Sir Douglas Quintet — “At the Crossroads”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 28, 2023

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,061) Sir Douglas Quintet — “At the Crossroads”

This soul-stirring ’69 A-side reached #104.  Michael Paquette notes that “[i}t contains the great line, ‘You can teach me lots of lessons; you can bring me a lot of gold; but you just can’t live in Texas if you don’t have a lot of soul.’” (https://rockremnants.com/2021/10/23/song-of-the-week-at-the-crossroads-sir-douglas-quintet/ )  Ah, Doug Sahm (and the Sir Douglas Quintet (see #383)) — he had soul.  As Adrian Mack mused: “Sahm’s good vibes weren’t just some artifact of his ’60s roots . . . .  Sahm was internally groovy. It was fundamental to his nature. It’s partly why we love him so much . . . .” (https://thetyee.ca/ArtsAndCulture/2011/03/24/TheGroover/)

Malcolm Hanna says of “Crossroads” that:

[It] is a timeless piece of music that holds deep meaning within its lyrics and melody. . . . [and] showcases the band’s unique sound and captures the essence of the era it was created in. At its core, [it] explores the universal theme of facing difficult decisions in life. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a person standing at a crossroads, torn between two paths. It symbolizes the struggle between following the expected societal norms or taking the road less traveled. . . . The powerful instrumentation and soulful vocals further enhance the emotional impact of the song. By blending blues and rock elements, The Sir Douglas Quintet creates a unique and captivating sonic experience that resonates with listeners. The raw and heartfelt performance leaves an indelible mark, making “At the Crossroads” a truly memorable piece of music.

https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-at-the-crossroads-by-the-sir-douglas-quintet/

Of Sahm, Gary tells us that:

Sahm was a child prodigy — a pop-music Mozart who began performing at age six and released his first record when he was 11. He was on stage with Hank Williams, Sr., in Austin, Texas, on December 19, 1952. It was Williams’s last performance — he died in the back seat of a car on New Year’s Eve. The story goes that Sahm was offered a chance to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, but that his mother said no — she wanted him to finish junior high school. As a teenager, Sahm joined a band that performed blues music, mostly at black R&B clubs in San Antonio. He also got to know a number of Mexican-American musicians. In 1964, Sahm assembled a band and persuaded record producer Huey P. Meaux (a/k/a/ “The Crazy Cajun”) to record them. Meaux named the band the “Sir Douglas Quintet,” hoping to capitalize on the popularity of British invasion bands. . . . The Sir Douglas Quintet dressed the part of a British invasion band when they appeared on Shindig and Hullabaloo, but no one with half a brain would have been fooled. For one thing, two of the band’s members were Mexican-Americans. For another, Sahm had an unmistakable Texas accent. Not only that, the Sir Douglas Quintet sounded nothing like a British band. . . .

https://2or3lines.blogspot.com/2012/03/sir-douglas-quintet-at-crossroads-1969.html?m=1

What did the Sir Douglas Quintet sound like? Michael Paquette tells us:

[He] began his career as a country singer as a young boy . . . . He crafted his musical skills and style in the barrios, dance halls, juke joints, and parking lots across the Lone Star State. He formed his first band, the Knights, in high school when he realized he’d rather play music than football. He assembled the Sir Douglas Quintet with his childhood friend Augie Meyers . . . in 1964. Their musical style was heavily influenced by the sound of bluesmen Jimmy Reed, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and Lightnin Hopkins. . . . [A]n emerging blues and TexMex sound [was coming from Fort Worth and San Antonio] that was also influenced by the Texas swing of Bob Wills, the guitar blues of T-Bone Walker, and the Mexican-American rockers like Don Santiago Jiménez of San Antonio . . . . With its rolling Chicano rhythms and pumping Farfisa organ SDQ influenced numerous new wave acts including Elvis Costello who patterned both his band and his vocals after the SDQ. . . . [Sahm’s] fusion of Texas C & W, Western Swing, Texas Blues, South Texas German polkas, and Tex Mex music lives on in artists who remain devoted to his sound.

https://rockremnants.com/2021/10/23/song-of-the-week-at-the-crossroads-sir-douglas-quintet/

Steve Huey adds that:

Arguably the greatest and most influential Tex-Mex group ever, the [SDQ] epitomized Texas’ reputation as a fertile roots music melting pot and established the career of Tex-Mex cult legend Doug Sahm. The [band] mixed country, blues, jazz, R&B, Mexican conjunto/norteño music, Cajun dances, British Invasion rock & roll, garage rock, and even psychedelia into a heady stew that could only have come from Texas. Although they went largely underappreciated during their existence (mostly in the ’60s), their influence was far-reaching and continues to be felt in Texas . . . and beyond . . . . According to legend, the [SDQ] was the brainchild of Houston producer Huey P. Meaux, who at the height of the British Invasion took a stack of Beatles records into a hotel room and studied them while getting drunk on wine. He found that the beats often resembled those of Cajun dance songs and hit upon the idea of a group that could blend the two sounds well enough to fool Beatles fans into giving a local band a chance. . . . Meaux told Sahm his idea and Sahm quickly formed a band . . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-sir-douglas-quintet-mn0000018708

Here is Mott the Hoople’s cover:

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