Q for music gurus

[marrymeflyfree]

First, the back story.

Picture it. Oslo, 1999. Two brothers were in a pub, celebrating the younger's 30th birthday over manymanymany beers. The birthday gift was a promise: to be taken to Graceland in a pink cadillac.

Sooo...this was the promise that The Naughty Norwegian made to his younger brother, who happens to be a serious fan of The King. (Elvis, not Harald.) It was all but forgotten, considering the inebriated state in which it was offered. But NN mentioned it to me a while back. As luck would have it, my uncle just so happened to own a 1972 pink cadillac convertible. We bought it from him last month and have spent a small fortune getting it roadtrip-worthy. The brother is coming over for a visit next week, and he has NO IDEA that NN has pulled this off. Big, big, super-big surprise.

I need music for their trip! I have a ton of music for their mix already put together, but I'm on the lookout for some little jems I may have overlooked. Obviously there's a lot of Elvis...some great Tennessee bluegrass that will be superbly suited for the backroads they'll be taking...some Memphis blues. I'll toss in a few good generic road trip type tunes as well. If the car fares well enough between Knoxville and Memphis, they'll keep going on down to Louisiana to see some friends. For that, I'm adding in some zydeco and anything else that will sound good in bayou country.

Any thoughts? Anyone wanna buy an old caddie in about 3 weeks?


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[silvercamaro]

This is a magnificent way to make a wish, a dream, and a promise come true. The Naughty Norwegian has style!

I would try to find some Doug Kershaw fiddle music for the Cajun part of the pilgrimage, and I'd add the sound track from The Commitments, simply because there's no finer sing-along-with-enthusiasm road music.

P.S. Make sure NN takes along a video camera. I think the trip sounds like a perfect opportunity to make a quirky travel documentary.

[cindy.wellman]

First, the back story.

Picture it. Oslo, 1999. Two brothers were in a pub, celebrating the younger's 30th birthday over manymanymany beers. The birthday gift was a promise: to be taken to Graceland in a pink cadillac.

Sooo...this was the promise that The Naughty Norwegian made to his younger brother, who happens to be a serious fan of The King. (Elvis, not Harald.) It was all but forgotten, considering the inebriated state in which it was offered. But NN mentioned it to me a while back. As luck would have it, my uncle just so happened to own a 1972 pink cadillac convertible. We bought it from him last month and have spent a small fortune getting it roadtrip-worthy. The brother is coming over for a visit next week, and he has NO IDEA that NN has pulled this off. Big, big, super-big surprise.

I need music for their trip! I have a ton of music for their mix already put together, but I'm on the lookout for some little jems I may have overlooked. Obviously there's a lot of Elvis...some great Tennessee bluegrass that will be superbly suited for the backroads they'll be taking...some Memphis blues. I'll toss in a few good generic road trip type tunes as well. If the car fares well enough between Knoxville and Memphis, they'll keep going on down to Louisiana to see some friends. For that, I'm adding in some zydeco and anything else that will sound good in bayou country.

Any thoughts? Anyone wanna buy an old caddie in about 3 weeks?


[/img]

No music help right off the top of my head, just a WOW for this big surprise. I bet he'll be so thrilled when he sees this.

*I bet there are quite a few Mary Kay ladies who would swoon over the possibility of purchasing that car.

[T_Bone0806]

First, the back story.

Picture it. Oslo, 1999. Two brothers were in a pub, celebrating the younger's 30th birthday over manymanymany beers. The birthday gift was a promise: to be taken to Graceland in a pink cadillac.

Sooo...this was the promise that The Naughty Norwegian made to his younger brother, who happens to be a serious fan of The King. (Elvis, not Harald.) It was all but forgotten, considering the inebriated state in which it was offered. But NN mentioned it to me a while back. As luck would have it, my uncle just so happened to own a 1972 pink cadillac convertible. We bought it from him last month and have spent a small fortune getting it roadtrip-worthy. The brother is coming over for a visit next week, and he has NO IDEA that NN has pulled this off. Big, big, super-big surprise.

I need music for their trip! I have a ton of music for their mix already put together, but I'm on the lookout for some little jems I may have overlooked. Obviously there's a lot of Elvis...some great Tennessee bluegrass that will be superbly suited for the backroads they'll be taking...some Memphis blues. I'll toss in a few good generic road trip type tunes as well. If the car fares well enough between Knoxville and Memphis, they'll keep going on down to Louisiana to see some friends. For that, I'm adding in some zydeco and anything else that will sound good in bayou country.

Any thoughts? Anyone wanna buy an old caddie in about 3 weeks?


[/img]

This is so incredibly cool. Way cool.

Make sure ya got some Stax tunes (Sam & Dave, Otis Redding), and some Booker T & the MG's ("Green Onions" is a must..I heard that song playing in my head when I saw the picture of the car), and some Sun Records tuneage (Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, etc.).

Cajun-wise, I like Zachary Richard. An obscure but terrific modern day rockabilly warrior I like is Walter Clevenger & the Dairy Kings. Worth checking out.

[Ritterskoop]

Marc Cohn, Walking in Memphis

[ulysses5019]

First, the back story.

Picture it. Oslo, 1999. Two brothers were in a pub, celebrating the younger's 30th birthday over manymanymany beers. The birthday gift was a promise: to be taken to Graceland in a pink cadillac.

Sooo...this was the promise that The Naughty Norwegian made to his younger brother, who happens to be a serious fan of The King. (Elvis, not Harald.) It was all but forgotten, considering the inebriated state in which it was offered. But NN mentioned it to me a while back. As luck would have it, my uncle just so happened to own a 1972 pink cadillac convertible. We bought it from him last month and have spent a small fortune getting it roadtrip-worthy. The brother is coming over for a visit next week, and he has NO IDEA that NN has pulled this off. Big, big, super-big surprise.

I need music for their trip! I have a ton of music for their mix already put together, but I'm on the lookout for some little jems I may have overlooked. Obviously there's a lot of Elvis...some great Tennessee bluegrass that will be superbly suited for the backroads they'll be taking...some Memphis blues. I'll toss in a few good generic road trip type tunes as well. If the car fares well enough between Knoxville and Memphis, they'll keep going on down to Louisiana to see some friends. For that, I'm adding in some zydeco and anything else that will sound good in bayou country.

Any thoughts? Anyone wanna buy an old caddie in about 3 weeks?


[/img]

For the Louisiana portion, try Beausoleil

House of the Rising Sun by Eric Burdon and the Animals

Dixie Beauxderaunt by Dan Baird

Jolie Louise by Daniel Lanois

Blue Bayou by Linda Rondstadt


Tennessee by Arrested Development
Memphis by Chuck Berry
Memphis by Johnny Rivers
Wrong Side of Memphis by Trisha Yearwood
I've Been to Memphos by Lyle Lovett
Walking in Memphos by Marc Cohn

[ulysses5019]

All the Way from Memphis......Mott the Hoople
Lady Marmalade from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack

I assume you have Pink Cadillac by Springsteen. He also has Cadillac Ranch.

[T_Bone0806]

Born on the Bayou-CCR
Big Train From Memphis-John Fogerty

[Here's Fanny!]

Two Dope Boyz in a Cadillac - Outkast (especially nice while going through the ATL)


No?

[ulysses5019]

Mississippi Queen by Mountain

[traininvain]

I'll try and keep this short...


Memphis in the Meantime - John Hiatt
Memphis - Joe Jackson
Memphis Pearl - Lucinda Williams

Songs that mention Memphis...

Honkey Tonk Women - The Rolling Stones
Cities - Talking Heads
Dixie Chicken - Little Feat
Proud Mary - CCR

Good driving music...

One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer - John Lee Hooker and/or George Thorogood
Promised Land - Chuck Berry and/or Elvis Presley
Jessica - the Allman Brothers Band
Drive South - John Hiatt
Any number of Dave Edmunds songs
Rave On - Buddy Holly
Drive She Said - Stan Ridgway
Excitable Boy, Things to do in Denver When You're Dead, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Mr. Bad Example - Warren Zevon
Pink Cadillac, Born to Run, Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen (OK pretty much every Bruce song)
L.A. Woman - The Doors
Return of the Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons


Well, that's what I got off the top of my head

[mrkelley23]

For this car and this road trip, I have some Elvis suggestions first, given that I've listened to more than I care to over the 20+ years that I've been married to an Elvis fan:

Little Less Conversation -- either the original or the remix depending on the personalities involved.

Rubberneckin' -- ditto

Three Corn Patches -- TBone Walker has a good version too.
U.S Male
Guitar Man
Ain't That Lovin' You Baby
Big Boss Man
I Got a Woman
Bossa Nova Baby
Rip it Up
Clean Up Your Own Backyard
Come on, Everybody (from Viva Las Vegas)
Crawfish
Didja Ever (from GI Blues)
Edge of Reality
Fever
Got my Mojo Workin'
Happy Birthday to You (for obvious reasons)
Little Sister
Trouble
How Do You Think I Feel
Polk Salad Annie (which apparently should be Poke Sallet Annie) (And I actually like Tony Joe White's version better)
I Gotta Know
Milk Cow Blues Boogie
I was Born 'Bout Ten Thousand YEars Ago
Wash My Hands in Muddy Water
We're Gonna Move
Rock A Hula Baby
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry
Witchcraft
Ito Eats
Paralysed
Little Egypt
Memphis, Tennessee
True Love Travels on a Gravel Road
A Mess of Blues
Dirty, Dirty Feeling
There's no Room to Rumba in a Sportscar
Queenie Wahini
Such a Night
Steppin' Out of Line
Too Much Monkey Business
T-R-O-U-B-L-E
Walk a Mile in My shoes

In addition, I would look into the above mentioned Tony Joe White, Ronnie Hawkins, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Mark Knopfler, and -- dare I say it? -- JJ Cale.




BTW, my lovely wife said, "Well, why didn't they just go to Memphis and then go to Marlo's to eat -- Marlo's will take you to Graceland in a pink cadillac -- they've got three or four of them.

[ulysses5019]

Madison Blues by George Thorogood

Life Is a Highway by Tom Cochrane

Graceland by Paul Simon

The Tennessee Waltz by Patti Page

Road to Nowhere by Talking Heads

Chattanooga Choo Choo by Glenn Miller

[marrymeflyfree]

Fantastic suggestions! I'm especially grateful for the Cajun tunes as I don't know that music well. I'll post the full mix once it's done, with offers of a CD copy for anyone who wants it.

Make sure NN takes along a video camera. I think the trip sounds like a perfect opportunity to make a quirky travel documentary.

He has strict instructions to take a lot of photos, at least...good excuse to get a video camera, though!

I bet there are quite a few Mary Kay ladies who would swoon over the possibility of purchasing that car.

We're hoping that someone in Memphis might take a shine to it...he's even thinking of asking for a personalized plate that says '4 SALE'. It would be absolutely ideal if we could get enough for the car to pay for it, the repairs, and their trip.

I assume you have Pink Cadillac by Springsteen.

Of course!

BTW, my lovely wife said, "Well, why didn't they just go to Memphis and then go to Marlo's to eat -- Marlo's will take you to Graceland in a pink cadillac -- they've got three or four of them.

Marlo's? I'll have to pass that along! My parents have a neighbor who is originally from Memphis...we've been picking her brain about all the cool spots for them to hit. Any other nuggets?

Graceland by Paul Simon

Got it! He's already decided that will be the first song of the journey.

[secondchance]

3 great driving songs:
La Grange - ZZ Top
Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf
Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf
For some southern flair:
Walkin' After Midnight - Patsy Cline
Harper Valley PTA - Jeannie C. Riley
And just for kicks:
Black Betty -- Ram Jam

[CharlesFoxSingers]

Knew you'd be a vision in white
How'd you get those pants so tight?
Don't know what you're doin'
But you must be livin' right

We got some places to see
I brought all the maps with me
So jump right in...Ain't no sin
Take a ride in my machine

City traffic movin' way too slow
Drop the pedal and go...go...go

Goin' ridin' on the freeway of love
Wind's against our back
Goin' ridin' on the freeway of love
Goin' ridin' on the freeway of love
Wind's against our back
Ain't we ridin' on the freeway of love
In my pink Cadillac?

Never you mind the exit signs
We got lots of time
We can't quit 'til we get
To the other side

With the radio playin' our song
We keep rollin' on
Who knows how far a car can get
Before you think about slowin' on down

City traffic movin' way too slow
Drop the pedal and go...go...go

Goin' ridin' on the freeway of love
Wind's against our back
Goin' ridin' on the freeway of love
Goin' ridin' on the freeway of love
Wind's against our back
Ain't we ridin' on the freeway of love
In my pink Cadillac?

[MarleysGh0st]

Who just happens to own a pink Cadillac?

For general road trip music, I like Jo Dee Messina's Heads Carolina, Tails California

[marrymeflyfree]

Who just happens to own a pink Cadillac?

The uncle was a brick mason. He bricked a garage for a guy who was unable to pay the balance at the end - so he got the car that the garage was intended for as trade.

[hermillion]

Please, please, please sign me up for a CD of this music. I don't even need to see the final list -- just the idea of the trip, and reading the suggestions made here, has convinced me that this is a MUST for my collection. TimeLife Music has nothing on you!

Now I have to start planning my own road trip

Highway to Hell - AC/DC
Sixty Minute Man - Billy Ward & His Dominoes

[SportsFan68]

Sixty Minute Man - Billy Ward & His Dominoes

Credited not as the first rock and roll song, but almost certainly the first song to use the phrase.

[AlphaDummy]

Please, please, please sign me up for a CD of this music.

What Hermillion said.

My own .02:

You can't go wrong with some uptempo stuff from Beausoleil. Check out Le Jig Francais or Tasso/McGee's Reel - or if you are in the mood for instrumentals, Vieux Crowley or Awesome Ossun Two-Step.

Speaking of instrumentals, nothing says "open road" to me like the Allman Brothers' Jessica.

For N'Awlins, how about Such a Night, by Dr. John?

You may end up with a double-CD set before long...so much the better!

[hermillion]

Oh, yeah -- Aaron Neville. I've learned that he's often a love him or hate him performer, but I happen to love him.

[mrkelley23]

Other cool things to do in Memphis:

Sun Records Studio tour

If you haven't already checked it out, you can stay at the Heartbreak Hotel and rent a replica of the Jungle Room, for instance. Rooms go quickly, though, depending on when you go. When are they going, BTW?

Pretty much everything Elvis related in Memphis is located within walking distance of Graceland. Wendy says to make sure you get the tour that includes things like the planes and stuff, but you don't necessarily need to spring for the VIP tour.

The house he was born in is in Tupelo, MS, which is about a 2 hour drive away, but Wendy says it's worth it for the Elvis fan.

Also, Wendy says the area around Graceland has become very, well, rough, and you want to be careful about where you stay, especially when it's not Elvis Week.

Lansky's is now in The Peabody Hotel, and both are interesting places to visit.

Other relatively cool things in Memphis:

Beale Street

Mud Island

The Pyramid

The Pink Palace Museum

Alfred's and Wet Willie's are two of the cool places to eat downtown. EP's Delta is the new restaurant (Wendy hasn't eaten there yet) in the old Lansky's building.

We'll keep talking, and I'll post whatever else we come up with.

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

All I have to add is

I Can't Drive 55 - Sammy Hagar.

[ulysses5019]

The ducks in the Peabody Hotel.

The famous Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis is more than just a nice place to stay. It is also home to one of the city's most famous -- and most peculiar -- attractions. Each day at 11:00 a.m., a parade of five mallard ducks, led by a "duckmaster," makes its way from the roof of the hotel down to the lobby. There, a red carpet is rolled out and John Philip Sousa's King Cotton March begins to play. The ducks march into the fountain of the Peabody's Grand Lobby. At 5:00 p.m., the ceremony is reversed when the ducks return to their rooftop home.
This unique tradition began in 1932 when the general manager of the hotel and one of his hunting buddies returned from a hunting trip in Arkansas. The pair thought it would be amusing to put their live duck decoys into the Grand Lobby's fountain. Intended as a prank, they had no idea how popular the ducks would be with hotel guests. Soon after this stunt, the live decoys were replaced by five mallard ducks.

It was in 1940 that a bellman named Edward Pembroke offered to help train the ducks. Pembroke had once worked as a circus animal trainer and soon taught the ducks to march. He was made the official Peabody Duckmaster and kept that title until he retired in 1991.

The ducks, themselves, have been rotated over the years. In fact, each team of five ducks (one male and four females) only work for three months before they retire. The ducks are raised by a local farmer and are returned to the farm when they retire.

No trip to Memphis would be complete without a visit to the Peabody Ducks. You do not have to be a guest of the hotel to see the ducks march. In fact, visitors are encouraged to come in each day and witness this fun spectacle. If, however, you would like to stay in the Peabody Hotel, click here for current room rates and specials.