Episode 7: Melancholy Splendor

Summary: Episode 7 takes us back down South in the early 1970s then on over to England in the 1980s.  On Side A, we have fun discovering the original Little Feat song, "Willin." Willin’ is a song written by the guitarist & singer, Lowell George, in 1970 and was a mainstay of the band Little Feat. The song is about a truck driver in the American southwest who makes some extra cash smuggling cigarettes and transporting Mexicans illegally across the border. In the liner notes of the 1993 album, As Time Goes By: The Very Best of Little Feat, music journalist, John Tobler wrote that Willin’ "quickly became a favorite among America’s truckdrivers, many of whom continue to regard it as the anthem of their profession . . .” Willin' has been covered by so many amazing artists but our Cover Story Rabbit Hole led us to Tom Petty's 2013 live version which we just adore.  On Side B, we head on over to the eighties in Manchester, England. A gifted guitarist and composer at the young age of 18, Johnny Marr decided to form a band and recruited a local poet and singer, Morrissey to join him. The rest is history, folks. The Smiths were formed in 1982 and went on to make four classic albums including dozens of singles. "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I want" is one of The Smiths more popular songs and has been covered a bunch. We highlight The Dream Academy's 1984 cover which was featured in the John Hughes film, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."  We hope you enjoy!