Hopalong Zimmerman

He Held Your Hand

And He Sang You A Song

Ima kill the discourteous motherfucker.

This is one of the great SUN Records classics, completely hit out of the park by Balladeer Bob Dylan, the rockabilly troubador. I’m serious. Click the picture of Bob to hear the original. I’ll wait. … not bad, right? A bit tinny, and too fast maybe, but a really good song.

Now listen to Bob Dylan’s cover. It’s a zillion times better, and it’s (relatively) recent (2003 I believe).  It’s got swagger, groove, and some of that swampy creeping darkness. Like that point just outside the reach of the streetlight,  where there could be trouble. Dylan growls and wheezes the undercurrent of menace that the song has. Heartbreak and betrayal make guys kill people. They make people crazy. Who you been lovin since I been gone? Answer me.

He was long and tall, had plenty of cash. He had a red Cadillac and a black mustache.

[I just deleted some of the darkest, funniest, most alienating stuff I've written in years. Those who know me know how dark and mean and evil I can get... it was like that but funnier. Horribly, unforgivably awful. I'd rather run through Birmingham on MLK day in a white hood, yelling the n word with middle fingers upraised, than publish what I wrote. Lou Reed and William Burroughs would get up and leave. So.. um... listen to the damn song. It's good]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmTWrBmjRsE

more cat pictures

Rockabilly week was a huge success. I actually have traffic. People read this blog. As a thank you to the fine folks at Planet Zeppelin for the clicks (I joined your board, but I am awaiting moderation), I give you locats.
Also, oddly enough, Harvey Korman’s passing coincided with my posting of a clip from History of the World Part 1, featuring the late Mr. Korman. I’m sorry he died. He was hilarious.
Ok, so we’ll see who I mark for death next, in the Youdopia Premonition Laughorama. Stay tuned.

This is from (I think) 2001, and features Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and the late, and legendary Ahmet Ertegun (whose memorial concert featured the reunion of Led Zeppelin) performing My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It. It was for the album, A Tribute To Sun Records. Ahmet produced this track, as he produced the Honeydrippers album 25 years ago. Enjoy.

I don’t know why, but I’m on a rockabilly kick. It started with the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss business, jumped to Neil Young, and now it’s Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. This show was neat, in that it was a strictly rockabilly set, even though they did play Heart In Your Hand, that’s a lonesome reverb song as well. Good stuff for the rockabilly fans. The boys stay true, and really play the style. I like Jimmy’s little riffs. This is the music he cut his teeth on.

I remember this from the good old video days of MTV. If I recall correctly, the director/editor cut out every fifth frame (or something) to give the video that herky jerky look. I don’t know whose idea it was to make Neil look like a transient. Probably his. Great song. Great mono mix. Great video. Tap them toes. It ain’t armegeddon yet.