Milk and Alcohol
Encyclopedia
"Milk and Alcohol" is a song
by the band Dr. Feelgood
that ranked on Britain's top-10 hit singles chart in 1979. Written by Nick Lowe
and Gypie Mayo
, and produced
by Richard Gottehrer
, the song was Dr. Feelgood's biggest hit and continues to be played by the band.
and John "Gypie" Mayo
, reportedly retells Lowe's 1970s experiences drinking one too many Kahlúa
-milk drinks
at or after a United States concert by legendary blues
man John Lee Hooker
. However, while the song anonymously criticises Hooker ("Main attraction dead on his feet, Black man rhythm with a white boy beat"), ironically it was inspired by Hooker's own lyric about "milk, cream and alcohol". The song was recorded
in 1978 and first appeared on Private Practice
, an album by Dr. Feelgood that was released in October 1978. The heavy riffs on "Milk and Alcohol" were added by Mayo, a guitarist who replaced the less mainstream guitarist Wilko Johnson
in 1978 after Johnson left the band as a result of an argument over the recording of Dr. Feelgood's fourth album, Sneakin' Suspicion
(1977).
"Milk and Alcohol" was released as a single
in January 1979. The vinyl
material of the single record was issued in the three colours of black, white and brown, with the white and brown meant to call to mind white milk and brown alcohol. The outline of a Kahlúa
bottle appears on the record sleeve
. The background around the bottle on the different record sleeves was varied to match the vinyl colour.
The song reached Britain's top-10 hit singles chart the same month in which it was released. The track reached #9 in the United Kingdom chart
, in part due to the song's reference to the milk and alcohol drink, and spent nine weeks in the listing. Capitalizing on the notoriety the song brought, the band presented "Milk and Alcohol" live to audiences around the world in 1979, including in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Russia and the United States.
in the United Kingdom, and their only Top 10 single
in the UK Singles Chart
. In 1979, the musical world was perceived as being dominated by "fey glam-rockers
and 15-minute Mellotron solos." When "Milk and Alcohol" was played in the pubs of Canvey Island
in the late 1970s, the song came across as a radical departure that contributed to "a short, sharp shock of roots rock." For a while, the song lead to some drinking both alcohol and milk while listing to Dr. Feelgood perform live.
In April 1989 a remix
"Milk and Alcohol (New Recipe)" was issued by EMI
in both 7" vinyl
((EM 89) with "She's Got Her Eyes on You" as the B Side
) and 12" vinyl ((12 EM 89) with "She's Got Her Eyes on You" and "Mad Man Blues" on the B side).
In 1997, "Milk and Alcohol" continued to be played by the band while making the rounds of the world's pubs, clubs and concert halls. However, by 2003, "Milk and Alcohol" was seen as a "forgotten gem" and was listed at number nine on "Moozak Top Ten", a tongue-in-cheek
"cow music" listing that included entries such as "Bovinian Rhapsody", a wordplay on the popular 1975 song "Bohemian Rhapsody
," and "You can cull me Al", a wordplay on the popular 1986 song "You Can Call Me Al
." With the band continuing to present the song in concerts, the music community regained respect for the song. In 2005, the band's biggest hit was being called a "classic." In that same year, "Milk and Alcohol" was considered by the music magazine Q
in its compilation of the top ten cigarettes and alcohol songs for the ultimate soundtrack to a drinking session, but lost out to the 1987 song "Nightrain
" by the American
rock band
, Guns N' Roses
. Mayo's guitar performance on "Milk and Alcohol", which ranked as number four on a 2005 list of the top ten great British guitar heroes, was cited in that same listing for waking "a generation of guitarists up to the sheer power and energy" of the guitar.
Three decades after reaching Britain's top ten, "Milk and Alcohol" continues to be a popular choice for the band during its concerts.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by the band Dr. Feelgood
Dr. Feelgood (band)
Dr. Feelgood are a British pub rock band formed in 1971. The band's name derives from a slang term for heroin or for a doctor who is willing to overprescribe drugs. It is also a reference to a 1962 record by the American blues pianist and singer Willie Perryman called "Dr Feel-Good", which...
that ranked on Britain's top-10 hit singles chart in 1979. Written by Nick Lowe
Nick Lowe
Nicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
and Gypie Mayo
Gypie Mayo
Gypie Mayo is an English guitarist, playing in Dr. Feelgood from 1977 to 1981, and from 1996 to 2004 in the re-born Yardbirds with Alan Glen....
, and produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Richard Gottehrer
Richard Gottehrer
Richard Gottehrer is an American songwriter, record producer and record label executive.-Career:Gottehrer came to prominence as a songwriter in the 1960s with his most notable songs being "My Boyfriend's Back" and "I Want Candy". As Feldman-Goldstein-Gottehrer , he wrote various songs including...
, the song was Dr. Feelgood's biggest hit and continues to be played by the band.
History
"Milk and Alcohol", written in 1978 by Nick LoweNick Lowe
Nicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
and John "Gypie" Mayo
Gypie Mayo
Gypie Mayo is an English guitarist, playing in Dr. Feelgood from 1977 to 1981, and from 1996 to 2004 in the re-born Yardbirds with Alan Glen....
, reportedly retells Lowe's 1970s experiences drinking one too many Kahlúa
Kahlúa
Kahlúa is a Mexican coffee-flavored rum-based liqueur. It is dense and sweet, with the distinct taste of coffee, from which it is made. Kahlúa also contains sugar, corn syrup and vanilla bean.-History:...
-milk drinks
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
at or after a United States concert by legendary blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
man John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
. However, while the song anonymously criticises Hooker ("Main attraction dead on his feet, Black man rhythm with a white boy beat"), ironically it was inspired by Hooker's own lyric about "milk, cream and alcohol". The song was recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
in 1978 and first appeared on Private Practice
Private Practice (album)
Private Practice was the sixth album by Dr. Feelgood, and was released in October 1978.This was commercially rewarding when the album spawned a Top 10 hit single in "Milk and Alcohol"...
, an album by Dr. Feelgood that was released in October 1978. The heavy riffs on "Milk and Alcohol" were added by Mayo, a guitarist who replaced the less mainstream guitarist Wilko Johnson
Wilko Johnson
Wilko Johnson is an English guitarist and songwriter, particularly associated with the UK rhythm and blues band Dr. Feelgood in the 1970s.-Career:...
in 1978 after Johnson left the band as a result of an argument over the recording of Dr. Feelgood's fourth album, Sneakin' Suspicion
Sneakin' Suspicion
Sneakin' Suspicion was the fourth album by Dr. Feelgood, and was released in 1977. During recording of Sneakin' Suspicion, the band were dealt a potentially fatal blow with the departure of guitarist, co-writer and focal point, Wilko....
(1977).
"Milk and Alcohol" was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in January 1979. The vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
material of the single record was issued in the three colours of black, white and brown, with the white and brown meant to call to mind white milk and brown alcohol. The outline of a Kahlúa
Kahlúa
Kahlúa is a Mexican coffee-flavored rum-based liqueur. It is dense and sweet, with the distinct taste of coffee, from which it is made. Kahlúa also contains sugar, corn syrup and vanilla bean.-History:...
bottle appears on the record sleeve
Record sleeve
A record sleeve is the outer covering of a vinyl recording. The sleeve is technically the paper covering that is closest in contact to the surface of the recording, as in "dust sleeve", "liner" and "album liner". The term has come to be synonymous with "record jacket" and "album jacket", which is...
. The background around the bottle on the different record sleeves was varied to match the vinyl colour.
The song reached Britain's top-10 hit singles chart the same month in which it was released. The track reached #9 in the United Kingdom chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, in part due to the song's reference to the milk and alcohol drink, and spent nine weeks in the listing. Capitalizing on the notoriety the song brought, the band presented "Milk and Alcohol" live to audiences around the world in 1979, including in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Russia and the United States.
Impact
"Milk and Alcohol" was the band's fourth hit singleHit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in the United Kingdom, and their only Top 10 single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. In 1979, the musical world was perceived as being dominated by "fey glam-rockers
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
and 15-minute Mellotron solos." When "Milk and Alcohol" was played in the pubs of Canvey Island
Canvey Island
Canvey Island is a civil parish and reclaimed island in the Thames estuary in England. It is separated from the mainland of south Essex by a network of creeks...
in the late 1970s, the song came across as a radical departure that contributed to "a short, sharp shock of roots rock." For a while, the song lead to some drinking both alcohol and milk while listing to Dr. Feelgood perform live.
In April 1989 a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
"Milk and Alcohol (New Recipe)" was issued by EMI
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
in both 7" vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
((EM 89) with "She's Got Her Eyes on You" as the B Side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
) and 12" vinyl ((12 EM 89) with "She's Got Her Eyes on You" and "Mad Man Blues" on the B side).
In 1997, "Milk and Alcohol" continued to be played by the band while making the rounds of the world's pubs, clubs and concert halls. However, by 2003, "Milk and Alcohol" was seen as a "forgotten gem" and was listed at number nine on "Moozak Top Ten", a tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
"cow music" listing that included entries such as "Bovinian Rhapsody", a wordplay on the popular 1975 song "Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
," and "You can cull me Al", a wordplay on the popular 1986 song "You Can Call Me Al
You Can Call Me Al
"You Can Call Me Al" is a song by Paul Simon, the first single released from his album Graceland. The song originally charted in the U.S. at No. 44 in October 1986 but it was reissued with greater promotion in March 1987 and hit No. 23. In the UK it peaked at No. 4, while in Sweden and the...
." With the band continuing to present the song in concerts, the music community regained respect for the song. In 2005, the band's biggest hit was being called a "classic." In that same year, "Milk and Alcohol" was considered by the music magazine Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
in its compilation of the top ten cigarettes and alcohol songs for the ultimate soundtrack to a drinking session, but lost out to the 1987 song "Nightrain
Nightrain
Personnel=* Axl Rose - lead vocals* Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar, lead guitar, backing vocals* Slash - lead guitar, rhythm guitar* Duff McKagan - bass, backing vocals* Steven Adler - drums...
" by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
. Mayo's guitar performance on "Milk and Alcohol", which ranked as number four on a 2005 list of the top ten great British guitar heroes, was cited in that same listing for waking "a generation of guitarists up to the sheer power and energy" of the guitar.
Three decades after reaching Britain's top ten, "Milk and Alcohol" continues to be a popular choice for the band during its concerts.