The song is about a girlfriend whose wild ways the singer just can’t tame (the female equivalent of Joe Walsh’s character in his solo hit “Life’s Been Good”). Walsh wrote this song with his bandmates, drummer Jim Fox and bass player Dale Peters. Szymczyk produced the band and began a long association with Joe Walsh, producing his solo albums and most of the Eagles output in the ’70s. It was the producer Bill Szymczyk who signed the James Gang to ABC Records after seeing them perform at a show in Ohio. It was quite a learning experience for Walsh, who left the James Gang in 1971 after recording three studio albums with the group. With just three members, it meant Walsh had to play both rhythm and lead guitar parts, and also sing (he got a lot more help when he joined the Eagles in 1975). They were a 5-piece when Walsh joined but was down to three when they released their second album James Gang Rides Again.
He replaced Glenn Schwartz in the band, who Walsh considers a mentor. Walsh joined the Cleveland-based group in 1969 after making a name for himself as one of the top guitarists in Ohio. The James Gang is best known for their guitarist, Joe Walsh, whose playing on this track helped establish him as a superstar guitarist. The song peaked at #59 in the Billboard 100 in 1971. Winner of 30 Public Relations awards.This song has been played a bunch on the radio but Joe Walsh’s intro doesn’t get old to me. Placed 2nd (1st among radio participants), 6th, 10th (twice), and 21st in the five competitions.Īwarded 14 gold & platinum records and an international sales award from various record companies. Placed as a winner in five Active Industry Research Contemporary Hit Radio "Pick the Hits" competitions from 1983 through 1987. Beeman Dissertation Award for Outstanding Research in Communications and Marketing for Higher Education Advancement and was the 2008 Leo and Margaret Goodman-Malamuth Outstanding Dissertation Award for Research in Higher Education Administration.
Graduate of Marshall University, West Virginia University, Southern New Hampshire University, Kentucky Christian University and Mountain State University.ĭissertation on institutional rebranding (see ) was the 2009 international winner of the Alice L. Sister Rosetta Tharpe: His Eye Is On The SparrowĪssociate Provost and Professor of Mass Communication at Alderson Broaddus University and an adjunct faculty member at Southern New Hampshire University.Big Head Todd & The Monsters: Bittersweet.Andy Griffith: What It Was, Was Football.Brian Auger and the Oblivion Express: Straight Ahead.The Souther, Hillman, Furay Band: Heavenly Fire.Crosby, Stills, & Nash: Marrakesh Express.Chuck Owston: Jesus Won't You Come By Here?.The significance of the name and numbers are unknown to me, but the latter was the bigger hit however, it missed the Top 40 and charted at #59, and therefore, qualifies as our bubbling under hit. “Funk #49” was the band’s second single, but do you remember their first? It was “Funk #48” from “Yer Album” in 1969. Steel guitarist Rusty Young plays on “There I Go Again.” During the heyday of the band with Joe Walsh at the helm, the band only garnered prominence in the Rust Belt. The James Gang was truly a power trio and the album rides again features only help from one musician on one song. and don’t forget no one will ever say “more cowbell,” as “Funk #49 has a hefty dose of that percussive tool courtesy of Jim Fox. There are several aspects to “Funk #49” that make it readily recognizable – the guitar work of Joe Walsh and the unison runs of Walsh’s guitar and Dale Peters’ bass. I often use the bass line as a warm-up when I rarely play that instrument, but making the transition to mandolin was a little difficult as it was a paradigm shift. It was the first time I tried playing the song on mandolin and the rhythm part was not difficult however, I attempted to do the bass line and that was a little more difficult.