what Frank is listening to #226 – DANNY O'KEEFE – Breezy Stories – (Atlantic) – 1973
Back in WFILT #97 I said this about Dennis O'Keefe: I discovered him on one of my "who sang the original of the Elvis song" quests in the 80s. The song in question was the magnificent "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues"….( which went to #9 for O'Keefe in 1972). Elvis did a "Elvis 70s countryish version" in 1974 … lots of emotion and very dramatic and with lyrics that meant something to him, about break-ups, and growing older. But, the lyrics were perhaps to close to the bone because it's what's left unsaid that counts … Elvis left out the verse with the telling lines in relation to Good Time Charlie …
"I got my pills to ease the pain
Can't find a thing to ease the rain"
Can't find a thing to ease the rain"
In any event from there I moved on into O'Keefe territory. And I must say from what I have heard thus far it is more rewarding than not.
By way of musical biography O'Keefe has floated around the fringes of music.
Allmusic: "Most closely associated with his 1972 Top Ten entry "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues," singer/songwriter Danny O'Keefe was born and raised in Spokane, WA, beginning his performing career on the Minnesota coffeehouse circuit of the mid-'60s. Through Buffalo Springfield manager Charles Greene, he landed a telephone audition with Atlantic Records honcho Ahmet Ertegun, signing with the label's Cotillion imprint to issue his self-titled 1971 debut LP. The follow-up, 1972's O'Keefe, yielded his lone hit, "Good Time Charlie," later covered by Elvis Presley and many others".
I went on to say …. He comes across as a darker Jimmy Webb or Harry Nilsson or a less country Terry Allen. In fact, some of the tracks are positively MOR with confrontational lyrics if that makes any sense. What does that mean if you are not familiar with any of this? What it means is the songs are firmly in the narrative song cycle with "in your face" naked honesty. "Honesty" was central to the whole "singer songwriter" movement but like everything there were those in the genre who were just fooling themselves, or just not very bright. O'Keefe is not one of those. His songs are "from the heart" (as corny as that may sound) and over the course of the album he manages to create a mood of a time out of balance – for the narrator if not for the rest of us. And of course there is an echo of Dylan in there also.
Having said that there is also a hint of The Eagles on some tracks and some ham fisted instrumentation. The beauty is in the lyrics – there are many smart couplets.
All the above remains relevant to this album, his 4th (the third proper one – the first was a bunch of demos released by a record company), the only surprise is that O'Keefe moved away from his country-ish overtones as early as 1973. He wasn't really country ever but he was (and is) from the Pacific North West so a fair amount of rustic wisdom is expected. And that certainly does come through in his music but then there are also numbers which are just weird. Refreshing maybe, but weird definitely.
The album is schizophrenic in some ways. Mid-tempo radio friendly singer songwriter numbers surrounded by rockier, funkier but darker and quirkier songs. I'm not sure how this occurred but I suspect the commercial concerns of a major label (Atlantic) had some bearing on the production though I think they didn't really know what to do with O'Keefe:
- head dude Arif Mardin produced this LP (as he did the Rascals, Carly Simon, Petula Clark, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand,Bee Gees, Diana Ross, Queen, Patti Labelle, Aretha Franklin, Lulu, Anita Baker, Judy Collins, Phil Collins, Scritti Politti, Culture Club, Roberta Flack, Average White Band, Hall & Oates, Donny Hathaway, Norah Jones, The Manhattan Transfer and many others)
- there are funky overtones as you would expect from a label well versed in black funk, R&B and soul. The musicians are skilled and slick New York session musos (Donny Hathaway's electric piano is everywhere) and there are even some backing vocals from Elvis' Vegas backing vocals The Sweet Inspirations ( featuring Cissy, mother of Whitney, Houston) though oddly they are credited under their individual names.
All tracks except "Farewell to Storyville" (Spencer Williams) are written by O'Keefe.
Tracks (best in italics)
- Angel, Spread Your Wings – a strong and at the same time standard singer songwriter song in Judy Collins territory with some AM friendly backing vocals. Judy Collins, errr not surprisingly, covered this.
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Magdalena – quite a haunting song (about a Catholic(?) girl who can't decide between "yes" and "no") accentuated by O'Keefe's nasal delivery and some nice tempo changes..
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Junk Man – a gentle street wise funk moves through this one with it's clear anti-drug message. Perhaps a minute too long with too much guitar "atmospherics" for my taste. As if Santana was on downers ….
There's a man on the corner
With some goods to sell
Sellin' minutes in heaven
For a lifetime in hell
With some goods to sell
Sellin' minutes in heaven
For a lifetime in hell
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Portrait in Black Velvet – Danny goes baroque singer songwriter? Weird.
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She Said "Drive on, Driver" – Freaking strange. A gritty urban tale, with a funky melody which you would expect to see on any number of black albums from the time but there is some crazy guitar (played by O'Keefe) reminiscent of (the great, thank you Carl) Marc Ribot playing on a Tom Waits album. The narrative about a woman beaten up by an impotent policeman is "out there" also. Strange but strangely endearing and maybe even great.
In his pants he had a deadly weapon
But his silver bullet would not shoot
He slugged me till he’d gotten what he wanted
Ain’t it strange the way you find a substitute
But his silver bullet would not shoot
He slugged me till he’d gotten what he wanted
Ain’t it strange the way you find a substitute
He said, That’s all there is, it’s over
I said, You’re wrong, Man, it’s just about to start
I keep a blade for sentimental reasons
And in a rage I drove it through his heart
I said, You’re wrong, Man, it’s just about to start
I keep a blade for sentimental reasons
And in a rage I drove it through his heart
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Steppin' Out Tonight – wtf? An old 40s type boogie woogie tune
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If Ya Can't Boogie, Woogie (You Sure Can't Rock & Roll) – a old school Jerry lee Lewis type of rock n roll song. Dr John on piano and David Bromberg on guitar (both were on the last track also). Mmmmmm. No worse than anything on Lennon's "Rock n Roll" album.
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Mad Ruth/The Babe – a clever song about Babe Ruth and a girl called Ruth.
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Catfish – a country boogie much in the style of John Sebastian. Slight but pleasant.
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The Edge – A good mood piece about a prostitute and a "romantic" doing business and finding they have stuff in common.
You need wings to get to heaven
Oh, to hell, you just need balls
It's a very rough trip
There ain't no place to fall
Oh, to hell, you just need balls
It's a very rough trip
There ain't no place to fall
It's just like freeway traffic
From the womb to the tomb
For this short time together
We need a little room
From the womb to the tomb
For this short time together
We need a little room
- Farewell to Storyville (Good Time Flat Blues) – an old song from the 20s (covered by Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory and Billie Holiday amongst others) in the Southern Dixie slow jazzy style. It's also very Hoagy Carmichael. Again, an "older" song with Dr John on piano and David Bromberg on guitar.
And…
The sound is well polished on this album and I do not think that is O'Keefe's forte. I can't help wondering what this would have sounded like stripped down or recorded with a band "down South".
Also, at times it sounds like O'Keefe is trying hard not to do the obvious. This does not give it a unified whole but it certainly makes it "individual" and that alone is to be applauded. This album is patchy but, ultimately, the quality of O'Keefe's song writing and some distinctly offbeat and radio hostile sounds make O'Keefe a considerable, though uncomercial, talent. I'm keeping it.
Chart Action
US
Singles
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Album
Singles
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Album
#172
England
Singles
Singles
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Album
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Sounds
Angel, Spread Your Wings
Magdalena
Magdalena
She Said "Drive on, Driver"
attached
Others
covers
Review
Credits
Bio
Website
Trivia
- With Bob Dylan he co-wrote the environmental movement anthem, "Well Well Well". Apparently, I have not verified this, Dylan mailed in an instrumental with "well, well" being the sum total of the lyrics and Danny finished it.
- O'Keefe also recorded an album whilst he was in the band "Calliope" in 1969
Other Comments
what Frank is listening to #97 – DANNY O'KEEFE – American Roulette – (Warner Brothers) – 1977
