Another Funky Friday-
Dr John & the Right Place Wrong Time
Now remember last time we were discussing Trina Parks . While her beauty and wonderful smile was gracing us on screen in the 70’s there was another kind of explosion going on. It was another entertainment medium- music. Lending to the air waves(radio)s and phonographs that was still to dominate where and how we listened to their many talents- musicians stretching fingers and singers flexing “chops” as the expression goes. Funk was on the rise and way before Big Bad Voodoo Daddy was ever a thought- along came Dr John and the song Right Place — Wrong Time, one of his more mainstream breakthroughs. Coming in at 2:55 mins. This song is what I refer to as pure bliss….
it has everything going for it from the lyrics right down to a foot tapping melody and some incredible bass work. Dr John always had a knack for keeping himself surrounded by a load of wonderfully talent artists and it permeates throughout this song.
Above: Dr John’s Right Place, Wrong Time
This is one of my favorites from the 70’s and I have been known on occasion to belt this out when on the town for karaoke. For me it has significant meaning since I was for quite sometime the novice and definitely new kid on the block when I started my first really serious source of employment back in the early days of cable and the 80’s(Our sales dept theme song was Who Can It Be Now-Men at Work).
I owned a 1972 Chevy Nova back then..stock and a little ol’ lady use to drive to church on Sundays before I bought it. (The sound system myself and a friend-Zach wired up one afternoon-nothing but the best! An 8 Track Player with monsterous speakers including A sub woofer in the the trunk)…ouch.
There have been times when I say most of us have felt that we were in the right place but the wrong time or in some cases the reverse. I was actually at a house on Evergreen Street back in good ol’ Rochester,N.Y. I at that time worked for Time Warner. The house was verified to be the correct one on my list for collection of a past due balance and if not able to collect to at least get the equipment-the famous “cable box” or converter. The one with a long cord and slider for changing channels. Well this particular household had several generations living there and English was not the only language spoken. It was an old city structure with 3 floors and a basement. And when I wet to hook the TV back to a regular antennae that is when the fireworks started. See the TV was equipped with an old style remote and a rotor dial fore both VHF and UHF. Once the grandma clicked the remote to change channels taking in consideration that the remote and dials had not been used in that way in such a long time. Well the VHF dial kept spinning and there was no way to stop it. Hence she was not able t watch TV. Next thing I know she is shouting at the top of her lungs in some other language some words that I have no idea what although I knew it was not good and before I knew it there several generations of family members literally popping up from the wood works …basement, backyard, upstairs-downstairs and on that note I was running down the hall way -
out onto the front porch and why every house in the city had to have a front porch with a gated entrance. Plus a 3.5 ft high shrubs surrounding that said porch I do not know but I cleared the railing & those shrubs. Thank goodness for the
“Fall Guy” and Colt Seavers(Lee Majors)-I had left my windows rolled down . I jumped thru the window,
into the front seat and screeched out of there. Never looked back.That was clearly a Dr John moment. And I definitely could hear that song playing in my head that day. Today I’m glad I can look back at it and have a good laugh and say whew!!!
Dr John active since 1950 in the music industry and born Malcom John Rebbennack back in November of 1940. His music of a mixed blues, rock n roll, pop and jazz with a New Orleans twist, This guy has done it all-singer,songwriter, actor, pianist and guitarist. Later years working in TV and Film he wrote and performed the theme for the ahead of it’s time TV series Blossom.
Also toured with the Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band during the late ’80s and ’90s. Winner of 6 Grammy’s and inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. Although the Dr has since past(2019) his legacy continues. Thanks for giving me one my all time favorite songs to sing…ever once in awhile I like to stretch my vocal chords and this is a blast to sing… Right Place, Wrong Time just reflect back on this when that occasional event happens to you. May not be that often. Good night for now…
Don’t forget every Friday is New Release Day in the music industry…that includes re-issues, singles, albums(LP/Vinyl) and CDs
Link — Amazon Smile
Record Store Day- Held every April…
Atlantic Sounds Record Store-Daytona Beach
