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MY LAST BAND

from Tune Rider by Gordon Michaels

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about

…a very personal one…wrote mentally first 1983? while swinging son Derek age 2?3? on the swing set outside our townhouse in Middle River, MD…I was getting tired of the music biz and contemplating a move into another line of work or at least a long healthy leave of absence from music…it seemed as if all of things I had tried and different bands I was in all ended up disintegrating into nothingness and being broke…I was father/husband for the first time and was looking for stability…autobiographical touches—flashback to garage bands in the mid-60’s with Silvertone amplifier (from Montgomery Ward).. learning Beatles and Rolling Stones cover songs a few years after the emotional cataclysm of President Kennedy’s assassination…reverb and tremolo were the hi-tech of the day…flash forward to feeling like this could be my last band right around the final months of the first Gordon Michaels Band…second verse moves us into the late 60’s early/70’s…demonstrations in the street against the Vietnam War…fuzz tones and wah-wah’s were hip…mid to late 70’s---disco craze—meanwhile we were too cool for all that…wanted hard and progressive rock…crank up the Marshalls!!...separating our hip little crew from the larger population of thrill seekers…wanted something more psychedelic-mind expanding like hashish—not satisfied with the mere physical lethargic giggle of Quaaludes……[Bridge One]-always get a gig playing classic rock or rockabilly in smoky little bars for little or damn close to no money...grab an acoustic and play folky stuff in those little bars & restaurants…however, tired of people asking for the same old songs…[Bridge Two] always keeping the dream alive of somehow “making it” and hearing your stuff on radio but club owners/agents/audiences mostly want to hear music they are familiar with so you have to put in the time to learn and play cover music to get jobs to make money to pay rent…last verse—still playing music and nothing really changes but who’s making a profit on all this…. musicians still don’t make much money (It goes into the pockets of club/bar owners and alcohol distributors (original lyrics “We push some booze and make some noise”)— a note of nostalgia for the inspiration of the Kennedy years…now just a name for an Airport— “just another show” a comment on the phoniness of it all “show” here has a double meaning…and basically the music business structure doesn’t change much although the sound does due to technological inventions and progress—(see David Byrne’s excellent book about music—he’s from Baltimore by the way…has a reference to Frankie and The Spindles—a Baltimore soul band from mid 60’s and the Bluesette Club in his book)…Ron’s sizzling guitar I think I said, “play like Chuck berry, Keith Richards” but of course he adds the great country-rock lick at the end of the solo…

lyrics

MY LAST BAND
When JFK was gone we took to the garages
Beat out a sound on our Silvertones
We had the reverb we had tremolo
We knew some Beatles we knew some Stones
This could be my last band baby now
This could be my last band
This could be my last band baby now
This could be my last band
When Vietnam was hot we took to the streets yea!
Beat out a sound that was brave and free
We had the fuzz tones we had them wah-wah’s
We grew our hair ‘til we could not see
[Chorus]
We couldn’t hustle so we hid from the disco
Beat out a sound that was loud and brash
We had the Marshall’s cranked up to 11
We sold some Quaaludes to buy some hash
[Chorus]
Playin’ rockabilly in a funky little bar-N-grill
A little acoustic duo down in Margaritaville
Somebody wants to hear “Twist N Shout”
You know I had my fill—had my fill!

Tryin’ to get my songs on the radio
But I gotta keep ‘em out on the dance floor
With somethin’ that they already know
Sneakin’ out to the van for a couple of blows

And nothing changes but the pockets where the money goes
And every night is just another show
And JFK is just a name for an airport
And baby this is just to let you know
[Chorus]

credits

from Tune Rider, released October 8, 2020
Gordon Michaels: vocals, rhythm electric guitar, bass, keyboard
Ron Turner: lead electric guitars
Mike Kanter: drums

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Gordon Michaels Baltimore, Maryland

Gordon Michaels is a singer songwriter living in Parkville, Maryland with his wife Mary Ann and his dog, Mazie. Jack of Hearts and Tune Rider are Gordon's first album releases since his debut Stargazer on A&M Horizon Records in 1979. Gordon splits his time between writing, recording and teaching at Towson University. ... more

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