Friday, June 17, 2016

KLEM FM

What a great melody! It's a fine example of how just two years after tragedy, a band could remain standing and triumph. According to Wiki, "Jessica" -- written by guitarist Dickey Betts -- is a tribute to guitarist Django Reinhardt, in that it was designed to be played using only two fingers on the left hand.

Dickey Betts and son Duane show how the song is played:


Hmm, I counted more than two fingers involved on the fret board.

Again according to Wiki:
Betts named the song after his daughter, Jessica Betts, who was an infant when the song was released. She had bounced along to the song's rhythm, and Betts attempted to capture her attitude with the song's melody. He invited fellow guitarist Les Dudek over to collaborate on the song, and Dudek formed the song's bridge. The song's arrangement was crafted in prior to recording the song, which took place at Capricorn Sound Studios in Macon, Georgia.

7 comments:

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

When you think is ending it stars up again.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I have three Ramblin' Man songs. One by Bob Seger, Hank Williams and Waylon Jennings, no Allman Brothers.

chickelit said...

I have three Ramblin' Man songs. One by Bob Seger, Hank Williams and Waylon Jennings, no Allman Brothers.

You should fix that, Lem. If for no other reason than Betts wrote that song too. I see from Wiki that Betts was inspired by Hank Williams to write "Ramblin Man." On a personal note I like the reference to Highway 41 in the song. My dad took us on an epic family vacation down Highway 41 in 1968 -- from Wisconsin to FLA.

Trooper York said...

I read the Greg Allman autobiography "My Cross to Bear."

One of the best rock autobiographies I have ever read. He had a lot of interesting stories about Dickie Betts.

chickelit said...

I should read that, Troop. I read a biography about Duane Allman called "Skydog" (Wilson Pickett's nickname for him) . I'm going to go look for another memorable quote from that book. BRB

chickelit said...

Here it is:

[Drummer] Butch Trucks said in an interview [after Duane's death]...'There was never any thought of not continuing, because Duane had given us religion, and we were going to keep playing it.'

That relates to my earlier point about carrying on after tragedy.

The Dude said...

The movie Muscle Shoals shows the Allman/Pickett interaction - what a place, what a time.