Stevie Ray had been in numerous bands before joining blues rock combo Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble in the late 1970's.
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble's debut album was released in 1983. The critically acclaimed Texas Flood (1983) featured the top-20 hit Pride and Joy and sold well in both blues and rock circles.
Stevie Ray Vaughan died August 27th, 1990 when his helicopter crashed into the Alpine Valley ski hill. He was on his way back from playing a guest appearance at an Eric Clapton concert at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin.
Adult life and career
Vaughan's first recording band was called Paul Ray and the Cobras. They played at clubs and bars in Austin during the mid-1970s, and released one single.[2] Vaughan later recorded two other singles under the band name The Cobras.[3] Stevie left the Cobras, leaving Denny Freeman still in his role of original lead guitarist, and formed Triple Threat in late 1975, which included bassist Jackie Newhouse, drummer Chris Layton, vocalist Lou Ann Barton, and sax player Johnny Reno. Barton left the band in 1978 to pursue a solo career, followed by Reno in 1979. The three remaining members started performing under the name Double Trouble, inspired by an Otis Rush song of the same name. Vaughan became the band's lead singer.
Tommy Shannon, the bass player on Johnny Winter's early albums, replaced Newhouse in 1981. A popular Austin act, Vaughan soon attracted the attention of musicians David Bowie and Jackson Browne. Both Browne and Bowie first caught Vaughan at the 1982 Montreux Jazz Festival, where some members of the audience booed the band because they disliked Double Trouble's hard blues sound; the crowd response was quite different when they were subsequently invited to headline "Blues Night" at the festival in 1985.
In November, 1982, Vaughan recorded in Jackson Browne's studio in downtown Los Angeles. The recordings were brought to the attention of A&R man John Hammond and became Double Trouble's critically acclaimed first album, Texas Flood (1983), produced by Hammond; it featured the Top 20 hit "Pride and Joy" and sold 500,000 copies, earning the band a gold record. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award, and its song "Rude Mood" was nominated for "Best Rock Instrumental". Vaughan won three categories in Guitar Player's readers poll: "Best New Talent", "Best Blues Album", and "Best Electric Blues Guitarist". He became the second guitarist to win three Guitar Player awards in one year (the first is Jeff Beck). Vaughan won the "Best Electric Blues Guitarist" award every year until 1991.
Also in 1983 Bowie featured Vaughan on his 1983 album Let's Dance.[4] Vaughan was asked to go on tour with Bowie, but declined so he could continue to play with Double Trouble. Reportedly, Vaughan, who was still driving a delivery truck to support himself, was furious when he saw Bowie pantomiming over Vaughan's guitar solo in the video for "Let's Dance".
The band's next album, Couldn't Stand the Weather, was recorded in January 1984. During mid-1984 Vaughan and Double Trouble made numerous TV appearances, performing on Rockpalast, MuchMusic, and Solid Gold.
During the Grammy Awards of 1984, Vaughan and George Thorogood presented Chuck Berry with a lifetime achievement award. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" from Couldn't Stand The Weather was nominated for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance".
The band played Carnegie Hall in New York City on October 4, 1984. The show featured one Double Trouble set, and a second with guests Dr. John on keyboards, George Rains on drums, Jimmie Vaughan on guitar, Roomful of Blues Horns, and singer Angela Strehli. The group rehearsed in September 1984 at the Caravan of Dreams in Fort Worth, Texas.
In November, Vaughan won two W.C. Handy National Blues Awards: "Entertainer of the Year" and "Blues Instrumentalist of the Year". It was the first time a white person won either award. During this time, he also began recording with one of his earliest idols, blues-rock guitar pioneer Lonnie Mack, to produce the album Strike Like Lightning on the Alligator label.
In late January 1985, the band went on a six-night Japanese tour with various interviews and performances. In March, the band started to produce their third album Soul to Soul. Reese Wynans, a former keyboardist with Captain Beyond and Delbert McClinton's band, was added to the band not long after. The album's production lasted for two months. On April 10 Vaughan played "The Star Spangled Banner" for opening day of the National League baseball season at the Houston Astrodome (supposedly he didn't get a good audience response from that crowd; he did, at least, get to meet former New York Yankee great Mickey Mantle afterwards). Soul to Soul was released on September 30, 1985; Vaughan received his fifth Grammy nomination: "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" for one of its songs, "Say What!".
In the following months of 1986, Vaughan and Double Trouble went on tour in New Zealand. It was around this time that he met Janna Lapidus, a touring model in New Zealand.
In mid-1986, the band was considering ideas of a new album, particularly a live album. Shows were set up at the Austin Opera House and at the Dallas Starfest. Audiences saw Vaughan struggle through these shows, as some of the original recordings were filled with technical difficulties.
On August 27, 1986, the Vaughan brothers' father, Big Jim, passed away of heart failure. A funeral was arranged two days later. The boys rushed home to comfort their mother, yet had little time to mourn. After the funeral was finished, a jet rushed Vaughan to Montreal, Quebec, where he played the "Labatt Blues Fest" (in Quebec, so named for their flagship beer "Labatt Blue"), known elsewhere as the "Miller Beer Festival" in Jarry Park.
The recordings in both Dallas and Austin, as well as the Montreux Jazz Festival, were edited and later released on Live Alive in November 1986.
Studio Albums:
Texas Flood (1983)
Couldn't Stand the Weather (1984)
Soul to Soul (1985)
In Step (1989)
Family Style (with Brother Jimmie Vaughan as "The Vaughan Brothers", 1990)
The Sky Is Crying (posthumous release) (1991)
Official live audio releases:
In the Beginning (Live, recorded 1980)
In Session (Live, with Albert King, recorded 1983)
Live at Carnegie Hall (Live, recorded 1984)
Live Alive (Live, recorded 1986)
Live At Montreux 1982 & 1985' (Live, recorded 1982 & 1985)
Wolfgang's Vault releases: http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/stevie-ray-vaughan
Compilations:
Greatest Hits (1995)
The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (1995)
The Real Deal: Greatest Hits Volume 2 (1999)
Blues at Sunrise (2000)
SRV (box set, with early recordings, rarities, hits, and live material) (2000)
Tin Pan Aley
Stevie Ray Vaughan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things was too hot down there, couldn't stay very long
Hey hey hey hey, Alley's the roughest place I've ever been
All the people down there, livin' for their whiskey, wine, and gin
I heard a woman scream, yeah and I peeped through the door
Some cat was workin' on Annie with a, Lord with a two-by-four
Hey hey hey hey, Alley's the roughest place I've ever been
I heard a pistol shoot, yeah and it was a .44
Somebody killed a crap shooter 'cause he didn't, shake, rattle, and roll
Hey hey hey hey, Alley's the roughest place I've ever been
All the people down there, killin' for their whiskey, wine, and gin
I saw a cop standin', with his hand on his gun
Said "this is a raid boys now, Lord nobody run"
Hey, hey, hey, Alley's the roughest place I've ever been
Yeah they took me away from that Alley
Lord and took me right back, to the pen
The song "Tin Pan Alley" by Stevie Ray Vaughan is a blues tune that depicts the rough and dangerous life in Tin Pan Alley, which was a section of New York City known for its music publishing industry in the early 20th century. The lyrics describe the singer's experience of visiting Tin Pan Alley and witnessing the violence, crime, and addiction that was rampant in the area. The singer describes the place as rough and highlights how it was filled with people living for their addiction to whiskey, wine, and gin. Vaughan's guitar playing perfectly matches the sorrowful tone of the lyrics, enhancing the emotions that the lyrics convey.
The first verse describes how the singer went down to Tin Pan Alley to check out what was going on but had to leave shortly after as the place was too dangerous. The second verse talks about how the singer heard a woman scream and saw someone attacking her with a two-by-four. The third verse talks about how a crap shooter was shot and killed, highlighting the lawlessness of the area. The fourth and final verse describes the singer seeing a police officer announcing a raid and how they took him away from Tin Pan Alley and back to prison.
Overall, the lyrics of "Tin Pan Alley" by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble provide a vivid and raw picture of the dark side of life in Tin Pan Alley at the time.
Line by Line Meaning
Went down to tin pan Alley, see what was going on
I went to Tin Pan Alley to check out what was happening
Things was too hot down there, couldn't stay very long
It was too dangerous to stay there for a long time
Hey hey hey hey, Alley's the roughest place I've ever been
Tin Pan Alley is the most violent and tough place I've ever visited
All the people down there, livin' for their whiskey, wine, and gin
Everyone in Tin Pan Alley is addicted to drinking and relies on it to survive
I heard a woman scream, yeah and I peeped through the door
I heard a woman scream and looked through the door to see what was happening
Some cat was workin' on Annie with a, Lord with a two-by-four
I witnessed someone brutally attacking Annie with a piece of wood
I heard a pistol shoot, yeah and it was a .44
I heard a loud gunshot, which turned out to be from a .44 caliber gun
Somebody killed a crap shooter 'cause he didn't, shake, rattle, and roll
Someone murdered a gambler for not following the rules of the game 'shake, rattle, and roll'
All the people down there, killin' for their whiskey, wine, and gin
In Tin Pan Alley, people are willing to kill for their addiction to alcohol
I saw a cop standin', with his hand on his gun
I saw a police officer ready to draw his gun
Said "this is a raid boys now, Lord nobody run"
The police officer announced a raid on the area and ordered everyone not to run
Yeah they took me away from that Alley
Lord and took me right back, to the pen
I was arrested and taken away from Tin Pan Alley, only to be transferred back to prison
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Robert Geddins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ChillChimichangas
Went down to Tin Pan Alley... See what was going on
Things was too hot down there... Couldn't stay very long
Hey hey hey hey... Alley's the roughest place I've ever been
All the people down there... Livin' for their whisky, wine, and gin
I heard a woman scream... Yeah and I peeked through the door
Some cat was workin' on Annie with a... Lord with a two-by-four
Hey hey hey hey... Alley's the roughest place I've ever been
All the people down there... Livin' for their whisky, wine, and gin
I heard a pistol shoot... Yeah and it was a .44
Somebody killed a crap shooter cause he didn't... Shake, rattle, and roll
Hey hey hey hey... Alley's the roughest place I've ever been
All the people down there... Killin' for their whisky, wine, and gin
dvega69
Hell I'm deaf in one ear and dumb in the other, I thank God that I'm able to hear this man play. Gives me goose bumps every time, even at my ripe age of 60
HomeSweet Classroom II
I agree 😊
Ben Kay
Wish I could like this twice
Nunya Bizness #1
@Blackstallionsunday zombie Ya, but then again who asked ya sonny..
Nunya Bizness #1
@Jennifer D I thought it was blind in one eye, and cant see outta the other...
Dwight Burns
@Lisa Valera turn 60 in October of last year
Joannie Chorjel
My dads and my favorite song. He’s no longer with us but every time I play this song it’s as if here right here singing with me as loud as we can
ömer hayyam
if im myself liar share a note or two and i will apoligize. maybe marry you
Nazel
cheers to you and you awesome dad.
Travis Hauk
Great song Joannie, cheers to the times your father and you listened together