Holy Man

We've got a real treat for you tonight in the countdown, a long-forgotten song by a famous writer done up modern-style by Knees Calhoon. Richard A. Lupoff is the famous writer and if you've been into SF, mystery, fandom, criticism, ERB or radio during the past 60 years, you know of Dick Lupoff and his works. Ramble House has published several of his books and now he shows his chops as a songwriter. Check out his latest Ramble House book here: WRITER 4

The lyrics were written by Dick back in the late 60s and John Cippolina of Quicksilver Messenger Service played around with some chords for it, but it was never recorded. Dick had forgotten all about it until he found a carbon copy of the lyrics while looking through his files. He sent them to me and I, of course, laid down some tracks, using the first chords and melody that occurred to me. Here's what resulted:

 HOLY MAN

After I'd done the drums and bass with Band in a Box and added guitars and vocals I sent the MP3 to Gavin O'Keefe in Maine and he added some viola parts to the choruses. That's how we did it back in 2013. 

Ommmmm Ommmmm

Holy man, oh Holy man

Ommmmm Ommmmm

Get you high oh yes he can

A lady took me home with her to see a holy man

He lived upstairs in a big old house that used to be a band’s

She said he’d get me super high, he’d put my head on straight

I think it was Mill Valley or it might have been the Haight

He let me in the door, I saw he had a holy look

He made me sit down on the floor and read a holy book

He started in to talk to me, I said I get the point

He performed a holy sacrament and handed me a joint.

Ommmmm Ommmmm

Holy man, oh Holy man

Ommmmm Ommmmm

Get you high oh yes he can

I looked around the room, the music must have been The Dead

It isn’t for your ears, he said, it’s strictly for your head

I coughed and asked him for a coke to ease my coughing spell

He said he never sold his coke to any infidel

He lit a funny candle just to make me feel at home

He looked me straight between the eyes and made me say an om

He handed me a bowl of rice – get ready for the land!

I said I’m just a rock and roll musician in a band.

Ommmmm Ommmmm

Holy man, oh Holy man

Ommmmm Ommmmm

Get you high oh yes he can

He looked like I’d spit on the floor, his face was a tip-off

That heavy ego-trip you’re on is an energy rip-off

The karma of your vibes is bad, you better meditate

Upon the great mandala, man, before it gets too late

Just then my lady friend came back with some ginseng tea

The holy man took one red cup and offered some to me

Before I took it from his hand I said – Here is where I stand

I’ll never make no holy man, I’ll just rock it with my band.

Ommmmm Ommmmm

Holy man, oh Holy man

Ommmmm Ommmmm

Get you high oh yes he can.

BONUS COVER!

This is one of the very last cover songs Knees recorded, and it turned out nicely, with Gavin O'Keefe's viola fitting the mood perfectly. I'm glad this was a folk song written back in the 60s. If it were a modern C&W song it would be called "If I Was a Carpenter".

IF I WERE A CARPENTER

The House at Pooh Corner

This is one of my favorite songs by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band who were probably Colorado's biggest band back in the 70s. They seemed to us in Durango as the kind of band we wanted to be -- not very commercial but still hip. I sort of threw the song together and played some keyboard in place of a wahwah guitar. I could have sworn I had a wahwah pedal but it must have gotten mislaid when we moved from Shreveport 5 years ago. This song has good words and chords and should be redone by some modern band.

THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER

Sometimes You Just Cain't Win

This song has a history and I'll try to keep it short. The first time I heard it was early 1970, when I and my pregnant wife, Joyce, were living in Farmington NM. I had just gotten out of the army and we were pondering our future. I had an offer of an electronics job from National Cash Register but it was in Gallup NM. We were living in a $50 a month rent house on Vine Street, about three blocks north of Main, and right there on Main Street was The Copper Penny, a bar once owned by a good friend of the Tucker family.

So one Friday night I walked down to the Penny and checked out the band. Before I went into the army in March of 1967 I had played in a couple of bars in town. I asked if I could sit in on a couple of numbers and it was fun. I hadn't played in a bar in over three years. At the break the bass player, Max Herrera, came over and spoke the immortal words, "Hey Fenner, wanna play some lead?" Of course I wanted to play some lead.

The job was in Cortez CO, about 70 miles away. Friday and Saturday night, $35 a night. The band was Max, a drummer, me and the front man, Smoky Stover. None of us knew the other, but Smoky knew many old C&W songs that were quite easy to follow. It was an excellent, low-pressure opportunity for me to teach myself some C&W licks.

The job lasted for the rest of the year and I got to know Smoky. He had been a "lawman" most of his life, but loved to sing so he did them both somehow. He even wrote some tunes and one of them was recorded by George Jones.

SOMETIMES YOU JUST CAIN'T WIN

Smoky and his wife and I would drive up to Cortez every Friday and Saturday and she'd sit next to the bandstand, and Smoky would put on his huge cowboy hat and start singing. On the breaks I'd go out and smoke. It was a great way to spend those nights and $280 a month wasn't bad, either.

Later on, Linda Ronstadt sang the song on an album and my daughter, Naomi, used to sing it around the house when we were living on Gallagher Street in Las Cruces NM. I happen to have a recording we made on the 4th of July when Naomi was a teenager. Maybe 1985? You can tell it's the 4th because on the recording is the sound of a bottle rocket going off in the street outside the house.

SOMETIMES (Naomi's version)