Lynyrd Skynyrd is likely my favorite band, or next to Led Zeppelin, and although I love Free Bird, I rarely have the patience anymore to listen to it in its entirety.

My wife and I seen them a few years ago. (Obviously, not the original band) They put on a really good concert, and of course played Free Bird to cap the night off. Listening to it live and knowing it was the last song of the night, (their encore) however, made me wished the song never ended. :D

1975 interview with Lynyrd Skynyrd (the original band members). One minute into the interview they are asked about the band's name. Check it out on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep15rFi6rMQ

I tend to believe this story since it was repeated so many times over the years.

So the OP called it "awful songs you can't get enough of". But really they are mostly great songs that you don't want to admit you like. A lot of these I have on my iPhone But in keeping with what everyone is posting I will submit Anne Murray's Snowbird. I also am a closet ABBA fan.

I had the 45 as a kid, I remember the flip side was the same song but played backwards.

I guess off-topic because the following are excellent songs IMO. I would distinguish rock and roll from ballads. Free Bird in my mind is a classic rock song but I'm partial to Southern rock. The other song I would cite among rock classics is Can't You See by the Marshall Tucker Band. I saw the original band in Maryland in the 70s -- excellent.

My favorite ballad would be Adele's Someone Like You. For me, it replaced Will You Love Me Tomorrow by the Shirelles which I bought as a 45 in 1960 when a ten-year old.

All above available on YouTube.

Well, check out the Netflix documentary also if you can. It mentions both the name from the Allie Sherman song, and the high school teacher, being sources for the name.

I love Southern Rock as well. Years ago some friends of mine got to see Lynryd Skynryd, 38 Special, Molly Hatchet, The Outlaws and I believe another band or 2 at a concert in Gainesville Florida. When they told me this, I thought what a concert to be at! When my wife and I went to see Lynryd Skynryd, 38 Special opened up but our train was delayed so we missed every bit of them but the last song :(. Thankfully, however, we got see an excellent show put on by ZZ Top but since I had never seen 38 Special before live, I was disappointed. Would have loved to see the Marshall Tucker Band!

Bob, if you don't mind, what is the name of the documentary? I have seen a couple but I do know Artimus was coming out with one a year or more ago that I never seen so I am curious if the one you speak of is his?

It is titled 'If I Leave Here Tomorrow - A Film About Lynyrd Skynyrd'. Shows it having a 2018 release date, so I don't believe it is the same one you are looking for, though it does include clips and interviews with Artimus Pyle. It is fairly comprehensive, starting all the way back when they were just kids growing up in Jacksonville, playing sandlot baseball and hanging out. It goes through the history of the band, and all the personnel issues and changes, from their high school days and playing as The One Percent, through the fatal crash in 1977. There's also a slight follow-up on the group's continuance after the crash, but the gist is all the details of the group through the crash. A lot of greats clips and voice recordings of most all the groups members, including a lot of Ronnie Van Zant, and wonderful archival footage from interviws and performances. There's also a lot of scenes throughout the film with then present day clips of Gary Rossington talking about the band's history and the numerous members, along with him making present day visits to old sites and locations in the group's history, including a visit to Ronnie's grave. One thing that surprised me was how so few members of the band that survived the crash, or weren't even involved in it, are still with us today.

From reading this thread, it got me reinterested, and I ended up watching the entire film again last night. Well done film/documentary and worth the time to watch, even if you're not an over-the-top Skynyrd fan. And of course, as you would expect, they end the film with the band live on stage doing their long, extended climax ending to 'Freebird'.

The lyrics always sounded to me like one big long cliché lol.

They say in the film/documentary I referenced that they wrote their songs for simple, blue collar people. Peter, you're too intellectual and sophisticated to get it. :D

Simple Man, perhaps ironically, had much better lyrics.

LOL

Well played sir, well played! :)

I seen that one a couple years ago but I honestly forget the reference to that song that may have helped them choose their name.

I also don't know if Artimus Pyle's doc was ever released? IIRC, Ronnie's wife, who is in charge of, (or was) of Lynrynd Skynyrd enterprises was trying to stop it from being released.
I also remember, I believe in the doc you mentioned, that a lot of bandmates don't like Artimus any more.
I believe it had to do with his story about allegedly running for help after the plane crash and the rest of the bandmates saying that is bullshit, he was just looking out for himself, or something along those lines?

One of the beauties of Netflx is that you can go in and out of anything and fast forward/backward to any spot in the show. You can go into the film/documentary and find where Bill Burns is starting to talk about the Camp Granada song aroung the 9:20 mark in the film. They much later on near the end of the film go into the events and details of the crash, with Rossington doing most of the talking. Around the 1:28:50 mark of the film Pyle starts talking about waking up and seeing his friends bleeding and dying, so barefoot and with chest injuries he takes off into the woods looking for a farm house or someone to get help for everyone. And that was all that was said about it in this film. There was no mention of other band members hating him after that for having taken off from the crash site. At least not in this documentary film by Showtime.

It must have been in another doc or one of the numerous interviews with the bandmates.
Here is a clip of Artimus talking about Judy and her attempts at stopping the film and how he was basically shunned from the band.
I recall watching something with Gary Rossington and another band member specifically talking about Artimus and how they don't like him nor do they believe his story about seeking help after the plane crash.
Not sure I'll be able to find anymore, however?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xKtZN5Kog0

In this clip, Gary talks about it near the very end. Sounds like he forgives him now and just wants to move on but he does mention the riff, or whatever it was after the 10 minute mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBHjU1gMxrA

"Why Artimus Plye isn't part of Lynyrd Skynyrd's farwell tour"
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/arti...nterview-2020/

Funny, but everything I was seeing in your clips sounded more like it had to do with Judy Van Zant taking control of everything, and her and the management company taking and not sharing any money with band members like Artimus. Kind of hard to believe Pyle and Rossington are about the only two pre-crash band members still around. The one clip you attached talked about two members of the band's road crew even following Pyle as he left the crash site to go looking for help. And how when Pyle finally came upon a nearby farmer, the guy actually shot him. So that doesn't sound like the rest of the band was necessarily pissed at him for going to get help. More like because of his vocal comments against Judy for controlling things and taking his and other band member's money, and then for all the lawsuits and legal actions she brought against him when he went to do his own movie and book. Lot of different moving parts to this puzzle it sounds like.

Well, read into what you will, but I know in the vid I seen, Gary and another bandmate totally disagree with Artimus's story.
In this vid, not the one I am referring to, Gary also talks of it at the 11:00 minute mark onward but yet near the end of this video, the farmer says he ran into Artimus so it makes Gary's story seem fabricated/untrue and was said, as Artimus stated, just to hurt him.
You'll also hear in the vid where the farmer denies shooting at Artimus but I know Artimus has stuck with that story over the years so who do you believe?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFIkQjDtwOw

Lots of ugly going on, or was, with this band, but that seems to be the norm with a lot of big bands that have been together for a lot of years.

Lies, he said, she said, innuendo's, conjecture, and all sorts of different takes on the stories so it's highly unlikely you me or anyone else will ever be able to figure things out.

It's sad it came to this, but like I said above, not entirely out of the norm for these big bands.

Well, I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison
And I went to pick her up in the rain
But before I could get to the station in my pickup truck
She got runned over by a damned old train :D

from the perfect Country and Western Song

Great line but not as great IMO as
I shot a man in Reno
Just to watch him die

Strange story for sure. The actual truth is probably somewhere in the middle. And as Artimus alludes to, I wouldn't be surprised if money has a prominent role somewhere in all this.

My Sharona....

Ooh my little pretty one, pretty one.
When you gonna give me some time, Sharona?
Ooh you make my motor run, my motor run.
Gun it comin' off the line Sharona

See post 3. :D

"Under Pressure" is a Queen song featuring David Bowie. Vanilla Ice did sample the song and has admitted it. No extra bass line note. He did lose in court, but purportedly purchased the rights to the song. Queen and Bowie were given writing credits for "Ice, Ice Baby"

Rupert Holmes, the singer of "Escape" aka The Piña Colada song wrote and played piano on 'Timothy' by The Buoys which is mentioned in another post.

One of the greatest bubblegum pop songs of all time. It was written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim. Barry also co-wrote 'Da Doo Run Run', 'Doo Wah Diddy Diddy', 'Be My Baby' and 'Chapel of Love' among others. Andy Kim had a solo hit with "Rock Me Gently". They were back up singers on the Archies' songs. Barry was Jugheads voice for the songs in the cartoons. Other backup singers were:

Bobby Bloom of 'Montego Bay' fame. He also co-wrote "Mony Mony' for Tommy James.

Ritchie Adams who co-wrote "Tossin' and Turnin'" and the Banana Splits theme 'The Tra La La Song' (One Banana, Two Banana).

Ellie Greenwich who co-wrote with Jeff Barry the songs noted above.

The lead singer was Ron Dante. His true claim to fame is as Barry Manilow's longtime producer. Also a very nice person. I talked with him at one of the Chiller Theatre Shows in New Jersey.

Be My Baby -- a truly great song. Ronnie Spector had one of the best voices in pop history IMO.

Thanks for clarifying and correcting me. I always think just of Bowie with that song, and not Queen, for some reason. Never heard about that final legal outcome. I may mistakenly have been thinking of some other past copyright case and got Vanilla Ice's song in my head.

Along the sort of novelty line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyJSetm6U0k

They did get the guitar player from Blue Oyster Cult to do this song.

Agreed. How about 'Oh No, Not My Baby' by Maxine Brown?

david bowie /ziggy stardust
when they play either of the these, it stays in my head
1. (w/queen)- Under Pressure
2. Space Oddity
3. Fame
4. Changes

As far as Queen--
1. Bohemian Raphshody

If it hasn’t already been mentioned, Shirley Ellis and The Name Game certainly is threadworthy.

Shirley Shirley Bo Birley, bonana fanna fo firley, fee fy mo Mirley, Shirley

Repeat ad nauseum using any name

Chuck?

LOL

And again, figures you'd be the first to go there. :)

LOL. Or the PG version, a fave among 6 year olds.... Bart.

Or the 3 Stooges alphabet song.

B A Bay, B E Be, B I Bicky Bi....

Mitch?

We need to find you a hobby...

+ 1,000 to that! :)

(sings)
Bob
Bob
Bo-ob

You sir, are incorrigible! LOL :p

Agree 1000%. Probably the crowning glory for crazy Phil Spector. Simply a masterpiece.

With reminds me, almost time to find my Phil Spector Christmas Album. That is a pretty amazing accomplishment.

I have read that he considered River Deep Mountain High -- with a young Tina Turner -- his best song.

The Ronettes' Walking In The Rain is another Spector gem. If I recall correctly, Marvin Gaye wrote that one. Interestingly, for all Spector's perfectionism and borderline abusive treatment of his singers and musicians until he was satisfied, Ronnie Spector apparently did the lead track in a single take. The vocal is ethereal.

By contrast, Tina said Spector made her sing River Deep Mountain High so many times she was drenched in sweat and had to take her shirt off to finish.

Reportedly Brian Wilson said Be My Baby is the greatest song ever produced.

Seems he was channeling it in Don't Worry Baby.

.This is an 11:00 minute song called American City Suite by Cashman and West who were writers for Jim Croce:
https://youtu.be/t_sMCCQjvCI

Cashman also had a hit with the song Talkin' Baseball (Willie, Mickey and the Duke).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWKA9Zi5-_Y

Black Betty by Ram Jam


Totally ridiculous song, but strangely infectious.