Mere Words Cannot Express
John Scott lists the best wordless verbal musical utterances from DuvAlumni.
We’ve explored how rich the history of musical acts from Jacksonville, so rich that maybe words cannot say it all. How right you are! Let’s dive into some of the great musical moments that are lyric-free but say a bunch.
Forward to 4:33
1. “ah-brop-brop-eah” - uttered by Danny Joe Brown of Molly Hatchet in “Flirtin’ with Disaster”
Molly Hatchet received national attention from the rock world with their debut album, but really hit their stride with their second album. The title track gave Hatchet their biggest hit and one of the great sing-along moments as everyone (in my car at least) gave a big a capella “ah-brop-brop-eah” toward the end.
Forward to 3:14
2. “Erh (erh) ohhh (ohhh) erh(erh) oh(oh)” –you get the idea- uttered by Ray Charles and the Raelettes in “What’d I Say”
As Ray Charles invented soul music, we learned he combined gospel elements with the blues and R&B. Gospel music, especially, relied on call-and-response to strengthen the song. Usually the response is different than the call. For example: “Jesus gonna come” is the call, “Gonna come someday” the response. Brother Ray’s grunts received more of an echo, but the result is the same: participation of the “congregation” to break the song down, only to build it back to a peak.
Forward to 3:10
3. (Whistles) – by Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd in many songs.
While Ronnie Van Zant may be one of the most under-rated singers in rock history (just listen to others – aside from his brother – try to sing those songs), he is definitely one of the best whistlers on record. It seemed like he used that incredible “wolf whistle” to usher in a solo and the tone of the whistle was seemingly matched by the guitar that followed. Listen to the combo in “That Smell”, or when he “brings his mules out to pick it one time” on the live version of “Gimme Three Steps.” Otis Redding may have had the most well-known whistle on “The Dock of the Bay”, and Andy Griffith’s theme is timeless, but no one made a rock and roll statement with a whistle better than Ronnie Van Zant.
Forward to 2:03
4. “Shick-a-dow-shick-a-dow-dow” – uttered by Clyde Orange in “Brick House” by the Commodores.
Jacksonville’s Clyde Orange didn’t sing too many songs for the Commodores; when Lionel Richie’s in your band you have to understand, I suppose. But when he did, he upped the funk factor of the group, especially in the 70s. He sang lead on “Too Hot ta Trot”, a minor hit with a major groove, and actually sang co-lead on their smooth 1985 hit “Nightshift”. But, on “Brick House”, the funk was white hot and Orange’s “mmh-mmh-mmh’s” , whistles and the “OW” on the intro of the song could’ve made this list, but let’s give it up for the “shick-a-dow-shick-a -dow-dow” at the bridge.
Forward to 1:38
5. “wwwww” – uttered by Jimmy Ricks of the Ravens on “Green Eyes”
This just gives me a chance to talk about the amazing Jimmy Ricks, a Jacksonville native who was a member of one of the greatest vocal groups in history, The Ravens. His bass vocal leads were the standard by which doo-wop and vocal group bass singers were measured. They were the link between the Ink Spots and doo-wop in the late 1940s and early 1950s, inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1988. The “wwwww” is part of the first word “Well” of the song. But the way he delivers it, “wwwww” is a word in itself. Just listen to that voice. I think of the word “meekness” in its original definition: strength under control. When you hear Elvis Presley sing on his lower register, you can tell he listened to a bunch of the Ravens growing up; simply beautiful.
6. “oooo-eeeee-ooooo-eeee” (yodeled) –uttered by Slim Whitman in “Indian Love Call”
Well, you don’t get many yodelers making the pop charts anymore. Heck, we’ve never had too many at all. The late Slim Whitman had a top 10 pop hit in 1952 with “Indian Love Call”, his only big American pop hit and one of many country hits. Whitman moved to the area in 1957 after his first wave of hits and lived here until his death this past June. He gained popularity with two later generations: first, it was his greatest hits album sold on television (“outsold Elvis and the Beatles in England!!!) that introduced Slim to the ‘70s and ‘80s and found fame again in the 1996 movie Mars Attacks, where Slim Whitman’s “Indian Love Call” made the Martians’ heads explode!
7. “whooo whooo” – chorus of Quad City DJ’s on “C’mon Ride the Train”
Some onomatopoeia was bound to make the list; the train whistle in the dance floor classic from this Jacksonville group was everywhere in 1996.
8. “quack quack” – uttered by the, er, um, “Disco Duck” by Rick Dees.
Sooner or later we were going to have to claim him (I received emails that I didn’t include him in my previous Jacksonville Top 40 list.) But, yes, Rick Dees was born here, moved at an early age, became a popular radio personality in Memphis, and there recorded this song, which became a number one pop hit in 1976. Blame it on the boogie, guys. In the above video Dees looks really embarrassed by the whole thing, not as much though, as the back-up singers. Even the duck suit looks embarrassed to be a part of it.
Forward to 0:44
9. {sniffing noise} uttered by Ringo Starr in “The No No Song”
Hoyt Axton spent most of his school years here in Jacksonville, graduating from Lee High in 1956, moving on after a stint in the Navy to follow his recording artist and songwriting dreams. He had hits as both; his biggest hit as a recording artist was a country hit “Boney Fingers” in 1974. He had much bigger hits as a songwriter for others; his first was “Greenback Dollar” for the Kingston Trio; his biggest was “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night. Three Dog Night also recorded his “Never Been to Spain” and Steppenwolf recorded his anti-drug songs “The Pusher” and “Snowblind Friend.” Axton’s biggest “anti-drug” song was “The No No Song” by Ringo Starr, that takes a tour of substances that Ringo chose not abuse anymore (at least in the song). The second verse takes him to Spain where he is offered cocaine, to which he replies “no no no no I can’t {sniff} no more.”
10. “ooooo-oooooo-ooooo” uttered by some combination of voice and synth on “Partie Traumatic” by Black Kids
Jacksonville indie band Black Kids were one of Rolling Stone’s “bands to watch” in 2008 and have appeared on Jimmy Kimmel and David Letterman. Their debut album hit the top 10 in the UK. Like their fellow North Floridian Slim Whitman (see number 6), they’re bigger in England, at least for now.
Honorable mention: My friend Dave Cagle proposes that the “aaa-eeeee-aaaaaa” APE call from radio station WAPE should be mentioned. The actual call itself is from a song called “Ape Call” by Nervous Norvous, but in Jacksonville (and the southeast) the sound emanating over the beginning of many a top 40 hit, especially in APE’s Mighty 690 ‘60s and ‘70s heyday deserves credit.
So with a “oo-oo” here and a “sniff sniff” there, a “quack quack”, “woo-woo”, yodel-yodel, whistle-whistle, “erh-erh”,” shick-a-dow-dow” and everywhere a “brop brop.” Old Jacksonville has some musical sounds that words cannot express.
Article by John Scott, part of Jacksonville's Big Show
on 99.1 WQIK on from 5:30AM - 10AM.
Forward to 4:33
1. “ah-brop-brop-eah” - uttered by Danny Joe Brown of Molly Hatchet in “Flirtin’ with Disaster”
Molly Hatchet received national attention from the rock world with their debut album, but really hit their stride with their second album. The title track gave Hatchet their biggest hit and one of the great sing-along moments as everyone (in my car at least) gave a big a capella “ah-brop-brop-eah” toward the end.
Forward to 3:14
2. “Erh (erh) ohhh (ohhh) erh(erh) oh(oh)” –you get the idea- uttered by Ray Charles and the Raelettes in “What’d I Say”
As Ray Charles invented soul music, we learned he combined gospel elements with the blues and R&B. Gospel music, especially, relied on call-and-response to strengthen the song. Usually the response is different than the call. For example: “Jesus gonna come” is the call, “Gonna come someday” the response. Brother Ray’s grunts received more of an echo, but the result is the same: participation of the “congregation” to break the song down, only to build it back to a peak.
Forward to 3:10
3. (Whistles) – by Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd in many songs.
While Ronnie Van Zant may be one of the most under-rated singers in rock history (just listen to others – aside from his brother – try to sing those songs), he is definitely one of the best whistlers on record. It seemed like he used that incredible “wolf whistle” to usher in a solo and the tone of the whistle was seemingly matched by the guitar that followed. Listen to the combo in “That Smell”, or when he “brings his mules out to pick it one time” on the live version of “Gimme Three Steps.” Otis Redding may have had the most well-known whistle on “The Dock of the Bay”, and Andy Griffith’s theme is timeless, but no one made a rock and roll statement with a whistle better than Ronnie Van Zant.
Forward to 2:03
4. “Shick-a-dow-shick-a-dow-dow” – uttered by Clyde Orange in “Brick House” by the Commodores.
Jacksonville’s Clyde Orange didn’t sing too many songs for the Commodores; when Lionel Richie’s in your band you have to understand, I suppose. But when he did, he upped the funk factor of the group, especially in the 70s. He sang lead on “Too Hot ta Trot”, a minor hit with a major groove, and actually sang co-lead on their smooth 1985 hit “Nightshift”. But, on “Brick House”, the funk was white hot and Orange’s “mmh-mmh-mmh’s” , whistles and the “OW” on the intro of the song could’ve made this list, but let’s give it up for the “shick-a-dow-shick-a -dow-dow” at the bridge.
Forward to 1:38
5. “wwwww” – uttered by Jimmy Ricks of the Ravens on “Green Eyes”
This just gives me a chance to talk about the amazing Jimmy Ricks, a Jacksonville native who was a member of one of the greatest vocal groups in history, The Ravens. His bass vocal leads were the standard by which doo-wop and vocal group bass singers were measured. They were the link between the Ink Spots and doo-wop in the late 1940s and early 1950s, inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1988. The “wwwww” is part of the first word “Well” of the song. But the way he delivers it, “wwwww” is a word in itself. Just listen to that voice. I think of the word “meekness” in its original definition: strength under control. When you hear Elvis Presley sing on his lower register, you can tell he listened to a bunch of the Ravens growing up; simply beautiful.
6. “oooo-eeeee-ooooo-eeee” (yodeled) –uttered by Slim Whitman in “Indian Love Call”
Well, you don’t get many yodelers making the pop charts anymore. Heck, we’ve never had too many at all. The late Slim Whitman had a top 10 pop hit in 1952 with “Indian Love Call”, his only big American pop hit and one of many country hits. Whitman moved to the area in 1957 after his first wave of hits and lived here until his death this past June. He gained popularity with two later generations: first, it was his greatest hits album sold on television (“outsold Elvis and the Beatles in England!!!) that introduced Slim to the ‘70s and ‘80s and found fame again in the 1996 movie Mars Attacks, where Slim Whitman’s “Indian Love Call” made the Martians’ heads explode!
7. “whooo whooo” – chorus of Quad City DJ’s on “C’mon Ride the Train”
Some onomatopoeia was bound to make the list; the train whistle in the dance floor classic from this Jacksonville group was everywhere in 1996.
8. “quack quack” – uttered by the, er, um, “Disco Duck” by Rick Dees.
Sooner or later we were going to have to claim him (I received emails that I didn’t include him in my previous Jacksonville Top 40 list.) But, yes, Rick Dees was born here, moved at an early age, became a popular radio personality in Memphis, and there recorded this song, which became a number one pop hit in 1976. Blame it on the boogie, guys. In the above video Dees looks really embarrassed by the whole thing, not as much though, as the back-up singers. Even the duck suit looks embarrassed to be a part of it.
Forward to 0:44
9. {sniffing noise} uttered by Ringo Starr in “The No No Song”
Hoyt Axton spent most of his school years here in Jacksonville, graduating from Lee High in 1956, moving on after a stint in the Navy to follow his recording artist and songwriting dreams. He had hits as both; his biggest hit as a recording artist was a country hit “Boney Fingers” in 1974. He had much bigger hits as a songwriter for others; his first was “Greenback Dollar” for the Kingston Trio; his biggest was “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night. Three Dog Night also recorded his “Never Been to Spain” and Steppenwolf recorded his anti-drug songs “The Pusher” and “Snowblind Friend.” Axton’s biggest “anti-drug” song was “The No No Song” by Ringo Starr, that takes a tour of substances that Ringo chose not abuse anymore (at least in the song). The second verse takes him to Spain where he is offered cocaine, to which he replies “no no no no I can’t {sniff} no more.”
10. “ooooo-oooooo-ooooo” uttered by some combination of voice and synth on “Partie Traumatic” by Black Kids
Jacksonville indie band Black Kids were one of Rolling Stone’s “bands to watch” in 2008 and have appeared on Jimmy Kimmel and David Letterman. Their debut album hit the top 10 in the UK. Like their fellow North Floridian Slim Whitman (see number 6), they’re bigger in England, at least for now.
Honorable mention: My friend Dave Cagle proposes that the “aaa-eeeee-aaaaaa” APE call from radio station WAPE should be mentioned. The actual call itself is from a song called “Ape Call” by Nervous Norvous, but in Jacksonville (and the southeast) the sound emanating over the beginning of many a top 40 hit, especially in APE’s Mighty 690 ‘60s and ‘70s heyday deserves credit.
So with a “oo-oo” here and a “sniff sniff” there, a “quack quack”, “woo-woo”, yodel-yodel, whistle-whistle, “erh-erh”,” shick-a-dow-dow” and everywhere a “brop brop.” Old Jacksonville has some musical sounds that words cannot express.
Article by John Scott, part of Jacksonville's Big Show
on 99.1 WQIK on from 5:30AM - 10AM.