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| In a phrase, mad genius. |
The Hit
Whether by classic radio, or a commercial for a beer, a car, a brand of “man” deodorant…maybe Axe Body Spray(but also, probably not), you’ve almost certainly heard Dr. John’s “Right Place Wrong Time.” You might not have connected the tune to Dr. John - God knows I didn’t - even if you have a dim understanding of who Dr. John was.
Unlike some recent selections in this series, “Right Place Wrong Time” doesn’t have a good story, never mind a great one. Still, it’s a solid tune that gets better if you can disconnect it in your mind from some awful visual that’s lurking in the back of your head from some goddamn commercial. The pulsing buzz that starts it doesn’t promise much, but the funk rhythm line rescues it before too long; the horns that come in next give it a nice lift and the jangling funk guitar accents it just so. That pile of instruments leaves a surprising amount of space, which gives the whole thing a loose, lean feel.
Unlike that cocky, goddamn beer ad I only half remember, an under-current of danger bubbles under Dr. John’s biggest hit - something that tracks all the way with his early years. But, again, I haven’t seen or read anything that suggests a particular inspiration or even a back-story. In fact, the most interesting thing I can pass on comes with his thoughts on commercial music, which he gave to Rolling Stone in a 1973 interview:
“The only thing that make a record commercial is if people buys it. Originally I felt to go commercial would prostitute myself and bastardize the music. On reflecting, I thought that if without messin’ up the music and keeping the roots and elements of what I want to do musically, I could still make a commercial record I would not feel ashamed from, I’m proud of, and still have a feel for, then it’s not a bad thing but it even serve a good purpose.”
I’m not entirely sure what to make of the broken English - especially after watching a short clip of him talking to Time magazine in 2010. At any rate, there’s more. Like, a lot more…
Whether by classic radio, or a commercial for a beer, a car, a brand of “man” deodorant…maybe Axe Body Spray(but also, probably not), you’ve almost certainly heard Dr. John’s “Right Place Wrong Time.” You might not have connected the tune to Dr. John - God knows I didn’t - even if you have a dim understanding of who Dr. John was.
Unlike some recent selections in this series, “Right Place Wrong Time” doesn’t have a good story, never mind a great one. Still, it’s a solid tune that gets better if you can disconnect it in your mind from some awful visual that’s lurking in the back of your head from some goddamn commercial. The pulsing buzz that starts it doesn’t promise much, but the funk rhythm line rescues it before too long; the horns that come in next give it a nice lift and the jangling funk guitar accents it just so. That pile of instruments leaves a surprising amount of space, which gives the whole thing a loose, lean feel.
Unlike that cocky, goddamn beer ad I only half remember, an under-current of danger bubbles under Dr. John’s biggest hit - something that tracks all the way with his early years. But, again, I haven’t seen or read anything that suggests a particular inspiration or even a back-story. In fact, the most interesting thing I can pass on comes with his thoughts on commercial music, which he gave to Rolling Stone in a 1973 interview:
“The only thing that make a record commercial is if people buys it. Originally I felt to go commercial would prostitute myself and bastardize the music. On reflecting, I thought that if without messin’ up the music and keeping the roots and elements of what I want to do musically, I could still make a commercial record I would not feel ashamed from, I’m proud of, and still have a feel for, then it’s not a bad thing but it even serve a good purpose.”
I’m not entirely sure what to make of the broken English - especially after watching a short clip of him talking to Time magazine in 2010. At any rate, there’s more. Like, a lot more…
