Carlton's studio credits from the 1970s and early '80s include musicians and groups like Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis Jr., Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones, Bobby Bland, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and literally dozens of others. Among his more notable projects as a session guitarist were Joni Mitchell's critically acclaimed Court and Spark and Hejira albums, Steely Dan's The Royal Scam album, and Donald Fagen's Nightfly album. For much of the 1970s, Carlton was active as a session guitarist, recording on up to 500 albums a year. Although he recorded a number of LPs under his own name as early as 1968's With a Little Help from My Friends (Uni), and 1973's Singing/Playing, he didn't land a major-label contract until 1978, when he signed with Warner Bros.
Carlton began taking guitar lessons when he was six. His first professional gig was at a supper club in 1962. After hearing Joe Pass on the radio, he was inspired to play jazz and blues. Wes Montgomery and Barney Kessel became important influences soon after he discovered the jazz guitar stylings of Pass. B.B. King and other blues guitarists had an impact on Carlton's style as well. He honed his guitar-playing skills in the clubs and studios of greater Los Angeles. He attended a local junior college and Long Beach State College for a year until the Vietnam War ended. Carlton toured with the Fifth Dimension in 1968 and began doing studio sessions in 1970. His early session work included studio dates with pop musicians like Vicki Carr, Andy Williams and the Partridge Family. In 1971, he was asked to join the Crusaders shortly after they'd decided to drop the word "Jazz'' from their name, and he remained with the group until 1976. In between tours with the Crusaders, he also did studio session work for hundreds of recordings in every genre. But it was while he with the Crusaders that he developed the highly rhythmic, often bluesy style he has now. His credits include performing on more than 100 gold albums. His theme music credits for TV and films include Against All Odds, Who's the Boss, and the theme for Hill Street Blues. The latter won a Grammy award in 1981 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
Carlton delivered his self-titled debut for Warner Bros. in 1978, shortly after he was recognized for his ground-breaking guitar playing on Steely Dan's Royal Scam album. (Carlton contributed the memorable guitar solo on "Kid Charlemagne", and the opening to "Don't Take Me Alive.") He released four more albums for Warner Bros., Strikes Twice (1980), Sleepwalk (1981), Eight Times Up (1982), and the Grammy-nominated Friends (1983), before being dropped from the label.
He continued studio session work and touring in between, emerging again in 1986 on MCA Records with an all-acoustic album, Discovery, which contained an instrumental remake of Michael McDonald's hit, "Minute by Minute." The single won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1987. Carlton's live album, Last Nite, released in 1987, got him a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance.
While working on his next album for MCA, On Solid Ground, Carlton was the victim of random gun violence, and was shot in the throat by gun-wielding juveniles outside Room 335, his private studio near Burbank, California. The bullet shattered his vocal cord and caused significant nerve trauma, but through intensive therapy and a positive frame of mind, Carlton completed work on On Solid Ground in 1989. Carlton formed Helping Innnocent People (HIP), a non-profit group to aid victims of random gun violence.
Carlton's most recent albums include two releases in 1996 for GRP Records, Gift and With a Little Help from My Friends. His other recordings include 1990's Collection and 1992's Kid Gloves for the same label, Playing/Singing (1995, Edsel), and Renegade Gentleman, a 1993 release for GRP.
Despite the tragedy that was foisted on him in the late '80s, dragging him through a long and dark period of hospitalization and rehabilitation, Carlton's output over the years has been steady through the 1980s and 1990s. Carlton seems to have slowed down his touring schedule a bit, but certainly not his recording schedule. Always happy to meet with the press, Carlton has a sweet, peaceful personality, and one can hear it in his unique, rhythmic, warm guitar chords and ringing guitar tones.
Larry Carlton's niece is pop singer/songwriter Vanessa Carlton.
Tequila
Larry Carlton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was me Jack Daniels and my homey Jim Bean.
We were kinda blitzed and we were trying to behave Y'all
when in walked a soldier he was from the fuzzy naval.
We were fallin, stumblin, crawlin
her come da police, Captain Tom Collins,
and the rapper said freeze
he said "hands in the air and hand over your keys"
now here came Marguarita and her friend Shirley Temple.
I asked my friend 'bout Marguarita,
he said Shirley was a virgin an I wouldn't wanna meet her.
So I talked to Marguarita, cause yoh, she was flyer.
I took her to the coast cause I wanted to Screw Driver.
Now Im not one for a speech,
but there was plenty of Tequila and Sex On The Beach, Y'all.
Tequila
Te-Te-Te - Tequila
Tequila
Here we go again and Im not fussin,
see I'm a French Mexican but I can get with White Russians,
at the bar with a drink in my hand.
In walked Jose Cuervo what was marguaritas man.
I talked to the wise man cause, yoh he's distinguished.
His name was St. Ives and he spoke in old english.
He said "you'd better think fast,
cause Jose is kinda crazy and I heard he Shot Glass".
He gave me some advice and it went like this:
"catch the night train and head up to 'cisco"
I didn't wanna stick around,
I caught the 1:51 to New York, the Grey Hound.
Now I'm at the Red Zone, everybody's stylin'.
Was sippin Ice Teas on Long Island.
I blacked out and the party came to a halt,
cause I was drinking the Tequila with the lemon assault Y'all
Tequila
Te-Te-Te - Tequila
Tequila
I woke up in the morning and felt like a Zombie,
the Tequila Gold Label had bombed me.
You see I woke up late and wasn't feelin' so great,
And Mike said there's a Bicardi party startin' at eight.
Yo we walked in the party and started playin our games,
we played tops, fuzzy quarters, with Bartles & James.
Here came Shirley Temple and they told me to chill,
because the Mickey Brothers took her up to strawberry hill.
They took her $1000 mink and she could barely think,
cause the Tequila that she drank had her tickled pink.
Now the music came on and I rocked the instrumental.
There's a groupie named Mai Tai, a fly oriental.
A groupie is a girl that jocks,
She wore the def Black Velvet and drank Scotch on the Rocks.
We had a fake marriage, now here's to honeymoon,
Ya zone vagabond and the Blue Lagoon.
Now everybody take a word from the wise,
A girly and a bottle, Tequila Sunrise.
Tequila
Te-Te-Te - Tequila
Tequila
Tequila
Te-Te-Te - Tequila
Tequila
Larry Carlton's song "Tequila" is essentially a playful story about drinking and partying with friends. The first verse sets the scene of the bar with the singer and his two drinking buddies, Jack Daniels and Jim Bean, who meet a soldier from the "fuzzy naval." After the police show up, the group meets Marguarita and Shirley Temple, with the singer attempting to make a move on Marguarita. The chorus of the song repeats "Tequila" four times in a row. The second verse continues the night's antics with the singer introducing Jose Cuervo, who Marguarita is allegedly with, and then seeking out advice from St. Ives because Jose is a bit wild. St. Ives suggests catching a train to San Francisco, but the singer hops on a Greyhound to New York instead. The final verse describes a party where Shirley Temple is taken up to Strawberry Hill and the singer marries a groupie named Mai Tai. The song ends with a message from the singer to "take a word from the wise" and have a "girly and a bottle" at a "Tequila Sunrise."
Overall, "Tequila" is a lighthearted and humorous song about drinking and partying with friends. The repetition of the word "Tequila" in the chorus emphasizes the central role of the drink itself in the story. The song's refrain is undoubtedly catchy and has been a popular tune played at parties for decades.
Line by Line Meaning
I was at the bar with my drinkin team,
The singer was at a bar with his friends.
It was me Jack Daniels and my homey Jim Bean.
The singer's friends were named Jack Daniels and Jim Bean.
We were kinda blitzed and we were trying to behave Y'all
The singer and his friends were drunk and attempting to control their behavior.
when in walked a soldier he was from the fuzzy naval.
A soldier from a bar called 'fuzzy naval' entered the bar the artist was at.
We were fallin, stumblin, crawlin
The artist and his friends were extremely intoxicated and having difficulty walking.
her come da police, Captain Tom Collins,
The police, led by someone named Captain Tom Collins, arrived at the bar.
and the rapper said freeze
The singer is referencing a police officer telling them to stop and put their hands in the air.
he said "hands in the air and hand over your keys"
The police officer requested that the artist and his friends surrender their car keys as they were deemed unfit to drive.
now we did, and that was kinda simple,
The artist and his friends complied with the officer's request without issue.
now here came Marguarita and her friend Shirley Temple.
Two women named Margarita and Shirley Temple entered the bar.
I asked my friend 'bout Marguarita,
The singer inquired about one of the women named Margarita to his friend.
he said Shirley was a virgin an I wouldn't wanna meet her.
The artist's friend informed him that Shirley Temple was a virgin and not interested in engaging with him.
So I talked to Marguarita, cause yoh, she was flyer.
The singer engaged with Margarita because he found her more attractive.
I took her to the coast cause I wanted to Screw Driver.
The singer and Margarita went to a coastal location, and he ordered a drink called a 'screwdriver'
Now Im not one for a speech,
The singer is implying he doesn't typically give speeches.
but there was plenty of Tequila and Sex On The Beach, Y'all.
The artist mentions the abundance of tequila and a drink called 'sex on the beach.'
I'm a French Mexican but I can get with White Russians,
The artist is of French and Mexican heritage and mentions enjoying a drink called 'white russian.'
at the bar with a drink in my hand.
The singer is at a bar holding a drink.
In walked Jose Cuervo what was marguaritas man.
A man named Jose Cuervo arrived, and the singer's assumption was that he was Margarita's partner.
His name was St. Ives and he spoke in old english.
The man named St. Ives spoke in Old English dialect.
He said "you'd better think fast,
St. Ives warned the artist to act quickly.
cause Jose is kinda crazy and I heard he Shot Glass".
St. Ives explains that Jose Cuervo has a reputation for breaking shot glasses in his hand.
I caught the 1:51 to New York, the Grey Hound.
The singer caught a 1:51 AM bus from his current location to New York City on a bus service called Greyhound.
Now everybody take a word from the wise,
The artist is urging listeners to heed his advice.
A girly and a bottle, Tequila Sunrise.
The singer references a drink called 'tequila sunrise' in association with women.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RIO, CHUCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MrTonedeff
a terrific track with larry and mike brecker trading licks! jeff porcaro laying down a solid groove whats not to like! this album was my first of larry's i got on vinyl originally! i knew of his playing from steely dan,fagen and christopher cross,so when i saw this in the record store i took a chance based on the great players he used ! jerry hey horns always a treat when ever i hear them,abe laboriel bass,paulinho da costa percussion what a line up! so i got his debut and sleepwalk after this!
@bobreinert4604
Best version of this song ever done. “The Champs” would be loving this.
@Winelighter
nostalgia isn't what it used to be but this still hits the spot.
@GDelva2003
That's Al Jarraeu doing all that scatting
@elainebyrd8865
THE MAN ON SCATTING! I MISS HIM SO MUCH! I LOVE AL JARREAU. BUT HE'S IN HEAVEN SINGING TO GOD.
@tabbycat8511
My favorite version by far.
So of course only on YouTube.
@xXokcoolXx
Larry's so smooth. This is one sexy song
@reallyfool
great LP
@jamiecesar3585
This still sounds fresh,🌎🎶❤️😎🥰🕊️✨😍
@howlnwolf59
Set'em up !!! We can do this.