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In reply to the discussion: How many songs can you think of that mention a real person, I'll start [View all]pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)5. Creeque Alley (The Mamas & the Papas)
"Creeque Alley" is an autobiographical hit single written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas in 1967, narrating the story about how the group was formed. The title of the song is derived from the place Creque or Crequi (pronounced "creaky"[citation needed]) Alley,[1] home to a club in the Virgin Islands where the Mamas & the Papas spent time. The lyrics "Duffy's good vibrations, and our imaginations, can't go on indefinitely" refer, in part, to Hugh Duffy, the owner of the club on Creeque Alley. Duffy now owns Chez Shack in Vieques, Puerto Rico[citation needed]. The third song on the album Deliver, the song peaked at #5 on the U.S. Billboard pop singles chart the week of Memorial Day, 1967.[2] It made #9 on the UK Charts.
The lyrics of the song mention, directly or indirectly, many artists and bands who were part of the music scene at the time including the other two members of The Mamas & the Papas - Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty, earlier aka The Mugwumps; plus Zal Yanovsky and John Sebastian (of The Lovin' Spoonful), Roger McGuinn (of The Byrds), and Barry McGuire (of The New Christy Minstrels). Several locations important to The Mamas and The Papas story are also mentioned e.g. The Night Owl Cafe in Greenwich Village. The lyrics, "Greasin' on American Express cards" harks back to The Mamas and Papas time in the Virgin Islands when they were living off their American Express cards.[3] The title does not occur in the lyrics.
...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creeque_Alley
The lyrics of the song mention, directly or indirectly, many artists and bands who were part of the music scene at the time including the other two members of The Mamas & the Papas - Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty, earlier aka The Mugwumps; plus Zal Yanovsky and John Sebastian (of The Lovin' Spoonful), Roger McGuinn (of The Byrds), and Barry McGuire (of The New Christy Minstrels). Several locations important to The Mamas and The Papas story are also mentioned e.g. The Night Owl Cafe in Greenwich Village. The lyrics, "Greasin' on American Express cards" harks back to The Mamas and Papas time in the Virgin Islands when they were living off their American Express cards.[3] The title does not occur in the lyrics.
...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creeque_Alley
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How many songs can you think of that mention a real person, I'll start [View all]
Bombero1956
Jan 2014
OP
Bit more of an obscure one, but "Maps and Legends" is about the artist and minister Howard Finster:
nomorenomore08
Jan 2014
#95
Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder - Basie, Miller, Satchmo (Armstrong), Sir Duke (Ellington), Ella Fitzgerald
DisgustipatedinCA
Jan 2014
#28
Morrissey - "The Last of the Famous International Playboys": Reggie and Ronnie Kray
Codeine
Jan 2014
#57
Also "Michael's Bones" referring to Michael Ryan who perpetrated the Hungerford Massacre:
nomorenomore08
Jan 2014
#96
I think Dylan wrote the beautiful "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" for Joan Baez
ailsagirl
Jan 2014
#65
I ADORE CHAD MITCHELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Met him (and Joe and Mike) a couple times in recent years.
WinkyDink
Jan 2014
#80
"Spotlight on Lou Rawls, y'all" is one of my alltime favorite recorded moments
Tom Ripley
Jan 2014
#81
Ricky Martin: "If You Ever Saw Her"~~"Well, she's every dream girl from Monroe to Madonna."
WinkyDink
Jan 2014
#79
Don Wiliams "Good ole boys like me" has a few. Stonewall Jackson, Hank and Tennessee Williams
Rowdyboy
Jan 2014
#110
'Done Too Soon" Neil Diamond, (Jesus Christ, Fanny Brice, Wolfie Mozart...)
canoeist52
Jan 2014
#111
Midnight in Montgomery-Hank Williams Sr... actually there are eleventy billion
ScreamingMeemie
Jan 2014
#122