Issue No. 44 of Johnny Be Good features one of 45 songs from the book, Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop, by Marc Myers. Read John Pearson's review here. Order from Amazon here. Listen to the book on Libro (9 hours, 34 minutes). Each blog will spotlight a song from the book and a guest blogger’s color commentary. Click here to subscribe. Each issue of Your Weekly Staff Meeting will highlight the latest blog.
Bonnie Raitt’s Birthday Joke!
Today’s guest blogger: Dave Barton
Song: #44 of 45
Title: “Nick of Time”
Musician: Bonnie Raitt
Released: March 1989
I APPRECIATED THIS:
This song ushered Bonnie Raitt into the public eye where throngs of new fans discovered her extraordinary talent for both crafting a song and then personally delivering it to us via recording and performance.
Read more about the song in Marc Myers’ WSJ article, Feb. 23, 2016, “Bonnie Raitt’s Turning Point: ‘Nick of Time.’” The article notes, “‘Nick of Time’ was written out of an appreciation for newfound optimism.”
View the official video of “Nick of Time,” sung by Bonnie Raitt.
MY FAVORITE NOTES & QUOTES:
My favorite quote uttered by Bonnie Raitt is not found in this book. Several years ago, my wife and I were attending a concert featuring Bonnie at the legendary Greek Theater in Los Angeles. Mid-set, she announced that one of her guitar players was celebrating his 60th birthday that evening. She encouraged the crowd to honor him with applause, which was then followed by this proclamation: “Welcome to the deep end of the pool, baby!”
My wife took note of my great amusement and the following year when I hit the 6-0, she had this quote emblazed on the top of my cake!
The lyric in the song that stands out for me is where she addresses the topic of aging:
“I see my folks are getting on
and I watch their bodies change.
I know they see the same in me
and it makes us both feel strange.”
This topic may have been referenced in songs by other composers, but I find this lyric to be gentle and authentic. Touching.
WHERE WERE YOU WHEN YOU FIRST HEARD THIS SONG?
I don’t recall the first time that I heard this song or the album by the same name. What I can tell you is that I heard this song a lot! It quickly became one of my favorite CDs to play drums to. My neighbors probably wish that I had never discovered “Nick of Time.”
JOHNNY BE...GOOD, BETTER, OR BEST?
• GOOD: It was just plain good that the author decided to include this topic and chapter in his book.
• BETTER: The interview with Ms. Raitt includes some discussion of the snares that are part of the music industry landscape. Thankfully, she made a decision to embrace sobriety—which I hope was encouraging to readers facing the struggle of addiction.
• BEST: I loved reading how the song, “Nick of Time,” came to be. From the true-life stories that inspired the lyrics, to the humble equipment she used to self-record the demo. Imagine—the record would win Bonnie Raitt TWO Grammys in 1990! (Plus, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015!)
Dave Barton (pictured with his wife, Patsy—who was guest blogger for “Stand by Your Man”) enjoyed seeing Bonnie Raitt in person and appreciated her humor that ended up on a birthday cake that Patsy decorated!
THIS ISSUE'S COMMENTARY BY Dave Barton
DAVE BARTON had the good fortune of being a teenager in the 1960s and a young adult in the 1970s—when some of world’s best music was created. On most Sunday mornings, he can be found at his church, playing bass and trying to keep up with the worship band! (Dave was also our guest blogger for Song #13, “Groovin’.”)
NEXT UP: Our Final Song! Song #45 of 45, "Losing My Religion," by R.E.M., with color commentary by Jason Pearson. (And watch for the “Johnny Be Good Guest Blogger Award Show” going live here on Feb. 9, 2025, Super Bowl Sunday!)
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It all started in 2023, when John Pearson read and reviewed a "fun" book, Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop, by Marc Myers. Read John's review here. Order from Amazon here. Listen to the book on Libro (9 hours, 34 minutes).
And thanks to our guest bloggers, including John Ashmen, Dick Nelson, Suzy West, Dave Barton, Patsy Barton, Paul Palmer, Bill Butterworth, Jim West, Melinda Schmidt, Jason Pearson, Gary Rea, Callista Dawson, John Walling, Ed Barrett, Larry Beatty, Skye Matlock, Scott Anderson and others. Click here to subscribe to this blog and enjoy the toe-tapping musicians in each weekly blog post—reminding you of these iconic songs of yesteryear.