See my friends,
See my friends,
Playing across the river,
See my friends,
See my friends,
Playing across the river,
She is gone,
She is gone and now there's no one left,
'Cept my friends,
Playing across the river,
See my friends,
Playing across the river,
See my friends,
See my friends,
Playing across the river,
She is gone,
She is gone and now there's no one left,
'Cept my friends,
Playing across the river,
She just went,
She just went,
Went across the river,
Now she's gone,
Now she's gone,
Wish that I'd gone with her,
She just went,
Went across the river,
Now she's gone,
Now she's gone,
Wish that I'd gone with her,
She is gone,
She is gone and now there's no one left,
'Cept my friends,
Playing across the river,
She is gone and now there's no one else to take her place,
She is gone and now there's no one else to love,
'Cept my friends,
Playing across the river,
See my friends,
See my friends,
Playing across the river,
See my friends,
See my friends,
Playing across the river.
2. To The Bone 1994 performance.
Sensational Shindig clip, which I had never seen.
ReplyDeleteAnd what a performance of one of Ray's most original and beautiful, and uncommercial, compositions. Lovely back-up vocal from Dave.
Agreed on all counts. Dave's vocal is very great. Those Shindig! performances, as you probably know, were re-recordings done ahead of show broadcast in Hollywood, but featured live vocals. Musicians probably contributing to the track included the very great James Burton on second (imagine that) guitar and Leon Russell on piano and utility duty. I think this is, if anything, even better than the very fine original recording. The To The Bone performance was "live in the studio" and is, I think, an incredibly powerful re-imagining of the song. I don't require re-imaginings, but one can't avoid them, so I'll accept the very good ones. Curtis
ReplyDeleteThe 45 version of this tune was for several years in my opinion the most inspired piece of artistic work ever made by humans. I can't remember changing that opinion. (But then it must be admitted there is much that I can't remember.)
ReplyDeleteTom: Hi. I know. It remains so remarkable and still so unexpected. Ray has always given poetic and evocative interviews and once said that when you pull off something really great it's as though the world itself changes when you walk by. See My Friends is one of those moments, I think, and apparently Paul McCartney once told Dave Davies (at the Ad Lib or the Scotch of St. James) that he felt the same as you do about the record. As I said to Roddy above, I find (and Dave Davies found) the fact that the Shindig! show provided James Burton to the featured acts as a second guitarist still to be one of those odd showbiz miracles, which often produced outstanding results. I think I'll go listen to See My Friends once I've finished clearing the brush from my virtual ranch. Curtis
ReplyDelete