The Stories Behind The Songs

[Mistermoonlight]

This is a thread to tell the background of songs. The stories about how they came to be. Please add the ones you know.

We'll start with a song that most folks don't know is actually about a dog.

Henry Gross started as a founding member of the 1950s revival group Sha-Na-Na. At the age of 18 he appeared with the group at Woodstock, wowing the audience. You can see him in this clip on lead guitar during "Wipeout." He was the youngest person to play at the Woodstock festival in 1968.



He left the group in 1970.



Henry became friends with Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys, and wrote a song about the death of Carl's dog named Shannon. He'd hoped to have Carl on the album with him, but scheduling would not allow it, so the album was released, and as it turned out went gold in 1976 due to the song 'Shannon.' Most folks think the Beach Boys are singing background, but it's actually Henry Gross doing overdubs of the harmonies he loved by them.

By the way, there is a very famous Casey Kasem rant involving this song that's so off-color I can't post it here, but it's funny. Just do a search for 'Casey Kasem Dog Rant' on YouTube and you'll find it.

[mercurytheatre]

I have heard that rant

[mercurytheatre]

From Wiki:.......

Terry Reid (born 13 November 1949, Huntingdon, England) is an English rock vocalist and guitarist. He has performed with high profile musicians, as a supporting act, a session musician, and sideman.

After leaving school at the age of 15, Reid joined Peter Jay's Jaywalkers after being spotted by the band's drummer, Peter Jay. At the time Reid was playing for a local band, The Redbeats. His public profile was enhanced in 1966 when The Jaywalkers were named as a support act for The Rolling Stones for their concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Graham Nash of The Hollies became friends with Reid at that concert and suggested The Jaywalkers sign up with Columbia Records to record with producer John Burgess. Their first single, the Soul-inspired "The Hand Don't Fit the Glove" was a minor hit in 1967, but by then The Jaywalkers had already decided to disband.
Reid came to the attention of hits producer Mickie Most, who became his manager. His first single with Most, "Better By Far," became a radio favourite, but the album, Bang Bang, You're Terry Reid, was not a commercial success. A 1968 tour of the United States with Cream did much to gain Reid a loyal following. His final performance of the tour at the Miami Pop Festival garnered positive reviews from the music press.
The song "Without Expression" by Reid and Graham Nash, from Bang Bang, You're Terry Reid, was recorded by The Hollies in 1968 as "A Man With No Expression" and by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in 1969 as "Horses Through a Rainstorm", with Nash singing lead on both. Both versions were not released until years later.[1]

Yardbirds guitarist Jimmy Page became interested in Reid's work, and when The Yardbirds disbanded, Page wanted Reid to fill the vocalist spot for his proposed new group, the New Yardbirds, which was to become Led Zeppelin. Reid had already committed to go on the road with Cream (as an opening act on the 1968 US Tour). So he suggested to Page that he consider a young Birmingham based singer, Robert Plant, instead, having previously seen Plant's Band of Joy as a support act at one of his concerts. Reid later was offered a position as a member of Deep Purple when they decided to replace singer Rod Evans; Ian Gillan was given the position instead.
In 1969, Reid supported various British tours, notably Jethro Tull and Fleetwood Mac. Reid toured the United States again when he opened for The Rolling Stones on their 1969 American Tour. He did not appear at the infamous Rolling Stones concert at Altamont Music Festival.[2]

[mercurytheatre]

From Wiki:...





"That'll Be the Day" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison and recorded by various artists including The Crickets and Linda Ronstadt. It was also the first song to be recorded (just as a demonstration disc) by The Quarrymen, the skiffle group that subsequently became The Beatles.[4] Although Norman Petty was given a co-writing credit on it, he was not actually involved in the composition, but only in the production of this well-known recording.[5]


The song had its genesis in a trip to the movies by Holly, Allison and Sonny Curtis in June 1956. The John Wayne film The Searchers was playing. Wayne's frequently-used, world-weary catchphrase, "that'll be the day" inspired the young musicians.

[mercurytheatre]

Actually one of my favorite movies........

[avp60685]

Superman (It's Not Easy)
by
Five For Fighting

This song is about trying to fit in. It's written from Superman's point of view. The superhero is portrayed as misunderstood and not as powerful as people see him: "I'm only a man in a funny red sheet." Superman may be invincible, but he has feelings too, and while he's off saving the world he sometimes wonders if anyone thinks about what he is going through.

The song reflects what John Ondrasik (who is Five For Fighting) felt at the time. He later explained: "I've learned 10 years later that it's pretty damn easy to be me. I could never write that song now."
This became very popular after the September 11 attacks. The reflective tone fit very well with the mood of the United States, and many radio stations put it in heavy rotation. Ondrasik heard from emergency workers and others who found it a source of comfort after the attacks.

Ondrasik performed this song on October 20, 2001 at the "Concert For New York," a tribute to the police, firefighters, and rescue workers involved in the World Trade Center Attacks. It was a very touching moment, and he called this performance "the most important thing I'll ever do musically." Ondrasik stood next to James Taylor and Pete Townshend at the end of the show when they all sang "Let It Be."
At the end of the video, John Ondrasik lies in the bed with his own wife and son.
The band name comes from a hockey term. If you get a penalty for fighting, you serve 5 minutes in the penalty box.
Superman does not appear in the lyrics and the character was not used in any promotional materials for it. Since Superman is owned by DC Comics, Ondrasik had to be careful not to violate the copyright. Chuck Berry found this out when he had to turn over royalties for "Run Rudolph Run" to the owners of the Rudolph character, as his song told a detailed story about the reindeer.