Episode 53: Pure Smokey

Shake Rag Radio

Here's to cowboys, and here's to gold…
"John often used to tell the story behind Me And My Uncle. Years ago he began receiving publishing royalties from a song on a Judy Collins record with which he was unfamiliar. It was titled Me And My Uncle. He called Judy to let her know of the mistake because he hadn't written any such song. She laughed and told him that about a year before, in Arizona after one of her concerts, they had a tequila night back at the hotel with Stephen Stills, Neil Young and a few others. They were running a blank cassette and John proceeded to write Me And My Uncle on the spot. The next day, John woke up to the tequila sunrise with no recollection of the songwriting incident. Judy kept the cassette from that evening and then, without informing John, recorded the song for her own record. Over the years the song was recorded by several people, and eventually became a standard of the Grateful Dead. John used to joke that, little by little, with each royalty check, the memory of writing the song would come back to him."

Freight Train - Elizabeth Cotten

Fallin' Rain - Neville Brothers

Burnin' Streets - Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros

Going Places - Paul Weller

Pure Smokey - George Harrison

The Nearest Faraway Place - The Beach Boys

There's A Honky Tonk Angel (Who Will Take Me Back In) - Elvis Presley

A Song For You - Gram Parsons

When I Hold You In My Arms - Neil Young

Bullet Proof Soul - Sade

Ranglin’s Diamond - Ernest Ranglin

Me And My Uncle - John Phillips

Tombstone Shadow - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Baby Ride Easy - Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash

Friendly Gates - Carlene Routh

Someone Like You - The Knitters

When I Stop Loving You - Felice & Boudleaux Bryant

This Girl's in Love with You - Aretha Franklin

Close To You - Phyllis Dillon

Love Letters - Elvis Presley