TRACK ONE: Ronnie told Lonn Friend for the liner notes for Dio Stand Up and Shout The Anthology that Hoochie Loochie Lady was… Elf, a kind of piano-based rock. We wanted to write a Rolling Stones song, and this was it. “Hoochie-koochie” ladies were like honky-tonk women. This was early vocalizing for me, the first “stone” the first ripple in the pond.

01 Hoochie Koochie Lady

TRACK TWO: The second track written after “Hoochie Koochie Lady.” We wanted something a bit faster more Stones-like. Lyrically it’s just about a guy who has to go away for wahtever purpose; it’s up to the listener to decide he’s in the Army or in prison. It’s a relationship song, and the theme is “Whatever happens I’m coming back for you.”

02 I’m Coming Back to You

TRACK THREE: Mickey Lee Soule was one of the best honky tonk piano players around when we started Elf. This was another track, liek “Hoochie Koochie ” based on that bouncy keyboard feel. It was inspired by an event of the same name in North or South Carolina, I don’t remember exactly. The song lapses into this fast 40’s era shuffle, an Andrews Sisters kind of thing. That was the music my folks were into, so I heard a lot of it growing up.

03 Carolina County Ball

Published by rbtaleman

Heavy metal (fiend/friend?) Writer, frustrat(or), frustrat(ee), decorated U.S. Navy veteran, Husband(twice), father(three times), grandfather(of seven), FM radio veteran, Concertgoer, music collector, muscle car aficianado. Grown up since five. Child since 45. View all posts by rbtaleman