Rock and Roll

[Terry B]

Tonight I was watching the theory session from March of this year on Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane" again, and near the end there was some discussion about his song "Rock and Roll" on the same album that had similar soloing and might be fun to do next month. But then Griff was reminded that the Mitch Ryder version of that song had previously been looked at in 2020 and that was that.

In listening to both versions of the song, there is enough difference in approach to take another look at the one from the Rock and Roll Animal album, if for no other reason than to take another deep dive into the soloing styles of Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter.

 

[JohnHurley]

+1 on this yeah I have to go back to that session

 

[mountain man]

Tonight I was watching the theory session from March of this year on Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane" again, and near the end there was some discussion about his song "Rock and Roll" on the same album that had similar soloing and might be fun to do next month. But then Griff was reminded that the Mitch Ryder version of that song had previously been looked at in 2020 and that was that.

In listening to both versions of the song, there is enough difference in approach to take another look at the one from the Rock and Roll Animal album, if for no other reason than to take another deep dive into the soloing styles of Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter.

I fully agree! Lou Reed's Rock n Roll Animal as performed with Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter on guitars is a classic! Are they just playing pentatonic? If not I'd really like to know what scales they are using.... I hadn't really even heard of Mitch Ryder before....

 

[Terry B]

I hadn't really even heard of Mitch Ryder before....

It's been said that Velvet Underground, Lou Reed's first band didn't sell many records, but everyone who bought one started a rock and roll band. I guess Mitch bought one of those records.

 

[mountain man]

It's been said that Velvet Underground, Lou Reed's first band didn't sell many records, but everyone who bought one started a rock and roll band. I guess Mitch bought one of those records.

Several years ago I found the sheet music for Rock-n-roll. It's pretty basic. But as you say, what the heck are Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter playing?

 

[MikeS]

It's been said that Velvet Underground, Lou Reed's first band didn't sell many records, but everyone who bought one started a rock and roll band. I guess Mitch bought one of those records.

I've got one. I saw them walking & playing in Washington Square park one summer afternoon.

 

[Terry B]

I've got one. I saw them walking & playing in Washington Square park one summer afternoon.

Well there ya go. You've played in a pretty good band over the past several years.

 

[Terry B]

Several years ago I found the sheet music for Rock-n-roll. It's pretty basic. But as you say, what the heck are Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter playing?

Wagner and Hunter were studio musicians through the 70's, heavily favoured by Producer Bob Ezrin who was involved in some of the top albums of the era including those by Alice Cooper, Kiss and Aerosmith in addition to Lou Reed.

Fun fact, Ezrin didn't think Joe Perry and Brad Whitford were good enough guitarists when producing the Get Your Wings album, so he brought Hunter and Wagner in to do the guitar parts on Train Kept a Rollin'. They received no credit on the album but were paid a few hundred each for their work that day, as is customary. I've seen Aerosmith in recent years and Perry and Whitford have learned to play that song now.

Dick Wagner died following a stroke about 10 years ago, and Steve Hunter was still writing a column in Guitar Player magazine a few years ago.

 

[BraylonJennings]

I saw the Lou Reed Rock and Roll animal tour in '74, or thereabouts, Hunter and Wagner were incredible as were Reed and the rest of the band. One of the best shows I've seen. Hall & Oates opened in a strange pairing.
Perry and Whitford were dang good back then also, but Ezrin was a genius producer so probably a perfectionist.

 

[JohnHurley]

I hadn't really even heard of Mitch Ryder before....

Wait Mitch Ryder aka Detroit aka Detroit Wheels?

Devil with the Blue Dress?

Everyone was covering their song Rock and Roll back in the days.

Let me find a couple links.

 

[dvs]

For the record, Mitch Ryder/Detroit in 1971 covered the song Rock N Roll. It was written in the late 1960s by Lou Reed and first performed and recorded by him with Velvet Underground.

 

[mountain man]

Wait Mitch Ryder aka Detroit aka Detroit Wheels?

Devil with the Blue Dress?

Everyone was covering their song Rock and Roll back in the days.

Let me find a couple links.

Mitch Ryder wasn't anyone to us Northern CA people. Maybe if you were from Detroit or the Midwest. I obviously heard of Devil with the Blue Dress. A lot of bands did that one too. It was written in 1964 by Shorty Long and William "Mickey" Stevenson prior to Mitch Ryder. I mainly remember the song from the movie Blind Date with Bruce Willis and Kim Basinger.

 

[david moon]

Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels- blue eyed soul out of Detroit in the late 60s. I had an LP with "Devil in a Blue Dress" , "Latin Lupe Lu" and others. That "Rock and Roll" song came later.

2011 Detroit All Star Revue » Mitch Ryder Little Latin Lupe Lu

In the 1960's Mitch Ryder fused explosive soul singing and high energy rock 'n roll in a style that came to characterize and influence all subsequent Detroit...

youtu.be

 

[JohnHurley]

For the record, Mitch Ryder/Detroit in 1971 covered the song Rock N Roll. It was written in the late 1960s by Lou Reed and first performed and recorded by him with

Shoot yes of course i totally forgot that im getting old thanks!

 

[david moon]

Here's another

Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels

Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels - 1989

youtu.be

 

[PapaRaptor]

Mitch Ryder wasn't anyone to us Northern CA people. Maybe if you were from Detroit or the Midwest. I obviously heard of Devil with the Blue Dress. A lot of bands did that one too. It was written in 1964 by Shorty Long and William "Mickey" Stevenson prior to Mitch Ryder. I mainly remember the song from the movie Blind Date with Bruce Willis and Kim Basinger.

Ryder had a hit (#10 on Billboard) in 1965 with "Jenny Take a Ride." Ryder's medley of "Devil With the Blue Dress / Good Golly Miss Molly" was released in 1966, which went to #4 on Billboard's national chart. Arguably, had it not been for the MItch Ryder version, no one would have ever heard of it. The first version, written and recorded by Shorty Long did not chart nationally in any market. Ryder also recorded "Sock It To Me Baby," which went to #6 on Billboard in 1967. Ryder appeared regularly on American Bandstand, Shindig, The Lloyd Thaxton show, and several other shows of that era. He got a lot of exposure from those shows, covering a lot of tunes that had been hits for others,

The film "Blind Date" was released in 1987, well after Ryder's 15 minutes of fame.

 

[david moon]

Ryder had a hit (#10 on Billboard) in 1965 with "Jenny Take a Ride." Ryder's medley of "Devil With the Blue Dress / Good Golly Miss Molly" was released in 1966, which went to #4 on Billboard's national chart. Arguably, had it not been for the MItch Ryder version, no one would have ever heard of it. The first version, written and recorded by Shorty Long did not chart nationally in any market. Ryder also recorded "Sock It To Me Baby," which went to #6 on Billboard in 1967. Ryder appeared regularly on American Bandstand, Shindig, The Lloyd Thaxton show, and several other shows of that era. He got a lot of exposure from those shows, covering a lot of tunes that had been hits for others,

The film "Blind Date" was released in 1987, well after Ryder's 15 minutes of fame.

Thanks for that research.

Mitch Ryder had a major influence on my musical tastes coming of age in the late 60s, maybe as much as the Beatles, Stones, (and as I later realized, Motown).

R & B was much more available than "pure" blues.

 

[mountain man]

The film "Blind Date" was released in 1987, well after Ryder's 15 minutes of fame.

That should tell you how knowledgeable I was of Mitch Ryder. I must admit, when I first watched the movie I didn't know who wrote it or even who recorded it for the movie. Sure I had heard the song somewhere before but I couldn't tell you where or when. I didn't spend my weekends watching many American Bandstand shows.... As you say, he had 15 minutes of fame and unfortunately I missed it. I might be 65 now but in 1965 I was 8.

The old Blues to me is more timeless.....

 

[PapaRaptor]

I might be 65 now but in 1965 I was 8.

Well, that's probably the most valid reason one could have for not knowing it.

 

[david moon]

Well, that's probably the most valid reason one could have for not knowing it.

In 1965 I was 15. What a difference a few years makes.

Papa re: song of the day, Gary Hoey did a Christmas show before the pandemic. I saw it a couple of times and it was entertaining. Called a Ho Ho Hoey Christmas.

Gary Hoey The Twelve Days Of Christmas From "Live In Lowell" DVD

here's a song from my first live DVD Ho Ho Hoey "Live In Lowell" You can buy the full DVD now at http://www.garyhoey.portmerch.com/stores/home.php Thanks!

youtu.be