Cruisin Crashin Car Crazy Celebrated In Songs (Pt I)

The Beach Boys

Car Crazy:

With the Singapore 2022 Formula 1 Night Race and expensive COEs in the headlines recently, cars were the subject on everyone's lips. Apparently second-hand vehicles were selling better and it didn't stop the richer ones from buying new. 

Although a hot topic in Singapore, cars have never been celebrated in song here as in the US. In fact certain models have been immortalised by American artistes in love with these machines. So how many of the following songs are you familiar with?

Image: https://greatoldies.com/mustang-sally/

Mustang Sally:

Both music and car aficionados are familiar with Mustang Sally as the Mustang has been a symbol of speed among American motorists for many years, helped along by Steve McQueen’s car chase through the streets of San Francisco in a GT 390 Fastback in Bullitt (1968).

In 1966, Wilson Pickett scored a hit with this R&B rocker about a lady who was advised to slow down, because she was moving too fast. Written by Bonny Rice, it has since become known as a Pickett anthem. You’ve been riding all over town, ooh, guess you gotta put your flat feet on the ground. Ride, Sally, ride.

'Mustang Sally' by Wilson Pickett 

YouTube video from: glazer1134

"Mustang Sally" [Mack Rice - 1966]

"Look it here.

I bought you a brand new mustang nineteen sixty five. Huh

Now you come around signifying a woman, you don't wanna let me ride

Mustang Sally, now baby, oh Lord, guess you better slow that mustang down

Huh, oh Lord. Look here

You been running all over the town

Oh! I got to put your flat feet on the ground. Huh, What I said now?"

Little Deuce Coupe:

Drag racing, while illegal, is nonetheless an American tradition. The Beach Boys (image) paid tribute to it in this ode to a ’32 Ford with a big V8. Brian Wilson co-wrote this with a disc jockey named Roger Christian, who was heavily into cars. Also, there’s the suggestion the little deuce coupe can do 140 mph, an exaggeration really. The song reached No. 15 on the U.S. pop charts in 1963.

Hot Rod Lincoln:

Most people know the version by the country and rockabilly band Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, which was released early in 1972 and rose to No. 9 on the pop charts. One of the more famous lines goes like this: My pappy said, ‘Son, you’re gonna drive me to drinkin’, if you don’t stop driving that Hot Rod Lincoln. There was an earlier version, written in 1955.

409:

The Beach Boys recorded 409 (a Chevrolet) in 1962, and more than a dozen other songs about cars. 409 was released as the B-side of Surfin’ Safari. Most of the lyrics are fairly simple and repetitive, such as Giddy up 409 and She’s real fine my 409. The Beach Boys were infatuated with girls, cars and the beach, often in the same song.

G.T.O:

Ronny and the Daytonas (image) came out of Nashville with dreams of mimicking the Beach Boys’ sound but had mixed success. G.T.O., penned by John Wilkin, was released shortly after the car itself and reached No. 4 on the charts in 1964.

Although they did not have staying power, they did hammer at the car theme and sold more than a million singles of this song as well as a half-million albums.

Naik Kereta-ku: [Ride In My Car]

Did Singapore 60s music have songs for cars too? Yes, it's a Malay song, called Naik Kereta Ku by the late Rudyn, who happened to be an old friend. His group was known as the Impian Bateks. The song was a hit in Singapore and Malaysia. Now who says we're not interested in cars?

Comments please?

This post has been revitalised from September, 2010.

[Information, by Michael Ventre (19.3.2007), has been edited for brevity. Website is unavailable now.]

Read DRIVE below:

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2022/07/latest-coe-prices-singapore-beatles.html

Disclaimer: 

This posting is not advertising cars for sale nor does it encourage speeding on our beautiful roads.