Take My Money, My Cigarettes

Talking Heads : Take Me to the River (live)

In January of  1978, on a European tour, Talking Heads continued to play a concert favorite, their cover of Al Green's "Take Me to the River", a version that greatly resembled what would be their first big hit, a US#26 single recorded for 1978's More Songs About Buildings and Food. 

Theirs wasn't the only version floating around in 1978, as singer David Byrne noted in the liner notes of Once In A Lifetime : The Best of Talking Heads:

"Coincidence or conspiracy? There were at least four cover versions of this song out at the same time: Foghat, Bryan Ferry, Levon Helm, and us. More money for Mr Green's full gospel tabernacle church, I suppose. A song that combines teenage lust with baptism. Not equates, you understand, but throws them in the same stew, at least. A potent blend. All praise the mighty spurtin' Jesus."

Levon Helm recorded "Take Me to the River" on a 1978 solo album he made with The Swampers at Muscle Shoals Sound studio in Sheffield Alabama. Lots of good horns here.

Bryan Ferry recorded "Take Me To The River" on 1978's heartbroken The Bride Stripped Bare, an album with sales so much less than expected Ferry reunited Roxy Music.

Hard rocking Foghat actually beat everybody to the punch, recording "Take Me to the River" for their 1976 album Night Shift.

40 Year Itch : Washing Me Down

Lobby Card for Lord Shango, 1975

Syl Johnson : Take Me To The River

[Purchase]

Syl Johnson adds a little harmonica and not much else to his cover of Hi label mate Al Green's "Take Me to the River". This would be his highest charting single, peaking at #7 on the R and B charts and #48 on the pop charts.

Here are the other entries for our Top 5 Cover Versions of "Take Me To The River"

FOGHAT, 1976

LEVON HELM, 1978

BRYAN FERRY, 1978

TALKING HEADS, 1978

40 Year Itch: Sixteen Candles Burning on My Wall

[Purchase]

   On October 18, 1974 Al Green was scalded by a pot of boiling grits dumped on his bare back by a woman named Mary Woodson. Moments later Woodson shot herself dead in Green's bedroom. The tragedy is said to have been a turning point in Green's life. He would soon renounce his superstardom, become a fully ordained minister, and buy the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis where he continues to preach to this date.

  Green would later admit he had a "spooky feeling" about Woodson, who was, unknown to him, a married mother of two. Woodson was at his house when a flight attendant named Carlotta Williams dropped by. The two women seemed to enjoy each other's company. Williams said good night and retired to a guest bedroom. Woodson was busy in the kitchen. Green was taking a bath:

   After I got in the tub, I soon heard a noise, I looked up and Mary was standing with the steaming pot in both hands. In the next second, my world exploded into a thousand splatters of pure agony. Mary had added grits to the water, making a thick, boiling hot paste. With all her strength, she hurled it at me. The grits scorched my naked back. The pain was so intense that I started screaming.
 
 Carlotta burst in. "Al!" she screamed. It was then that I saw the egg sized blisters rising on my burned flesh. Mary rushed out of the bathroom.

    Carlotta called a ambulance and was tending to me as best she could-when suddenly, we heard a gunshot. Despite being in pain, I rushed to Mary, she lay on the floor dead, clutching a gun.



  Green was taken to Baptist Hospital where he would receive skin grafts and need eight months of convalescence before he could resume his musical career. By then, he was on a different path.

“I was able to finally put my career into some kind of perspective, placing my music on one side of the scale and my peace of mind and spiritual well-being on the other.” 

   The incident occurred the same month Green released one of his best albums, Al Green Explores Your Mind, which features his iconic version of "Take Me to the River" and the Top 10 hit "Sha La La La ( Makes Me Happy)". I don't know if anybody else has noticed that the Talking Heads version of "Take Me to the River" also borrows its riff from another cut on Explores Your Mind : "One Nite Stand".



   I've always loved this album. It's the second one I bought after the first Greatest Hits compilation.