You Got Your Hooks In Me - The O'Jays

“You Got Your Hooks In Me” by The O’Jays is one of the most heart-wrenching ballads ever written. So rare is it an occasion a male will pour open his soul and show how vulnerable he actually is, especially when it comes down to a failed and dead relationship that he does not want to let go of.

The song opens up with “I just can't understand
For the life of me, When I see you, Yet every time you talk of leavin' me, I get so shook up, I don't know what to do.” Confusion and uncertainty have set in, his woman obviously does not love him but he is so attached and so much invested he doesn’t want her to leave. The man is just reserved to the fact his woman has her hooks in him, he is stuck he can’t break free, it hurts but he doesn’t care, he even goes so far as saying he actually “likes it” he keeps coming back for more.

The man then says “Every time I go behind your back, I tell my friends I’m leavin you, and when you question me about it, baby I swear what they’re sayin’ just ain’t true.” The man has had it he knows he is being shit on, he tells his friends it’s time for him to break from his woman. This can’t happen, the woman is the power broker in the relationship, she calls him on what he tells his friends. The man is too weak to admit he wants out. She has her hooks in him, he “is caught like a fish” a helpless feeling, the woman is the fisher, she has control of the fishing pole, she will decide when it’s over, the man can’t break free, he doesn’t want to, he likes it even though its killing him. A fish on a hook is powerless, it relies on the catcher to unhook it with the hopes of setting it free.

Eddie Levert’s vocals absolutely nail this track. The emotion he pours into it makes you feel like he is really in pain. If you don’t chills from this performance, check your pulse, you may not be alive. The production of this track along with the whole “Ship Ahoy” album which You Got Your Hooks In Me is the closing track of the first side by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff is superb. Gamble & Huff took R&B music to another level in the early 1970’s with their “Sound Of Philadelphia”.

You Got Your Hooks In Me – (Bunny Sigler)

I just can't understand for the life of me

What I see in you Yet every time you talk of leavin' me

I get so shook up, I don't know what to do

Oh, oh, baby, I guess you've got your hooks in me

And I, oh I, oh I'm caught like a fish

And, baby, I just can't break free

You know this thing is killin' me
I must like it or, or I wouldn't be here, baby

Every time I get behind your back

I tell my friends I'm leavin' you

And when you question me about it, baby

I swear what they're sayin' just ain't true, no, no 

Oh, oh, oh, baby, I guess you've got your hooks in me

And I, oh, oh, I'm caught like a fish, ya

And, baby, I just can't break free

You know this thing is killin' me, killin' me
Oh, baby, I guess you've got your hooks in me (I'm going to keep on loving you, loving you, loving you) Oh, baby, baby, baby, baby, I guess you've got your hooks in me

Oh, but, and I must like it, I must, I must like it, like it
Oh, baby, I guess you've got your hooks in me (Baby, what you do to me, what you do to me) Oh, baby, I guess you've got your hooks in me (I said woman, it's good to me, good to me, so good to me) And I like it, and I like it
Oh, baby, I guess you've got your hooks in me (I'm in love with you woman, and I don't want to quit) I just don't want to quit I want to hold you,

I want to hold you close to me
Oh, baby, I guess you've got your hooks in me

Oh sweet woman,

I love, I'm loving you

And I'm hooked, I'm hooked, oh baby, oh baby

Oh, baby
I got, I'm gonna get away

You got poor me hangin' on a string, darlin'

Oh, I must like this thing, woohoo

So woman, woman, do the things that you do

The way, the way you call my name, woman, I like
I'll be goin' around tellin' all my friends that I'm leavin'

No, but I ain't never goin' nowhere, no, no 
I said woman, I said woman

The way, the way you love me, way you love me 
I feel, feel, feel, feel like I feel, I want, got to have it
Oh, baby, I guess you've got your hooks in me 
Oh, baby, I guess you've got your hooks in me 
Oh, baby, I guess Little girl, you got me, you got me 

Listening To Now on Spotify - Scorpions ~ Love At First Sting

The Marvelettes - Too Many Fish In The Sea

iTunes Roulette - 8/15/12

iTunes Roulette - 8/15/12

Welcome to my first installment of 6 Chamber iTunes Roulette. On occasion I will play my iTunes library on shuffle, note the first 6 songs and see what happens. Please join in the fun and in the comments section play your own version of iTunes Roulette and if you wish include your country!

For Heaven’s Sake – Wes Montgomery

Just Another Lonely Night – The Fantastic Four

St. Louis Blues – Louis Armstrong

Too Many Fish In The Sea – The Marvelettes

Truckin’ – The Grateful Dead

Eight Days A Week – The Beatles (From Anthology 1)

Three Dog Night - Joy To The World (Mono Mix)

I was a Catholic School kid and was forced to sing many religious hymn. When the school was first prompted to sing "Joy To The World", I was very perplexed, why are we not singing about Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog? Needless to say, I was disappointed. I told my mom about this and she couldn't help but laugh. Another victim of mom's 45 collection.....

Grateful Dead - Live/Dead

First off I am a huge Grateful Dead fan. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to see The Dead play live, my fandom occurred after the passing of Jerry Garcia and the subsequent disbanding of the group. Needless to say I have been living The Dead’s music vicariously through album purchases, tape and CD trading and now music streaming. Live/Dead is a landmark album for The Dead as it was their first live album release. Anthem Of The Sun was released a year prior to Live/Dead but I am not counting that as an official live release because it was a hybrid studio/live venture. The Dead live is where the magic lies. An argument can be made that the best live version of any Grateful Dead track will outperform the studio counterpart. The Dead have released many a live album since Live/Dead including many complete shows through the Dick’s Picks Series and other one off releases. No matter how many complete shows I have accumulated over the years nothing can quite compare to Live/Dead, which is a compilation of live tracks, recorded early in 1969. At one time I had in my possession most of The Dead’s live recording from 1969 but Live/Dead always had a special place in my collection being the first live performance I heard from The Dead from that era. Included in Live/Dead are the staple tracks from that era Dark Star, St. Stephen, Turn On Your Lovelight etc. All can qualify as top performances of those tracks ever performed by The Dead. The band is young, fresh and full of life in Live/Dead and it features the ultimate Dead lineup including their original lead man Ron “Pigpen” McKernan who I feel was the original heart and soul of the band even beyond the adored Jerry Garcia. Pigpen’s vocals really shine on “Lovelight” which in my opinion is the highlight of the album. The man’s voice had so much soul. Seek out any Dead performance 66-71 for the proof!

 

I have owned 2 copies of Live/Dead. I had an original Warner Bros. CD, which I traded in when Rhino released the new HDCD remastered version. To my ears I find minimal difference between the 2 redbook copies. The Rhino wins for more elaborate packaging. The HDCD layer adds nothing to this recording. If you have an original Warner Bros. CD, there is no need to obtain the newer Rhino copy, there is not much gain either redbook or HDCD. Overall the album is a must have for any Dead fan or rock fan in general. It is one of the top official release live albums I have heard for both content and sound quality.


 Track List

1. Dark Star

2. Saint Stephen

3. The Eleven

4. Turn On Your Love Light

5. Death Don't Have No Mercy

6. Feedback

7. And We Bid You Goodnight

Listening To On Spotify - It's A Beautiful Day

The Grass Roots - Midnight Confessions - 45 RPM Mono Mix

The Grass Roots 1971 single “Midnight Confessions” is another reason why in most cases the mono single mix is king. I first came across this single a few years back haggling a guy down at a record show for a pile of 45’s for about 50 (US) cents a piece. I had been very familiar with Midnight Confessions, in my opinion it was a typical pop song of the time that I heard frequently on oldies radio so I figured the price was right, let me add it to the collection. At first listen I was completely blown away by the up front bassline that is totally buried in the stereo mix which most are familiar with. Having the 45, there is no need for me to seek out another copy of Midnight Confessions, this is the go to copy. If you have a vinyl rig, seek this out, you will not be disappointed!

This video was provided by YouTube user WABCRADIO77 he has a ton of great 45s!

Billy Joel - The Stranger (MFSL SACD)

Billy Joel’s album “The Stranger” is a tour de force sporting the hits Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song), Just The Way You Are & She’s Always A Woman. These tracks have been familiar favorites of music fans for well over 30 years. Classic Rock and Oldies stations play these tracks the to max as well other favorites Scenes From An Italian Restaurant and Only The Good Die Young.  Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) has just released this old friend using the original master tapes and presenting it in a dual layered SACD/CD format packaged in a mini-gatefold LP sleeve. Disclaimer: I have never been a fan of the mini LP sleeve I have always been partial to the MFSL lift and lock jewel case. I must say the mini LP sleeves are growing on me as I acquire more of the MFSL releases (they are looking mighty nice on my shelf). As for the content, I am very familiar with this album as I have clear memory of when it was released and having owned an original Columbia copy on vinyl and the She’s Always A Woman/Vienna 45.  First off, I do not have nor have I ever owned the greatest of vinyl rigs and currently I am empty handed but the original vinyl had a very nice warm sound with just enough bass punch so I had high expectations with this release knowing what a fine job and the care MFSL takes with their mastering. The MFSL SACD layer compares very favorably to the original Columbia vinyl issue. The separation of the instruments are very noticeable and very clean. The low end does show a nice punch similar to the original Columbia the only beef I have is the low-end is a bit too heavy on She’s Always A Woman, it doesn’t work for the track.

Overall the content and the delivery from MFSL is a winner. I would highly recommend this album to any person who has SACD capability. It is not an album I would necessarily demo my system on but it is very enjoyable. I do not see myself seeking out another digital copy of The Stranger. This one is a keeper. Great job MFSL!

My SACD Rig:

Digital Front End

Oppo BDP-93 Analog Front End

N/A

Amplification

Marantz SR6005

Speaker System

Paradigm - Atom Monitor v.6 (Stereo) , Paradigm Monitor CC-190 v. 6(Center), Polk Audio RM 6751 (Surrounds), Polk Audio PSW 111 (Subwoofer)

Speaker Cables

MonoPrice

Interconnects

MonoPrice Pro

 

Track Listing

1. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
2. The Stranger
3. Just the Way You Are
4. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
5. Vienna
6. Only the Good Die Young
7. She's Always a Woman
8. Get It Right the First Time
9. Everybody Has a Dream

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