As teens Edgar and Johnny (who is three years older than Edgar) began performing together at local watering holes such as Tom's Fish Camp. The two played in R&B and blues groups; Johnny and the Jammers, The Crystaliers, and The Black Plague. By the time he was of college age Edgar had become competent on keyboards, bass, guitar and drums.
After recording with his brother, Clive Davis gave Edgar the green light to go solo, creating whatever he wanted. An unaclaimed, eclectic black vinyl called Entrance was released and so was the talent and magnetism of Edgar Winter.
Johnny's nimble fingers and fine-tuned hearing made up for poor eyesight, making him rich and respected....and making him famous first. Edgar would settle forever settle as Johnny's little brother...but his talent...and ability to recognize and attract talent, would keep Edgar continually evolving.
Edgar was signed to his own Epic Records contract in 1970 and recorded several albums, including Entrance and Edgar Winter's White Trash. In 1972 he formed The Edgar Winter Group which included Dan Hartman, Ronnie Montrose and Chuck Ruff. It was with this band that he had his biggest successes: first with the 1973 album They Only Come Out at Night which featured the #1 hit instrumental "Frankenstein" which reached number one in the U.S. in May 1973 and the top 15 single "Free Ride;" which reached number 14 that same year, then the album Shock Treatment which featured the song "Easy Street".
Originally called the drum song in development, there was so much tape on the cutting room floor the song earned its name and Edgar's fame.
Edgar's wealth of talent, ironically included not playing instruments....but using his voice as one as well. Who won the Tabacco Road duel -- the guitar or Edgar? And yet, for the Albino outward appearance, Edgar Winter's inward ability left a mark on generations: "Why am Dying to Live If I'm Only Living to Die?"
The preponderance of vocals and songwriting by Hartman on Shock Treatment led to the release of Jasmine Nightdreams with all vocals by Winter. It was nominally a solo album, but it used the same personnel as the Edgar Winter Group. A full band album followed, the Edgar Winter Group with Rick Derringer, featuring songs and vocals by Derringer.
Success was waning, however, and Edgar teamed with brother Johnny for a live album of blues and early rock classics, including Harlem Shuffle (later a revival hit for the Rolling Stones). This album too performed below expectations, so the White Trash was reformed. They recorded Recycled, and toured as an opening act to support the album. The tour was cut short by a tragic plane crash, which killed some members of the tour's headliner, Lynyrd Skynyrd. This was followed by two solo albums, an attempt at literate disco on the Edgar Winter Album and a return to 1970s rock on Standing on Rock. Since then there have been more obscure solo albums and session work, namely with David Lee Roth on Crazy from the Heat in 1985, which included a cover version of the song "Easy Street".
With over 20 albums and many television and radio appearances both to promote his music—and to give his opinion on everything politically incorrect— Edgar Winter's music is solidly in the popular vein. Winter's 1970s albums are bluesier than his later albums, but there are blues tunes like "Big City Woman" on his 1990 album Not a Kid Anymore. In 2005, "Frankenstein" was featured in the PlayStation 2 music video game Guitar Hero.
In 2006, Winter joined Hamish Stuart, Rod Argent, Richard Marx, Billy Squier, and Sheila E touring with Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band
Teenage Love Affair
Edgar Winter Lyrics
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She seemed to check me out right away
So I
Asked her name
I played the old game
Her reception seemed to be ok
She was a cute little thing about fifteen
And she liked to make the schoolboys stareIt was an instant cosmic need
A Teenage Love Affair
It was getting hotter minute by minute
As each second brought her closer to me
And then we
Finally touched and
We touched and we touched
And her hands felt their way over me
So we made love there in the daytime
When her mama left, we went upstairs
It was a total cosmic deed
A Teenage Love Affair
Teenage love affair,
A teenage love affair
Teenage love affair,
A teenage love affair
Teenage love affair,
A teenage love affair
Teenage love affair,
A teenage love affair
Then I heard a strange rumor about her
And i didn't know just what to say
It really
Brought me down
You know it turned me around
Cause no girl had ever done me that way
That there's a lotta sexy girls out there
And I've got a built-in cosmic need
For Teenage Love Affairs
Teenage love affair,
A teenage love affair
Teenage love affair
A teenage love affair
Teenage love affair
A teenage love affair
Teenage love affair
A teenage love affair
The lyrics of Edgar Winter's song "Teenage Love Affair" speak of a chance encounter between the singer and a young girl, who he believes has noticed him from the moment they laid eyes on each other. The initial attraction is fueled by the singer's arrogance and his belief in his abilities to charm her with his wit and confidence. As the lyrics progress, the two become increasingly intimate, culminating in what is implied to be sexual intercourse. However, the relationship between the two is short-lived, as the singer learns of a rumor about the girl that leads him to lose interest in her. Nevertheless, he remains nostalgic about the experience and realizes that his attraction to younger women may stem from a deeper psychological need.
The lyrics of "Teenage Love Affair" evoke the intensity of first love and the thrill of discovering one's sexual desires. The lyrics depict a young man driven by a desire for power and prowess, who initially woos the young girl with his confidence, charm, and wit. The lyrics also reveal a darker side of the song's protagonist, who seemingly desires young girls and only loses interest in his teenage lover when he learns of a negative rumor about her. The song's protagonist is flawed but ultimately vulnerable, as he realizes his deep-seated need for love and intimacy.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought she noticed me when I saw her
I felt like she was checking me out as soon as I saw her
She seemed to check me out right away
It looked like she was interested in me from the start
So I
So, I
Asked her name
I inquired about her name
I played the old game
I used an old tactic on her
Her reception seemed to be ok
She responded decently to my attempt to flirt with her
She was a cute little thing about fifteen
She was an attractive young girl around the age of 15
And she liked to make the schoolboys stare
She enjoyed drawing attention from young boys at school
It was an instant cosmic need
I had an immediate desire for her
A Teenage Love Affair
We had a teenage love affair
It was getting hotter minute by minute
The situation was getting more passionate as time passed
As each second brought her closer to me
Every moment felt like she was getting closer to me both physically and emotionally
And then we
And then, we
Finally touched and
We eventually made physical contact
We touched and we touched
We kept touching each other
And her hands felt their way over me
She explored my body with her hands
So we made love there in the daytime
We had sex during the day
When her mama left, we went upstairs
We went upstairs to be alone when her mother was gone
It was a total cosmic deed
It was a significant event for me
A Teenage Love Affair
We had a teenage love affair
Teenage love affair,
We had a teenage love affair,
A teenage love affair
We had a teenage love affair
Then I heard a strange rumor about her
I heard an unusual rumor about her
And i didn't know just what to say
I was at a loss for words
It really
It really
Brought me down
It made me feel bad
You know it turned me around
It changed my perception
Cause no girl had ever done me that way
Because I had never been hurt by a girl like this before
But it didn't take long till I found out
However, it didn't take me too long to realize
That there's a lotta sexy girls out there
That there are many beautiful girls out there
And I've got a built-in cosmic need
And I have a natural desire
For Teenage Love Affairs
For teenage love affairs
Teenage love affair,
I had a teenage love affair,
A teenage love affair
I had a teenage love affair
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Carl Mitchell Hampton, Jo Bridges, Tom Nixon, Alicia Keys, Matt Kahane, Harold Spencer Jr. Lilly
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind