Are You Hip To The Grease?

[Guest]

Hello!

I'm relaying a question from a 60s artist who, I am guessing, might be thinking about recording a song that he heard on Boston radio in the 60s.

The song included the phrase "Are you hip to the Grease?". The only other information he can provide is that the song would probably have been played in Boston on the Wild Man Steve show. And it may have been a male-female duet.

Both my correspondent and another musician friend remember hearing this song, but have been trying unsuccessfully to identify it for forty years. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Don Leighty

dleighty@icubed.com

[Guest]

Maybe way off line here but- Alvin Cash has a track called "You Shot Me Through The Grease" However....

Some years ago I went on record buying trip to St Louis for someone and amongst the things that came back to the UK was a 45 on a green label , a duet with Alvin and a woman. I collect Alvin Cash records and had never seen this one before. Unfortunately on the return to the UK the individual on who's behalf the trip was made snatched anything that looked vaugeley interesting -even though Alvin Cash isn't of any special interest - and it vanished into a stash of thirty Seven squillion 45's to still languish there or never to be seen again until it was sold for pennies to someone else. What I should have done of course was shove the 45 in my handbag whilst still in St Louis and say nothing. The moral of that story is after 47 years I'm still a trusting individual who pays the price for honestly.

The trouble is I can't remember who the lady on the record was or the title of the song. But it may be a start!

[Iancsloft]

The moral of that story is after 47 years I'm still a trusting individual who pays the price for honestly.

=================================================

Yes but your such a nice bloke Simon and we would,nt swop you for anything

Well maybe for a couple of rare Detroit 45,s or a one off Acetate

of the Two Vandals

[Guest]

Maybe way off line here but- Alvin Cash has a track called "You Shot Me Through The Grease" However....

Some years ago I went on record buying trip to St Louis for someone and amongst the things that came back to the UK was a 45 on a green label , a duet with Alvin and a woman. I collect Alvin Cash records and had never seen this one before.

> snipped <

The trouble is I can't remember who the lady on the record was or the title of the song. But it may be a start!

link

This sounds like an excellent possibility and I thank you for it!

I don't know about the single you mention, as "You Shot Me Through The Grease" doesn't appear in the Mar-V-Lus 45 discography, but the song did appear on Alvin Cash's LP, "Twine Time" (as I'm sure you know!).

I found the following reference to this track elsewhere on the Web:

"Most of his (Cash's) performances were limited to groans and screeches, brief spoken word segments and call and response sections with a female backing chorus - check out "You Shot Me Thru the Grease" for a perfect example."

This certainly sounds like it might fit the bill.

The artist who is trying to figure this out, btw, is Geoff Muldaur. This is evidently an issue that he and Fritz Richmond have been batting back and forth forever.

Don Leighty

[Guest]

or a one off Acetate

of the Two Vandals 

link

Hmmm, a one off acetate you say? Tempting. Which two Vandals are on it?

[Guest]

The Alvin Cash song "You Shot Me Through The Grease" sounds like a real possibility, but I'm wondering if anyone has a copy of the "Twine Time" LP or CD and can check the lyrics? I've been unable to find a playable clip on the Web anywhere.

Thanks!

Don Leighty

[Guest]

If time allows I'll see if I can do it today.

[Guest]

It's not Alvin's finest moment. Minimal girl backing vocals too.

YOU SHOT ME THRU THE GREASE (O.HAYES/M. HIGGINS)

OH BABY

YOU KNOW YOU DONE ME WRONG BABY

OH BABY

YOU TOOK MY MONEY AND NOW YOU WANNA ACT FUNNY

YOU DONE PAWNED MY DIAMOND RING

YOU DONE TOOK EVERYTHING

YOU SHOT ME THRU THE GREASE BABY

OH BUT YOU SHOT ME THRU THE GREASE BABY

BABY

BABY

OOO WEEE

BABY YOU JUST SHOT ME THROUGH THE GREASE

YOU TORE MY CADDILAC CAR UP

YOU DONE PAWNED MY DIAMOND RING

YOU TOOK ALL MY MONEY NOW I AIN'T GOT A THING

BUT BABY I STILL LOVE YOU JUST THE SAME

BABY BABY

OHHH BUT YOU SHOT ME THRU THE GREASE BABY

OOO WEE BABY

BABY I'M GETTING DOWN ON MY KNEES BABY PLEASE

OH BUT YOU SHOT ME THRU THE GREASE BABY

HAVE MERCY

Could it have been this?

GEORGIA SOUL TWISTERS -You Shot Me (Through The Grease)-MAINSTREAM 668

[Guest]

Thanks so much for transcribing this entire song, Simon!

I passed these lyrics on to Geoff, who is now crestfallen because this apparently wasn't the song. It sounded so good to him, and I think he was really hoping...

I don't know if Geoff would even recognize the actual song lyrics if he heard them. But if there's no SPOKEN "Are you hip to the grease?" anywhere in the song, that seems to rule it out.

> Could it have been this?

> GEORGIA SOUL TWISTERS -You Shot Me (Through The Grease)-MAINSTREAM 668

I had mentioned this one to him as well, but I don't know any way of testing the hypothesis unless we find someone who actually has, or has heard this 45.

The search continues.

(Meanwhile, I'm still trying to figure out whose recordings of "Trouble In Mind" and "Goin' Down Slow (I Have Had My Fun)" inspired Geoff's 1963 recordings of these two songs. He can't remember, and there are so many possibilities...)

Best wishes,

Don Leighty