The Equals - Softly Softly (nonstones)

The Equals
"Softly Softly"
2:12 (can't find any songwriting credits)




I'm back, baby. I've spent the last month or so avoiding the Stones, recharging my batteries. Now, to ease back into the groove, I'm going with the greatest Stones ripoff ever recorded, The Equals "Softly Softly".

Wikipedia:

The Equals were a pop/reggae/rock group that formed in North London, England in 1965. They are remembered mostly for the fact that Eddy Grant, then sporting dyed blonde hair, was in the group. Also in the original line-up were the twin brothers Derv and Lincoln Gordon, as well as John Hall and Pat Lloyd with supporting drummer Paul Pegler.

I gather that The Equals were famous—to the extent that they were—primarily in the UK, which may explain why I'd never heard of them until I downloaded this track off Napster in 1999. Since then, I've become more familiar with their singles, which are all great, and deserve to be better known in North America (I am particularly fond of "I Get So Excited"). At some point I may do a retrospective post on the band, but for now I just wanted to get back into regular posting habits by singling out this great "Satisfaction" ripoff.

More info on The Equals can be had here, here, and their MySpace page.

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

Out of Our Heads (USA version)
Side 2, Track 1
"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards) – 3:43




Boring.

No, really, it's just hard to say something about this one that hasn't been said before. Great lyrics, Charlie Watts four on the floor, the tambourine, fuzz guitar lick, the bass line that duplicates it a fourth lower – the ingredients of a pretty good rock and roll single, no?

And as much as I love Exile-era Stones, there's a case to be made for 1965 as their creative peak. "Satisfaction" was released as a single in the middle of one of the greatest three-song runs in rock and roll history, preceded by "The Last Time" and followed by "Get Off My Cloud" – maybe Chuck Berry or Little Richard could top that, but I'm pretty sure no one else could. Of course, after "Get Off My Cloud" came "As Tears Go By", and it was all downhill from there.

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