I first saw and heard Bobbie in 1969 when I was six and she was in
the UK charts with 'I'll Never Fall In Love Again', making it to No. 1. She was No. 1 to me too; the crush I had
on her was as big - bigger, even - than her hair. Talking of which,
her long, dark, bouffant hair was a significant part of her appeal to me then (I
hankered for two things as a kid, a head of raven locks and a Tressy doll, and never had either). When the song came on Top Of The Pops or Radio 1
I would abandon my Fuzzy Felt and be captivated by this American
singer with her sultry Southern vocals and her flared trouser suits.
But there was more to it: a warmth in her face and her voice,
something special that drew me in. Whilst that still remains to my
adult eyes and ears, I can see and hear so much more than that too now.
Here's a great track, with an interesting subject matter, which is little less well-known here as it didn't make the UK charts.
Bobbie Gentry on the Johnny Cash Show: Fancy
(Hat tip to Singing Bear over at Grown Up Backwards who included
this on a recent playlist)
People wonder why we have so many Churches around here..Ha.
I can't understand why y'all didn't get this song about a little girl who was "turned out" by her Mama on heavy rotation. I like how Fancy is always described, in blurbs about the song, as a Courtesan...hahahahahaha...my ass.
That she got away with it...Reba McEntire covered it for a hit...tells you as much about this place as the plot of the song. Country music is as good as the Blues (they come from the same scene afterall...have the same roots) for describing the worst of human behavior and conditions as if they were perfectly natural...and well.
Of course, it's a kinda joke..."I lost my dog, I lost my house, I lost my woman...etc.* Like Flannery O'Connor said..."anything that comes out of the South is going to be called grotesque by the northern reader, unless it is grotesque, in which case it is going to be called realistic." Maybe we're just the last Sinners left in the Western world.
None of that would matter if we didn't get down. That rhythmic bridge in the song...when she gets her Georgia Mansion...knocks me out every time.
As Mrs. Gentry...her looks are typical in this part of the South (a type you find)...not so many buoffants but, lots of her running around here.
P.S. Singing Bear had me on the Jerry Reed last week.
*David Allan Coe...not a Southerner actually...was at his best when he would mock these tropes because he had been scorned by the Country music establishment.
Also, it must be noted that her name was Roberta Lee...just as R.L. Burnside was Robert Lee...and that Robert Lee was, mercilessly, rejected by Martha as a name for the Boy.
Flannery O'Connor said..."anything that comes out of the South is going to be called grotesque by the northern reader, unless it is grotesque, in which case it is going to be called realistic." Maybe we're just the last Sinners left in the Western world.
John and Dr MVM - indeed! Erik - hat tip to you too for my ongoing education on all things Southern :-) - so interesting. It's quite a song, isn't it, and for me, coming from a very different background, this (and other songs such as Ode to Billy Joe and JCR's Harper Valley PTA) conjure up imagery and characters in a way that is real and raw but so sympathetic too. Yet my initial love for Bobbie was through the eyes of a small-town middle-class English six-year-old and an innocence still pervades! R L Bartlam does have a certain ring to it, haha! Perhaps you could just call your next cat Robert Lee?
Not just beautiful but fantastically talented. I love, Bobbie. Why did she knock it on the head? Have you heard the version of 'Fancy' by The Geraldine Fibbers? That's great, too.
I've been reading a fair bit about her but I haven't been able to draw any real conclusions as to why she stopped: "quietly withdrew", "quit" etc... I respect her hugely for doing so, though - and I'm off to check the Geraldine Fibbers version now, thank you.
Wonderful post, a special friend turned me onto "Fancy" (as well as "Find 'Em, Fool 'Em, Forget 'em"), great track. There's a duet of her and Donovan on YouTube (or at least there was) doing a track called "Bugs" together that's perfect!
Two words: Hubba. And hubba.
ReplyDeletePeople wonder why we have so many Churches around here..Ha.
ReplyDeleteI can't understand why y'all didn't get this song about a little girl who was "turned out" by her Mama on heavy rotation. I like how Fancy is always described, in blurbs about the song, as a Courtesan...hahahahahaha...my ass.
That she got away with it...Reba McEntire covered it for a hit...tells you as much about this place as the plot of the song. Country music is as good as the Blues (they come from the same scene afterall...have the same roots) for describing the worst of human behavior and conditions as if they were perfectly natural...and well.
Of course, it's a kinda joke..."I lost my dog, I lost my house, I lost my woman...etc.* Like Flannery O'Connor said..."anything that comes out of the South is going to be called grotesque by the northern reader, unless it is grotesque, in which case it is going to be called realistic." Maybe we're just the last Sinners left in the Western world.
None of that would matter if we didn't get down. That rhythmic bridge in the song...when she gets her Georgia Mansion...knocks me out every time.
As Mrs. Gentry...her looks are typical in this part of the South (a type you find)...not so many buoffants but, lots of her running around here.
P.S. Singing Bear had me on the Jerry Reed last week.
*David Allan Coe...not a Southerner actually...was at his best when he would mock these tropes because he had been scorned by the Country music establishment.
Also, it must be noted that her name was Roberta Lee...just as R.L. Burnside was Robert Lee...and that Robert Lee was, mercilessly, rejected by Martha as a name for the Boy.
DeleteFlannery O'Connor said..."anything that comes out of the South is going to be called grotesque by the northern reader, unless it is grotesque, in which case it is going to be called realistic." Maybe we're just the last Sinners left in the Western world.
DeleteThat is genius.
Ditto Singing Bear!
DeleteHow could anyone NOT have a crush on her?
ReplyDeleteJohn and Dr MVM - indeed!
ReplyDeleteErik - hat tip to you too for my ongoing education on all things Southern :-) - so interesting. It's quite a song, isn't it, and for me, coming from a very different background, this (and other songs such as Ode to Billy Joe and JCR's Harper Valley PTA) conjure up imagery and characters in a way that is real and raw but so sympathetic too. Yet my initial love for Bobbie was through the eyes of a small-town middle-class English six-year-old and an innocence still pervades!
R L Bartlam does have a certain ring to it, haha! Perhaps you could just call your next cat Robert Lee?
Not just beautiful but fantastically talented. I love, Bobbie. Why did she knock it on the head? Have you heard the version of 'Fancy' by The Geraldine Fibbers? That's great, too.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading a fair bit about her but I haven't been able to draw any real conclusions as to why she stopped: "quietly withdrew", "quit" etc... I respect her hugely for doing so, though - and I'm off to check the Geraldine Fibbers version now, thank you.
DeleteWonderful post, a special friend turned me onto "Fancy" (as well as "Find 'Em, Fool 'Em, Forget 'em"), great track. There's a duet of her and Donovan on YouTube (or at least there was) doing a track called "Bugs" together that's perfect!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Wilthomer, nice to see you again, and I'm off to do some more delving now with your recommendations!
DeleteGreat post and a terrific performance by Bobbie G. I think John Medd said it all!
ReplyDeleteThanks - I still think she's special!
DeleteLoved 'Ode' but that track was good too. There is a bit similarity to Priscilla Presley there. Well if its good enough for Elvis...
ReplyDeleteBoth great tracks indeed. I hadn't thought of that similarity before but now you come to mention it...
Delete