And I decided that this is -- hands down -- the best one ever.
From 1973, please enjoy the incomparable Roy Wood (doing business as Wizzard) and "See My Baby Jive."
I mean -- wow.
I should also add that although I have no recollection of what b-side "Bend Over Beethoven" sounded like (assuming I ever even heard it, which I'm not sure about) I remain convinced that it is the greatest song title in all of human history.
10 comments:
Great song! Roy Wood is a musical virtuoso.
And for an encore, they gave us a Spector Christmas single, still played in the UK during the holidays–"I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day". And *then* went on to do one of the best Beach Boys songs not by the Beach Boys–"Forever".
Here is "Bend Over Beethoven", written by Hugh McDowell, cellist for both Wizzard and ELO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8OnIjtE5AA
pretty much everything on 'introducing eddy & the falcons is an homage to spector and the wall of sound. i especially like 'rock and roll winter' with roy's manic oboes
This guy I knew from Redlands had a six, sometimes seven, piece band that actually covered Bend Over Beethoven. They also did a few from Zappa's Hot Rats and Burnt Weeny. He was a preacher's kid and therefore had a lot of issues. The band's name was Racial Slur and they were much too good for high school dances.
Love See My Baby Jive. A lot. BTW, Bend Over is The Official Follow Up to "California Man."
And never forget Angel Fingers.
VR - How I sing for the things you do.
here's the whole lot performing 'see my baby jive' on some obscure english tv show in full wizzard regalia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8PdHg84zUE
As much as I like Roy Wood's solo & Wizzard recordings I always have a problem that he walked away from the guitar based sound of The Move which I preferred.
Also I wish other musicians and producers trying to emulate "The Phil Spector Sound" had laid off trying. Only The Spector Gang ever really got the sound correctly and the emulators frequently weakened their own sound gaining nothing. Even Springsteen, Little Steven and Roy Wood couldn't quite do it.
Capt. Al
I don't care - Be they false, or be they real. If it ain't about pissing off the purists, it ain't about nothing at all.
VR
"See My Baby Jive" is one of those records that settled deep into my cortex and refuses to budge. When it comes up an an earworm, more or less yearly, it takes days to dissipate. I yearn, tragically, for a bootlegged "cleaner" mix just I can finally figure out what the hell's going on ... I promise to listen to it only once and then burn my ears.
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