Before Brian Johnson (and Jim Bruer)...there was the snarling growl of one Dan McCafferty, lead singer for the Scottish band Nazareth. They hit it big with an unlikely cover of "Love Hurts," originally released by the Everly Brothers in 1960.
Like so many bands...it was the third album with which they broke through. My sister discovered them first and succeeded in drawing me over with the title track of "Razamanaz."
It was "Hair of the Dog" that was always an enigma to me. Not unlike radio's treatment of Sarah McLachlan's "Building a Mystery" (in which censors looked the other way when she sang "beautiful fucked up man," no one seemed to have a problem with "now you're messin' with a son of a bitch"). While that's not a big deal today...trust me, that was shocking to hear on the radio in 1975.
We lost Dan this week at the age of 76...and on this Music Friday, we say godspeed with a sublime duet in his later years featuring Jitka Valkova on "Love Hurts."
Speaking of not caring what the lyrics were, I can remember leaning line dancing (pre Country...the Monorail) to "Hair of the Dog" in gym class. Didn't seem to warp us...much;)
Posted by: Lee T | November 18, 2022 at 13:24
"Much" being the operative word.
Posted by: Bill Geist | November 19, 2022 at 08:19