Garden Party (Rick Nelson)
Encyclopedia
"Garden Party" is a 1972
hit song for Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band from the album Garden Party
. The song tells the story of Nelson being booed off the stage at Madison Square Garden
, seemingly because he was playing his newer, country-tinged music instead of the 1950s-era rock that he had been successful with earlier, and his realization that "you can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself".
. The playbill included many greats of the early rock era, including Chuck Berry
, Bo Diddley
, and Bobby Rydell
.
Nelson came on stage dressed in the then-current fashion, wearing bell-bottoms
and a purple velvet shirt, with his hair hanging down to his shoulders. He started playing his older songs "Hello Mary Lou
" and "She Belongs to Me", but then he played The Rolling Stones
' "Country Honk" (a country version of their hit song "Honky Tonk Women
") and the crowd began to boo. While some reports say that the booing was caused by police action in the back of the audience, Nelson took it personally and left the stage. He watched the rest of the concert backstage and did not reappear on stage for the finale.
brought her Walrus
", referring to Yoko Ono and John Lennon
), with a chorus:
One more reference in the lyrics pertains to a particularly mysterious and legendary audience member: "Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan's shoes, wearing his disguise". The Mr. Hughes in question was not a Howard Hughes
reference, as is widely believed, but refers to ex-Beatle, George Harrison
, who was a good friend and next-door neighbor to Nelson. Harrison used Hughes as his traveling alias, and "hid in Dylan's shoes" is most likely in reference to an album of Bob Dylan
covers Harrison was planning, but never recorded. "Wearing his disguise" fits in with the fact that Harrison traveled incognito.
The lines "Out stepped Johnny B. Goode / Playing guitar, like a-ringing a bell" refer to Chuck Berry and his song "Johnny B. Goode
".
In the final verse of his song, Nelson sang, "But if memories were all I sang / I'd rather drive a truck."
chart in the fall of 1972; it was Nelson's last Top 40 hit on the pop chart. The song also topped the Billboard easy listening chart for two weeks and reached number 44 on Billboard's Country Singles chart.
recorded a cover version
of the song in the late 1970s, entitled "Country Party", with slightly altered lyrics. Dwight Yoakam
has also performed it live in concert.
In 2009, John Fogerty
recorded the song with the Eagles' Don Henley
and Timothy B. Schmit
, for his The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again
album.
1972 in music
-Events:*January 17 – Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed "Elvis Presley Boulevard"*January 20 – The début of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at The Dome, Brighton, is halted by technical difficulties,...
hit song for Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band from the album Garden Party
Garden Party (album)
Garden Party is Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band's hit Country rock album from 1972.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Rick Nelson; except where indicated#"Let It Bring You Along" Garden Party is Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band's hit Country rock album from 1972.-Track listing:All tracks...
. The song tells the story of Nelson being booed off the stage at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, seemingly because he was playing his newer, country-tinged music instead of the 1950s-era rock that he had been successful with earlier, and his realization that "you can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself".
The concert
On October 15, 1971, a Rock 'n Roll Revival concert was given at Madison Square Garden in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The playbill included many greats of the early rock era, including Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
, Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
, and Bobby Rydell
Bobby Rydell
Bobby Rydell is an American professional singer, mainly of rock and roll music. In the early 1960s he was considered a so-called "teen idol"...
.
Nelson came on stage dressed in the then-current fashion, wearing bell-bottoms
Bell-bottoms
Bell-bottoms are trousers that become wider from the knees downward. Related styles include flare, loon pants and boot-cut/leg trousers. Hip-huggers are bell-bottomed, flare, or boot-cut pants that are fitted tightly around the hips and thighs.-Naval origins:Bell-bottoms' precise origins are...
and a purple velvet shirt, with his hair hanging down to his shoulders. He started playing his older songs "Hello Mary Lou
Hello Mary Lou
"Hello Mary Lou" is a song written by U.S. singer Gene Pitney and Cayet Mangiaracina and performed by Ricky Nelson in English and German in 1961. It reached #9 on the Billboard music charts on May 28, 1961, although the other side of the single, "Travelin' Man", hit #1...
" and "She Belongs to Me", but then he played The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' "Country Honk" (a country version of their hit song "Honky Tonk Women
Honky Tonk Women
"Honky Tonk Women" is a 1969 hit song by The Rolling Stones. Released as a single on 4 July 1969 in the UK and a week later in the US, it topped the charts in both nations.-Inspiration and Recording:...
") and the crowd began to boo. While some reports say that the booing was caused by police action in the back of the audience, Nelson took it personally and left the stage. He watched the rest of the concert backstage and did not reappear on stage for the finale.
The song
The song tells of various people who were present, frequently in an oblique manner ("YokoYoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
brought her Walrus
I Am the Walrus
"I Am the Walrus" is a 1967 song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Lennon claimed he wrote the first two lines on separate acid trips. The song was in the Beatles' 1967 television film and album Magical Mystery Tour, and was the B-side to the #1 hit "Hello,...
", referring to Yoko Ono and John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
), with a chorus:
But it's all right now, I've learned my lesson well
You see, you can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself
One more reference in the lyrics pertains to a particularly mysterious and legendary audience member: "Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan's shoes, wearing his disguise". The Mr. Hughes in question was not a Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
reference, as is widely believed, but refers to ex-Beatle, George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, who was a good friend and next-door neighbor to Nelson. Harrison used Hughes as his traveling alias, and "hid in Dylan's shoes" is most likely in reference to an album of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
covers Harrison was planning, but never recorded. "Wearing his disguise" fits in with the fact that Harrison traveled incognito.
The lines "Out stepped Johnny B. Goode / Playing guitar, like a-ringing a bell" refer to Chuck Berry and his song "Johnny B. Goode
Johnny B. Goode
"Johnny B. Goode" is a 1958 rock and roll song written and originally performed by American musician Chuck Berry. The song was a major hit among both black and white audiences peaking at #2 on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.The song is one of Chuck Berry's...
".
In the final verse of his song, Nelson sang, "But if memories were all I sang / I'd rather drive a truck."
Charts
"Garden Party" reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in the fall of 1972; it was Nelson's last Top 40 hit on the pop chart. The song also topped the Billboard easy listening chart for two weeks and reached number 44 on Billboard's Country Singles chart.
Covers
Country singer Johnny CarverJohnny Carver
Johnny Carver is an American country music artist. Between 1968 and 1977, he charted fifteen Top 40 hits on the Billboard country charts. His highest-charting single was a cover of Tony Orlando's "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree", a cover that reached #1 for him in 1974...
recorded a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the song in the late 1970s, entitled "Country Party", with slightly altered lyrics. Dwight Yoakam
Dwight Yoakam
Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
has also performed it live in concert.
In 2009, John Fogerty
John Fogerty
John Cameron Fogerty is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for his time with the swamp rock/roots rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival and as a #1 solo recording artist. Fogerty has a rare distinction of being named on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest...
recorded the song with the Eagles' Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
and Timothy B. Schmit
Timothy B. Schmit
Timothy Bruce Schmit is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his work as bass guitar player and singer for Poco and the Eagles. Schmit has also worked for decades as a session musician and solo artist.-Early career:Raised in Sacramento, Schmit began playing in the folk music group...
, for his The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again
The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again
- Tracks not included :There were 15 songs recorded from a long list of songs that Fogerty, Burnett and Waronker put together. Fogerty did not release the specific titles, but a Merle Haggard song was revealed to be among the three unreleased tunes.- Production :...
album.
Filmography
- McCloud (TV series) (1972) In Season 3, Episode 1, "The New Mexican Connection" Rick Nelson sings "Garden Party" in a concert sequence. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0644842/trivia