Today’s Celtic letter, “I” is dedicated to Iggy and the Stooges. It’s hard to believe the two albums I listened to last night are almost 50 years old and it’s a first listen.

Per wikipedia:
The Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, were an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexander. Playing a raw, primitive style of rock and roll, the band sold few records in their original incarnation and gained a reputation for their confrontational performances… The Stooges soon gained a reputation for their wild, primitive live performances. Pop, especially, became known for his outrageous onstage behavior—smearing his bare chest with hamburger meat and peanut butter, cutting himself with shards of glass, and flashing his genitalia to the audience. Pop is sometimes credited with the invention or popularization of stage diving.

After releasing two albums—The Stooges (1969) and Fun House (1970)—the group disbanded briefly, which was formally announced on July 9, 1971, [then] reformed with a different lineup to release Raw Power in 1973. They broke up again in 1974. The band reunited in 2003 until dissolving in 2016 following the deaths of Scott Asheton and saxophonist Steve Mackay. Ron Asheton participated in the reunion until his death in 2009.

With the band having broken up in July ’71, Pop met David Bowie on 7 September 1971 at Max’s Kansas City. In March 1972, Pop and guitarist Williamson went to the UK, then Ron and Scott Asheton were brought over and recorded Raw Power, which was released in 1973.

From the back of the 2-disc set:
First released on Columbia Records in 1973, the savagely bombastic Raw Power is perhaps the first record that could truly be called punk. It was the confluence of the Stooges’ ages, hormones, creativity, ability, experience, tastes, lack of supervision, contempt for authority and ambition that has made Raw Power one of the most influential albums of all time.

This Legacy Edition features the original 1973 David Bowie mix, now remastered, along with a second disc of previously unreleased live recordings from the Raw Power tour and studio outtakes. Disc 2, called Georgia Peaches, was recorded live at Richards, Atlanta Georgia, in October 1973.

The lineup for Raw Power is:
Iggy Pop – vocals
James Williamson – guitars
Ron Asheton – bass
Scott Asheton — drums
The lineup for Georgia Peaches is the same except for the addition of Scott Thurston – piano

The first song of the double feature I chose from this raw proclamation of mighty youth is the Georgia Peaches’ version of Heavy Liquid, which has throbbing and so alive guitar (and bass?) playing. The song sounds like a cross between The Doors and Led Zeppelin to me.

 

Come on everybody
Take a trip with me
Way down to Mississippi
Down in New Orleans

I got some friends but they just don’t know
I hear you coming and I wanna know
I gotta make it to another show

Come on everybody
Take a trip my way
Well I don’t give a goddamn
What they say.
No

I got some friends and I want your dad.
I want everything they ever had.
They may be good but know I’m bad.

Move!

Come on everybody
Take a trip my way
Well I don’t give a son of a damn
What they say.

I want some friends but what I want
I wanna live havin’ no more fun
I’m gonna live just for one more cunt

Everybody
Take a trip my way
Down in Mississippi
Down in New Orleans

I got your mother and if you don’t scream

I got some friends but I got your dad
And everything that they ever had
I gotta make it but you know I’m bad

Nooooo
Oh
Yeah
Yeah

Oh no!

Well come on everybody
Take a trip my way
Well I don’t give a hot damn
What you say.

I got some friends but they just don’t know
I hear you coming and I wanna know
I got to make it to another show

No
Yeah
Feel it?
Sounds sweet
Shhh
Sounds sweet
Shhh

Aint no dealers
I’ll tell you why
Cause I need you
Just to get me by

All you woman
And you men too
I’d be dead
If it wasn’t for you

I’d be dead if wasn’t for you

Cause I’m not afraid to say that I need
I’m not afraid to say that I need
I need, I need you.
You, you, you,
Oh
Oh

I need
And I want
I want you
And I need you
And I’ll die without you
And I’m afraid of it

And I know.
Songwriters: Iggy Pop / James Williamson

 

The second song is also the live version from Georgia Peaches, called Open Up and Bleed. 

The lyrics don’t match up to this live version.

 

I’ve been pushed
I’ve been shoved too long
They even tried to buy my song
But it ain’t gonna be that way no more

[The rest of the lyrics they have for the song are so off from what he’s singing, I just deleted them.]

Songwriters: Iggy Pop / James Williamson