45 RPMs 63: The Coasters ~ Poison Ivy

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The Coasters ~ Poison Ivy

 

I've always connected my total experience with The Coasters to my high school days but I just came to realize not so. On July 16, 1959, The Coasters recorded Poison Ivy, long after those days, but my love for them does go back to then.        

 

The Coasters ~ Poison Ivy
  45 rpm record

photo by Styrous®

 

 

Obviously, contrary to my "I remember where I was . . ", I don't! But I do remember loving the song from the first time I heard it, no matter where I was.            

The tune was written by the brilliant song writing team, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It went to #1 on the R&B chart, #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #15 in the UK. This was their third top-ten hit of that year following Charlie Brown and Along Came Jones; I thought those were from my high school days as well. Seems after a few decades of life you get things confused! Oh, well!      

 

The song discusses a girl known as "Poison Ivy". She is compared to measles, mumps, chickenpox, the common cold, and whooping cough, but is deemed worse, because "Poison Ivy, Lord, will make you itch". According to lyricist Jerry Leiber, "Pure and simple, 'Poison Ivy' is a metaphor for a sexually transmitted disease".         

 

Almost every musician in existence has covered the song (link below) but the best version I've ever heard was in a scene from the 1997 film Batman & Robin. The song was re-scored by Elliot Goldenthal and the character, Poison Ivy aka Dr. Pamela Isley, is portrayed by Uma Thurman of the 1994 film, Pulp Fiction, and she is sensational! She speaks in a mix of Eartha Kitt and Mae West with double entendres galore.            

 

 

Batman & Robin poster

I'm a Hog for You was also written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It is a moderate speed, syncopated song with a terrific dance beat and a great set of lyrics (link below).       

      

The Coasters ~ I'm a Hog for You
  45 rpm record

photo by Styrous®

 

 

        

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A - Poison Ivy - 2:43

Side 2:

B - I’m A Hog For You - 1:59

Companies, etc.

    Published By – Tiger (7)

 Credits:

 

      Written By Leiber - Stoller*

 

Notes:

Label variation: Very slight variance in the text layout compared to: Poison Ivy / I'm A Hog For You

Produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
A-side recorded July 16, 1959 at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York City
B-side recorded August 8, 1958 at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York City

Barcode and Other Identifiers        

        

Label variation: Very slight variance in the text layout compared to: Poison Ivy / I'm A Hog For You

Produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
A-side recorded July 16, 1959 at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York City
B-side recorded August 8, 1958 at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York City

 

The Coasters – Poison Ivy / I'm A Hog For You
Label: ATCO Records – 45-6146
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: Aug 1959
Genre: Rock, Funk / Soul
Style: Vocal, Rhythm & Blues, Rock & Roll

        

        

        

        

Viewfinder links:       

        
The Coasters         

Elliot Goldenthal        

Eartha Kitt         

Poison Ivy lyrics        

Uma Thurman         

Mae West      
     
Net links:       

         

Cover versions        

Songfacts ~ Poison Ivy        

     
YouTube links:      
         

Batman ~ Poison Ivy         

The Coasters ~  

        I'm a Hog for You      

        Poison Ivy         

        Poison Ivy (live)        

        

        
        
         

        

        

Styrous® ~ Friday, July 16, 2021   

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Dick Dale ~ Magician of the guitar

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Dick Dale, "The King of the Surf Guitar", died a week ago on Saturday, March 16th. At the time of his death, he had tour dates scheduled into November, 2019. He was 81 years old.

Dale was born Richard Anthony Monsour in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 4, 1937. He was of Lebanese descent from his father, James, and of Polish-Belarusian descent from his mother, Fern. He learned the piano when he was nine, was given a trumpet in seventh grade, and later acquired a ukulele (for $6 part exchange), after having become influenced by Hank Williams. The first song he played on it was Tennessee Waltz; a 1950 recording of the song by Patti Page would become a Top 40 Hit. He was also influenced by his uncle, who taught him how to play the tarabaki and the oud.

      

Dick Dale - 1970 

photographer unknown

According to Fender (link below), while in the ukulele phase, Dale originally wanted to be a country singer; fortunately he graduated to the guitar which he bought from a friend for $8, paying him back on installments. He learned to play it, using a combination of styles incorporating both lead and rhythm styles, so that the guitar filled the place of drums. His early tarabaki drumming later influenced his guitar playing, particularly his rapid alternate picking technique. Dale referred to this as "the pulsation", noting all instruments he played derived from the tarabaki.

He was raised in Quincy, Massachusetts until he completed the eleventh grade at Quincy High School in 1954, when his father, a machinist, took a job working for Hughes Aircraft Company in the Southern California aerospace industry in El Segundo, California. Dale spent his senior year at and graduated from Washington Senior High School. He retained a strong interest in Arabic music, which later played a major role in his development of surf rock music. He learned to surf at the age of 17.

Dick Dale

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Dale did a cover of the 1927 Greek rebetiko / tsifteteli composition Miserlou which had been a big hit in the 40's; Dale updated it to a surf rock hit in the 60's and performed it on the Ed Sullivan show in 1963; he sings as well. Dick Dale and the Del-Tones also performed it in the 1963 film, A Swingin Affair (links below). The song was the opening for the 1994 Quentin Tarantino film, Pulp Fiction (link below). 

Dick Dale and the Del-Tones

Dick Dale and the Del-Tones also appeared in the 1964 film, Muscle Beach Party, with Stevie Wonder who was thirteen years old at the time and billed as "Little Stevie Wonder." Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello and Don Rickles were also in the film.  

Dick Dale & Stevie Wonder -1964 

Muscle Beach Party

film still

He has been called the "Father of Heavy Metal". This is admirably demonstrated with videos of him performing Nitro during a broadcast on KEXP (link below), when he performed with Stevie Ray Vaughn in 1987. He influenced the The Beach Boys, The Cure, Eddie Van Halen and Jimi Hendrix, among others.       

Dick Dale - 1962

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

His interests spread far beyond music. He was a licensed pilot and had an air strip at his property in Wonder Valley. He recollected training under martial arts masters; speeding on a motorcycle at 170 mph and fearlessly going into the cages of tigers and lions.

 

Dick Dale astride his 1941 WLD 45 Flathead Harley-Davidson 

date & photographer unknown 

 

However, he admitted playing a gig at Disneyland in 1998 made him a little nervous — he performed atop Space Mountain without a safety harness.   

            

          

          

       

Viewfinder links:         
   
Dick Dale articles/mentions            

Jimi Hendrix       

Patti Page           

The Beach Boys           

Hank Williams          
         

Net links:         
    

Dick Dale website       
Cheatsheet ~ How Much Was Dale Worth When He Passed Away?  

Fender ~ The Father of Surf: 7 Essential Dick Dale Facts          

AARP obit         
The Mercury News obit       

NPR obit         
NY Times obit       

Phoenix New Times obit         

Surfline obit        

Washington Post obit       

        
YouTube links:         
   
Dick Dale ~ Nitro  (Live on KEXP)       

                 ~ Smoke on the Water     

Dick Dale & Stevie Ray Vaughan ~ Pipeline (1987)      

Ed Sullivan Show ~ Miserlou (1963)          

A Swingin Affair, with the Del Tones ~ Miserlou (1963)         

Pulp Fiction - Opening Credits   
   
     

        

     

Rendezvous Ballroom, Balboa, California

date & photographer unknown

    

       
     
 

           

Styrous® ~ Saturday, March 16, 2019              

         

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In Memoriam

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