♫ Ruby Tuesday ♫ (Redux)

Posted on September 8, 2022 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

I haven’t played this in over two years now, so it’s fair game for a redux under the Filosofa Policy Manual. This one is for our friend David who holds a special place in my heart, just ’cause I wanted to make him smile! As you can see from the first paragraph below, I wasn’t any better three years ago at staying on top of my request lists than I am today!

Back in April (2019), I had a request for a song that I was familiar with by an artist I was not familiar with. Confused yet? Well, the song, as you can see from the title, is Ruby Tuesday, and I was familiar with the Rolling Stones’ version, but the one requested was by a singer, Melanie, with whom I was not familiar. As so often happens, life interfered (more likely Donald Trump interfered with my life), and I forgot all about it. Tonight, I wanted to play something special for the requester of the song, so I dug back through my notes and said … AHA!!!

By the way … any of you who have requested a song that I haven’t played … feel free to nudge or remind me, for I truly am a very forgetful old woman these days, and my intentions are good, but …

This was the fourth US #1 hit for the Rolling Stones in 1967, written by Keith Richards, who says of the song …

“It was probably written about Linda Keith not being there. I don’t know, she had pissed off somewhere. It was very mournful, very, VERY Ruby Tuesday and it was a Tuesday. That’s one of those things – some chick you’ve broken up with. And all you’ve got left is the piano and the guitar and a pair of panties. And it’s goodbye you know. And so it just comes out of that. And after that you just build on it. It’s one of those songs that are easiest to write because you’re really right there and you really sort of mean it. And for a songwriter, hey break his heart and he’ll come up with a good song.”

Originally called Title B, this was mainly written by Brian Jones and Keith Richards, but in keeping with Stones tradition, it was credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The Stones’ version hit #1 in the U.S., #2 in Canada, and #3 in the UK. And then along came …

Melanie Anne Safka, better known as just Melanie, is best known for the 1971/72 global hit Brand New Key, her composition What Have They Done to My Song Ma, and her 1970 international breakthrough hit Lay Down (Candles in the Rain), inspired by her experience of performing at the 1969 Woodstock music festival. She was at Woodstock and still I haven’t heard of her? Odd that. Now, I listened to the first two mentioned and I have to admit that I wasn’t fond of either. And, sorry David, but I still prefer the Stones’ version of this one.

And with all that said, I now offer you Ruby Tuesday by both Melanie, and the Rolling Stones! Oh … Rod Stewart also covered the song in 1993, so maybe I’ll throw that one in just for fun, too. Which is your favourite?

Ruby Tuesday
The Rolling Stones (also Melanie, Rod Stewart)

She would never say where she came from
Yesterday don’t matter if it’s gone
While the sun is bright
Or in the darkest night
No one knows, she comes and goes

Goodbye Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still I’m gonna miss you

Don’t question why she needs to be so free
She’ll tell you it’s the only way to be
She just can’t be chained
To a life where nothing’s gained
Or nothing’s lost, at such a cost

Goodbye Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still I’m gonna miss you

“There’s no time to lose, ” I heard her say
Catch your dreams before they slip away
Dying all the time
Lose your dreams and you will lose your mind
Ain’t life unkind?

Goodbye Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still I’m gonna miss you

Songwriters: Keith Richards / Mick Jagger
Ruby Tuesday lyrics © Abkco Music, Inc

♫ Combine Harvester ♫

Posted on March 22, 2021 by jilldennison under music

A few days ago, David and I were having a conversation and, as often happens, music was one of the topics. He asked if I remembered Brand New Key by Melanie, and of course I did. Then he mentioned that the Wurzels, an English ‘Scrumpy’* and Western band from Somerset, England, had done a parody of Melanie’s song … Combine Harvester. Naturally, I headed on over to YouTube to listen … laughed a bit, and thought no more about it. Until … the next morning when I woke with this song in my head. Throughout my shower, I was warbling … “Oh, I’ve got a brand new combine haverster …”. Two days later, it was still dominating my little grey cells … washing dishes, cooking, folding laundry … all done to the accompaniment of this song! It has become embedded … It will not leave! Well, you know how I exorcise those songs that will not leave me alone … I share them with you guys and then the earworm will jump to one of more of you and leave me in peace! If you are one of the lucky ones to end up with this song taking over the airwaves of your mind, please don’t blame me … blame David!

This song is not destined to land on my top ten list, but I have to admit it is a bit of fun, and if we can’t have some fun with our music, then what’s the point?

Since there isn’t really any information or backstory about the song, let me tell you a bit about the Wurzels …

The Wurzels were formed in 1966 as a backing group for, and by, singer/songwriter Adge Cutler. The first recordings were made live in the ‘Royal Oak Inn’, Nailsea, Somerset in December 1966. With a thick Somerset accent, Cutler played on his West Country roots, singing many folk songs with local themes such as cider making (and drinking), farming, dung-spreading, local villages and industrial work songs, often with a comic slant.

During the latter half of the 1960s, the band became popular regionally, and the release of the single Drink Up Thy Zider in 1966 led to national fame and it reaching number 45 in the UK Singles Chart. The B-side, Twice Daily was banned by the BBC for being too raunchy. Hmmmmm … something tells me I need to check that one out!

Adge Cutler died after falling asleep at the wheel of his MGB sports car which then overturned on a roundabout approaching the Severn Bridge. He was returning alone from a Wurzels show in Hereford in May 1974. He was buried in Nailsea. Cutler’s death marked a turning point in the history of the Wurzels. Deprived of the main song-writing talent, the remaining Wurzels recorded The Wurzels Are Scrumptious! in 1975, an album containing many favourites from the back catalogue, including a number of previously unrecorded Cutler-written songs. In order to continue the surviving band needed its own songs, and these mostly took the formula of re-written popular pop songs of the time with the lyrics changed to include the usual Wurzel themes.

In 1976, the Wurzels released Combine Harvester, a re-work of the song Brand New Key, by Melanie, which became a UK hit, topping the charts for 2 weeks. I suspect nobody was more surprised than the members of the band! So, I now present to you … the Wurzels and Combine Harvester! Enjoy! Thanks, David!

* According to Wikipedia, Scrumpy and Western refers humorously to music from England’s West Country that fuses comical folk-style songs, often full of double entendre, with affectionate parodies of more mainstream musical genres, all delivered in the local accent/dialect.

Combine Harvester
The Wurzels

I drove my tractor through your haystack last night (ooh aah ooh aah)
I threw me pitchfork at your dog to keep quiet (ooh aah ooh aah)
Now something’s telling me
That you’m avoiding me
Come on now darling you’ve got something I need

Cuz I got a brand new combine harvester
An’ I’ll give you the key
Come on now let’s get together
In perfect harmony
I got twenty acres
An’ you got forty-three
Now I got a brand new combine harvester
An’ I’ll give you the key

She made I laugh ha ha

I’ll stick by you, I’ll give you all that you need
We’ll ‘ave twins and triplets
I’m a man built for speed
And you know I’ll love you darlin’
So give me your hand
But what I want the most
Is all they acres of land

Ooaah she’s a lovely bit of stuff an’ all

For seven long years I’ve been alone in this place
Eat, sleep, in the kitchen, it’s a proper disgrace
Now if I cleaned it up would you change your mind
I’ll give up drinking scrumpy and that lager and lime

Who loves ya baby ha

Weren’t we a grand couple at that last wurzel dance
I wore brand new gaters and me cordouroy pants
In your new Sunday dress with your perfume smelling grand
We had our photos took and us holding hands

Now I got a brand new combine harvester
An’ I’ll give you the key
Now that we’me both past our fifties I think that you and me
Should stop this galavanting and will you marry me
Coz I got a brand new combine harvester
An’ I’ll give you the key

Aahh yu’re a fine looking woman and I can’t wait to get me ‘ands on your land

Source: Musixmatch
The Combine Harvester (Brand New Key) lyrics © Emi April Music Inc., Neighborhood Mc Pub Co

♫ Ruby Tuesday ♫ (Redux)

Posted on January 10, 2020 by jilldennison under music

As sometimes happens, I had a certain song in mind to play tonight, for after chatting with a friend about it, it’s been stuck in my poor head all day. But, as often happens, I spent a great deal of time tonight working on my a.m. post, then on a project that Jeff and I are launching later today, and then answering comments, and … long story short, it is late and I am exhausted! So, I am re-duxing one that I played in September for the same friend I played it for then. Tap ‘dem toes, David!

Back in April, I had a request for a song that I was familiar with by an artist I was not familiar with. Confused yet? Well, the song, as you can see from the title, is Ruby Tuesday, and I was familiar with the Rolling Stones’ version, but the one requested was by a singer, Melanie, with whom I was not familiar. As so often happens, life interfered (more likely Donald Trump interfered with my life), and I forgot all about it. Tonight, I wanted to play something special for the requester of the song, so I dug back through my notes and said … AHA!!!