"You Electrify Me"
© 1973 Lee Ruth
Bill Adams - Acoustic Guitar & Background Vocal
Mike Robertson - Bass & Background Vocal
Rob Lampe - Electric Guitar & Background Vocal
Bill Bielski - Djembe & Background Vocal
MP3
Sample of Lee's Original|
"You Electrify Me" © 1973 Lee Ruth |
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The Hilary Scott Band |
| Hilary
Scott - Vocals & Violin Bill Adams - Acoustic Guitar & Background Vocal Mike Robertson - Bass & Background Vocal Rob Lampe - Electric Guitar & Background Vocal Bill Bielski - Djembe & Background Vocal |
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| MP3
Sample of Lee's Original |
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| Song Lyrics: |
Lee's Lyrics:
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| Your phone is out of order and your
doorbell's on the blink You blew a curcuit breaker running water in the sink There's feedback in your stereo And lightning struck your aerial And Thomas Alva Edison is crying from his grave But he can't save us There's devils in the line, and demons in the power Deceivers of the sun, the glass, the hour And some mad prince or doctor throwing switches in the tower Defines the dark, defying you to see The plastic grass laid in his yard His tarnished brass no spirits guard The world of possiblity Wonder and beauty Nearing reality The chancing of perfection May it be so What other way to go You electrify me, love Most of all when you are by me, love And even when you deny me, love Your warm, alive, electric body, love Your kiss, kinetic and potential, love Charging the living battery full, love You electrify me You electrify me |
Your phone is out of order and your doorbell's on
the blink
You blew a circuit breaker running water in the sink There's feedback in your stereo and lightning struck your aerial And Thomas Alva Edison is crying from his grave But he can't save us Deceivers of the sun, the glass, the hour And some mad prince or doctor throwing switches in the tower Defines the dark, defying you to see The plastic grass laid in his yard, His tarnished brass no spirits guard, The world of possibilities, Wonder, and beauty, Nearing reality, The chancing of perfection May it be so What other way to go ------------------------- You electrify me-----love Most of all when you are by me-----love and even when you deny me-----love Your warm, alive, electric body-----love Your kiss, kinetic and potential-----love Charging the living battery full-----love You electrify me -------------------- You electrify me You electrify me You electrify me |
| Artist on the Song: |
Lee on the Song:
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| I don't believe I chose "You Electrify
Me" so much as it chose me. Lee approached me after my band finished performing on Earth Day just as I was stepping off the stage. We'd only spoken briefly and he mentioned he'd bring me a CD with some of his songs so I could review them and then choose one I'd like to cover. Lee actually apologized to me, saying the songs were from the "bottom of his song bag." I'm of the opinion that I was given some bits of buried treasure! "You Electrify Me" cried out to me lyrically. It was so intelligent and thought-provoking and passionate and humorous, and yet it was set to the catchiest melody. I knew I would have the time of my life interpreting it, and when my band members and I got our hands on it, we had a party! We love this song... and we hope that Lee enjoys our version. I just thank Lee for writing it, and so many other good songs. I look forward to hearing all the other artists on this compilation as well. |
The year 1973 was not a great year for American foreign policy or domestic politics: Watergate casting a lengthening five o'clock shadow across Richard Nixon's government; growing disenchantment with our ten-year war in Viet Nam; the CIA sponsoring the overthrow of Allende's democratically elected government in Chile; growing disenchantment with nuclear power; and so on. Nonetheless, it was everyday life as usual for most Americans, and sometime during that year I put together this song, playing on the word "power" as both political and electrical--with the electrical also making a love connection, along with some notions from junior high science classes taken almost twenty years before. I should mention that when I was first singing the song, I sometimes substituted "Nikolai Tesla" for "Thomas Alva Edison" in the lyrics, as Tesla, much more than Edison, had a greater vision of "electricity to the masses"--or is that "power to the people"? Edison's name, however, sings better, so I settled into singing it that way. I can almost see and hear the sparks flying and smell the ozone! |
| Artist on Lee Ruth: |
Lee on the Artist:
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My relationship with Lee is a short one. I've heard
words of his songwriting legend float through town for years, and my other
band members have known Lee much better than I, but I only had the pleasure
of meeting him as recently as this spring when I was asked to be part
of this tribute album. I am flattered that I was asked to be part of something
so wonderful. To participate in this musical history of a great songwriter
is truly an awesome opportunity. Since my ears and eyes have been opened
to Lee, I've met so many people in this town who've been affected by his
music, his teaching, and just him as a Sincerely, Hilary Scott |
If she's been in Columbia for four years, then it has probably been two years since I first heard Hilary Scott's band play. I think it was a street-music gig: the Cool Stuff sidewalk concert series. Interesting songs, good singing, and I always like to hear a good band that deviates from the typical two-electric-guitars bass-and-drums configuration. I met her in April last year, when she signed on to this project and I put together a demo disc of some of my songs for her to listen to. At the time I thought it quite likely she wouldn't hear anything on the demo that she would want to sing. I'm glad I was wrong, as she and the band came up with a strong version of "You Electrify Me." |
| Producer's Notes: |
Recording Credits:
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| I have known members of Hilary's band, Bill Adams, Mike Robertson, and Robbie Lampe for almost twenty years. I had heard Hilary mostly on her CD "Floating World," and it was clear to me that she was an artist dedicated to writing and performing music. I asked Robbie to see if Hilary was interested in recording a song for the project. Hilary jumped on "You Electrify Me" and made this song her own. I'm glad to hear that she has incorporated the song into her high-energy live shows. It was a treat to record this song in late August on a Saturday afternoon, and wonderful to mix it down on a zero degree night in late January! Thanks Hilary for putting the high voltage sparks into "You Electrify Me"! |
Recorded at Pete Szkolka's Studio Record Date: 8/23/03 Mixed: 1/28/04 Mixed by Pete Szkolka and Steve Donofrio |
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