Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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Down The Road Apiece
(Don Raye)

Chess Studios, Chicago, Illinois, US, June 11, 1964

Mick Jagger - vocals
Keith Richards - electric guitar
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Brian Jones - electric guitar
Ian Stewart - piano

Now, if you wanna hear some boogie like I'm gonna play
It's just an old piano and a knockout bass
The drummer's man's a cat they call Charlie McCoy
You know, remember that rubber-legged boy?
Mama cookin' chicken fried and bacon grease
Come on along boys, it's just down the road apiece

Well, there's a place you really get your kicks
It's open every night about twelve to six
Now, if you wanna hear some boogie you can get your fill
And shove and sting like an old steam drill
Come on along, you can lose your lead
Down the road, down the road, down the road apiece

Well, there's a place you really get your kicks
It's open every night about twelve to six
Now, if you wanna hear some boogie you can get your fill
And shove and sting like an old steam drill
Come on along, you can lose your lead
Down the road, down the road, down the road apiece

Produced by Andrew Loog Oldham

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “The Rolling Stones No. 2” LP
(Decca LK 4661) UK, January 16, 1965

ahh what a shining piece of forever - just listen to those cats ~*roll!*~

>> You know, remember ... cookin' chicken fried and bacon grease<<

"you all remember", isn't it? and it's definitely "chicken fried in bacon grease"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-01-12 07:11 by with sssoul.

A great song, it swings and features great guitars, a few months ago I heard a great version of it by the ABC&D of Boogie Woogie.

What means "you can lose your lead"?

An absolute favourite

One of the favourites of the early days. Great guitars, great drive. "you can lose your lead" means actually not being the leader anymore. In this case I think it has to do with loosening up, regarding body and soul. Something like being out of control having a great time.

Loved the 1981 live version as well. Never figured out why they ditched it from the setlists...

How many of you have noticed that the opening riff to this is also exactly the same as the first lead by Keith on Carol on 'Ya Yas'? Only difference is down The Road is in a shuffle beat and Carol is straight four.

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mstmst
How many of you have noticed that the opening riff to this is also exactly the same as the first lead by Keith on Carol on 'Ya Yas'? Only difference is down The Road is in a shuffle beat and Carol is straight four.

Can't say I agree with you there. DTRA is much more standard rockabilly than the the trademark Berry-lick that Keith starts on his first Carol lead.

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Christian
What means "you can lose your lead"?

It probably means that somewhere along the line somebody misheard the lyrics. When I'm home from work I'm intending to post a couple of earlier versions of this one from YouTube, and the original line seems to be "Come on along, before they lose their lease" (that is, before the authorities shut this joint down). But Mick sings something else entirely.

I always imagined the "lead" in the Stones version being like a dog's lead - you can get loose from your lead and do what you like.

DOWN THE ROAD A PIECE (Don Raye)

The song was first recorded by Will Bradley - 1940

Here the say lease

If you wanna hear some Boogie, then I know the place
It's just an old piano and a knocked out bass
The drummer man's a guy they call eight beat Mac
You remember Doc and old Beat Me Daddy Slack
Mammy's sellin' chicken fried in bacon grease
Well come along with me boys it's just down the road a piece.

Now there's a place you really get your kicks
It's open every night about twelve to six
If you wanna hear some boogie then you'll get your fill
Puts the eight beat to you like an old steam mill
Come along with me boys 'fore they lose their lease
It's just down the road, down the road a piece.

__________________________

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DandelionPowderman

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mstmst
How many of you have noticed that the opening riff to this is also exactly the same as the first lead by Keith on Carol on 'Ya Yas'? Only difference is down The Road is in a shuffle beat and Carol is straight four.

Can't say I agree with you there. DTRA is much more standard rockabilly than the the trademark Berry-lick that Keith starts on his first Carol lead.

That's a fairly ubiquitous Chuck Berry stop-start riff. I think it pops up also in Let it Rock ( 'especially 78 tour flavor).

ah its great to get these two versions of the lyrics..and to highlight such a cool old song

I agree, how could they leave this from the 81 set list? Only played in Philly replaced by 20 FR. A perfect Ian Stewart song as well they whole band is groving...

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Bitch2
I agree, how could they leave this from the 81 set list? Only played in Philly replaced by 20 FR. A perfect Ian Stewart song as well they whole band is groving...

they also played it a handful of other times during the tour

<<That's a fairly ubiquitous Chuck Berry stop-start riff>>

To my ears The Stones' take on this track is basically a copy of the version Chuck put on his Rockin' At The Hops album
Great version, indeed. Stu's paino rules on this one

the production on this particular recording seems to stand out from the pack of most other material from this era - for no discernible reason....

Right, here we go with some sources: first of all, Freddie Slack and the Will Bradley Trio: Will Bradley's version by the way is the first track on Keith's compilation album "The Devil's Music" Sorry, this is embedding-disabled so you'll have to double click and watch it on YouTube.





Next, Amos Milburn:





and finally Chuck Berry:





I'd say the Stones version takes the guitar and lyrics from Chuck Berry, but the rhythm from Amos Milburn (probably via Ian Stewart?)

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StonesTod
the production on this particular recording seems to stand out from the pack of most other material from this era - for no discernible reason....

That's the studio. In those tyo days at Chess studio the band played with more precise and rigor they ever would. The 'masters' were watching and the 'boys' did their very best. If I recall reading right no one else but Chuck Berry was watching them doing "Down The Road Apiece" and said there were doing alright... I don't thnk ALO had too much to do with the production - which explains partly its clear and distinctive sound...

I think its really "Keith's song" - there he can really show how he had master his chuckberry-licks. His guitar leads the song from start to finish and Keith doesn't waste the opportunity to show what he knows. (Brian get his place to shine in "I Can't Be Satisfied" from the same session).

Their two most mature blues covers perhaps ever - "Look What You've Done" and "Confessin' The Blues" (listen especially the incredible harp parts!) - - enjoy the similar concentration they seem to have in those Chess sessions.

All in all, from a pure technical sense the Chess studio sessions was a kind of peak of the early Stones - they seemingly put everything they know by then there, and they were still very tight group and had enough Richmond club circuit in their blood - the following 18 months of screaming madness would make them sloppier which also can be heard in their studio work.

- Doxa

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Doxa

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StonesTod
the production on this particular recording seems to stand out from the pack of most other material from this era - for no discernible reason....

That's the studio. In those tyo days at Chess studio the band played with more precise and rigor they ever would. The 'masters' were watching and the 'boys' did their very best. If I recall reading right no one else but Chuck Berry was watching them doing "Down The Road Apiece" and said there were doing alright... I don't thnk ALO had too much to do with the production - which explains partly its clear and distinctive sound...

I think its really "Keith's song" - there he can really show how he had master his chuckberry-licks. His guitar leads the song from start to finish and Keith doesn't waste the opportunity to show what he knows. (Brian get his place to shine in "I Can't Be Satisfied" from the same session).

Their two most mature blues covers perhaps ever - "Look What You've Done" and "Confessin' The Blues" (listen especially the incredible harp parts!) - - enjoy the similar concentration they seem to have in those Chess sessions.

All in all, from a pure technical sense the Chess studio sessions was a kind of peak of the early Stones - they seemingly put everything they know by then there, and they were still very tight group and had enough Richmond club circuit in their blood - the following 18 months of screaming madness would make them sloppier which also can be heard in their studio work.

- Doxa

i'm aware it's the studio - but it stands heads and shoulders, prod-wise, over the other recordings they did there....

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Sohoe

To my ears The Stones' take on this track is basically a copy of the version Chuck put on his Rockin' At The Hops album

Well, I can bet that Berry's brand new ROCKIN' AT THE HOPS (released 1960) was one those albums Jagger was carrying with him when he met Keith at the Dartford Railway Station... It is surely essential albums in making of the Rolling Stones... they would record four numbers from the album: "Bye Bye Johnny", "Down The Road Apiece", "Confessin' The Blues", and "Let It Rock". It also probably introduced them "Worried Life Blues", quintessential "Keith track".

We need to note that "Down The Road Apiece" also made the tape by Little Boy and the Blues Boys. So it was most likely one of their key numbers straight from the beginning - already in the Blues Boys tape Mick's vocal and Keith's guitar nicely duet together - a beginning of a long love affair...

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-01-11 21:12 by Doxa.

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normanplace

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DandelionPowderman

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mstmst
How many of you have noticed that the opening riff to this is also exactly the same as the first lead by Keith on Carol on 'Ya Yas'? Only difference is down The Road is in a shuffle beat and Carol is straight four.

Can't say I agree with you there. DTRA is much more standard rockabilly than the the trademark Berry-lick that Keith starts on his first Carol lead.

That's a fairly ubiquitous Chuck Berry stop-start riff. I think it pops up also in Let it Rock ( 'especially 78 tour flavor).

It sure is. I was referring to the difference between this riff (that Berry also covered) and the trademark Berry-riff that Keith copies on Carol (ya ya´s).

Love this track, one of my fave early cover versions.

Thanks for posting the various lyrics and versions, a true insight into how the Stones covered a track and made it their own.

Along with You Can't Catch Me, this is the other clear stand-out track from the Rolling Stones No.2 album, with a great lead vocal, a magnificent rythm section and some nifty piano work. The guitars aren't too bad, either.

...soon they would have to stop relying upon Chuck Berry for their best songs.

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Barn Owl
Along with You Can't Catch Me, this is the other clear stand-out track from the Rolling Stones No.2 album, with a great lead vocal, a magnificent rythm section and some nifty piano work. The guitars aren't too bad, either.

...soon they would have to stop relying upon Chuck Berry for their best songs.

I agree, one of Mick's best early vocals, total command of the lyrics

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Rochdale3

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Barn Owl
Along with You Can't Catch Me, this is the other clear stand-out track from the Rolling Stones No.2 album, with a great lead vocal, a magnificent rythm section and some nifty piano work. The guitars aren't too bad, either.

...soon they would have to stop relying upon Chuck Berry for their best songs.

I agree, one of Mick's best early vocals, total command of the lyrics

even though he's misheard several of them? yeah, somehow they work anyway.

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cc

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Rochdale3

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Barn Owl
Along with You Can't Catch Me, this is the other clear stand-out track from the Rolling Stones No.2 album, with a great lead vocal, a magnificent rythm section and some nifty piano work. The guitars aren't too bad, either.

...soon they would have to stop relying upon Chuck Berry for their best songs.

I agree, one of Mick's best early vocals, total command of the lyrics

even though he's misheard several of them? yeah, somehow they work anyway.

If I knew the original version before I heard Mick's version then the differences would probably stand out, but I didn't! This is true for most of the covers they did in this era, I pretty much just know his version (except for the obvious well-known songs).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-01-12 03:32 by Rochdale3.

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normanplace

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DandelionPowderman

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mstmst
How many of you have noticed that the opening riff to this is also exactly the same as the first lead by Keith on Carol on 'Ya Yas'? Only difference is down The Road is in a shuffle beat and Carol is straight four.

Can't say I agree with you there. DTRA is much more standard rockabilly than the the trademark Berry-lick that Keith starts on his first Carol lead.

That's a fairly ubiquitous Chuck Berry stop-start riff. I think it pops up also in Let it Rock ( 'especially 78 tour flavor).

My mistake: Too early in the morning - I meant to say the first lead in Let It Rock (1970 version) - he quotes the opening line to 'Down The Road' note for note - but to the straight beat.

Yes, the bass and drums absolutely swing. Maybe as good a solo as Keith ever played. And he was only twenty when they recorded it - I mean he was such a natural. Yes, he may have played every lick he knew but he let them breathe and tied them together as well it could be done.

An absolute gem from the early days the guitars are great!!