Jump jump jump (Rick Derringer) (LP 2371 - 2372)

Rick Derringer & Friends  Live On the King Biscuit Flower Hour (CD, King Biscuit Flower Hour Records, 1983) ***  

Rick Derringer  Hoochie Koo Once More (CD, Music Avenue Records, 2003) **** 

Genre: Rock 

Places I remember: King Recording (Abu Dhabi)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Beyond The Universe (I couldn't find the version I'm writing about so this is a live version from around the same time)

Gear costume: Teenage Love Affair (I couldn't find the version I'm writing about so this is a live version from around the same time)

Active compensatory factor: I missed these two CDs when I was writing about the vinyl albums I have by Rick.

The live album was a concert organised by Rick's friends after his truck was stolen with all the band's gear onboard.

It's lively! Rick is in great shape on new stuff at the time from Guitars and Women. Plus he does his hits and the guests are impressive - Dr John, Hall & Oates, Ian Hunter, and Edgar Winter turn up the fun level.

Hoochie Koo Once More is an album that sees Rick re-recording his hits. So, the track listing has double ups obviously. The man knows how to write a song!

Where do they all belong? Next up in the pop rock ranks - Jackie DeShannon.

Rock and roll, hoochie koo (Rick Derringer) (LP 232-233)

Rick Derringer All American Boy (Vinyl- Epic, 1973) ***
Rick Derringer Derringer Live (Vinyl- CBS, 1977) ***

Genre: Power Pop  

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records (Auckland) 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Teenage Love Affair (two versions for y'all - studio and live - you choose!)






Gear costume:  Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo; Jump Jump, Jump (guitar chops galore); Beyond The Universe

Active compensatory factors: Rick seems to have been around forever. In 1965, age 17, he was that voice on The McCoys' Hang On Sloopy, and he's still singing and playing in 2018 (a rarity for Goo Goo artists).

Teenage Love Affair and Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo did the trick for me in 1973. And they still do, although my response isn't as hormone fuelled as it was as a 15 year old male desperate to meet a cute little thing about 15 who liked to make the school boys stare!

Four years on and Derringer Live only has three All American Boy songs. New recruits to the gig list almost hold their own with the others. Almost. 

Best amongst them is the Hendrix-ian Beyond The Universe - sure 'nuff!!

Bottom line: the studio versions are still where things are captured best for Rick (but I hope you had a look at that live version above - Rick TEARS IT UP!!!).

Where do they all belong? Solo debut All American Boy was the best studio album, a few live albums to come on CD that sum up the years since this peak.

Two pressure cookers go insane (Alice Cooper)

I see recently that Ringo Starr (bless him) is touring the UK again with his All Starr Band.


Rick is third from left, next to Ritchie.

 This time around the band includes the amazing Rick Derringer who seems, like Mr Starkey, to be ageless. He's been around since the 60's (Hang On Snoopy), had some brilliant albums in the 70's and some key moments playing with the Winter brothers along the way.

One of my favourite albums is his All American Boy which includes, for me, his two greatest moments: Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo and Teenage Love Affair.

So much of rock and roll is about being a teenager. That seminal time in our lives when we only care about ouselves and we view the world with a chip on our shoulder. Most rock and rollers try hard to keep that spirit of teenagerhood alive in their music, well into their middle age and beyond (John Mellencamp's memorable phrase - hold onto 16 as long as you can is a constant aim of mine). I only need mention the oldest teenage gang on the planet - The Rolling Stones - to make my point convincing.

So many of my favourite songs are about that rebellious, angst ridden time; summed up by Pete Townshend's it's only teenage wasteland phrase.

Teenage Love Affair captures the essence of teenage lust, in this case lived vicariously. No way have boy-girl relationships been as easily consummated as Rick would have it. The song smacks of that teenage boy thing of bigging up sexual encounters. But who knows - guitars seem to have an aphrodisiacal effect on girls.

Another great teenage themed song is Alice Cooper's Teenage Lament '74.

Alice tells a familiar tale - trying to look cool in trendy (uncomfortable) clothes, trying to get a cool haircut and looking like a rooster instead, getting told to turn your music down (when that's one of your few ways to be independent) and wanting to get away from home but not really knowing what to do.