First fruits of the Che Underground Rock-‘n’-Roll Weekend: Days after we posted about a video featuring “Prison Walls” from the Injections’ seminal 1980 single, the DaveFest Four put its own spin on the song at Lestat’s Coffee House on San Diego’s Adams Ave.
Dave Fleminger, who provides vocals and guitar on the track, describes the inspiration for the DaveFest Four’s version of “Prison Walls”:
“Hearing that single — with ‘Lies’ on the flipside — for the first time, it was just the most direct and clearest message I had ever heard from a San Diego punk band, or any punk band as far as I was concerned,” Dave writes. “Total conviction without any production pretense, just scary real and raw, sounded like it was recorded in some hellish cell.
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“And then (Injections vocalist) Lou (Skum) told me last year that he considered it to be a cowboy song. And that thought stuck in my head ever since … Makes total sense. It’s a great folk song.
“As this was an all-ages audience event, I did try to tone down the language a bit but lost my cool during the second verse … The spirit moved me. Some day I’d like to know what the correct words are for the ‘at least they don’t run around’ lyric, so I skipped interpreting that line incorrectly. Can somebody please enlighten me?”
Listen to your brothers’ calls! “Prison Walls” performed by the Injections, 1980
The lineup on this number also includes Dave Doyle (bass); David Klowden (drums); guest “Dave” Lou Damian (harmonica); and backup vocalist/guitarist Dave Rinck, who also offers a shout-out to the Injections.
I’m very flattered.
I prefer the raw sound of Lou’s voice and the music in the original
though..props for giving it a try
I have a hard time enjoying country western music
(not my thing)
IMHO
that came across a little too country and western for me
but it’s nice to hear how others interpret that tune
Didn’t Dan McLain compare the Injections to Creedence at one point?
One review said we sounded like a bad square-dance band.
Of course we loved that type of comment!
It made perfect sense to me too at the show friday night.I thought it sounded like a Johnny Cash song.Couldn’t understand why I had never heard that element of the song in the original before but it sure fit.
Bobby, that was purely intentional. From Dave’s mention of Lou’s intent we thought we should do a Tennessee 2 take on it and let Dave F go full Johnny and give the song a respectful take from that angle.
I played several gigs in the Unknowns with the Injections on the bill and it had been a long time since I’d heard the song but during rehearsals I really grew to fully appreciate the lyrics in the song and the folk simplicity with which the song is structured. I enjoyed playing it that night. Thanks to Lou for giving us a great song!
Bruce Perreault composed all the music, and deserves all the credit and half the blame for the Injections.
“All the credit and half the blame…” Love ya LOU!
…in the strangest kind of way
Well thank you both!
jes finished listening to the master audio tapes
of the whole lestats concert
wait to you here the whole thing!
very very
great recording
Your Daughter is a Gem.