 “Greetings from Groovesboro” by The Groove credits and liner notes from Rich Lerner “Juke Joint Jumpin’”-I came up with the guitar figure just playing around on the acoustic guitar. The next night we had a rehearsal and I started playing the riff on electric as a warm up jam that stretched out about ten minutes. Upon hearing playback of the jam, I could see where some lyrics could fit nicely within the music and the recurring title refrain chorus popped right into my head. The verses soon followed. Craig came up with the bridge and we started performing the song at our shows where it has become a real crowd pleaser. It really sums up a lot of our weekend nights: roll in-set up-play late-pack it up. Months later I went back and listened to the recording of that original jam and found that it really bears little resemblance to the song that developed from it. Vocals-Rich Lerner, Craig Pannell, Sammy Smith Guitars- Rich Lerner, Sammy Smith, Bob Sykes, Craig Pannell Bass-Dave Talley Drums, Percussion-Sam Seawell Organ-Sam Seawell Piano-Craig Pannell Lap Steel-Terry Vun Cannon “Lord Have Mercy (On My Soul)” -I was fooling around on a strange and unique instrument we call the “Banana Bass”, hand made by our old buddy “Wish”, when I came up with this bass line and song title to fit it. I wanted to record it as an experiment just for fun and give it a real gone Tom Waits feel. I really did not think the band would ever play it live but the guys liked it and wanted to work it up. Little did I know that it would become a mainstay of our live repertoire and another new crowd favorite. Vocals-Rich Lerner, Craig Pannell Guitars- Rich Lerner, Sammy Smith Acoustic Bass- Rich Lerner Drums, Percussion-Sam Seawell Shaker-Dave Talley Piano-Craig Pannell “Mellow Down Easy”-John Hammond Jr. has recorded a lot of albums that I really love. One of his early ones is called “Southern Fried” and it includes a blistering version of this tune written by Willie Dixon. We changed the rhythm and worked up our own arrangement and it has been in our rotation ever since. I came up with a new third verse for our recorded version. Vocals-Rich Lerner, Craig Pannell Guitars- Rich Lerner, Sammy Smith Bass-Dave Talley Drums-Sam Seawell Piano-Craig Pannell ”Hey Bobby Dobo” -To my ear, the name Bobby Dobo has a very rhythmic quality that reminded me of Bo Diddley. I decided to make up a song about our buddy and give it that Bo Diddley beat. There is still a lot of gold to be mined in those classic rock and roll rhythms and riffs. I think of this one as a sister song to “Willie and the Hand Jive” Vocals-Rich Lerner, Craig Pannell, Sammy Smith Guitars- Rich Lerner, Sammy Smith Bass-Dave Talley Drums, Percussion-Sam Seawell Piano-Craig Pannell Lap Steel-Terry Vun Cannon “Freaky Scary” -This tune began as a spontaneous riff I started playing to kick off rehearsal one night. The band fell right in. Craig came up with the chord changes and I eventually nailed down the lyrics. The song goes over great at our gigs. I must stress that the song is not autobiographical as I have no ex-wife. You will have to guess who this song is about just like Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” Vocals-Rich Lerner, Craig Pannell, Sammy Smith Guitars- Rich Lerner, Sammy Smith Bass-Dave Talley Drums-Sam Seawell Organ-Craig Pannell “Done Got Old” -There is an album Sam turned us onto by Buddy Guy that we all just love called “Sweet Tea”. It starts with this great solo acoustic song written by Junior Kimbrough and then goes very heavy hard drivin’ electric for the rest of the disc. My idea was to come up with a heavy electric arrangement of the acoustic song. Our version blends a little Muddy Waters/Howlin’ Wolf with a pinch of good old Grateful Dead. Vocals-Rich Lerner, Craig Pannell Guitars- Rich Lerner, Sammy Smith, Terry Vun Cannon Bass-Dave Talley Drums-Sam Seawell Piano- Craig Pannell “Viboraytahh”- Driving in the car one day, it occurred to me that ‘greater’ rhymes with ‘vibrator’ and I thought ‘now there is an idea for a song’. I got home and picked up the guitar and the song just totally came to me all at once. All bravado and braggadocio. We really lean into it live! Vocals-Rich Lerner, Craig Pannell Guitars- Rich Lerner, Sammy Smith, Bob Sykes Bass-Dave Talley Drums-Sam Seawell Piano-Craig Pannell “Crazy Lover” -Craig wrote this song a long time ago. We used to do it a lot in the early 90’s when he played guitar with us. It was always one of Dave’s favorites and a real crowd pleaser. When Craig rejoined in 04 on keyboards, Dave demanded that we work it back up. We’ve been hittin’ it hard ever since. Vocals-Craig Pannell Guitars- Rich Lerner, Sammy Smith, Craig Pannell Bass-Dave Talley Drums-Sam Seawell Piano-Craig Pannell “Shakedown Street” -This tune has become one of our signature songs. We always look forward to playing it live and it always gets people dancing. We usually stretch it out beyond 10 or 11 minutes. Vocals-Rich Lerner, Craig Pannell, Sammy Smith, Dave Talley Guitars- Rich Lerner, Sammy Smith, Bob Sykes Bass-Dave Talley Drums-Sam Seawell Keyboard-Craig Pannell “You Got A Rocker”-More bravado, a rockin’ little love song to the old ball and chain. Vocals-Rich Lerner, Craig Pannell Guitars- Rich Lerner, Craig Pannell, Terry Vun Cannon Bass-Dave Talley Drums-Sam Seawell “Harmony (For Humanity)”- The song was written collectively by the whole band. The seed of the song was just a spontaneous warm-up jam that developed into an instrumental performance piece. It only blossomed into a real song when the lyrics, a bridge and a variation were added. .This song was inspired by the slogan for Daniel Pearl Music Days. It is dedicated to the memory of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was murdered in Pakistan and to the idea that music has the power to cross cultural boundaries and bring people together. Vocals-Rich Lerner, Craig Pannell, Sammy Smith, Mandy Lerner Guitars- Rich Lerner, Sammy Smith, Bob Sykes Bass-Dave Talley Drums-Sam Seawell Piano-Craig Pannell “Play With Fire” -We really got the idea for this from Gov’t Mule but our version does not sound much like theirs. I suggested the delayed phrasing between lines of the chorus. This was recorded live at rehearsal with only the vocal doubles added later. We get very very spacey on this one with Sammy channeling his best Jerry G all the way home. Vocals-Rich Lerner, Craig Pannell Guitars- Rich Lerner, Sammy Smith, Bob Sykes Bass-Dave Talley Drums-Sam Seawell Organ-Craig Pannell “We Bid You Goodnight”-We’ve been ending our shows with this forever. I first heard it from the Grateful Dead who heard it from a recording of a Bahamian folk song. I adopted and adapted it for my own use many, many years ago. Sammy and I used to sing it to end our acoustic coffee house shows. The Groove always close our shows with this so it seemed appropriate to put it at the end of this disc. Vocals-Rich Lerner, Craig Pannell, Sammy Smith Juke Joint Jumpin R.Lerner Juke Joint Jumpin -Lights On Tonight Juke Joint Jumpin -All Night Long to The Broad Daylight (2) Well it’s about 12 miles Down on Route 8 They got a neon sign It says “Open Late” The beer’s ice cold And the girls red hot It’ a funky little place That time forgot……………..CH Well we pull on in Set up again Then we rock the house ‘Til who knows when Raise the Roof Put on the Dog Skin the Cat Smoke that Hog………..…………..CH Well it don’t take long To work up a sweat Now it’s 3 am And we aint done yet Well you can free your soul When you move your feet We gonna take ya higher Ridin’ on that beat …………………………………..CH Lord Have Mercy (On My Soul) R.Lerner Oh baby it’s been too long Tell me where did I go wrong Feel like I’m losing control Lord Have Mercy (On My Soul) A sweet chaquita in a little black dress Lord help me I’m such a mess I gotta rock I gotta roll Lord Have Mercy (On My Soul) All my plans are up in smoke Might as well have another toke Three leaf salad in a nut brown bowl Lord Have Mercy (On My Soul) I’m goin’ downtown getting’ all liquored up Hold up the bar gonna drink down my cup That’s my baby dancin’ on that pole Lord Have Mercy (On My Soul) I’m a junkie and she’s my habit I take her home cause I just gots to have it I wanna taste that sweet jelly roll Lord Have Mercy (On My Soul) Left her a message on her mobile phone I never meant to get so stoned When I wake up the sky’s black as coal Lord Have Mercy (On My Soul) Freaky Scary R.Lerner Well I have to look around At every face I see There’s a killer on the loose And she’s comin’ after me I had to leave the city Now I’m livin’ on the lam Hopin’ that woman Won’t find where I am She got mean streak As wide as the Nile And her memory’s longer Than a country mile That crazy woman- She got me runnin’ for my life She’s freaky scary- She’s my ex-wife I never saw it comin’ She hit me from behind I was lucky to escape With my life last time So I got a new location And I’m layin’ low And I’m lookin’ out now Everywhere I go That crazy woman- She got me runnin’ for my life She’s freaky scary - She’s my ex-wife Well they let her out of prison And she started drinkin’ wine Now she’s all wound up Got trouble in mind She can drink like a fish And she’s mean as a snake And I won’t last long If I hesitate That crazy woman- She got me runnin’ for my life She’s freaky scary- Hello honey please put down that knife Viboraytahh R.Lerner I can hum all day I can buzz all night Give me half a chance I will treat you right If you try me once You won’t leave me alone I give you what you want And I’m flesh and bone…..CH CH: My love is greater than your viboraytahh (twice) When you turn me on I won’t run low Baby all night long I’m a go go go I got the velvet touch And I got high speed I can love you much And give you what you need…..CH (repeat first verse) My love is greater than your viboraytahh I’ll see ya later bring your viboraytahh You Got A Rocker R.Lerner Well you coulda had a lawyer You coulda married a doctor Or you coulda had a banker But instead You Got A Rocker Hey Hey You Got A Rocker Yeah Yeah Yeah You Got A Rocker Well I don’t need a briefcase Just an amplifier And I don’t need an airplane To take you higher Hey Hey You Got A Rocker Yeah Yeah Yeah You Got A Rocker You Got A Rocker baby, Lets head for the show Rockin’ and Rollin’ honey, It’s good for the soul Well I don’t need a necktie Just a strong backbeat Cuz I know what it takes To knock you off your feet Hey Hey You Got A Rocker Yeah Yeah Yeah You Got A Rocker So when my baby can’t sleep And she don’t feel right Well I hold her in my arms And I rock her all night Hey Hey You Got A Rocker Yeah Yeah Yeah You Got A Rocker You Got A Rocker baby, Lets head for the show Rockin’ and Rollin’ honey, It’s good for the soul (repeat first verse and double chorous) |