TIME TRAVELER’S TURNTABLE #20 “Yellow River”- A Great Song by Christie From The Vietnam War Era

LYRICS:
So long boy, you can take my place, Got my papers, I got my pay
So pack my bags, and I'll be on my way
To Yellow River
Put my gun down, the war is won, Fill my glass high, the time has come
I'm goin' back to the place that I love, to Yellow River
(Chorus): Yellow River, Yellow River, Is in my mind and in my eyes
Yellow River, Yellow River, Is in my blood, it's the place I love
Got no time for explanations, Got no time to lose
Tomorrow night you'll find me sleepin' underneath the moon
At Yellow River
Cannon fire lingers in my mind, I'm so glad I'm still alive
And I've been gone for such a long time
From Yellow River
I remember the nights were cool, I can still see the water pool
And I remember the girl that I knew
From Yellow River (Chorus out)
Here’s my home-made take of “Yellow River,” a classic by Jeff Christie. He wrote it as a demo for The Tremeloes (then one of the UK’s biggest bands). They recorded it but then scuttled it, so the producer took off their vocals and gave it back to Jeff to sing and record. The result was a phenomenal hit record that went to #1 in five countries, Top 40 in nine other countries, and Top 100 in twelve more countries. It was also covered in more than 10 languages. Jeff went on to write other successful songs, but “Yellow River” remains his signature piece. Some critics compared “Yellow River” to The Beatles, perhaps because of the McCartney-ish bass line, but (in my opinion) it bore more of a resemblance to The Kinks. That said, “Yellow River” checks the boxes for what makes British Rock great. Jeff said the lyrics were inspired by tales from the American Civil War, but because “Yellow River” was released in 1970 during the Vietnam War, it was interpreted as depicting a modern soldier coming home. This video features images of Dennis Storm, a real life Vietnam War soldier who purchased a guitar from the Red Cross Doughnut Dollies to write songs.
TIME TRAVELER’S TURNTABLE is a journal of my enduring (sometimes madcap) experiences as an entertainer and singer-songwriter + tales about the remarkable artists and the music that’s given us so much. If you like what I’m doing and care to support what I do, please leave a tip at PayPal.Me/johnnyjblair &/or be my Patreon patron / johnnyjblair (thank you so much!). Comments welcome-and please subscribe to my CZcams channel. Thanks!
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Song written by Jeff Christie © 1970 by Gale Ltd./Christobel/Shaftsbury Music Co. BMI
#christie #jeffchristie #yellowriver #tremeloes #britishrock #beatles #mccartney #kinks #thekinks #raydavies #johnnyjblair #singeratlarge #singersongwriter #sanfrancisco #powerpop

[@christopherandrews388]

Cool, JB!..👍🎸