Milk and Alcohol

Milk and Alcohol
"Milk and Alcohol"
Single by Dr. Feelgood
from the album Private Practice
B-side "Every Kind of Vice"
Released January 1979 (1979-01)
Recorded 1978
Genre Rock and roll, pub rock
Length 2:55
Label United Artists Records — UP 36468
Writer(s) Nick Lowe/Gypie Mayo
Producer Richard Gottehrer
Dr. Feelgood singles chronology
"Down at the Doctors"
(1978)		 "Milk and Alcohol"
(1979)		 "As Long As The Price is Right"
(1979)

"Milk and Alcohol" is a song by the band Dr. Feelgood that ranked on Britain's top-10 hit singles chart in 1979.[1] Written by Nick Lowe and Gypie Mayo, and produced by Richard Gottehrer,[2] the song was Dr. Feelgood's biggest hit and continues to be played by the band.

Contents

History

"Milk and Alcohol", written in 1978 by Nick Lowe and John "Gypie" Mayo, reportedly retells Lowe's 1970s experiences drinking one too many Kahlúa-milk drinks at or after a United States concert by legendary bluesman John Lee Hooker. However, while the song anonymously criticises Hooker ("Main attraction dead on his feet, Black man rhythm with a white boy beat"), ironically it was inspired by Hooker's own lyric about "milk, cream and alcohol".[3][4][5][6] The song was recorded in 1978[7] and first appeared on Private Practice, an album by Dr. Feelgood that was released in October 1978.[7] The heavy riffs on "Milk and Alcohol" were added by Mayo, a guitarist who replaced the less mainstream guitarist Wilko Johnson in 1978 after Johnson left the band as a result of an argument over the recording of Dr. Feelgood's fourth album, Sneakin' Suspicion (1977).[8]

"Milk and Alcohol" was released as a single in January 1979.[7] The vinyl material of the single record was issued in the three colours of black, white and brown, with the white and brown meant to call to mind white milk and brown alcohol.[9] The outline of a Kahlúa bottle appears on the record sleeve.[9] The background around the bottle on the different record sleeves was varied to match the vinyl colour.[9]

The song reached Britain's top-10 hit singles chart the same month in which it was released.[1][10] The track reached #9 in the United Kingdom chart, in part due to the song's reference to the milk and alcohol drink,[11] and spent nine weeks in the listing.[12] Capitalizing on the notoriety the song brought, the band presented "Milk and Alcohol" live to audiences around the world in 1979, including in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Russia and the United States.[1]

Impact

"Milk and Alcohol" was the band's fourth hit single in the United Kingdom, and their only Top 10 single in the UK Singles Chart.[12] In 1979, the musical world was perceived as being dominated by "fey glam-rockers and 15-minute Mellotron solos."[13] When "Milk and Alcohol" was played in the pubs of Canvey Island in the late 1970s, the song came across as a radical departure that contributed to "a short, sharp shock of roots rock."[13] For a while, the song lead to some drinking both alcohol and milk while listing to Dr. Feelgood perform live.[14]

In April 1989 a remix "Milk and Alcohol (New Recipe)" was issued by EMI in both 7" vinyl ((EM 89) with "She's Got Her Eyes on You" as the B Side) and 12" vinyl ((12 EM 89) with "She's Got Her Eyes on You" and "Mad Man Blues" on the B side).[15]

In 1997, "Milk and Alcohol" continued to be played by the band while making the rounds of the world's pubs, clubs and concert halls.[16] However, by 2003, "Milk and Alcohol" was seen as a "forgotten gem"[17] and was listed at number nine on "Moozak Top Ten", a tongue-in-cheek "cow music" listing that included entries such as "Bovinian Rhapsody", a wordplay on the popular 1975 song "Bohemian Rhapsody," and "You can cull me Al", a wordplay on the popular 1986 song "You Can Call Me Al."[18] With the band continuing to present the song in concerts, the music community regained respect for the song. In 2005, the band's biggest hit was being called a "classic."[19][20] In that same year, "Milk and Alcohol" was considered by the music magazine Q in its compilation of the top ten cigarettes and alcohol songs for the ultimate soundtrack to a drinking session, but lost out to the 1987 song "Nightrain" by the American rock band, Guns N' Roses.[21] Mayo's guitar performance on "Milk and Alcohol", which ranked as number four on a 2005 list of the top ten great British guitar heroes,[9] was cited in that same listing for waking "a generation of guitarists up to the sheer power and energy" of the guitar.[9]

Three decades after reaching Britain's top ten, "Milk and Alcohol" continues to be a popular choice for the band during its concerts.[22][23][24][25]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Lee Brilleaux, 41, British Blues Singer". New York Times: p. 111. April 9, 1994. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B02EFD9143EF93AA35757C0A962958260. Retrieved 24 October 2008. 
  2. ^ "Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4127. Retrieved 2008-10-26. 
  3. ^ John Lee Hooker - CD
  4. ^ Serves Me Right To Suffer - John Lee Hooker, 1969 (Youtube)
  5. ^ Roberts, David (1998). Guinness Rockopedia (1st ed.). London: Guinness Publishing Ltd.. p. 128. ISBN 0-85112-072-5. 
  6. ^ Butterfield, John (8 February 2007). "K is for ... Kahlua". Dr Feelgood — Newsletters: Feelgood Dick'n'arry. England: www.drfeelgood.de. http://www.drfeelgood.de/fg_dick.htm#Kahlua. Retrieved 2008-10-30. "Whilst in the USA in the 70's the Feelgoods took to drinking a cocktail made up of milk and alcohol. A certain Nick Lowe was also present having gone along for the ride. No need to say where the milk came from but the alcohol part of the cocktail was kahlua — Mexican coffee liquor with herbs and vanilla around 26% alcohol. Sparko drank the most of this concoction during the American stay but one night the lads took a trip to see John Lee Hooker in concert and having drunk many a milk and kahlua, their journey back was interrupted when the arm of the law stopped them. This story is told in the song "Milk and Alcohol" written by Nick Lowe and Gypie Mayo several years later."  Toasted Almond, White Russian, and Brown cow are/were popular Kahlúa/milk drinks. Also see Kahlúa/milk search.
  7. ^ a b c Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 290–291. ISBN 1-84195-017-3. 
  8. ^ Moon, Tony (2002). Down by the Jetty (2nd ed.). Borden, Hants: Northdown Publishing Ltd.. pp. 56–58. ISBN 1-90071-115-X. 
  9. ^ a b c d e Moon, Tony (2002). Down by the Jetty (2nd ed.). Borden, Hants: Northdown Publishing Ltd.. pp. 66 & 122. ISBN 1-90071-115-X. 
  10. ^ "30-something and still feeling good". The Sentinel (Staffordshire): p. 35. 14 January 2005. http://moreresults.factiva.com/results/index/index.aspx?ref=THESEN0020050115e11e0000s. Retrieved 24 October 2008. 
  11. ^ "Coffee time". Evening Chronicle. October 20, 2007. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-170070521.html. Retrieved 24 October 2008. 
  12. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 162. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 
  13. ^ a b Bungey, John (September 8, 2001). "Reissues and singles; Music". The Times. 
  14. ^ "Band not banned; How greedy local councils are killing live music". The Times. July 19, 2001. 
  15. ^ Moon, Tony (2002). Down by the Jetty (2nd ed.). Borden, Hants: Northdown Publishing Ltd.. p. 123. ISBN 1-90071-115-X. 
  16. ^ Somerville, Christopher (May 2, 1997). "The first no-quarter-century; Arts; Music; Profile; Dr. Feelgood". The Times: p. 38. 
  17. ^ Cole, Paul (September 14, 2003). "Play: CD Reviews — Driving Rock Anthems (EMI Gold) (Various)". Sunday Mercury: p. 43. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-107741846.html. Retrieved 24 October 2008. 
  18. ^ Parks, Gordon (October 15, 2003). "Football: Heid and buried. When David's not Milking Cows He's Milking Applause for Sport-Kick Glory". Daily Record (Scotland): p. 6. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-108863043.html. Retrieved 24 October 2008. 
  19. ^ "Feelgood time at the new half moon club". Plymouth Evening Herald: p. 32. May 27, 2005. http://moreresults.factiva.com/results/index/index.aspx?ref=EVEHER0020050528e15r0000o. Retrieved 24 October 2008. 
  20. ^ "Doctor's orders at Half Moon". Torquay Herald Express. June 2, 2005. http://moreresults.factiva.com/results/index/index.aspx?ref=HEREXP0020050603e16200010. Retrieved 24 October 2008. 
  21. ^ Barnes, Anthony (March 27, 2005). "Singalong with Cigarettes and Alcohol ...". Independent on Sunday: p. 7. http://www.c/doc/1G1-130909540.html. Retrieved 24 October 2008. 
  22. ^ "Feelgood factor at venue". Carmarthen Journal: p. 45. September 20, 2006. http://moreresults.factiva.com/results/index/index.aspx?ref=CARMJO0020060921e29k0002f. Retrieved 24 October 2008. 
  23. ^ Cowen, Andy (May 5, 2008). "Culture: Doctor in the house". Birmingham Post: p. 11. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-178606154.html. Retrieved 24 October 2008. 
  24. ^ "Doctor left sub rooms audience feeling good". Gloucestershire Echo: p. 20. May 21, 2008. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-16462743.html. Retrieved 24 October 2008. 
  25. ^ "Rock around the docks". Gloucestershire Echo: p. 8. August 22, 2008. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-17054231.html. Retrieved 24 October 2008. 

External links

v · d · eDr. Feelgood
Robert Kane  • P H Mitchell  • Kevin Morris  • Steve Walwyn
Lee Brilleaux  • Wilko Johnson  • John B Sparks  • The Big Figure  • John 'Gypie' Mayo  • Johnny Guitar  • Buzz Barwell  • Pat McMullen  • Gordon Russell  • Dave Bronze  • Pete Gage
Studio albums
Down by the Jetty  • Malpractice  • Sneakin' Suspicion  • Be Seeing You  • Private Practice • Let It Roll  • A Case Of The Shakes  • Fast Women and Slow Horses  • Doctor's Orders  • Mad Man Blues  • Brilleaux  • Primo  • The Feelgood Factor  • On The Road Again  • Chess Masters  • Speeding Thru Europe  • Repeat Prescription
Live albums
Stupidity  • As It Happens  • On The Job  • Live In London  • Stupidity Plus (Live 1976-1990)  • Down At The Doctors  • Live at the BBC 1974-75  • BBC Sessions 1973 - 1978  • Down at the BBC: In Concert 1977-78
Compilation albums
Casebook  • Case History - The Best of Dr. Feelgood  • Singles - The UA Years  • Looking Back  • Twenty Five Years of Dr. Feelgood  • Centenary Collection (The Best Of Dr. Feelgood)  • Singled Out - UA/Liberty As, Bs & Rarities  • Finely Tuned  • The Complete Stiff recordings 2CD
Singles
"Roxette"  • "She Does It Right"  • "Back in the Night"  • "Roxette" (live) • "Sneakin' Suspicion"  • "She's A Wind Up"  • "Baby Jane"  • "Down at the Doctors"  • "Milk and Alcohol"  • "As Long as the Price Is Right" (live)  • "Put Him Out of Your Mind"  • "Hong Kong Money"  • "No Mo Do Yakamo"  • "Jumping From Love to Love"  • "Violent Love"  • "Waiting For Saturday Night"  • "Trying To Live My Life Without You"  • "Crazy About Girls"  • "Dangerous"  • "My Way"  • "Don't Wait Up"  •

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