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Length: 4:33
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And ladies by the score
All dressed in satin
And waiting by the door
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
White lace and feathers
They made up his bed
A gold covered mattress
On which he was led
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
He went to fight wars
For his country and his king
Of his honor and his glory
The people would sing
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
A bullet had found him
His blood ran as he cried
No money could save him
So he laid down and he died
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
I'm a bit worn and dated myself, so it's sounds great to me.
Haha, welcome to the club! ; )
this is one of those songs that should be above 10.
Greg Lake wrote the lyrics when he was 12.
Wow! That sparks a memory for me. My 'alarm clock' that i made when i went to college consisted of an old electro-mechanical domestic heating timer wired up to a portable cassette deck. I woke up every morning to Black Sabbaths' 'War Pigs' - kinda the same deal - get to the volume before it proper 'kicks in', or wake the whole (student) house. I used that for at least 3 years or so, before the slight grinding noise of the mechanical bits of that old timer eventually got too loud to sleep through.
I haven't given that episode a moments thought in decades!
Thanks for the memory .
Love you guys and thanks for sharing.
So, when I was in high school you couldn't just go to the store and buy a plug-in timer (or maybe I just didn't have the cash), but I fashioned one from something I found somewhere. I hooked it up to my parents' console stereo player in the living room with the needle on the end of this song and the volume all the way up. It was my alarm clock. As soon as I heard it click on I knew I had just milliseconds to get out there and turn it down or I was in big trouble. It was very effective. After a while I got my own record player and moved the contraption into my bedroom with a 300 watt light bulb I got somewhere also plugged into it. I used other songs too (there was a Blood Sweat and Tears Al Kooper guitar solo, but I can't remember which), but this was one, and it's always fun to hear it again and think of my homemade alarm clock.
Wow! That sparks a memory for me. My 'alarm clock' that i made when i went to college consisted of an old electro-mechanical domestic heating timer wired up to a portable cassette deck. I woke up every morning to Black Sabbaths' 'War Pigs' - kinda the same deal - get to the volume before it proper 'kicks in', or wake the whole (student) house. I used that for at least 3 years or so, before the slight grinding noise of the mechanical bits of that old timer eventually got too loud to sleep through.
I haven't given that episode a moments thought in decades!
Thanks for the memory .
this is one of those songs that should be above 10.
I Agree!! Thanx RP!
Greg's basslines!
Now please play "Take a Pebble" all the way through while you go to the bathroom or fix tacos or something!
AWESOME bass player.
Now please play "Take a Pebble" all the way through while you go to the bathroom or fix tacos or something!
So we were in the 1969 Chevy Impala, stopped at the red light at the base of the hill, about to go to school at Chartiers Valley HS. My older brother, Bill, had upgraded the rear deck speakers. They probably had five inch woofers.
AM radio.
Lucky Man. Sounds cool.
Then those Moog sounds hit. Sounds never before heard in the existence of the known Universe.
We were stunned. The light turned green. People honked, then drove around.
Stunned.
For me, and for Bill, too, I think, that is the context to think about and to evaluate this amazing song.
i can just imagine. was this Chartiers Valley HS in the Pittsburgh area, by chance?
contrast this fade out to Little Wing or Bold as Love, perhaps the two greatest ever
I used to love this band. Bought many of their albums, saw them in concert. Now, not so much. Times change. Now it just doesn't connect with me.
I try to listen to these oft-played "classics" as if hearing them for the first time. It requires putting aside past experience and associations and entering the place of unsullied consciousness.
Beethoven's 5th is a classic but there's too much violin
ha ha !
Oh. That was me doing that.
I actually have been listening to one of their albums from the 90's, Black Moon. It is pretty different from their other late 70's and 80's albums.
Greg Lake's vocals are really good on a lot of the Black Moon songs.
So, when I was in high school you couldn't just go to the store and buy a plug-in timer (or maybe I just didn't have the cash), but I fashioned one from something I found somewhere. I hooked it up to my parents' console stereo player in the living room with the needle on the end of this song and the volume all the way up. It was my alarm clock. As soon as I heard it click on I knew I had just milliseconds to get out there and turn it down or I was in big trouble. It was very effective. After a while I got my own record player and moved the contraption into my bedroom with a 300 watt light bulb I got somewhere also plugged into it. I used other songs too (there was a Blood Sweat and Tears Al Kooper guitar solo, but I can't remember which), but this was one, and it's always fun to hear it again and think of my homemade alarm clock.
Funny. Reminds me of my memory living at my parents' home as a teenager when you built things rather than bought things. Mine was a friend's parents' console stereo which I took apart and put in my own shelving unit at the end of my bed. Then I took the clock out of an old clock radio to control the power. I would use the timer knob to play music for an hour while I fell asleep. Loved falling asleep that way. I'd do it now but my wife says it keeps her awake :-(
Pretty good song for a twelve year old to write. (Greg Lake)
Takes one to know one! Your mommy wants you to clean up your room, or she'll take her laptop back!
Many comments on here about the Moog and the drums. If you're not familiar with this album, give a listen to the song Tank for more great Moog work from Keith and excellent drumming skills by Mr. Palmer.
So we were in the 1969 Chevy Impala, stopped at the red light at the base of the hill, about to go to school at Chartiers Valley HS. My older brother, Bill, had upgraded the rear deck speakers. They probably had five inch woofers.
AM radio.
Lucky Man. Sounds cool.
Then those Moog sounds hit. Sounds never before heard in the existence of the known Universe.
We were stunned. The light turned green. People honked, then drove around.
Stunned.
For me, and for Bill, too, I think, that is the context to think about and to evaluate this amazing song.
Yeah the first time I heard that moog was stunning....everytime that song was on the radio I would just wait and wait for the end I didn't even care about the rest of it
So we were in the 1969 Chevy Impala, stopped at the red light at the base of the hill, about to go to school at Chartiers Valley HS. My older brother, Bill, had upgraded the rear deck speakers. They probably had five inch woofers.
Angry_Old_Man wrote:
Classic song with a bit too much synth sauce.
haresfur wrote:
Beethoven's 5th is a classic but there's too much violin
Michelangelo's Last Supper is not bad either except that there's too much paint in it.
understand teh point and agree, but Michelangelo did not paint The Last Supper. It is by da Vinci.
First time I heard "Message in a Bottle" the record skipped on an infinite "Sending out an S.O.S" perfectly in rhythm. It was great!
An electric battlefield death.
Beethoven's 5th is a classic but there's too much violin
ELP vs Beethoven, ancient Latin would have said "si parva licet componere magnis".
I'm a bit worn and dated myself, so it's sounds great to me.
A bit smaller than the one Mr. Emerson used.
Yes, but of course Keith's doubled as the telephone switchboard for Mayberry.
Too soon?
There are a couple of what I consider to be God-like bands, and this one is at the top of the list.
They broke so much uncharted ground.
Rest in Peace Greg and Keith, you are definitely missed.
AM radio.
Lucky Man. Sounds cool.
Then those Moog sounds hit. Sounds never before heard in the existence of the known Universe.
We were stunned. The light turned green. People honked, then drove around.
Stunned.
For me, and for Bill, too, I think, that is the context to think about and to evaluate this amazing song.
I love this whole comment. But this part is - "Sounds never before heard in the existence of the known Universe." - Exactly.
AM radio.
Lucky Man. Sounds cool.
Then those Moog sounds hit. Sounds never before heard in the existence of the known Universe.
We were stunned. The light turned green. People honked, then drove around.
Stunned.
For me, and for Bill, too, I think, that is the context to think about and to evaluate this amazing song.
Angry_Old_Man wrote:
Classic song with a bit too much synth sauce.
haresfur wrote:
Beethoven's 5th is a classic but there's too much violin
Michelangelo's Last Supper is not bad either except that there's too much paint in it.
Angry_Old_Man wrote:
Classic song with a bit too much synth sauce.
haresfur wrote:
Beethoven's 5th is a classic but there's too much violin
Michelangelo's Last Supper is not bad either except that there's too much paint in it.
Genius , I used to do stuff like that as well.
I did similar (with a plug in timer) when I had an early morning paper-round.
Desk lamp pointing at my face (just enough to wake me up), and the stereo (other side of the room) primed at full volume to play the opening of Diamond Dogs.
This always got me out of bed *very* quickly before the rest of the household was subjected to the blood-curdling cacophony!
Beethoven's 5th is a classic but there's too much violin
Emerson Lake and Powell. At least they kept the same initials.
Genius , I used to do stuff like that as well.
(Caution - contains obligatory PF reference) - in the 70s we similarly set up a hifi in a boarding school dormitory of 26 boys using 'Time' from DSOTM, to go off just before the rising bell...
Are. You. On. Cheap. Hallucinogens?
Genius , I used to do stuff like that as well.
stereo system. A big step up from the old console.
Greg and Ian Anderson performing his Father Christmas (youtube) is awesome.
Have always enjoyed Greg's work.
Thank you for mentioning the Youtube link - I hadn't seen or heard that version, it is quite incredible.
That synth at the end is a dead ringer for the one at the beginning of Tom Sawyer.
Here's how big they were...Headlining over Black Sabbath, EWF, and the fuckin' Eagles, man.
Wow! I'd love to hear Earth, Wind & Fire at 10 o'clock in the morning!
Here's how big they were...Headlining over Black Sabbath, EWF, and the fuckin' Eagles, man.
Wow, what a line up. My 14 year old self would have come up with the ten bucks for that, if I was in the area. Which I assuredly was not.
Great story and memory, tkosh! I love the ingenuity of us music loving high schoolers!! And just another example of what the "cell phone" has denied the new generation of....no more separate alarm clocks...let alone analog hands. Long Live RP!!
[The analog moog is] just not mixed loud enough; you can barely hear it at the end.
Hilarious! Not a big fan of ELP but do enjoy this song including the bombastic moog synth bit.
Here's how big they were...Headlining over Black Sabbath, EWF, and the fuckin' Eagles, man.
Love this photo.
RIP Keith and Greg.
THAT is HI-Larious!! The closest thing one gets to that nowadays is accidently turning 'repeat track' on and being too stoned (if that exists :-~ ) to care and listen to a song over-n-over.
The smell of popcorn wafting onto the sidewalk.
Zap comix for sale, including the infamous #4.
Approximately this location: Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights
Who says that your brain doesn't get programmed permanently at age 17?
//Of course this record is permanently on my list of tippy-top-rated songs!
Yeah, it's just not mixed loud enough; you can barely hear it at the end. ;s
Did ELP spend an afternoon with the Ramones at some point?
They wore it first!
Thanks for playing the song, Bill. Every time.
Did ELP spend an afternoon with the Ramones at some point?
Greg and Ian Anderson performing his Father Christmas (youtube) is awesome.
Have always enjoyed Greg's work.
Angry_Old_Man wrote:
Yup, it does date the song somewhat. -hehe-
Interestingly enough in later years, bands would imitate an electronic kazoo sound with electric guitars.
The song has a strong if incomplete story; it feels like a ballad. It had the same impact on me when I was a teen. Interestingly, Greg Lake wrote it when he was only 12.
I echo greenbuilding's thoughts below.
R.I.P. Greg Lake.
Omg! I didn't know
Thanks for the song, farewell Mister Lake
I echo greenbuilding's thoughts below.
R.I.P. Greg Lake.
Greg we will miss you. I will miss you.
I was fortunate to see ELP twice, front row. The Spectrum in Philly. I remember vividly feeling my internal organs vibrating inside my body from the power of Greg's bass. (Procol Harum opened).
Where ever Keith and Greg are, I hope they're jamming.
Greg and Keith were both lucky men.
We'll miss Greg Lake.
Can't tell you how much I loved this tune back in the day...
Good read here,,, interview with Greg Lake.
https://hiresaudiocentral.com/greg-lake-on-emerson-lake-palmer-in-surround-sound-king-crimson-and-his-earliest-influences/
Greg Lake wrote the lyrics when he was 12.
I do like this song a lot, but I think it shows. Interesting guy though, he still believes in Father Christmas..