OK, so "Hey Joe" is already one of my fave rave songs of the 1960s, so I'm up for hearing any version of it I can get my hands on, yeah? This week in my thrift store runs I came across drummer Sandy Nelson's "Superdrums!" LP from 1966 and put it in my cart WITH NO HESITATION AT ALL when I spotted "Hey Joe" as one of the tracks on this instrumental record. I got it home, cleaned it up a lil', and plopped it on the turntable, and this BIG smile came across my face! Wow! What a BOSS GROOVE! Going off the Leaves' superb hit version from the same year, horns replacing the crazy fuzz guitar slices, studio dudes interjecting "HEY! JOE!" every so often, and Nelson's signature rolling triplet fills and propulsive shuffle beat, the song is a time warp stone GAS -- a little cheesy, and a lot rockin'.
I was personally offended that this marvelous song did not have its own video, so I made one for it using vintage footage featuring dancers of the era, including a marvelously enthusiastic young lady in her undergarments. You might receive a quizzical look from your boss if you play this at work, but hey -- he or she might just bust out with a wicked Frug, too. You won't know until you try! Please to enjoy!
© Copyright 2008- Marianne Spellman