Still Crazy After All These Years, The Mighty Phil Alvin Leads The Boys Through A Classic Rockabilly Rave Up Track They’ve Covering For Decades
Crazy Baby performed by Bill Bateman, John Bazz, Keith Wyatt, and Maestro Phil Alvin live March 26 2017. DJ Sid Presley arranged for a rare opportunity to see the legendary Downey CA founded band The Blasters in a small club setting of the Longboard Margarita Bar in the foggy coastal community of Pacifica CA. Thanx to the Blasters, their Road Crew and the staff at the Longboard for helping with this great event.
The song Crazy Baby was written by Ron Volz and Ron Wernsman. and originally put out in 1958, by their Metamora Illinois based band called The Rockin R’s. Originally issued on Tempus Records, pressed by RCA Victor Custom division ,The Blasters later covered it and put it on their 1980 debut American Music.
lyrics:
Well, got me a crazy baby, coolest little chick I know
Got me a crazy baby and I love her so
Crazy baby, I love you
Crazy girl, crazy honey, crazy baby, all my own
Crazy baby I wanna take you home
(Let’s rock!)
Well I got me a crazy baby, always on the move
Movin’ little honey that puts me in the groove
Crazy baby, I love you
Crazy girl, crazy honey, crazy baby, all my own
Crazy baby I wanna take you home
(Let’s rock again!)
Well I got me a crazy baby, always on the go
I love my crazy baby, ’cause she digs that rock and roll
Crazy baby, I love you
Crazy girl, crazy honey, crazy baby, all my own
Crazy baby I wanna take you home
(Last time!)
Well crazy baby, always on the go
Crazy baby, I love you so
According to founding member and Phil’s brother DaveAlvin “The Blasters owe a lot to a truck driver whose name I’ve forgotten”.
Phil, Bill, John, and I were working day jobs, rehearsing at night in a factory in #GardenGrove and trying desperately to find any steady gig that paid more than free beer. Our friends, James Harman and Mike Foresta, had recorded a demo tape of us and we’d taken copies to every “cool” nightclub in the Hollywood/West LA area, but no one was interested in a roots band, especially one from #DowneyCalifornia, with no hip credentials.
I read somewhere about “Rockin” Ronny Weiser and his small rockabilly label (Rollin’ Rock), so Phil called him about the possibility of recording us. Ronny was skeptical until Phil sang and played guitar over the phone and within an hour Phil and I were sitting in Ronny’s living room playing him our tape. Ronny dug the tape, but still wouldn’t make a commitment to record us because we’d only played in biker and country bars on the decidedly untrendy southeast side of LA County. We knew none of the Hollywood scenesters and tastemakers and they definitely didn’t know us. That is, until this truck driver came by Ronny’s to pick up boxes of records to be shipped.
“Who’s this playing?” he asked Ronny. “It’s us,” Phil said.
“Is this what these records are? If it is, I’ll buy a copy. My wife and I dig this kind of music. You can’t find music like this anymore.”
We couldn’t have asked for more even if we’d paid him a million bucks. Once he left, Ronny quickly discussed when we’d record our first album and within a few weeks we were in Ronny’s garage/studio. James and Mike were with us for moral support. We drank a lot of beer. Phil, the most experienced, led us patiently and sang his heart out. James let me record with a white Fender Stratocaster that he swore once belonged to Magic Sam. I made mistakes I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to forget, but Ronny kept pushing us to quit thinking too much and just keep it rockin’ (and with a rhythm section like John and Bill, that was no problem). After that first day of recording, we drove back to our side of town punching each other in excitement and jumping up and down in the car seats like little boys. we yelled at strangers in passing cars that we’d made a record and we were gonna be famous. I remember at one point all four of us had our heads out the car windows, laughing cursing, screaming, and howling at the moon.
“Wherever you are, Mr. Truck Driver, thanks man.”
—Dave Alvin in the #AmericanMusic reissue liner notes, – via Hightone Records, 1997