Baty was at University of California Berkeley studying mathematics when he formed the band with Rick Estrin (born 1949). The band's music relies chiefy on electric urban blues of the Chicago variety, but mixed in with other compatible styles, including early rock and roll, soul, surf music, swing, jump blues, and western swing. The band issued their debut album, All the Way Crazy, in 1987, including the songs "Poor Tarzan", "Suicide Blues" and "When Girls Do It". The following album Disturbing the Peace (1988), included "That's My Girl", "My Money's Green", "She's Talking" and "Nervous". The records help established them on the blues festival and club circuits, and they began touring the country extensively, playing a number of international venues. They have played at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 1980 and 1982, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the San Diego, California Street Scene and Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival plus the Juneau Jazz & Classics Festival in 2002.
Their 1993 album, Night Vision was produced and played on by Joe Louis Walker. It featured "My Next Ex-Wife," a witty blues-rocker that won Estrin a W.C. Handy Award for 'Song of the Year', highlighting his steadily growing reputation for songwriting prowess. Original drummer Dobie Strange left in 1996, after 20 years with the group, and his spot was taken by June Core.
In early 2008, Baty announced he was entering "soft" retirement, no longer tours with the band, except for possible reunion tours/shows in Europe and select North American festivals. Baty performed with JW-Jones at Mont Tremblant Blues Festival, Ottawa Bluesfest, and Piazza Blues in Bellinzona, Switzerland in July 2009. Estrin continued with the band re-billed as Rick Estrin & the Nightcats. Baty was replaced on guitar by Chris 'Kid' Andersen (born 1980), originally from Telemark, Norway. Andersen had played backing Charlie Musselwhite as well as fronting his own band.
Baty's most recent blues recording was as a guest on JW-Jones, Bluelisted (2008), an album which marked the first time in his career that he documented his harmonica playing on a recording, and the first time he and another West Coast blues musician, Junior Watson, had recorded together on the same tracks.
The band dissolved in 2008, with three members going on to form Rick Estrin & the Nightcats.
She's Talking
Little Charlie & The Nightcats Lyrics
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Little Charlie & Nightcats
Album: Disturbing The Peace
1988 - ALCD4761
She's Talking Track#6
She's got her jaws just flappin' in high gear.
She's talkin'.
Man, she's talkin'.
Can't call anytime she's home.
I know she's on the phone.
An' I told my wife, she's gonna wreck my home.
She just won't leave that phone alone.
She's talkin'.
Man, she's talkin'.
Because any time she's home.
I know she's on the phone.
She said, "Girl, you ain't never gonna believe this".
"Oh, no honey, look-a-here".
Man, she can talk.
Man, she's talkin'.
Because anytime she's home.
I just know she's on the phone.
(Instrumental & guitar solo)
Sometime she says, "Uh-huh, uh-uh".
"No, yeah?"
An' she's just talkin'.
Man, she's talkin'.
Because anytime she's home.
I know she's on the phone.
An' she's said, "Talkin' on the phone, ain't all I do".
'Cause alot of times I'm listenin', too.
She's talkin'.
Man, she's talkin'.
Because anytime she's home.
I just know she's on the phone.
She's a talkin', talkin', talkin' talk.
Talkin', talkin', talk.
Anytime she's home.
I know she's on the phone.
She's just talkin'.
Man, she's talkin'.
Because anytime she's home.
I know she's on the phone.
The song "She's Talking" by Little Charlie and The Nightcats is a playful and humorous take on a woman who talks endlessly on the phone. The song starts with the singer describing how she has her "jaws just flappin' in high gear" and that she's always on the phone, even when he's at home. He tells his wife that she's going to wreck their home because she just won't leave the phone alone. The singer then impersonates the woman's phone conversation, saying "Uh-huh, uh-uh" and "No, yeah?" before jokingly adding that "talking on the phone isn't all [she does], 'cause a lot of times [she's] listening too." The song is filled with the band's characteristic slick guitar riffs and lively rhythm section, giving the song a fun and upbeat vibe.
Line by Line Meaning
She's got her jaws just flappin' in high gear.
She speaks rapidly and incessantly.
Got that phone glued to her ear.
She never puts down her phone.
Can't call anytime she's home.
She's always on the phone, so it's hard to reach her.
An' I told my wife, she's gonna wreck my home.
Her excessive talking on the phone is causing problems in the household.
She said, "Girl, you ain't never gonna believe this".
She often shares gossip and stories with her friends.
Sometime she says, "Uh-huh, uh-uh". "No, yeah?"
She uses common filler words to keep the conversation going.
'Cause alot of times I'm listenin', too.
She also spends a lot of time listening on the phone.
She's a talkin', talkin', talkin' talk.
She talks endlessly and excessively.
Talkin', talkin', talk.
Repeated emphasis on her excessive talking.
She's just talkin'. Man, she's talkin'.
Reiteration of how much she talks.
Because anytime she's home. I know she's on the phone.
No matter when you try to contact her, she's always on the phone.
Contributed by Penelope H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.