By fayette (205.188.209.38) on Friday, February 21, 2003 - 05:09 pm:

i recently heard a song on the radio and
enjoyed it so much i purchased yet,and to
my surprise the radio version was quite
cleaned up.the lyrics left nothing to the
imagination. how far do you think graphic
lyrics should go. they are obviously selling.

By Dick Gamble (216.93.58.214) on Saturday, February 22, 2003 - 02:09 am:

Graphic lyrics have always sold well. If you can find a copy of a CD called RAUNCHY BUSINESS "Hot Nuts and Lollypops" you'll find songs recorded in the mid 20's to mid 30's full of raunch.That is if you like the Blues...

Songs such as:
Sam the hot dog man
He's just my size
You got to give me some of that.

By RD (63.188.32.129) on Saturday, February 22, 2003 - 09:04 am:

"It Ain't the Meat It's the Motion" and "Shave 'em Dry" were big back in those days too, DG. I got Raunchy Business but not the CD, the cassette, talk about primitive recordings.

By Jim G (205.188.209.38) on Saturday, February 22, 2003 - 10:07 am:

A major difference between 'now' and 'then' was this: Double-entendre was used much more frequently 'then'. Blues artists were adept at sneaking their 'real' meaning past the record company censors. Much of Julie Lee's repertoire had double-entendre songs, like "Come Over To My House (Just don't come too soon)".
Material that was more 'mainstream' was given closer scrutiny, like Benny Goodman's 1935 recording of "Popcorn Man". It was yanked IMMEDIATELY after release supposedly because of the lyrics, which talk about a Popcorn man and popcorn balls. Big deal huh?
Have we become more mature? Or just more relaxed about sexual lyrics?

By R&B (138.238.41.128) on Saturday, February 22, 2003 - 10:12 am:

GRAPHIC OR SUGGESTIVE LYRICS LIKE EM OR NOT ARE A PART OF MUSIC THAT WILL ALWAYS BE.{SIXTY MINUTE MAN,THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE GETTIN GETS GOOD,ROLL WITH ME HENRY,EVEN THE MOTOWN SONGS HAVE THEM,CATFISH MAKES MY NATURE RISE,A STRONG DESIRE FOR MY BABY}.WHAT MAKES TODAYS LYRICS SEEM WORSE IS THAT ALMOST NOTHING IS LEFT TO THE IMAGINATION,WHEREAS BACK IN THE DAY IT WASN'T UP IN YOUR FACE LIKE NOW.

By douglasm (68.113.15.28) on Saturday, February 22, 2003 - 12:14 pm:

How far should they go? I guess that's up to the listener, who makes the ultimate buying decision. Good, well writen, lucid stuff doesn't really bother me, but the use of the word f*%! and other swear words send me up the wall.
By the way, does anyone remember when Doug Clark (?) and His Hot Nuts--along with Rusty Warren were considered risque?
And why do I have Tom Leher's "Smut" running through my mind?

By stephanie (206.214.1.19) on Saturday, February 22, 2003 - 08:35 pm:

Roll with Me Henry and Work with Me Annie!!!
Even as a child I knew they were talking about sex!!!

How about Bubblegum?
"Yummy Yummy Yummy Ive got love in my tummy and I feel like Im loving you"
"Ohhh youre such a sweet thing good enought to eat thing"....Come on now!!!
The 1910 Fruitgum Company..
Steph

By thecount (65.60.201.174) on Sunday, February 23, 2003 - 08:48 am:

"MY BIG 10 INCH"(record of the band playing the blues)
"BULLMOOSE JACKSON"

By Lynn Bruce (65.60.200.153) on Sunday, February 23, 2003 - 10:18 am:

Stoop Down Baby(and let your daddy see)
by Chick Willis--La Val records-226 N.Burdick,Kalamazoo,Michigan-produced by Vic LaVal
Copyright(p) 1972-from the blues L.P.Stoop Down Baby Let Your Daddy See

By Jim G (205.188.209.38) on Sunday, February 23, 2003 - 10:28 am:

Any Detroiters into the blues know about "Stoop Down Baby", I often wondered if Famous Coachman got a cut of the royalties 'cause he played it so often during his radio show...what a great track!

By Lynn Bruce (65.60.200.153) on Sunday, February 23, 2003 - 02:05 pm:

Jim G, I bought"Stoop Down" from the Famous Coachman at his record shop to learn the song to sing in the band I worked with.
-----------------------------------------------
COME ON BABY DON,T YOU BE SO MEAN,LOOK UP ON THE SHELF AND GET THE VASELINE.
I SAID STOOP DOWN BABY AND LET YOUR DADDY SEE YOU GOT SOMETHING DOWN THERE HONEY WORRYING THE HELL OUTTA ME.
--------------------------------------------------
When there were older people in the audience,I would mumble certain parts of the lyrics as this was one of the tamer verses.
Lynn

By Nish (170.224.224.102) on Sunday, February 23, 2003 - 03:07 pm:

What about Little Butchie Saunders "Peppermint Stick" - I mean, the cat makes GRAPHICALLY clear that he isn't talking about candy canes.

And then there's Nolan Strong and the Diablos "Daddy Rockin' Strong..."

"Laundromat Blues," "Chicken Blues," "The Deacon Moves In," "Bicycle Tillie"... these songs, although double entendres, are humorously transparent, to say the least.

By radiogoon (152.163.188.68) on Monday, February 24, 2003 - 06:52 pm:

Man do I miss Coachman...

Dr.Z

By STUBASS (206.135.204.2) on Monday, February 24, 2003 - 06:56 pm:

"LOUIE LOUIE"...YOU KNOW THE PART..."I F*#@ YOU GIRL...AL KINDS OF WAYS"!!!...STU

By thecount (65.60.201.174) on Monday, February 24, 2003 - 07:40 pm:

RAUNCHY ROCK AND ROLL
Think Twice-X virsion,Jackie Wilson& La Vern Baker
dont F--- Around With Love-The Blenders
Bite It-Screamin Jay Hawkins
Get Ready(french style)-Jack and Basil
Baby Let Me Bang Your Box-The Bangers(about a Piano)
The Rotten C-Sers Ball-The Clovers
The Streak----Dont Look Ethel

There are 18 more on this album,but this gives a good idea of whats in the Raunchy Rock and Roll

"COUNT"

By David Meikle (81.131.227.10) on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - 03:54 am:

Is it true that Coachman is pronounced Co-atch-man?

By Jim G (12.47.224.13) on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - 07:18 am:

David,

Nope. Pronounced as 'coachman'. I miss Famous and his show too. A lot. His was a unique voice.
I was honored to work at WDET with him for twenty years.
He had almost no technical chops for radio broadcasting....mic placement, cleaning & cueing records, but he did have two wonderful assistants (Caccey, pron. 'kakki') and 'his adopted son' whose name escapes me at the moment.
They would take care of record cueing and other mundane tasks for the Great Man.
And he had a loving, supportive wife in Olivia.
Famous was a warm, friendly guy with a heart as big as all outdoors.
He believed in the healing power of music in general, and at 3:00 am Sunday morning he'd switch over to 'positive music with a message' and feature two hours of gospel.
His was a voice that gave WDET credentials as a uniquely Detroit radio outlet.
Remember "Look out Chicago, Detroit is on your back?"

By Lynn Bruce (65.60.200.153) on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - 09:35 am:

David, the Coachman had a way of talking that only long time listeners could truly understand. The closest comparison would be like watching the Jamaican movie "THE HARDER THEY COME"with subtitles and halfway thru the movie realize that they are speaking perfect english, just with an accent. The Coachman was like that only with a deep (way deep) southern accent.
Slainte, Lynn

By thecount (65.60.201.174) on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - 10:19 am:

The Famous(Aaron Benjamin)Coachman
I met him in person one nite at the,
MOTOR CITY BREWING HOUSE.
BOBO JENKINS and CHICAGO PETE were there that nite,"COACHMAN" said,hey baby come to my store and see my blues.(somewere I have his card)
Store front sign read,---------,
Coachman's T.V. Records inc. 517-2222
The store was on 6340 Charlevoix&Mt.Elliot.
The Famous Coachman Passed on 12/24/2000.
In 1997 he was fired from WDET,after 20 years of the best in DET.Radio Blues.
My favorite of the "COACHMAN" was when he would be rappin and in the backround would be playing,
GIVIN UP,by DONNA HATHAWAY.
I'll be putting this on cd tonite from a tape I have from many of his taped shows I have.
You would walk in the COACHMAN'S store and he could be seen sitting behind the counter,and the first thing he would say was,"HEY BABY"

RIP Coachman.
(blue's after hours)

"COUNT"

By Vonnie (205.188.209.38) on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - 11:43 am:

Chuck Berry's "My Ding-a-Ling

Vonnie

By Lynn Bruce (65.60.200.153) on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - 11:49 am:

Count, when I heard that WDET had fired the Famous Coachman,I wanted to take the person that was in charge of letting him go and slam his head up against a wall to knock some sense in his pea-brain, instead I calmed down and boycotted the station for a while(except to sneak a listen to the John Penny show). To this day I think it was a stupid move!!!

By john c (12.2.233.107) on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - 03:29 pm:

Stubass,

There are no dirty lines in the Kingsmen version. It's almost word for word the same as Richard Berry's original, which is quite G rated.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - 05:14 pm:

Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels had to re-cut "Sock It To Me Baby" because radio DJs thought he was singing "...Every time you kiss me, it feels like a f--k.."(Mitch was really singing "..feels like a PUNCH..")
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Uptight (24.55.6.144) on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 - 07:03 am:

Remember "The Telephone Man" by a lady named Meri Wilson in the 1970s? I was a kid then and knew this record wasn't about telephone installation. In the last verse, she reveals:

"I got it in the bedroom,
and I got it in the hall,
and I got it in the bathroom,
and he hung it on the wall.

"I got it with the buzz,
and I got it with the ring,
and when he told me what my number was,
I got a ding-a-ling..."

By stephanie (205.187.255.199) on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 - 07:54 am:

Hey Uptight!!
Did you know Meri Wilson died a few months ago in a car accident? She has a website too and it says so there thats so sad..
Steph

By Uptight (24.55.6.144) on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 - 06:55 pm:

Stephani: OMG, that is sad about Meri Wilson. What's the web address? I wanted to know more about her because "The Telephone Man" was the only thing I associated with her.

By Dick Gamble (216.93.11.234) on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 - 07:49 pm:

Uptight,here is the Meri Wilson URL

http://www.meriwilson.com/

Dick

By STUBASS (206.135.204.2) on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 - 07:56 pm:

JOHNC: THAT MAY BE TRUE...BUT AS A BUNCH OF 14 YEAR OLD KIDS...WE SURE CLUNG TO THE HOPE THAT THOSE WERE IN FACT THE WORDS...AND NOBODY COULD DECIPHER ANY DIFFERENT!!!...STU

By Aljaydu (68.18.114.5) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 09:54 am:

Anybody remember when "Let's Make A Baby" by Billy Paul got jerked from off of the airways? Pretty mild by comparison to today's standards.
Four Tops..."Catfish" : "Catfish makes my nature rise". (though comical, too: "Hey, she's from New Orleans. A former beauty queen. Her grandma raised her on collard greens.")

Or The Tops' other song about a prostitute - "Midnight Flower" ( "Midnight Flower, you got the power. Let me buy the things you do, darling, for just one hour. You may never fall in love with me but it don't matter. Jut as long as you and I, darling, can get together").

Once again, pretty tamed if you had to stack it up against today's stuff.

I think back then, there was this air of word play. You know, give'em a little and let them come back for more. You had to "figure it out".
They wrote clever lyrics...
TODAY...we'll that's a different story. It's all up front. No imagination at all. The censor? Always asleep. Sleeping. Snoozing. Drinking. Snorting. Don't care.
I don't listen to the crap !!!

I'm GLAD THAT I'M A '60'S CHILD !!!

By john c (12.2.233.107) on Friday, February 28, 2003 - 03:30 pm:

STUBASS,

You're right. My friends swore the lyrics were dirty, but to me the words were "unintelligable at any speed" at the time.