Oh My Lover

Song: Oh My Lover
Artist: Chiffons
Written: Ronald Mack
Year : 1963
Album/Single: Laurie # LR-3152

Cobra's Version
Song: Oh My Lover
Released: May 1st, 2001
Album: Life, Love & Leaving

This weeks selection is from a band you may have actually heard of before (unlike a lot of the bands the Cobras have covered) - The Chiffons. Their biggest hit was "He's So Fine" and today's selection - "Oh My Lover" - was it's b-side. Interestingly enough, the producers of the record, the Tokens (of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" fame), felt that "Oh My Lover" should have been the A-side. Along with "He's So Fine", the Chiffons had other hits with "One Fine Day", "Sweet Talking Guy" and "A Love So Fine".

Both sides were penned by Ronald Mack, a young songwriter who had heard the Chiffon's singing in their high school cafeteria. He would not be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor, however, passing away later in 1963 from Hodgkin's disease. His estate, however, was able to double dip, after suing George Harrison claiming plagiarism on "My Sweet Lord". Ironically enough, the Chiffon's covered "My Sweet Lord" in a jazzy, lounge lizard fashion, in 1975.

Being a fan of the girl group sound, this is one of the few songs the Cobra's have covered that I knew before I heard the Cobra's version - "Bye Bye Baby" (Mary Wells), "Find Me A Home" (by Solomon Burke, though I was familiar with the Otis Redding version), "I'll Keep Holding On" (the Marvellettes, though I knew it from the Action's version), "Insane Asylum" (Koko Taylor), "It's Raining" (Irma Thomas), "Putty" (the Shirelles via the Yardbirds) and "Weak Spot" (Ruby Johnson). The rest of their songs have been a joy of discovery.

Lyrics:
(Oh, My Lover)
Oooohhhhoooohhhh
(Oh, My Lover)
(Oh, My Lover)
(I love you)

Oh, please (oh, my lover)
don't never ever say were through (oh, my lover)
for I feel attached to you (oh, my lover)
Can't you see I'm really in love with you ? (I love you)

My desire (oh, my lover)
is to be with you to the end (oh, my lover)
You and I are a perfect blend (oh, my lover)
Can't you see that we were meant to be more than just friends (I love you)

(Love is a wonderful thing)
Keeps those bells in swing
(As we walk down the aisle)
Once more those bells will ring

(Oh, My Lover)
Oooohhhhoooohhhh
(Oh, My Lover)
(Oh, My Lover)
(I love you)

I wonder (oh, my lover)
if he feels the same about me (oh, my lover)
Now that I see his face, I will weep (oh, my lover)
I know that I no longer should worry (I love you)

(Oh, My Lover)
Oooohhhhoooohhhh
(Oh, My Lover)
(Oh, My Lover)
(Oh, My Lover)
(Oh, My Lover)
(Oh, My Lover)

It's a quick, tight song, clocking in at a mere 1:48. The Cobra's version is much faster, getting the job done in 1:34. Perhaps they were able to cut the 14 seconds by not repeating the chorus (oh, my lover) after each stanza. Also, Rachel tweaked the third stanza of the third verse - "Now that I see his face, I will weep" - to something I can not make out, I think it is "Now that his feelings say I will be", but can't be sure. I'd be interested in your opinion as to what it is.

Download it now:
The Chiffons - Oh My Lover - 1963 - Laurie # LR-3152
Available on - "One Fine Day"

Buy "Life, Love and Leaving" by the Detroit Cobras

Insane Asylum

Song: Insane Asylum
Artist: Koko Taylor
Written: Willie Dixon
Year : 1968
Album/Single: Checker # 1191

Cobra's Version
Song: Insane Asylum
Released: January 6th, 2004
Album: Seven Easy Pieces


Today's selection is the longest song in the Cobra's catalog, clocking in at 4:16, well over their 2:21 average. It is a cover for Koko Taylor's 1968 duet with the songwriter, Willie Dixon. It was Dixon who discovered Taylor and brought her to Chess records in 1963. She hit it big in 1965 with another of composition of of Dixon's, "Wang Dang Doodle" - the last Chess release to hit the R&B top ten. She moved from Chess to Alligator records in 1975 but continued to make records in the Chicago, electric blues tradition. Check out her take of Bo Diddley's / Muddy Water's "I'm A Man" called "I'm A Woman" on her MySpace page ("MySpace, not just for kids anymore").

Lyrics:
(Willie Dixon)
I went out to the insane asylum
And I found my baby out there
I said please come back to me darlin'
What in the world are you doin' here?

Then the little girl raised up her head
Tears was streamin' down from her eyes
And these are the things
That the little girl said

(Koko Taylor)
When your love has ceased to be (Lord, have mercy)
There's no other place for me (Mmmm)
If you don't hold me in your arms (Oh child oh child)
I'd rather be here from now on
Some people have it halfway fair
Without your love I ain't nowhere

Oh I can't eat and I can't sleep (oh child oh child)
Lord I can't even live in peace (Mmmm)
Please take me baby for your slave (Oooh)
And save me from that early grave

Some people have it halfway fair
Without your love I ain't nowhere

(Willie Dixon)
And then sorrow struck my heart
Tears began to stream down from my eyes
The only woman that I ever loved in whole my life
Out here in a place in a condition like this
And I began to thinkin' about what
my mama told me when I was a little boy

She told me when I couldn't help myself,
to get down on my knees and pray
Then I fell down on my knees
And these are the words that I said

(Willie Dixon & Koko Taylor)
Save me save me save me babe,
Save me save me save me dear,
Whoa I don't know just how we made it
But I'm so glad our love is here
But I'm so glad our love is here
But I'm so glad our love is here...

(For the record, this is the first of the 9 posts so far in this blog, in which I was able to actually find the lyrics online rather than having to transcribe them myself.)

Greg Cartwright steps in as Willie Dixon to Rachel's Koko on the Cobra's version. Greg Cartwright, of course, is from Reigning Sound, previously covered in my "I'll Cry" post. Considering the shoes they are trying to fill, they rise to the occasion quit well. Not surprising, considering "insane Asylum" was a song she frequently sang to herself in her car, long before she sang professionally. Thankfully she took her act out of the car and shared her talents with us all.

All pictures previously used in the blog were
pictures I had taken myself. Today's
is not, but it was too delicious to pass up.
Click on it and you will go to the original site

Download it now:
Koko Taylor - Insane Asylum - 1967 - Checker # 1191
Available on - Koko Taylor

Buy "Seven Easy Pieces" by the Detroit Cobras

(Sorry I missed last week's post - I've been busy)

Cha Cha Twist

Song: Cha Cha Twist
Artist: Brice Coefield
Written: Hank Ballard
Year : 1960
Album/Single: Madison # 137

Cobra's Version
Song: Cha Cha Twist
Released: February 24th, 1998
Album: Mink Rat or Rabbit


While I can not find any specific information on today's selection, I have found some information on Brice Coefield.

Quite frankly, the man was involved with some legendary names in the music industry - "Bumps" Blackwell (songwriter and producer of Little Richard), Herb Alpert (co-founder of A&M records, legendary trumpet player), Lou Adler (producer for, among others, Sam Cooke, Mama's & Papa's, the Monterrey Pop Festival) & Phil Spector (I don't need to explain who he is, do I?). Draw your own conclusion as to why, with all these talented people around him, he wasn't more successful himself.

He started off in 1955 in Los Angeles with his cousin, Rip Spencer, in a variety of vocal groups. It was Brice's father who, through jazz pianist Lloyd Glenn, that put them in touch with "Bumps" Blackwell. Calling themselves the "Valiants", they actually were the first to release "Good Golly, Miss Molly", one of the songs Bumps had written (Little Richard had recorded it before them but the Valiants were the first to actually release it). It was the flip side of one of two records they would every have chart - "This is the Night" (#43 R&B / #69 Pop). The other chart success they enjoyed was as members of the Alley Cats with "Puddin N' Tain" - released in 1962 on Phil Spector's Phillies Label (Brice was a co-writer of the song as well).

This brief bio was culled from Marv Goldberg's excellent R&B Notebook - check it out for yourself.

Brice had 5 records released on the Madison label from 1960 to 1961. Four were as a member of the "Valiants", with today's record being released simply as "Brice Coefeild". Interestingly enough, despite the thoroughness of the aforementioned Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebook, there is no mention of this record. The song writing credits go to the legendary Hank Ballard (thought jazz keyboardist Les McCann sometime get's credit for writing it as well). I would have to assume it was recorded/released late in 1960, to capitalize on the success of Chubby Checker's massive hit earlier in the year - "The Twist" (which was also written by Hank Ballard!).

Lyrics:
(Cha Cha Cha) (Cha Cha Cha) (Cha Cha Cha)
Come on baby
Let's do the Twist
Come on baby
Let's do the Twist

You look fine, yeah
when you go like this

Tell me, baby
Have you seen my sis ?
Tell me, baby
Have you seen my sis ?

She knows how to rock
and do the Cha Cha Twist

Hully, hully gully
Slop and Madison, too
When you do the twist
to a beat like this
You can Cha Cha with your baby too

Your Papa's sleeping
and your Mama's not around
Your Papa's sleeping
and your Mama's not around

Well come over here, baby
we're gonna tear the house down

Hully, hully gully (shake your shoulders)
Slop and Madison, too (hit it)
When you do the twist
to a beat like this
You can Cha Cha with your baby too

Your Papa's sleeping
and your Mama's not around
Your Papa's sleeping
and your Mama's not around

Come on baby
we're gonna tear the house down

Eeyaa (?) Twist
Hey baby

The Cobra's take on "Cha Cha Twist" both speeds it up and rocks it up courtesy of classic Detroit garage guitar crunch. What's interesting on the original is all the stuff going on in the background - all the "Oooohhhhh Aaahhhh", "Cha Cha Cha" and "Wuh Wuh" vocals that run throughout the song. If you listen closely to the Cobra's version you will hear them doing similar things, but buried much deeper in the mix.

I understand this was used for a Diet Coke commercial a few years back. Never saw, but it had to be cool. They did shoot a video for "Cha Cha Twist" (their only video ?) with Meg White as "Little Red Riding Hood". Interestingly enough, it seems to be a different version of the song that was released on "Mink Rat or Rabbit".

Download it now:
Brice Coefield - Cha Cha Twist - 1960 - Madison # 137
Available on - nothing! I paid a guy $3.00 to rip it from his vinyl copy.

Buy "Mink Rat or Rabbit " by the Detroit Cobras