#194 Back In The U.S.S.R & #193 Why Don’t We Do It In The Road w/ John Thomas Griffith (songwriter, guitarist)

The White Album is definitely a high water mark for The Beatles. This expansive, now-classic album lifts off with the Chuck Berry-meets-The Beach Boys flavored rocker “Back In The USSR.” The rocking Beatles are back from their psychedelic trips, and the gang’s all here…except for Ringo, who walked out during the recording of this track. Paul takes over on the drums, adequately, and the original Threetles create a classic Beatles tune. But it’s also the first time they look backwards, and it’s the first time in a long time we hear them trying to sound like someone else.

Elsewhere, Paul goes with the ol’ “first idea-best idea” method with “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?” Ringo’s here, but John and George are missing. Could Paul have not had a second idea though? In an increasingly familiar move, Paul creates the track without the input of any other band member, which, they’ve all done to some extent, but it’s starting to stick in the craw of some. But also, like, no other idea besides just the one here?

Joining us this week is guitarist/songwriter/singer/Texas Guitar Hall of Famer John Thomas Griffith. As the lead singer of early MTV stars Red Rockers, he came up in the early 80s punk/new wave scene, scoring a Billboard hit with the song “China,” and seeing the world. Then in the 90s as a member of Cowboy Mouth, he saw the world again, and continues to do so today (when not shut down by a pandemic). Having shared the stage with everyone from U2 to Dave Matthews to Kiss to Bo Diddley, he’s a rock and roll lifer who’s seen and done it all. He’s one of my favorite singers as well, and it’s all topped off by the fact that he’s one of the best dudes on the planet. I don’t have a big brother, but if I did, it’d be John Thomas Griffith. We talk about all sorts of things, as fellas who’ve spent countless hours in a tourbus will do. We touch on writing the kind of songs YOU want to hear as an artist, coming up in the early punk/new wave scene, genre hopping, the weird and messy world of band dynamics, and we maybe even write a hot new blues jam for a new JTG solo album, right here on the show! Keep up with JTG on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/johnthomasgriffith for his Pandemic Fireside Livestream shows. You can also check out his music on all streaming platforms. Non-Beatles songs featured in this week’s episode include “China” and “Another Day” by Red Rockers, “Everybody Loves Jill,” “Man On The Run,” and “New York City” by John Thomas Griffith, “This Boy,” “Everybody Loves Jill,” “Follow Me,” and “Here I Sit In Prison” by Cowboy Mouth.

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