Gorgeous George

First George Thorogood and the Destroyers record, out on Rounder in 1977

First George Thorogood and the Destroyers record, released on Rounder in 1977

I originally heard the first George Thorogood and the Destroyers record when I was 17 and living in New Zealand. I made friends with a bad girl known as Pamela “Cheekyface” Johnson. She had a car and we used to roll around the streets of Dunedin listening to this tape and drinking beer I had bought with my American fake ID. Before this I did not have a very good impression of George Thorogood, my main association being “Bad To The Bone” as the theme song for Problem Child II.

George Thorogood

However, this record has become one of my favorites. It came out in 1977, and while it’s not by any means punk, it’s got a lot more raucous energy than classic Southern Rock like the Allman Brothers or Lynard Skynard. His band is named the Destroyers. It’s got these extended guitar solos and also the spoken-word intro for “One Burbon, One Scotch and One Beer” (tried that once at a bar and puked!), but it’s not really psyched-out or jammy. It came out on Rounder Records and I don’t know if it was ever very popular in the US or not. Almost no one I mention it to has ever heard of it. For me it’s got these really pure associations of riding around in a car with “no particular place to go”.

Here is Thorogood’s version of the Robert Johnson song “Kind Hearted Woman”.

Thorogood’s Kind Hearted Woman

My favorite part is when his voice breaks at 1:44! (George if you’re mad about me posting this, get in touch ok?)