8/14/09 – Drag Racing (Hot Rod Lincoln)
Posted: August 14th, 2009 | Author: Matt The Cat | Filed under: Rock n' Roll, rockabilly | Tags: drag racing, Friday Night Cat Fight, hot rods, Matt The Cat, Podcast, Rock & Roll | 11 Comments »Draggin’ The Strip…
Drag Racing Songs
Rev up those engines and prepare to burn some rubber as we dedicate an entire Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast to songs about drag racin’. I’ve left out some of the ol’ standbys since you can still hear those all over the radio in favor of some of the lesser heard draggin’ tunes. Of course Jan & Dean and the Beach Boys will make an appearance, but we’ll also hear from Wally George, Leon Smith and The Hubcaps as well.
You’ll get a chance to vote for your favorite version of the ultimate drag racing song, “Hot Rod Lincoln”. So fire up those hopped up motors and get ready to burn your ears for that quarter mile on The Friday Night Cat Fight Show.
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I don’t know how I could have missed that many of these songs in my youth. Probably was spending to much time at the drag races.
Listening to the three versions in a row, I feel that Johnny Bond and Commander Cody were just singing the song while Charlie Ryan actually could have taken part in it. Plus, the two non-Ryan versions were a little too polished for this type of song. The raw sound on Ryan’s version adds to it.
Matt – Nice tribute to Les Paul, The Wizard from Waukesha (Wisconsin). He will be missed but his legacy will last as long as there is recorded music and electric stringed instruments. I saw in a local article that he will be interred in Waukesha in the Polfus ( real name Lester William Polfus) family plot. Here’s a link to Milwaukee’s Discovery World that has a Les Paul exhibit until the end of 2009: http://www.discoveryworld.org/lespaul.php I haven’t seen it, but I understand it’s really something. I guess it can’t be anything but great.
Les and Mary, nice touch Matt.
Hard to choose a fave, but Johnny got my vote this time. I had no idea there were so many hot rod songs; makes me wanta fly around town with the top down.
One of the best broadcasts EVER! Hot Rod music is among my faves. I have many of those you are playing but I have paper handy to jot down other ‘must haves’ thanks SO much!! keep rockin~ tink
I voted for James 007 Bond younger brother Johnny Bond !! Remember Night Prowlers !! Dont forget September 13th for Matt The Cat Day to e mail or fax or call with youre cell phone or youre land line home phone or whatever to get some of those people up at SXM to get Matt back doing his great shows !! He is what we need in these troubled times we live in !! Yum Yum
Man, I love these Friday night podcasts. This weeks was super. I sure hope SXM comes to their senses and gets Matt back on the air. BTW, I heard a rumor that SXM was going to file for chapter 11. Maybe Howard or Oprah could bail them out! I have so much to say but time and space wont allow it, so I’ll just say that MTC is probably the best DJ I have ever listened to.
For those who don’t know, Charlie Ryan has his own web site, “www.hot-rod-lincoln.com”. I loved Charlies version back in 59 and still think it is the best one, so he got my vote. Keep it up Matt, we love ya!
This Hot Rod show kicked ass and took pink slips. Really strong. Some great stuff here.
These three versions of “Hot Rod Lincoln”, they’re all good, but they all have vocals that are a little too laid back and rhythmically ad lib for my taste. I get that the song is supposed to sound like a guy exaggerating and bragging to his friends over some beers in the parking lot, but I think it needs a little more bite than these three vocalists bring. My favorite version, vocals and band, is by western swing band “Asleep At The Wheel”. You can see and hear a live version of their take on it on YouTube.
Truly enjoyed the drag racing sounds. I thought we had heard them all but, as usual, you bring out the best of the “unknowns” or seldom heard sounds. Keep on “truckin”, Matt
Nice tribute to Les Paul.
Yo Furry Leader
That was a great drag racing show. It brought back memories of when I used to hang out at the drag strip that my uncle owned, in Byron Illinois, and cruisin with my buds. As far as the cat fight goes, I had to go with Charlie. It was a close race for me. Johnny was good, but I liked charlie’s a bit better. Commander Cody’s version just didn’t have the horsepower.
That was also a very nice tribute to the wizzard of waukeshau, Les Paul. He got that name because he was born, and got his start, in Waukeshau Wisconsin. You couldn’t have picked a better tune for that tribute. What would music be like without Les? very different, I’m sure.
Sure glad you’re back. we missed you, and I was going through cat fight withdrawl. The cat fight shows are one of the high points of my week. Keep on prowlin
Had to go with Charlie Ryan as he wrote the song and told me that it actually happened as his band was riding with him in a Lincoln car and someone passed him and the race was on…. He later actually built the model A with the Lincoln V12 engine in it to promote the song….I met he and his wife at a Rod run in Washington state in 1995 and he had the restored modelA there…got an autographed pic of him and the car…( the spare tire behind the rumble seat has a cover on it like a 45 record Lincoln record “Hot Rod Lincoln”