Can Y'all say Mmm-Mmm Sprinkles?
If I were still living in Thee Jet City, also
known as thou Emerald City, ergo Seattle, then in another lifetime I’d just
have spent another Fourth ‘O July weekend at Pacific Raceways enjoying my
favourite “low-key” SOVREN Historics’ Vintage Car races.
As summer predictably makes me think of Crusin'
and Car Shows, although Tacoma Bureau Chief Mary Ellen just pointed out to Mwah
how Nobody Cares 'bout Cars anymore, Righto? And Yuhs certainly Don't Hear
Anybody writin' Automobile Songs No More, Does Yuh?
As it is Sad to think that's so, and the ear of
Automobile songs truly came way before the current EV push, as automobiles probably
reached Thar Zenith in the 1960's, Eh? During the Muscle Car era. Which in some
small part I suppose is why I'm currently so enamoured with Motortrend TV's
Graveyard Carz television show right now, whenever I can find it on TV…
And like I've scribbled before 'bout All of my
Zany top 10 list categories, this one's just what came to mind initially, with
No Heavy Deliberations and was my First Take, enjoy!
Tomaso
My Long's Doughnuts' Baker's Dozen Selections,…
Yessiree Bob', Bob's Your Uncle, Oh Never Mind! But
the Longs Doughnuts analogy always makes me think of IndyCar's Curmudgeon 'Ol
R', aka Robin Miller, who once regaled Mwah 'bout bringing a Dozen of those
famous Long Doughnuts to Mother Speedway for 'Ol Mac Montoya, Monty', JPM or as
Miller's pal 'Ol SuperTex', nee A.J. Foyt refers to as that Montoyer Feller,
Hya! Ergo Juan Pablo Montoya!
Hmm, Me Thinks Thars some IndyCar race being
held at Mid Ohio this weekend…
Song
No. 13 "Little" GTO
Artist: Ronnie & The Daytonas (1964)
I first learned of this song by sheer CoInky-dense',
when one day Querying 1960's Surf Songs via Youtube. As the song's about the
Bad Arse Pontiac GTO, which raced it's way up to No. 4 on the Billboard Charts
and sold a million copies, Not Bad for Thar Debut Single! And that's before the
Nasty Pontiac GTO Judge arrived on the scene.
12.
Living In the USA
Artist: The Steve Miller Band (1968)
"Where Are You going To?
What Are Yuh gonna Do? Do You Think It'll be Easy? Do You think it'll be Pleasin'"
What's more Americana than Cheeseburgers 'N Fast
Cars, Eh? And "He Takes the Checkered Flag!" As Stevie Gee-Tar' Miller's
the only other Band besides The Beach Boys with more than one song on my
eclectic No Fenders Top 10ish Car Songs list.
11.
Little Red Corvette
Artist: Prince (1983)
Yeah, how could I pass up this Prince song, even
if it's Not about the Quintessential American Sports Car.
10.
Drive My Car
Artist: The Beatles (1965)
As one of the World's most Influential Bands, I
had to come up with something for them, Righto? As the song's title is pretty
self explanatory. Since even if I Ain't
got No Car, at least I've found A Driver, Right Mary Ellen? And that's A Start,
Beep-Beep!
9
Little Deuce Coupe
Artist: The Beach Boys (1963)
Another Oldie but Goodie from those Amazing
Beach Boys who pioneered this genre 'O Hot Rod Rock 'N Roll music, singing
'bout Pomona, Surfin' Girls 'N Fast Cars.
8.
No Particular Place to Go
Artist: chuck Berry (1964)
Delving into Ye Wayback' Machine, although
think his song My Dingaling' is my favourite Chuck Berry song, But I Digress… Hence,
I couldn't pass up this song by the legendous Messer Berry. Since it does
revolve somewhat round Driving a Car, albeit that G-Damn Safety Belt just
wouldn't Un-Fasten, Blimey! So he just Drove Back Home with his Sweetheart with
a Groan and once again the Automobile won the race!
7.
LA Woman
Artist: The Doors (1971)
"Driving Down your Freeway,
Midnight Alley Roam. Cops 'N Cars, Topless Bars Never Saw A Woman So Alone…"
How can I not include a song with The Lizard
King in it? Especially since The City of Angels was once where everybody Drove
a Car, and presumably still does. And I've always felt that this Doors classic
has a great Driving Beat to it.
Yet that said, why did another song just pop in
my head titled Walking in LA by Missing Persons? Which refrains the lyrics
Nobody Walks in LA!
6.
Radar Love
Artist: Golden Earring (1973)
"Last Car to Pass, Here I
Go,
and the line of Cars Goes Down
Real slow"
What more need I say then the above lyrics, Eh?
As this one's for IndyCar Bad Arse Rinus VeeKay! With it's great Driving Rhythm
by a Bunch 'O “Dutchie” Rockers, Vroom-Vroom!
5.
409
Artist: the Beach Boys (1962)
Are you really surprised that the Beach boys
would feature prominently in my overall selections? Or that this Beach Boys
song, Thar Gory second Top 10 selection would be near Ye Top of Thee Pops', Err
Charts, as ‘Ol Casey Kasem would say. And it's probably their best Car Song, El
Correctomundo? Not to mention it's credited with starting the whole Hot Rod rock
'N Roll genre.
4.
Mercury Blues
Artist: the Steve Miller Band (1976)
Pretty sure I first learned of this song when
visiting Claudio in Japan nearly two Decades ago, as he had a great Steve
Miller Greatest Hits CD we listened to on the way to Suzuka! Or as Leigh Diffey
would say, Bloody 'Ol Suzuker, Hya!
As it was also Claudio who informed me that
Stevie GeeTar' Miller's version was a cover version of the original 1948 song
recorded by the K.C. Douglas Trio and released in '49, paying Homage to the Mercury
brand Over a Half Century before Lincoln Mercury was Decommissioned in 2011.
Reportedly Steve Miller first performed his
rendition at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival before including it on his Mega
"Space Cowboy" 1976 Fly Like an Eagle album, as he's just Crazy 'bout
Mercurys!
3.
Hot Rod Lincoln
Artist: commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen (1972)
"My Pappy said Son,
You're gonna Drive Me to Drinking If You Don't Stop Driving that Hot, Rod,
Lincoln!"
By now, if you’re still
readin’ this riveting No Fenders Top 10 tome, then Y’all are probably ready to
start Ah-Drinkin’, Righto? As those telephone poles look like picket fences,
Yeehaw!
As this is the only
version of this great song I’ve ever heard, so I wasn’t aware that Charlie Ryan
originally wrote it in 1955 with other versions of it being performed before
Commander cody rightfully got his hands on it! Or that Lincoln produced a V-12
engine, which Charlie uses in his original song, presumably from the long forgotten
Lincoln Zephr’s?
2.
Red Barchetta
Artist: Rush (1981)
“Well Oiled Leather,
Hot Metal and Oil; At the One lane Bridge I leave the Giants Stranded at the
Riverside, Race back to the Farm to Dream with my Uncle at the Fireside…”
Although many Rushaphiles’
and presumably the majority of the public familiar with the Great Rock Band
Rush would immediately say that Tom Sawyer is their Best Song. For Mwah, as Y’all
know how Tomasa enjoys Marchin’ to a different tune. This has always been my
Numero Uno Rush song! Hmm, wonder why, Eh? As Holy shit! Can it really be 40
years ago?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAvQSkK8Z8U
#1.
Mustang Sally
Artist: Wilson Pickett (1966)
This just seemed like a No Brainer to Mwah, even without my bleeding Ford Blue', it's just gotta be the most quintessential Car Song, Righto? As Yuhs better Slow that Mustang Down, Sally!