Marshall was the director behind a start-up label, Cadet Concept Records, and wanted to focus on music outside of the blues and rock genres, which had made the Chess label popular. This led Marshall to turn his attention to the burgeoning psychedelic movement. He recruited Charles Stepney, a vibraphonist and classically-trained arranger and producer for sonic wizardry. Marshall then recruited members of a little-known white rock band, The Proper Strangers (Bobby Simms, Mitch Aliotta & Ken Venegas). Sidney Barnes, a songwriter within the Chess organization, also joined, as did Judy Hauff and a Chess receptionist named Minnie Riperton, who would later be successful in her own solo career. Marshall also called up prominent session musicians associated with the Chess label, including guitarist Phil Upchurch and drummer Morris Jennings.
The band released their self-titled debut album in late 1967. It plays like a melange of styles, borrowing heavily from pop, rock, and soul, but in a way that isn't entirely radio-friendly. The album also boasts an Eastern influence through its use of the sitar on Turn Me On and Memory Band. Stepney's arrangements, brought to life by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, imbue the album with a certain dreamlike quality; this would become a trademark of both the arranger and the mouthpiece. The album proved to be a modest success within the Midwest, but failed to make an impact nationally -- this was to be the Rotary's ultimate fate.
The band returned in 1968 with a pair of albums, Aladdin and Peace. The former was the group's proper sophomore effort, and it found Riperton assuming a more prominent vocal role than the "background instrument" status she had on the debut. The latter was a Christmas release, with strong pervasive messages of love and understanding for a nation in the grips of Vietnam. The album's cover art of a hippie Santa Claus more than makes its intentions known. Peace is notable for being involved in controversy: an anti-war cartoon in a December 1968 edition of Billboard magazine featured a graphic image of a bruised and bloodied Santa on a Vietnam battlefield. Mistaking this cartoon for the album's cover art, Montgomery Ward cancelled all shipments of the album.
Rotary Connection would release three more albums: Songs, in 1969, a collection of drastic reworkings of other artist's songs, including Otis Redding's Respect and The Band's The Weight and Cream's Sunshine Of Your Love. Dinner Music followed in 1970, in which they added elements of folk and country into the mix along with some electronic experimentation, and; Hey Love in 1971, where the band, oddly credited as the New Rotary Connection, ended its career with a jazz-oriented affair. From this particular album came the uplifting I am the Black Gold of the Sun, which was famously covered in 1997 by underground dance outfit Nuyorican Soul.
After the break-up of the band, Stepney served as a producer and arranger for other artists, most notably the soul outfit Earth, Wind, & Fire. He died in 1976 of a heart attack. Minnie Riperton enjoyed the fruits of a successful solo career until breast cancer ended her life in 1979. Sidney Barnes continues to work a singer and songwriter, and in recent years has gained a following in the U.K.. The other remaining members of the band either attempted other, lower-profile, musical endeavours or divorced themselves entirely of the business. Thanks to reissues of their catalog in the late 1990s and the appropriation of material through sampling within the hip-hop community, Rotary Connection has been formally introduced to a new generation.
Hangin' Round the Bee Tree
Rotary Connection Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm hangin' round the bee tree
Hangin' round the bee tree
Oh, I'm hangin' round the bee tree
Trying to get near the queen bee
Oh, trying to get near the queen
They say if you love the queen bee
Hey, oh Lord, they say if you love the queen bee,
You're never gonna live to see the morn
You're never gonna see the morn
[Interlude]
I'll bring the queen all of my money
Oh, I'll bring the queen all of my honey
I'll bring the queen all of my money, honey
But it don't mean a thing
No, it don't mean a thing
Still I'm hangin' round the bee tree
Oh, everyday I said I'm hangin' round the bee tree
Oh Lord, I'm hangin' round the bee tree
And I'm trying, trying to get near that old queen bee
Oh, I'm trying to get near that old queen bee
The lyrics of Rotary Connection's "Hangin' Round the Bee Tree" speaks of a person's intense determination and desire to have the love of the queen bee. The bee tree symbolizes the place where the queen bee resides and the person is often found hanging or staying close to it in hopes of getting near the queen bee. The lyrics suggest that it's difficult to get near the queen bee and there's a high price to pay if one falls in love with her. It says, "they say if you love the queen bee, you're never gonna live to see the morn," which implies that one's life would be in danger if they pursue the queen bee's affection. Despite this warning, the person is still persistent and does everything they can to get the queen bee's attention, even going as far as offering all their money and honey.
The lyrics of "Hangin' Round the Bee Tree" can be interpreted in different ways, but one common interpretation is that the queen bee represents something or someone that's unattainable or dangerous. It could symbolize a forbidden love, addiction, or an unhealthy obsession that will ultimately lead to one's downfall. The person's hanging around the bee tree signifies their fixation, and their futile attempts to win the queen bee's love show how their pursuit is pointless and will not lead to any significant outcome.
Overall, Rotary Connection's "Hangin' Round the Bee Tree" is a beautiful song that showcases the band's unique blend of psychedelic soul and rock. The lyrics are haunting and thought-provoking, leaving the listener with a sense of longing and contemplation.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm hangin' round the bee tree
I am loitering around the area of the beehive
Hangin' round the bee tree
Loitering and killing time around the beehive
Oh, I'm hangin' round the bee tree
Expressing the same meaning described earlier using an appreciative dialect
Trying to get near the queen bee
I am endeavoring to get closer to the queen bee
Oh, trying to get near the queen
Describing the same desire to be near the queen, but in a more optimistic tone
They say if you love the queen bee
There is a popular belief that if you fall in love with the queen bee
They say if you love the queen bee
Repeating the previous line using an accusatory tone
Hey, oh Lord, they say if you love the queen bee,
Expressing fear or concern about the popular belief by calling for guidance from above
You're never gonna live to see the morn
According to the belief, loving the queen bee will result in one’s demise without seeing the next day
You're never gonna see the morn
Expressing the same idea described earlier in different words
[Interlude]
Musical break
I'll bring the queen all of my money
I am willing to offer all my money to the queen bee
Oh, I'll bring the queen all of my honey
Expressing willingness to give honey to the queen bee
I'll bring the queen all of my money, honey
Repeating the earlier desire to give money to the queen bee, but with a playful tone
But it don't mean a thing
Acknowledging that giving the queen everything won't change the belief or guarantee access to the queen bee
No, it don't mean a thing
Reiterating that even after giving everything to the queen bee, it won't change the outcome
Still I'm hangin' round the bee tree
I am still loitering near the beehive
Oh, everyday I said I'm hangin' round the bee tree
Describing the persistent behavior of loitering near the beehive daily
Oh Lord, I'm hangin' round the bee tree
Using religious language to convey the same behavior and express the desire to gain access to the queen bee
And I'm trying, trying to get near that old queen bee
Continuing with the persistency and determination to get closer to the queen bee despite the belief
Oh, I'm trying to get near that old queen bee
Rephrasing earlier text to convey the same thought with more emphasis
Contributed by Caden I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.