Carrie Nation was the band I used to write songs for before I became a cartoonist. (1972-1977) The band had a hybrid California/Atlanta sound that was reminiscent of the Allman Brothers and Quicksilver Messenger Service. One day lead guitarist Marty Bone came to me with this tune and asked me to write some lyrics for it, but I couldn’t improve upon perfection. This version was a live radio recording from KZAP, recorded at The Rock at Cal Expo…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVaql5Ojp0o&feature=youtu.be
Bob:
Thanks for posting this. And you’re right: To have you write lyrics for this would have been tantmont to Jorma Kaukonen asking Paul Kantner to write lyrics for Embryonic Journey.
I worked in Cupertino for a couple of years, a nondescript suburb of San Jose. It never occurred to me that a bunch of hippies in the foothills would write a song about.
It’s too good of a song to waste on a place like that.
I think Marty just liked the name. Carrie Nation used to play quite a bit in the area, before it became famous as the tech capitol of the world.
You guys were getting itchy because I hand no name for it. I said,” I’m gonna close my eyes and the first sign Isee. that’ll be the name.When I opened up I saw “Cupertino City Limits.”
I recall Marty sitting on a bench at Uncle Rumple’s late one afternoon, his back against the wall, his axe in his hands. His fingers were fairly flying over the neck of the guitar, his right hand a blur as he ripped through progressions that would make Frampton weep with jealousy. In the middle of a most excellent riff, he suddenly stopped and I can still hear him say in that soft southern drawl, “Shit. I missed a lick.” Only he would have known.