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Get Behind Fanny Podcast

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Get Behind Fanny: Episode 17

Happy New Year from all of us here at the Get Behind Fanny podcast! 

The first episode of 2021! We take on the new year with two songs from Fanny’s fourth album, “Mothers Pride.” First up is the blues romp “Polecat Blues” which is driven by June’s wry lyric and producer Todd Rundgren’s imaginative production. Then it’s another great cover song, this time “Old Hat” originally by the British band Uncle Dog that features some excellent vocal harmonies and a touching vocal by Nickey.

Hosts Alice, Kristen, and Byron are joined by Jean and June Millington via pre-recorded interviews.

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From Applescruff a.k.a. Tim Shifflet:

“Old Hat” was an instant favorite from the first time I listened to Mothers Pride, which is easily one of my four favorite Fanny albums. The vocal harmonies were what initially had me enamored, but I’ve found that every time I listen to it, I find a new layer, an instrument I hadn’t noticed before, a quiver in somebody’s voice. It’s so rewarding upon repeat listens.

For being a cover, this sure does feel like it could have been a Fanny original. They’re the perfect band for it, and each of them shines brightly on the track. I sought out the Uncle Dog version, which is also beautiful, but the Fanny version adds so much to it and is the superior recording, in my opinion. The vocals are much richer, the lead vocal isn’t unnecessarily doubletracked anymore, there’s more variation in vocal dynamics, there’s more heart in the musicianship, and the harmonies are even more mesmerizing than Uncle Dog’s. Their parts evolve from voice to voice, chorus to chorus, mood to mood. The harmonies are so tight, and so lush, without feeling overproduced.

Jesus, what a song, from moment one!

The Nickey/Nickey duet of piano and organ resonate so beautifully together in the elegant intro. The same salty gal who goes full-on honky-tonk elsewhere on the album begins this song with such a gentle touch. No more or less piano or organ than the song needs, at any given point.

I’ve spent much of lockdown alone, so the images and sensations of feeling forgotten and alone hit home for me. An old hat on the ground that “fit me,” making a comparison between a discarded hat and a person who feels discarded. “It fit me” might as well be “It IS me.” An old dog who “knew”… Perhaps “knew” how I feel, because he’s progressing in years and also may not have anybody with him.

An old friend who didn’t know or recognize me… Because I’ve changed? Because they have? I can almost hear the woeful single tear welling up in the vocalist’s eye during these lines. The original Uncle Dog lyric about “this lonely feeling; something missing” becomes “this lonely feeling, deep inside me” in the Fanny version. It’s an interesting change, and one that works at least every bit as well. Being sung by a woman makes the “deep inside me” lyric quite evocative. It could be physical, sexual, and/or emotional/spiritual loneliness at play.

“Why must it be, things I love, they mean so much to me?” When I feel for someone, I feel it hard, and as we know, feelings are not always reciprocated, so this line speaks to me. The additional voices quietly coming in at this point feel like kindred spirits out in the world, picking up on the frequency and vibe of the song and joining in from afar. The chorus kicks in, and the additional vocals are more present, closer, angelically sung, somehow providing comfort for one another. The lyrics themselves become downright anthemic; this feels like it could close act 1 of a Broadway musical!

“So throw back your head, do what you feel, do what you feel is good and do it right away.” Embrace life. Live it. Savor it. Do what feels good, both to yourself, and in the sense of doing good for others and the world around you.

“’Cause It’s for you, my love. And if you’re ever around, it would be nice to have you home.”

Maybe sending positive energy into the world will be a beacon that brings loved ones closer when they pick up on your signal.

Up until the first chorus, percussion has almost entirely been in the piano, with the occasional comment from Alice’s hi-hat. (Hi-hat. “Old hat.” Coincidence? Yeah, probably.) It’s so important for the rhythm section to know when to play and when not to play. Jean’s divine bass joins just when the lyrics become introspective, and it feels like a reassuring vibration of warmth, helping to bring strength to the narrator and to the listener. Alice’s bass drum joins the party during the chorus itself, like a heartbeat kicking back into gear.

And by all the gods, how those voices blend! It gives me chills.

The acoustic guitar fills the soundscape at this point, accompanying the piano on the main riff leading into the second verse. I didn’t even realize it was missing until it made its magnificent appearance. The song has become so much bigger, so gradually. Again, the right instrumentation is used precisely when it’s needed.

The ethereal verse about the rose feels like it speaks to our natural tendency to seek comfort in others. The rose “knew what I was after” and demonstrated it when thrown into the river. Like a person thrust into solitude, it languidly floats to “the other side” where it finds and is pulled in by the “reeds” (friends, family, loved ones) and becomes “tangled in their warm embrace.” This kind of “tangled” doesn’t feel like it carries the negative connotation that the word often has. This is, as previously sung, “what I was after.” The rhythm from the piano combined with that of the acoustic guitar and bass becomes livelier and more playful during the next bridge into the chorus, becoming tangled in their own embraces with one another.

Then come those thundering drums. Hell. Fucking. Yes!!!

Alice has held back so carefully for so long, and here she comes to take the song to a new level as she is so often wont to do. The vocals come along into a much more hopeful, yet still full of longing, timbre for the glorious finale. The suspenseful, enormously and powerfully pounded ritardando on the drums, leading into the last chorus, is followed by the triumphant crash of Alice’s cymbals as the vocals and other instruments reach new heights of energy, emotion, and intensity to lift us to the marvelous end of the song.

An utterly satisfying 4-or-so minutes of music. Thank you, Uncle Dog, and thank you, Fanny. Music lives forever, and I won’t be shy about sharing this masterpiece with those I love.

From Nigel Langridge:

“Polecat Blues” This wonderful track wouldn’t be out of place on the Beatles’ “White Album;” An homage to a 40s style torch singer with a story to tell. “Come and have a drink with me…” the answer to which is a resounding “no” and a bullet that misses the intended target!!! Was June wishing for an escape at the time of writing and wanting a simpler life?

“Old Hat” might be a lesser-known Fanny cover, but it is arguably their most exquisite. The vocals in the first verse have a fragility which becomes more confident in the first chorus. But the second verse sounds so ethereal with such stunning harmonies…almost dreamlike. Wear headphones and listen and you’ll hear them perfectly! Like “Badge” before it, the lyrics aren’t changed and the gender stays female, (is the rose (Rose) in question a girl?), and to me hints of sweet, stolen moments that had to be kept secret. “She knew what I was after…” The choruses build with evermore confidence; the perfect pairing of light and shade (with the verse). Alice’s pounding drums and sweet Leslie guitar weaving between the keyboards and ominous low bass, speak more of misty, melancholic moments at a riverside and a yearning for (what I think( is lost, than what you already have.”

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32 comments

  1. I began 2021 listening to this podcast episode. A most auspicious start. I’ve heard June perform “Polecat Blues” on her Facebook live stream & it is interesting how she embraced this song & her other work with Fanny in a new light. I cannot add to what Nigel & applescruff have said about “Old Hat” other than it is anything but old hat.

    I’m looking forward to your celebration of the Biden-Harris inauguration with your deep dive into “Regular Guy” & “I’m Satisfied” in a fortnight.

    1. Happy New Year, Aaron! Thanks, as always, for tuning in! Your comments are always so appreciated. Cheers, Kristen

  2. Happy New Year! Listening to the Podcast and am so excited to hear/read what everyone has to say about Old Hat, one of my most favorite Fanny songs. I thought it was so quiet maybe people wouldn’t be into it so much and it’s great to hear how much it means to everyone. Absolutely beautiful song, and yes, is one of those songs that can bring a tear to your eye. Love it love it love it.

    1. Happy New Year, Elizabeth! I think “Old Hat” took on a particular resonance for 2020, and it’s definitely one of my all-time Fanny faves. So glad you enjoyed the podcast, and here’s to 2021! Cheers, Kristen

    2. Hi Elizabeth,
      Yes, “Old Hat” can induce chilly goose bumps and sometimes tears with it’s beauty, so I’m glad it touches you as well. The “quiet” side of Fanny is a nice break from the rock & roll!
      Best,
      Alice

  3. Wow! Agree again with all the comments from everyone on these 2 songs – even Byron’s hearing ‘…the dog bit me’ LOL! This leaves me little to add except that i’m learning alot of interesting stuff from listening in (didn’t know ‘old hat’ was a cover and never heard of Uncle Dog!). I have to say all the harmonies on any fanny song are spot on (move over Mamas & Papas). Really enjoyed this episode and again great song choices – both with so many different ideas and musical flavours running through them. I love the first 4 albums but I think Mother’s Pride does stand apart from the others in that, for me at least, I hear it slightly different every time I listen to it. It’s like the aural equivalent of a painting in a gallery you know you like but still haven’t quite figured out yet (if that makes sense!) I’ll be another year older (Jan 14th is my birthday if you have room for a shout-out! ?) when the next episode comes around and just glad to be here. So long 2020! Happy 2021!
    Cheers,
    Brian

    2. Hello Brian! I’m taking note that your birthday is on the 14th, and we’ll definitely give you a Birthday Bakery shout out! on Ep. 18. I really appreciate your comments about Mothers Pride being an aural equivalent of a painting in a gallery you know you like but still haven’t quite figured out why. This is spot on! Happy New Year 2021! Cheers, Kristen

    3. Brian,
      As I’ve said on the podcast, Mother’s Pride is my favorite of the four. That said, the other three are gaining in my poll, as we discuss and dissect songs from the entire catalogue. If I’m going to listen to Fanny, MP is the first one I’ll pull to play!
      Thank you so much for your wonderful comments!
      Alice

  4. I was going to add something to my previous comment – but it’s disappeared! Oops nevermind! Anyways – a great episode to begin 2021 with! Many thanks and happy new year!
    Cheers, Brian

    2. …to add – having listened to the original ‘old hat’ by Uncle Dog, I have to say it’s a tad pedestrian when compared with Fanny’s version which breathes a whole new breath of life to the song bringing it to a whole new level. Amazing …

      1. Uncle Dog’s version is very sweet and quite lovely, but a tad on the lo-fi side when compared to the masterful Fanny/Rundgren cover.

        In my mind, Uncle Dog’s version is like a brilliant student film while Fanny’s rendition is a full-blown feature. That’s not always a good thing, mind you, but in this case, it absolutely is. The song is beautifully composed, and it deserved to be fleshed out, specifically by Fanny. I can’t think of a better group to do it this much justice. It *had* to be Fanny.

  5. Great podcast as usual.I look forward to more in 2021!
    I tend to keep my comments brief but make no mistake…I love Fanny and their music and your fresh look at these classic tunes.
    HAPPY NEW YEAR Byron, Kristen, Alice, June, Jean, and Nickey!

  6. Wow. This podcast was, apart from the need to tend to my furry friends, the only incentive to get out of bed on New Year’s Day – and was it ever worth it!

    It’s sad that June’s vocal in “Polecat Blues” was almost drowned out at times, but I can just about hear her grinning as she says, “I was aimin’ high, but I missed”. Quite rare, and thus welcome, to hear “funky” in its literal, rather than figurative, sense in a song. Just trying to imagine Alice with eight arms now, LOL. Loving the trad jazz overlay, too.

    “Old Hat” just breaks my heart, building and building until it bursts into flower like the rose then gently deposits me in a quivering, weeping heap, and as you’ve all said, I can’t quite explain why. Aldous Huxley touched on a profound truth when he wrote, “After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” Quite a few Fanny songs have this effect; I’ve mentioned plangent instrumentation before, and you got it to perfection here. Those long sustained high organ notes give the exquisite harmonies and other instruments a crystalline yet airy space to inhabit. I hear new details with every listening. It reminds me of “Sloop John B” by the Beach Boys. The last verse even begins and ends with the same words, and there are similar high sustains. The Uncle Dog original at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLZY8ucvJ58 has these elements, but Fanny with Todd’s help took them to another level.

    Talking of the original, the singer was Carol Grimes, so the idea of gender switch doesn’t arise. I think the rose described as “she” represents love; the flower is associated with the Virgin Mary. I’m reminded of an 18th century poem, “Das Rosenband” By Friedrich Klopstock, see https://www.oxfordlieder.co.uk/song/1840 . The 1840 refers to its being put to music. It’s more lyrical in German than in English. June is right about the Mediaeval feel; I see Pre-Raphaelite images such as the Lady of Shallot and Ophelia in the rose verse.

    Despite the American past tense of “fit”, possibly for better scansion, “Old Hat” sounds very British to me. It’s stoical, and the ending is so understated; not “I’m dying to see you” but “if you’re ever around, it would be nice to have you home”, respecting another’s wish as ever. Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way.

    All the time I was going for a walk recently up a mountain on a glorious Autumn day with rainbows, dog and camera, “Throw back your head, do what you feel” was filling my head. F*ck, yeah! Thanks for a fab start to 2021. Take care and stay safe, friends.

    Welsh Dave.

    2. Awesome takes, Dave! Good grabs with the Huxley, Klopstock, and Pink Floyd tie-ins! It’s so cool to read everybody’s reactions and interpretations!

    3. Hi Dave,
      Thanks for your thoughtful comments, but you’ve given me a question that needs research….I know Carol Grimes was in Uncle Dog, but isn’t it David Skinner singing “Old Hat?” I have the entire CD, and Carol’s voice is pretty recognizable to me, but I’m not hearing her as the lead on the song. The CD doesn’t note who is singing lead on what song. I HAVE been able to hear Carol on some…… Help?
      Thanks,
      Alice

      1. Hi Alice,

        Yes, on second hearing I think you’re right; Carol Grimes is not singing lead, but backing in the choruses on “Old Hat”. Sorry for my over hasty interpretation there! The rose may be a person after all.

        Regards,
        Welsh Dave.

  7. Gotta say, I don’t think there’s anything about “Polecat Blues”
    that would insinuate that it’s simply a writing exercise or a throwaway boilerplate song….I absolutely love it! In fact, it’s (easily!) in my Top Three tracks off of Mother’s Pride!
    I do, however, agree with Byron on both Mother’s Pride in general and “Old Hat” in particular….listening with 2020/21 ears has given me a whole new appreciation of the Rundgren tracks, and has me wondering (even more than ever before!)…..what would a fifth album with the original lineup have sounded like??
    Happy New Year’s, Alice, Kristen and Byron!

    1. Hi Jef,
      I’m going to put all of my comments in response to this first one from you (it’s taken me long enough to get to the comments this time). I agree with you on almost every point (no surprise), and I have to stop myself from going ANYWHERE near the thought of what a fifth could have been….I’m just too damn old!
      I also would have loved not to have to strain so much to hear June’s “I was aimin’ high….” As far as your suggestions for songs to cover, you listed four that I’m not fond of……but, will discuss and dissect when we get to them, which we will!
      Best, my friend,
      Alice

      1. Alice, I have to agree with you on the four pre-first album songs….certainly not as representative of who Fanny REALLY was, or of the band’s true talent!
        However, I think they DO warrant mentioning, if only to show how far the band came in a VERY short time!

  8. Some additional thoughts:

    1) I always thought it was JUNE doing the “Bitch, bitch, bitch!”?

    2) Alice, the New Orleans funeral march comparison is brilliant! Spot on!!

    3) Kristen, I can SO see a video on MTV!!

    4) While I agree that June’s vocal tends to get buried as the song progresses, I’ve always loved the almost-whispered “I was aiming higher….but I missed!”
    It almost makes it more of subversive wink and a nudge aside!!?

  9. For some reason, today’s podcast has stuck with me more than any other, and has gotten me really thinking about the band’s music!
    One thing I noticed….you’re almost all the way through Fanny Hill and Mother’s Pride….you need to get back to revisiting Fanny and Charity Ball!
    I think a good combo from these two albums (maybe for Episode 20, your February 12th Valentine’s Day one!) would be “Thinking Of You” from CB and “Takes A Lot Of Good Lovin'” from the first album.
    Another cool choice would be an episode dedicated to the four songs that made up the first two singles to be released before the Fanny album….”Ladies Choice”, “New Day”, “Nowhere To Run” and “One Step At A Time”…..I’m betting a lot of the newer fans who haven’t been able to get their hands on the boxed set would flip over this one!

    1. We are only scratching the surface of covering Fanny’s songs and albums, but yes, we will be revisiting the first two albums. Lots more to come!
      Byron

  10. Great episode as always! I also have a January birthday (the 2nd) if there’s still time to get a shoutout in!

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