Career:
As a teenager, Lindley took to playing the banjo and the fiddle. By his late teens he was acknowledged as an award winning player having won the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest five times. From 1966 to 1970, Lindley was part of the eclectic psychedelic band Kaleidoscope. Between his work in the studio as a session musician or on tour as a sideman or bandleader, Lindley has worked on learning new instruments. He was the leader of his own band El Rayo-X from 1981 to 1983, which produced three studio and two live albums.
Work with other artists:
Lindley is especially remembered for his work as a session musician. He contributed to recordings and live performances by Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, Linda Ronstadt, Curtis Mayfield, James Taylor, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Terry Reid, Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart and Joe Walsh. He also collaborated with fellow guitarists Ry Cooder and Henry Kaiser. Artist Ben Harper credited Lindley's distinctive slide guitar style as a major influence on his own playing and in 2006 Lindley sat in on Harper's album Both Sides of the Gun. He is remembered in the guitar community for his use of "cheap" instruments sold at Sears department stores and intended for amateurs. He uses these for the unique sound they produce, especially with a slide. In the early 1990s, he toured and recorded with Hani Naser adding percussive instruments to his solo performances, and his instrumental repertoire which he uses in his session work. In recent years, Lindley has also toured extensively and recorded with reggae percussionist Wally Ingram. It is his touring around the world that has exposed him to part of his array of instruments that appear exotic to many Western audiences.
Lindley's voice is heard in the version of Stay performed by Jackson Browne. Browne's version is a continuation of The Load Out, and its refrain is sung in progressively higher vocal ranges. The refrain of "Oh won't you stay, just a little bit longer" is sung first by Browne, then by Rosemary Butler, then by Lindley in falsetto. His slide solo in Jackson Browne's Running On Empty is one of his best-known collaborative works as well.
Lindley joined Jackson Browne for a tour of Spain in 2006. Love Is Strange: En Vivo Con Tino, a 2-CD set of recordings from that tour, was released May 11, 2010, with Browne and Lindley touring together starting in June of that year. The duo also won an Independent Music Award for Best Live Performance Album.
Instruments:
Lindley collected an extremely large collection of rare, unusual looking and sounding instruments. There is a large and detailed display of quite a few rare guitars, as well as instruments that originate from the Middle East and other parts of the world. Lindley has listed and categorized many of them on his [url=http://[officialsite]www.davidlindley.com]website but admits that he has "absolutely no idea" how many instruments he owns and plays, having gathered them since the 1960s.
Solo discography (excerpts):
1967 : Side Trips (Epic Records β with Kaleidoscope
1967 : A Beacon from Mars (Epic Records β With Kaleidoscope)
1969 : Incredible Kaleidoscope (Epic Records)
1970 : Bernice (Epic Records) with Kaleidoscope
1981 : El Rayo-X (Asylum)
1982 : Win This Record! (Asylum)
1983 : El Rayo Live
1985 : Mr. Dave
1988 : Very Greasy (Elektra) #174 US
1991 : OST The Indian Runner with Jack Nitzsche
1991 : A World Out of Time (Shanachie) with Henry Kaiser in Madagascar, three volumes
1994 : The Sweet Sunny North (Shanachie Records) with Henry Kaiser in Norway, two volumes
1994 : Wheels of the Sun by Kazu Matsui (Hermans records) with Hani Naser
1994 : Official Bootleg #1: Live in Tokyo Playing Real Good with Hani Naser
1995 : Cooder-Lindley Family Live at the Vienna Opera House with Ry Cooder
1995 : Song of Sacajawea (Rabbit Ears)
1995 : Official Bootleg #2: Live All Over the Place Playing Even Better with Hani Naser
2000 : El Rayo-X Live!! (Ulftone Music) with El Rayo-X in the mid '80s
2000 : Twango Bango Deluxe (with Wally Ingram)
2001 : Twango Bango II (with Wally Ingram)
2003 : Twango Bango III (with Wally Ingram)
2004 : Live in Europe (with Wally Ingram)
2008 : Big Twang (solo)
Werewolves of London
David Lindley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of SoHo in the rain
He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fooks
For to get a big dish of beef chow mein
Ah-hooo, werewolves of London
Ah-hooo, werewolves of London
Ah-hooo
You hear him howling around your kitchen door
You better not let him in
Little old lady got mutilated late last night
Werewolves of London again
Ah-hooo, werewolves of London
Ah-hooo
Ah-hooo, werewolves of London
Ah-hooo
Hunh
He's the hairy-handed gent
Who ran amok in Kent
Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair
You better stay away from him
He'll rip your lungs out, Jim
Hunh, I'd like to meet his tailor
Ah-hooo, werewolves of London
Ah-hooo
Ah-hooo, werewolves of London
Ah-hooo
Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen
Doin' the werewolves of London
I saw Lon Chaney Jr. walking with the Queen
Doin' the werewolves of London
I saw a werewolf drinkin' a pina colada at Trader Vic's
His hair was perfect
Ah-hooo
Werewolves of London
Heh, draw blood
Ah-hooo
Werewolves of London
The lyrics to David Lindley's Werewolves of London tell the story of a werewolf on a hunt for food in the rain-soaked streets of SoHo. He's in search of a Chinese restaurant called Lee Ho Fooks, where he wants to satisfy his hunger with a big dish of beef chow mein. The song's catchy "Ah-hooo" chorus warns of the presence of the werewolves of London, who howl around people's kitchen doors and wreak havoc in the city at night. The lyrics also mention the infamous Lon Chaney, known for his portrayal of the Wolf Man in the classic horror film of the same name.
The song is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the classic horror movies of the past, with humorous and entertaining lyrics that add to the appeal of the song. The line "He'll rip your lungs out, Jim" serves as a nod to the original Star Trek series, where the phrase was often used in episodes. With its catchy chorus and entertaining lyrics, Werewolves of London has become a popular anthem and is widely regarded as one of the best songs to come out of the 1970s.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
I saw a terrifying monster walking with a menu card in his hand
Walking through the streets of SoHo in the rain
Walking through the streets in the rain with no care in the world
He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fooks
He was searching for a restaurant named Lee Ho Fooks
For to get a big dish of beef chow mein
Ordering a large dish of beef chow mein at the restaurant
You hear him howling around your kitchen door
Can hear the werewolf howling outside your door
You better not let him in
Don't let him come inside your house
Little old lady got mutilated late last night
A lady got hurt last night by the werewolf
Werewolves of London again
It happened again, werewolves of London
He's the hairy-handed gent
The werewolf is a hairy monster
Who ran amok in Kent
This monster ran wildly in Kent
Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair
Recently, people have heard him in Mayfair
You better stay away from him
Do not dare to approach him
He'll rip your lungs out, Jim
He'll tear apart your lungs, my dear Jim
Hunh, I'd like to meet his tailor
I want to meet the person who made clothes for this monster
Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen
I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen of England
Doin' the werewolves of London
They both were dancing the werewolves' dance
I saw Lon Chaney Jr. walking with the Queen
I saw Lon Chaney Jr. walking with the Queen of England
I saw a werewolf drinkin' a pina colada at Trader Vic's
I saw a werewolf at Trader Vic's bar, enjoying a pina colada
His hair was perfect
Even his hair was looking fabulous, despite being a werewolf
Heh, draw blood
Prepare for some bloodshed
Ah-hooo
The sound of werewolf's howl
Werewolves of London
A bunch of werewolves in London
Contributed by Gianna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cynthiarau2601
My mother's first boyfriend and band mate. Tales to be told....RIP
@Lastof8boyz
I, literally just last night, was just exposed to David Lindly through a very hip radio station in western Washington, and I have not stopped searching and listening to his music since....I'm 54...better late than never. And now I understand he has left us behind. My life is richer for hearing his music. R.I.P. David and thank you.
@andyinoregon
I first discovered David Lindley playing his lap steel with Jackson Browne's band on 1970s TV appearances. Then My wife and I got to see him live at the 1990 Seattle Bumbershoot Arts Festival, alongside singer/guitarist Ry Cooder (available on YouTube).
@venkatan3092
you should listen to pulsating dream when he was in kaleidoscope.
@jayhutchinson1908
I was in the audience, got to meet David Lindley.
@davidwtaylor7180
In 1992, my acoustic guitar manufacturing company, La Jolla Luthiers, displayed at the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim. Through a friend of a friend, we met Mike Kenneally, who was hoping to get free tickets into the show. So, we made a deal with Mike that if he would spend a couple of hours demonstrating our line of acoustic guitars in our display booth, we'd give him 1 of our 2 guest pass tickets. Mike agreed and mentioned that he knew David Lindley and that David was also hoping to get tickets into the show. So, we made the same deal with David. At the time, Mike was an up and coming musical entity who played around the San Diego music scene. I knew of David from his work with Jackson Browne, El Rayo X, etc. We were obviously thrilled to have such talented players demonstrating our instruments but it didn't strike me until later of just how iconic that moment was. RIP David. The music world will be a little less without you.
@mikeholmes3494
SO... here's David Lindley & most of his band El-Rayo-X...w David Sanborn....I met them all in 1988 - Edmonton & Calgary on their tour thru....We all went to a House party after the show in Calgary where I talked to David. I told him I practiced my alto to his amazing stellar solos on Jackson Browne's albums....He replied " That's interesting... cause I practiced my guitar playing to alto sax players....like Coltrane & Charlie Parker -The Bird".....we shook hands and chatted often thru out the evening into the daybreak!! That house musta held 100 or more people in it. I'll never forget hanging with those laidback alley cats from California~~~~~Rest well my dear ole friend~~~You did good.
@whatsforafters7843
Thanks for sharing that very interesting experience, revealing musical influences of immense talent.
@spartyman7
RIP David Lindley. Legend.
@brentparis243
R.I.P. David. Seen him everytime he came to or around Santa Cruz since El Rayo-X days. One of the best string any string player there ever was. Glad to have meet him a couple of times.