I figured perhaps he had met an Eastern NC girl in California, became smitten and followed her here? But no he was married with at least one child, and after staying here for a while he went back and got them. What drew King to this area? Why did he reside here? My first thought was the obvious, a girl. I am born and raised in this area an this completely befuddles me. King was a Californian yet a few years after the hit song he appeared in Eastern North Carolina and lived here for a few years before getting a call from Ronnie Van Zandt to join his band. So perhaps the strange travels of Ed King can possibly be explained by some of you. There appears to be a great deal of knowledge here about The Strawberry Alarm Clock and it's members. Strangely, a year later Munford did participate in recording an Incense soundalike track with a band that was alternately known as Strawberry SAC or Crystal Circus. I think it's too bad, because Munford had a notably better voice than any of the other guys in the band, and I think they would have had a much greater chance at sustained success if he'd joined. At that time he had a real good musical vision for his age (16, I believe)." He would’ve been a real asset to the band. "The guy who sang on the record, Greg Munford, was asked to join but declined. His voice sounded best, and we all agreed on keeping his vocal track on the final version."Įd King said that they offered Munford the opportunity to join the band but he declined: Greg Munford (A 16-year-old guitar player also produced by Holmes) was a guest in the studio that day, and gave a go at it. "When it came time to record the vocal tracks, none of the members of the Alarm Clock sounded right for the lead vocal. Having been released, advisedly or not, as a single, “Barefoot In Baltimore” is commonly anthologized on Strawberry Alarm Clock compilations.Yep, as Michael noted, the singer was 16-year-old Greg Munford, a friend of the band who was visiting the studio that day. “Barefoot In Baltimore” is very short, as are all the album’s songs. They have a nice sound at that point in the song, though they are truly ‘meaningless’. Nice of the lyricist to incorporate the listener into the scene! The band has complained about the silliness of the lyrics, particularly that line, since the single’s release, but I like them. The chorus, repeated throughout, is slower, more dramatic, and very short, barely a chorus at all but a recurring centerpiece of the song: Short, merry verses give quick little descriptions of odd, unconnected scenes (Fun cooks a meal on the stove while Barefoot strolls around town giggling at the sidewalk). (It didn’t do particularly well.)īut “Barefoot In Baltimore”, underneath its lightweight veneer, does boast an interesting and unique structure. The Clock trots out its trusty xylophone and turns the song into one that was chosen by someone to be a single. It was released as a single as well, with the b-side “An Angry Young Man”.Īs one of the songs on the LP whose music (if not words) was actually written by the band, “Barefoot In Baltimore” is one of the better and more heartfelt performances on The World In A Sea Shell, while retaining the gentle and playful air of the album in general.ĭescribing a character named Barefoot and his friends, the song’s lyrics depict him walking around Baltimore and along the shores of Chesapeake Bay enjoying the street-party vibe of the area. “Barefoot In Baltimore” is the first song on side two of Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1968 album The World In A Sea Shell.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |