There is a name for that song that gets stuck in your head.
Scientifically, It’s termed involuntary musical imagery, and a surprising
amount of research has been done on it. It happens to 99 percent of us, and
quite frequently. They are still working on a cure.
For me, it all started with Joe Cocker. I could not
understand what the hell he was singing in his famous 1969 cover version of
Dave Mason’s “Feelin’ Alright.” Thanks to my compulsive research skills, I
found that it has reached “anthem” status, that it’s been covered by more than
40 artists, including:
·
Mongo Santamaria
·
Grand Funk Railroad
·
Three Dog Night
·
5th Dimension
·
Lou Rawls
·
Freddie King
·
Lulu
·
Chairmen of the Board
·
Rare Earth
·
Ohio Players
·
Diana Ross/Jackson 5
·
Maceo Parker
·
Gladys Knight & the Pips
·
Widespread Panic
·
Black Crowes
·
Issac Hayes and the Osmonds (? Yes, there is
video evidence)
·
Dr. John/Louis Prima
·
Coldplay
·
Huey Lewis
The best running list of covers is curated by Mr. Mason
himself, complete with full lyrics (although there are two variant sets even on
Mason’s page), chords, and more on his website at davemasonmusic.com -- http://www.davemasonmusic.com/feelin-alright.
Mason wrote it in 1965 when he was 19; its first recording
debuted on Traffic’s self-titled second album. (Mason had left the group right
after making their first album “Mr. Fantasy” the year before, and returned just
long enough to appear on “Traffic” before leaving again, this time for good.)
Dialing through all the covers of the tune I could track
down, I found that age did not wither nor custom stale its infinite variety. How
come I don’t get sick of it? What makes it work? A. Its funky, rolling rhythm, adaptable
to many musical genres; B. Two chords! (C7-F7, kids) – Easy to transmit and
perform. C. The call-and-response chorus and gospel-derived harmonics give it
an urgent forward motion, no matter what the tempo; D. The breaks leave plenty
of space for inventive, wide-ranging solos, and E. The plaintive lyrics are
simple, memorable (once you understand the words), and the sentiments are universal.
It’s kind of a breakup song, rueful in the same way that “Don’t
Think Twice, It’s Alright” is. However, it’s not accusatory and contemptuous.
It’s a lyrical, flowing white-blues song. Although a girl is referenced, the
subject of the song could be any situation or institution that needs to be left
behind.
“Feelin’ Alright” delicately straddles the gap between the “earworm”
quality of infectiously listenable hits such as “Louie Louie,” “You Really Got
Me,” “Free Bird,” et al and the raise-your-lighters-high inspirational-rock-anthem
category – “Hold Your Head Up,” Don’t Stop Believin’,” Dream On,” and all the
other fist-pumpers.
In other words, it combines a strong basic structure with an
inherent flexibility that allows for all kinds of musical colorings (and
lyrical variations). I found a few versions that felt more compelling than
Cocker’s classic take. Here they are:
5. Badfinger
This rare live version is from a compilation LP, “Badfinger:
BBC in Concert, 1972-73” – Peter Ham’s lead guitar was never better. A
swamp-rockish take --
4. Tufts Beelzebubs
GREAT a capella version from this university group!
3. Bar-Kays
The Bar-Kays were built from the ruins of the 1967 plane
crash that killed Otis Redding and most of his backup band. The slow, deliciously
horn-rich funk of this cover is distinctly reminiscent of the Stax Records
style, where most of the group got their start.
2. Traffic
Of course, the original recording. With Mason on lead, the
vocals penetrate as they only can when the writer sings them. Chris Wood appropriately
sticks a phrase of “It Ain’t Necessarily So” at the front of his horn solo. Jim
Capaldi’s astonishingly crisp, rapid-fire riffs are tutorials in themselves!
1. Trinidad
Oil Company
Yes, a steel drum band. This 1977 cover takes the prize.
Why? The guitar solo is not terribly inventive, and the mix needs serious work.
I guess it’s partly the intense focus of the effort, and the unorthodox
instrumentation. The drummer rides that splashy ‘70s cymbal so hard that it
creates harmonic over- and undertones that encompass the performance and urge
it on. The song marches at a brisk, uninflected pace, and the vocals snap out
like firecrackers on the sidewalk.
The overall effect is that of turning the song into a
warrior chant, an undefeatable and propulsive force of nature – just the thing
one needs to hear when you need a little cheer and inspiration.
Now, if I could only get "Slow Hand" out of my head . . .