McGuinness Flint - When I'm Dead and Gone (1970)

Tom McGuinness, born in London in 1941, teamed up with Hughie Flint, born in Manchester the same year, came together in 1970 to form this band. McGuinness had previously played as the bassist and guitarist of Manfred Mann, formerly of group of the same name, whereas Flint had been the drummer for John Mayall, formerly of John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. Despite having an alternating line-up with numerous talented members, the group never really caught on in the United States and found the majority of their stardom in Britain. After a couple singles in the Top 5 and some albums that were difficult to reproduce live on stage, the band called it quits in 1975.

This song, written by Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle, was the band’s first released single. It was loosely based on the life of Robert Johnson, an iconic blues singer whose contributions to the guitar in the 1930s would inspire many great guitarists, such as Eric Clapton. The song reached number two in the United Kingdom and number forty-seven in the United States.



McGuinness Flint - When I'm Dead and Gone (1970)

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Lyrics:

Oh, I love you baby
I love you night and day
When I leave ya baby
Don't cry the night away
When I die, don't you write no words upon my tomb
I don't believe I want to leave no epitaph for two

Oh, oh, oh
When I'm dead and gone
I wanna leave some happy woman livin’ on
Oh, oh, oh
When I'm dead and gone
Don't want nobody to morn beside my grave

Oh, Mama Linda, she's out to get my hide
She's got a shotgun and a daughter by her side
Hey there, ladies, Johnson´s free
Who's got the love?
Who's got a love to keep a man like me?

Oh, oh, oh
When I'm dead and gone
I wanna leave some happy woman livin’ on
Oh, oh, oh
When I'm dead and gone
Don't want nobody to morn beside my grave

Oh, oh, oh
When I'm dead and gone
Don't want nobody to mourn beside my grave
Oh, oh, oh
When I'm dead (and gone)
When I’m dead and gone
(Don't want nobody to morn beside my grave)
No, no, no, no, no

Paul & Linda McCartney - Ram On (1971)

This couple, married in 1969, released one album together in 1971. Paul was looking to continue his career after the break-up of his former group, The Beatles, and Linda was accompanying him on his musical endeavors so they could remain near one another. Their album, Ram, was one of the two albums Paul released (the other album being McCartney) in-between the break-up of The Beatles and the creation of his next band, Wings.

This song seems like it may have been a “filler song,” as it has very little in the lyrics and is rather repetitive musically. I always enjoy Paul’s use of the ukulele and find this song to be quite pleasant. It isn’t one of his greater achievements, but it’s worth giving a listen to.



Paul & Linda McCartney - Ram On (1971)

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Lyrics:

Take one.
‘kay.

Ram on
Give your heart to somebody
Soon, right away, right away

Ram on
Give your heart to somebody
Soon, right away, right away

Ram on
Give your heart to somebody
Soon, right away, right away

The Who - Blue, Red and Grey (1975)

Spanning forty years and still performing to this day, this band, in the minds of many, is considered to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time. From My Generation in 1965 through Who Are You in 1978, this band has put together a monumental catalog of amazing songs. Their album, Tommy (1969), is one of the greatest albums of all time and should be sat and listened to as if you were watching a movie (and, later, was a movie).

This song comes from the album The Who By Numbers, where all synthesizers and overdubbing was left behind. The entire album revolves around the inner demons of Pete Townshend, who penned all but one track, including alcoholism, loneliness, and getting older, among others. This track and “Squeeze Box” stand out as the only rays of sunshine on an otherwise depressing album.

[Update: For a brief period of time, The Who were known as The High Numbers, which you can listen to on this site.]



The Who - Blue, Red and Grey (1975)

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Lyrics:

Some people seem so obsessed with the morning
Get up early just to watch the sun rise
Some people like it more when there's fire in the sky
Worship the sun when it's high
Some people go for those sultry evenings
Sipping cocktails in the blue, red, and gray
But I like every minute of the day

I like every second, so long as you are on my mind
Every moment has its special charm
It's all right when you're around, rain or shine
I know a crowd who only live after midnight
Their faces always seem so pale
And then there's friends of mine who must have sunlight
They say, “a sun tan never fails”
I know a man who works the night shift
He's lucky to get a job and some pay
And I like every minute of the day

I dig every second
I can laugh in the snow and rain
I get a buzz from being cold and wet
The pleasure seems to balance out the pain

And so you see that I'm completely crazy
I even shun the south of France
The people on the hill, they say I'm lazy
But when they sleep, I sing and dance
Some people have to have the sultry evenings
Cocktails in the blue, red, and gray
But I like every minute of the day

I like every minute of the day