The MT Alternative Podcast
The MT Alternative Podcast is where music nostalgia meets sarcasm, humor, and the occasional political rant. Mike and Tom revisit the past, argue about the present, and never take themselves too seriously.
The MT Alternative Podcast
Music of 1973: Memory Lane
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Step into the musical time machine as Mike and Tom explore the soundtrack of 1973 – a year when rock anthems, soul classics, and unforgettable ballads dominated the airwaves. What began as casual workplace conversations about beloved songs has transformed into a passionate deep dive through the year's defining hits.
From Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" to Gladys Knight's "Midnight Train to Georgia," the hosts offer fascinating insights and personal memories triggered by these timeless classics. The episode reveals surprising discoveries about familiar tunes – songs they've loved for years but never knew the titles of, or beloved melodies whose artists remained mysteries until now. These revelations highlight how deeply music embeds itself in our memories, often detached from the details of who created it.
The hosts' enthusiasm reaches its peak when discussing personal favorites that didn't make the Billboard Top 40 – including Aerosmith's "Dream On," Deep Purple's iconic "Smoke on the Water," and Golden Earring's driving anthem "Radar Love." Their stories capture why these songs continue to resonate decades later, becoming soundtracks to pivotal moments in listeners' lives. Between reminiscences of backyard bonfires and high school jukeboxes, Mike and Tom demonstrate how 1973's diverse musical landscape – spanning rock, soul, country, and pop – created cultural touchstones that transcend generations.
Whether you lived through 1973 or are discovering these classics for the first time, this episode offers both nostalgia and fresh perspective on a year where musical boundaries dissolved and unforgettable hits emerged. Subscribe now and join us next week as we continue our journey through the decades with the greatest hits of 1974!
Podcast Introduction
Speaker 2Ah yes, welcome back to the MT Alternative Podcast, the only show brave enough to dive deep into the musical archives of 1973 and shallow enough to follow Mike and Tom's every brain fart along the way. This week they're allegedly discussing songs from 73, a year when music was revolutionary, fashion was questionable and nobody had ever heard of a podcast. But don't worry, they'll be sure to veer wildly off topic, as usual. And for those of you who wrote in demanding their return, congratulations. Your oddly specific prayers have been answered. Pip and Squeak are back, possibly under duress and definitely unpaid. So buckle up, adjust your expectations firmly downward and prepare yourself for yet another unpredictable ride through music madness and mild confusion, right here on the MT Alternative.
Speaker 3Welcome back to the MT Alternative Podcast Tom.
Speaker 4Yes, what's going on, bud? Everything in this world is going on Everything, yep, but we're only going to tell you about a little bit of it.
Speaker 3Yeah, let's not tell too much.
Speaker 4Yeah, we don't want to do that. Yeah, don't show too much off at first.
Speaker 3No, no, no.
Speaker 4Yes, so what's going on bud? So what's going on bud? Oh, not a whole lot. We've just been kicking butt taking names at work. Yeah, it's been. I love these Saturdays to blow off some steam.
Speaker 3Explain this to me.
Speaker 4Explain it to Lucy. We had Hell.
Speaker 3Week, last week, end of the month Usual shit. Yeah, what the hell happened this week?
Speaker 4I guess they're trying to keep us from having Hell Week again. Wow, it's crazy. They just try to keep us.
Speaker 3Things come off the truck, they go right back out the door.
Speaker 4I like it that way, kind of though. I mean, that's nice but holy crap, it wears you thin, it really does, it does. So we're going to do things a little different this week. We've got some different stuff going on. Yep, that, hopefully, stuff going on that, hopefully, hopefully we found out, we both enjoy talking about music.
Speaker 4Yeah, we, I, I just music is something that I've always been around and with all the siblings and everything before me, right, maybe in the youngest of nine, of uh, as I've mentioned several times before, I'm sure, but it just the music is just was so much a part of growing up, absolutely Because there were so many different siblings and so many different genres.
Speaker 3Well, going down this little journey, we're finding out songs. What the hell is this song? And then it's like wait a minute. I've heard this.
Speaker 4Yeah, and here's what I get these songs that have a title that has nothing to do with the song.
Speaker 3Well, I don't even know who sang them either. Right, right, right, Like, for instance.
Speaker 4John Denver has a song called Annie Song. He never once in that song mentions a woman named Annie.
Speaker 3No, no, oh, that's kind of strange. The word never comes up. Yeah, it's just Annie's song. I mean, I kind of get it. I guess.
Speaker 4Yeah, he's singing it to Annie. And it was a good song for a girl. That's where we'll be going, but it could be for a girl named some other woman.
Speaker 3All songs are up for interpretation.
Speaker 4Yes, yes, they certainly are. Yes, so a different little format, yeah, and I'm excited about it.
Speaker 3We're going to go through the top 40 songs of 1973, but we're going to break them down into segments. Cool, so that's how we're going to roll this week. Anyways, we'll see how this goes, but we've done a lot of homework actually.
Speaker 4We have. Actually, this is the first time we actually sat in but of course we enjoyed it music, we love music.
Speaker 3So anyways, let's see we're gonna. Let me just end the list of the 40 to 31 songs where are you taking this right now?
Speaker 340 to 31 we're gonna go down the list, tom I'm gonna read these songs off quickly, quickly, and then we'll get into them all. All right, let's see, we got number 40, crocodile Rock. Elton John oh yeah, we have Rock and the Moanin' the Boogie, woogie Flu. Johnny Rivers Hee, hee, cisco. Kid War, daddy's Home. Jermaine Jackson, danny Song Loggins and Messina Drift Away. Dobie Gray Love Train the OJs. Dobie Gray, love Train the OJs. Ain't no Woman like the one. I've got the Four Tops. I'm Gonna Love you Just a Little More. Baby. Barry White and Reelin' in the Ears. Dealey Dan, where do we want to go from here?
Speaker 4Where can you go from there? Those were awesome.
Speaker 3Good songs, good songs. But I think there's a lot of them that were good. Danny's song is the one. I never knew what that one was by the title.
Speaker 4Until I listened yeah, that's one we didn't know Actually Drift Away. Give me the beat boys.
Songs 40-31 Analysis
Speaker 3Another one Free my soul Daddy's Home, Jermaine Jackson. Once I heard it, I'm like yeah, well, that was Jermaine.
Speaker 4He sang better than Michael the.
Speaker 3And he sang better than Michael. The one on this one I did not know and I've never heard of the Cisco Kid by War. Yeah, I know who War is, I know the songs from War, but just that one.
Speaker 4Not the song War Nope. Good God, y'all Good God. Good God is right, but yeah this is going to be great.
Speaker 3I'm excited about this music set. It's going to be a little different than our normal podcast but you know, like again I've said we like music. We both were talking at work all the time about music.
Speaker 4You're always trying to sing to everybody at work.
Speaker 3Make the whole world sing Something like that. So let's, we're going to start down. We're going to do a breakdown of two of the songs, though from each one of those.
Speaker 4Breakdown, shakedown everybody.
Speaker 3So we'll start off with, first of all, Crocodile Rock.
Speaker 4Yeah, Elton.
Speaker 3All right Nostalgic and upbeat tribute to early rock and roll. Crocodile Rock reflects on youthful innocence, dancing in the joy of 1950s music With a catchy organ riff and playful lyrics. Elton John captures the spirit of a bygone era when life was simpler and dance floor was everything. I kind of agree with that, that sentiment.
Speaker 4Yeah, and I do. I agree. When you heard Crocodile Rock, I think it's sort of kind of condescending that they would use the words playful and organ in the same.
Speaker 3I didn't write these, tom Okay.
Speaker 4I'm just saying Elton, playful and organ sometimes just don't sound too good with that.
Speaker 3No, but you know, just put that out of your mind, Okay?
Speaker 4It was a good song. It was a great song. Great song, yeah With that out of my mind. Okay, it was a good song. It was a great song. Great song, yeah With that out of my mind. I can get there.
Speaker 3There you go. What do you remember from it? Any memories from it. First heard it had to be from your siblings.
Speaker 4I'm sure.
Speaker 3Oh yeah, I can't remember which one, but it was, mine was, I can tell you exactly my friend Sean O'Brien. Rest in peace. Sean and I was at his house and his sister had the album. Oh yeah, and that was the first time I heard it. And then, as I got to seventh grade, I think they had it on a jukebox.
Speaker 4I think what my pull toward it was was I was a piano kid, I liked the piano.
Speaker 3The piano's got a good sound, yeah.
Speaker 4And I mean I was kind of fascinated with that piano, okay, and Elton, always. I mean who, who, yeah, it's Elton.
Speaker 3He could play Absolutely.
Speaker 4Yeah yeah, he gave Tickling the Ivories a whole new name.
Speaker 3Yeah, there we go again. All right, what so, moving on to our other deep dive on the song. Well, not really so much of a deep dive, but just a little background on it. Rocking Pneumonia, boogie, woogie Flu, johnny Rivers Right, originally by Huey Piano Smith. There you go, tommy, your piano again.
Speaker 3Johnny Rivers' version gives us his infectious tune a smooth bluesy rock spin. It's a fun tongue-in-cheek song about being too sick with the Boogie Woogie Flu to function except song about being too sick with the boogie woogie flu to function except when it comes to hitting the dance floor. The track blends humor and rhythm in classic New Orleans R&B style.
Speaker 4New Orleans.
Speaker 3Yeah, who knew? Yeah, show me them boogers. Great song though. Yeah, we just matter of fact, we just listened to that before we came in here. Yeah, that's what got us pumped, had a vibe into it. Yeah, I did Great song.
Speaker 4Another good song.
Speaker 3Memories of that, just all kinds of memories of that song playing.
Speaker 4Oh man, it comes from songs, movies, movies that makes you remember.
Speaker 3It is infectious, it is you hear it what great piano playing.
Speaker 4In that he was a great pianist.
Speaker 3There you go again, schroeder, I mean Schroeder.
Speaker 4Yeah, that was that kid, that was a great penis. There you go again. Scrotum, I mean.
Speaker 3Schroeder yeah, that was that kid. That was a penis on the penis, the penis.
Speaker 4The peanuts yeah, peanuts yeah.
Speaker 3But all those 10 songs, though, basically all good songs Very good. Very good songs. I mean, you still hear them to this day.
Speaker 4Every day.
Speaker 3How many movies have had these songs in them?
Speaker 4too. Oh man, A lot of movies now are coming up with the old music.
Speaker 3Old music is still classic.
Speaker 4We're not saying that the new music is trash. It's just not up to par.
Speaker 3Well, you know to throw this out there too, tom, we're talking about music. Yeah, we, yeah, we. Oh, you guys are old, blah blah. This music stands a test of time, just like movies. Look at movies back from the as far back as you could, but 60s, 70s, right 80s, once it got into the 90s.
Speaker 4I know you're gonna cringe when you hear me say this. What's the number one watched rerun in America right now? Andy Griffith. Come on, everybody. Probably Well, probably more here than anywhere else Because even though it wasn't filmed here, everybody knows. But it just Trust me, I know they stand the test of time Because the old times were pure, they were clean.
Speaker 3I mean, you know there's some good stuff now, but you're right, Things were better back then.
Speaker 4I wish a buck was still silver Back when the country was strong. One of them, kind of things.
Speaker 3Let's hope he gets dry again. Yes, we're digressing, so anyways, let's move on. We're going to move on now to songs 30 to 21.
Speaker 4Oh yeah, all right, we're getting closer.
Speaker 3Let me read this list to you. I got you that, lady. The Isley Brothers You're so Vain. Carly Simon, angie, the Rolling Stones Superstition. Stevie Wonder, kodachrome, paul Simon, could it Be I'm Falling In Love? The Spinners, will it Go Round In Circles? Billy Preston, daniel, elton John, my Love, paul McCartney and Wings. Let's Get it On by Marvin Gaye. That's a good section of songs, man.
Speaker 4It is.
Speaker 3Comments on any of these.
Speaker 4Let's get it on.
Speaker 3Which you know. Any comments at all. We'll deep dive into a couple over here later too. Um yeah, but anything sticks out to you more than any other song.
Speaker 4Yeah, let's go in the basement and drink a gallon of liquor and sing about Angie.
Speaker 3Sounds like they were crying in the studio. Oh my God.
Songs 30-21 Discussion
Speaker 4Yeah, and they made a big hit out of it. So you know, if you ever want to make it big, just remember your old high school sweetheart you want to whine about something. Yeah, drink your gallon of liquor and go in the basement and start singing.
Speaker 3A lot of these songs are good. I mean I've heard of all these. I can actually say I've actually heard of all these. Now, when it goes around in circles, billy Preston, I didn't know what that song was until I listened to it again.
Speaker 4Another one Doesn't make any sense why they named it that Right exactly.
Speaker 3But I mean, oh, who's that lady? The Isley Brothers? When I first read this, I go. I don't think I heard it.
Speaker 4Once I listened to the song I'm like, oh hell, yeah, I've heard that song.
Speaker 3Well, I mean, the Isley Brothers come on yeah, well, hey, the Isley Brothers get good sound anyway. Exactly, but I just didn't know that. The names of the songs throw me off sometimes. That's the problem. Well, let's see, let's go into our next. Let's see Angie. Okay, so the Rolling Stones ballad. Filled with emotion. Angie reflects on the end of a troubled love affair. With acoustic guitar, piano and Mick Jagger's plaintive vocals, the song captures a sense of melancholy and longing, showing a softer, more vulnerable side of the Stones. They sound like they're just whining the whole time, do you think? Jeez?
Speaker 4Have you ever been out with a guy?
Speaker 3No One of your buddies. Oh, okay, I know where this is going.
Speaker 4You know, and you're drinking and partying and all of a sudden he's bringing it. He's a downer. She was all I ever knew.
Speaker 3You just give him a slap a couple times and snap him out of it, that's all. Oh, was that all? That's all you had to do, or you?
Speaker 4leave him there. Oh sorry, Sorry to his family and everybody else that's missing him.
Speaker 3Oh no, no, no, you went too far. Oh, did I? Okay, kodachrome? Oh yeah, no, no, you went too far.
Speaker 4Oh, did I.
Speaker 3Okay, kodachrome.
Speaker 4Oh yeah.
Speaker 3Paul Simon.
Speaker 4Mama in the squeeze box. Wait, did children really need to listen to this song?
Speaker 3That's a whole different song. Oh yeah, you're right, a different year, different song, kodachrome. A bright, catchy tune with nostalgic flair, kodachrome uses metaphor of photography to explore memory growing up in the contrast between reality and how we remember it. With its upbeat rhythm and clever lyrics, the song mixes reflection and a playful tone, all set to a sunny pop rock groove.
Speaker 4I mean, what was a Kodachrome?
Speaker 3Paul Simon man.
Speaker 4What was a Kodachrome and why didn't he want her to take it away? Camera. You're taking pictures of memories and why would his mama take it away Memories? What's he taking pictures?
Speaker 3of Memories.
Speaker 4Yeah, that's what I'm saying. What's he taking pictures of that? Mama wants to take it away.
Speaker 3You gotta listen to the lyrics, oh yeah.
Speaker 4Oh, okay.
Speaker 3Yeah, oh, okay, I was just thinking about cameras and mama taking her away.
Speaker 4I remember back in the day when my mama took my camera away.
Speaker 3Alright, anyways, back to Kodachrome. It's a camera, it's a camera, it's a camera.
Speaker 4Never knew what a camera was.
Speaker 3All right, so Tom took a little weird path there.
Speaker 4Yeah it was a turn.
Speaker 3A little turn, but anyways, back to the 73 songs, the 20, what were we on? I can't remember. Now 30 to 21.
Speaker 430 to 21.
Speaker 3All right, is there any more comments? What about you're so vain, tom? There you go. That's something, that's something. I wonder Like everyone else.
Speaker 4Yeah, exactly who was she singing about?
Speaker 3Was it James Taylor? Was it Warren Beatty?
Speaker 4Warren Beatty? Yeah, I'll bet it was him. Heaven can wait. Squirrel like a pig boy.
Speaker 3Heaven can wait. Oh no, that was Ned Beatty. Oh sorry, Was that his brother?
Speaker 4Who knows, he didn't get the looks. He didn't get nothing.
Speaker 3No, he didn't.
Speaker 4Except well, he got some, I think. All righty Back to our music, yeah back to our music, let's see.
Speaker 3So moving on now to songs 20 through 11.
Songs 20-11 Overview
Speaker 4Oh yeah.
Speaker 3I will read this list. Why me, chris Kossopherson? God help us when we get into this stuff. Touch Me in the Morning. Diana Ross, okay, I'm trying. Kyah Yellow Ribbon.
Speaker 4Round the Old Dog Morning. Diana Ross. Okay, I'm trying. Yellow.
Speaker 3Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree. Tony, Orlando and Dawn. I'm trying, what is it? Shambhala Three, dark Night, love, steam, love, unlimited Orchestra, delta, dawn, helen Reddy. Last Song, edward Bear, yeah, half Breed Cher Time in a Bottle, jim Croce. And wow, bad, cher Time in a Bottle, jim Croce. And wow, bad, bad. Leroy Brown, jim Croce.
Speaker 4Two of them in the top 15.
Speaker 3Again. Let's see Shambhala. I never knew who the hell that was. I never even heard it.
Speaker 4but you heard it? Yeah, I heard it, but I didn't know that song.
Speaker 3You didn't know who it was, but you actually heard the song. I've never heard it. Same with La Son, edward Bear La.
Speaker 4Son, a leprosy for you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3That's sad, very sad. It was sad. What about? Let's see? Oh, I'm moving on. Half-breed share time in a bottle. Oh, I already read all this.
Speaker 4Yeah, where are you at?
Speaker 3I don't know, Tom. Where am I. I know where you're at. Anyways, yeah, anywho, because time in a bottle is basically a heartbreak. In three quarters time probably, time in a bottle.
Speaker 4Time in a Bottle.
Speaker 3Time in a Bottle.
Speaker 4I understand. Now picture this. Here's a small story. Okay, in high school, grade school, sorry eighth grade, we all had to vote on a song that we wanted our eighth grade song to be, and it was between these two songs Jim Croce, time in a Bottle and Styx, come Sail Away. Oh, guess which one won.
Speaker 3I got to take Come Sail Away by Styx.
Speaker 4Absolutely.
Speaker 3I mean, out of all Jim Croce songs, Time in a Bottle is a good song. Yeah, it was Good lyrics, great song. But that's just underneath for me.
Speaker 4But I'll take Come Sail Away any day, oh my God, yeah, me too, and I know it every word by heart. Now, because of that and I picture 8th grade graduation, all of us out in the middle of the lake on this great big tire, in or two singing.
Speaker 3Now, I don't believe that came out in 73, though no, it didn't. I know what you're talking about. You're talking about you have a memory of 8th grade.
Speaker 4Right, but see, that's what this is all about, that's what this is all about.
Speaker 3There's memories I didn't want people to think well, guys, you know, you hear people that didn't come up, Doesn't?
Speaker 4matter we're talking.
Speaker 3Memories, too, is what we're talking about.
Speaker 4We're talking music. You guys love music.
Speaker 3It doesn't matter what jars of memory.
Speaker 4Yeah, that's what music does. Music is a universal language, if you know what I mean it is. It is what's up with Cher's half-breed Half-breed.
Speaker 3Isn't that racist? Is there a video of that song where she's on a horse singing the song or lip-syncing the song? I'm pretty sure there is. Could be? I'm pretty sure there is.
Speaker 4Yeah well, you know half-breeds did ride horses, some of them did.
Speaker 3Oh Tom, there you go again. Buddy, there you go Down that road. Well, it's not a road, it's like a trail of horse takes, you know, shambhala.
Speaker 1That's never, never, ever heard of that, La, la, la, la, la la.
Speaker 3I am looking at the songs, though. A lot of them love steam. I bet you a lot of people don't remember that, but I played that for you. No, it's true. Musical.
Speaker 4Yeah.
Speaker 3No singing, yeah. And of course, who produced it? Barry White, that little devil.
Speaker 4We know what Barry was after.
Top 10 Songs Breakdown
Speaker 3How many panties come off when listening to Barry White? All right, let's go down to 10?. Yeah, we're getting there.
Speaker 4To one. Now we're getting so close, here we go.
Speaker 3List of the songs, number 10 to one Okay, the Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, vicki Lawrence, it was dark. Little Willie, sweet, you Are the Sunshine of my Life. Stevie Wonder yes. Frankenstein Egger, winter Group, let's Stay Together. Al Green, feeling Stronger Every Day. Chicago, yeah, killing Me Softly with his song. Roberta Flack, midnight Train to Georgia. Gladys Knight and the Pips Bad, bad. Leroy Brown, once Again, yes, it charted both ways and Tie a Yellow Ribbon Around the Old Oak Tree. Tony Orlando and Don yes, again, another song that taught quick pop and adult charts.
Speaker 4Yes, Wow. What can you say about that?
Speaker 3Well, you can say Barry White was on the move. Well, let's put this to bad. Bad Leroy Brown twice and Tony. Orlando and Don twice. Yeah, charted number one. Orlando and Don twice. Yeah, charted number one.
Speaker 4On two charts Wow.
Speaker 3Yeah, Holy crap man.
Speaker 4Well, they were a good song.
Speaker 3That's pretty impressive, that really is impressive.
Speaker 4Well, think about Jim Croce and Bad Leroy Brown.
Speaker 3That's a good song. It did tell a story.
Speaker 4That was like man. They ought to make a movie about Leroy Brown, but what did?
Speaker 3they do Shaft. That's what we got. Well, shaft is all right too, the original Shaft, because it reminds you of Leroy Brown, of course. I mean, I don't mind. Samuel L Jackson makes a good Shaft too, but the original Shaft was it for me.
Speaker 4Yeah, because he probably whooped ass without saying motherfucker.
Speaker 3You know Samuel L does like to use that F-bomb a lot.
Speaker 4He did, he did didn't he?
Speaker 3But you know what? Every movie he plays and he kills it. However he kills it.
Speaker 4They must have paid him a fortune to do them. Capital One commercials without that word in it.
Speaker 3Oh must have. It must have been hard for them or they either just edit it out. They can edit that, but they won't. There's a couple songs I actually like in here. Well, there's a lot of songs that I really geeked it into, but we're going to do a little deeper dive. Again, not a deep dive, just a little more information on certain songs that we're doing.
Speaker 4Just a couple that we like.
Speaker 3Kind of stuck. Exactly All right. First we get Midnight Train to Georgia, gladys Night in the Pips. It's a soulful and emotional journey. The song tells the story of a man giving up his dreams in LA and returning to Georgia with a devoted partner following him, blending powerful vocals, rich harmonies and heartfelt storytelling. It's a timeless classic about love, sacrifice and starting over. It is a good song, it is. That song's been in movies. You hear that song a lot. Yeah, I mean Gladys Knight man. We're talking 73.
Speaker 4I was six years old and you notice.
Speaker 3How much could that mean Pip must love that Glad, six years old, and you notice. How much could that mean Pip must love that Glass Knight and the Pips Pips. Pip has his own little group, yeah.
Speaker 4There's several of them because they have the price squeaks, not squawking about it.
Speaker 3Yeah, all right, and another one. We want to talk Little Willie. Well, for me, little Willie from the suite, that's probably the first rock song that I got into as a kid.
Speaker 4Whatever?
Speaker 3And Little Willie and I liked it. But then they came out with other stuff after and I was like, yeah, I was listening to them in school and people were laughing at me.
Speaker 4But here's the bad thing about it.
Speaker 3Let me read this for us, A glam rock anthem with an infectious beat. Little Willie tells the story of a rebellious boy who refuses to go home Right, no matter who tries to stop him. Packed with high energy, stomping rhythm and playful lyrics, it's a fun, crowd-pleasing track that helped define the early 70s glam.
Speaker 4I like Little Willie, little Willie. Willie won't go home, and here's what makes it so very touching to me.
Speaker 3What's that?
Speaker 2He's sad.
Speaker 4Why? Because he won't go home? No, because you have a little Willie.
Speaker 3Well, he's not sad oh okay. He's fine.
Speaker 4Here's to what you got. Go for it.
Speaker 3All those songs are from 40 to 1.
Speaker 4Pretty damn good they are good songs, pretty good. I mean 70s was some of the greatest music.
Speaker 3Absolutely, absolutely was 71, 72, 73.
Speaker 4Wait till we get to 74. Back up, back up. I don't know.
Speaker 3And then I think before we hit 80, the 1980s, we're going to do a retrospective of all kinds of music from the 70s, yeah, from everywhere. I mean we might go back even more. But I mean crap, tom. We could have started in the 50s, because there's a song from the 50s, 60s, but we'll get into that later.
Speaker 4Well, yeah, that's all something different. We won't go by year so much, we are just doing this as different. We need to change stuff up.
Speaker 3And we like doing this. We love this. This is what we love to talk about.
Speaker 4So I mean, yeah, the fun, fun is fun, but this is awesome.
Speaker 3It's something probably we should have done from the beginning. Right, we're just trying to pick and choose. I'm not going to lie, though beginning we're just trying to pick and choose. I'm not going to lie, though there's some politics that piss me off. But I want to give myself a good headspace, a good spot. When we both agreed on music, this was fitting.
Speaker 4I told you all we have to give him his space, just a little space, just a little space.
Speaker 3But I think now is a good time to segue in, to let the little dudes come in See what it's all about with them. All right, we'll take ourselves a little break, anyways, maybe a little porch time. But anyways, in the meantime, folks, little dudes, are coming up.
Speaker 1Enjoy. Hello Squeak, hello Pip, oh, how are you bud? Well, just look at me, I'm pretty fucking good. Oh, you don't look good. Well, thank you, I'm in a great effing mood. I bet you are. Oh yeah, you just told me.
Speaker 2I didn't look good.
Speaker 1Anyways, I'm in a great effing mood. I bet you are. You just told me I didn't look good. You should have seen the Uber I had to come into today. That was great what the Uber driver? Yeah, yes, she was. I don't want to give you too many details, buddy, but I bet you don't, because she probably identified as she, but she wasn't. No, no, no, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, there was no branch there. Well, guess what? What? We have video. You can have all the video you want. I checked. There was no branch. Yeah, because have you ever heard of Tucket? There was no Tucket, buddy.
Speaker 1Hey, listen, you're pissed off about the squirrel. I get it, it's still getting to you. I know why would I be pissed off at the squirrel? And you get to come in with Troy. We both know, yeah, what do you and Troy do? Me and Troy Buddies, are you butt buddies? No, butt buddies now. No, he's got no butt.
Speaker 1I'll never look at Troy the same way again. I look at Troy the same way every day. I'm sure you do. Look out my eyeballs. You got a little special bond there, you do? No, there's no bond. It's a rope under the chopper. I mean, it's still in the seat. Okay, no, I'm not hanging from the chopper anymore. I know You're probably in his lap. No, I'm hanging from the chopper, oh, yeah, well, that changed my fast. No, it doesn't change that fast. Well, kind of fast when you fall out the door.
Speaker 1Okay, there's that turbulence again we were talking about the other week. I thought there was videos of you in his lap. No, no, he's not Santa Claus, I don't see him in his lap. Okay, all right, but it doesn't take much more than a dude in a red suit to get me to hop right up there. That's what I thought, buddy, I'll tell you what I want. What do you want? What I really really want, santa. Now we're quoting the Spice Girls. Well, it is music week, evidently, according to the other two.
Speaker 1Hey, that was a spectacular segment. Okay, first of all, did you hear them songs? I don't care. I just heard you say the word spectacular. Are we gonna get into this big long word shit Cause I can't say them long words? Why Spectubular? What the hell? Anyway, it was once again a spectacular segment. You must have a compulsion. I didn't know.
Speaker 1A lot of those songs came out in 73. Yeah, there's a lot of songs came out in 73. No, no, those certain songs, oh, those certain songs, did you not listen? I did listen and Well, of course, those certain songs came out in 73. Right, well, because other certain songs came out in 72 that couldn't came out at the same time.
Speaker 1Okay, they're doing segments, they're doing music by the year. Squeak, why don't you get that? I get it, okay. So what's the problem? There's no problem. They did the top 40 songs of 73. Okay. So what's the problem? There's no problem. They did the top 40 songs of 73. Right, but they can't be the same top 40 of 72. No, of course not. Of course not. But that's what you just said a little bit ago.
Speaker 1No, no, no, no, they're going by the year, right, and you were supposed to try to fit in and do that. But no, squeak's going to go this year to that year. That's not the game, squeak. You know why? Why? Well, because there was a song that I wanted to talk about Sneak, sneak, okay. Well, that one you actually got right.
Speaker 1Oh, I did, yeah, well, that was the year, it was the segment before. We were kind of kung fu fighting and all that. Oh, yeah, well, that was before I introduced my danger noodle we're not supposed to talk about that. Oh, sorry, it's in the contract. You got a contract. You do too. Now I do. Yeah, you cried enough. Oh, is that what the tunes were for? Yes, it worked. See, you could have wrote that song, angie, for the Rolling Stones. No, I couldn't, angie. No, I don't sing like that, thank God. Yeah, you can't sing at all. Yes, I can. Oh, boy, I just don't drink before I do. You can't carry a tune, even if you had a bucket. Yeah, yeah, I could. Okay, maybe I don't think so. There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza. Dear Liza, okay, we're not doing music. You don't follow the script. That's music. Did you not ever sing that in school? It doing music. You don't follow the script. That's music, did you not ever?
Speaker 2sing that in school. It's music, yes music.
Speaker 1It's music, but squeak. It's not what they're looking for. What are we now? American Idol, they're talking about a particular year. We're sorry, you got a great voice, but it's just not for American Idol. No, no, no, no one said you had a great voice, but it's just not for American. I know, no one said you had a great voice. Squeak oh, no one here said that it was fine. Maybe your new BFF, troy, told you that. No, no, troy, don't like me the same. Oh, there's one thing I do like about Troy. Well, it messes with the chopper sound. I think he just told you that to shut your ass up. Well, have you ever sang Rocky Mountain High while it's going? No, rocky Mountain High, it doesn't sound very good. That's why you put headphones on. Do you notice? Troy wears them big, thick headphones, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's so he can hear the tower telling him where to land and to not listen to you. That's not what he told me.
Speaker 2That's why you've been having a better ride in.
Speaker 1That's not what he told me. Oh, that's what he's telling the guys in the old coffee break room. Well, because coffee makes him a bit nervous. Oh boy, making excuses, for you are BFFs, no, no, we're just acquaintances. How come you and I don't hang around together anymore? We do, we do Not here, oh, other places.
Speaker 1This is an obligation, yeah, but who wants to introduce a guy who wears two different colored socks? What's wrong with that? See, okay, people, would you want me to come up to your cookout? Hey, I brought my good friend. He's here. Yeah, uh, whoops, and he's here, but he's got on a purple sock and a green sock. Nothing wrong with that Squeak. I put on what was available, okay, well, that's why they're socks. My feet were covered. Oh, we're sorry, pippin Squeak, but we're out of drinks and the charcoal died and we can't make any hamburgers. So we're going to have to postpone this little shindig until later Because I had two different color socks. Well, I'm telling you, that's what people notice about you First thing, no no, no no, would they rather me be barefoot?
Speaker 1Okay, who wants to see these little tiny feets? First off, we don't want to watch the Ambasol commercial. Okay, yeah, little guy chipping away at your toenails. We don't want to see commercial. Okay, yeah, a little guy chipping away at your toenails. We don't want to see that. Okay, then, that's why I wore those socks. Okay, I'll agree with that. Then We'll go with the socks. There you go. Nothing wrong with that Squeak, nothing wrong at all, okay, I'm even a little fucking perturbed that you brought that up. Brought what up? Socks you, mr Fashion Guru of all people. Mr who, you're one to talk? Yeah, I am one to talk, jesus, look at me. I'm wearing a t-shirt and a diaper. This is fine, okay, but listen, my socks are iconic. Okay, what about the t-shirt and a diaper? This is fine, Okay, but listen, my socks are iconic, okay, what about the t-shirt and a diaper incident? Huh, what about the t-shirt and a diaper incident?
Speaker 2Where were your?
Speaker 1pants. There was no incident. What would you call that? I'd call that a malfunction of a wardrobe. Oh, oh, oh, that's what we're calling it. Yeah well, it certainly wasn't an incident.
Speaker 1Well, it sure looks like an incident. No, no, no, you didn't seem to really care. Okay, first off, would you care if you had to go and you just Okay. Okay, first off, you have a diaper on Right and you gotta go. Okay, you can put some trousers over that diaper and actually get a t-shirt that fits. That's not three times too small. You look like Baby Huey. That's what you reminded me of. I was embarrassed for you. I wouldn't Ben, I was. Well, that's hey Pip, is that Squeak? I don't know who. That is Sure you did. You knew who it was.
Speaker 1You knew who it was when we started this whole thing. I don't know what the hell happened. Hey, squeak, I have this idea. It's gonna be wonderful, let's do this, blah, blah, blah. And then all of a sudden, we do this and you sound ridiculous. Everybody don't like you.
Speaker 1You kind of admit, squeak, you kind of went downhill from the beginning. Downhill from the beginning, I think a little. Get to your head. What do you want me to do? Talk about a damn kangaroo rat. You know what? I see we're getting a little testy. I know when it's time to end it. And this is it, I think. I think. I think, oh boy, listen, I think it's time to end it before something goes wrong. Oh wow, surprise, surprise, yeah, because you just copied what I said. I didn't copy. You're making me angry, damn it. I was in a good mood when I started, of course, Okay, we fucked things up, folks, this is what we deal with, oh God, okay, alright, kind of like the Keebler elves. Yeah, you don't ever know when they might turn on you. I'll tell you what I'm out Laters greater, oh well.
Speaker 3Typical Pippin Squeak. Nothing changes with those two.
Speaker 4One with a solid, firm grip on reality and one holding on to the helmet.
Speaker 3Yeah, typical, typical.
Speaker 4I'll let you figure out which is which.
Speaker 3Maybe we'll just move on. We'll just forget what we heard and just move on to what we're going to talk about.
Speaker 4It makes no sense.
Speaker 3anyway, back to our music.
Speaker 4Oh, yes, that takes us back to reality.
Personal Music Favorites from 1973
Speaker 3Back to life, back to reality, all right. Yes, that takes us back to reality, back to life, back to reality, all right. Anyway, sorry guys. Yeah, so 73, as we looked into songs from 73, we were surprised at some of the songs that weren't on top 40. Right, but songs we really liked and brought back memories, or just songs you really like, to this day you'll still play them over and over which is great. So I'm gonna pick my first one go for it okay, the allman brothers rambling man yeah love that song.
Speaker 3It's a good song, it's a great song, and to me it's again. You know the nostalgic party with my buddies. Sure, the good thing is, a lot of these songs I picked have nothing to do with women. Yeah, yeah, it's me having a good time, a good time out on a bonfire no drama.
Speaker 3Just great, great music. Sitting on the side of a river and that song just being out somewhere, whether it be at nighttime at a bonfire or just being out at a field party, a keg party, right Hearing the Allman Brothers' Ramblin' man sticks out, man, it's great. It's great. I love that song. Like I said, I can listen to it, I can have that. It's on my playlist. It really is. That's one of them songs. When I was in Florida doing my window cleaning business and everything. Definitely it was on my, of course, mp3 player. Everybody's laughing at me.
Speaker 1That's what.
Speaker 4I had Tell it's your age. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3But that was one of the many. How about you Any particular ones? I'm sure you have?
Speaker 4a few. I've got to go back and I'm going to surprise everybody. I talk about them several times a week.
Speaker 3Oh must be.
Speaker 4Dr Hook and the Medicine Show no.
Speaker 3You like them? I would have never guessed.
Speaker 4I think we heard the whole library pretty much at work. Well, and I got to tell you in 1973, they had a lot of crazy crap come out, okay, like freaking at the Freaker's Ball and all that stuff.
Speaker 3Give it to you, Tom.
Speaker 4Yeah, giggle a little bit. There's going to be a Freaker's Ball.
Speaker 3Is this a squeak song? Well, that could be. Conceit probably would like that.
Speaker 4But the one that really stands out to me is the cover of the Rolling Stones. Okay, all right, that's a good song. Everybody kind of knows that song.
Speaker 3Another song when I was in seventh, eighth grade was on the jukebox in school Of course.
Speaker 4Well, you know what made that song the big thing back in the 70s, was it?
Speaker 3mentioned cocaine.
Speaker 4Yeah, you got a freaky little lady named Cocaine Katie. Here's what's funny about that lyric. What's that? The town I grew up in, everybody knew this lady named Katie. Was she a cocaine head? I'm not going to go that, go that far, but a little nose candy there was. There was a what is it called? Alleged, I think is what the word. Yeah, the word is supposedly used, alleged. But yeah, that's that. That's what I think about when I hear that song. But dr hook had so many good songs, but that one there.
Speaker 3Everybody kind of knows and I do know that one.
Speaker 4Most everybody did.
Speaker 3We discussed before down the road there was a lot of Dr Hook songs you told me about. I said that's Dr Hook.
Speaker 4They did that and that's like a lot of these songs. I know a lot of the songs, but they sang that.
Speaker 3I don't know who, that is okay, all right. Well, my next one, gotcha, of course, being from massachusetts right damn bad boys from boston aerosmith dream on oh, excellent song not, not the oakridge, oh, okay, no not at all. Oh okay, nothing like it. But Aerosmith, dream On great song I'm sure you'll agree.
Speaker 4I love Aerosmith in almost every song he sings.
Speaker 3Except for the newer stuff then. But anyways, that's besides the point.
Speaker 4He has this vocal voice that just hits certain levels that most artists cannot hit, Most but a lot of them.
Speaker 3Now. Here's something interesting.
Speaker 4I don't mean to go off-board too much, but I was watching Dr Oz one time and he was on there and he had this thing that snapped in his throat when he was singing these high notes and they had to go in there and repair his vocal cord.
Speaker 3Vocal surgery.
Speaker 4Yeah, vocal cord. It was weird A lot of people have that problem. It was crazy that he talked about it. That was crazy. Oh, that was Steven Tyler.
Speaker 3Yeah, oh yeah, he's one of them Tom Kiefer from Cinderella. Oh, yeah, he had seven vocal cord surgeries Still sounds good, though Better than Vince Neil from Motley.
Speaker 1Crue yeah there you go.
Speaker 3Sing a damn word. But anyways that dream on to me. And, like I said, being from Massachusetts, of course WAF was our radio station back then Played that song Again, partying with the boys. Absolutely Out with your friends. Absolutely Good song. How about you? What's your next one, Tom?
Speaker 41973, man.
Speaker 3A lot of good songs, man. We were surprised when you look back and you realize the years that these songs came out.
Speaker 4And here's what's cool about 1973. Most songs that were big and popular were of different genres. Absolutely Right Were of different genres. Absolutely yeah, old Dogs and Children and Watermelon Wine by Tom T Hall.
Speaker 3What the hell. Tom T Hall? I know who. Tom T Hall, what's the name of the?
Speaker 4song Old Dogs and Children and Watermelon Wine what the hell? And Watermelon Wine? What the hell? It's about a dude that sat around and was talking to this old guy getting advice and different things and this old guy was talking about there's just something about old dogs and children and watermelon wine.
Speaker 3Now, he's not related to Monty Hall.
Speaker 4I don't know. Okay, that could be it Just checking that could be Monty Hall.
Speaker 3Another segment for another day.
Speaker 4Well, yeah, exactly, let's make a deal.
Speaker 3Yeah well, we could. No, I have to admit, Tom, I've never heard of that song.
Speaker 4Yeah, you ought to listen to it sometime.
Speaker 3And what a title.
Speaker 4It was a great song back in the day.
Speaker 3I mean it could shorten that title up a little bit. Was it some in parentheses type song?
Speaker 4No, no, it's not like William had a wonderful car, but there's usually three bodies in the trunk. No, it's not in parentheses. Why would you go there? Well, I'm just saying that's kind of what they do.
Speaker 3That sounds kind of weird. What's with the three bodies in the trunk? Kind of worriesome.
Speaker 4That's the part in parentheses, you see. Moving on to my other song what's your third?
Speaker 3I have two more actually, but Deep Purple Smoke on the Water. How many people learning guitar or anything have hit those chords? Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, okay that's cool. Most annoying.
Speaker 4That's cool if you had a guitar.
Speaker 3But my part. You want me to plug in the bass there. Yeah, you could.
Speaker 4Here's my thing. How many people Were on the water and smoking? I'm sure a lot, me and my buddy Honk.
Speaker 3Of course the story behind it Is Monterey. Is it Monterey and my buddy Honk? Of course the story behind it is what is it? Monterey, Montreux, Montreux and some idiot really let off a flare gun and burned the place to the ground. That's a true story.
Speaker 4That's what they wrote the song about, and there was smoke on the water.
Speaker 3I believe that's what it was. Yep, and it's like what the hell. Some stupid with a flare gun burned a place to the ground yeah, sure did what an idiot. What the hell was that guy thinking? But anyways, besides that, the song is a classic. Yes, always, as you kind of notice, I'm sticking to a lot of rock songs, but this is where my genre was.
Speaker 4You kind of notice, I'm sticking to a lot of rock songs, but this is where my genre was.
Speaker 3Well, Southern rock is. You know, Alban Brothers? Yes, Southern rock there.
Speaker 2But as far as everything else.
Speaker 3It's just rock was my thing, and rock still is my thing. I like a lot of genres, me too, but rock has always been my wheelhouse, I understand.
Speaker 4That's for me and that's me. I'm a lot of different genres, right, and that's for me, and that's me. I'm a lot of different genres, right, but country, old, older.
Speaker 3Now I agree. If I'm going to listen to country, it's Waylon Jennings. Waylon, yeah, Willie Nelson.
Speaker 4All those dudes, johnny.
Speaker 3Cash is one of my favorites actually.
Speaker 4Godfather of country music, in my opinion, merle Haggard.
Speaker 3Oh, there you go, good old Merle.
Speaker 4Rest in peace.
Speaker 3How many more songs for you?
Speaker 4I did have one more Go ahead.
Speaker 3Imagine this I don't think I heard of that. It's Merle Haggard. Nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 4If we make it to December.
Speaker 3Oh, I love that song. You've heard me?
Speaker 4even sing that song at work. You know why Everything's going to be all right. I know my mother used to play that Christmas album all the time.
Speaker 3Yep, yep and I was older but she had that album. She used to do daycare and I remember that album playing and it's like it was catchy and it's a good song.
Speaker 4It's a great song. He's probably my inspiration. Okay, you know I roll around at work singing just acapella all day.
Speaker 3You see, a third of the songs that I sing are Merle.
Speaker 4Sometimes I clap for you, yeah, sometimes A third of my songs that I'm singing are Merle and the other quarter of John Didber. Sadly, but, anyway, sad he can't fly a plane.
Speaker 3John did for sadly.
Speaker 4But the point is, the music gets me through the eight hours. Oh my God, if we make it through, if we make it through these eight hours, everything's going to be all right.
Speaker 3No, because we're going to go back and do it again. The next day.
Speaker 4I know, it's just vicious circle, vicious circle, stupid.
Speaker 3Nope, that's a great song, tom.
Speaker 4It is. That was my last one.
Speaker 3My last one is it's a great driving song Golden Earring, Radar Love.
Speaker 4Yeah.
Speaker 3It is one of those songs where you're driving. I mean, you just listen to the lyrics anyways, but it's just the bass, the beat of the bass in it. It's a driving song.
Speaker 4It is, it really is, and just understand if you're listening to this when you're driving, go ahead and have your license and registration handy. Yeah, ready Because you're going to hit it.
Speaker 3You're going to get caught.
Speaker 4You're not going to be under 55 when you listen to this song. Not at all. Not at all.
Speaker 3But another great song and the funny thing is I didn't realize that song came out in 73. I thought it came out later.
Speaker 4Well, yeah, because we were later. When it caught hold of us.
Speaker 3So it's just like one of them songs and it's just driving. If I hear it now, it's like it's a great song. Awesome 73, Tom who knew.
Speaker 4What a great year for music and yeah so next time we're into 74 bud. It's going by real quick Just like.
Speaker 3Yeah, just like the real life.
Speaker 4Just like the real life.
Speaker 3But Should be interesting. There's a lot of good songs in 74, lots of good songs. I looked ahead a little bit, not gonna lie, I looked ahead a little bit.
Speaker 4Yeah, you can't help it.
Speaker 3Yeah, you gotta peek, yeah, gotta peek behind the curtain. But, folks, I hope you enjoyed this episode. Do you have a good lawyer? Why?
Speaker 4Well, because when you peek a lot, you need one.
Speaker 3I'm not a stalker, Tom oh.
Speaker 4Never mind then. Okay, I was just going to help. Anyway, that's okay.
Speaker 3Folks, you can catch us on Amazon, spotify, deezer FM Love, deezer FM Love, deezer, dreamcast, deepcast, oh, deepcast.
Speaker 4That's the good one, buddy.
Speaker 3Buzzsprout. Yeah, that's what else we're on.
Speaker 2Just so much of them and don't forget our website mtalpodcom mtalpodcom.
Speaker 4And now that we're doing the music, put on there what you'd like to hear. If there's something, you know what's coming up.
Speaker 3Yeah, we're going through the years, folks. If there's a song, we're actually doing top 40 from each year. But if someone has a song or something that they reminisce about, would like us to talk about, hey, go ahead, let us know, shoot it to us. But on that note, tom, it's been great. I love this talking about music. I enjoy the music.
Speaker 4This is in my wheelhouse yes, it is Mine too.
Speaker 3But I guess that's it bud Until next time.
Speaker 4Yep, we always thank God for the gift of Gap Everyone take care.
Speaker 3God bless and later.
Speaker 2And that concludes another thrilling dispatch from the front lines of musical mayhem, brought to you, as always by the MT Alternative the podcast that asks the tough questions like was that synth solo necessary, and why is Tom still wearing sunglasses indoors? Next week, brace yourselves, mike and Tom embark on a no holds barred journey into the sonic jungle of 1974. A year when guitars were loud, hair was louder and someone decided it was a good idea to record a 10-minute flute solo in a bathtub Spoiler. They were wrong. They were wrong. Our little dudes, pip and Squeak, will be back too, naturally armed with opinions, snacks and whatever loose facts they picked up from YouTube.
Speaker 2Comments Expect debates, digressions and at least one impromptu kazoo cover of a Deep Purple song. This episode was unofficially sponsored by Turntable Tech, because nothing says commitment to sound like spending your rent money on vintage gear that still smells like bong water. I'm Daniel signing off with this reminder 1974 gave us both sweet home Alabama and seasons in the sun. So you know history is complicated. Stay bold, stay bizarre and always double-check your record player's speed Before declaring a song a masterpiece. Catch you next week, weirdos. Thank you.
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