Song Lyric Sunday on Monday: Train Train

Since I love Rickey Medlocke, we just won't go into what I think about his reforming the band as a Blackfoot cover band without a single original member after having lawyers send cease and desist letters to the band's original surviving members aside from himself, ordering them to stop using the name. Sorry, Rickey, but not cool.

Oops, guess I went there.

Train Train was written by Rickey's grandfather, Shorty Medlocke (1910 - 1982), who was a great blues and bluegrass musician.

Oh, here it comes

Well, train, train, take me on out of this town
Train, train, Lord, take me on out of this town
Well, that woman I'm in love with, Lord, she's Memphis bound

Well, leavin' here, I'm just a raggedy hobo
Lord, I'm leaving here, I'm just a raggedy hobo
Well, that woman I'm in love with, Lord, she's got to go

Well, goodbye pretty mama, get yourself a money man
Goodbye, pretty mama, Lord, get yourself a money man
You take that midnight train to Memphis
Lord, leave if you can
Oh, take that midnight train to Memphis
Lord, leave if you can

Oh, take that train, baby

A to Z Blogging Challenge: Z is for ZZ Top

 

A to Z Blogging Challenge:

Z is for ZZ Top

by

DJ Spectra

 

That Little Ole Band formed in Houston, Texas in 1970.

Back in the day, the band consisted of Billy Gibbons on guitar and vocals, Dusty Hill on bass and vocals, and Frank Beard on drums.

Fast forward to today. Same three guys, same three chords!

I've seen ZZ Top in concert three times. My assessment, other than that they kick ass, is that they still work just as hard to please their audience as if they were new on the scene. They give every song their all, and their gratitude to the audience for their support is always obvious.

The guys are in their 60's now, but they've still got miles left on 'em! I know they'll keep playing till they can't play any more, and that makes me happy.

What a fantastic note to end this challenge on!

 

~DJ Spectra~

 



A to Z Blogging Challenge: L is for Lynyrd Skynyrd

A to Z Blogging Challenge:

L is for Lynyrd Skynyrd

by

Lily Strange

Lynyrd Skynyrd is one of the best-known Southern rock bands of all time. I'm not going to go into arguments about whether Skynyrd is still really Skynyrd. I never got to see the original Lynyrd Skynyrd in concert. I've seen more current incarnations, and they do put on a good show.

Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, and Gary Rossington began the band as "The Noble Five" in 1964. Bob Burns and Larry Junstrom joined in 1965. They changed their name to "My Backyard." In 1970, they became "The One Percent." 

Later that year they changed the band name to "Leonard Skinner" in honor of their high school gym teacher, who had a habit of sending them home for violating school policy against boys having long hair. They altered the spelling when they released their first album. 

Skinner actually had a sense of humor about the band using his name. He allowed them to use his photograph and a photograph of a sign from his business, Leonard Skinner realty. The band members developed a friendship with Skinner.

Lynyrd Skynyrd is a band plagued by incidences of tragedy. On October 20, 1970, their plane crashed in a wood near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray were killed on impact. The other band members and road crew sustained serious injuries.

Following the death of his wife Kathy in 1980 due to a massive hemorrhage (likely caused by a placental abruption) during her pregnancy with the couple's third child, guitarist Allen Collins' life spiraled out of control. Collins was involved in a serious auto accident in 1986, which killed his girlfriend and left him paralyzed from the waist down. Allen died January 23, 1990 from pneumonia.

In 1987, the band reformed with Johnny Van Zant as frontman. The band included several of the original members. Most of them have died or left the band since then. 

Artimus Pyle left the band in 1991. Michael Cortellone is the current drummer.

Leon Wilkeson died from emphysema and chronic liver disease on July 27, 2001. He was replaced by Ean Evans. Ean died from cancer on May 6, 2009. Lynyrd Skynyrd's current bassist is Johnny Colt.

Keyboardist Billy Powell died from heart failure on January 28, 2009. Skynyrd's current keyboardist is, fittingly, Peter Keys.

Guitarist Ed King left the band in 1996 for what he assumed would be a temporary hiatus. In the meantime, he was replaced by Hughie Thomasson of the Outlaws. Hughie ended up becoming a permanent replacement, until he died from heart problems on September 9, 2007. 

Skynyrd's current guitarists are Gary Rossington, Rickey Medlocke, and Mark Matejka.

Gary Rossington is the only remaining original band member.

Enjoy the short movie about the history of Lynyrd Skynyrd, if you care to.

~Lily~

Stephen Bruton Playlist

Here's a playlist from musician and producer Stephen Bruton for your listening pleasure.

 

Waiting For A Long Time