Inside Tracks #46: Terry Reid, "Without Expression" 1968, w/Covers by Hollies, Graham Nash, CSNY, REO Speedwagon, John Mellencamp, Michael Grimm
The recent passing of rock legend, Terry Reid, prompts the discovery of a song he wrote at 14, plus the several covers it whelped! Some artists changed the title, and some didn't get theirs released!
This “Inside Tracks” was wholly inspired by this recent, filled-with-info article by
and his Michael’s Substack:
And, particularly, this paragraph from Michael:
“Graham Nash of The Hollies became friends with Reid (the year after I met him) at the Rolling Stones’ 1966 Albert Hall concert. A song that Reid wrote when he was 14 was recorded by The Hollies in 1968 as “A Man With No Expression”, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young recorded it in 1969 as “Horses Through a Rainstorm”, REO Speedwagon in 1973 recorded it as “Without Expression (Don’t Be the Man)”, and John Mellencamp did it on his greatest hits album The Best That I Could Do: 1978–1988, with Nash singing lead on the first two. “Horses Through a Rainstorm” was slated to appear on CSNY’s Déjà Vu before being replaced at the last minute by Stephen Stills’s “Carry On”.”
My first reaction was “Wait a minute! This guy I’ve never heard wrote a song that’s been covered by some of rock’s most popular and top-selling acts (and, with vastly different titles, yet!), and….well, what am I waiting for?!” So, thank you, Michael!
Full disclosure: I know (and knew) very little-to-nothing about Terry Reid! I would read about him, occasionally, in the rock press in the ‘70s….the odd article and album review, but, compared to the access-to-promos and other mega-exposure to the classic rock and others of the day that I had….nothin’.
Looking at his album covers, now, in the days following his recent death, I remember seeing them on the shelves of the KLOL/Houston and WFMF/Baton Rouge commercial “progressive” classic rock radio stations I jocked at, mid-’70s, but, I would, generally, steer away from airing any cuts off albums and artists of which I knew nothing! And, that’s even with the fact that “preferred” cuts were clearly marked by the program or music director on each.
I also remember pricing and racking his albums at the Houston (Cactus) and L.A. (Music Plus) record stores I worked at, late-’70s and early-’80s. And, yes, I probably muttered something like, “I wonder who this guy is,” and “Hmm, I’ve seen this name before; I wonder if he’s any good!” more times than I’d care to know…or admit!
So, I’ll let dear reader learn about Reid from others here (including Michael’s fine article above), but, I’m here like many of you…to discover some of the music that made Reid such a beloved and imitated artist in his many decades on the planet.
Terry Reid, “Without Expression,” 1968, Epic Records (U.S.)
From the 1968 debut album, Bang, Bang You’re Terry Reid, Mickie Most, producer:
Live, on UK’s Old Grey Whistle Test/BBC, 1973
Lee Miles on bass and Soko Richardson on drums:
The Nash Demo, 1968…
Graham Nash introduces the song with the title, “With No Expression” (and also claims co-writing credit with Reid in his spoken intro), vocal and guitar demo, recorded in London, 1968. The goal was to record the song with his band at the time, The Hollies:
…And, the Elusive Album Track That Just Wasn’t Meant to Be…Apparently!
The Hollies, “Man With No Expression (Horses Through a Rainstorm),” 1968, with Graham Nash singing lead, is below. The song was intended to be included on the band’s Hollies Sing Hollies album (recorded from June through mid-October 1969), but Nash bolted prior to November 1968.
Nash had become frustrated when the other band members showed opposition to lyrics in his latest compositions. By that time, Nash was the only member of the band using LSD and marijuana, and a rift was forming between him and his beer-drinking bandmates.
Nash revealed the following to Dave Zimmer in his 4 Way Street book in 2004: “I’d written what I thought were some interesting songs at that time — ‘Marrakesh Express,’ ‘Right Between the Eyes,’ ‘Lady of the Island’ — and the Hollies weren’t interested in them.
“And, when I said in the first ‘Sleep Song’ [on Nash’s 1971 debut solo album; click here for that song’s Nash demo] for instance, ‘I’ll take off my clothes and I’ll lay by your side,’ they said, ‘Hey, you can’t bloody sing that. We’re not going to sing that filthy stuff.’ Saying those things to a stoned musician is ridiculous.”
Enter Crosby and Stills
In December of 1968, Nash joined Stephen Stills and David Crosby to begin plans for recording their debut Crosby, Stills & Nash album in February and March 1969 at the Wally Heider Studios in Hollywood. It was released on Atlantic Records (U.S.) in late May 1969. Their second, Déjà vu, began production almost immediately, in July, and wrapped up the following January, for release on Atlantic, March 11, 1970.
Nash doubtless experienced some déjà vu when the band recorded the newly-named “Horses Through a Rainstorm”……..
…….only to, once again, have it not make the final album’s track listing, losing out to Stephen Stills’ “Carry On.” Not only did the band think a lot of “Carry On” to bounce “Horses Through a Rainstorm,” but they were convinced it was strong enough to lead off the album!
Here’s an alternate mix (as opposed to alternate take) of “Carry On”; to my ears, I’m hearing a more prominent bass by Stills (that got mixed down in the final), and some extraneous vocal improvs toward the middle of the take that could be easily excised (all 4 band members are credited as the album’s producers):
Commenting on the album to Hit Parader in 1971, Stills revealed that “getting that second album out of us was like pulling teeth; there was song after song that didn’t make it. The track, ‘Déjà Vu,’ must have meant 100 takes in the studio. But, ‘Carry On’ happened in a grand total of eight hours from conception to finished master! So, you never know.”
R.E.O. Speedwagon, “Without Expression (Don’t Be the Man),” 1973, Epic Records (U.S.)
Live TV performance, 1974:
John Mellencamp, “Without Expression,” 1997
Michael Grimm, “Without Expression,” 2012
In the spring of 2011, Michael debuted his first major label release, the self-titled Michael Grimm, produced by Grammy-winner, Don Was (Bonnie Raitt, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, B.B. King). “Oh, it’s swampy,” Grimm said at the time. “It’s Michael Grimm leaving his hat on. This is me. It’s the way I’ve always been since I was a teenager, wearing hats and singing the music that I love to sing.”
Terry's death has gone somewhat unnoticed compared to the worldwide mourning of Ozzy, but I suppose that sums up his career. He was a legendary and respected musician's musician who was always overlooked by the mass public. I have a handful of his albums, but 'River' remains my favorite.
RIP Mr. Superlungs
I was sad to hear that Terry Reid had passed away and spent some time over the last week with a couple of his albums, 1973’s River and the 2004 compilation Superlungs. I first heard of Reid about 15 years ago in the marvelous book “The Best Music You’ve Never Heard” which is chock full of fantastic music. What a voice he had and it’s sad he wasn’t more well known than he was.