RIGHT PLACE WRONG TIME – DR. JOHNMay 29 '04 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Dr. John was born “Malcolm “Mac” John Rebennack Jr.” on 21 November 1942 in New Orleans, LA. He is known as one of the pioneers of the “swamp rock” sound. Malcolm was born of a modeling mother and father who was a record storeowner. As a baby Malcolm was featured on Ivory Soap packets. In his teens he was weaned on blues club music and began playing with the likes of “Joe Tex” and “Professor Longhair”. He also learns to play the piano and enjoys playing boogie and blues music. He begins his career as one of a few white musicians working on the New Orleans black music scene. He records his first record titled “Storm Warning” in September 1957 for “Rex” records under his name of Mac Rebennack. The single is released in November but fails to make any of the charts. In 1958 he tours as a sessions keyboardist and guitarist for “Frankie Ford” and also for “Jerry Byrne”. Malcolm writes his first song called “Lights Out” and it is recorded and released by “Jerry Byrne”. He also releases his first album on “Ace” records followed by releases on “Rex” records and “AFO” records which was a black musicians co-operative label. “AFO” was founded by New Orleans producer and arranger “Harold Battiste” who would later appear on some of Malcolm’s records playing clarinet, saxophone, guitar, piano and keyboard. None of the records released on these labels ever made any of the charts. Malcolm next writes “Lady Luck” for “Lloyd Price” and it goes to #14 on the US pop chart in 1960. In 1961 his left ring finger was shot off while he was breaking up a fight and he no longer can play the guitar so he begins to play the piano and keyboards full time. In 1962 he moves to Los Angeles, CA and becomes a very in demand sessions player. He plays on numerous records for “Sonny Bono”, “Phil Spector” and “H.B. Barnum”. Battiste also decides to leave New Orleans and follows along with Malcolm to live with him in LA. In 1964 he decides on a name change to Dr. John Creux the Night Tripper as he forms different groups such as “Drits”, “Dray” and “Zu Zu”. He releases “Gris-Gris” on “Atco” records featuring “Jesse Hill” and Battiste but it fails to make any of the album charts. He begins to mix New Orleans R&B and Jazz with the emergent psychedelic West Coast rock. He starts his own label called “Pulsar” which becomes a subsidiary of “Mercury” records where he signs “King Floyd” and “Alvin Robinson”. In 1965 he releases “Zu Zu Man” on “A&M” records which shows off his new sound now called swamp rock but the album fails to make any of the charts. He began building an underground following with his strange music, voodoo sounds, psychedelia and his weird stage presence. In 1968 he releases “I Walk On Gilded Splinters” that fails to make the singles charts but is later covered on albums by “PM Dawn” and “Beck”. In April 1969 he releases “Babylon” with only 7 songs on it but once again it fails to make any of the album charts. In October he performs at New York’s Filmore East along with “Vanilla Fudge” and “AUM”. In December he performs in the UK at London’s Lyceum Ballroom. In June 1970 he appears in the “Bath Festival of Blues & Progressive Music” at Shepton Mallet, Somerset in the UK where he promotes his newest album “Remedies” that also fails to make the charts. He appears playing the organ on the hit single by “Aretha Franklin” called “Spanish Harlem” that peaks at #2 in the US and at #4 in the UK on the singles charts. Finally in October 1971 he makes the charts with “Dr. John, The Night Tripper (The Sun, Moon and Herbs) that peaks at #184 on the US album chart. The album was originally recorded in London featuring contributions from “Mick Jagger” and “Eric Clapton”. On 15 April 1972 he has his very first single debut on the US charts with “Iko Iko” a remake of a #20 hit in 1965 by “The Dixie Cups” that peaks at #71 for him. In May he performs at the 3-day “Bickershaw Festival” near Wigan Lancs in the UK along with “The Grateful Dead”, “Country Joe & The Fish”, “Donovan” and “Pacific Gas & Electric”. In July his next release is “Dr. John’s Gumbo” produced by “Jerry Wexler” and it peaks at #112 on the US album chart. In September he performs at the “Ann Arbor Jazz & Blues Festival” in Ann Arbor, Michigan. On 14 April 1973 his single “Right Place Wrong Time” debuts heading to #9 on the US pop chart and to #19 on the R&B chart. It is followed in June by the album of the same name that goes to #24 on the pop chart and to #28 on the R&B album chart. He begins a tour of the UK also in June with “New Orleans” and the “Meters”. In July “Triumvirate” with “Mike Bloomfield” and “John Paul Hammond” peaks at #105 on the US pop album chart. On 15 September “Such A Night” taken from this album debuts and peaks at #42 on the pop singles chart and at #76 on the R&B chart. This is not the same version that was a #16 hit for “Elvis Presley” in 1964. He also appears in the Documentary Movie “Free” along with “Jimi Hendrix”, “Van Morrison”, “Steppenwolf”, “Mel Winkler” and “Luis Arroyo”. On 13 February 1974 he performs with “Johnny Winter” and “Stevie Wonder” at the Bottom Line in New York City. On 11 May “(Everybody Wanna Get Rich) Rite Away” debuts on the charts and peaks at #92 on the US pop singles chart. It is quickly followed up this month by “Desitively Bonnaroo” that peaks at #105 on the US pop album chart. In late 1974 his contract with “Atco” records expires and he decides to be a free agent. In November 1975 “Hollywood Be Thy Name” on “One Way” records is released but it fails to make any of the album charts. The album was produced by “Bob Ezrin” but is credited to “Rizzum & The Blues Revue”. In November “Cut Me While I’m Hot” is released on “DJM” records and it also fails to make the album charts. He performs on Thanksgiving Day with “The Band” in their “The Last Waltz” farewell concert in San Francisco at the Winterland Ballroom. He performs “Such A Night” followed by a duet with “Joni Mitchell” on the song “Coyote” and then joins “Bobby Charles” and “The Band” on “Down South In New Orleans”. In 1977 Dr. John joins the group “RCO All Stars” formed by “Levon Helm” ex-drummer of “The Band” along with “Steve Cropper” formally of “Booker T. & The MG’s” and “Donald Duck Dunn”. The group is very short lived and he moves to New York City. On 19 March 1977 he appears for the first time on national TV on the 40th episode of “Saturday Night Live” on NBC hosted by “Broderick Crawford” and also including “The Meters”. In 1978 he writes music for the soundtrack of “Casey’s Shadow” starring “Walter Matthau”, “Alexis Smith”, “Robert Webber” and others. Also this year he appears in the concert “The Last Waltz” that is released as a 2-hour documentary Movie also starring “The Band”, “Joni Mitchell”, “Bob Dylan”, “Neil Diamond”, “Van Morrison”, “Ringo Starr”, “Neil Young”, “Eric Clapton”, “Muddy Waters”, “Ronnie Hawkins” and many others. He also appears in the Musical Comedy “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” with “The Bee Gees”, “Peter Frampton”, “Steve Martin”, “Aerosmith”, “Alice Cooper”, “Billy Preston”, “George Burns” and others. In 1980 he appeared in the Comedy Spoof “Pray TV” with “Nancy Morgan”, “Paul Reubens”, “Dabney Coleman” and others. In 1981 he releases 3 albums on “Horizon” records a subsidiary of “A&M” records. The albums were “City Lights”, “Tango Palace” and “Love Potion” but all 3 failed to make the charts. He next records a piano instrumental album on “Clean Cuts” records titled “Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack” and it goes to #28 on the Jazz Album chart. In 1982 he released “The Brightest Smile In Town” on “Demon” records and “Take Me Back To New Orleans” with “Chris Barber” on “Black Lion” records and they also failed to chart. In 1983 he releases a video of his concert in London titled “Dr. John: 25th Anniversary of the Marquee Club” where he performs “Right Place Wrong Time”, “When The Saint’s Go Marching In”, “Mac’s Boogie Woogie and many others. In February 1984 he releases “Jet Set” on “Arthur Baker’s” New York City label “Streetwise” records. It is produced by “Ed The Message Fletcher” and is a hip-hop infused single but it fails to make any of the charts. He also appears in the Musical Documentary “Survivors: The Blues Today” with “John Lee Hooker”, “Archie Sapp”, “Ben Sidran” and “Valerie Wellington”. It was recorded over a three-day period in 1983 during performances at a downtown St. Paul, Minnesota bistro. In 1986 he appears in the HBO Concert “B.B. King & Friends: A Red Hot Night Of Blues” not only starring “B.B. King” but also with Chaka Khan”, “Gladys Knight”, “Billy Ocean”, “Stevie Ray Vaughan”, “Eric Clapton”, “Paul Butterfield”, “Phil Collins” and “Etta James”. He also helps “Doc Pomus” co-produce “Midnight Lady Calls The Blues” for “Jimmy Witherspoon” but it fails to make the charts. Jimmy was one of many great post World War II blues singers who had a #1 R&B hit single with his very first release in 1949 with “Ain't Nobody's Business, Pts. 1 & 2” on “Supreme” records. On 24 February Dr. John performs in a blues supergroup with “Willie Dixon”, “Albert King”, “B.B. King”, “Koko Taylor”, “Robert Cray”, “Junior Wells”, “Etta James” and “Ry Cooder” at the 29th annual Grammy Awards. Also in 1987 he appeared in the Musical Drama “Candy Mountain” with “Kevin J. O’Connor”, “Tom Waits”, “Leon Redbone”, “Harris Yulin” and others. On 21 January 1989 he takes part in an R&B evening at the Washington Center in Washington, DC during President Bush’s inaugural ceremonies along with “Bo Diddley”, “Percy Sledge”, “Etta James”, “Wille Dixon”, “Albert Collins” and “Sam Moore”. In July he performs with Ringo Star as a part of his All-Starr Band as a part of a 28-date and 27-city tour. He signs a new contract this time with “Warner Brothers” records and in August releases “In A Sentimental Mood” and it goes to #142 on the pop album chart and goes all the way to #1 on the Jazz Album chart where it stays for 4 weeks. In February 1990 “Makin’ Whoopee” from his last album wins Best Jazz Vocal Performance at the 32nd annual Grammy Awards. In June he performs at the Trump Regency Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ and it is recorded for the TV series “SRO”. On 4 December he plays the piano on the album release “The Simpsons Sing The Blues” and “I Love To See You Smile” is released as a single and fails to chart as does the album. In January 1991 “On A Mardi Gras Day” is released on “Great Southern” records which is a live album previously recorded at the Marquee club in London in April 1983 but it also fails to chart. In May he has contributed “Deal” for the album “Deadicated” by “The Grateful Dead” that peaks at #24 in the US. On 18 June 1992 he appears as the main guest on the “Tonight Show” on NBC. On 23 June he releases “Goin’ Back To New Orleans” on “Warner Brothers” records which features songs from the 1850’s to the 1950’s and it goes all the way to #1 on the Jazz Album chart. In August he begins a 25-date tour called "Blues Music Festival '92" with “B.B. King”, “Ray Charles”, “Buddy Guy” and “Joe Cocker”. He also provides the song “Blue Skies” for the Movie Soundtrack of “Glengarry Glen Ross” starring “Al Pacino”, “Jack Lemmon”, “Ed Harris”, “Alan Arkin”, “Kevin Spacey”, “Alec Baldwin” and others. On 24 February 1993 his last album “Goin’ Back To New Orleans” wins Best Traditional Blues Album at the 35th annual Grammy Awards. On 6 April he provides the song “Take Care Of Yourself” for the various artists album release “Put On Your Green Shoes” that also includes “Cyndi Lauper”, “Richie Havens”, “The Indigo Girls”, “Willie Nelson”, “Tom Paxton”, “Kenny Loggins”, “Olivia Newton-John” and many others. This is a benefit album for Songwriters and Artists for the Earth, The Earth Island Institute and Save The Children. On 29 January 1994 he performs at the grand opening of the House Of Blues club and eatery in New Orleans. On 29 March he releases “Television” on “MCA” records and it also fails to make the charts. By the end of the year Dr. John’s autobiography “Under A Hoodoo Moon” written by “Jack Rummell” is released. In 1995 he releases “Till The Night Is Gone: A Tribute To Doc Pomus”, “The Very Best Of Dr. John”, “Mos’ Scocious: The Dr. John Anthology” and “Afterglow”. Only “Afterglow” managed to make the charts and it went all the way to #7 on the Jazz Album chart and it included a collection of Jazz songs from the 1940’s and 1950’s. On 2 September he performs “Blueberry Hill” and backs up "Robbie Robertson" on “The Weight” at the concert for the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH. On 3 December he performs a medley of “B.B. King” hits with “Etta James” at the 18th annual Kennedy Center Honors. On 31 December he takes part in the BBC2 TV show “Jools Hootenanny” with “Eric Clapton”, “Supergrass”, “Alanis Morissette” and “Dick Dale”. On 3 February 1996 he makes a guest appearance on the show “Touched By An Angel” on CBS TV. On 27 July he performs at the Rockport Rhythm & Blues Festival at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, RI with “Chuck Berry”, “Boz Scaggs”, “Hank Ballard”, “Little Richard”, “Solomon Burke”, “Michael McDonald”, “Martha Reeves” and many others. On 31 December he joins “Chris Isaak”, “Lyle Lovett”, “Los Lobos” and many others at the San Francisco New Years Eve Block Party at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero. On 17 July 1997 he performs at the Jazz Café Stage at the Phoenix '97 Festival at Long Marston, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warks in the UK. On 27 June 1998 he records “Anutha Zone” on “Parlophone” records at Abbey Road Studios in London over a 10-day period with contributions from “Portished”, “Primal Scream”, “Ocean Colour Scene”, “Supergrass”, “Spiritualized”, “Beta Band” and “Paul Weller”. It fails to make the charts in the US but it goes to #33 in the UK. Also in 1998 he appeared in the Movie “Blues Brothers 2000” with “Dan Aykroyd”, “John Goodman”, “Nia Peeples”, “Frank Oz”, “Steve Lawrence”, “Aretha Franklin”, “James Brown”, “B.B. King”, “Steve Cropper”, Donald Duck Dunn”, “Wilson Pickett”, “Eddie Floyd”, “Eric Clapton”, “Bo Diddley”, “Isaac Hayes”, “Billy Preston”, “Lou Rawls”, “Travis Tritt”, “Stevie Winwood” and many others. In 1999 he composed the music score for the Romantic Comedy “We Met On The Vineyard” starring “Julianna Margulies”, “Ivan Sergei”, “Kevin Tighe”, “Dixie Carter” and others. On 1 February 2000 he releases “Duke Elegant” also known as “The Doc Meets The Duke” a tribute to “Duke Ellington” the legendary bandleader on his 100th anniversary. The album is a big success and goes all the way to #3 on the Jazz Album chart. In December he appeared on the ABC concert special “Christina Aguilera: My Reflection” along with Christina and Dr. there were “Brian McKnight” and “Lil’ Bow Wow”. In 2001 he appeared in a 57-minute concert DVD release along with “The Neville Brothers” and “Alan Toussaint”. On 23 September 2003 he released “The Rebennack Chronicles, Vol. 1: All By Hisself, Live At The Lonestar” on his very own label called “Skinji Brim” records but it failed to make any of the charts. He also released the same album under the name of “All By Hisself, Live At The Lonestar”. The 13 songs for this album were recorded over two nights in 1986 at New York City’s premier roots music nightspot. Dr. John is still recording and hopes to make 19 more volumes of this type of record. He continues to perform and tour all over the world. My only CD by the good Doctor is called ”THE ULTIMATE DR. JOHN” that was released in 1987 on “Warner Brothers” records. The songs on this CD are listed below followed by the length of each and my rating of each: 1. Right Place Wrong Time – 2:50 – 5 2. Such A Night – 2:55 – 5 3. Traveling Moon – 3:03 – 5 4. What Comes Around (Goes Around) – 3:10 – 4 5. Me Minus You Equals Loneliness – 3:03 – 2 6. Let’s Make A Better World – 2:54 – 3 7. Iko Iko – 4:08 – 5 8. Let The Good Times Roll – 3:56 – 4 9. Junko Partner – 4:27 – 2 10. Those Lonely, Lonely Nights – 2:30 – 3 11. Huey Smith Medley: High Blood Pressure/Don’t You Just Know It/Well I – 3:17 – 3 12. Mardi Gras Day – 8:08 – 4 13. Mama Roux – 2:55 – 3 14. I Walk On Guilded Splinters – 7:57 – 3 TOTAL POINTS: 51 POINTS DIVIDED BY 14 SONGS = 3.64 OR 3 1/2 STARS Rating Key: 5 –Great 4 – Very Good 3 – Good 2 – Fair 1 – Poor 0 – This song does not belong here! Billboard US Top 100 Singles for “DR. JOHN” 1. Iko Iko – Debut on 04/15/72, Peaked at #71 Pop 2. Right Place Wrong Time – Debut on 04/14/73, Peaked at #9 Pop & #19 R&B 3. Such A Night – Debut on 09/15/73, Peaked at #42 Pop & #76 R&B 4. (Everybody Wanna Get Rich) Rite Away – Debut on 05/11/74, Peaked at #92 Pop Billboard US Top 100 Albums for “DR. JOHN” 1. Dr. John, The Night Tripper (The Sun, Moon & Herbs) – Debut 1971, Peaked at #184 Pop 2. Dr. John’s Gumbo – Debut 1972, Peaked at #112 Pop 3. In The Right Place – Debut 1973, Peaked at #24 Pop & #24 R&B 4. Desitively Bonnaroo – Debut 1974, Peaked at #105 Pop 5. Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack – Debut 1982, Peaked at #28 Jazz 6. In A Sentimental Mood – Debut 1989, Peaked at #142 Pop & #1 Jazz 7. Goin’ Back to New Orleans – Debut 1992, Peaked at #1 Jazz 8. Afterglow – Debut 1995, Peaked at #7 Jazz 9. Duke Elegant – Debut 2000, Peaked at #3 Jazz SOME SONG LYRICS IKO IKO My grandma and your grandma were sittin' by the fire My grandma told your grandma: "I'm gonna set your flag on fire" Talkin' 'bout, Hey now! Hey now! I-KO I-KO un-day Jock-a-mo fee-no ai na-ne Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne Look at my king all dressed in red , I-KO I-KO un-day I betcha five dollars he'll kill you dead Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne Talkin' 'bout, Hey now! Hey now! I-KO I-KO un-day Jock-a-mo fee-no ai na-ne Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne My flag boy and your flag boy were sittin' by the fire My flagboy told your flagboy: "I'm gonna set your flag on fire" Talkin' 'bout, Hey now! Hey now! I-KO I-KO un-day Jock-a-mo fee-no ai na-ne Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne RIGHT PLACE WRONG TIME I been in the right place but it must have been the wrong time I'd have said the right thing but I must have used the wrong line I been in the right trip but I must have used the wrong car My head was in a bad place and I'm wondering what it's good for I been the right place but it must have been the wrong time My head was in a bad place but I'm having such a good time I been running trying to get hung up in my mind Got to give myself a good talking-to this time Just need a little brain salad surgery Got to cure this insecurity I been in the wrong place but it must have been the right time I been in the right place but it must have been the wrong song I been in the right vein but it seems like the wrong arm I been in the right world but it seems wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong JAGUARDOG’S FINAL THOUGHTS The CD I reviewed above is the first record I have ever owned by Dr. John even though I did enjoy his first 3 charting records I never bought them. I wasn’t much of a Dr. John fan at all when he had those hits it wasn’t until I decided to buy this greatest hits CD that I decided I liked some of his music. Dr. John was known for wearing very outlandish and gaudy clothes and hats. Dr. John wrote most of his own music to include his 2 biggest hits “Right Place Wrong Time” and “Such A Night”. Not only were the songs he wrote himself credited to him as Mac Rebennack but some of his songs indicate they were written by his stage name Dr. John such as “I Walk On Guilded Splinters”, “Let’s Make A Better World”, “Mardi Gras Day” and others. Dr. John’s music was amiable, earthy, good-natured, greasy, laid-back, mellow and summery. Well that’s all I have for today and I hope you all enjoyed it just a little? Up next I will be covering “Thomas Dolby”. Thanks for dropping by and reading and rating and leaving any comments you may have. I hope everyone has a Safe & Wonderful Holiday Weekend and God Bless.  |
| Read all comments (8)|Write your own comment |
