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:: Oh Dancer ::

OK, this is one of my favorites. When I put together my first Scars On 45 compilation years back, this was one of the highlights. My first copy (yes, I own two) had a few skips in rather hilarious places (during some of the shrill guitar solos) that made it somehow even better. This isn't the skipping copy, don't worry. This song is so ridiculous that I cannot help but unequivocally love it. Very little songs sound more like 1977 to me than this one. I imagine its aim was to get white people out on the dance floor, whilst still throwing guitar solos at you in AM radio lightning bolts. The chorus harmonies are pure 70's, like America or CSN. The lyrics are what really push it over the top, written from the viewpoint of an onstage rocker checkin' out one of the foxes in the crowd. We'll call her...Dancer.

Normally when I write these things about someone obscure, I can't find shit about them on the internet. Luckily, Chuck Crane has a website that not only details his experiences with his band, but the music industry grinder that a lot of musicians were put through back in the day. On another page, in a post-Crane tale, he even gets shot in the elbow, and utters the phrase that's sure to become the name of a band that will play 12 times at SxSW next year, who I will miss 12 times -- "Amputate? I'm a GUITAR PLAYER!"

They truly do not make them like this anymore, but that's ok because I have this slice of the 70's. Twice.


Tony

This entry was posted on Friday, September 15, 2006 at 5:48 AM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.