Aug 202011
Sounds of the Hall in roughly 33 1/3 minutes!
In this week’s pre-recorded edition of Saturday Night Shut-In your host, Mr. Moderator, reveals the manliest backing vocals in the history of rock ‘n roll. Then he provides an additional 50% of rocking free of charge while he relaxes with friends and family along the coast of Maine.
[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/RTH-Saturday-Night-Shut-In-41.mp3|titles=RTH Saturday Night Shut-In, episode 41][Note: The Rock Town Hall feed will enable you to easily download Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your digital music player. In fact, you can even set your iTunes to search for an automatic download of each week’s podcast.]
Dude, speaking as a manly man who has covered this song many times, in public, I have to tell you that — as cathartic as it is to bellow “take a! Break a! Have a!” at the top of one’s manly voice — this is in no way the manliest backup vocal of all time. There were oodles of better choices offered in your teaser thread. You and EPG need to stop hitting the bong.
Dude, I am slathering Mandom over my hairy chest as I bellow along to that chorus, sorry, bro.
I cover this song myself, but solo acoustic, as if it were a bluegrass song. I like the Holding Company’s bg vocals, and they’re very manly, but are they as manly as Janis’ vocals?
Good call on the Terry Riley. What was the dub track you were playing at the end?
Issue #1 — I’m not going to get into the whole “your Janis” thing. The answer to this Pop Quiz not only fell with a giant thud, it is still stuck in the mire. The backing vocals by BBAHC sound like they recorded at 4:30am after they finished their 8th bottle of Southern Comfort. I expected more from you two. Enjoy your Mandom, ’tis but sour Mandom to me.
Issue #2 — What was that awful racket between 28:00 and 44:00 ? You’re hocking me in chinick.
I think Mr. Mod and EPG thought of BBAHC at 4:30AM after they finished their 8th bottle of Southern Comfort. I too am disappointed at the answer. The RTHers offered any number of much better candidates. Wet razzes to Mr. Mod on this one.
Good call on Janis! That last track was from Burning Spear’s Marcus Garvey. I really like that album.
Did I not announce Terry Riley’s A Rainbow in Curved Air? Sorry if it caused anyone to run off the road. I love that stuff. Chickenfrank was correct in expecting dissatisfaction with the manly bvs.
By the way, I approve of the Terry Riley inclusion. Nothing wrong with a little musical experimentation to keep people on their toes. Now to put on some Henry Cow…
For a second there, I thought you said “Teddy Riley,” aka “the king of new jack swing.” I still like that first Guy album. I’m betting Mod has no idea who I’m talking about.
I remember that name. He’s from the time of that Tony toni tonee band, right?
I think Piece of My Heart is a reasonable call. There were a lot of good suggestions and this is right there with the best of them. I might have gone with something else but this is totally defensible.
I just thought it was interesting that we got all of T. Riley but the Genesis album side was yanked part way…
Even Mr. Royale, who owns that T. Riley track (and likes him) was surprised that you included the track. He said you must have needed something to play while you went outside to mow the lawn. I know I used the time to hang the laundry on the line.
Thank goodness for those other tracks, like the Bob Welch. To start with JJ and include the whole TR, I thought I was going to have to bail on the episode.
You got minimalism & reggae in our Rock Town Hall! Always good to expand one’s horizons.
Brown-noser!
WRONG
They start off very manly when they do the “ah”s on the pre-chorus. They sound like cavemen. You can hear the animal furs. Then on the chorus, they have to sing as low as they can just to seem more manly than Janis is on this track. She’s throwing down with her vocal to see if they can exorcise a manly enough response to her lead. They don’t yell the response so much as bulldog bark it from 6 feet away from the mic. Just barking out words from behind a fu manchu. Very manly.
“Piece of my heart” does have manly back up vocals. I’m not sure anything would live up to the hype but it works for me. Having harmony in that range is unique. Low vocals are necessarily spread farther apart but these are close and they move away from each other (one up and the other down) in a typical manly fashion. Men don’t generally need to be that close. They find a niche and fill it without messing with Janis, it adds in a manly way.
I’ve got a recording of my band doing it in a Tennessee dive in 1982. I dug it up and the back ups sound manly. I was one of them and always felt a testosterone high when singing it. Then again I like to think I can play “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies” in a manly way. It might be me. I’ll upload it if I can figure out how.
hee hee!
Gregg and chick really nailed explaining this song’s manliness. The rock world is richer for your work.
The sound of animal furs?
It’s still got nothing on Tap’s “Heavy Duty Rock & Roll” bv’s.
So much potential in confusing Terry and Teddy. Must process this for a while….
Ah, the backing vocals for TV Party by Black Flag kick this song’s ass.
Black Flag again. And you all thought I was joking.
It’s Broken!