Excerpt:
Ghosts is a song about one of the most important American musical cities. Memphis was always important to Ian from his own tale reported in Diary of a Rock 'n' Roll Star, and followed up by Ian's November 2014 visit to Sun Record Studios, and probably the impetus for him to record with the label for Defiance Vol. 1. There is a tasty acoustic guitar, bubbly bass, and an enticing tempo to the song. The song starts as a mythical calling to make music as the walrus seems to be the muse of music since the word is most closely associated with John Lennon's song of gibberish and word play in I Am The Walrus. The pyramids refer to the Memphis Pyramid on the Mississippi which has served as an entertainment and sports center.
Rick Steph got a private tour of Sun for the band as his father had played for Elvis Presley. The "crosses on the floor" refers to the small, perfectly circular gouges in the floor from years of upright basses and tape on the floor marks the spots where Elvis, Scotty Moore, and Bill Black recorded at Sun. Instruments abounded and Dennis DiBrizzi played barrelhouse piano, Paul Page took the standup bass, and Steve Holley drummed with his fingers. Mark Bosch and James Mastro joined in with guitars. Hunter quickly wrote down the words of the song back at the hotel right after their experience with the ghosts of early rock 'n' roll.
"The Gang of Four" is not the Maoist political faction but a reference to the "lap of the gods," the Million Dollar Quartet of an impromptu jam session involving Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash on 4 December 1956. To put the needle down means how record players were played back in the day, turntables spinning round.
The song is much more personal as Ian has always been a rock 'n' roll fan and he saw some of the earliest rock greats, in particular Sun artist The Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis. The music is so appealing and as he says "you told me who I was" and "you showed me what to do" you can believe him and take that literally. The muse of music captured him early in his youth and inspired his "haunting."
The studio is a highlight in Memphis and every rock fan should experience it first hand. I chatted with Ian about the specifics of gouges in the studio floor after a gig in Phoenixville, PA where I had stood in the studio during my tour. As a visitor also I can verify that the feeling in that studio is lively.
Proper Records released the song as a digital single.
Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPrRpkfdGeQ
"Million Dollar Quartet" is a recording of an impromptu jam session involving Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash made on December 4, 1956, at the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee.
Ghosts
(Ian Hunter)
I was dreaming of another place when the phone rang by my bed "You wanna go, I'll take you there - like now" the walrus said You wanna see the pyramids on the Mississippi Nile Well, grab your heart and grab your soul, this is gonna take a while And there I was in the lap of the gods with these voices in my head I saw three crosses on the floor, "Stand there" the walrus said All the wonders of the world assembled here to jam The gang of four and plenty more are playin' here for Uncle Sam I'm standin' in a roomful of ghosts, turntables spinning round I'm standin' in a roomful of ghosts Why don't ya put the needle down down down Why don't ya put the needle down down down Why don't ya put the needle down I'm like some kid in a candy store, always been a fan It's all still here, the atmosphere, it's where it all began "If you believe," the walrus said "this room comes back to life" The hair was standin' on the back 'o' my head I must be doing something right I'm standin' in a roomful of ghosts, turntables spinning round I'm standin' in a roomful of ghosts Why don't ya put the needle down down down Why don't ya put the needle down down down Why don't ya put the needle down When every light went down on me, when every star was crossed You scratched the surface of my soul 'n' you told me who I was I'm standin' in a roomful of ghosts, be still my foolish heart I'm standin' in a roomful of ghosts, 'n' I don't know where to start I'm standin' in a roomful of ghosts, you showed me what to do I'm standin' in a roomful of ghosts, 'n' I'm still haunting you I'm standin' in a roomful of ghosts, turntables spinning round I'm standin' in a roomful of ghosts, why don't ya put the needle down down down Why don't ya put the needle down down down, why don't ya put the needle down down down Why don't ya put the needle down
Ian Hunter and The Rant Band CD: "Fingers Crossed"
Sleeve and track listing
Proper Records PRPCD137
Review
Ian's 2016 album Fingers Crossed shows that he's as sharp an observer and incisive commentator as ever. The run of form that started with 2001's Rant shows no sign of abating, with this album being up there with his very best.
Ian hasn't been this good since the 70's, with killer album after killer album. No, I'm not an "I praise everything" type of reviewer - this is the honest truth. At 77 years of age (oh, yes!) Ian shows no sign of slowing down.
Dandy is the standout track, his homage to David Bowie who passed away back in January 2016. See how many Bowie tracks he manages to weave into the lyrics! Clever, very clever.
Mid-tempo rockers such as White House, Bow Street Runners and Stranded In Reality sit alongside slower, more thoughtful songs such as Morpheus and the title track Fingers Crossed.
Ian has always had his feet planted firmly in reality, as on You Can't Live In The Past he notes "You can never go back, those days are gone". On the closing track, the rockabilly Long Time he offers advice to younger wannabes "Be careful what you wish for" as he notes "Take a chance on destiny, you'll never know what you find".
Sheers class. And as essential as ever.
| Ghosts | 4:07 | Originally released on Fingers Crossed. |
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