In tribute to the 'Hawk', today the 'rock room' is spinning a slab of jukebox vinyl from 1970. The king of rockabilly Ronnie Hawkins recorded two LP's for Coalition in the 1970's. Per his usual practice Hawkins brought
together a hot shit collective of musicians for his musical exploits. In the
case of the focus of today's Talk from the Rock Room Take One, Ronnie
Hawkins is backed by the famed 'Swampers' of Muscle Shoals for his 1970
self titled album. Recorded Barry Beckett and Scott Cushine posted in the
keyboard seats, Roger Hawkins on drums, Eddie Hinton, Jimmy Johnson on guitars,
David Hood on bass, 'King Biscuit Boy' on harmonica and Duane Allman who is all
over the record with slide and lead playing.
Released in February of 1970 as a single b/w
'Matchbox' and produced by Jerry Wexler and Tom Towd the single was a double
banger of the Hawk's' undistilled brand of rock and roll. With the album and
single, 'Down in the Alley', Ronnie was taking advantage of his former students
of ‘Hawks’ rock, 'The Band's' recent rise to prominence. A tight rootsy record
decorated with many of the finest musicians around taking part. Shades of Elvis
Presley's current work From Elvis in Memphis can be discerned on the
record, Elvis even covered 'Down In the Alley' as a ‘bonus’ track for his 1966 Spinout
soundtrack.
While the mono single release runs on 2:59, the stereo
LP version runs a substantial 5:11 with much more music to get excited about. Originally released as a single by ‘The Clovers’ in 1957, 'Down in the Alley' and
is credited to Jesse Stone and the Clovers. Jessie Stone is the man who wrote ‘Shake,
Rattle and Roll’ amongst other early rock classics.
The Hawk's version of ‘Down In the Alley’ begins with a heavy-footed
stomp down a dampened side street. Duane Allman’s instantly recognizable slide
work skims by followed tightly by dizzying piano trilling by Berry Beckett.
Hood and Hawkins are the keystone, bearing the load, vice grip tight.
The Hawk swings in singing with a sly 'come
hither' attitude. He may be a bit older now, but just as spunky. His lead vocal
so tight it almost sounds double tracked and triple pressed. Following verse
one the stomping groove veers into a sexy swing where everybody in the band
lays way back. Upon the second glance between buildings Berry Beckett drizzles
on an Otis Spann-esque splay of notes across the rhythm section.
Another round of jamming takes place following
verse two. This time Canadian harp player ‘King Biscuit Boy’ blows long and
hard before Duane takes is first swing through the neighborhood. Allman dirties things up a bit with just a taste of his Les Paul. The ‘Hawk’ returns and dispenses
of the third verse and Duane reappears to up the ante. A rare occasion of competing and double tracked Duane Allman slide work weaves into a hearty lattice work of
blue into the track's fade.
While the ‘Hawk’, had settled into a few years of
popular rock obscurity in the mid to late 1960’s. With the release of his 1970
single, ‘Down in the Alley’ he illustrated that he was still able to soar with the
best of them. Hawkins also retained his deft nose for sniffing out high quality material and top notch
players.
‘This is John O Lennon here just muttering about Ronnie
Hawkins, and how on our last trip to Canada, somehow it was arranged that we
stay at his house. I had a great time, and of course I knew him from way back
on record, ‘Forty Days’ and all that. I didn’t know anything about him but he
turned out to be a great guy, and it just so happened, as it were, that he’d
just made an album, but he didn’t want to play it, he was shy like most
musicians or artists are shy, you know. I don’t like playing my record to people.
I have to do it because you have that need. I hope this isn’t too long for a
promo? Anyway, I was signing these twenty million lithographs, and this album
was going on. And I was listening to most of it still signing, until this track
‘Down in The Alley’, and it really sort of buzzed me, you know. And it sounded
like now and then, and I like that. So let’s hear it.’
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