Mustang Sally
Bright and early this morning on the day after Christmas Day my juke box brain kicked in with ”Mustang Sally” by Wilson Pickett. I have no control over this mental function and I can not turn it off. So I must endure it. Whatever song is decided there lies my fate. So this morning at 8:30 we are listening to Mustang Sally exactly like the record with all the flourishes by maybe Steve Cropper chopping away on his Telecaster and Al Jackson chopping wood on the drums. Every bar band I ever played with had to play this song. Its a great song.
Steve Cropper just passed, God rest his funky soul. He was a testament to the fact that white boys got soul. Al Jackson on the drums was always a treat. He was a prince of a man. Many decades later I met a white woman who had been helped by Al. He got her off the street in Memphis when she was a kid and got her cleaned up. She turned out real fine. Thank-you Al.
Soul music has a lot of “heart” In it as well as a lot of funk.
When Wilson Picket released “Mustang Sally” I was in a quandary about my life. Mother had remarried ten years after my father’s confusing death. He had been in Naval Intelligence and we had no closure as they say. She finally lowered her drawbridge and allowed a pharmacist to marry her. We immediately moved from Elkhart, Indiana, a nice middle class town on the Michigan Indiana border far enough East to not be a suburb of Chicago to the deep south of central Florida where the most exciting event was watching orange groves. I gravitated to the local radio station. “Oh Happy Day” and “Mustang Sally” gave me solace among the six thousand local Crackers.
At four years old I had been on our gentleman farmer’s plantation outside of Philadelphia when grandmother approached me as I played with my metal toy “buddy” brand truck;
“You’re father is dead. You are the Man Of The House Now.”
It was a sentence that I had to endure for the rest of this life. Soul music became the only balm that worked. People who live without their father’s love are to be pitied because they are missing a player in their personal band. The band still goes on but it’s not the full sound. So I am grateful for Soul Music.
Welcome to Our Blog
Stay updated with expert insights, advice, and stories. Discover valuable content to keep you informed, inspired, and engaged with the latest trends and ideas.
Blog categories
-
Alexander’s Rag Time Band
Alexander’s RagTime Band “Come on along, it’s the best band in the land.” I probably heard this ancient hit song on my first trip to New Orleans where I listened to the aging masters of dixie land jazz playing at Preservation Hall. I loved listening to them. It…
-
I’m Proud to be An Oakie From Muskogee
I‘m Proud To Be An Oakie From Muskogee Merle Haggard wrote this tune at the height of the anti-war demonstrations in the late Sixties and he really hit a nerve. “We don’t burn our draft cards down at the courthouse.” ‘White Lightning’s still the biggest thrill of all.”…
-
Things We Do For Love
Things We Do For Love 10 CC was a a big act back in the Seventies. “Like walkin in the rain and the snow and there’s no where to go. Feels like a part of you is dying”. The ultimate polished production from England. Seems like the British…
-
Careless Whisper
Careless WhisperGeorge Michael “I’m never gonna dance again. Guilty feet got no rhythm.” He was puzzled why this song became so popular. He penned it when he was 17 and admittedly had little experience with relationships let alone infidelity and breaking up. But such is the nature of…
-
One More For the Road
One More For the RoadFrank Sinatra will always be the voice of America. It is a voice that pops up in my JukeBox Brain when I least expect it. As a jazz drummer it is expedient to be able to play the Sinatra book of tunes, usually with…
-
Me and My Arrow
Russell Buddy Helm 1.4K followers • 159 following Intro Featured Section Featured Photos Friends 1,255 friends Cathy Burchett Will Cameron Wheeler Drew Hennessey Peaceful Waters Isgro Alan Berger Sandra Melvoin Kenneth Davidoff Joyce Evans Aris Wiwid Life events Posts Facebook Facebook Facebook Facebook Facebook Facebook Facebook Facebook Facebook…
Leave a Reply