oh, give me the beat boys and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Give me the beat boys and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Jimmy Webb, Writer of Songs

Back in the day when rock was young and radio was filled with more than three songs over the course of a day, stations went from playing rock, to country, to old standards to what would be considered new standards. In the late 60s-early 70s, it seemed one composer was on the charts non-stop. His name was Jimmy Webb, and I first became aware of his brilliance through the songs of Glen Campbell.

We all know the hits of Glen Campbell: "Galveston," "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," and "Wichita Lineman," all written by Webb. So was "Up, Up, And Away" by the 5th Dimension, "The Worst That Could Happen," by the Brooklyn Bridge, and we can't forget the WTF was he thinking hit for actor Richard Harris, "MacArthur Park," where we all learned to not leave the cake out in the rain.

Jimmy Webb has the ability to weave a story of loneliness with simple, heart-wrenching lyrics. My favorite? The story of a telephone line repairman. Just think about that, a guy traveling away from home, alone all day with only the memory of what you have left behind, to keep you company.

Now read these lines. So simple but achingly beautiful.

"And I need you more than want you

And I want you for all time

And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line"

Jimmy Webb is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, has won Grammy Awards, and just about any other award a songwriter can.

Let's celebrate his birthday with a little of his music.

Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, recorded one of his songs which gave their group its name. It went to #1 on the Billboard Country chart.

Art Garfunkel version of "All I Know" was on top of the Easy Listening chart for four weeks and #9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

And a song which placed #43 on BMI's "Top 100 Songs of the Century," The 5th Dimension with "Up, Up and Away."

Jim Webb. Songwriter.

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Scrap the Game, Bring on the Music

Last night I was supposed to be at a Yankees-Mets Subway Series game. I was not. The combination of getting three hours sleep the night before and a miserable rainy day made me re-consider... even though they did end up playing the game.

I felt like crap the whole day. No sleep, a headache and my hair started to frizz. Who needs this shit? Then on top of it, I was supposed to drive over two bridges and deal with both rush hour and game traffic. The final straw was hearing the George Washington Bridge, the first of the two I needed to cross, was closed with an accident.

First pitch, originally scheduled for 7pm, was now set at 8:40pm. Figuring a three hour game if there are no other delays, and I'm getting home close to 1am. After sleeping for three hours the night before. Um...I opted for Plan B. Stay home, watch it on TV and also catch the reason for this post today.

Last night PBS aired the White House Concert honoring Carole King as the first female recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Now I love Carole King, love her. While Grace Slick was my idol because of her being one of the first women to front a rock & roll band and who had an attitude and mouth to go with it... Carole King wrote the songs. Before I took a long, long break from writing, I was extremely touched by song lyrics. The songs she and Gerry Goffin wrote were some of the most memorable around, back when I was a kid. Then Tapestry came out. Who doesn't remember that album cover of a blue-jeaned girl with frizzy hair, relaxing in the window seat as the light streamed in? I had it on vinyl, had it on cassette and I have it on CD. It is as brilliant today as it was in 1971.

The Gershwin Award "honors the lifetime achievement of artists whose work exemplifies the standard of excellence associated with towering songwriters George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin." Carole King received that award, and deservedly so.

The show featured a variety of singers covering some of her best known tunes. "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," Billy Joel singing "Locomotion," and of course James Taylor sang "Up On The Roof," as well as a duet with Carole on "You've Got A Friend."

The taste for today is a song which was not featured on the show, but may be my favorite of hers.

"Green fields and rolling hills

Room enough to do what we will

Sweet dreams of yestertime

Are running though my mind

Of a place I left behind"

"Been to Canaan" is one of those songs which just lightens my mood. Had a bad day or struggling with a decision? It just makes you remember that you did have a place of peace, and you will find it again.

Though I'm content with myself

Sometimes I long to be somewhere else

I try to do what I can

But with our day to day demands

We all need a promised land"

"Been so long, I can't remember when

I've been to Canaan

And I want to go back again

Been so long, I'm living till then

'Cause I've been to Canaan and I

I won't rest until, I go back again

Indeed.

Carole King 1982 "Been To Canaan"

Lucinda Williams: Can't Go Back

Today I need to get back to basics.

Featured today is an artist who can play it all. A little blues, a little country, a little rock. Lucinda Williams started out more country oriented in the late 70's. Over the years her influences have moved her into much broader categories.

Coming out of Lake Charles, Louisiana, Lucinda has traveled the road from singer-songwriter, to Grammy winning singer-songwriter, to being named "America's Best Songwriter," by Time magazine. In 2007 She performed a 5 day series of concerts in Los Angeles and New York where she performed her entire catalog on consecutive nights. Haven't you always wanted to hear an artist do that... play all the songs you love, but are not necessarily the ones which make the regular set list.

Her latest album, Blessed, was released in 2011 and is her tenth studio album. It features guest appearances by Elvis Costello and Matthew Sweet.

Today we will have a taste of a song from her 1998 Grammy winning album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, her first Gold album. The song was written by Randy Weeks of Lonesome Strangers.

Lucinda Williams "Can't Let Go"

Got It Covered: Got an Urge for some Neil

Happy Birthday Neil Diamond.

One of the 20th Century's greatest songwriters, Neil Diamond has written hit songs for so many artists, as well as saving quite a few for himself. Down the road there will be a full blog on Neil Diamond, but for this installment of Got It Covered, on his birthday, I thought we could just taste one song that has a pretty well-known cover.

Originally released in 1967, "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon," reached the #10 spot on Billboard's Pop Chart. Then in 1992 it was covered by Chicago alternative rock band, Urge Overkill. Their version was later used by Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction in 1994.

First up, Neil's version of  "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" with that great opening line...

"Love you so much

Can't count all the ways

I'd die for you girl

And all they can say is

"He's not your kind"

They never get tired

Of puttin' me down

And I never know

When I come around

What I'm gonna find

Don't let them make up your mind

Don't you know

Girl, you'll be a woman soon

Please, come take my hand

Girl, you'll be a woman soon

Soon you'll need a man

I've been misunderstood

For all of my life

But what they're sayin',

Girl, just cuts like a knife

"The boy's no good"

Well, I finally found

What I've been looking for

But if they get the chance,

They'll end it for sure

Sure they would

Baby, I've done all I could

It's up to you

Girl, you'll be a woman soon

Please, come take my hand

Girl, you'll be a woman soon

Soon you'll need a man

Soon you'll need a man....."

And the wonderful cover by Urge Overkill "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon"

Not too different in approach, but the gritty vocal of Diamond and the smooth voice of Nash Kato are beautiful in contrast.

Thoughts...

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