From Can’t Explain.
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Skylark, “Wildflower” (1973)
Who says Canadians can’t play soul music? Skylark was basically another project that emerged out of the welter of Ronnie Hawkins’s many and various backup bands, which include the Band. The guy had a knack for spotting talent. “Wildflower” was a big hit in the early ’70s, both in Canada and the U.S. With music mostly supplied by guitarist Doug Edwards (you can hear that in the omnipresence of the dramatic electric guitar), lyrics by Victoria policeman and part-time poet Dave Richardson, serviceable vocals from one B.J. (no relation, I’m sure) Cook, and an arrangement that juxtaposes said guitar with swooning orchestral touches and a nice if somewhat dated late hippie-era declaration of love and fealty, this is a very pleasant song to encounter unexpectedly, as I did on the radio one day this week.
Not to be confused with Michael Murphey, “Wildfire” (1975)
More stuff at Can’t Explain.
Alex S.
I’m listening to a lot of Led Zeppelin at the moment. It started with the inevitable ‘When the Levee Breaks’. Cleek must have made the same connection.
Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)
Uggh.
This sounds like the theme song to an early-’70s exploitation flick, and a poor take on the Philly Soul of the era.
Jeffro
I am currently listening to two songs by Blonde Redhead + that song from “One Day” you hear in the ads
Blonde Redhead: “Spring and By Summer Fall”, and “23”
OneRepublic: “Good Life”
And that song someone had up a while back by The Joy Formidable, “Whirring”, also too.
licensed to kill time
OT but CNN reporting Atiya Abdul Rahman, yet another Al-Qaeda second-in-command, has been killed in Pakistan.
My SU remarked “So, I guess they didn’t get the Top Rahman”.
PeakVT
The song that DougJ wasn’t referring to in the previous post.
MikeJ
@PeakVT: I thought he was referring to Ziggy Stardust by Bowie. “Like a leper messiah
When the kids had killed the man I had to break up the band”
RobertB
That song was ubiquitous back in the day, and I could’ve never in a million years told you that band’s name.
cleek
more Leper Messiah:
Poopyman
Ah well, power seems to have crapped out fer real this time. Gotta sign off before the UPS runs outta juice.
See ya tomorrow!
PeakVT
@MikeJ: He was referring Ziggy. I’ve never cared for Bowie and haven’t listened to him much, so I automatically thought of Metallica.
gogol's wife
I can’t click on that video because what it has put into my head is the beautiful Hoagy Carmichael song “Skylark,” and I’m sure what’s on that video can’t be any better than that.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
A big hit?
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@PeakVT: Let’s dance with Stevie Ray Vaughn. come on dawg
Alex S.
@Alex S.:
Hmm, I think I was wrong to declare cleek the owner of the Can’t Explain blog. Apologies. (Ah, cleek hosted the name-that-song contest…)
PeakVT
@Raven (formerly stuckinred): There’s some Bowie songs I like but I just don’t like them enough to shell out for the CDs, which is how I still buy music.
Svensker
B.J. Cook is a girl. I think that must be Danny Gerard doing lead vocal.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@PeakVT: Gotha.
Hydrino
I prefer the version by soul group New Birth, who had a hit with this song on the R&B charts at about the same time this version was out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HRHyjry864
PeakVT
@Raven (formerly stuckinred): No remorse.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
Where’d everybody go?
Mike in NC
The horror.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@Mike in NC: Saw him at the Armadillo World Headquarters once upon a time, pretty good show.
Yutsano
@Raven (formerly stuckinred): One thread down methinks. The conversation is running an interesting parallel track.
CT Voter
I didn’t like this song. I remember hearing it way too many times on AM radio–particularly during one of the Hike for Hopes. Everyone carried little radios, and played the same station, and this song was played over and over and over during the 25 mile hike. Ugh.
I like this song more than then.
Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)
@Mike in NC:
I dunno. As bad as it is, I prefer Wildfire to this thing up top.
PanurgeATL
I used to hate “Wildfire”, too, probably due to fear of Teh Gerli, but I now realize that it’s a very good song. I don’t know if I like it much better, but now I know that it’s possible to hate a good song.
Paul in KY
This is an OK song. Little too slow paced for the kind of music I like best. Had never heard of it before (and I lived thru that era).