COVID-19, You’re Driving Me Crazy! The 1930s about love gone wrong could well sum up how people living with HIV feel about the COVID-19 pandemic—it’s driving us crazy! People with HIV. Cravats, The - 1981 - You're Driving Me 7' (UK) download.
What do you get when you mix Jazz with Punk and Rockabilly? You get the Cravats. Formed in 1977 in Redditch. The Cravats eventually came to a steady line up of The Shend on bass and vocals, Robin Dallaway on guitar and vocals, Dave Bennett on drums and Svoor Naan on saxophone. By the time they got Dave on drums, the Cravats had already released a single in 1978 called Gordon/Situations Vacant with another drummer named Ethos who left soon after it.Watching The Cravats at a gigs was an interesting sight. One person who saw the band said that they would use coffee percolators, theremins and tape loops held on to microphones. There was also a man named 'Mr. H' that would sit on a chair facing the audience watching a huge television while reading the paper. At the end of their set, they would play 'I Hate the Universe' while Mr.H destroys his couch, and the band would go crazy.
With the help of John Peel, the band released several singles during the late seventies, until finally releasing their debut album 'The Cravats in Toy Town' during October of 1980. This band was definitely ahead of it's time.
After releasing several more singles, The Cravats recorded and released the 'Rub me Out' single on Crass Records. Soon after, The Cravats 'split' and turned into The Very Things(several other bands came out of this band). It wasn't until around 1985 that they returned with the 'Land of The Giants' twelve inch single before disappearing again but claiming never to split.
The Shend became an actor soon after, and The Cravats once again reformed to release 'Seance' in 2006. Recently, the band has reformed again, but the only original members left are The Shend and Svoor Naan(who's name is Richard London). They are now active once again playing gigs.
'Live for now'
WE'RE STILL LIVING IN THE MIDDLE AGES
WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW WILL FILL THE PAGES
OF THE HISTORY BOOKS OF THE SEVENTIES
BUT WE'RE NOT TIME ENCAPSULATED ENTITIES
A SPLIT SECOND OF TIME
CAPTURED IN RHYME
JUST GIVE ME WHAT YOU'VE GOT
AND WE'LL LIVE FOR NOW
TURN OUT FROM THE PAGES OF THE HISTORY'S TEXT
I DONT EVEN KNOW WHATS COMING NEXT
I'M JUST LIVING FROM DAY TO DAY
BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER AS THE SECONDS TICK AWAY
YOU SPEED AROUND THE CITIES AND YOU MAKE YOUR MARK
YOU'RE BURNING SUICIDAL FLARES IN THE DARK
CONFORMISTS ARE THE KILLERS AND THEY'RE WAITING FOR YOU
SO DON'T BE DIFFERENT WHATEVER YOU DO
'Off the Beach'
NAILING BATONS TO THE CLIFFS
The Cravats You Re Driving Met
ROPE WITH CHILDREN DOWN BEHIND
FACING CRUMBLING ROCKS CALLED MORTGAGES
TELL THE CHILDREN THAT WE'RE OFF THE BEACH
COULD JUST LEDGE HERE COMFORTABLY
Where To Buy Cravats
JUST WATCHING THE SEA AND SANDCAN'T SEE UP TO THE TOP OFF THE CLIFF
BUT I KEEP ON KEEP ON CLIMBING UP
TELL THE CHILDREN THAT WE'RE OFF THE BEACH
MARCHING UP AND DOWN LOOKING AT THE SKIRTS
PEOPLE BEING RUN DOWN LOOKING AT THEIR SHOES
BUYING LOADS OF RUBBISH THAT THEY KNOW THEY'LL NEVER USE
DOWN THE PRECINCT
SPENDING ALL YOUR
DONT VOTE FOR ME'CAUSE I'LL PULL IT ALL DOWN NOW
PEOPLE TURN A BLIND EYE AS THE MISSING CHILD BAWLS
THE MAN WHO IS SECURITY REMOVES HIS HAT TO PONDER
WITH HIS SHADES HE WONDERS IF HE LOOKS LIKE PETER FONDA
DOWN THE PRECINCT
DOWN THE PRECINCT
SPENDING ALL YOUR
DONT VOTE FOR ME'CAUSE I'LL PULL IT ALL DOWN NOW
BUT I THINK ITS HYPOCRISY TO KEEP US IN A CAGE
A SOCIETY THAT DOESN'T CARE SHOULD JUMP INTO THE FIRE
AND NOT BUILD CONCRETE EPITAPHS TO SOME RICH MANS DESIRE
DOWN THE PRECINCT
DOWN THE PRECINCT
SPENDING ALL YOUR
DONT VOTE FOR ME'CAUSE I'LL PULL IT ALL DOWN NOW
DOWN THE PRECINCT
SPENDING ALL YOUR
DONT VOTE FOR ME'CAUSE I'LL PULL IT ALL DOWN NOW
'Pressure Sellers'
TURN ON THE T.V,WHAT DO I SEE?
TELLING ME ABOUT THE THINGS I NEED
PRODUCT FASCINATION IS MAKING ME BLEED
PEOPLE ARE READY TO BELIEVE WHAT THEY HEAR
'THE PACKET SOUP WAS LOVELY,DARLING-TRY THE BEER'
THEIR WASHING'S SO WHITE IT HURTS YOUR EYES
OPEN UP YOUR TOOTHBRUSH AND YOU'LL GET A SURPRISE
CHOOSING THE BEST IS JUST A COMPROMISE
NO COLOUR MAGS.ON SUNDAY,WHAT A HAPPY DAY
THEY YELL AT YOU FROM HOARDINGS,THEY GRIN AT YOU FROM THE WALLS
CONFUSE YOU AND ABUSE YOU AS THE AVON LADY CALLS
EVERYTHING IS LABELED IN BRIGHTLY COLOURED PACKS
THEY TRY TO TRIP YOU UP WITH IT,TO STOP YOU IN YOUR TRACKS
THERE AIN'T NO GRISTLE IN OUR PORK PIES
IT'S THE OTHER BRANDS YOU'VE GOT TO DESPISE
TAKE AWAY THE FINANCE AND THEY DROP LIKE FLIES
TWIST THE FACTS MAKE MORE MONEY
IT'S QUITE FUNNY
WE'RE STILL TOP OF THE TABLE
THAT YOU USE,TO DRAW THE LINE
INDENTIKIT FOR THAT NEW OUTFIT
THERE ARE MANY NAMES ON THAT LIST
AND ONE IS MINE
THERE ARE WAYS
TURN THE PAGE AND IT'S ALL CLEAR
REDUCE MY FREEDOM OF CHOICE
KEEP YOUR FINGER ON THE BUTTON
SO YOU'RE READY TO DELETE
I'M NO PERMANENT FIXTURE
YOU CAN TAKE ME OUT OF THE PICTURE
YOU CAN ALTER THE MACHINE
SO THE ERROR WON'T REPEAT
THERE ARE WAYS
TURN THE PAGE AND IT'S ALL CLEAR
WITH WHATEVER THEY SELECT
I'M THE BUZZ OF INTERFERENCE
ON YOUR SYSTEMS CASSETTE
WHEN I'VE LEFT WITHOUT A TRACE
THERE'LL BE OTHERS TO TAKE MY PLACE
OTHER DEFECTS
THERE ARE WAYS
TURN THE PAGE AND IT'S ALL CLEAR
DEFENSES CRUMBLE OUT OF HAND
YOU'VE LOST IT ALL,WELL ALL YOU HAD
AND I DON'T KNOW ANYONE WHO'LL GIVE IT BACK
NO MORE POWER,NO MORE CONTROL
YOU'VE LOST IT ALL,YOU'VE LOST IT ALL
I NEVER THOUGHT THE TIME WOULD ARRIVE
WHEN YOU'D BE STRUGGLING TO STAY ALIVE LITTLE MAN
WHAT NOW LITTLE MAN
WHAT NOW LITTLE MAN
FILLING FORMS TO FILL HE TIME
LISTENING HARD TO TROUBLED MEN
HOW YOU WERE GLAD THAT YOU WEREN'T THEM
YOU WERE CHOSEN TO REPRESENT
ALL THE BEST OF THE ESTABLISHMENT
YOU COULDN'T AFFORD A SLIP
BUT NOW YOU'VE LEFT YOUR SINKING SHIP LITTLE MAN
WHAT NOW LITTLE MAN
WHAT NOW LITTLE MAN
THROW YOUR OPINION'S INTO THE CROWD
YOU WERE CONCERNED,WELL YOU GAVE THAT IMPRESSION
PERSONAL GLORY DIDN'T WARRANT A MENTION
YOU FAILED WHERE OTHERS SUCCEED
THE STRONG WILL SURVIVE BUT NEVER THE WEAK
SUPPOSE YOU MADE YOUR MARK IN HISTORY
AS AN OVERWEIGHT BALDING X.M.P LITTLE MAN
WHAT NOW LITTLE MAN
WHAT NOW LITTLE MAN
WHAT NOW LITTLE MAN
WHAT NOW
| 'You're Driving Me Crazy' | |
|---|---|
| Song |
Recorded by Rudy Vallée & His Connecticut Yankees in 1930 | |
| Problems playing this file? See media help. | |
'You’re Driving Me Crazy' is an American popular song composed (music and lyrics) by Walter Donaldson in 1930 and recorded the same year by Lee Morse, Rudy Vallée & His Connecticut Yankees and Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians (with vocal by Carmen Lombardo). The song became a hit and was added to the 1930 musical comedy Smiles, starring Marilyn Miller and Fred and Adele Astaire. It was also recorded in 1930 by McKinney's Cotton Pickers and by Nick Lucas & His Crooning Troubadors. Nick Lucas's version, released on Brunswick, was a No. 7 hit: Brunswick 4987 (E-35404). The chords of 'You're Driving Me Crazy' form the basis for Bennie Moten's great 'Moten Swing.'
In 1931, cartoon character Betty Boop sang a sexy version of the song in the pre-code cartoon Silly Scandals. As Boop sang the song, her dress slipped down repeatedly, revealing a lacy bra and causing her to squeal. Later in the song, Betty was joined on stage by a line of mechanical dancing penguins who stomped out the beat in accompaniment to her singing.
'You're Driving Me Crazy' has become a standard that has been recorded by over 100 artists. The artists who have recorded the song include Billie Holiday, Chet Baker, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, Mel Tormé, Della Reese, Betty Carter, Django Reinhardt, Peggy Lee, and Lester Young. A version by The Temperance Seven made number one in the UK Singles chart in 1961.[1]
The song has also been performed in the movies including:
- The 1931 Paramount Betty Boop cartoon Silly Scandals noted above.
- Fleischer Studios 1931 cartoon called Screen Songs, with jazzy scat singing of 'You're Driving Me Crazy' by various animals. There is a dancing lion which looks like Betty Boop, monkeys and other animals, including a Cab Calloway sound-alike.
- The 1991 film The Marrying Man starring Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin. 'You're Driving Me Crazy' is performed by Alan Paul from Manhattan Transfer.
- The 2005 Oscar-nominated film Good Night, and Good Luck. 'You're Driving Me Crazy' and other standards performed by Dianne Reeves.
- The 2001 soccer/prison movie Mean Machine. 'You're Driving Me Crazy' is performed by Bob Brozman on a soundtrack.
The Temperance Seven cover version[edit]
A cover version by The Temperance Seven, described as an art school band 'who were retro before most of pop was even original,' was recorded in 1961, reaching number 1 on the UK Singles Chart that May.[2] Their version is a pastiche on the original, and on 1920s dance band music in general, with Paul McDowell's insincere 'whispering' helping to highlight this. Music critic Tom Ewing, writing for Freaky Trigger, concurrently described it as 'one of the strangest number ones,' 'one of the most prescient [number ones]' and 'the first meta-pop hit', citing the song's 'deliberate, tongue-in-cheek commentary on pop via pop, the world of the dance orchestras pushed flippantly into the TV age,' feeling this anticipated Roxy Music and Richard X, but also feeling as many people would have bought the single based on nostalgia as those who bought it due to its cleverness.[2]
Notable recorded versions[edit]
- Bing Crosby (for his 1957 album New Tricks.)
- Buddy Greco (1953)
- Don Redman & His Orchestra (1939)
- Django Reinhardt (21 April 1937)
- Line Renaud (1965) (in French)
- Squirrel Nut Zippers (1995)
- The Temperance Seven (1961)
References[edit]
The Cravats You're Driving Me
- ^Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 57. ISBN0-85112-250-7.
- ^ abEwing, Tom (21 July 2004). 'THE TEMPERANCE SEVEN – 'You're Driving Me Crazy''. Freaky Trigger. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
External links[edit]
- Carling Hot Six on YouTube
- The Temperance Seven Version on YouTube
The Cravat Company