The Story Behind George Thorogood’s ‘Unhealthy to the Bone’

The primary unique music that George Thorogood ever wrote was “Unhealthy to the Bone.” Celebrating its fortieth anniversary this yr, the observe remains to be omnipresent on basic rock radio and has been utilized in numerous motion pictures and tv reveals. Not a nasty place to start your profession as a songwriter.

Thorogood and his band have put their spin on loads of blues staples through the years, notably making radio classics out of John Lee Hooker’s “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” “Transfer It On Over” by Hank Williams and Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love.”

However Thorogood felt pigeonholed as somebody who solely did covers, regardless of having a big catalog of originals. “Lots of people assume that’s solely what defines George Thorogood,” he tells UCR. “Now, we checked out our albums and there are heaps and plenty of unique songs. I simply bought uninterested in doing that in interviews, making an attempt to set individuals straight.”

Seeds had been planted for The Unique George Thorogood, which arrives on April 15. The gathering brings collectively 14 of his favourite self-penned songs, together with a stack of hits, but in addition loads of deeper cuts.

George Thorogood and the Destroyers even have a yr filled with tour dates that can carry them abroad and again once more. In June, they hyperlink up with Sammy Hagar for a summer time run. Thorogood joined us lately to debate how a number of the songs featured in The Unique George Thorogood got here collectively.

What do you bear in mind concerning the first music you ever wrote?
I used to be engaged on a tune. We had been doing this factor known as the 50/50 Tour. Throughout that tour, I used to be engaged on a music. We had a present to do in New Orleans with the Rolling Stones and the Neville Brothers. Earlier than I went on stage, a gentleman got here as much as converse with me. He was a really good man. He was sort of a chatterbox and a bit of bit shorter than me. He mentioned, “George, I heard you’re writing songs now,” which I wasn’t doing earlier than. I mentioned, “That’s right.” He mentioned, “Properly, in the event that they’re something like ‘[Bad to the] Bone,’ you’ll do alright.” Then he mentioned, “Oh, by the best way, I’m David Geffen.” I mentioned, “Properly, how do you know I used to be doing that?” – as a result of I used to be solely doing it in soundchecks. I by no means did it stay. He mentioned, “George, it’s my job to know issues like that.” In order that was the primary one. I assumed, “Properly, you’re off to the races. There, you’ve bought David Geffen’s endorsement.” So we mentioned, “Properly, possibly we must always put that on the subsequent document!”

How did the music itself come collectively?
I used to be performing some reveals with the Rolling Stones and the J. Geils Band. As quickly as Keith Richards hit the opening licks to “Honky Tonk Girls” or “Begin Me Up,” there could be an incredible response. When J. Geils performed, the intro to “Love Stinks,” it had such an incredible response. I assumed, “Properly, Georgie boy, you’d higher write one thing that has that response, or 15 years from now, they’re going to be saying, no matter occurred to that Thorogood man? Wasn’t he good at doing Chuck Berry or one thing?” So I mentioned, “Properly, you’d higher give you one thing right here to hold your hat on. These two acts had been very inspirational in saying that typically it doesn’t even must be one thing you wrote, nevertheless it helps.

How lengthy did it take to jot down?
A couple of months.

It took some time then. What was the wrestle to get it executed?
Properly, you’ve bought to grasp one thing. After I was placing collectively that music, which was 1981-1982, rock had been round for 30 years. I imply, take a look at a number of the nice rock songs that had come out between that point. “Rock’n Me” [by Steve Miller Band] or “Jumpin’ Jack Flash’” or [Led Zeppelin’s] “Stairway to Heaven.” I might go on and on and on. , [Jimi Hendrix’s] “Purple Haze,” and all of that. The large catalog of rock at that time was monstrous. It was enormous. So, I used to be actually struggling there. I wished it to be sort of a bluesy Bo Diddley factor, one thing like that. You give you a title and also you say, “Oh, no, the Jefferson Airplane already did that.” Okay, how about this title? “Ah, the Kinks already did that.” All people already did every thing! All the things had been executed at that time. In order that was the wrestle to search out one thing that will stand out. I simply discovered lately that Rock & Roll Corridor of Famer Joan Jett got here up with a music in 1980 known as “Unhealthy Fame.” Now, I’m definitely glad I discovered that out after “Unhealthy to the Bone” got here out. If I had recognized Joan had executed that music, I by no means would have executed “Unhealthy to the Bone.” I’d have mentioned, “It’s been executed!” , “Unhealthy Fame,” “Unhealthy to the Bone,” growth, growth, growth, it’s all the identical. So what I did was one thing that [musically] says, “Properly, it’s bought a well-recognized ring to it.” It’s sort of been executed. I assumed it will have been an incredible music for Bo Diddley. I assumed it will have been proper up his alley. I truly wished him to do it, however he didn’t have a document label on the time, sadly.

Watch George Thorogood and the Destroyer’s ‘Unhealthy to the Bone’ Video

Would you check songs out stay again within the day? As a result of “Gear Jammer” is a barn burner. How rapidly did it grow to be that sort of music?
It was one thing that was like lightning in a bottle. Increase. I at all times say one of the best songs are those that occurred quick. We had been jamming on it and I mentioned, “Man, if we are able to give you some lyrics for this and a title, we’d have one thing.” Now, throughout that point, I began noticing as we had been touring at evening, we’d cease into truck stops and I seen the world had modified. Individuals who had been truck drivers, if it was the ‘50s or 60s, the early ‘70s, 99 % of the individuals who drove vans had been listening to nation music. Then, I began noticing that rock began to filter in on the truck stops as a result of it was a complete new youthful era of people that had been truckers. I heard the phrase “gear jammer” in a Johnny Money music and it mentioned that was a nickname for a truck driver. So I mentioned, “Properly, if the brand new era of truck drivers are turning to rock, possibly we’d have one thing right here.”

The intro of “I Drink Alone” has these signature dramatic pauses. The place did that come from?
, Richard Dreyfuss, the good character actor and Academy Award winner, he as soon as mentioned, “I steal from everyone.” He mentioned, “If I can’t consider one thing to do, I’ll assume, how did Jimmy Stewart do that?” He would get round it in that manner. My good buddy Joe Bonamassa, I mentioned, “, Joe, your sound is nice. It sounds acquainted. You’re not copying anyone, however there’s a familiarity there to your music.” Joe mentioned, “George, I’m an equal alternative thief. I steal from everybody.” The intro is completely J. Geils, who I’m very influenced by. That’s sort of a signature J. Geils intro. Not less than that’s what I assumed anyway, on the time.

Watch George Thorogood and the Destroyer’s ‘I Drink Alone’ Video

“Miss LuAnn” is among the deeper cuts on this assortment and has an incredible guitar hook.
I did what everyone else does. I stole it from Keith Richards.

I am seeing a sample of theft creating right here.
[Laughs.] Properly, pay attention. , it’s like a tip of the hat. We had been touring with the Stones quite a bit. We had been doing loads of reveals. I went out and watched them each evening and watched Keith Richards play. The entire sudden, that riff simply emerged. , the good Jimi Hendrix, he would go see someone play. The subsequent day, he could be imitating that. He was like a sponge. He picked up all of this stuff. Properly, in the event you go see the Rolling Stones evening after evening after evening after evening, ultimately a few of it’s going to sink in. That guitar half, it sort of blended subconsciously. It wasn’t like I mentioned, “Oh, I’ve bought to do this.” It simply got here out. We had been playing around with it and I mentioned, ‘Miss LuAnn,’ with this riff. How come this music isn’t on the album Between the Buttons?'”

What’s one of the best telephone name you ever acquired due to your music?
All of them. Really, I bought a name from Frank Zappa.

No kidding!
No kidding. I talked with a gentleman who interviewed me within the Carolinas. I expressed how a lot of a fan I used to be of Frank Zappa. He mentioned, “Properly, I do know Frank. I’ve executed interviews with him.” I mentioned, “Oh, that’s great.” He mentioned, “Now if I might hook it up for you two to speak, would you have an interest?” I mentioned, “In fact, I’d.” A few years glided by. The telephone rings and I decide it up and I’m going, “Hiya?” “George, that is Frank.” I knew it wasn’t Frank Sinatra. [Laughs.] You can inform by the voice. I don’t assume you might do a lot better than that.

Had you recorded “Hassle On a regular basis,” or did that come later?
No, we didn’t. When Frank handed, sadly, that was the one purpose we did it – for a tribute to him. We did a depressing job of it. [Laughs.] I simply ought to have employed the Moms of Invention to again me up doing it. However what the hell, we gave it a shot. It was simply an homage to Frank Zappa.

Take heed to George Thorogood’s ‘Hassle On a regular basis’

George Thorogood and the Moms of Invention would have been a wholly totally different end result.
Properly, you recognize, so what? So what whether it is? , take a look at a number of the off-the-wall folks that Woody Allen places in his motion pictures. By no means in one million years would you guess they’d put that individual within the film. Or Quentin Tarantino, he comes up with these individuals and also you go, “Wow, that’s a cool concept.” Hey, I’m holding out, if Dweezil [Zappa] nonetheless desires to jam with me, I’m very out there. How’s that?

What’s your favourite Zappa album?
Freak Out! It was simply so distinctive. It was his first document and it was simply on the verge of the music world [and] the world generally, freaking out in society and in music. It got here out nearly the identical time “Strawberry Fields Without end” got here out by the Beatles. You can see a monster change coming. Frank Zappa’s factor was that he was virtually pleased with the truth that they could be outcasts. It says within the liner notes, “We might clear you guys up a bit of bit and make you as large because the Turtles.” At first, we thought he was making an attempt to be freakish and distinctive and all of that, simply to get individuals’s consideration. Then, as I listened to him via the years, he wasn’t. That is what Frank does. He’s an summary artist. He wasn’t the Monkees, let’s put it that manner. That appealed to me. Plus, the music was simply unbelievable. Lots of the dry humor in it actually appealed to me. I appreciated humorous [stuff]. Offbeat comedy, Lenny Bruce and Ernie Kovacs, individuals like that. Frank is a really humorous man. After I did get the prospect to see him play stay, he and Peter Kaplan had an incredible rapport with the viewers. They’d actually nice humor. I noticed Frank many occasions and this one time, he mentioned, “We’re going to do a music now known as ‘King Kong.’ It’s a narrative about some People who go to an island and seize a monster gorilla. The People take the gorilla again to America. The People make some huge cash off the gorilla after which they kill the gorilla.” [Laughs.] Who comes up with one thing like that? I imply, c’mon! He’s some sort of guitar participant. You hearken to the album Joe’s Storage and hearken to a few of that guitar taking part in.

I liked studying that in highschool you had been as soon as unanimously voted least more likely to succeed. Have you ever ever gone again to any of your class reunions?
Nah, they wouldn’t wish to see me. , I’d most likely return and see ’em and say, “Hey, look what I’ve executed.” They’d most likely say, “Yeah, you’re nonetheless a bum.” As soon as a bum, at all times a bum!