December 28, 2017

"One of the more overlooked Turtle records and probably my favorite...."



That's Flo & Eddie (in 1975), who were in The Turtles in 1969 when "You Showed Me" was a hit. The song was written in 1964 by Gene Clark and Jim (Roger) McGuinn, before they were Byrds. I've embedded a live version because there's real film (and I thought you might be horrified by the Jim Morrison imitation that happens at the beginning). But here's the studio version, the 1969 hit that's so beautiful. Here's The Byrds' version. I love The Byrds, but The Turtles are better on this one. The Byrds version is annoyingly fast, but that's the original idea, and the slowed down version only happened because The Turtles learned the song from a guy who had to play slowly because his harmonium was malfunctioning. It's not as though they didn't know it was meant to be fast. It was better slow.

I learned that reading Wikipedia, which says it was sampled on "The Playboy Mansion" (U2) in 1997 and in 1989 on "Transmitting Live From Mars " (De La Soul). The Turtles sued De La Soul for using the music without permission. Here's the "trip hop" version by The Lightning Seeds from 1996 (very similar to The Turtles). Here's Lutricia McNeal in 2002. Kanye West used it in 2010 in his song "Gorgeous." And here's Salt 'n' Pepa in 1990:

37 comments:

Ann Althouse said...

Flo & Eddie sang backup on "Bang a Gong."

Flo & Eddie are also on one of my all-time favorite albums The Mothers' "Fillmore East – June 1971."

Clyde said...

According to their Wikipedia article, they also did backing vocals for acts as diverse as David Cassidy, Keith Moon, Alice Cooper and the Ramones.

Ann Althouse said...

And Springsteen. The River.

Amexpat said...

Most of the rock groups with animal names made sense. The Byrds and Eagles soaring high, the Monkees clowning around, the Beatles with the musical pun, the bestial Animals and Steppenwolf. But I never got the logic behind naming a group the Turtles.

Churchy LaFemme: said...

The "Eagles" were more or last the last "bird" group: Ravens, Orioles, Penguins, Flamingos, Falcons, Robins, Crows, Yardbirds..

Ann Althouse said...

Turtles is self deprecating.

Also close to Beatles.

But I think it’s the beginning of negative names.

Ron Snyder said...

That was terrible music.

wild chicken said...

I had a major crush on Gene Clark. He was very handsome and talented, getting more royalties than the other Byrds.

He wrote Feel a Whole Lot Better and it Can't be Wrong. *Sigh*

Too bad how he just kinda faded out.

robinintn said...

They're touring. I heard an ad on the local station for their upcoming Nashville date. I'm tempted to go.

Tank said...

Wow, both those videos are awful LOL.

Quaestor said...

Oh, when will the Sixties finally die? As decades that have overstayed their welcome go, the Sixties certainly have taken their sweet time about it, despite coughing up blood often enough to make Violetta croak before the end of Act II.

wild chicken said...

I hate long explanatory intros to songs. Nobody cares..just play.

Ralph L said...

Now we know what James Levine did when he was young.
Hope no boys were molested when making this video.

Ralph L said...

Turtle record or Turtles record?
If it's turtle all the way down, it's one big-ass turtle.

EMyrt said...

Thank you, Ann, for a great Xmas present!

You Showed Me was one of OUR songs for Dr Z and me.
And the trip hop cover is da bomb, thanks for linking that.

Speaking of trippy, check out this article on the naked vocal track of Grace Slick singing White Rabbit, a performance I've always admired, but OMGoddess, on it's own, it's cosmic.
http://www.openculture.com/2017/03/listen-to-grace-slicks-hair-raising-vocals-in-the-isolated-track-for-white-rabbit-1967.html
Don't miss the killer Looking Deeper video at the third link.

And you didn't mention Dylan once!
Even though both The Byrds and The Turtles got their start as Dylan cover bands. And very well they did it too, if you want to look up Chimes of Freedom and It Ain't Me Babe.

And Questor, much as I love opera (although I lean German), I'd rather listen to the Turtles on loop than ever sit through Traviata again.

jerpod said...

A few years ago, my wife got a new car with satellite radio free for three months. The only station I knew was Steve van Zandts Underground Garage. I heard the Turtles’ “She’d rather be with me” and first thought, I loved that song 45 years ago. By the end, I’m thinking, man, I still love that song! It’s got it all....even a cowbell. I ended up downloading it and play it about once a week now. The Turtles are eh, OK, I suppose, for that time period. But that song’s a classic.

https://youtu.be/Pof_B3p0jNA

Will Cate said...

Mark and Howard (Flo & Eddie) have been pretty successful in the courtroom over the years -- most recently helping to get streaming royalties paid (for everyone, not just the Turtles) for pre-1972 recordings.

Will Cate said...

Funny:

Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman of The Turtles talk about their managers

Francisco D said...

One of the best and funniest albums of all time was Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention at the Fillmore East (1971) with Mark and Howie.

Imagine listening to it stoned and hearing the song with a bullet ... a bullet.

- mudshark

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Moar Trump, please.


“Trump worked with Congress to repeal 14 major regulations implemented under Obama, and withdrew or delayed more than 1,500 others by executive action. Most importantly, he issued Executive Order 13771, which directed government agencies to eliminate two existing regulations for each new one issued, and to ensure that the net costs of any new regulations are zero. Last Thursday, Trump announced the first results of this effort: His administration achieved $8.1 billion in lifetime regulatory savings — and is on track to achieve an additional $9.8 billion in savings in fiscal 2018. Since excessive regulations are a hidden tax on American workers and businesses, that amounts to an $18 billion tax cut.” It’s a good start.

Trump’s Little-Noticed War On Hidden Taxes.

Maga: esp if it makes Botox Nancy and her economic illiterate co-thief heads explode.

George M. Spencer said...

The vegetable will respond to you.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

The name Turtles isn't self-deprecating at all. It means turtle doves, in other words, they're songbirds, so The Turtles is in fact another bird band.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Surfer Dan is my Turtles favorite. B-side of their hit single...which I can't remember the name of.

Leslie Graves said...

You're right..that crotch massage is horrifying. I have to go bleach my eyes.

Darrell said...

Did everybody watch the 1975 Flo & Eddie video to the end?
I'd be embarrassed. I would hire hackers to destroy every copy.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land

walter said...

Dickin'Bimbos@Home
Beating Chuck to the "But Truuuump"? ;)

Hey..that Turtles song is a bit sappy..but better than "My vag".
It's a great 60's Frisco flashback kinda vibe.

walter said...

Family fun..Awesome moves!

walter said...

Favorite comment from the link:

Al Nevsky
3 years ago
How the hell did I wind up here?!

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I was unfamiliar with the trip hop version. thanks.

JMR said...

Thanks for posting that Turtles video! There was much more than just a fondly-remembered song in there; I had no idea that "suck" was an East coast thing. Did "Kung-Fu Fighting" divide the public? Who went to a Phlo & Eddie concert in 1975?

pacwest said...

"when will the Sixties finally die?"

The damage done during that era will be around to haunt us for decades. Peace, love, dope.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

You know it’s possible Salt and pepper discovered a connection between Cole Porter’s ‘You Do Something To Me’ and this song.

Salt and pepper sampled Porter’s You Do Something to Me in their break out hit Shoop.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4vaN01VLYSQ

Was the writer of You Showed Me inspired by Cole Porter?

I’d like to think he probably wasn’t conscious of it. I mean he was awake but not aware of what he was doing or something. He may have been aware but he didn’t want to get sued. Nobody wants to be sued.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I wander if Trump survives his four year term will that be the longest he will have gone without suing someone, not counting the time of his life when he was not in business. Then again it’s also possible that reports of Trump suing all the time are exaggerated.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

All roads lead to Trump, or Trump does Something to people.

Heartless Aztec said...

The Byrds version is more to my liking.

truth speaker said...

They suck.