Under Cover (December 2014) – Lost My Driving Wheel and Lucifer’s Blues
This is part three of our newly launched Under Cover feature. Every month we will be offering free downloads of two cover songs: one recorded by Cowboy Junkies and another recorded by a Latent artist. We are running this feature off of the Latent Recordings Facebook page. All you need to do is go to the page, click the Under Cover link and follow the prompts.
Lost My Driving Wheel is quite possibly my favourite recording of all the cover songs that we have recorded over the years. We recorded it in a short session that took place between the making of Black Eyed Man and Pale Sun Crescent Moon (I think we also recorded the song Pale Sun and also a version of Bob Dylan's If You Gotta Go, Go Now during the same session). I'm not sure why I like it so much, but I remember listening to the playback in the studio and thinking that, as a young band, we had finally caught on tape the simple majesty that we occasionally brought to our music on stage. Everything just sounded right….we were helped along by Ken Myhr's beautiful, tasteful guitar lines and the wise and wordly playing of the late great Kevin Bell on B3 organ who, during the session, regailed us with tales of his days in Janis Joplin's last band….and Margo's vocal performance is just so darn awesome.
Tom Wilson and I first bonded over the work of Canadian singer-songwriter David Wiffen (who wrote Lost My Driving Wheel). David is a shamefully under appreciated artist. When Tom and I went to record the first Lee Harvey Osmond album, A Quiet Evil, it made sense for us to include a David Wiffen song. Tom brought in Lucifer's Blues and laid down a stunning interpretation of this great road song. Different in feel and attitude to Driving Wheel (which is another great road song), but another excellent showcase for the talented Mr Wiffen. If you want to explore David Wiffen's music, check out his Coast To Coast Fever album….you won't be dissappointed.