His affinity for R&B melded with his own personal style, and he quickly became a local legend. He moved to New York City, where he met George Benson, the guitarist for Jack McDuff's band. Benson and Smith connected on a personal level, and the two formed the George Benson Quartet featuring Lonnie Smith in 1966. After two albums (It's Uptown and Cookbook), Smith recorded his first solo album (Finger Lickin' Good) in 1967, with George Benson on guitar, Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax, Melvin Sparks on guitar and Marion Booker on drums. This combination remained stable for the next five years. In 1967, Smith met Lou Donaldson, who put him in contact with Blue Note Records. Donaldson asked the quartet to record an album for Blue Note, Alligator Boogaloo. Blue Note was so impressed by the album that they signed Smith for the next four albums, all of which are now considered classics of Soul Jazz. This highly influential period produced Think (with Melvin Sparks, Marion Booker, Lee Morgan and David Newman) and Turning Point (with Lee Morgan, Benny Maupin, Melvin Sparks and Idris Muhammed). The latter is largely regarded as his most seminal studio album.
Smith toured the Northeastern United States heavily during this period, proving himself to be one of New York's finest musicians. He concentrated largely on smaller neighborhood venues during this period, playing SRO shows that boosted his credibility and allowed him to develop his style more intimately in front of his audience. His sidemen included Ronnie Cuber, Dave Hubbard, Bill Easley and George Adams on sax, Donald Hahn on trumpet, George Benson and Larry McGee on guitars, and Joe Dukes, Sylvester Goshay, Phillip Terrell, Marion Booker, Jimmy Lovelace, Charles Crosby, Art Gore, Norman Conners and Bobby Durham on drums. Smith's next album Move Your Hand was recorded at the Club Harlem in Atlantic City, New Jersey in August of 1969. This surprise hit spread allowed his reputation to grow beyond the Northeast. He would record another studio album Drives and one more live album Live at Club Mozambique before leaving Blue Note. Live at Club Mozambique was recorded in Detroit on 21 May 1970, and is considered to be his finest live recording.
Dr. Smith continues to tour and produce albums (his latest work is Too Damn Hot, and rumour has it that he is due to release another one this fall), but he still comes back to the Buffalo and Rochester areas to play small venues as a tribute to the area he considers his home. When asked why he calls himself 'Doctor', he calmly states that it is for the same reason why he now wears a turban to all of his shows: "No particular reason." Dr. Smith has been awarded the Organ Keyboardist of the Year award in 2003, 2004 and 2005 by the Jazz Journalist Association.
Smith died on September 28, 2021, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the age of 79.
Come Together
Lonnie Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He come groovin' up slowly
He got joo joo eyeballs
He one holy rollers
He got hair down to his knee
Got to be a joker
He just do what he please
He got toe jam football
He got monkey finger
He shoot Coca Cola
He say I know you, you know me
One thing I can tell you is
You got to be free
Come together, right now
Over me
He bad production
He got walrus gumboot
He got Ono sideboard
He one spinal cracker
He got feet down below his knees
Hold you in his armchair
You can feel his disease
Come together, right now
Over me
He roller coaster
He got early warning
He got muddy water
He one Mojo filter
He say one and one and one is three
Got to be good looking
Cause he's so hard to see
Come together right now
Over me
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Lonnie Smith's song "Come Together" is a musical masterpiece that uses a mix of surreal and abstract lyrics to deliver an important message. The song starts with an introduction to a character called "old flat top" who is described as being groovy with "joo joo eyeballs." The reference to "holy rollers" highlights his religious inclination, and he's got long hair down to his knees. "Old flat top" is a joker who does what he wants, and this character is a representation of freedom.
The next verses describe "Old Flat Top's" accessories, such as his "toe jam football," "monkey finger," and "spinal cracker." He's full of mysterious objects such as Coca Cola, muddy water, and one Mojo filter that elevates his uniqueness. The lyric "one and one and one is three" is a reference to unity, and he advises that for one to achieve their true potential, they must be free.
The song's chorus repeats the phrase, "Come together over me," a unifying message highlighting the importance of unity. The chorus is repetitive and catchy, with the intention of drawing the listener in and getting them to sing along.
Line by Line Meaning
Here come old flat top
Here comes someone with a distinctive flat top hair cut
He come groovin' up slowly
He moves and walks slowly with a cool groove
He got joo joo eyeballs
He has mysterious and hypnotic eyes that seem to look into your soul
He one holy rollers
He is a zealous and religious person
He got hair down to his knee
His hair is extremely long, reaching his knees
Got to be a joker
He is known for being playful and unpredictable
He just do what he please
He does whatever he wants to do, without worrying about other people's opinions
He wear no shoeshine
He is not concerned with appearances, such as polishing his shoes
He got toe jam football
He has dirty and smelly feet, like those of an athlete who has been playing in muddy conditions
He got monkey finger
He has nimble and agile fingers, like those of a monkey
He shoot Coca Cola
He drinks Coca Cola
He say I know you, you know me
He believes in the interconnectedness of all people
One thing I can tell you is
There is one thing that he wants to communicate
You got to be free
It is important to have freedom in your life
Come together, right now
Let's come together and unite as one right now
Over me
Come together for my sake or in my presence
He bad production
He is poorly made or cheaply constructed
He got walrus gumboot
He is wearing gumboots that resemble those of a walrus
He got Ono sideboard
He has a sideboard or cabinet designed by Yoko Ono
He one spinal cracker
He has the ability to crack people's spines
He got feet down below his knees
His feet are unusually low on his legs or he has long, skinny legs
Hold you in his armchair
He can comfort and hold you in his armchair
You can feel his disease
His presence or vibe can have a negative effect on you or others
He roller coaster
He is unpredictable or has many ups and downs in his life
He got early warning
He has some sort of advanced knowledge or warning about something
He got muddy water
He has dirty or murky water, possibly in a metaphorical sense
He one Mojo filter
He has a special or magical quality that can influence others
He say one and one and one is three
He believes in the power of unity and the strength of working together
Got to be good looking
You need to have an appealing or attractive appearance
Cause he's so hard to see
He can be elusive or difficult to understand, despite his good looks
Come together, yeah
Let's come together and unite as one, with enthusiasm
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Agamaz
This is real music.
Voxus Virtual Organs
Great!
maazvdo
Dr Lonnie Smith - Come Together
Greaaaat!!!!!!!
Thanks for posting,
MrZiggy67
Davis Schulz
awesome :D
ray-ray 027
Music in colour
Gregori Rius
what genre is this? :)
Victoria Brown
Soooooo dog gone good.