DIRTY WATER
“Dirty Water” is a song first recorded by the California rock and roll band The Standells in 1966 and composed by their producer, Ed Cobb. It is considered a classic of garage rock. (More from Wikipedia)
Besides the darling cover on The Piltdown Men by the Piltdown Men showing an r&r band of cave men and women plus dinosaurs, I spotted the name “E. Cobb” in the songwriting credits and wondered if that could possibly be Ed Cobb. And sure enough it was: As their producer and songwriter, Ed Cobb greatly influenced the musical direction of what had up until then been a conventional rock band called the Standells. The song that he wrote for the band called “Dirty Water” made it to #11 on the national charts and changed the Standells into true punk rock heroes: Not for nothing was this landmark garage rock song placed on Nuggets (the very first garage rock/psychedelic rock compilation album, released in 1972) as the second track, right after “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)” by the Electric Prunes.
As a celebration of Boston and its River Charles, “Dirty Water” might seem like an odd choice for a Los Angeles band like the Standells; but Ed Cobb was from New England, so it was home to him.
And who was responsible for the distinctive growling vocals in “Dirty Water” that prefigured the snarling, snotty singing in so many 1970’s and 1980’s punk rock bands? His name is Dick Dodd, who handled lead vocalist duties on most of the Standells’ records; and he had been one of the original Mouseketeers (and no relation to “Head Mouseketeer” Jimmie Dodd). You just never know where someone’s life is going to go no matter how they start out, do you?
(October 2010)
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Just about every year, I have added a new section to my posts; and for this coming year, I will put in a “Story of the Month” from one of my earlier posts about a better known rock band or artist. First up: the Standells, of “Dirty Water” fame.
(Year 4 Review)
