The whole Nightingale story was interesting ~ how badly they wanted to record it and how Johns wasn't going to until they did it with someone else. Even recording it with someone else didn't get him interested in Get Up Kate though.
The whole Nightingale story was interesting ~ how badly they wanted to record it and how Johns wasn't going to until they did it with someone else. Even recording it with someone else didn't get him interested in Get Up Kate though.
~Sara
Another version of the story, as related on the In The Studio radio show featuring the Eagles' first album, had David Geffen insisting the song be recorded because he felt Don Henley had to have more than one lead vocal on the album
Wowow! groovy!!!
Thanks for sharing! so cool to find gems like this!
and yes Get Up Kate sure does have some naughty lyrics!
But I know you do the dog and you squeeze and you please
So let your soul go and do it down on your knees
And I say, get up, Kate, and do it to 'em all night long
While I don't mind them, I could see how it might be embarrassing for Kate!
Is was allowed to tell??!
If I can't have it all, just a taste will do...
I've always been a lil' confused on the intent of "Get Up Kate." On one hand, he seems to be encouraging "Kate" to express herself and take control of the situation and "get down to business," so to speak. On the other hand, he seems to be condemning her, and the people who watch her, for exploiting her emotions and feelings on stage ("people see the pain and the people clap their hands..."). It's like you either want her on stage to experience her "good release," or you don't--you can't have it both ways, Glenn! Let Kate get up, dammit.
I'm pretty sure Kate Taylor was part of some folk-rock group at that time, so I don't know if he was trying to equate her laying herelf bare on-stage, emotionally, with prostituting herself, or what, but it's a bit of a bipolar song. At times I think he's encouraging her to use her feminine wiles to make her way in the world; other times I think it's a veiled putdown of her exploiting her emotions to make money, that she's allowing herself to be taken advantage of...? Maybe it's both.
The song has such a bluesy drive to it--it's fun!--but the lyrics are pretty misogynistic. In the 70s, female singer-songwriters were just beginning to realize they could be sexual and vulnerable on stage and still be in control of their craft and of their image--I hope Linda schooled him on his shortsighted vision of Kate's career path! (I still love the version of it on her record, though--their voices mesh well together, no matter what the lyrics!)
ETA:
Kate Taylor in 1971, with producer Peter Asher:
SOURCE
Last edited by AEW21; 05-23-2013 at 04:34 PM.