The story behind Steppenwolf's 'Magic Carpet Ride' (WSJ)

Cool little write-up in the paper today: The Story Behind Steppenwolf’s ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ »

 

What a fantastic article about one of my favourite songs, that I've been into since I was a little kid. I've read many accounts about how MCR was created, but I still learned some new things. Awesome that Michael Monarch was interviewed too.

I've always wondered about some "flute" sounds in that song, thinking that they were probably done on guitar somehow but not knowing for sure.

 

Great article on what's one of my all time favorite hit singles as well. Just to add, it fails to mention that the lead vocal on the single is an entirely other take from the album version (the instrumental track is the same, albeit, edited down). I hunted high, low and in-between to find a copy of that original ABC/ Dunhill 45. Great song, great record, all'round!! Thanks for the link.

 

Did not know that, thanks Pete!

 

Great! Thanks!

 

Great article thanks!!

 

Is this one of the earliest "music videos"? Of course I have seen earlier ones but not very many. BTW the woman is Jutta Maue-Kay, John Kay's wife whom he's still married to I think.

Edit: I just realized this isn't the original video, because it has 1969 b&w performance footage added into it, which sort of spoils the original effect. Pity that YT has taken down the unmessed-with original video, but you can see it on the Steppenwolf DVD that John Kay sells.

 

Thanks for the link pscreed. One of the greatest rock songs ever IMO. And one of the greatest bands!

 

They were a great band at the time. I saw them live in '69.

 

Pretty cool. Thanks!

 

The instant giveaway that it's a different vocal is in the very first line...when he sings, 'I like to dreeeeam...".....on the album version the vocal melody goes down on the word, 'dream"..on the single it goes up.

 

Thanks for this. Great, great song. Lyrics, guitar, feel, everything.

 

Verrrrry cool!! I totally forgot about the additional echo on the vocal.

 

I know Rushton's not there, but hey...

 

In the Wall Street Journal of all places!

 

Great article, thanks for posting that.

For some reason I always thought John Kay was anti-drug, thought I had read that somewhere. Yet in that article he talks about smoking a joint, so I guess I am wrong there. I do remember a very crazy Steppenwolf showthat I was at in the early '80's where dickhead bikers basically took over the club and one azzhole actually went up on the stage during the show and tried to give Kay a joint but Kay wanted nothing to do with it.

 

John Kay's book (called Magic Carpet Ride) is one of the most interesting and smart rock memoirs there is. He talks about how he had a really strong work ethic and a head for business, which placed him at odds with the mentality of a lot of the hippie musicians of the 1960s. He says he has had some problems with drugs in the past, especially at the time Steppenwolf broke up during 1972-74. But he is, overall, a pretty straight guy and a really clear thinker.

 

Thanks for posting!

 

Thanks for that book tip, I am going to have to investigate that, maybe pick it up, sounds like a good read. From the stuff I have read by him in interviews etc he seems like a really smart guy.

 

One of the tightest funkiest bits of guitar playing I have heard. Like.
Though I own precisely zero Steppenwolf material.

 

Magic Carpet Ride The Autobiography of John Kay and Steppenwolf: John Kay and John Einarson: 9781550821239: Amazon.com: Books »