Music of the Day, 11 September 2023

hang it in, baby

I’ve mentioned before that my mother’s siblings (she was the oldest of seven) introduced me to rock music at a young age and gave me my first album (Magical Mystery Tour). But I’d overlooked/forgotten just how much of an influence they were until recently, when I recalled an oft-told story about me.

My grandparents lived in a smallish home they built on very rural property that included a creek and abundant wildlife. That appealed to me deeply, as did getting away from my bossy older sister. I spent a fair bit of time there while my aunts and uncles were teenagers. My memories of being with them back then are hazy at best; but they used to enjoy telling stories about my siblings and me from those days.

The house had a hallway from the kitchen and living room to the two downstairs bedrooms and the second floor, which was two large bedroom areas. Being mostly encased within the house, the hall never got much natural light. One day, little Jackie was apparently bored; one of my aunts or uncles came across me strutting up and down the hall, singing the chorus to the song “Sookie Sookie.” This apparently amused them greatly, as it was shared among the family and I’ve still not lived it down.

Having just that snippet of information, I set out to try to find the song and band. Once I got the spelling right, things fell in place: “Sookie Sookie” is the lead track on Steppenwolf’s eponymous first album, released in 1968; it was one of the band’s first singles. Listening to it now, I still adore the song; the organ, guitar, and drums are as infectious as the lyrics that I understand.

Understanding the lyrics isn’t an issue of clarity—it’s a matter of slang. “Sookie Sookie” isn’t a Steppenwolf creation; it’s a Don Covay song. He was an R&B singer and songwriter whose songs were covered by Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, and many others. My guess is that “the Baltimore jig” and “drink a bottle of turpentine” had some meaning back then that has been lost to time.

It’s interesting to me that Steppenwolf slowed the song down compared to Covay’s performance. His version uses the same instruments; Steppenwolf has beefed the parts up though, and made them more prominent in the mix… especially that growly organ. Doing so made a great song even more of a rocker.

Of course, Steppenwolf’s real claim to fame is twofold: they were one of the first hard rock bands; and their best-known hit, “Born to Be Wild,” contains the phrase “heavy metal.” My understanding is that “heavy metal thunder” originally referred to riding a motorcycle rather than music, but with their sound, it’s easy to see how it made the jump.

I have three of their albums: Steppenwolf; At Your Birthday Party; and Monster. If I’ve listened to them all, I don’t remember it. I recently listened to Steppenwolf and dug it. They were political from the outset, and several of the themes on it sadly remain relevant.

I’m not sure if it’s the prominent organ sound or the synergy of the entire band, but for me, Steppenwolf’s sound is evergreen and rocks as hard as ever. And now that I remember being a rocker from a young age, I’m eager to explore my memories of more bands from that era.