(Note: this series was originally published elsewhere.)

Something in music: origin

One evening at a hot, trendy L.A. nightclub on a rare solo outing, yours truly found himself standing alone at the bar preparing to review the upcoming act. Before he had taken more than a few notes, however, he was bookended by a pair of vivacious vixens who insisted on engaging your rockin’ writer in cozy conversation. Strangely, the subject of “marriage” arose.

One of the young ladies noted that when a gal is about to get hitched, she needs “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” Your provocative penman was immediately inspired. After all, those very same terms could be applied to music too: “Something old” or classic, “something new” or recently released, “something borrowed”, a cover, and “something blue”, a blues song or a song with “blue” in the title. The rest is history.

‘Something’ in Music 311

Something Old

Our “something old” in this edition is the classic cut “Paper In Fire'' written and first recorded by American rock singer and guitarist John Mellencamp. It was the first single off his 1987 platter The Lonesome Jubilee. The song climbed to number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Something New

Our “something new” this time is the new song, "Wedding Day Eve", written and recorded by Austin Texas's own singer-songwriter and musician Terry Klein. According to a recent email, the song is essentially “a series of bits of advice for a couple on the night before they marry.” It’s the premiere single off his forthcoming disc, Leave the Light On, which is set to drop on November 10th.

The track features Klein on acoustic guitar and vocals, Thomm Jutz on electric and acoustic guitar, Lynn Williams on drums, Tim Marks on bass, and Scotty Sanders on pedal steel guitar. In a recent e-communique, Klein discussed the song and its origins. He said:

“There was a time when I was the designated grown-up in my family. If someone needed an executor or a trustee or anything like that, it fell on me. Probably because of my law degree. This reached its zenith when my little brother asked me to officiate his wedding ceremony in November 2015.

“I gave a little homily about what I consider the indispensable ingredients of a happy marriage. I became a full time songwriter a little while after that and my designated grown-up status has taken a hit. Last summer my sister-in-law got married.

“She didn't ask me to officiate, but she did ask me to play a show for the guests the night before the wedding. So I took the homily that I'd written for my little brother's wedding and turned it into a song. It was a lot easier than I feared it would be.

“I didn't know this when I wrote it, but I sang for the guests in an actual meadow so the chorus hit a little bit extra hard. The meadow reference itself comes from a Tom Waits interview in the ‘New York Times’ some years ago.

“‘There’s an expression in classical music,’ Tom Waits told me, one Saturday night in January, when he called to talk about where music happens. ‘It goes, ‘We went out to the meadow.’ You ever heard that one?’ I told Waits I hadn’t.

“It’s for those evenings that can only be described in that way: There were no walls, there were no music stands, there weren’t even any instruments. There was no ceiling, there was no floor, we all went out to the meadow. It describes a feeling.

“Usually someone will say it, but they’re probably reluctant to say it — you might be afraid that only you went out to the meadow last night. But it’s one of those things where you go as a group. It’s not like: ‘Last night was a really great show for me and it sucked for you.’”

Klein concluded: “No. We all went out to the meadow. There’s something magical about it. And you can never plan on it.”

Something Borrowed

Our “something borrowed” this edition is the song “Highway To Hell” recorded by the Australian rock band AC/DC and co-written by band members Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott for their 1979 platter of the same name. This hardcore cover is by the Seattle, Washington-based all-gal AC/DC tribute group Hell’s Belles. The cover cut appears on their 2017 album, Vol. II.

The current band roster features Adrian Conner on lead guitar, Nicole Ridge on bass guitar and background vocals, Jessica Coram on rhythm guitar and background vocals, Simona Bressi on drums, and Lauren Piston on lead vocals. If you’d like to see the band perform live and you’re in the area, you’re in luck! On a recent social media post Bressi noted that Hell's Belles will be performing live to celebrate the release of their new disc, Live at the Crocodile, on September 8th, at The Crocodile in Seattle at 6:00 p.m.

She said: “This is an early show and I will also be performing with BleedTogether, [the] all-female Soundgarden tribute band.” Doors open at 5:00 p.m. Tickets are $25.00.

Something Blue

Last but not least, our “something blue” this edition is the blues song “Love In Vain”. Originally named “Love in Vain Blues”, it was written and first recorded by American blues musician Robert Johnson back in 1937. It was released as his last 78 rpm record in 1939.

Did we mention your favorite “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”? If not, let us know. Don’t forget to send us your bride photos too!

(Images courtesy of Rock n Roll Bride and/or original owners)