Nobody - Larry Williams & Johnny Watson with Kaleidoscope

Nobody - Larry Williams & Johnny Watson with Kaleidoscope

2:35

Two For the Price Of One, 1967

Written by Dick Cooper and Ernie Shelby

It's Larry Williams week!

Quite a departure from his early R&B work, this is a sort of country-funk song with psychedelic Middle Eastern instrument backing.  In between the crooning chorus ("They don't know that you're an angel") are ferocious, almost rapped verses that wield the hep slang of their era like a weapon: "They just don't understand our bag," "All the squares keep talkin' 'bout you, baby."  It's a terrific, unique song, criminally overlooked as ahead of its time in its blending of genres.

Dizzy, Miss Lizzy - Larry Williams

Dizzy, Miss Lizzy - Larry Williams

2:12

single, 1958

Written by Larry Williams

It's Larry Williams week!

The Beatles covered this track, but they removed the comma, which is present in the original single.  Larry gives this one a more subdued vocal than on a lot of other hits (except a couple of roaring "woo's" like the one before the guitar solo), so if you've only heard the Beatles' screaming version this can seem like a letdown.  But it's a great song on its own, minus any comparisons, and a fine companion to Little Richard's more flamboyant "Good Golly Miss Molly."

Slow Down - Larry Williams

Slow Down - Larry Williams

2:46

single, 1957

Written by Larry Williams

It's Larry Williams week!

Williams' careening piano drives this song, along with a yelping but confident vocal ("Whoo! If you want our love to last") and two saxes buzzing along.  It's a roller-coaster of a song, thundering down a track.  I feel like he escapes the looming shadow of Little Richard here, owning the boogie-woogie and turning it to something wild and almost punk.

She Said "Yeah" - Larry Williams

She Said "Yeah" - Larry Williams

1:51

single, 1958

Written by Don Christy and Roddy Jackson

It's Larry Williams week!

I know this song from McCartney's version on his excellent 1999 album Run Devil Run.  It's a declaration of intent about a pretty girl that caught the narrator's eye, as was the rock 'n' roll style of the time.  "Dum deedle dee dum dum / Little girl, where did you come from?"  Great horn sound, an up-tempo rocker very much in the style of Little Richard.  There's a reason both the Stones and the Beatles covered Williams; he knew how to infuse vinyl with the spirit of rhythm and blues.

Bad Boy - Larry Williams

Bad Boy - Larry Williams

2:17

single, 1958

Written by Larry Williams

It's Larry Williams week!

The tale of a juvenile delinquent, classic early rock 'n' roll sounding like a subdued Little Richard with spoken echoes like in "Bird Dog."  The bad behavior starts off rather tame, as befits the era, and then devolves into actual crimes.  He plays rock 'n' roll all night, he teases the girls, he has long hair, he feeds a pet canary to a cat, a puts the dog in a washing machine.  Hmm, I'm usually pretty anti-authoritarian, but maybe this particular bad boy should be sent to military school.

Bony Maronie - Larry Williams

Bony Maronie - Larry Williams
3:07
single, 1957

Written by Larry Williams

It's Larry Williams week!

As this song starts out you think it'll be a novelty number about a strange-looking girl ("I got a girl named Bony Moronie / She's as skinny as a stick of macaroni") on the lines of Fats Waller's "Your Feet's Too Big," but as it progresses, the lyrics reveal what is actually a pretty sweet love song, and not much more about her appearance is said.  "I wanna get married on a night in June / And rock 'n' roll by the light of the silvery moon."  Add a boppin' boogie sax, and what else can you ask?

Short Fat Fannie - Larry Williams

Short Fat Fannie - Larry Williams

2:26

single, 1957

Written by Larry Williams

It's Larry Williams week!

A terrific '50s rocker, a winking answer song to Little Richard and Elvis and other rockers of the era, peppered as it is with references to "tutti frutti," "rip it up," "blue suede shoes," "long tall sally," "slippin' and sliding," "heartbreak hotel," and more.  There's even a reference to Fats Domino, with "we were married up on Blueberry Hill."  So it's kind of a novelty song, but it's also a great example of '50s rock boogie.

Scorpio Rising - 10,000 Maniacs

Scorpio Rising - 10,000 Maniacs
3:14
The Wishing Chair, 1985
Written by Natalie Merchant and John Lombardo

This week is all about 1985!

This band's success is entirely, 100% due to Natalie Merchant's voice.  The jangling guitars and high, thin rhythm section are competent enough, but nothing that a thousand other alt-rock bands can do.  Merchant's voice is a powerful instrument, though, and on tracks like this — punchy and aggressive, raw-sounding, with abstruse lyrics that come in short phrases —the band really shines.  

King George Street - Squeeze

King George Street - Squeeze

3:48

Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti, 1985

Written by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook

This week is all about 1985!

A rather sad song to an incongruously upbeat tune.   A woman takes her kids and flees a drunken, abusive husband, who comes back with apologies.  The song ends there, ambiguous.  It's a decent enough song.  The production is very '80s, with electronic drums, keyboards, and tambourine.  The vocals are at times themselves a little robotic.  It could be a great song with a little more warmth in the production, possibly if it were written in a different era.

Forever Man - Eric Clapton

Forever Man - Eric Clapton

3:11

Behind the Sun, 1985

Written by Jerry Lynn Williams

This week is all about 1985!

A song born of frustration.  Clapton was separating from his wife at the time, and Warner Brothers commissioned Williams, a singer and composer, to write this song about not connecting with a loved one.  Clapton puts a lot of energy into his strong vocals, and there's a brief "Layla"-like guitar solo in the middle.  For me, though, it's too '80s slick, with too much keyboard and backing vocal.  Let Clapton be Clapton, I say!  (Musically, I mean, not when he has his shitty political opinions.)