The band had eight years of regular chart hits, in both the United States, where their music was played on top-40, easy listening, and country music outlets, and throughout the English-speaking world including the UK, Canada and South Africa. Their music spanned several genres, mostly novelty songs and acoustic ballads in their early years; their greatest success came with their later material, mostly consisting of disco-influenced soft rock, which the band recorded under the shortened name Dr. Hook.
The founding core of the band consisted of three Southerners, George Cummings, Ray Sawyer, (from Alabama) and Billy Francis, who had worked together in a band called The Chocolate Papers. They had played the South, up and down the East Coast, and into the Midwest before breaking up. Cummings, who moved to New Jersey with the plan of forming a new band, brought back Sawyer to rejoin him. They then took on future primary vocalist, New Jersey native Dennis Locorriere, at first as a bass player. Francis, who had returned south after the Chocolate Papers broke up, returned to be the new band's keyboardist.
When told by a club owner that they needed a name to put on a poster in the window of his establishment, Cummings made a sign: "Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show: Tonic for the Soul." The "Hook" name was inspired by Sawyer's eyepatch and a reference to Captain Hook of the Peter Pan fairy tale, although, humorously, because Captain Hook was neither a doctor nor wore an eyepatch. Ray Sawyer had lost his right eye in a near-fatal car crash in Oregon in 1967, and thereafter always wore an eyepatch. The eyepatch would mistakenly lead some people to believe that Sawyer was 'Dr. Hook'. When anyone asked the band which one of them was 'Dr Hook' they always directed everyone to the bus driver.
The band played for a few years in New Jersey, first with drummer Popeye Phillips (who had also been in The Chocolate Papers), who went on to be a session drummer on The Flying Burrito Brothers' first album, The Gilded Palace of Sin. Citing musical differences, Popeye returned home to his native Alabama, and was replaced by local drummer Joseph Olivier. When the band began recording their first album, Olivier left in order to spend more time with his family, and was replaced by session player, John "Jay" David, who was asked to join the band full-time in 1968.
In 1970, their demo tapes were heard by Ron Haffkine, musical director on the planned Herb Gardner movie, Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? The songs for the film were written by the cartoonist and poet/songwriter Shel Silverstein. Haffkine determined that Dr. Hook was the ideal group for the soundtrack. With the help of producer Haffkine, the group recorded two songs for the film: Locorriere sang the lead on both "The Last Morning", the movie's theme song, later re-recorded for their second album Sloppy Seconds, and "Bunky and Lucille", which the band can be seen performing in the film. The film, released in 1971 by National General Pictures, received mixed critical reviews and did only modestly at the box office, but it helped Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show secure their first recording contract.
Ron Haffkine arranged a meeting with Clive Davis, CBS Records described in Davis's autobiography. Drummer David used a wastepaper basket to keep the beat, and while Sawyer, Locorriere, and Cummings played and sang a few songs, Francis hopped up and danced on the mogul's desk. This meeting secured the band their first record deal. Subsequently, the band went on to international success over the next twelve years, with Haffkine as the group's manager, as well as producer of all the Dr. Hook recordings.
Silverstein and Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show became a great combination. Haffkine, having a knack for picking songs, quickly became Dr. Hook’s #1 A&R man, as well as their producer and manager. Silverstein wrote all the songs for their self-titled debut album, released in 1972. Doctor Hook featured lead vocals, guitar, bass and harmonica by Locorriere, guitarist Cummings, and singer Sawyer, plus drummer David and singer/guitarist/keyboard player Billy Francis. The album sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA on August 2, 1972. It has been released 20 times in the US, UK, Netherlands, Italy, Yugoslavia, Canada, Europe, Spain, and Greece.
The single "Sylvia's Mother", a subtle parody of teen-heartbreak weepers, flopped on first release, but with some more promotional muscle became the band's first million-seller, and hit the top five in the summer of 1972. Other titles on the album included "Marie Lavaux", "Sing Me A Rainbow", "Hey Lady Godiva", "Four Years Older Than Me", "Kiss It Away", "Makin' It Natural", "I Call That True Love", "When She Cries", "Judy", and "Mama, I'll Sing One Song For You".
Silverstein continued to write songs for Dr. Hook, including their entire second album, Sloppy Seconds, now released 16 times in the US, Australia, UK, Netherlands, Europe, and Canada. It featured some of their most popular songs, including "Freakin' at the Freaker's Ball" and "The Cover of Rolling Stone". Other titles on the album were "If I'd Only Come And Gone", "The Things I Didn't Say", "Carry Me Carrie", "Get My Rocks Off", "Last Mornin'", "I Can't Touch The Sun", "Queen Of The Silver Dollar", "Turn On The World", and "Stayin' Song". The album was listed in the Billboard 200 in 1973. In 1972, the band added a full-time bassist, Jance Garfat, and another guitarist, Rik Elswit.
The band's second single, Silverstein’s "The Cover of 'Rolling Stone'" (1972) from Sloppy Seconds, was another million-selling disc, poking fun at the idea that a musician had "made it" if they had been pictured on the cover of Rolling Stone.
Haffkine visited Jann Wenner, one of the founders of Rolling Stone, proclaiming "I’ve just given you guys the best commercial for this rag that you’ll ever get." Wenner then sent Cameron Crowe (who later wrote and directed Jerry Maguire), then 16 years old, to interview the band for issue 131 (March 1973). Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show appeared on the cover, albeit in caricature rather than in a photograph.
In the United Kingdom, the BBC Radio network refused to play "The Cover of 'Rolling Stone'", because it considered doing so would be advertising a trademark name, which was against the BBC's policy (previously, the Kinks had to change "Coca-Cola" to "Cherry Cola" in their song "Lola" to get around the rule). CBS Records responded by setting up a phone line that would play the song to anyone willing to dial in, which helped build the buzz. The BBC only found itself able to play the song after some of its DJs edited themselves shouting the words "Radio Times" (at the time, a BBC-owned magazine) over "Rolling Stone".
In 1973, all was not well for Haffkine and Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show. The group had a difficult time meeting the high expectations created by Sloppy Seconds, and the result was Belly Up! which Huey noted "was unfortunately prophetic". Belly Up! included "Acapulco Goldie", "Penicillin Penny", "Life Ain't Easy", "When Lily Was Queen", "Monterey Jack", "You Ain't Got The Right", "Put A Little Bit On Me", "Ballad Of....", "Roland The Roadie Gertrude The Groupie", "Come On In", and "The Wonderful Soup Stone". The album was sold in the US, UK, Europe, and Canada. Dr. Hook was just as famed for their crazed stage antics, which ranged from surreal banter to impersonating their own opening acts, but it was the group's nonchalance about business matters that led to bankruptcy. "If we were in the black when we finished a tour, we'd party into the red," says Locorriere. They were forced to file bankruptcy in 1974, although they continued to tour incessantly.
The Medicine Show's lineup changed a few more times over the years. When David left the group in 1973, he was replaced by John Wolters. The next to depart was founding band member Cummings, who left in 1975 due to personal and musical differences. The band did not initially replace him. When Elswit was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years later, the band added Bob "Willard" Henke (formerly of Goose Creek Symphony). Elswit recovered and returned to the lineup, but they kept Henke on as well for a while. When Henke left in 1980, they added Rod Smarr.
In 1974 Dr. Hook recorded an album that was to be titled Fried Face; it went unreleased and was never issued by Columbia.
The band shortened its name to Dr. Hook in 1975. They signed with Capitol Records in 1975, releasing the aptly titled album Bankrupt. Unlike previous projects, this album included original material written by the group. The hit from the project was a reworked version of Sam Cooke's "Only Sixteen" (US number 6), revitalizing their career and charted in the top ten in 1976. It was when Haffkine discovered a song called "A Little Bit More", written and originally performed by Bobby Gosh and released on his 1973 album Sitting in the Quiet, on a vinyl record costing 35 cents at a flea market in San Francisco, that things exploded for Dr. Hook. It charted at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and spent two weeks at number nine on the Cash Box Top 100. It also reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and was Dr. Hook's joint second-best UK chart placing, matching "Sylvia's Mother".
Follow-ups to "A Little Bit More" included "Sharing the Night Together" (number 6), "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" (number 6), "Better Love Next Time", and "Sexy Eyes" (number 5), which featured prominent female backup singers. Save for "A Little Bit More" (number 11), all the singles mentioned above were certified million-sellers. "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" reached number 1 for several weeks in 1979 in the UK and they had another UK hit single with "Better Love Next Time" (number 12). Though the band toured constantly, they never managed to turn their success with singles into album sales.
Pleasure & Pain(1978) was Dr. Hook's first gold album. According to Steve Huey, of All Music Guide, it solidified their reputation as "disco-tinged balladeers". But Sawyer was increasingly upset at the commercial direction the group's sound was taking. The band had changed labels again, to Casablanca Records in 1980, but could not replicate earlier successes. In late 1980, Dr. Hook released "Girls Can Get It" (number 34) and had their final hit (which peaked at number 25) with "Baby Makes Her Blue-Jeans Talk" in 1982.
Ray Sawyer left in 1983 to pursue a solo career, while the band continued to tour successfully for another couple of years, ending with Dr. Hook's One and Only Farewell Tour in 1985, with Locorriere as the sole frontman.
Dennis Locorriere retained ownership of the Dr. Hook name. He released several solo albums and did concert tours under the names Voice of Dr. Hook and Dennis Locorriere Celebrates Dr. Hook Hits and History tour. In 2019 he will start the Dr Hook 50th Anniversary World Tour.
From 1988 to 2015, Sawyer was granted a license to tour separately as "Ray Sawyer of Dr. Hook" or "Dr. Hook featuring Ray Sawyer" (joined for a time in 2001 by Billy Francis); Sawyer did not perform publicly after his last tour ended in October 2015. Sawyer died on 28 December 2018.
Members
Dennis Locorriere - vocals, guitar, bass, harmonica (1968-1985)
Ray Sawyer - vocals, guitar, percussion, congas, maracas (1967-1983, died 2018)
Billy Francis - keyboards (1968-1985; died 2010)
George Cummings - lead and steel guitars, vocals (1968-1975)
John "Jay" David - drums (1968-1973)
Rik Elswit - lead guitar (1972-1985)
Jance Garfat - bass (1972-1985; died 2006)
John Wolters - drums (1973-1982, 1983-1985; died 1997)
Bob 'Willard' Henke - guitar (1976-1980)
Rod Smarr - guitar (1980-1985; died 2012)
Walter Hartman - drums (1982-1983)
Leonard Wolfe - keyboards (early 80s)
Joseph Olivier - drums (1968)
Discography
Studio and live albums
(for the 1975 Bankrupt album the band name was shortened to Dr. Hook)
Year Album Peak chart positions
US US Country CAN UK DEN
1971 Doctor Hook 45 — 38 — 5[6]
1973 Sloppy Seconds 41 — 16 — —
1973 Belly Up! 141 — — — 7[7]
1974 Fried Face (Unreleased) — — — — —
1975 Bankrupt 141 — — — 2[8]
1976 A Little Bit More 62 18 69 5 1[9]
1977 Makin' Love and Music — — — 39 —
1978 Pleasure and Pain 66 17 93 47 —
1979 Sometimes You Win 71 — 59 14 —
1980 Rising 175 — — 44 —
1981 Live in the U.K. (US title: Dr. Hook Live) — — — 90 —
1982 Players in the Dark 118 — — — —
1983 Let Me Drink From Your Well — — — — —
Compilation albums
Year Album Peak chart positions
US AUS CAN UK
1976 Dr. Hook Revisited — — — —
1980 Greatest Hits 142 — 32 2
1984 The Rest of Dr. Hook — — — —
1987 Greatest Hits (And More) — 2 — —
1992 Completely Hooked - The Best of Dr. Hook — — — 3
1995 Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show - Greatest Hits — — — —
1996 Sharing the Night Together - The Best Of Dr. Hook — — — —
1999 Love Songs — — — 8
2007 Hits and History — — — 14
2007 Greatest Hooks — — — —
2014 Timeless — 36 — 9
2016 Collected — — — —
Singles
Year Single Peak chart positions Album
US US Country US AC AUS CAN CAN Country CAN AC IRE NZ SA UK
1971 "Last Morning" — — — — — — — — — — — Who Is Harry Kellerman And Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?
1972 "Sylvia's Mother" 5 — — 1 2 — — 1 1 1 2 Dr. Hook
"Carry Me Carrie" 71 — — — 82 — — — — — — Sloppy Seconds
"The Cover of Rolling Stone" 6 — — 32 2 — — — 3 —
1973 "Roland the Roadie and Gertrude the Groupie" 83 — — — 74 — — — — — — Belly Up!
"Life Ain't Easy" 68 — — — — — — — — — —
1974 "Cops And Robbers" — — — — — — — — — — — Singles Only
"The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" — — — — — — — — — —
1975 "The Stimu Dr. Hook" — — — — — — — — — — — Promo Only
"The Millionaire" 95 — — 8 — — — — — — — Bankrupt
"Everybody's Makin' It Big But Me" — — — — — — — — 36 — —
"Only Sixteen" 6 55 14 8 3 — 9 — — — —
1976 "A Little Bit More" 11 — 15 10 4 — 6 2 13 — 2 A Little Bit More
"A Couple More Years" — 51 — — — — — — — — —
"If Not You" 55 26 21 69 56 — 9 3 — — 5
1977 "Walk Right In" 46 92 39 1 77 — 30 — — — — Makin' Love and Music
1978 "More Like the Movies" — — — 93 — — — 4 — — 14 A Little Bit More
"Sharing the Night Together" 6 50 18 10 3 40 4 — 12 — 43 Pleasure and Pain
1979 "All the Time in the World" 54 82 41 — 60 64 12 — — — —
"When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" 6 68 5 20 4 22 7 1 2 — 1
"Better Love Next Time" 12 91 3 24 39 — 10 6 7 — 8 Sometimes You Win
1980 "Sexy Eyes" 5 — 6 41 8 — 1 3 1 20 4
"Years From Now" 51 — 17 72 63 — 3 — — — 47
"Girls Can Get It" 34 — — 3 — — — — — 5 40 Rising
1981 "That Didn't Hurt Too Bad" 69 — — — — — — — — — —
"Body Talking" — — — — — — — — 36 — —
"The Wild Colonial Boy"[10] — — — 4 — — — — — — — Single Only [A]
1982 "Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk" 25 — — 11 17 — — — 4 1 — Players in the Dark
"Loveline" 60 — 19 — — — — — — — —
The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan
Dr. Hook Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In her white suburban bedroom, in a white suburban town
As she lay there 'neath the covers, dreaming of a thousand lovers
'Til the world turned to orange and the room went spinnin' round
At the age of 37, she realised she'd never ride through Paris
In a sports car, with the warm wind in her hair
And she let the phone keep ringin' as she sat there softly singin'
Her husband, he was off to work, and the kids were off to school
And there were oh so many ways for her to spend her day
She could clean the house for hours, or rearrange the flowers
Or run naked down the shady street screaming all the way
At the age of 37, she realised she'd never ride through Paris
In a sports car, with the warm wind in her hair
And she let that phone keep ringin' as she sat there softly singin'
Pretty nursery rhymes she'd memorised in her daddy's easy chair
The evening sun touched gently on the eyes of Lucy Jordan
On the rooftop where she'd climbed when all the laughter grew too loud
And she bowed and curtseyed to the man, who reached and offered her his hand
And led her down to the long white car that waited past the crowd
At the age of 37, she knew she'd found forever as they rode along through Paris
With the warm wind in her hair
Ooooohhh yes with the wind in her hair oooooohhhh......
The Ballad of Lucy Jordan is a song sung by Dr. Hook that tells the story of a woman named Lucy Jordan who is facing a mid-life crisis. The opening lines of the song describe Lucy waking up to a new day, realizing that she is trapped in a white suburban town and her life is not what she has dreamed. She is lying in bed, dreaming of a thousand lovers, as the world around her becomes a blur. It appears that her life has become so routine and mundane that even her dreams offer little respite.
The lyrics continue to describe Lucy’s feelings of disappointment and sadness as she reflects on the life she has led. She longs to experience the thrill of driving through Paris in a sports car with the wind blowing in her hair, but these dreams seem increasingly distant. As she sits in her white suburban bedroom, the phone rings, but she lets it go unanswered, instead choosing to sing nursery rhymes she learned as a child.
The evening sun illuminates Lucy’s final moments. She climbs to the rooftop to escape the laughter and noise of the world below, and there she is offered a hand by a man who takes her away in a long white car. As they drive through Paris with the warm wind in her hair, Lucy Jordan finally finds the happiness and freedom she has been seeking.
Line by Line Meaning
The mornin' sun touched lightly on the eyes of Lucy Jordan
Lucy Jordan wakes up to a new day with fresh hope and optimism
In her white suburban bedroom, in a white suburban town
Lucy lives in a typical homogenous American suburbia
As she lay there 'neath the covers, dreaming of a thousand lovers
Lucy has unfulfilled romantic fantasies
'Til the world turned to orange and the room went spinnin' round
Lucy's imagination and dreams turn into reality and spin her world around
At the age of 37, she realized she'd never ride through Paris
Lucy experiences a mid-life crisis and regrets not fulfilling her dreams
In a sports car, with the warm wind in her hair
Lucy desires a thrilling and adventurous lifestyle
And she let the phone keep ringin' as she sat there softly singin'
Lucy avoids her mundane life by ignoring responsibilities and singing
Pretty nursery rhymes she'd memorized in her daddy's easy chair
Lucy seeks comfort in her memories of childhood
Her husband, he was off to work, and the kids were off to school
Lucy's family is busy with their own lives and she feels neglected
And there were oh so many ways for her to spend her day
Lucy has plenty of free time but lacks motivation and direction
She could clean the house for hours, or rearrange the flowers
Lucy struggles to find fulfillment in mundane domestic activities
Or run naked down the shady street screaming all the way
Lucy entertains the idea of rebelling and breaking free from social norms
The evening sun touched gently on the eyes of Lucy Jordan
Lucy experiences another moment of hope and opportunity for change
On the rooftop where she'd climbed when all the laughter grew too loud
Lucy seeks solitude and reflection away from social pressures
And she bowed and curtsy to the man, who reached and offered her his hand
Lucy romanticizes a mysterious man who offers her a way out of her mundane life
And led her down to the long white car that waited past the crowd
Lucy imagines a grand escape from her life with a stranger in a luxurious car
At the age of 37, she knew she'd found forever as they rode along through Paris
Lucy sees a glimmer of hope and happiness in her romantic fantasy
With the warm wind in her hair
Lucy relishes the freedom and excitement of her imagined adventure
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
legalizitt
[Verse 1]
The mornin' sun touched lightly on
The eyes of Lucy Jordon
In her white suburban bedroom
In a white suburban town
As she lay there 'neath the covers
Dreaming of a thousand lovers
'Til the world turned to orange
And the room went spinnin' round
[Chorus]
At the age of 37
She realised she'd never ride through Paris
In a sports car, with the warm wind in her hair
And she let the phone keep ringin'
As she sat there softly singin'
Pretty nursery rhymes
She'd memorised
In her daddy's easy chair
[Verse 2]
Her husband, he was off to work
And the kids were off to school
And there were oh so many ways
For her to spend her day
She could clean the house for hours
Or rearrange the flowers
Or run naked down the shady street
Screaming all the way
[Chorus]
At the age of 37
She realised she'd never ride through Paris
In a sports car, with the warm wind in her hair
And she let the phone keep ringin'
As she sat there softly singin'
Pretty nursery rhymes
She'd memorised
In her daddy's easy chair
[Verse 3]
The evening sun
Touched gently on
The eyes of Lucy Jordon
On the rooftop
Where she'd climbed
When all the laughter grew too loud
And she bowed and curtseyed to the man
Who reached and offered her his hand
And led her down
To the long white car
That waited past the crowd
[Outro]
At the age of 37
She knew she'd found forever
As they rode along through Paris
With the warm wind in her hair
Ooooohhh yes
With the wind in her hair
Oooohhhh yeah, yes
Alternating Currents
SOME LYRICS:
The mornin' sun touched lightly on the eyes of Lucy Jordan
In her white suburban bedroom, in a white suburban town
As she lay there 'neath the covers, dreaming of a thousand lovers
'Til the world turned to orange and the room went spinnin' round
At the age of 37, she realized she'd never ride through Paris
In a sports car, with the warm wind in her hair
And she let the phone keep ringin' as she sat there softly singin'
Pretty nursery rhymes she'd memorized in her daddy's easy chair
Her husband, he was off to work, and the kids were off to school
And there were oh so many ways for her to spend her day
She could clean the house for hours, or rearrange the flowers
Or run naked down the shady street screaming all the way
At the age of 37, she realized she'd never ride through Paris
In a sports car, with the warm wind in her hair
And she let that phone keep ringin' as she sat there softly singin'
Pretty nursery rhymes she'd memorized in her daddy's easy chair
The evening sun touched gently on the eyes of Lucy Jordan
On the rooftop where she'd climbed when all the laughter grew too loud
And she bowed and curtsy to the man, who reached and offered her his hand
And led her down to the long white car that waited past the crowd
At the age of 37, she knew she'd found forever as they rode along through Paris
With the warm wind in her hair
Ooooohhh yes with the wind in her hair oooooohhhh
Paul Sumner
What a voice.
RockatanskyRodShop
Best dr hook song ever! I love all of their work but this is truly a masterpiece, it almost feels like he personally knew Lucy Jordan the emotion in his voice alone makes this song so beautiful
Frankie Casper
Dennis Locorriere is an amazing singer. Dr Hook were a great band. Shel Silverstein's songs are all classics.
jimbob1
Seen Dennis Locoriere in Dorset 2022,this guy was amazing brilliant singer, fantastic hearing this guy live ,claim to fame that nights concert was announced the queen died,so memorable,but anyway Dr hook and Dennis were brilliant.
Franice Stokes
One of my most favourite song ever it lives rent free in my head ❤️💯
Bfinky
I discovered Dr. Hook a few months ago and just love them. I had only ever heard Marianne Faithfull's version of this song and absolutely loved it. Now I discover this amazing original version and am just thrilled! Two different versions but equally beautiful!
Mark Petersen
You might be able to find the original by Shel Silversteen
Vishnu Vardhan
Please listen to A Little Bit More
Trey West
Most of the early stuff that Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show performed was written by Shel Silverstein.
He is worth checking out too.
John Galvin
A story told in song, only a voice like that could turn it into a vivid film running through your mind.