.....okay my turn, I liked the super quick guitar wizardry in "I Know A Little,"...who was the cyborg that played that fast?....was that mostly Allen? (god rest his soul)........and in "You Got That Right" we were first introduced to the new guy, Steve Gaines (god rest his soul) in a fun duet sharing lead vocals with Ronnie (okay god....his soul too).

I always loved "Gimme Three Steps." (the Stones aren't the only one to use that slang term).....the song featured Billy Powell's (god thanks for sparing the piano player) honky tonk piano. The funny story line of the song created such a vivid image with me that I could just imagine being right there in that bar, "a place called The Jug," when Ronnie pleads for a head start towards the door. The humorous blue collar image is not unlike that of Southern rocker Charlie Daniel's in his first hit, the hilarious "Ballad of the Uneasy Rider," remember that one?.....another bad scene in a bar in which the protagonist somehow beats the odds and gets out alive. Charlie's character had to do some fast talking to get out of that one.

"They Call Me The Breeze" was an excellent revved up, high octane version of JJ Cale's song that made more sense to me than the lazy version offered by JJ. I guess the breezes in JJ's Tulsa were mild compared to those in Jacksonville.


....and how many times have you actually turned up the volume on "Sweet Home Alabama" when Ronnie tells us to?......and did you catch the imagery of "big wheels keep on turning" to conjure up thoughts of Creedence's "Proud Mary"'s big wheels? And it's okay with me that Ronnie dis's Neil Young.....I love Neil Young's music and I just bet ya' the Skynyrd boys did too. Being a young white man from the South I harbored some embarrassment about growing up in a culture where racism was accepted....hell, even encouraged by some......but Skynyrd and Charlie Daniels helped me learn that it's okay to be proud of the South.....and not be racist. I like to think that in "Sweet Home...," after Ronnie sings "....they love the governor" (i.e. segregationist George Wallace) and the back ground singers sing "Boo, boo, boo" that what was really being said was "we don't love the governor." I accept it better that way.....this was before Wallace later became an enlightened compassionate man (god rest....oh never mind) ......then Ronnie tells us "Watergate does not bother me"....which I interpret to mean...."hey those crooks aint our problem.....don't make our segragation issues your problem.....it aint none of your business"...or something like that.

Well.....I could go on and on about my memories of Skynyd.....I saw them twice. Once in 1975 and again in 1976......I wish now I hadn't been so high both times because I don't really remember many details.....hey kids, lots of alcohol and pot will indeed cloud the ol' memory bank....much more so than a single hit of cheap LSD....it took me awhile to figure that one out....of course it's all bad for you kids.....and things were different back then.....blah blah....where's my cane and my false teeth?

okay.....I'm going to pass the talking stick to someone else.......anyone? stonesrule, you got any more interesting nuggets you're just dying to share?

Y'all have a nice night.......feels like Spring down here.....need to find where I hid my bottle.....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-30 04:40 by Lukester.

Nice job, Lukester.

Most of us southern boys have had a 3 Steps/Uneasy incident somewhere, sometime. Trying to avoid them at present. Can't believe I've lived this damn long!

"No Anchovies, Please"

Elmo Lewis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gimme Back My Bullets was not a very good seller,
> yet several fine songs. Think it sold poorly in
> part because the title song (not one of my
> favorites) was the single.
>
> Street Survivors = good top to bottom.

One of my favorite LS songs is "Gimme Back My Bullets."

BTW Elmo do you know what the song is refering to?

Very clever writing IMO.

I think Ed King co wrote Gimme Back My Bullets (remember Ed was from California.....he later says he always felt like the outsider.....he had a hard time adjusting to some of the boys' customs....like being disrespectful to women.....hey sorry to rain on the Southern love fest here.....I'm just repeating what I read)


........dang, where IS that bottle?

Bullets on the music charts, I think. Read that somewhere. Not a bad tune, I just several others on that CD better.

"No Anchovies, Please"

Elmo Lewis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bullets on the music charts, I think. Read that
> somewhere. Not a bad tune, I just several others
> on that CD better.

Yeah....your right - Bullets on the music charts.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-30 04:45 by 1cdog.

Hey Lukester. Nice post. In Re: Uneasy Rider,I've always loved that song. How could ya not. Southern or not who has'nt been in that situation. Also from the CDB. Long Haired Country Boy. You change country to city,every word of that song is me.
As for LS. I know everybody likes to beat up on what's left. But I still think Gary is great. The other two guitarists are Ricky Medlocke and Hughie Thomasson. Not bad. It sucked when Leon died,but they keep on keepin on as best posssible.

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

Lukester Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> .....okay my turn, I liked the super quick guitar
> wizardry in "I Know A Little,"...who was the
> cyborg that played that fast?....was that mostly
> Allen? (god rest his soul


Nope that was Steve Gaines. Not that Allen Collins didn't have nimble fingers. Gaines had a cleaner tone (he mainly used a strat live).

Lukester Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think Ed King co wrote Gimme Back My Bullets
> (remember Ed was from California.....he later says
> he always felt like the outsider.....he had a hard
> time adjusting to some of the boys'
> customs....like being disrespectful to
> women


Ed didn't co-write that song. Ronnie and Gary wrote it. Ed was already out of the band by the time it was recorded. He might have still been in the band when the song was written but it's credited to Ronnie and Gary.

I've read alot about King's departure. I've never heard anything about the boys being disrespectful to women. I have however read accounts to the contrary. There's a particular incident in Gene Odom's (friend and former bodyguard) book where, in Japan, Van Zant and company wind up brawling with some German tourists in defense of a lady's honor. These tourists had insulted a girl Ronnie was talking to.

There were several reasons for Ed King's departure, which I won't go into right now, but I think the main problem Ronnie Van Zant's alcohol soaked temper.

sweetcharmer, I've never seen the new Skynyrd....I guess I felt like it just wouldn't be the same. I think Huey was that main guitarist and vocalist for the Outlaws (remember "Green Grass and High Tides Forever" and "There Goes Another Love Song"), and Rickey was the same for his respective band Blackfoot (....Highway Song and Train, Train).....so they come with Southern rock pedigrees.......I saw all these bands and more many times....in fact, they would often perform together sometimes as many as three per concert back in the day.........all those bands mentioned in Charlie Daniel's "South's Gonna Do It Again"....sometimes it was repetitive, and as I recall not always a good place to "pick up chicks" unless you enjoy getting pounded by drunk wife beating boyfriends...but nonetheless fun times.

My favorite band was the elder statesmen, the Allman Brothers. Duane and Berry Oakley were dead before I ever saw them, but I saw them with Chuck a couple of times...remember Chuck Leavell? I wonder whatever happened to him?........ZZ Top were loads of fun........Marshall Tucker had a flute/sax player......and Wet Willie had a soulful, funky thing going on.....the rest of the bands, well I hate to say it, seemed to all be Skynyrd wannabes, like Blackfoot, Outlaws, Molly Hatchet, 38 Special, Stillwater (they had a novelty hit "Mindbender")...and I don't even know who Grinderswitch and Barefoot Jerry are but Charlie included them in his "South's Gonna Do It" anthem......

....and I had a soft spot in my heart for Charlie Daniels......which brings us back to your comment, sweetcharmer, about identifying with the "Long Hair...." song. That was the song that really got my attention. I was a long hair hippy wannabe in high school when that song was released.....and I too would get stoned in the morning....yeah, Charlie was scratching me right where I itched....it's cool that a city boy like you could identify with it too.

Years later when I was in college Southern rock died and it was no longer cool to listen.....I gave away my beaten up cowboy hat and found some tie dyed shirts..... weird music started coming from the South.....REM and The B-52's emerged from the college town Athens,GA, and Tom Petty from northern Florida. Southern rock as we knew it found a home in Nashville and became called, "Country."

where is that damn bottle.....little help....anyone?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2007-04-03 04:26 by Lukester.

Tumblng Dice.....thanks for the two clarifications. I wondered if that was Steve Gaines on "I Know A Little"........I couldn't remember on what albums Ed played.....as for the comment about being disrespectful to women, I read it from an interview with Ed King in Mark Kemp's recent book, Dixie Lullaby. It seems Ed had to share a room with Ronnie often when they traveled and got to see Ronnie's dark side (i.e when he had been drinking). I prefer your anecdote about them sticking up for a woman much better than my comment....thanks



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-30 06:53 by Lukester.

.....I see we have a small crowd tonight....sorry if I chased everyone off......by the way, I found my bottle.....


Trivia Question:

What band did Ed King play in before Skynyrd?

(you may talk amongst yourselves)

Re the 73 broadcast, that might have been the "Biscuit Hour". Memphis on July 4, 1974 was a fabulous gig for Skynyrd. It took Clapton quite a long time to follow them. Don't believe it was recorded, though.

Ronnie didn't have a major drinking problem; he'd hit the bottle only when he was exhaused from the "torture tour" and re business pressures. Not much of a "dark side." He had too much pride to get messed up for long. A lot of the boozing and good old boy stuff was strictly PR.

Re Ed King, who continues to be a good friend of mine, there were issues on both sides when Ronnie told him to split.

This is my last nugget -- He turned up on my mother's porch in LA a few weeks before the last tour (and the crash). He brought a half gallon of milk and a bakery box of fancy cookies -- as a kind of thank you gift for a few meals back in 1973 and 74 when the boys had yet to see much money.

She told him at she was thinking of rearranging the living room, and he spent an hour moving the furniture! She said that she hoped he wasn't working too hard and that he needed to have more time for himself. He was quick to agree.

He had a small suitcase with him, the only one he took on the road. He opened it and showed her a a shaving kit, underwear, two pairs of blue jeans and two black T-shirts. "This is all I need," he said, "to go anywhere."

I had to get out the Kleenex on that one a few weeks later in October 1977.

I feel like this thread is really hijacking the Rolling Stones. If I were BV, I'd be annoyed.

All right I can take a hint....thanks for the nugget.....as for comments about Ronnie's drinking.....that came from interviews I read with Ed King......perhaps the author misinterpreted Ed....thanks for sharing.....

Lukester, r u the fourth stooge? LOl!

nice words Lukester- thanks for sharing your thoughts and memories
(however clouded!), and continued thanks for stonesrule's continued, fascinating insights into this wonderful band.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-30 10:23 by Adrian-L.

skynyrd were chumps then to the stones , and guess what southern boys , they are still @#$%& irrevevant littles canker sores to the ROLLING @#$%& STONES

some fat redneck @#$%& on his best day could not ever, EVER think about upstaging the ROLLING @#$%& STONES on their worst day

enough of this gurgle

I was there and remember the Stones comin' on very late, having problems with the amps/ system and it wasn't their best ever performance, but they were still great... remember, when the Stones are at their best they are out on their own, and when they are not quite at their best, they're still miles in front of anything else. Skynryd did a great show, most enjoyable, but I do seem to remember, with all the Stones problems with sound etc (i.e. technical problems) and the lateness (by the time they cam on everyone was out of it), that a lot of people thought 10cc in fact, stole the show.
However, if you are a true Stones fan like me, even on a bad day, no-one could ever steal the show from the Rolling Stones... I was only there to watch one band to be honest.

"till the next time..."

Lukester,

Ed King - Strawberry Alarm Clock of "Incense Peppermint" fame. BTW, the Clock featuring Ed can be seen in Valley Of The Dolls II playing at a party. Too weird.

"No Anchovies, Please"

There is video from both bands on that particular day, just watch it and decide for yourselves. Keef could barely stand, let alone play.

People who never saw Collins play missed a very special talent.

I was also there and like most others was get fed up of waiting a long time for the stones to come on, i had also sprained my ankle the night before as we was kipping in some wood/forest near to the site so there fore had to staya t the back for most of the day and i recall what a beautifull summers day it was and quite hot and i seem to recall that during half way through the show i said to my mate that i was going to try and get closer to the stage despite my sprained ankle anyway it was easy going and managed to get to about 100/200 yards to the front and it just blew your mind seeing them so close and recalling the mysterious format that only the stones can do, even found a £20 note at the pub the day before and that was worth some money in those days.

kovach - I do see what you mean.

I saw the 2004 version of the band at Ottawa Bluesfest - fantastic show. While I would have loved to have seen Dickey Betts with them (Dickeey was at the same annual fest last year alone) what sold me on the current version was the strength of their (then) current album Hittin' the Note.

Duance Allman died before I was born, so I never caught that line-up. My 'era' of the band though would be the 'Gov't Mule' one.

For me, when such a dramatic change happens in a band - new material is the best way to put a cozy blanket on where they're going. I mean, a bulk of the Allman's best stuff was done after Duane's death. And to be honest, they put out one hell of an album after giving DB the boot.

So while I do understand where your coming from, I was just as pleased to hear Hittin' the Note material done live - amazingly well, with some classic ABB stuff thrown in for good measure.

This is a long thread so this might have been said before but the other night I watched the movie Free Bird and Artimus (the drummer) directly says "we blew the Stones off the stage." So that is where the talk of this probably comes from.

Artimus was not the original drummer. RVZ, AC, GR, Leon, Billy, Bob and Ed would never have made a comment like this. Humility counted in the original band. They'd struggled a long time and took nothing for granted. They would always look up to the Stones, Hendrix, Clapton and other of their own idols.

Good point, stonesrule. Bob was the original drummer - well, Ricky Medlocke before him, but not Artimus in either case.

P. S. I got your message, I'll be in touch over the weekend.

SK

"No Anchovies, Please"

Lukester how is that Mark Kemp / Dixie Lullaby book?
Haven't read it yet but Mark and I were pretty good friends at college.
We both lived on the same floor a few doors down from each other.
He and his rommate were big Grateful Dead fans and i was the big Stones fan.

Lukester (or anybody),

Have you read the beach music book "Hey Baby Days", about the beach music scene (mostly around Myrtle Beach)? Thinking of buying. It's $60.

"No Anchovies, Please"

nellcote'71 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lukester how is that Mark Kemp / Dixie Lullaby
> book?
> Haven't read it yet but Mark and I were pretty
> good friends at college.
> We both lived on the same floor a few doors down
> from each other.
> He and his rommate were big Grateful Dead fans and
> i was the big Stones fan.


whassappening nellcote '71?......so you hung out with Mark Kemp?....at ECU I presume? I love the book....I can identify well with Mark's experiences and thoughts. Other people may have trouble relating to it. But for me I am savoring each page. Did you grow up in the South too, nellcote 71? Mark focuses on an interesting theme and then uses his personal experiences and observations to illustrate his points. There is lots of rock and roll discussed in the book......you really should check it out.

Lukester Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tumblng Dice.....thanks for the two
> clarifications. I wondered if that was Steve
> Gaines on "I Know A Little"........I couldn't
> remember on what albums Ed played.....as for the
> comment about being disrespectful to women, I read
> it from an interview with Ed King in Mark Kemp's
> recent book, Dixie Lullaby. It seems Ed had to
> share a room with Ronnie often when they traveled
> and got to see Ronnie's dark side (i.e when he had
> been drinking). I prefer your anecdote about them
> sticking up for a woman much better than my
> comment....thanks

Your comment came from what Ed King said and it may be totally accurate. I've read many things King has said about his problems with Ronnie and its' only one side of the story. But he claims Ronnie could be very abusive. A real "Dr. Jekyll/ Mr. Hyde" type thing. But Ed supposedly had problems with certain substances as well. When I hear them playing live from Ed King's time with the band, I just don't think Ed fit as well as Steve Gaines. Ed would play the second lead guitar in "Freebird" behind Allen Collins' solo but he would just keep playing and playing and overplaying and as strict as Ronnie was supposed to be, I have to wonder if this annoyed him.

BTW, if nobody has answered this yet, Ed King played in the Strawberry Alarm Clock before he joined Skynyrd.

Edit: Nevermind, Elmo beat me to it.

God bless Allen Collins.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-31 00:09 by Tumblin_Dice_07.