1. King Harvest is a 4 piece… Read Full Bio ↴There are two entries for King Harvest.
1. King Harvest is a 4 piece band that formed in 1969 and is most well known for the classic hit "Dancing in the Moonlight," released in 1972. "Dancing in the Moonlight" is a cover of a song first released by the obscure New York band Boffalongo in 1970
For the four musicians who would eventually band together to form King Harvest – David “Doc” Robinson, Eddie Tuleja, Rod Novak and Ronny Altbach - whatever their original plans had been when they applied to the prestigious Cornell University, the college’s 53 fraternities, local bars, and the many other colleges within easy driving range presented an opportunity that pushed them away from their original scholarly goals, to become rock musicians.
By 1969, they banded together, with a few other friends, in a copy band that was tearing up Ithaca New York in those politically troubled times. They played songs from Sly and the Family Stone, Traffic, Hendrix, Dr. John and, finally, The Band – a mixed yet cohesive core of soulful music. And then they dispersed, presumably to "grow up".
However, within two years these four had regrouped in Paris, France, where they built a reputation as the one and only American touring band, playing clubs, pop festivals, and generally enjoying a lifestyle of motorcycles, music and, women. By this time, the band was performing, for the most part anyway, songs that the various members had written. Again, the musical range went from R&B tinged funky tunes to harder rock songs, influenced by their heroes but increasingly influenced by The Band. In fact, after recording and performing under various names - e.g. E Rodney Jones and the Prairie Dogs ( what did the French know anyway?), they settled on the title of one of their favorite Band songs, “King Harvest Has Surely Come,” and won a rock contest under the name “King Harvest.” It stuck.
The core of the band remained constant, but drummers came and went. In 1971, their old friend and one of the greatest rock drummers ever, Wells Kelly (Wells later became a founding member of Orleans but died in 1984) came to live with Doc, Eddie, Rod and Ronny in their walled-in villa in the small town of Orgeval, west of Paris, and brought with him new music - various albums like CSN&Y- but also a song his brother Sherman had written and recorded with a short lived group, Buffalongo (which included Doc, and Larry Hoppen who later would play with Wells in Orleans). That song was the single "Dancing In The Moonlight." Wells didn't stay long in the band, but his gift became the cornerstone of the future of the group.
In the spring of 1971, the band signed a recording contract with the French record company Musidisc, and in the fall of 1971, the group recorded Dancing in the Moonlight in a small studio in the 18th district of Paris. Small means small. Eddie had to sing lead out in the stairwell, which was a natural echo chamber (as long as the neighbors didn't come out during the recording), and the peculiar percussion sound they got was the result of using a toilet brush instead of some more modern percussion instrument.
To prepare for the recording, the group worked with their two producers, Pierre Jaubert, who really had been instrumental in signing the band to Musidisc and keeping the band together over a couple of years by providing recording opportunities and generally acting as the band's best friend, and Jack Robinson, a talented music publisher who came up with the idea of playing the intro to the tune up in the higher octaves, which became the song’s signature as it became a hit on AM radio in the United States. Jack was the hands on producer of the record, and was a true believer in the record.
The recording finished, the group, typically in the tradition of rock and roll, broke up. The record was initially released in France by Musidisc, without much success. But Jack and Pierre thought the record would do well internationally, and didn't give up on it. Eventually, after shopping the master to every international label from the UK and the US to anyone who would open the door to these two guys from Paris, they found Perception Records, a very small R&B label in NYC. Under a three year license with Musidisc, Perception released the single, and when it started to get airplay- largely as a result of Jack Robinson banging on program directors' doors in the Pacific Northwest- the group came back together - Doc and Eddie from a large sailing boat making frequent trips back and forth from Spain to North Africa , Rod from a meditation course in Spain where he was rooming with Sherman Kelly, and Ronny from a West Coast classical piano tour he was performing - and along with other musicians who came in and out of the band along the way, settled in upstate NY, close to their college "roots”, in the little town of Olcott Beach on the shore of Lake Ontario, where the band was offered the basement of the local methodist church as their practice room and where King Harvest legends still abound.
King Harvest toured once, with Jay Leno as the opening act for a few of the venues, but eventually Perception Records went out of business just as the follow up single, A Little Bit Like Magic, entered the charts, and once again the band disbanded.
There was one more shot, in the mid '70s, when Kip Cohen, head of A&R at A&M Records signed King Harvest to an album deal and hooked the band up with legendary songwriter Jeff Barry as producer. By this time, various members of the group were involved in the Beach Boys touring band and in recordings by the Beach Boys, and in fact it was in the Beach Boys' studio that the King Harvest Album (a collector’s item) was produced, with Carl Wilson, Mike Love singing background along with Peter Cetera of Chicago, and with jazz great Charles Lloyd playing a guest solo on one of the songs. In the end, the band's song "Old Friends" probably sums up the journey - "old friends, when the story ends, we'll still be good as gold."
2. King Harvest - experimental dub producer, winner of the experimental catagory in the 2009 Marijuana Music Awards.Visit his myspace/thekingharvest.
Roosevelt and Ira Lee
King Harvest Lyrics
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They're sittin' down by a river in the swamps
They're sitting on a log
One of them is kind of a big fellow
And the other one is a little bit smaller and he's got a long-billed cap
And they're sittin' there ponderin' on what they're gonna do for the night
And anything the big guy decides on the little guy's for
Cause he digs him, he's cool
The river was dark and muddy
And the moon was on the rise
And all of the creatures in the swampland
Had woke up to feed for the night
Roosevelt and Ira Lee were sittin' there on a log
Ira Lee turned to Roosevelt and said
I'd sure like to have a mess of bull frog
He said: Yeah yeah lawd sure would taste good
So they slipped on their rubber boots
And walked down to the water edge
And right away they knew that the night would be a bummer
Cause Ira Lee stepped on a water mossacin Ugh! Ugh! Lawd
"Somebody help me !"
Ira Lee turned to Roosevelt when he quit his screamin' and kickin'
And he said, "Let's forget about those bullfrog legs
And go out and steal us some chickens"
And Ol' Roosevelt said like this now
"Yeah, yeah, ooh it sure would taste good
Yes it would I love my chicken"
The river was dark and muddy
Yeah
, it is clear that "Roosevelt and Ira Lee" is a narrative song that tells a story about two unlikely friends, who are simply sitting by a river in the swamps deciding what to do for the night. Roosevelt is a larger fellow, and Ira Lee is a little smaller, with a long-billed cap. It seems that Ira Lee is very fond of Roosevelt, and everything that he decides, Ira Lee is on board, simply because he thinks Roosevelt is cool. The song is essentially a commentary on the simple joys of life, such as bullfrog legs and stolen chicken, and the wild in the swamp.
The song is evocative of Southern culture, particularly the rural South. The river is described as dark and muddy, and the setting in the swamp is teeming with life, as all creatures are waking up for the night. The song captures the essence of the simplicity of living in the South, where people would hunt for their dinner and gather around the fire at night to share their stories. Furthermore, it seems that the song is also about the friendship between Roosevelt and Ira Lee, which is undeniably genuine and unpretentious.
Line by Line Meaning
This is about two cats
The song is about two people referred to as cats, perhaps as a nod to their cool factor.
They're sittin' down by a river in the swamps
The two people are sitting by a river in the swamp, possibly in a secluded area.
They're sitting on a log
The two people are sitting on a log by the river and are likely there for a while.
One of them is kind of a big fellow
One of the two people is described as being quite large, perhaps physically imposing.
And the other one is a little bit smaller and he's got a long-billed cap
The other person is slightly smaller and has a hat with a longer brim, which could signify them being more laid-back.
And they're sittin' there ponderin' on what they're gonna do for the night
The two people are contemplating what they could do for the night in their peaceful surroundings.
And anything the big guy decides on the little guy's for
The smaller person seems to follow the decisions made by the larger one, likely due to admiration or respect.
Cause he digs him, he's cool
The smaller person is drawn to the larger one, possibly due to them being charismatic or exciting.
So it's called Roosevelt and Ira Lee
The two people have names, Roosevelt and Ira Lee, that are likely associated with their respective characteristics.
The river was dark and muddy
The river in the swamp is murky and uninviting, possibly foreshadowing something negative happening.
And the moon was on the rise
The moon is visible and perhaps casting eerie lighting over the swamp.
And all of the creatures in the swampland had woke up to feed for the night
The swamp is full of creatures that are active in the night, creating a noisy and unsettling atmosphere.
Roosevelt and Ira Lee were sittin' there on a log
The two people are still sitting on the log by the river, perhaps enjoying the peaceful environment.
Ira Lee turned to Roosevelt and said, "I'd sure like to have a mess of bull frog"
Ira Lee expresses interest in eating bullfrog, likely a swamp delicacy.
He said: Yeah yeah lawd sure would taste good
Ira Lee confirms his desire to eat bullfrog, indicating he's really hungry or craving it specifically.
So they slipped on their rubber boots and walked down to the water edge
The two people put on rubber boots, likely for protection or practicality, and headed to the river.
And right away they knew that the night would be a bummer
Something negative happens right away and the two people realize their plan for the night won't go as expected.
Cause Ira Lee stepped on a water mossacin Ugh! Ugh! Lawd "Somebody help me !"
Ira Lee gets bitten or hurt by something in the river, likely a water moccasin, and shouts in pain asking for help.
Ira Lee turned to Roosevelt when he quit his screamin' and kickin'
After Ira Lee calms down from being hurt, he turns to Roosevelt for guidance or comfort.
And he said, "Let's forget about those bullfrog legs and go out and steal us some chickens"
Ira Lee suggests stealing chickens instead of continuing with their original plan of eating bullfrog, possibly due to the negative incident or as a more appealing alternative.
And Ol' Roosevelt said like this now
Roosevelt responds to Ira Lee's suggestion in a certain way, possibly indicating his agreement or offering his own thoughts.
"Yeah, yeah, ooh it sure would taste good
Roosevelt agrees with Ira Lee that stealing chicken would be a good idea and that he would enjoy it.
Yes it would I love my chicken"
Roosevelt reiterates his desire for chicken, indicating how much he enjoys eating it.
The river was dark and muddy
Repeating earlier descriptions of the river, perhaps emphasizing its role in the story.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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