Just been reading Robert Pruter's Chicago Soul, as part of a uni module (modern world history rules) and on numerous occasions he refers to tracks being put out in response to other tracks, e.g.

Gene Chandler - You threw a lucky punch, a response to Mary Well's - You beat me to the punch.( plenty of others but cant be rsed digging them out).

This style of writing seems to come in and out of vogue in "urban" music e.g. Aemon vs Franki, and Mike Skinners roaster mate( Cant remember his name) did a track as a talk back to a Lilley Allen number.

I cant decide if this is a very lazy or at least contrived way to write music, especially when you think of people like Curtis Mayfield, Berry Gordy, Van McCoy etc who could knock a song up in half an hour, like a chippy putting up shelves, But then im inspired by music so why shouldnt musicians be?

Im very confused, any one able to shed more light on this?

M

'Answer songs'... a lot of them aren't that great IMO, especially when lyrics from the original have been switched about and don't really fit properly... so I'd say there's still a lot of skill in writing a good one! Not really sure where they originate, there are examples in 30s/40s Blues but probably some earlier - I guess they're a way of highlighting relationships/rivalries between competing singers or writers. I think you could find examples in opera where characters reply to each other with songs using slightly changed lyrics over the same backing (can't think off the top of my head though, it's quite a few years since I studied classical music)... suppose the more 'modern' ones are the same sort of thing, just not happening in the same time/place.

Edited March 27, 200718 yr by rachel

I believe Bobby King's 'Thanks Mr Postman' is in response to The Marvelettes - Please Mr Postman.

Some answer discs are really inventive. One of my favourites is "Check Me Baby" by Willie Tomlin on Peacock - the answer to Dr. Horse's immortal "Jack, That Cat Was Clean". Likewise Roy C's "I'm Not Going To Eat A Thing", an answerback to Marvin Sease's "Candy Licker". Songs like these actually offer a complete response and a different melody, rather than just changing a few key words...

TONE

Ernie Rivers "A message to percy" Knox

story of this one is on the net.

There's lots of these, across lots of musical genres :

"Sweet home Alabama" Lynard Skynard in response to Neil Young's "Southern man"

"I'm Mr Big Stuff" Jimmy Hicks in response to Jean Knight's "Mr Big Stuff"

"I'll save the last dance for you" Damito Jo in response to the Drifters "Save the last dance for me"

"From his woman to you" Barbara Mason in response to Shirley Brown's "Woman to woman"

etc, etc, etc

Theres a track called "Taxi Take Him Back" in response to J Blackfoots "Taxi".... surnames LeSear or LeSare... can't remember her first name at the minute... maybe Denise?

Theres a track called "Taxi Take Him Back" in response to J Blackfoots "Taxi".... surnames LeSear or LeSare... can't remember her first name at the minute... maybe Denise?

Ann

My favourate answer track is You can't love me (in the midnight hour) by little mac and the boss sounds - class!

Ann

as Robbie Vincent used to say " Shes A Hard Hard Woman"

as Robbie Vincent used to say " Shes A Hard Hard Woman"

Theola Kilgore " Chain Gang ( The Sound Of My Man ) "

Malc Burton

"I think you mean 7 minutes"

My wife's answer to James Fountain

ROD

"I think you mean 7 minutes"

My wife's answer to James Fountain

ROD

7 minutes ?

You stud

3 minutes of that is taking his boots off.

Ok so there is some alright examples of this phenonmenom ( doo doo doo doo doo) but it still seems pretty weak to me, using someone elses successes to sell your record. Bit like the Fugees singing a straight cover of a song, saying ah yeah or one time over the top and suddenly they are creative geniuses. I know record companys are firms with dubious regard for there customers, but i think these answer songs are milking it, a bit like corrie with their storylines that go on for monthes.

Sometimes an answer record can respond to a collective cultural concern and not just a paticular record. For example Johnny Taylor's recording of "Jody's got your girl and gone" (or something like that) is one of a slew of records documenting the exploits of yet another dangerous back-door man. Geater Davis's "I ain't worried about Jody", very coolly calms our collective nerve..

3 minutes of that is taking his boots off.

4 minutes is still the mark of being a stud in my book .....

Malc Burton

I consider taking my boots off an acceptable substitution for foreplay.

ROD

I consider taking my boots off an acceptable substitution for foreplay.

ROD

Substitution ????

4 minutes is still the mark of being a stud in my book .....

Malc Burton

Not if you take into account the 3 minutes to put his boots back on

Just been reading Robert Pruter's Chicago Soul, as part of a uni module (modern world history rules) and on numerous occasions he refers to tracks being put out in response to other tracks, e.g.

Gene Chandler - You threw a lucky punch, a response to Mary Well's - You beat me to the punch.( plenty of others but cant be rsed digging them out).

This style of writing seems to come in and out of vogue in "urban" music e.g. Aemon vs Franki, and Mike Skinners roaster mate( Cant remember his name) did a track as a talk back to a Lilley Allen number.

I cant decide if this is a very lazy or at least contrived way to write music, especially when you think of people like Curtis Mayfield, Berry Gordy, Van McCoy etc who could knock a song up in half an hour, like a chippy putting up shelves, But then im inspired by music so why shouldnt musicians be?

Im very confused, any one able to shed more light on this?

M

Now I don't think I dreamt this, but a point pertinent to the latter paragraph, and albeit not a direct response track as such, the Four Tops-Same old song was in itself a reference in kind to the previous release I can't help myself. Basically referring to your opening line in the last paragraph, it does ask the question, but I suppose it was a case of striking whilst the iron's hot from Motown's perspective...and it worked well for them, and as we all know ......the rest is history.....interesting thread by the way