THE EVERLY BROTHERS - “Temptation”
(22nd July 1961)
Another tense, riddling song - everything in the tune is pitching and yawing, rising and falling, the brothers howling and sea-tossed in the middle of it, spun around by a whirlpool whose name is woman. “Give me your heart, I’m your slave! I’m your slave!” - the temptation is clearly strong and obviously fearful. You can guess why it’s irresistible easily enough; the song’s strength is in refusing to explain the dread temptation brings. Though you might feel it, and remember for yourself, and shudder. 7
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FT's SteveIson on July 21st, 2008
Great driving atmospheric reverby production…Brilliant guitar riff..Those aaahs…Woh this is ace 9
wichita lineman on August 7th, 2008
This arrangement of a Bing Crosby song - yeah-yeah-yeahs battering against a wall of wailing banshees, a vision of eternal torment in two minutes fourteen seconds - came to Don Everly in a dream. Trouble was, the brothers’ manager and publisher Wesley Rose hated it. He had no financial control over the song and didn’t give a hoot for Don’s producer ambitions. The Everlys wouldn’t back down - while Temptation beat all-comers here, it only made 27 back home.
Rose felt slighted, quit, and blocked the brothers from using any of the writers he published. That not only included Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, who had written All I Have To Do Is Dream and most of their biggies, but also the Everlys themselves! Then they got drafted and spent six months in the marines, which didn’t help much.
Artistically they were the only early rock pioneers to keep up a consistently high standard of work til the late 60s, but - Crying In The Rain and phantom no.1 The Price Of Love aside - this was where the wheels came off the record truck.
FT's vinylscot on August 7th, 2008
If you’re not familiar with it, you should investigate the version of this by The Natural Seven with Cinderella G Stump, a.k.a. Red Ingle and Jo Stafford. It’s an early parody of redneck country and quite quite ridiculous (but splendid too). You need to listen all the way through!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkl7FjYkX74
wichita lineman on August 7th, 2008
Magic! Cheers, VS. It seems to be a weirdly tense song whichever way you slice it…
DJ Punctum on August 8th, 2008
Yay, Red Ingle!
I was listening to some Spike Jones sides last night as it happens - Ingle’s performance on “Chloe” is kind of beyond rational description.
vinylscot on August 8th, 2008
Great stuff - his take on “Nature Boy”, or “Serutan Yob” is something to behold, although there is some doubt over whether he actually appeared on it!
DJP - having ordered it after you mentioned it on another thread, my Tiny Tim CD arrived today - excellent stuff!
FT's Lena on August 8th, 2008
Is “Chloe” the one where he yells “Where are you, you old bat?” or is that another song?
The Red Ingle/Jo Stafford version of this is the only one I know, courtesy of Dr. Demento…
DJ Punctum on August 8th, 2008
Yep, that’s the one - “You don’t say! You DON’T say! You don’t SAY! Heheh!”
“WHO WAS IT?”
“He didn’t say!”
wichita lineman on August 9th, 2008
Ah, so that’s where the Three Stooges pinched their best gag from!