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.
The Burning Of The Midnight Lamp
Rotary Connection Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the day is too
There's nothing left here to greet me
But the velvet moon
All my loneliness
I have felt today
It's a little more than enough
To make a man throw himself away
To burn the midnight lamp
Alone
Now the smiling portrait of you
Is still hangin' on my frowning wall
But it really doesn't really doesn't bother me too much at all
It's just the, uh, ever falling dust
That makes it so hard for me to see
That forgotten ear-ring laying on the floor
Facing coldly toward the door
And I continue
To burn the midnight lamp
Whoa, alone
Burn
Yeah yeah
Lonely lonely lonely
Loneliness is such a, drag
So here I sit to face
That same old fire place
Gettin' ready for the same old explosion
Goin' through my mind
And soon enough time will tell
About the circus and the wishing well
And someone who will by and sell for me
Someone who will toll my bell
And I continue to burn the same old lamp
Alone
Yeah, right now
Can you hear me callin' you so lonely
Gotta blow my mind
Yeah yeah
Lonely lonely lonely
Blow my mind
Yeah
"The Burning Of The Midnight Lamp" by Rotary Connection is a haunting and introspective song that explores themes of loneliness and isolation. The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the track, with the singer lamenting the death of the morning and the emptiness of the day. As the velvet moon rises, the loneliness that the singer has felt all day becomes almost unbearable.
The next verse features a reference to a smiling portrait that is hanging on the singer's frowning wall. Although the portrait is of someone who the singer cares about, it doesn't bother them too much. Instead, they are preoccupied with the ever-falling dust and a forgotten earring lying on the floor. The overall effect is one of profound sadness and resignation. As the song progresses, the singer sits alone in front of a fire, contemplating the circus and the wishing well. The song ends on a plaintive note, with the singer continuing to burn the same old lamp alone.
Overall, "The Burning Of The Midnight Lamp" is a powerful exploration of loneliness and isolation. The lyrics are evocative and emotional, and the song's slow, plaintive melody underscores the sense of despair that the singer feels. The song is a powerful reminder of the importance of human connection, and it will resonate with anyone who has ever felt alone or isolated.
Line by Line Meaning
The morning is dead
The morning has ended and the day has started
And the day is too
The day has nothing left to offer
There's nothing left here to greet me
The environment is silent and devoid of activity
But the velvet moon
The only thing that shines is the moon, casting a soft light
All my loneliness
The emptiness I feel
I have felt today
Has been amplified today
It's a little more than enough
The loneliness is overwhelming
To make a man throw himself away
The feeling is strong enough to lead him to despair
I continue
Despite everything, I move forward
To burn the midnight lamp
I am staying up all night, pondering and dealing with my emotions
Alone
With no one else around
Now the smiling portrait of you
The happy image of you
Is still hangin' on my frowning wall
But it contrasts so much with my current mood
But it really doesn't really doesn't bother me too much at all
Though it's there, it isn't a big deal
It's just the, uh, ever falling dust
The dust that accumulates over time
That makes it so hard for me to see
Which makes it hard to view the portrait
That forgotten ear-ring laying on the floor
This abandoned earring left behind
Facing coldly toward the door
Seems to be pointing to the exit
And I continue
Despite all that is happening
To burn the midnight lamp
I am still deep in thought, trying to make sense of everything
Whoa, alone
Without anyone to talk to
Lonely lonely lonely
The all-consuming loneliness
Loneliness is such a, drag
The feeling is a burden
So here I sit to face
I am sitting in front of some imagery
That same old fire place
The same old surroundings
Gettin' ready for the same old explosion
Preparing myself mentally for the same old breakdown
Goin' through my mind
The thoughts going through my head
And soon enough time will tell
Eventually, everything will become clear
About the circus and the wishing well
About the uncertain realities of life
And someone who will by and sell for me
Someone who will act on my behalf for their personal gain
Someone who will toll my bell
Someone who will summon the end for me
And I continue to burn the same old lamp
Despite all the unknowns, I am still up, pondering everything
Alone
Left to deal with these thoughts on my own
Yeah, right now
In this moment
Can you hear me callin' you so lonely
Asking if anyone else is feeling this loneliness
Gotta blow my mind
This feeling is so intense
Blow my mind
It's overwhelming me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMI HENDRIX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind