'S'cuse me, blood...

Welcome to thatwasrockandroll.

In the '70s and '80s a variant of pop music called Southern Rock (sometimes called Southern Fried Rock, Dixie Rock, and so forth) came into prominence.  One of the most popular bands of this era was 38 Special.  Combining a rock sound with radio-friendly themes (and a fabulous lead singer, Don Barnes, who brought their love songs to life), 38 Special racked up a whole gaggle of top 40 songs, like

"Fantasy Girl"
"Chain Lightning"
"Hold on Loosely"
"Caught up in You"
"Somebody Like You"

Man, did they have a run.  Then, Barnes went off the radar.  I always thought it was drugs, but it was more that Don wanted to do something besides 38 Special.  I was always reading Billboard or other trade magazines to find out when the band would get Don into rehab and then back to the studio.  It never happened (at least, not until way after the window of opportunity for the band had passed).

But they decided to go on without Barnes, and enlisted Max Carl as their lead singer for 3-4 years.  Most of their music was forgettable, but one single ("Second Chance") did well.  But today's Time Machine trip is another Max Carl vocal that might be my favorite 38 Special song ever.  It paints a story about Man's Favorite Sport--ogling women.  Sorry--it may be a bit misogynistic, but let's not let political correctness (31 years after the fact) detract from a fabulous tune.

So, let's all go to that Holiday Inn in Florida and put our money down 9 to 1 (like everyone else did) for our local favorite

Any song that includes the quintessential Southern phrase "'S'cuse me, blood" is a winner in my book.  And Don came back in 1992 and is still with the band, doing State Fairs, Casinos, and so forth.

See you tomorrow...


Pete