Emerging from the rockabilly scene in their home base of Zurich, they recently turned down an invitation to be the Swiss Eurovision entry. Known to some for their mini-hit ‘Johnny Are You Gay?’, a recent retrospective has propelled them gigging across Europe, including TV shows and a tour supporting Jeff Beck climaxing at the legendary Paris Olympia. A viral Cinéma vérité video from that album has attracted over 50,000 views: http://youtu.be/bANSizYxh-w
A single ‘My Love For Evermore’ precedes the album, on 7” and download. It’s a dark duet by Emanuela and guest Spark Phillips of infamous, wayward psychobilly band Demented Are Go, assisted by Geraint Watkins on organ, and backed with a rockabilly guitar cover of ‘Enola Gay’. A new ‘Bonnie & Clyde style’ video was filmed over 3 days and will be launched on the single release date. Stills from the shoot can be seen here: http://on.fb.me/ia21CJ
The album is produced by Greg Townson of US band The Hi-Risers, and recorded in London at Gold Top Studio, Camden, last year. (Gold Top Studio has now relocated to Gravity Shack, Tooting.)
TRACKS: - Buy Beg or Steal, Broken Heart, She Kicked Me To The Curb, Natascia, Trouble & Strife, My Love For Evermore (with Sparky), Night of the Living Ted, Imagine A World, Goin’ To Milano, Touch Me, Rock’n’Roll Girl, Chalk Farm Breakdown, Enola Gay. 13 tracks.
www.facebook.com/hillbillymoonexplosion
www.hillbillymoon.com
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work up a plausible old-school sound these days—a few twangy guitars, a pile of echo, a sneering lead vocal on top, and presto, you're ready to rumble. There's a difference, however, between a true vintage-tinged update and another in a series of Eddie Cochran copycats. Which brings us to Hillbilly Moon Explosion, Zurich-based rock revivalists who've spent the past few years touring Europe, issuing a pair of acclaimed releases (2002's Introducing The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, 2004's Bourgeois Baby) while watching their fan base grow by leaps and bounds. Mind you, this is no quaint Sun Records send-up; at their best, HME— bassist/vocalist Oliver Baroni; rhythm guitarist/vocalist Emanuela Hutter; guitarist Duncan James and drummer Luke Weyermann—come across like a Sam Phillips-produced soundtrack to a Sam Raimi shock flick, a furious bed of slap bass and pounding snare underpinning layers of menacing guitar lines, wailing background vocals, and eerie keyboard flourishes, with front-woman Hutter providing the perfect aural/visual focal point, fishnet stockings and all.
When it came time to lay tracks for a third independent effort, head Hillbillies Baroni and Hutter eventually headed for the US and wound up at the door of producer-engineer Mark Neill, owner of San Diego's Soil of the South Studios, where it’s all-analog, all the time. One could not imagine a better match-up: Neill, a rockabilly bred Southerner whose client list includes The Paladins, Los Straitjackets and Old 97s, is a rock archeologist of the highest order and vast collector of choice old-school audio tools, who knows how to nail it down in just a few takes using as few tracks possible (the way it was before we all had too much time and tracks on our hands). In order to provide Baroni and Hutter with the proper instrumental framework, Neill enlisted the support of cohorts like guitarist Eddie Angel (of Los Straitjackets fame), sax man Archie Thompson and drummer Craig 'Flash' Packham, with Neill himself overlaying lead and rhythm guitars. The result is All Grown Up, a faithfully prepared (and mainly mono-mixed) amalgam of unbridled rock tracks that clock in at a Ramones-like two-and-a-half minutes apiece, featuring Baroni's saxes-with-axes classic "Live the Life," Hutter’s sensually exotic take on "House of Bamboo," not to mention a tour-de-force rendering of Mel Larson’s "Little Lil," with Baroni's lead vocals authentically distorting like a Little Richard 45. And in case anyone's forgotten what real country is supposed to sound like, there's the Baroni-penned "Brown Eyed Boy," a lilting Loretta Lynn pastiche that belies the murderous intent described within.
How good is this stuff? "To think that these guys came over to San Diego from Europe with a bunch of songs on acoustic guitar and absolutely nailed the vintage rock'n'roll sound—and made it contemporary," remarks the normally reserved Neill. "I've never seen that happen before."
Dave Simons, Rolling Stone Magazine.
Discography
Introducing The Hillbilly Moon Explosion (2002, Crazy Love Records)
Bourgeois Baby (2004)
By Popular Demand: The Basement Tapes (1999-2005) (2005, Crazy Love Records)
All Grown Up (2006)
Raw Deal (2010, The Freed)
Buy, Beg or Steal (2011, The Freed; Jungle Records)
Damn Right Honey! (2013, Goldtop Recordings/Jungle Records)
French Kiss avec Arielle Dombasle (2015, Mercury Records/Universal Music France)
With Monsters and Gods (2016, Jungle Records; The Freed; Cloud Hill)
The Sparky Sessions feat. Mark “Sparky” Phillips (2019, Freedonia; Jungle Records)
Walk Italian
The Hillbilly Moon Explosion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Listening to what my mama said
Honey if you wanna make it in this world
There is one thing you must never forget
There is one thing you must never forget
Walk Italian
Bringing all the men to their knees
Walk Italian
Walk Italian
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
Don't need to speak I let my legs do the talking
Now I'm heaven on the streets of Rome
I like my lunches long and my coffees short
And now you're droolin' like a dog at a bone
Droolin' like a dog at a bone
Walk Italian
Bringing all the men to their knees
Walk Italian
Throwing roses at your feet
Walk Italian
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
My people came 'cause they were needed
To build a better future for us all
They got jeers and sneers but beneath the tears
They held their head high and
If you ever need a friend or a lover
Just like my mama told me it's true
Don't let them get you down go and paint the town
'Cause you can have your cake and eat it to
When you do watcha do watcha do
Walk Italian
From Genova to Napoli
Walk Italian
From Adige to Sicily
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
The Hillbilly Moon Explosion's song "Walk Italian" tells the story of a young girl who remembers her mother's words of wisdom on how to succeed in life. The girl learns that the key to success is to Walk Italian - to exude confidence, grace and poise in everything she does. The song asserts that by walking Italian, you can bring all the men to their knees, throwing roses at your feet. You don't need to speak because your legs do the talking. Walking Italian is portrayed as being heaven on the streets of Rome, and the song's protagonist describes how she likes her lunch long and coffee short. By walking Italian, she is successful, happy, and celebrated wherever she goes, from Genova to Napoli, and from Adige to Sicily. The song finishes with the message that if you ever need a friend or a lover, just like the singer's mother told her, you should keep walking Italian, go out and paint the town, and remember that you can have your cake and eat it too.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember when I was a young girl
As a child, I recall a piece of advice given to me.
Listening to what my mama said
I paid close attention to my mother's advice.
Honey if you wanna make it in this world
To succeed in life, there is a critical lesson to learn.
There is one thing you must never forget
This lesson is so important that forgetting it is not an option.
Walk Italian
The key to success is walking like an Italian.
Bringing all the men to their knees
Such a walk will leave men swooning at your feet.
Throwing roses at your feet
They will be so enamored that they will shower you with gifts.
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
This type of walking, called Camminare al'italiano, is applicable wherever you go.
Don't need to speak I let my legs do the talking
There is no need to talk; this walk speaks volumes on its own.
Now I'm heaven on the streets of Rome
This walk has brought me great success while strolling through the streets of Rome.
I like my lunches long and my coffees short
I prefer to spend more time enjoying my meals than my coffee breaks.
And now you're droolin' like a dog at a bone
The success of this walk has left others in awe and yearning for me.
My people came 'cause they were needed
My ancestors came to this country to fulfill a need.
To build a better future for us all
They worked hard to make a better future for themselves and their descendants.
They got jeers and sneers but beneath the tears
They endured ridicule, but they did not break.
They held their head high and
Instead, they stood tall and persevered.
If you ever need a friend or a lover
My mother emphasized the importance of companionship.
Just like my mama told me it's true
These may seem like simple words, but they hold true to their value.
Don't let them get you down go and paint the town
If others try to discourage you, ignore them and go out and enjoy life.
'Cause you can have your cake and eat it too
This advice comes with the reassuring reminder: you can have it all.
When you do watcha do watcha do
Whatever you do, make it count and do it with purpose.
From Genova to Napoli
This lesson and its rewards apply throughout Italy.
From Adige to Sicily
It is not limited by location, but can be practiced across the entirety of Italy.
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
Wherever you go, remember to walk Italian and keep your head held high.
Contributed by Gabriel K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ntina Mpatzia
I remember when I was a young girl
Listening to what my mama said
Honey if you wanna make it in this world
There is one thing you must never forget
There is one thing you must never forget
Walk Italian
Bringing all the men to their knees
Walk Italian
Throwing roses at your feet
Walk Italian
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
Don't need to speak I let my legs do the talking
Now I'm heaven on the streets of Rome
I like my lunches long and my coffees short
And now you're droolin' like a dog at a bone
Droolin' like a dog at a bone
Walk Italian
Bringing all the men to their knees
Walk Italian
Throwing roses at your feet
Walk Italian
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
-----
My people came 'cause they were needed
To build a better future for us all
They got jeers and sneers but beneath the tears
They held their head high and
If you ever need a friend or a lover
Just like my mama told me it's true
Don't let them get you down go and paint the town
'Cause you can have your cake and eat it to
When you do watcha do watcha do
Walk Italian
From Genova to Napoli
Walk Italian
From Adige to Sicily
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
rekorte
I remember when I was a young girl
Listening to what my mama said
Honey if you wanna make it in this world
There is one thing you must never forget
There is one thing you must never forget
Walk Italian
Bringing all the men to their knees
Walk Italian
Throwing roses at your feet
Walk Italian
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
Don't need to speak I let my legs do the talking
Now I'm heaven on the streets of Rome
I like my lunches long and my coffees short
And now you're droolin' like a dog at a bone
Droolin' like a dog at a bone
Walk Italian
Bringing all the men to their knees
Walk Italian
Throwing roses at your feet
Walk Italian
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
-----
My people came 'cause they were needed
To build a better future for us all
They got jeers and sneers but beneath the tears
They held their head high and
If you ever need a friend or a lover
Just like my mama told me it's true
Don't let them get you down go and paint the town
'Cause you can have your cake and eat it to
When you do watcha do watcha do
Walk Italian
From Genova to Napoli
Walk Italian
From Adige to Sicily
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
Ntina Mpatzia
I remember when I was a young girl
Listening to what my mama said
Honey if you wanna make it in this world
There is one thing you must never forget
There is one thing you must never forget
Walk Italian
Bringing all the men to their knees
Walk Italian
Throwing roses at your feet
Walk Italian
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
Don't need to speak I let my legs do the talking
Now I'm heaven on the streets of Rome
I like my lunches long and my coffees short
And now you're droolin' like a dog at a bone
Droolin' like a dog at a bone
Walk Italian
Bringing all the men to their knees
Walk Italian
Throwing roses at your feet
Walk Italian
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
-----
My people came 'cause they were needed
To build a better future for us all
They got jeers and sneers but beneath the tears
They held their head high and
If you ever need a friend or a lover
Just like my mama told me it's true
Don't let them get you down go and paint the town
'Cause you can have your cake and eat it to
When you do watcha do watcha do
Walk Italian
From Genova to Napoli
Walk Italian
From Adige to Sicily
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
MzFlowerchild
Super tune, wonderful sound, thank you for sharing & for keeping the music alive. I appreciate the effort you take to add these amazing tunes to YouTube.
Hooligan Youth Reviews
Hell. Yeah. This track just burnt the blue suede off my shoes.
Destruktes Nicki
Jak zawsze .Wspaniali.Brawo.
Vellu Laurila
Great band!! and this song is diamond.
rekorte
I remember when I was a young girl
Listening to what my mama said
Honey if you wanna make it in this world
There is one thing you must never forget
There is one thing you must never forget
Walk Italian
Bringing all the men to their knees
Walk Italian
Throwing roses at your feet
Walk Italian
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
Don't need to speak I let my legs do the talking
Now I'm heaven on the streets of Rome
I like my lunches long and my coffees short
And now you're droolin' like a dog at a bone
Droolin' like a dog at a bone
Walk Italian
Bringing all the men to their knees
Walk Italian
Throwing roses at your feet
Walk Italian
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
-----
My people came 'cause they were needed
To build a better future for us all
They got jeers and sneers but beneath the tears
They held their head high and
If you ever need a friend or a lover
Just like my mama told me it's true
Don't let them get you down go and paint the town
'Cause you can have your cake and eat it to
When you do watcha do watcha do
Walk Italian
From Genova to Napoli
Walk Italian
From Adige to Sicily
Everywhere you go Camminare al'italiano
Barry Gazey
Defo more ska than rockabilly. Damned good though.
karri tolvanen
;)
Владислав Кравцов
Какой же у неё классный голос!
aini tohir
i love this band