This Date in Music: Losing Two Giants and a Change-over Among Drummers
The King of Rock’n’Roll
August 16, 1977. Taking a break from the warehouse job I was working at, on a very hot day, out near the Whitestone Bridge, I heard about Elvis. Found in his bathroom at Graceland. What a way for the King to go. Too many yes-men “friends” and too few people willing to intercede on his behalf. Prevented from touring Europe and Asia by his carny barker manager, Tom Parker, Elvis had been languishing and living on prescription pills, which he had become highly expert about. It seems he kept an up-to-date PDR (Physicians Desk Reference) so he could look up what symptoms to report to his doctors so he could get the drug he wanted.
But it’s like George Harrison once said, “Yeah, but when he was great, he was great.” Listen to “Mystery Train” or “That’s All Right” and he’s still a breath of fresh air, almost 70 years later. Harrison once talked about meeting Elvis for the second time, during the 70s. (I think it was at MSG in NYC.) George said that as Elvis approached him, he felt intimidated. The King had a white jumpsuit and a giant, ornate belt buckle. Harrison likened the Big E to either Vishnu or Krishna — he was like a god visiting Earth. George said, “I was a hippy with very long hair,” and he felt insignificant. “I felt like telling him, Elvis, bugger all that ‘I did it my way’ and get your jeans on.”
If you haven’t already heard them, check out some of Elvis’ gospel music. They say that’s where his heart was. His big aspiration was to be in a gospel quartet, and he had idolized J.D. Sumner, a tall, bass-voice specialist who eventually sang backup for Elvis. There have many books written about Elvis and his spiritual searching. On some of the gospel records you can hear the fervor and the sincerity that may well have powered all that searching.
The Queen of Soul
When you talk about gospel and fervor, you are veering toward discussing Aretha. From singing in church as a youngster, she was signed eventually to Atlantic Records, working with Ahmet Ertegun. She had a true vocal gift. She shared a quality with Presley: if you listen to the right tracks, you can get a spiritual uplift that seems totally unjustified yet remains potent. How can a singer singing a song raise you up? I don’t know. “This Time You Gave Me a Mountain,” a song by Marty Robbins, was transformed into a spiritual tonic by Elvis. Bacharach and David’s “I Say a Little Prayer” becomes a holy incantation in the hands of Aretha and her backup singers. Even Bacharach had to admit that Aretha’s treatment of his song was superior to his production of it with Dionne Warwick.
Aretha was an imposing singer and musician. Eric Clapton got to record with her in New York. Duane Allman played on her cover of a Band song. I don’t know if Stevie Wonder wrote “I’m Gonna Knock on Your Door” for Aretha specifically but it sure sounded like he did. “Daydreaming,” “Call Me” — so many great vocal performances by Aretha.
Out With the Old, in With the New
Finally, on this date about three or four hundred years ago, Pete Best was torpedoed by his fellow Fabs and manager Brian Epstein. It happened just as the group was catching fire. There’s a book out there claiming that he tried to commit suicide back then. I hope that’s not true. He had apparently been more of a quiet loner; he’d go home when the others would go out to party after a gig. And then along came Ringo. The rest is history. Ringo had sat in with the Beatles before, and they had noticed the extra oomph when he was behind the kit. He also had the goofy, good-old-boy likeability. And a real team spirit. Ringo has said in interviews that, as an only child, joining the group was like getting three instant brothers.
I need to get more specifics….I just half-heard a news report that George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” has reached the Top 10 hits as of today….in 2021? How can that be?
Thanks for reading this.