CB listens to and has listened to a lot of music but if you asked him to get honest (catch him when he’s drunk) and tell you secretly what his favorite genre is he just might say ‘You know that rockabilly stuff like Gene Vincent plays”.
I loved this tune (written by Bernice Bedwell) when I first heard it and time hasn’t diminished that feeling. I’m not a music historian but I know for a fact that Gene and his contemporaries inspired countless future rockers. You can dress up the music and add layers of production but it’s hard to beat this original rock n roll. Cliff Gallup (a hero of Jeff Beck) is the guitar player on this and he is awesome. Along with the rest of the Blue Caps they back the “Catman” on this one. CB is a big Gene Vincent guy. What a sound.
CB missed this era by a few years but he would have had a tube of Brylcreem in his hair if he would have been there, coping the tough guy, cool guy stance.
Go cat go! Rock!
(If you dig this sound, check out Jeff Beck and the Big Town Playboys ‘Crazy Legs’)
I should play a bit more Gene. He’s one of the bedrock brother I know less well. Love Ian Dury’s homage, though!
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I love Ian’s nod to Gene, I don’t know if he was under appreciated (not in CB’s world and quite a few others) but I think he was some of that “bedrock” you speak about.
He got into my veins early and he still lives there. I think him and Brando kind of made that black leather jacket thing popular. Thing was, Vincent was a motorcycle guy. I think you might find some gems in digging into his stuff Bruce. It’s Rock n roll with something to it.
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This one from 1957 is better than the 1’000 other cover versions.
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He was one of the “bedrock brothers” like Bruce says. Interesting guy. Lived the hard rock n roll life. His music and influence will live on.
Do I recall a Fox take on the ‘Catman’?
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I like “Catman”, the song is also known in the version of Jeff Beck, who recorded a pretty well done Gene Vincent tribute album in 1993: https://hotfox63.com/tag/jeff-beck/
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I remember that take now. I thought you did one. Same page again. Bruce mentioned Ian Dury. I’ll throw in Robert Gordon also.
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Love that sound and tune!
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Check out Fox’s post. It’s in with the comments. Vincent, to CB is one of the guys that shaped this kind of music. I know guys like Lennon etc started out with Gene in their mind sets. He attracted people, especially young guys to the rebel image. But as usual image is nothing if you don’t have the goods. Gene did.
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I know a lot less about Vincent than I should, but I sure know this song. I wonder if Elvis influenced him, or vice versa. Or maybe both of them were influenced by someone else altogether.
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Interesting story. He was in the same accident that killed Eddie Cochran. I think Gene was a little more dangerous than Elvis. His songs are standards with me Neil. So many good ones. I don’t take anything away from Presley, his early stuff was some more of that foundation of the music I dig but I reach for ‘The Catman’ more often.
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The Beatles in general – and John Lennon in particular – couldn’t possibly have loved Gene Vincent more. They did, like, 14 of his songs except, weirdly, this one. Lennon was gobsmacked by ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula.’
Rolling Stone Lennon interview – “I came across the cover photo – the original picture of me in my leather jacket, leaning against the wall in Hamburg in 1962 – and I thought, ‘Is this it? Do I start where I came in, with Be-Bop-A-Lula?’ The day I met Paul I was singing that song for the first time onstage. There’s a photo in all the Beatles books – a picture of me with a checked shirt on, holding a little acoustic guitar – and I am singing Be-Bop-A-Lula, just as I did on that album, and there’s a picture in Hamburg and I’m saying goodbye from the Record Plant.”
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“”14”. That’s unbelievable. I knew Lennon did that solo album with all those rockers on it including ‘BeBop’. That kind of history you just came across with I dig big time. I love hearing where these guys get their inspiration. Lennon and the boys were rockers at the start. Good stuff Doc.I remember a clip of Steve Allen doing a sort of poetry take on ‘Be Bop’.
I guy I really dig, Joe Ely (I think you know that). Says he rarely plays a gig without doing a Buddy Holly song.
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I know Ely but I’ll be damned if I know why. It’s not like I own a bunch of his stuff. Holly, of course, another big influence on the Liverpool Lads. A guy who could write his own songs, sing and play guitar? Unheard of.
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I’ve been mouthing off about Joe since I started the CB thing. Some of the best rock n roll shows I ever saw. He rips up ‘Not fade Away’. Holly = Beatles, Stones, Bruce ….
Thanks for the tip on ‘The Mule’ Clint is a better actor than he gets credit for. His work in ‘The Unforgivin’ is solid.
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‘Mule’ is good, solid (and true) storytelling.
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Remember the standing offer on the guest shot.
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Oh yeh. Hmm.
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Can’t be beat. Thom
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I figured you’d be a Gene guy. He suits a Jukebox.
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Again, man, I don’t know as much Gene as I should, but what I do know is that I like what I’ve heard. There’s just not enough of this kinda attitude and tunage out there.
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I think there would be some kind of above or underground following of Gene. I know he was kind of the Rockers type of music and guy opposed to the Mod liked. There’s a cool scene in Quadrophenia where two of the characters have a sort of a battle of the bands while having a bath. The Mod sings ‘You Really Got Me’ and the Rocker singing ‘Be Bop Belau”. Great stuff.
Did I say CB was a Gene Vincent guy? I think I did more than once.
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I have ignored the Gene compilation today and have Gene Vincent Rocks! Sounds Like Gene Vincent, and Crazy Times with me for the commute. I dare say there’s a lot of this on the compilation, but I figured that it’s time to dig into the albums.
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Lots of greatest hits packages. That what I would go for. I have a mish mash of his recordings but always reach for his hits. Have a look at the Jeff Beck tribute. He covers most the good ones.
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I’ll have a look… Jeff Beck playing Gene Vincent tunes sounds like a good combination.
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‘Crazy Legs’. Love the album. It’s more of a tribute to Vincents guitar player Cliff Gallup. I think the band (Big Town Playboys) Beck plays with might be up from around your parts. My geography isn’t the best.
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Duly added to the list. The Big Town lads are a West Midlands group, it seems.
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Try this?
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I’ve never seen that before (the flick). It might be the only person I know that hasn’t, actually. Anyhoo, young Ray needed some Brylcreem there, eh?
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It’s a real good flick J (A take one day unless someone beats me to it on their first viewing). Watched it a while ago. It more than stands the test of time. Maybe because when it was made it was a slice of history so you expect old school. Daniels and the cast are solid. Ray is good also but yeah, he could of used a little dab of Brylcreem.
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I actually have a half draft of Burials for ya. I need to finish it. I did say I’d have it for you this year!
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Now that’s good news on ‘Burials’.
Back to Quadraphenia. I don’t think I know anyone who has actually seen it.
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I have a few pals who dig it loads. I dare say it’s more of a UK thing, right enough.
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It’s a good gritty feel. Doesn’t feel forced or false.
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This music is honest and pure…I mean how you improve on Be Bop a Lula? You can’t…
PS Brylcreem…a little dab’ll do ya CB
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I wanted to be Gene. Yeah, Brylcreem was the answer. Check out Jeff Beck and the Bigtown Playboys. They pay tribute to Gene and his guitarist Cliff Gallup.
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I’m checking it out now…man that is authentic…love to see Beck on that old electric guitar.
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i had a buddy and we used to just go nuts for Gene’s music. I have a Bigtown Playboy t shirt. Love it when People I dig like other people I dig. Fans just like us Max. You come from it from a tech and just a pure enjoyment level. very cool.
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