He was versatile enough to do folk songs, blues, covers of old-time Rock n' roll songs, and some original material, all of them in his own unique style. Rivers's greatest success came in the mid and late 1960s with a string of hit songs (including "Seventh Son," "Poor Side of Town" and "Secret Agent Man") but he has continued to record and perform to the present.
In 1960, Rivers met fellow Louisianan, James Burton, the guitar player for Ricky Nelson. Burton later recommended one of Rivers's songs to Nelson, who went on to record it. In 1961, Rivers went to Los Angeles to meet Nelson, and ended up relocating there, working as a song writer and studio musician. In 1963, Rivers's big break came when he temporarily filled in for a jazz combo at Bill Gazzari's night club; the temporary gig became long-term due to positive customer response.
In 1964, Elmer Valentine then gave Rivers a one-year contract to open his new club, Whisky a Go Go, on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. The Whisky opened three days before The Beatles released "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and the British Invasion knocked almost every American artist off the top of the charts. But Rivers was so popular, producer Lou Adler decided to issue Johnny Rivers Live At The Whiskey A Go Go. The live album reached #12 on the charts and the single "Memphis" (a Chuck Berry cover) reached #2. Rivers made the successful transition from nightclub entertainer to chart-busting pop singer and had created the Go Go sound, part of a scene which included Go-Go dancers.
Into 1965, Rivers continued to record mostly live, Go Go style records including "Maybellene" (another Berry cover), which he followed "Mountain of Love", "Midnight Special", "Seventh Son" (written by Willie Dixon) e "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" (with Pete Seeger's), all of which were hits.
Rivers wanted to try something different and adopted a more idiosyncratic approach as from 1966. Characterized by his smooth, soulful voice, he produced hit portrayals as "Poor Side Of Town", which would be his biggest hit ever and his only number one record. Into another hit was "Secret Agent Man", the theme from Secret Agent television series (written by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri). He also started own record company, Soul City Records, where he won a Grammy Award as the producer of the 5th Dimension, which eventually recorded "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" and "Wedding Bell Blues", two number one hits on Rivers' label. Johnny is also credited with giving songwriter Jimmy Webb a major break when they recorded Webb's song "Up, Up, and Away". James Hendricks, one of the artists of that signed with Soul City, wrote "Summer Rain", a song that Rivers recorded and turned a hit.
Johnny Rivers continued to record more hits, including "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" and "The Tracks of My Tears" (cover of The Miracles), both top 10 in 1967. In 1968, Rivers released what many fans consider his best album, Realization, a number five album on the LP charts. The album was evocative of the psychedelic influences of the time and marked a subtle change in his musical direction, with more thoughtful types of songs, included such ballads as "Going Back to Big Sur".
In the 1970s, Rivers continued to record more songs and albums which were a success with music critics, but did not sell as well as some of his earlier hits. One of these albums, "L.A. Reggae" in 1972, reached the LP charts as a result of the top 10 "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" (a cover of Huey Smith & the Clowns). Anothers hits that time were "Blue Suede Shoes" (a cover of Carl Perkins), in 1973, which would reach the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Help Me Rhonda", in 1975 - a cover of The Beach Boys on which Brian Wilson helped with backup vocals. His last entry on the charts was "Swayin' to the Music (Slow Dancing)", a top ten hit in 1977.
1980's until nowadays
Rivers continued recording into the '80's, although his recording career wound down somewhat. In spite of his music hasn't reached the best seller charts for quite a while, Rivers is still touring, doing 50 to 60 shows a year, increasingly returning to the blues that inspired him initially.
In 1998], Rivers reactivated his Soul City imprint and released Last Train to Memphis, his first new studio album in 15 years.
In early 2000, Johnny recorded with Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, and Paul McCartney on a tribute album dedicated to Buddy Holly's backup band, "The Crickets".
In all, Rivers had 9 top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and 17 in the top 40 from 1964 to 1977. In total, he has sold well over 25 million records.
Mystery Train
Johnny Rivers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Train I ride, sixteen coaches long
Well, that long black train, got my baby and gone
Train, train, comin' round the bend
Train, train, comin' round the bend
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
No, not again
Train, train, comin' down, down the line
Train, train, comin' down, down the line
Well, it's bringin' my baby, 'cause she's mine, all mine
She's mine, all mine
Train, train, comin' round, round the bend
Round, round the bend
Train, train, comin' round, round the bend
Round, round the bend
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
Never will again
Whoo-oo-oo-oo-oo-hoo
The lyrics to Johnny Rivers's "Mystery Train" tell the story of a man whose lover has left him on a train. The train is described as being sixteen coaches long, and has taken his "baby" away from him. The repetition of the phrase "train, train, comin' round the bend" emphasizes the feeling of the train coming towards him, and the sense that he can't escape his pain. The man seems to be both mourning the loss of his lover and hoping that she will come back to him. The song ends on a note of ambiguity, with the man uncertain about whether or not he will be reunited with his love.
Musically, "Mystery Train" is a classic blues number, with a driving guitar riff and a steady beat that mimics the sound of a train. Johnny Rivers's soulful vocals add to the intensity of the song, and his emotion comes through in every word. This song was originally written and recorded by blues musician Junior Parker in 1953, but it was Rivers's 1965 version that became a hit and cemented the song's place in rock and roll history. Overall, "Mystery Train" is a powerful meditation on loss, longing, and the unstoppable force of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Train I ride, sixteen coaches long
I am on a train that is sixteen carriages long
Well, that long black train, got my baby and gone
A train, likely a metaphor for death or loss, has taken my lover away from me
Train, train, comin' round the bend
Another train is approaching
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again
This train may have taken my lover in the past, but it will not happen again
Train, train, comin' down, down the line
There is yet another train approaching
Well, it's bringin' my baby, 'cause she's mine, all mine
This train is bringing my lover, who belongs to me alone
Train, train, comin' round, round the bend, Round, round the bend
Another train is approaching and rounding a bend in the track
Well, it took my baby, but it never will again, Never will again
Although this train may have taken my lover in the past, it will never happen again
Whoo-oo-oo-oo-oo-hoo
A vocalization expressing emotion or emphasis
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HERMAN PARKER JR., SAM PHILLIPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind