Sometimes An Outsider “Nails It”
In music, personal familiarity is often the source of inspiration. But that’s not universally true. Outsiders on occasion have insights that others miss.
Though not the norm, that’s actually not too terribly uncommon. Robbie Robertson – who wrote much of the Band’s work that forms a tableau of America, including “The Weight”, “Up on Cripple Creek”, and “The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down” – was Canadian. John Kay of Steppenwolf was born in a part of Germany now ruled by the Soviet Union, and raised in Canada; Steppenwolf’s music is about as American as you can get.
So it should come as no big surprise that an outsider on occasion can “get it” – and write music that perfectly reflects a time and place that they didn’t themselves experience growing up. It’s not that common, but it can happen.
Yeah, this is another kinda off-topic musical “walkabout”. Consider yourself warned. (smile)
. . .
Having grown up in the South, I think I can say that it’s pretty hard to be more of an outsider there than to be a Jewish guy who grew up in a large Northeastern city. And it’s also hard to be more uniquely Southern, musically, than Delta Blues – of which Memphis is the heartland.
Rock and roll traces its roots to the confluence of Delta Blues and country. And if anyplace is rock and roll’s birthplace, that would be Memphis – specifically, the Memphis Recording Service, AKA “Sun Studios”, at 706 Union Avenue.
Yet it was a Jewish guy from Cleveland – Marc Kohn – who managed IMO to perhaps best capture the spirit and history of the place. Go figure.
The result was also something IMO truly special.
(My apologies for the 90 seconds or so of “dead air” at the end of the clip, but it was the best one, sound quality-wise, I could find.)
Kohn’s song above is often thought to be an Elvis “tribute”. In truth, Elvis is only a passing mention in the tune.
Kohn’s tune is highly autobiographical. It documents a trip he made to Memphis as an unknown singer/songwriter in 1986, at a time when his career seemed to be going nowhere.
• The “blue suede shoes” reference isn’t to Elvis, but to Carl Perkins – who recorded the tune first.
• The reference to following the ghost of Elvis starting at “Union Avenue” is a reference to Elvis’ career beginning at the aforementioned Sun Studios.
• The “Handy” mentioned was Blues legend W. C. Handy; a monument to him exists in Memphis.
• “Reverend Green” was Al Green – who was an ordained minister, and who did indeed preach in Memphis while Kohn visited; Kohn attended one of his sermons.
• “Muriel” and “Hollywood” were real as well. Hollywood was a diner in or near Tunica, Mississippi; Muriel sometimes sang there. Kohn visited both – and credits his visit with Muriel with being a large factor in his later success.
• “Beale” was, of course, Beale Street.
Both Wikipedia and Songfacts have more background. Both articles are relatively short, but if you’re interested are IMO worth reading.
Yes, Kohn’s career high point was this tune; he’s pretty-much a classic “one hit wonder”. But in this piece, IMO he nailed a time, a place – and its history – far better than most ever can.
And he did it as an outsider. To me, that’s damned impressive.
He probably didn’t actually convert during his visit. But during that visit, maybe he really did get a bit of Higher Inspiration.
Plus, I kinda like the tune. (smile)
. . .
OK, the walkabout is over for today. Back to the TAH norm.
Category: Pointless blather, Who knows
I first hit Memphis 10 years before him. Loved every minute of it. I was attending AW “A” School at nearby NAS Millington, and would ride into Memphis every chance I got.
Thanks for the tune, Hondo. Makes for a nice memory.
In case you did not know it, he self identified as a Southern Bluesman.
My wife grew up in Memphis and loved this song when it first came on the radio. Being the “music guy” I had to find the CD for her. I was briefly sidetracked at first because she thought Springsteen did it (their voices do have a bit of a similar quality, I think).
We visited Memphis shortly after we married and I loved it. My favorite part was the Sun Studio; I could almost feel the presence of the legends who recorded there. Second was Beale Street. We walked past several clubs where you could hear blues bands performing (no one I’d ever heard of, most likely local groups). At one club I noticed that not only was the band black (not a given with blues bands then or now), but so were many of the patrons. I thought that this may be a sign of the real thing, so we decided to linger at that club, and we were not disappointed. I wish I remembered who that band was.
During my days as a HAZMAT Contractor I did a job near Memphis and YES, I wa playing around downtown every chance i got! I loved how you could just leave your car parked all day and take the trolley (REAL trollies, not buses!) to nearly everything, Mud Island, Beale Street, the riverfront, The Civil Rights Museum,… Music City Cafe was my favorite place to eat on Beale Street, they made AWESOME chili and ribs, but while Rum Boogie Cave had awesome red beans and rice, and B.B. King’s place made a wicked gumbo! Oh yeah, there were always bads playing, forget about if, it’s WHEN I’ll go back!
Being a transplant for just under 45 years, I recognized a bit of drawl in your voice early on during a radio talk show conversation. Listening to the song mentioned brings back many good memories of living not far from Memphis. The good old days when TGI Friday’s in Memphis had large sliding windows which opened out to the sidewalk. That song, along with one called The Ride by David Allen Coe (reference Hank Williams Sr.) can’t keep the mind from wandering over the “what ifs” from years past. I’ll see my last day down here. It’s a way of life city folks who live in concrete jungles will never understand. Once this culture becomes part of you (You don’t become part of it) there’s no turning back. God forbid those ever trying to take our weapons. The mindset is “Either love it or get the hell back to where you came from”.
A friend of mine and I have a long running joke about the Jungle Room, and I occasionally post it for that person.
Thanks for making me smile, I needed it.