On the record, Sept. 3
By Susan Pugh on Sep. 03, 2008
By Bradford Brady and John Maron
Q: The Troggs wrote perhaps one of the seminal early rock ’n’ roll hits, “Wild Thing.” Was that their only hit? Whatever happened to them?
A: Although best known for recording the three-chord monster hit, “Wild Thing,” the Troggs did manage to chart additional hits between 1966 and 1968. Their single, “With A Girl Like You,” rose to No. 29 in 1966, while “Love Is All Around” hit No. 7 on the Billboard Singles Charts. They continue to perform, although only two of the founding members, signer Reg Presley and guitarist Chris Britton, are still with the band. The other two original members, bassist Pete Staples and drummer Ronnie Bond (who died in 1992), have been replaced by Pete Lucas and Dave Maggs on bass and drums, respectively. Incidentally, “Wild Thing” was written by Chip Taylor, whose real name is John Wesley Voight, the younger brother of actor Jon Voight.
Q: I recently watched the film, “Woodstock.” At the end of Ten Years After’s set, the singer walked off the stage with a watermelon hoisted on his shoulders. Was there ever a reason given for this action on the singer’s part?
A : Like many bands that performed at Woodstock, Ten Years After was relatively unknown in the U.S. until their blistering set electrified the audience at Max Yasgur’s farm. The British blues-rock outfit was already a top band at home and was slowly building a following in the U.S. when they were invited to play at Woodstock. Singer/guitarist Alvin Lee’s performance on “I’m Going Home” is remembered by many as the best performance of the weekend. The watermelon incident to which you refer was not a calculated move on Lee’s part but rather a spontaneous gesture by a fan. At the end of “I’m Going Home,” which closed out their set, a concertgoer rolls a watermelon on stage that comes to rest at Lee’s feet. Lee picked up the melon and walked off stage doing his best Charles Atlas imitation. Although the concert took place in August 1969, Ten Years After got a boost in popularity when the concert movie was released in 1970. For the first time, many people got to clearly see Lee’s guitar virtuosity and the now-famous watermelon incident.
Q: I’m looking for a copy of an early ’60s instrumental called “Potato Peeler” by Bobby Gregg and the G Men, but nobody has ever heard of them or the song. Is it on any album, and what can you tell me about the group?
A : Bobby Gregg was a session drummer, who played with some of rock music’s biggest stars. He played drums on Bob Dylan’s classic album, “Highway 61 Revisited,” and also recorded with Paul Simon and John Cale. In the early ’60s, he recorded an album called “Let’s Stomp and Wild Weekend,” which was credited to Bobby Gregg & His Friends. From the album, the song, “Potato Peeler,” was a moderate hit in the summer of 1962. Although we could not find the album for sale anywhere, you may be able to download the song if you search a few online sites.
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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