Friday, May 30, 2008

And now we begin...

After I moved to Arkansas with my folks in 1967, I missed the BIG 89, WLS, arguably the greatest top 40 AM station of all time. We lived in Weiner, about 75 miles northwest of Memphis, out of range of WHBQ, which I didn't really discover until arriving here in 1972.

My station was WMPS 68, which dominated the market until they were stupid and fired Rick Dees in the mid-70s. It was WMPS that introduced me to the Box Tops and other Memphis delights, and so we begin today with Cry Like A Baby, their second smash after their 1967 hit, THE LETTER.

While anyone with a solid knowledge of our musical history knows the singer, Alex Chilton, I choose to remember their drummer, one of the truly great Memphians of all time, and not because of his drumming.

I refer, of course, to Thomas Boggs, he of Huey's, Folks Folly, Tsunami and the thousands of people he helped in this city. It is in his memory that today's Feel Good Friday is dedicated.


6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Alex stole a very cute brunette girlfriend from me at Central HS. I'll never forget her sitting in my car outside a pep rally on Peabody, explaining to me that "He needs me more than you do." Give me a break. A few years down the road, she OD'ed; and I am told that Alex occasionally still waxes nostalgic about her.

Sharon Cobb said...

Did y'all know Wayne Carson? He wrote those songs.
He and I used to write a lot.

Great choices.

captainkona said...

:)

I can forgive him for the tie because mom stuck me in one of those awful things for church every Sunday.

Coulda attached a string to it and flew the fucking thing on a windy day.

Feelin' groovy. Thanx.
:)

MemphisPI said...

LWC,

Let me add a little more history here. Thomas Boggs was also the drummer for "Tommy Burks and the Counts" which was the hottest high school band in Memphis in those days.
The Counts predated the Boxtops. They had a local hit record of their version of "Stormy Weather" which for me is the best version of all the many versions of that song.

If that is on Youtube please post it.

Memphispi

Squirrel Queen said...

I could actually pick up WHBQ on my little groovy yellow transistor radio even up here in Hooterville. Good stuff.

MickeyWhite said...

I remember taking Drum lessons at amro music on hwy 51 in whitehaven in the late 60's and it was I thought tommy boggs....?