Waitin' For My Gin To Hit Me

I recently came across an early version of Ronnie Self's "Waitin For My Gin To hit Me." I knew he had written it, but the only version I had previously heard was by The Skeletons. I asked around to people who might know about this recording and was directed to Bobby Lloyd Hicks.

Here's what he had to say about it:

One day (I'm guessing around '70/'71) Ronnie came by Wayne Carson's Top Talent studio in Springfield, Missouri, with three of his boys in tow. They were just little kids, maybe ages 7,8,9...in that range. After a while he asked me, "Can you run that thing?", referring to the eight-track machine. I told him I did know how to record with the two-track, so he says, "Well set it up. I got something for ya." I ran a couple of mics for his vocal and acoustic guitar and a mic for the boys to sing along into. While I was doing this a call came in from a prospective buyer of the studio (which was for sale at the time) who asked if he could come by and show the place to a possible investor. Sure.

I got the tape rolling and went into the studio with Ronnie and the kids. The businessmen walked in at that point and you hear the guy who had called punch the talkback button and call, "Lloyd?" as if to say "We're here." Ronnie knew this guy and didn't particularly like him, so he's telling the guy to chill out. "Tape's a' rolling [ass****]. Everything's cool..."

Sadly, not long after, I loaned the only reel to reel copy to someone to play on their radio show and it got lost. So whatever exists now are copies of the song that I happened to record off the radio the night it was broadcast.

At home Ronnie and his 7 kids had a ritual. They'd all sit in a circle on the floor, and pass a Coke around sharing sips and sing his songs. I witnessed this one evening and was amazed at how many of his songs these little kids knew, and sang along with enthusiasm.

AND, a couple of years ago there was an episode of The Chris Issak Show, in which Chris' manager leaves her daughter in the care of the band for the afternoon. When she returns the band has taught her "Waitin' For My Gin to Hit Me." My guess is that through the years someone connected with that show had heard the version of Ronnie and the kids.


Download:

"Waiting For My Gin To Hit Me" mp3
by Ronnie Self, ca. 1971.
available on Mr. Frantic Is Boppin' the Blues

"Waiting For My Gin To Hit Me" mp3
by The Skeletons, 1992.
available on Waiting

Bobby Lloyd Hicks is in The Skeletons.
He plays the drums.

"I Play The Drums" mp3
by The Skeletons, 1986.
available on In the Flesh!

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Backstory to the Backstory

In 1995 my girlfriend, future ex-wife, and the mother of my son, Kit Keith and I were married in a joyous and beautiful ceremony in our hometown of St. Louis Missouri. When planning our nuptials, certain priorities arose. Originally, it was my idea to be married by a Justice of the Peace. Kit didn't go for that, and our ceremony was presided over by both a Rabbi and a Minister: all bases were covered. I chose my battle wisely, and instead focused my energy on who would entertain our guests. When searching for a band to perform at our wedding, I asked around as to who was available in St. Louis. We lived in Brooklyn and friends and family helped us in our search to book the entertainment. We tried to get Tommy Bankhead and The Blues Eldorados. For some reason that didn't work out, and I asked a friend to see if The Skeletons - who hadn't been playing gigs much at that time - were available. He said they were, we were thrilled and booked them. For those of you who don't know, The Skeletons (formerly The Morells) were a celebrated bar band whose only peers I can think of were NRBQ, and have at times backed (among others) Dave Alvin, Syd Straw and Jonathan Richman. After dinner and toasts, we convened on the dance floor. At this time, (band leader) Lou Whitney asked me if we had a song we wanted for our wedding dance. In all the chaos and anxiety leading up to the wedding, this detail had eluded me and I was at a loss. He chose "Theme from A Place Summer Place" (their repertoire was deep) and we danced our dance. After this, my eccentric and elderly hillbilly father in law, who was a retired sign painter, and had taken to wearing a beret and playing the bongos with lounge bands around Sarasota, Florida, sat in with the boys on a version of their song, "Outta My Way." The band then tore through their set sprinkled with covers of Merle Haggard, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Sonny Bono, Jimmy Dickens, Chuck Berry, The Beach Boys and everything good that they knew and did. Some of the details of the evening are a little hazy, but I have a vague memory of the local inveterate terpsichorean Beatle Bob trying to crash our wedding on account of the evening's entertainment. He was duly ejected before entering. As the evening wore on and the older guests filtered out, The Skeletons finished their long set, as usual, with this strange and mesmerizing tune by Ronnie Self.



Download:

"Outta My Way" mp3
by The Skeletons, 1986.
available on In the Flesh!

"St. Louis" mp3
by The Skeletons, 1992.
available on Waiting

"It's The Little Things" mp3
by The Skeletons, 1992.
available on Waiting

"Thirty Days In The Workhouse" mp3
by The Skeletons, 1986.
available on In the Flesh!

More on The Skeletons HERE

More from Ronnie Self HERE