Wednesday, April 23, 2014

follow that car


-------------------- [excerpt, Life, by Keith Richards with James Fox] ----------------- And I was heavily into Muddy Waters's guitarist Jimmy Rogers, and the guys that played behind Little Walter, the Myers brothers.  Talk about an ancient form of weaving, they were the masters....Jimmy Rogers with Muddy Waters, an amazing pair of weavers.  Chuck Berry is fantastic, but he would weave by himself, with himself.  He did great overdubs with his own guitar because he was too cheap to hire another guy most of the time.  But that's just on records; you can't re-create that live.

But his "Memphis, Tennessee" is probably one of the most incredible little bits of overdubbing and tinkering that I've ever heard.  Let alone a sweet song.  I could never overstress how important he was in my development.  It still fascinates me how this one guy could come up with so many songs and sling it so gracefully and elegantly.----------------- [end excerpt]----------

("Google" Nadine, Chuck Berry -- behind Chuck Berry, the guitarist off to the audience's left, is Keith Richards.  A 1986 concert in St. Louis, for the documentary film "Hail, Hail Rock & Roll.")

As I got on a city bus and found a vacant seat,
I thought I saw my future bride walking up the street.
I shouted to the driver "Hey conductor, you must
Slow down, I think I see her, please let me off this bus."

Nadine! -- honey is that you?
Oh, Nadine.  Honey, is that you?
Seems like every time I catch up to you, you've got something else to do.

I saw her on the corner when she turned and doubled back
And started walkin' toward a coffee-colored Cadillac.
Pushin' through the crowd tryin' to get to where she's at
I was campaign shoutin' like a southern diplomat

Nadine! -- honey is that you?
Oh! -- Nadine.
Honey, is that you?
Seems like every time I see you Darling you're up to somethin' new.

Downtown searching for her, looking all around, saw her
Gettin' in a yellow cab, heading uptown.
I caught a loaded taxi, paid up everybody's tab --
Slipped a twenty dollar bill an' told him "Catch that yellow cab."

Nadine! -- Honey is that you?
Oh!  Nadine.
Honey where are you?
Seems like every time I catch you Darling you're up to something new.

She moves around like a wayward summer breeze,
Go, driver, go.  Go on, catch her for me please.
Moving through the traffic like a mounted cavalier--
Leanin' out the taxi window tryin'-to make her hear.
 
Nadine! -- honey is that you?
Oh -- Nadine, honey
is that you?
Seems like every time I catch up with you, you've got something else to do.

------------------------------
{Life.  2010 - Back Bay / Little, Brown.}
{"Nadine," written by Chuck Berry.  Label--Chess.  Recorded November 1963.  Released February 1964.}

-30-

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