Thursday, June 14, 2007


Frankie Miller: I'll Take A Melody [1974]

words & music by Allen Toussaint

ripped from Miller's High Life

Shine on, keep on shining...

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Neat, Emmett. Frankie was born and grew up less than two miles from where i live.

Not as great, perhaps, as Van Morrison, but this track - written, produced and arranged by Alain Toussaint - is right up there with his best.

If you ever have the opportunity to see Frankie's acting skills in the BBC production "Just a Boy's Game" (directed by Peter McDougall in 1979) then i sincerely suggest you check it out. He was a natural, and this drama, set in Port Glasgow's ship Yards, was an an unflinchingly real portrait of genuine Scottish culture as it existed in the 60s and 70s.

Thanks.

Mike said...

What's the original version like? I only know Garcia's versions, and he plays the song (as you know) a little more deliberately. I like this one though. Great post.

Emmett said...

ib -- Since you mentioned you were from Scotland, I was wondering if you would get a kick out of this. Glad you did, and thanks for the video tip! I know this song only b/c Jerry Garcia used to cover it, as Mike alluded to in his comment. As far as I can tell, this is the original version. Really great lyrics from Mr. Toussaint.

Liberty said...

Thanks for posting this! I have never heard this version before.

Here is a copy of John Holt covering I'll Take A Melody.

I'm not sure if this was recorded before Frankie's version or not.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/3224257dd060eb/