If Music Could Talk

TeddyB Not Logged In wrote:A lot of Detroit references in there. Seems like the Motor City (also "shakin' city", which would seem to be an MC5 reference) wise guys, hobos, gypsys and hitmen are going back and forth into Canada. Also the hobo hitman's name a nod to Elmore Leonard. Interestingly, Mick's mom lives in the Upper Peninsula and is (or maybe now was) friendly with Al Capone's brother's widow. I wouldn't be surprised if Mick had a hand in this lyric too.

Thanks for the extra information on the song, Teddy. I can't get enough of US North, its such a beautiful song.

Hello,

Is there a studio version of this available for download? I'm not familiar but now very curious.

gkbill wrote:Hello,

Is there a studio version of this available for download? I'm not familiar but now very curious.

Sadly, no. The only versions that exist for us is the few live versions around. There is a studio recording with Mick and Joe singing, but that has yet to be released. I think I remember Teddy saying a while ago that only him and a few friends of Mick have a copy.

To clarify, Joe is shadowing Mick's lead vocal. He doesn't sing solo at any time on it.

TeddyB Not Logged In wrote:To clarify, Joe is shadowing Mick's lead vocal. He doesn't sing solo at any time on it.

Thats actually was one of the things I've been wondering with this song. Before I was thinking they would take turns on lines. So, Mick would get:

Sometimes, sometimes
Good love comes in threes

Then Joe would sing:

Sometimes, sometimes
You see the sun through the trees

Even still. The way they did it must sound really nice. I had a question around the melody actually. Was the song structured the same as what we hear with the live versions? After they do the last chorus, theres the huge verse. So is there more instrumental breaks to separate it a bit or is it all just one string of lyrics?

There's an instrumental break, after the last chorus, before the long series of verses you mention (even more on the studio track) that runs unbroken. As with the live version, they never do return to the chorus, just end on the sometimes... sometimes...

I presume this is why there also exists an edit version of four plus minutes.

Does anyone else think US North sounds a bit like Alright Now by Free?

Heston wrote:Does anyone else think US North sounds a bit like Alright Now by Free?

yeah but to me it each time i heard it it's power of love of Huey Lewis which came to mind

I hear Footloose!

TeddyB Not Logged In wrote:I hear Footloose!

Me too. I always wondered if that was why it wasn't released.

TeddyB Not Logged In wrote:I hear Footloose!

Same here.

With the vocal melody inverted.

TeddyB Not Logged In wrote:With the vocal melody inverted.

Yep that's exactly how I hear it. A very cool tune and I hope someday we'll get an official album of rarities released that includes that full version.

New link for the 30th NY BAD show
https://we.tl/Hdc6ueEnPn

Marky Dread wrote:

TeddyB Not Logged In wrote:With the vocal melody inverted.

I hope someday we'll get an official album of rarities released that includes that full version.

Do you reckon thats in the realms of possibility Marky ? Personally i dont think it will happen if it didn't happen after the reformation Live gigs and the re-release of the first album it aint going to happen now, Lots of talk about the same treatment of upping st but it didn't come about unfortunately.

I reckon Mick loves the legacy of bootlegging and do it yourself philosophy that i reckon one day a little slip out of all those gems and some cracking live gigs will just appear one day out on these forums in the same way that EANR did.

Can you imagine that !!!!! I am still waiting, but i think thats how it will happen and Mick will sit back and thoroughly enjoy the sharing experience with us all incognito Thats his way and style