77s Message Board | Print: Strangest song in the 77s canon

Posted by Sam e. Ching on 08-31-2009 at18:28:

RE: tom tom fest

"I used to smoke . . . I used to drink . . . . I used to smoke, and drink, and dance the hootchie-coo . . . "

I've got sort of a predicament in that I've let my son listen to most of the albums . . . (he is six years old) his favorite song without a doubt is "Gravy Chain" - - that's kind of a bizarre one. He laughs and turns up the volume on his CD player and plays it OVER and OVER and OVER. He likes Mike's ranting about chicken shacks, broke my back, stole a snack . . . .

Maybe Doc Love could give us the history behind that one, so I can decide if I've screwed up my kid or not :-)

Posted by dennis on 10-01-2009 at03:38:

Earache my eye!

"My momma talkin' to me tryin' to tell me how to live
But I don't listen to her cause my head is like a sieve"

Posted by Doctor Love on 11-26-2009 at01:08:

RE: tom tom fest

"Gravy Chain" was intended as a direct swipe at the CEO of VIA Records, who put out Safe As Milk and the 1-2-3 box set.

1-2-3 reportedly made VIA a small fortune. We handed it to them on a plate (i.e. for free) and they did not pay us a dime in royalties. I have been told that it possibly generated six figures but I never believe everything I hear, especially when it comes to record sales figures.

To VIA's credit, when they folded they gave us their remaining unsold stock of 1-2-3 so we were able to make a little on it, albeit piecemeal. They also financed our long, sprawling (and mostly disastrous) tour in 1995 with Curious Fools and The Throes. Sadly, VIA never paid anyone ANYTHING, and this made me stink with vendors, manufacturers, and recording/mastering studios coast to coast who I contracted to work on those two projects. Thank God Mr. John Davis fled back to his native Canada, where he was also wanted for theft there due to similar ripoffs and shady shenanigans. He knew great cigars and threw great parties -- all at everyone's expense except his own.

I hate record companies.

quote:

Originally posted by Sam e. Ching
"I used to smoke . . . I used to drink . . . . I used to smoke, and drink, and dance the hootchie-coo . . . "

I've got sort of a predicament in that I've let my son listen to most of the albums . . . (he is six years old) his favorite song without a doubt is "Gravy Chain" - - that's kind of a bizarre one. He laughs and turns up the volume on his CD player and plays it OVER and OVER and OVER. He likes Mike's ranting about chicken shacks, broke my back, stole a snack . . . .

Maybe Doc Love could give us the history behind that one, so I can decide if I've screwed up my kid or not :-)

Posted by Audiori J on 11-26-2009 at07:27:

Seems like a common story.

Posted by Kit on 11-26-2009 at10:52:

RE: tom tom fest

quote:

Originally posted by Doctor Love They also financed our long, sprawling (and mostly disastrous) tour in 1995 with Curious Fools and The Throes.

[/quote]

Wow...why so disastrous? The turn out?

I remember 7ball magazine listed a Houston date for this tour, but I don't think it ever happened. I sure as hell would have gone if I had known about it.

Posted by Doctor Love on 11-26-2009 at11:26:

RE: tom tom fest

>>>>>> Wow...why so disastrous? The turn out?

Because I contracted a severe case of bronchitis that caused me to cough so hard I blew out all my pectoral muscles and couldn't laugh, talk or sing without extreme pain. The guys had to tie me up in braces before I went onstage to keep me from moving much. It was horrible. It got so bad that I eventually landed in the emergency room in Philadelphia, and was sick for weeks after I got home.

To add insult to injury, my girlfriend at the time decided to take up with someone else but not tell me. I found out while still on the road and we conducted the most horrific and expensive transatlantic fight ever. Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, the tour started to fall apart and promoters began canceling to the point where we ended up sitting around in Nashville at the end of the thing for a week in hotels, but because I was so ill I could barely get out of bed. Then my roadie stole money out of my wallet. Nice.

I was literally fit to be tied by the end of that one.

Posted by Nailtatt on 11-26-2009 at12:13:

I hope you got to kick someone in the balls for that one! Dam!!!!!! I also hope you got to kick that girlfriend in the vag also!

Posted by Kit on 11-26-2009 at12:20:

RE: tom tom fest

quote:

Originally posted by Doctor Love
>>>>>> Wow...why so disastrous? The turn out?

Because I contracted a severe case of bronchitis that caused me to cough so hard I blew out all my pectoral muscles and couldn't laugh, talk or sing without extreme pain. The guys had to tie me up in braces before I went onstage to keep me from moving much. It was horrible. It got so bad that I eventually landed in the emergency room in Philadelphia, and was sick for weeks after I got home.

always happens at the wrong time

quote:

Originally posted by Doctor Love

To add insult to injury, my girlfriend at the time decided to take up with someone else but not tell me. I found out while still on the road and we conducted the most horrific and expensive transatlantic fight ever.

ouch...so was she the inspiration for "Rocks in Your Head" and "Honesty"?

quote:

Originally posted by Doctor Love
Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, the tour started to fall apart and promoters began canceling to the point where we ended up sitting around in Nashville at the end of the thing for a week in hotels, but because I was so ill I could barely get out of bed. Then my roadie stole money out of my wallet. Nice.

I was literally fit to be tied by the end of that one.

Hope one of the promoters who cancelled wasn't Bob Swan from the Woodlands. If so, I will have to have a few words with him when I am back in H-town. Smile

Posted by Doctor Love on 11-26-2009 at17:15:

RE: tom tom fest

quote:

ouch...so was she the inspiration for "Rocks in Your Head" and "Honesty"?

>>>>> yes to the former (but only superficially, actually -- that tune was 98% fiction), and "Honesty" was yet another jab at the infamous Mr. Davis of VIA fame ~~ gosh I forgot all about this stuff! "Forgive and forget" is the best policy, but be sure to write an evil song about them so they are permanently and publicly punished long after you've forgiven them Evil

Posted by Kit on 11-26-2009 at19:59:

RE: tom tom fest

quote:

Originally posted by Doctor Love and "Honesty" was yet another jab at the infamous Mr. Davis of VIA fame ~~

Oh...I guess it's the "C'mon baby Get a grip" part that threw me off. Big Grin

Plus, I didn't think VIA had the chance to really piss you off by the time TTB came out in mid or late 1995.