Lo-Fi Mojo: “Farmer John”

Like most listeners, the first time I heard the song “Farmer John” was on the Neil Young & Crazy Horse return-to-form album Ragged Glory in 1987. It seemed almost tailor-made for the proto-punk, garage rock stylings of the sometimes barely-competent but always glorious guitar skronk of Crazy Horse.

The song’s got a history all it’s own, however. It’s one of those chestnuts that gets unearthed every decade or so. That’s a sign of either staying power or novelty, usually”¦in this case, perhaps a little of both.

The definitive version, and the one that Young & Crazy Horse and any other act to cover it since the “Ëœ60s is referencing, is from 1964, by The Premiers. Featured on the Nuggets box set, it has one of the strangest openings you’re likely to hear on record.

“Has anybody seen Kosher Pickle Harry?,” asks an unidentified emcee. “Noooo,” a group of revelers drunkenly (?) bawl. “If you see him, tell him that Herbert is looking for him.” More crowd noise ensues (including a shouted “Who’s Herbert?”). Then the band is introduced to screams of delight before it kicks into the simultaneous drum-guitar-sax opening stomp. Party noise threatens to overwhelm the song throughout the roughly two minute duration, with drunken, pitchy harmonizing (“Oh WAY Ohhhhh”) adding to the general sense of mayhem. Crazy, man, crazy. Dig it. Most of the “audience” noise was courtesy of the all-girl Chevelles Car Club, on hand at the Hollywood studio where the cut was recorded.

The song became an unexpected breakout hit, moving from local to regional to national fame within weeks, ultimately reaching #19 on the charts in that summer of ’64.

“Farmer John,” like so many other hits of that era, was a rocked-up (read: “Louie Louie”‘ed) remake of an earlier, more basic “Ëœ50s R&B song. Don & Dewey were a Los Angeles-based vocal duo. “Don” is none other than Don “Sugarcane” Harris, best known as the electric violinist on Frank Zappa’s Hot Rats, Burnt Weeny Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh albums, as well as his appearances as a sideman with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers.

The Searchers (of “Needles and Pins” and “Love Potion No. 9” fame) also covered the song, in 1963, a version of which I could not track down. But, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals have been playing this gem in concert for a few years now, a version of which is below.

Don & Dewey — “Farmer John”
The Premiers — “Farmer John”
Neil Young & Crazy Horse — “Farmer John” [from Ragged Glory]
Neil Young & Crazy Horse — “Farmer John” [from Arc/Weld]
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals — “Farmer John” [Live]