Brand New Cadillac
| "Brand New Cadillac" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Vince Taylor and his Playboys | ||||
| A-side | "Pledgin' My Love" | |||
| Released | April 1959 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Genre | Rock & roll | |||
| Label | Parlophone R4505 | |||
| Writer(s) | Vince Taylor | |||
| Vince Taylor and his Playboys singles chronology | ||||
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"Brand New Cadillac" is a 1959 12-bar blues song by Vince Taylor, and was originally released as a B-side. Featured musicians on the released recording were: Joe Moretti (guitars), Lou Brian (piano), Brian Locking (bass) and Brian Bennett (drums).
The song was covered in the 1960s by the British beat group Downliners Sect. In The Nordic Countries the song was very successful. British band The Renegades credited the song with respective band members. They dropped parts of the verses also shortening the title to "Cadillac". It became number one on Finnish radio's people's choice list and #2 on singles' list in Finland 1964.[1]
Based on The Renegades' version, Swedish band Hep Stars did their arrangement which April 1965 took #1 slot in Sweden's singles' list and radiolist.[2] Another Swedish band Shamrocks recorded the song at the same time. Instead of Sweden it was hit in France becoming #1 on radiolist as well and was successful in Germany and Japan.[3]
By now Vince Taylor's record company had got the information and claims ensued. The cause was settled on agreement to add Taylor's name to songwiriting credits along The Renegades members sharing the royalties in half.[4] Neither Hep Stars nor Shamrocks were aware of Vince Taylor's original version at the time of recordings. Therefor it is possible to find their 1960's recordings credited either to Brown-Gibson-Mallet-Johnson or Brown-Gibson-Mallet-Johnson-Taylor.
Later The Clash covered it on their 1979 album London Calling. In 1971, Mott The Hoople, during a concert recording in Stockholm, inserted a verse of it in their version of Little Richard's "Keep a-Knockin' " (released on the live album A Tale of Two Cities in 2000). In 1980 Canadian punk band Teenage Head recorded a version on their second album Frantic City. It was also covered by the Brian Setzer Orchestra on their self-titled debut album in 1994, and by Wayne Hancock on his 1997 album, That's What Daddy Wants.
The song has been included at many Van Morrison concerts, appearing as a medley with "Goin' Down Geneva", which is about Taylor. The Fall covered it in 1978.
[edit] Sources
- Pekka Gronow, Jake Nyman ym. Suomi soi osa 4 s.112 ISBN 951-31-2503-3 (sarja 1-4) Tammi 2005 (In Finnish)
- Dan-Eric Landen, Carl Magnus Palm - Cadillac Madness, den otroliga berättelsen om Hep Stars Premium Publishing 2004 ISBN 91-89136-04-7 (In Swedish)
