Now that's a strange coincidence. I just asked for The Third Mind 2 for Xmas yesterday and am looking forward to hearing Dave Alvin doing something very different from his live gigs with The Guilty Ones. I've always loved Sally Go Round the Roses and think the covers by The Del-Byzanteens and ? & the Mysterians deserve a mention. There's a great video of the latter on YouTube.
This is a wonderful column. A true deciphering of unwritten runes. A continuation of Richard Meltzer’s theory of genres, where March Rock, say, would include not just songs with a martial beat but anything by Little Peggy March and Neil Sedaka’s ‘Calendar Girl’ (‘March—I’m going to march you down the aisle’). So you’ve recognized Sally Rock. But it only occurred to me yesterday—and I’m sure there are countless others before me—that given Little Richard’s milieu, and the way his songs were sometimes cleaned up but not necessarily all the way, that ‘bald-head Sally’ is bald because she’s a man: a transvestite prostitute who’s lost her wig or just thrown it in the trash because a tall woman in a sharp outfit, high heels, and a bald head gets traffic.
Thank you, Greil. I saw a trail and I followed it. Glad I made a good decision at the Crossroads. Meanwhile, I was thinking of your SF column. I had a well-traveled 5th grade teacher who said, "if you visit San Francisco in the summer, you'll see every man wearing a suit and tie. Wear shorts and they'll know you're from out of town."
Well, Wayne old pal, I enjoyed your piece on “Sally Go Round The Roses.” I bought that single way back when, but I never saw the LP. I’m green with envy. The song has always been a personal fave - haunting and melodic. I know Artie Butler. He did brilliant work with Tim Hardin, Janis Ian and so many others. One thing that I do not agree with from your piece is your opinion that Paul McCartney sang an excellent version of “Long Tall Sally.” I hate it.
Now that's a strange coincidence. I just asked for The Third Mind 2 for Xmas yesterday and am looking forward to hearing Dave Alvin doing something very different from his live gigs with The Guilty Ones. I've always loved Sally Go Round the Roses and think the covers by The Del-Byzanteens and ? & the Mysterians deserve a mention. There's a great video of the latter on YouTube.
I did not know that, Cathy. I'm going to have to give them a listen.
This is a wonderful column. A true deciphering of unwritten runes. A continuation of Richard Meltzer’s theory of genres, where March Rock, say, would include not just songs with a martial beat but anything by Little Peggy March and Neil Sedaka’s ‘Calendar Girl’ (‘March—I’m going to march you down the aisle’). So you’ve recognized Sally Rock. But it only occurred to me yesterday—and I’m sure there are countless others before me—that given Little Richard’s milieu, and the way his songs were sometimes cleaned up but not necessarily all the way, that ‘bald-head Sally’ is bald because she’s a man: a transvestite prostitute who’s lost her wig or just thrown it in the trash because a tall woman in a sharp outfit, high heels, and a bald head gets traffic.
Thank you, Greil. I saw a trail and I followed it. Glad I made a good decision at the Crossroads. Meanwhile, I was thinking of your SF column. I had a well-traveled 5th grade teacher who said, "if you visit San Francisco in the summer, you'll see every man wearing a suit and tie. Wear shorts and they'll know you're from out of town."
And in San Francisco women never wore white gloves. Unless they were from some place you probably never heard of.
Well, Wayne old pal, I enjoyed your piece on “Sally Go Round The Roses.” I bought that single way back when, but I never saw the LP. I’m green with envy. The song has always been a personal fave - haunting and melodic. I know Artie Butler. He did brilliant work with Tim Hardin, Janis Ian and so many others. One thing that I do not agree with from your piece is your opinion that Paul McCartney sang an excellent version of “Long Tall Sally.” I hate it.
Well, Billy, they were still apprentices when they recorded "Long Tall Sally."