On the record
By Casey Gillis on Jul. 16, 2008
By Bradford Brady and John Maron
Q: I recently heard a version of “Paint It Black” that was done by U2. Where can I find a copy of it?
A: In 1992, following the release of their transformative, Grammy-winning smash album, “Achtung Baby,” U2 released a four-track EP featuring two different edited versions of “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses.” Although considered to be “filler” material by some, the EP also includes cover versions of two classic songs from the 60’s, the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son.” Their treatment of “Paint It Black” is not dissimilar to the original 1966 hit by the Stones. However, their reworking of “Fortunate Son” makes it perhaps the more interesting of the two. Almost completely unrecognizable from the original, U2 makes the song their own, treating it to the U2 “sound” familiar to fans of “Achtung Baby.” You can purchase the EP or individual songs from any of several online music sources.
Q: In the old Fleetwood Mac song, “Hypnotized,” there’s a line about a place in North Carolina. Where is the place?
A: “Hypnotized” is one of Fleetwood Mac’s early ’70s hits before they changed their lineup and became superstars. Written by Bob Welch, the song from the 1973 album, “Mystery to Me,” is about strange, unexplained events. The lines in the song that you refer to are “I remember a talk about North Carolina and a strange, strange pond, You see the sides were like glass, In the thick of a forest without a road, And if any man’s ever made that land, Then I think it would’ve showed.’” These lines were inspired by a conversation Welch had with a friend who was from Winston-Salem. According to Welch, the friend told him of a crater about 20 miles from town that had “smooth sides like melted glass.” There were no visible access roads to the site, so the friend thought the crater might have been caused by a meteor. Welch was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1971 to 1974. Other than “Hypnotized,” he is best known for his Top 10 solo hit, “Sentimental Lady,” from 1978.
Q: Steve Miller’s most famous song, “The Joker,” contains the unforgettable line “I really love your peaches, want to shake your trees.” Was this line taken from another song?
A: Yes, it was taken from a 1954 hit by a Washington, D.C.-based R&B band called the Clovers. The first three lines from “Lovey Dovey” are “Well, you’re the cutest thing that I did ever see, I really love your peaches, want to shake your tree, Lovey dovey , lovey dovey all the time.” As you can see, these lyrics are identical to the lyrics in “The Joker.” Because of this, Miller shares songwriting credit with Ahmet Ertugun and Eddie “King” Curtis, the songwriters of “Lovey Dovey.”
What’s the name of that song? Where are they now? What does that lyric mean? Send questions to or visit http://www.musicontherecord.com. Brady and Maron are freelance music writers based in Raleigh, N.C.
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