THE PRETENDERS - "Back on the Chain Gang"

The Pretenders
"Back on the Chain Gang"
Single - B-side: "My City Was Gone"
Released: Oktober 1982
Album: Learning to Crawl (Released: January 1984)
Writer: Chrissie Hynde
Label: Sire

"Back on the Chain Gang" is a song written by Chrissie Hynde and originally recorded by her band, the Pretenders, and released as single by Sire Records in October 1982. The song was also released on The King of Comedy soundtrack album in March 1983 and was later included on the Pretenders' next album Learning to Crawl in January 1984. This was the first Pretenders single featuring Billy Bremner and Tony Butler, who replaced Farndon and Honeyman-Scott.

The Pretenders' single "Back on the Chain Gang" 1982
(Photo courtesy of Sire)

The Pretenders - "Back on the Chain Gang" (music video)

"Back on the Chain Gang" was recorded after James Honeyman-Scott, the Pretenders guitarist, died of a drug overdose at the age of 25 on June 16, 1982. This came two days after the Pretenders fired their longtime bassist, Pete Farndon, because of his drug abuse problem. Hynde wrote "Back on the Chain Gang" as a memorial to Honeyman-Scott, and she dedicated it to him.

The "picture of you" Chrissie Hynde sings about is a picture she found in her wallet of Ray Davies, leader of the band The Kinks. Hynde and Davies were a couple and had a daughter together. This song started off about him, but the meaning changed when Honeyman-Scott died. This is a very emotional song. Chrissie Hynde sometimes tears up when performing it.

The hammering sounds and the chain-gang chant heard during the chorus of the song echoes the earlier production of Sam Cooke's song "Chain Gang", released in 1960.

A Chain Gang is a group of convicts who are chained together while they do manual labor, usually outside.

The Pretenders' album Learning to Crawl, 1984
(Photo courtesy of Sire)

The Pretenders - "Back on the Chain Gang" 

(from the album Learning to Crawl, 1984)

In an interview with Guitar Player in 1992, George Harrison claimed that "Back On The Chain Gang" utilizes a chord that he had "invented" and incorporated into the Beatles song "I Want to Tell You": "That's an E7 with an F on top and I'm really proud of that because I invented that chord… There's only been one other song, to my knowledge, where somebody copped that chord - Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders on 'Back On The Chain Gang.'"

The Pretenders 1980's
(Photo courtesy of  Rhino.com)

In 1995, the American singer Selena recorded a Spanish-language song "Fotos y recuerdos" using the melody of "Back On The Chain Gang".

Line-up / Musicians:

Chrissie Hynde – vocal, guitar

Martin Chambers – drums

Billy Bremner – lead guitar

Tony Butler – bass

Links / Reviews:

Wikipedia: Back on the Chain Gang

Songfacts: Back On The Chain Gang by The Pretenders

EAGLES - "Tequila Sunrise"

Eagles
"Tequila Sunrise"
Single / B-side: "Twenty-One"
Released: 17 April 1973
Album: Desperado (Released: 17 April 1973)
Writers: Don Henley, Glenn Frey
Label: Asylum

"Tequila Sunrise" is a 1973 song by American rock band the Eagles. It was the first single from the band's second album Desperado.

Eagles' single "Tequila Sunrise", 1973 (front cover)

Eagles - "Tequila Sunrise" (1973)

Glenn Frey and Don Henley wrote this song together, and Frey sang lead. Along with "Desperado," it was one of two songs they came up with the first week that they started writing together. The songs formed the basis for a Western theme, with Frey and Henley comparing the life of a cowboy to that of a musician. "Tequila Sunrise" shows the transient nature of each job, as the singer falls for a woman who just wants to use him and move on. The theme didn't immediately connect with the buying public, but the songs stood the test of time and became staples of the Eagles catalog. Bon Jovi would later borrow the idea for their 1986 hit "Wanted Dead Or Alive."

A Tequila Sunrise is a drink made with Tequila and orange juice. Some grenadine is poured on top to create the red and orange colors of a sunrise. "Tequila Sunrise" is also the name of a 1988 movie starring Kurt Russell and Mel Gibson.

This song, however, doesn't refer to the drink, but is about a guy who has been drinking straight tequila until the sun comes up.

Eagles' single: "Tequila Sunrise" , 1973

Eagles - "Tequila Sunrise" (from the album Desperado)

The line, "Take another shot of courage" refers to how if you drink tequila, it will give you courage to talk to women (although not coherently). The Eagles, who knew their way around a tavern, used to refer to tequila as "instant courage" at a time then they needed some to approach the ladies.

In the liner notes of 2003's The Very Best Of, Don Henley had this to say about the song: "I believe that was a Glenn title. I think he was ambivalent about it because he thought that it was a bit too obvious or too much of a cliché because of the drink that was so popular then. I said, 'No-Look at it from a different point of view. You've been drinking straight tequila all night and the sun is coming up!' It turned out to be a really great song."

Eagles - "Tequila Sunrise" (live)

Eagles, Desperado photo shoot (Photo by: Henry Diltz)

A cover version was recorded by country music singer Alan Jackson on the 1993 tribute album Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles. South African singer Ray Dylan included a version on his album "Goeie Ou Country vol 3".

Line-up / Musicians:

Glenn Frey: Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar

Don Henley: Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals

Randy Meisner: Bass, Backing Vocals

Bernie Leadon: Electric Guitar, Mandolin, Backing Vocals

Links / Reviews:

Wikipedia: Tequila Sunrise (song), Desperado - Eagles (album)

Allmusic: Tequila Sunrise by Eagles

THE DOORS - "Love Me Two Times"

The Doors
"Love me Two Times"
Single / B-side: "Moonlight Drive"
Released:: November 1967
Album: Strange Days (Released: 25 September 1967)
Writer: Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison, John Desmore
Label: Elektra
________________________________________________________

"Love Me Two Times" is a song by The Doors. It was written by the band and first appeared on the 1967 album Strange Days. It was released as the second single (after "People Are Strange") from that album, and reached number 25 on the charts in the US.

The Doors' single "Love Me Two Times" (France single cover)
(Courtesy of Elektra / thedoors.com)

The Doors - "Love Me Two Times" (single 45 rpm)

This was released as a single in December, 1967, the same month Jim Morrison was arrested at a show in New Haven when he delivered an on-stage rant against a police officer who confronted him backstage with a young girl. This incident, combined with the rather suggestive lyrics of "Love Me Two Times," enhanced the dark, rebellious image of The Doors, but also scared them away from some family-friendly radio stations that refused to play the song. I reached its chart peak of #25 on January 13, 1968, but have done a lot better if Morrison's baggage wasn't attached to it.

Ray Manzarek played the final version of this song on a harpsichord, not a clavichord. See Ray Manzarek's book Light My Fire on page 258.

The Doors' single "Love Me Two Times" (Dutch single cover)
(Courtesy of Elektra / thedoors.com)

The Doors - "Love Me Two Times" (Europe 1968)

Doors guitarist Robby Krieger wrote this song after their keyboard player Ray Manzarek implored the band members to go home and write some songs. Krieger came up with this one "Light My Fire" in about an hour. It was a rare Doors song where lead singer Jim Morrison did not contribute lyrics.

Krieger's lyrics were inspired by both The Doors going on the road and American soldiers going to Vietnam. The theme is sex as a way to survive in strange times, and the need to be "loved two times" before going away.

Through most of the song, Jim Morrison left off the "s" in "two times," creating a double meaning to the phrase.

The Doors - "Love Me Two Times" (Stage performance, Europe, 1968)

The Doors performance - Danish TV, Copenhagen, 1968

"Love Me Two Times" was covered by Aerosmith for the soundtrack of the 1990 film Air America (whose producers, Carolco Pictures, would also produce a biopic about the Doors) and was also played at the band's MTV Unplugged performance that same year, where lead singer Steven Tyler dedicated the song to Jim Morrison, who performed with the Doors at the same venue of the Unplugged performance, the Ed Sullivan Theater, several years prior. The 1990 cover reached number 27 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. In 2001, the song was included on their greatest hits album, Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology. In addition, their version was included on the Doors tribute album Stoned Immaculate.

The Doors - "Love Me Two Times" (album Strange Days,1967)

In 2000, the surviving members of the Doors taped a VH1 Storytellers episode with guest vocalists filling in for Morrison. Pat Monahan from Train sang on this.

It was also covered by pianist George Winston on his album Night Divides the Day – The Music of the Doors.

The song is also briefly covered in the song "Bitchin' Camaro" by the Dead Milkmen, albeit with slightly altered lyrics.

"Love Me Two Times" was also covered by Joan Jett, and included on the compilation The Hit List.

Line-up / Musicians:
Jim Morrison – vocals, percussion
Ray Manzarek – Vox Continental organ, harpsichord 
Robby Krieger – guitar
John Densmore – drum
With
Douglas Lubahn – bass guitar

Links / Reviews:
Wikipedia: Love Me Two Times
Songfacts: Love Me Two Times by The Doors
The Doors official website: thedoors.com - songs Love Me Two Times
Rateyourmusic: The Doors - Love Me Two Times / Moonlight Drive