Even Jesus himself wasn’t an instant hit. It took decades, maybe a hundred years or more, for him to catch on. The same thing could happen again.
A couple days ago, there was a report on the radio about the release of a book, The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll in 10 Songs, by Griel Marcus. Rather than write about music that has been written about a thousand times, the book is missing everything you would expect in any conventional history. No Rolling Stones or Beatles or Jimi Hendrix or remembrances of Woodstock.
In place of the iconic, music journalist Greil Marcus analyzes 10 songs that he says tell the story of one of America’s greatest gifts to the world. Number One is “Shake Some Action” by the The Flamin’ Groovies—a band which was founded in 1965 and which Marcus says has “a name so stupid, it’s embarrassing to say out loud.”
There’s a reason you’ve never heard of The Flamin’ Groovies before. The rest of their songs (or at least the ones I sampled) suck. But this one doesn’t. It should be famous.
Maybe you’ll like it as much as I do.
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Groove of the Day
Listen to The Flamin’ Groovies performing “Shake Some Action”
Two programs of interest tonight on Lifetime Movie Network (LMN). At 9pm will be a new film, Kids Behind Bars/Lost For Life, and at 10:30pm will be a repeat of Juvenile Lifers.
In the 70s I was in a band that did a cover of Shake Some Action, so they can’t have been completely unknown.
Although they were completely unknown to me, it’s good to hear that they got some recognition in their day for a really great song.
Got to admit they are new to me. Not surprising, as they were a San Francisco band, rather unknown in my NY punk scene in the 1970s. Did a little research—Shake Some Action was produced in 1976, and it sure sounds like it. Shares a sound and feel with the songs of so many great bands I heard at Max’s and CBGB in the later 1970s. Those were the days! And what music we made!