We’ve all had the moment. That moment when a song hits a nerve. Sometimes there’s even goosebumps. It is love at first hearing. People can make a lot of money identifying these ‘nerves’ that excite. Chances are, you are not the only one affected. These are the songs that we hear repeatedly played on the air and stream waves. This is because the same ‘nerves’ run through everyone.
Every once in a while, one of your special songs is not a widely known favorite. It’s not the song that plays when this artist comes up on the radio. Maybe the one you love from Side B or some weird little throwaway-song you heard from a pop star. These tunes don’t make it onto Spotify or SiriusXM. These are called “Deep Cuts” or “Deep Tracks”. Deep Cuts are going away in today’s music climate and it is a huge loss.
It was easier back in the olden days when you had the defined divide between AM radio and FM radio. The AM music stations played the top 40 songs and the FM stations played everything else. Everyone knew the songs on the AM dial, you couldn’t help it. They were in the air everywhere. During the singer/songwriter explosion of the ’70’s, albums were king. FM radio stations had the freedom to explore ALL the tracks on an album. The old Album Oriented Radio (AOR) stations are barely hanging on in today’s fractured public airwaves. Streaming services only play popular songs, even on those ‘artist-dedicated’ stations. It will always be about the song but a great song doesn’t have to be a big seller. Some great songs end up on the digital garbage heap.
The deep cut is the reward one gets for listening to the whole album. A good album isn’t just a collection of songs. A good album is a CURATED collection of songs that flow smoothly from one to the next. Some of these songs are promoted and those are the singles that we hear. Deep Cuts can live alongside the favored tracks on an album in relative obscurity. It’s the songs that sit ‘silently’ on the album that I want to explore.
So, I’ve taken the biggest selling albums from my youth and picked the deep tracks that excited me
NOTE: The links on SONGS below will take you to YouTube
Hello San Francisco
Frampton Comes Alive – 1977. I’ll start at my beginning. Probably my most played record. The huge double live album that EVERYONE owned. Frampton became a household name with live versions of “Baby, I Love Your Way” and “Show Me The Way’ . The airplay on these songs was ridiculous. However, I am drawn to a 2-song parley that opens Side 3. A beautiful acoustic instrumental that shows off Frampton’s delicate touch called “A Penny For Your Thoughts”. Immediately followed by the hardest rock song on the whole record, “(I’ll Give You) Money” .
Check Out Anytime You Like
The Eagle’s Hotel California also hit big in 1977. What a record! Some say it was the Eagles departure from their country/rock past. Joe Walsh (and his unmistakable guitar) makes his debut as an Eagle on this record. The change in attitude is evident. My deep track here is the last and only song on Side 1 that wasn’t a major hit! Eagle’s founders Glenn Frey and Don Henley wrote “Wasted Time” with an eye toward the Philly sound. The blue-eyed soul approach resulted in a powerful song about unfulfilled life expectations and relationships. Henley’s emotional performance takes the listener from empathetic lows to swelling highs. It’s a song that takes on more meaning as one grows older. Unfortunately, The song doesn’t end with any answers to love or life:
“So you can get on with your search, baby/And I can get on with mine/And maybe someday we will find/That it wasn’t really wasted time.”
Minute by Michael
To make a long story short. Michael McDonald was called in to help the Doobie Brothers on their “Stampede” tour ‘74. Band founder, Tommy Johnston could not continue the tour. Johnston’s health issues continued to fail him. McDonald was asked to stay with the group as a writer and singer for the next two albums and tours. ( “Taking It To The Streets” ’76, and “Living On The Fault Line” ‘77 ). With each record McDonald’s soulful voice and R&B style was becoming more prominent. Tommy Johnston was still listed on these albums but he contributed very little.
The original voice of the Doobies was nowhere to be found on these records. Not only his voice but his unmistakable guitar style were missing. The next album, ‘Minute By Minute’ 1978, was a huge success. It solidified a seismic change in style for the band and brought in a new set of fans. “What A Fool Believes”, penned by McDonald and Kenny Loggins, was a Grammy winning hit on this Grammy winning album. The Deep Cut on this album is bittersweet. It’s a Patrick Simmons-penned guitar classic, in the usual Doobie style, called “Don’t Stop To Watch The Wheels” . Singing back up on this song is none other than Tom Johnston. He wasn’t MIA! His voice, the voice of the Doobies, was unmistakable on the track. Especially at the end when they are vamping. A small bone being thrown to the old school Doobie fans who lamented the new direction ‘Minute by Minute’ introduced. FYI, “What A Fool Believes” is considered the pinnacle of Yacht Rock. So blame Michael McDonald.
Her Best Shot
It was Pat Benatar’s second album and a very important follow-up to her smash debut. The sophomore jinx didn’t hit Benatar at all. Crimes of Passion was released in 1980 and produced 3 major hits: “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” (No. 9), “Treat Me Right” (No. 18), and “You Better Run” (No. 42) which was also the 2nd video EVER played on MTV. The album became her biggest seller ever. The Deep Track here is a song that was never released as a single. Radio stations picked up on it anyway. The song was inspired by a series of New York Times articles about the horrific effects of child abuse .Pat was profoundly affected and she wrote “Hell Is For Children”. The song is unlike any other on the record. It is dark and disturbing. Even though they never officially released the song, it has become a concert staple. Musically the song starts quietly and slowly but later erupts into angry guitars with Pat screaming “Hell is for hell!” Powerful on the record and devastating in concert.
Journey Blasts Off
How can you find a deep track on an album full of hits? Especially an album that shot the group into the stratosphere. Journey’s 1981 release “Escape” took the band from arenas to stadiums. It was another turning point for Journey, as their sound took a decidedly pop turn. Thanks, in part, to new band member / collaborator Jonathon Cain on piano. Cain and lead singer Steve Perry combined on four Top 100 hit songs on Escape- “Don’t Stop Believin’” (No. 9), “Who’s Crying Now” (No. 4), “Still They Ride” (No. 19) and “Open Arms” (No. 2). Escape’s immense popularity resulted in one sad thing. Journey went from a guitar band to a piano band. Sad for me, anyway. That brings me to the Deep Track on Escape. The song recalled Journey’s recent guitar-heavy past. “Lay It Down” features the Neal Schon licks we all wanted. Add Perry’s vocal range and it soars! It was a staple at the live shows on that tour. Interestingly enough, the piano player, Cain, plays a guitar on this song during the live shows. I wonder if they even plugged it in!?
My Angel’s In The Centerfold
The J. Geils Band was such a unique band. They had a really cool vibe when they hit the scene in the late 60’s. They came out of Boston and they played obscure R&B covers with a rock and roll attitude. They had a harmonica player (Magic Dick) who redefined the instrument for rock. The lead singer was a wirey, fast-talking, hep-cat named Peter Wolf. Due to their bombastic live shows, The J. Geils Band built a big local following.
The band had minor radio hits during this early period with great covers. Obscure gems like “Lookin’ For A Love” originally by the Valentinos or “First I Look at The Purse” by the Contours. In the 70’s, they toured like maniacs and garnered fans all across the country. The result was a live album “Live” Full House’ released in ’72. While barely touching the big-time, the band continued to record and tour.
Then it happened. The 1980’s, MTV, and an album called “Love Stinks”. This is where I come into the picture. I loved the title song and the rest of the tracks. They were fun rocking songs with soul and humor. Their videos on MTV were fun and showed off their cool vibe. It was impossible to NOT notice Peter Wolf! I went into their back catalogs and found out just how special they were. I was blown away by the album, “Live Full House“.
All their hard work was about to pay off on the next record, “Freeze-Frame” 1981. Their #1 hit song “Centerfold” pushed this album onto the charts WORLDWIDE bringing the Boston band to new heights. This record is a juggernaut from beginning to end. There are a few deep tracks to love on it. ‘Rage in the Cage” stands out because it features the amazing harmonica work of Magic Dick! Peter Wolf on vocals, shines, as always. The song should be in an 80’s time capsule. It’s the best example of an 80’s pop-rock song. Freeze-Frame was Wolf’s final studio record with the band. In a brilliant career move, the rest of the band fired him over artistic differences. It didn’t work out too well for the rest of the band.
Finding deep cuts on albums is like finding money. You’re getting something for ‘nothing’. If you don’t buy albums, you are missing out on this perk. There is also the added joy of hearing your deep cut played live. It’s during these moments when you can look around the crowd and acknowledge the other members of your secret tribe.
