Song Lyric Sunday: Doctor! Doctor!

Posted on by

 

For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday Jim is asking us to play a song that mentions doctor, cure, heal, treat or drugs. You can read what he says about this in his post, Doctors’ Day, in which he tells us that this is a special day in the US to recognise what doctors do for us. Amongst their collection of weird and wonderful special days this one stands out as a good one. I had quite a few possible choices for this but have settled on two, both from back in the Seventies. The ‘doctors’ involved aren’t really the medical type, but so what! They are both great tunes, and that’s what counts for me.

I’m starting with something a little laid back to ease you into your Sunday. This is a video in which the original recorded version has been synced with a live performance, but it’s very well done and you’d be hard pressed to see the joins:

In case you didn’t recognise it, that was Little Feat with Rock & Roll Doctor. And before I forget, here are the lyrics:

There was a woman in Georgia didn’t feel just right

She had fever all day and chills at night

Now things got worse, yes a serious bind

At times like this it takes a man with such style I cannot often find

A doctor of the heart and a doctor of mind

 
If you like country with a boogie beat he’s the man to meetIf you like the sound of shufflin’ feet he can’t be beatIf you wanna feel real nice, just ask the Rock and Roll doctor’s advice
 
It’s just a country town but patients comeFrom Mobile to Moline from miles aroundNagodoches to New OrleansIn beat-up old cars or in limousinesTo meet the doctor of soul, he’s got his very own thing
 
Two degrees in be-bop, a PHD in swingHe’s the master of rhythm he’s a rock and roll king
 
If you like country with a boogie beat he’s the man to meet (he’s the man to meet)If you like the sound of shufflin’ feet he can’t be beat(I say he can’t be beat)If you…If you wannaIf you wanna feel real nice, just ask the Rock and Roll doctor’s advice
 
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Martin Fyodor Kibbee / Lowell T George
Rock and Roll Doctor lyrics © Naked Snake Music
 
Little Feat is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1969 by lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George, bassist Roy Estrada (both formerly of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention), keyboardist Bill Payne, and drummer Richie Hayward. The band’s classic line-up, in place by late 1972, comprised George, Payne, Hayward, bassist Kenny Gradney, guitarist and vocalist Paul Barrere, and percussionist Sam Clayton. George disbanded them because of creative differences shortly before his death in 1979, but the surviving members re-formed the band in 1987 and they have remained active to the present day: Payne, Clayton and Gradney are still with them. The band’s name came from a comment made by Zappa, when he remarked that George had ‘little feet’ – the change of spelling was apparently in homage to The Beatles.
 
Rock & Roll Doctor was the opening track on the band’s fourth album, Feats Don’t Fail Me Now, which was released in August 1974 and reached #36 in the US and #40 in Canada, but didn’t make the UK charts. It wasn’t released as a single at the time, but did become one when a re-recorded version was included on the compilation album Hoy-Hoy! – this came out in July 1981, and peaked at #39 in the US and #76 in the UK. Second time around the single made #34 in the US Mainstream Rock Chart, based on radio airplay. Trivia about this was a little hard to find, but I did find this from the review in Rolling Stone magazine:
 
“The syncopations of “Rock and Roll Doctor” are riveting but the tune’s overall format is too choppy to be uplifting. Yet along with the title song, “Down The Road,” and guitarist Paul Barrere’s “Skin It Back,” it qualifies as fine dance music.”
 
It seems that even in those days the ability to be pretentious was on the person spec to write for Rolling Stone – some things never change. And I’d have liked to see him trying to dance to this!

Today’s second tune is another great oldie, from the end of that same decade:

Robert Palmer and his usual ‘backing band’ with Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor). The track was first released in May 1979 as a single, ahead of its inclusion the following month as the opening track on his fifth album, Secrets. The album reached #19 in the US but only made #54 here in the UK, for some inexplicable reason, but it rated best in Canada, where it got to #4. It was one that I bought at the time and played to bits: I’d been following his career ever since the early days, when I saw him as a member of the band Vinegar Joe, with the amazing Elkie Brooks – if you only know her later, laid back style you missed out!

Like the album the single didn’t do all that well in the UK, only getting to #61, but it fared much better in the US, reaching #14. Again, it scored best in Canada, where it went to #1. No accounting for taste, is there, but I think the Canadians were right. The song was written by an American singer-songwriter of whom I had never heard – John ‘Moon’ Martin. He released his version in 1978, but it didn’t make the charts anywhere until Robert Palmer picked it up and recorded it. It still sounds great today, and those trademark ladies always liven up his videos! Sadly, Robert left us in 2003 at the age of just 54. He suffered a heart attack, which was thought to have been brought on by years of smoking – a pity he didn’t heed the doctors’ warnings, really.

That’s my pair of doctors for you, and I hope you enjoyed them. Thanks as always to Jim for running the show – I can’t imagine my blogging week without SLS! See you again for another staple, Tuesday Tunes 🎶

59 thoughts on “Song Lyric Sunday: Doctor! Doctor!”

  1. Great essay! I’ve seen Little Feat twice (w/ Barreré, post Lowell) and they really cooked. One of my faves.

    Different note, Clive (and speaking of favorites): I’m doing a top 10 favorite rock album series on my blog. Would you like to contribute? Just need your list of 10, in order of preference, with maybe a bit of editorial. Strictly rock or rock-related. I’ll give you a shoutout and link to your blog. You can list here, or comment anywhere on my blog (www.peterkurtz.wordpress.com), or send to my email. Hope you can join the festivities!

    P.S. I started my blog in October 2012, same as you. Congrats on (our) longevity!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you, I’m glad you liked it. And I’m envious that you’ve seen them play live!

      Thank you for the invitation. I’ll probably take you up on it, once I’ve managed to get a list of ten together! I just hope that my definition of ‘rock or rock-related’ fits with yours! I’ll get back to you on it.

      It’s good to meet another long timer – though I haven’t always posted as frequently as my three a week nowadays!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • No rush on the list! I’m publishing them Fridays and have about 6 “critics” ahead of you. Yeah, trying to stick with rock (or pop) but it’s pretty loose. For example, Miles’s Bitches Brew (fusion) would fit, but Kind of Blue? Anyway, you get the picture! 😆

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Pingback: Farewell March | Take It Easy

  6. Two different style, one a nice dirty shuffle the other big and bras, crisp and well honed. Both great music; there’s room for so much good stuff in the broad swathes of styles out there.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. I love Little Feat Clive…great choice. I like Palmer but I like to see people remember Little Feat. One of…if not the most talented band at the time…the Allmans and Little Feat had some of the best musicians.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • That slide guitar was a Little Feat trademark, so much a part of their sound.

      Robert Palmer was the epitome of style. When I saw Vinegar Joe Elkie Brooks was a bundle of energy and he was Mr Cool 😊

      Like

      Reply

  11. That slide guitar on Rock & Roll Doctor adds a Jackson Browne feel to this song. Robert Palmer knew that she liked it on top, so why not let her express herself, as that should be best for both of them. Great choices for the theme today, Clive.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  14. Great picks, Clive! It’s been a minute since I heard anything by Little Feat; their song was a fun listen this AM.
    There was a time when I had a thing for Robert Palmer; back then he was the essence of sophisticated coolness – quite different from his peers. His song is my clear winner from your two selections today.
    Good Sunday to you, Clive, and thanks for the tunes!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  16. Thank you , Clive I will check that out….Yes I don’t know why they keep changing the clocks we are now back to 6 hrs ahead of you.. No we didn’t luckily… when we first came to Thailand we felt the after shocks but weere in Phuket then but it was scary enoughn that was some 13yrs ago…we were just thankful this time as our grandson Aston was in Bangkok for a few days and flew to the UK on Thursday so just missed the earthquake..he is now freezing cold and missing the bum guns as not as popular in the UK but he’ll have to get used to plain old toilet roll…haha xxx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  19. The Little feat song was a new one on me, and I have to go with the Rolling Stone review on that one, it was a bit choppy, but the lyrics were good. Then your second choice, Bad Case of Loving You, well, what’s not to like about that one! Thanks, Clive.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  21. Vaguely aware of (and very much like) the Little Feat track, but the wonderful Robert Palmer! If you don’t have them his Greatest Hits volume one and two is a peerless selection of wonderful music. Brilliant as ever Clive.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I’m pleased you enjoyed them, Carol. Little Feat are a favourite of mine – you should check them out! Try Long Distance Love, from The Last Record Album if you don’t already know it, it’s a beauty. It’s been ok so far, thank you, but a bit short as the clocks went forward last night! Hope everything is ok with you and you didn’t suffer from the earthquake xx

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Please leave a reply, I'd like to know what you think