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Pat Walsh
Pat's Peeps Podcast
Ep. 299 Today's Peep Tells the Secret Lives of Classic Rock Songs: When Ram Jam Meets Prison Songs, Cover Songs You Never Knew Were Covers, This Day In Rock
Music weaves stories through time, revealing unexpected connections that shape our cultural landscape. In this episode, Pat Walsh takes a refreshing break from political topics to explore the fascinating world of cover songs and their surprising origins.
Did you know the rock anthem "Black Betty" by Ram Jam started life as a 1933 prison work song recorded by convict James "Ironhead" Baker? Or that Manfred Mann's radio staple "Blinded by the Light" was actually Bruce Springsteen's creation from his debut album? These musical metamorphoses demonstrate how art evolves across generations while maintaining its emotional core.
The journey continues with a fascinating "This Day in Music" segment packed with memorable moments: Joe Perry's cardiac arrest during a Hollywood Vampires show, John Fogerty's legal battles with former Creedence bandmates, and the Beatles returning to Liverpool for their film premiere where John Lennon controversially gave Nazi salutes to the crowd. We also revisit the poignant final performance of Jerry Garcia and the dark story of session drummer Jim Gordon, who played on countless hits before tragedy struck.
Pat's enthusiasm for music history shines through as he shares lesser-known versions of famous songs, including the Don Harrison Band's compelling take on "Helter Skelter" featuring former Creedence members. These musical connections reveal the complex tapestry behind songs we thought we knew well.
As Pat approaches his milestone 300th episode, his genuine passion for uncovering music's hidden stories creates an engaging experience for casual listeners and dedicated audiophiles alike. Whether you're discovering these revelations for the first time or revisiting familiar musical territory, this episode celebrates how music transcends time while continually reinventing itself.
Listen to Pat's radio show on KFBK Newsradio and join him for the upcoming Pat's Peeps Gathering at the California State Fair in July. Which cover song surprised you most? Share your thoughts and join the conversation!
well, here we are again, my friends. It's the's the Pat's Peeps podcast. We're at 299. 299 podcasts. It is a Thursday. How are you? What a pleasure. Thank you for checking us out Wherever you are. If you're driving down a road, listening, thank you if you're work listening. If you're at home, listening, wherever you are, happen to be, we certainly do appreciate that.
Speaker 1:As I look out my studio window into the beautiful foothills of northern california today, it's a little later in the day for me and that's because I've been, I've had so much going on. I I've had business meetings. I mean these are all positive things, business meetings, new endorsements on radio. For those of you who don't know and I hope many of you do my name is Pat Walsh and I'm the host of the Pat Walsh Show on KFBK Newsradio 93.1 FM 1530 AM in Sacramento, 7 to 10 PM, monday through Friday. The word is again just as a reminder. We'll have the Pats Peeps Gathering and I'll be doing my show live, my radio show, out at the California State Fair. So that's coming up. Either I can't get them to pin down the date just yet, unfortunately, so that's coming up. Either I can't get him to pin down the date just yet, unfortunately, but it's either going to be July 22nd, 23rd, 24th. If I had my druthers, it would be all three of those days, so we'll let you know as soon as I know. I promise you that. I want to say thank you to Gary Gelfand and Scott Moak and Channel 40 and Fox 40 for allowing me to go on air to this morning, drove down to Sacramento and allowed me to go on air on the Studio 40 Live and be able to promote my Pat's Peeps and be able to promote my Pat's Peeps. Thank you to everyone on the staff. They're so nice. I had a great time.
Speaker 1:We got the word out. You know we just had a few minutes, but we got the word out on TV in terms of what we're trying to do and really I promise you and I know I keep harping on it, but we're trying to support local business and I just I'm going to keep encouraging you guys and asking you if you would, just as I was asking everyone on TV this morning, if you just go to patspeepscom check out the businesses. Thank you, I'll shut up, by the way, if you listen to Pats Peeps 298. I'm giving away a couple of things on my show tonight and they're very cool. I'm not even going to say what they are here on 299, but if you listen to 298, we're going to give away a couple of really cool things on the show. Let's see. So you know what I want. To keep it light today, I just don't want to get into anything political. You know, sometimes I'm in a really good mood. Things have been so productive. I am so blessed that my podcast is growing. My show is going well, we're welcoming new advertisers to my radio and to the peeps. So I'm in a great mood and, if you don't mind, you know me when I'm in a great mood.
Speaker 1:Most people like to talk music. Yeah, some people don't. Okay, I get it, but I'm going to do that for a little bit today. All right, just some music, thank you. Thank you for allowing me to do that. Let's see where do I start. You know where I'm going to start. I'm going to start here.
Speaker 1:It always amazes me when people don't.
Speaker 1:Now I take that back. That's not true. It doesn't amaze me. Maybe I would have said that 10 years ago, but I've come to understand that not everyone is into music as much as I am. Some people are, but not everyone. I mean, all the time people are like, yeah, heck, pat, I can't remember who did that song. I mean I know the song, or like, if you told me the song, maybe I might you know, maybe, if I mean I don't know who sang that song, you know that kind of stuff, and so I cannot assume that I'm amazed. And when I say something I catch myself doing that. And I don't mean to, I just find it interesting because apparently I've, as I've probably said a thousand times I guess I was way more into music than the average kid and it's just always stuck with me. But a lot of times people don't know, like when they'll hear a song, but they don't know that it was a cover song. So I just got a couple of examples. Oh, I just thought of another example.
Speaker 2:Darn it.
Speaker 1:Okay, I may have already done that one, Come to think of it, I don't know if I have, ah, so what? I'll do it again. See, now, see, this is what happens. I start off the top of my head, I start thinking of another cover song, and there's so many ones. There's so many good ones. Oh yeah, no one knows this one. Well, they know the original. So, anyhow, I'm going to do that. I want to give you a couple of examples. And then I've got this Day in Music, and it is a really cool day, this Day in Music. So we're going to start with this song. So there was a very popular song. I remember I was a teenager when this thing came out. This song would be played on AM radio and, I believe, fm radio as well. It really rocked, man, it was totally. It was so different.
Speaker 2:It really rocked man. It was totally. It was so different.
Speaker 1:Plus, being a fan of this particular football team, it also made me interested in this song. For those of you who know me, like it or not, I don't apologize for it I'm a Rams fan and in June of 1977, there was a Southern rock band by the name of Ram Jam and they released this song Rockin' song Called Black Betty. Anyone remember this? I hate to always say the obligatory. I don't own the rights to this. I'm trying to educate Whatever Give credit to whatever. Yeah, that's Peeps 299. Yeah, I'm starting to think that'd be a really cool karaoke song. I think I could do that one. Oh, backpedic bam-a-lam. Oh, backpedic's kind of a different song. Yeah, black Betty. Never heard one quite like that, but that was a cover song. Like a cover song. Yeah, absolutely, that was a cover song.
Speaker 1:If you go back, let's go back to. Let's see here. I believe this is 1933, 1935, whatever. Let me see here. I just kind of lost my place there, bear with me, I just had my information. These things happen when you're doing live, I don't know. So this was I apologize here. This is 1933. Wow, december 1933, the month my dad was born in that year. Yeah, okay, so here's what it is. It's an African-American work song credited to huddy lead, belly led better uh. The earliest recordings, though, were before that. There are numerous recordings of black betty and acapella and folk version, but this is from a prison gang. This is a 1933 Ironhead Baker recorded in his field by US musicologists John and Alan Lomax, december 1933, performing a cappella by the convict James Ironhead Baker, central State Farm, sugar Land, texas. Prison Baker was 63 years old at the time of this, and here it is. This is the original black Betty.
Speaker 2:Black Betty, what's your number? Black Betty, what's your number?
Speaker 3:Sam Harley didn't you? See Sam Harley didn't you see? Oh.
Speaker 2:Lord Black Betty.
Speaker 3:Oh.
Speaker 2:Lordy Black Betty. Black Betty had a baby Black. Betty had a baby and the damn thing treated.
Speaker 3:And the damn. Thing treated.
Speaker 2:And she just didn't breathe.
Speaker 1:There you go, the original Black Betty. You know one song that was very popular in the 70s be played on the radio all the time at least on the stations that I listened to, was Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Blinded by the Light, always on AM and FM radio.
Speaker 3:Blinded by the light Wrapped up like a douche, always on AM and FM radio, not to mention one of the most misunderstood lyrics Mad Men drums rumbles in youth in the summer, with a teenage diplomat In the dumps, with the mobs as the adolescent bumps his way into his bed.
Speaker 1:Manfred Mann's Earth Band, huge song in the 70s. Like I said, it was on the radio all the time Nice, clean, awesome version, sneezing sneezing, wheezing, the guy will be crept to the ground.
Speaker 1:But that is a cover. And when you hear the original and again, this is just an opinion, but it is equally as awesome and so much different and I can hear when I listen to the Manfred Mann version I'm just taken away by the keyboards and the epic sound of it all. When I hear the original, it tells me the story, I think, much better. I can picture what the what he's talking about much better, a way different feel. The original was from bruce springsteen, greetings from asbury park, new jersey. This first album. You can just see the imagery in my mind.
Speaker 3:Madman, drummers, bummers and Indians in the summer, with a teenage diplomat In the dumps with the mumps. As the adolescent bumps his way into his hat hat with a boulder on my shoulder, feeling kind of older, I trip the merry-go-round with this very unpleasing sneezing and wheezing. The clive he crashed to the ground. Some old hot hat shot was hitting four hot spots.
Speaker 1:You know the first one, the Manfred Mann version reminds me of driving in my automobile when I was a teenager and rocking out on the radio when I hear this one. I've never been to New Jersey, but it makes me feel like I'm walking around in New Jersey checking out different characters, blinded by the light.
Speaker 3:Oh, cut loose like a deuce. Another runner in the night, blinded by the light, she got down, but she never got down On this day in history.
Speaker 1:by the way, pats Peeps 299, I certainly do appreciate you being there On this day in history and right now I'm listening to his audio book. Joe Perry, lead guitarist of Aerosmith, suffered a cardiac arrest while performing with Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp. This was the group the Hollywood Vampires. They call it a super group. I refuse to call it a super group. Why? Because Johnny Depp. I mean, come on, johnny Depp. I'm not going to go as far as saying Johnny Depp is part of a super group. He's an actor who gets to play with rockers. I'm not diminishing his playing. I've never really paid that much attention, but I'm not putting him in super group status for music, sorry, anyhow. So they're playing at an amphitheater the Hollywood Vampires in Coney Island, brooklyn, new York.
Speaker 1:And then, after stumbling during the show's first song, joe Perry, the great guitarist, sat on the drum kit, continued playing, walked off stage and then he was rushed to the coney island hospital with cardiac arrest. Listen to the song. This is the final song that he was playing before he had cardiac arrest. Listen to the lyrics Cardiac heart attack painted black. And right after that he was issued or ushered, I should say to the hospital Meanwhile in 2016,. Oh, this is such a good song, johnny, too Bad Cliff Richard. I always felt like the Clash should have covered this song. Covered this song, 2016,. Cliff Richard instructed lawyers to make a form of legal complaints to the South Yorkshire PD and the BBC over their handling of a police raid on his home In 2014,. Police investigating historical sex allegations launched an investigation in 2014, which was filmed by the bbc.
Speaker 1:Also in this day in music history, john Fogerty filed a lawsuit alleging that his former bandmates and Creedence Clearwater Revival had breached their contract in which he allowed them to use the name Creedence Clearwater Revisited while touring and playing the music that they recorded together four decades ago. Fogarty's Action claimed that Creedence bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford had not paid him in more than three years under the terms of the agreement that they set up more than a decade ago. Now, two things about that one. I want to say it was a nightmare, lord. It's all so true. Now, two things about that one.
Speaker 1:I want to say Number one I did go see. Maybe you did as well, if you're in this area or wherever you might be. I saw Creedence Clearwater Revisited. They were very good, but you know what? It wasn't John Fogerty. John Fogerty was not there and when he sued Doug Clifford and Stu Cook, stu Cook, the bassist, like I said, doug Clifford, the drummer. That takes me back. Let's go back to the covers for a second, because here's a song. I'm sure you know this and you know why this one is actually not just a white album, but why this one was made popular when I get to the bottom, I go back to the top of the slide.
Speaker 1:Of course this all mixed up in the Manson thing. That was all part of the Helter Skelter movie. You remember that the book Anyhow Helter Skelter, beatles.
Speaker 1:Now if you're asking yourself, what does that have to do with Doug Cook, stu Cook and Doug Clifford Cook and Doug Clifford Stu Cook and Doug Clifford is what I mean. Well, when Creedence broke up, they joined this band called the Don Harrison Band. It was Don Harrison Not even the Don Harrison Band I always called it that, but it was Don Harrison and they did a cover of Helter Skelter and I got to tell you it's a great cover in my opinion.
Speaker 2:Here's Don Harrison with Stu Cook and Doug Clifford doing Helter Skelter. When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide. When I stop and I turn and I couldn't go right Till I get to the bottom and I sing again. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Interesting cover. I think I like it. I want you to hear the kind of the ending of this part. Again, I know I don't own the rights to it. I keep having to say that I'm not trying to get in trouble. Jeez, I'm just trying to expose the music. A lot of people never heard this stuff. I want you to hear the end of this, though. It's really great. I think it is here you go, here you go, here you go. This is love and I'm looking out. Ha ha, ha, ha ha. It's like Psycho. He's got a great guitar in here too. Anyhow, helter, skelter, don Harrison, continuing on from John Fogerty on this Day in Music. Let's see here.
Speaker 1:In 2012, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce honored Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash with a star in a Hollywood Walk of Fame. Master of Ceremonies did the event? Charlie Sheen. And this is one year after winning. That's right. I'm winning Now what I win here and I win there, winning. Remember that Winning I've got tiger's blood, my goddesses. Remember that it was a year after that. Now he's a master of ceremonies. It seems quite fitting that Slash is getting a star On the very street. Axl Rose will one day be sleeping on. It's pretty funny, actually. Oh yeah, you're gonna love me for this next one. In 2011, yoko Ono at a pub in Dundee, scotland, called Lennon's Bar. This was Lennon's Bar. They were forced to change the name of the venue and remove all the Beatles' memorabilia. The former Beatles' wife, yoko Ono, threatened legal action for copyright infringement and she just walked in Anyhow. See, I'm not even going to. I'm going to spare you the Yoko. It's getting better all the time. No Yoko On this day in music in 2008.
Speaker 3:It's getting better all the time no Yoko On.
Speaker 1:This Day in Music in 2008. The drum skin used on the cover of the Beatles' Sergeant Pepper album Sold for a million dollars at Christie's memorabilia auction in London. Other items included John Lennon's lyrics for Give Peace a Chance sold for $832,000,. A little over a pair of tinted prescription sunglasses belonging to John which he wore for the cover of the single Mind Games sold for $79,000,. A rare quarter-inch reel-to-reel master tape recording of the jimmy hendrix experience performing at woburn music festival in 68 went for 95 grand. A marshall amplifier used by hendrix in concert went for 50 grand.
Speaker 1:In 2005, on this day in history, four members of Led Zeppelin were voted the UK's ideal super group. I could go along with that. After 3,500 music fans were asked to create their fantasy band. I might ask that question on my show tonight To create their fantasy band for Planet Rock Radio. Jimmy Page, one best guitarist, followed by speaking of Guns N' Roses, by Slash from Guns, one of my all-time favorites. Richie Blackmore from Deep Purple excellent choice. John Paul Jones, named top bassist. John Bonham, who passed away in 1980, won the best drummer. And, of course, robert Plant. How about this showdown? Robert Plant beat Freddie Mercury as best singer. Ooh, that'd be a good question on my show here this evening. Wow, I mean, I certainly have my druthers, as they say, but that'd be a good one to ask. Maybe we'll do that tonight. Continuing on Pats Peeps 299 and 2000 Coldplay they are touring right now selling out huge stadiums.
Speaker 1:Released their debut album, parachutes. Four singles released from the album Shiver, yellow, trouble, don't Panic. Album won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 2002, british Album of the Year Award in 2001,. With Brit Awards, many other accolades as well. Parachutes is the 22nd best-selling album of the 21st century in the United Kingdom. As of now it's sold millions and millions and millions 15, I think or a million copies, give me the shivers.
Speaker 3:Oh baby, you want to dance till the sunlight cracks. And when they say the party's over, then we'll bring it right back and we'll say oh, I love it when you do it like that. And when you're close up, give me the shivers.
Speaker 1:30 years ago last night, 1986, Jerry Garcia played his final concert. It was the last time he was on stage and he was at Soldier Field in Chicago. The Dead were playing Soldier Field in Chicago. This is that show.
Speaker 3:On this day in Chicago. This is that show on this day in music, final time he was ever on stage. Gone when the sun don't shine and I don't deny my name Got no place to go.
Speaker 1:Ain't that a shame. And it was on this day that Jerry went into a five-day diabetic coma, resulted in the band withdrawing from that tour.
Speaker 3:Lord, I heard that gay Sue when she blow Down where the sun don't shine, underneath the Copa Mo Wine and more Got no faith to grow.
Speaker 1:Meanwhile in 1984, on this day in music, session drummer and I also listened to this audio book because I'm well aware of this story Jimmy Gordon. Jim Gordon, who was the drummer for Derek and the Dominoes. Gordon, who was the drummer for Derek and the Dominoes on this day sends the 16 years to life in prison after being found guilty of murdering his mother. It was after he was arrested that he was properly diagnosed with schizophrenia and although at the trial the court accepted that Gordon had acute schizophrenia, he was not allowed to use an insanity defense because of the changes to California law. But this guy, jim Gordon, not only plays on this song helped write this song but only plays on this song, helped write this song. But he plays on so many hit songs that you've heard over and over and over. He was one of the most popular session drummers of all time. Remember Lime and a Coconut? Put the lime in the coconut, drink a mullet. It's Jim Gordon. You're so Vain, carly Simon, jim Gordon I could go on and on. Tragic His life, tragic what happened with his mother.
Speaker 1:Meanwhile in 1979, on this day in music, Chuck Berry was sentenced to five months in jail after being found guilty of tax evasion. Chuck was well known for demanding cash from concert promoters before he'd go on stage. That became a problem. Irs didn't like it. We don't like that. Caused them to be skeptical of Barry's tax returns. Accused them of official income tax evasion. Around me.
Speaker 3:I can't free myself from sorrow All through the day, meanwhile. It's a wonder.
Speaker 1:In 1978, bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones Bassist, miss Bill, knocked unconscious after falling from the stage during a Stones concert at the Coliseum in St Paul, minnesota. Wyman was unconscious for about 10 minutes, also injured his left hand. He spent the night in a private hospital. By the way, speaking of the Rolling Stones, it was on this day in 1965 that this song started a four-week run at number one on the US singles chart. Can't get no satisfaction. First chart topper in the UK, song was initially played only on pirate radio. The lyrics were considered too sexually suggestive. Satisfaction yes, I tried and I tried, and I tried and I tried. I can't get no, I can't get no. Meanwhile, in 1964, on this day in music 1964, the beatles 200 000 people, liver poodleans took to the streets to celebrate the beatles return to liverpool for the northern premiere of the group's first film, a Hard Day's Night. They were honored in a public ceremony in front of Liverpool Town Hall and as they stood there, the Beatles on a balcony looking at the large crowd gathered below John Lennon True story he gave a few Nazi Sieg Heil salutes to the crowd.
Speaker 1:Not everyone was amused. Not everyone appreciated his sense of humor. Thank you for listening. Pat's Peeps 299. Tomorrow, friday, the 300th Pat's Peeps episode. Thanks for being a part of it. She on her radio.
