As teenagers, the band members, like most rock 'n' roll groups, were intent on becoming pop stars. Instead of creating a brand-new sound or striving for something different, their philosophy was to take popular styles of rock 'n' roll and push them to the edge. It was at that that the band excelled. The passion and soul they pumped into their music on is still in the grooves of each record. And although they set out to be nothing more than a "typical" rock group, they made some of the most atypical records of the 1960s!
Forming in late 1965, the Shadows of Knight were all friends and aquaintances, except for lead singer Jim Sohns, whom they stole from a rival group. The group's early sounds were highly influenced by black music and by white British interpretations of black music. Venturing into hard-edged R&B, the group made two LP' for Dunwich Records within its first year (both records now available again, thanks to Sundazed Records). Those albums are essential listening for anyone who loves the gritty early sounds of groups like the Rolling Stones and the Pretty Things. Of course, it's their version of Them's "Gloria" that shot the Shadows to the top of the American pop charts. Their rise to fame was fast, and the pressures were very hard for the group to handle. By 1967, the group, disillusioned by its mismanagement, began to fall apart. Guitarist Jerry McGeorge went on to form the understated H.P. Lovecraft. Both the bassist Joe Kelly and the drummer Tim Schiffour held out for more straight-ahead blues in the Joe Kelly Blues Band. Jim Sohns held on.
By late 1968, Sohns was the only surviving member, legally securing the Shadows of Knight name for himself. The "group" was then contracted with by bubblegum producers Kasenetz and Katz to record under that name for K&K's Teem Records label. Grabbing at any straw handed to him, Sohns quickly moved to New York, assembled a group of musicians, and went on to record some of the best records of the bubblegum genre.
A master at interpreting popular sounds, Sohns was able to take teen appeal and mix it with his gritty soulful voice for an unbelievable version of "Shake." Jim (under various psuedonyms) is also quite obviously the vocalist on many other soulful bubblegum songs pressed for K&K labels. Firmly grounded in the bubblegum genre and sensing another change in popular music, Jim began to have an interest in harder rock 'n' roll sounds. His last great single is perhaps the most perfect melding of rock and bubblegum sounds: "Run, Run Billy Porter"/ "My Fire Department Needs A Fireman."
Although Sohns kept the Shadows of Knight name alive, he lost his chart-topping drive in 1969 and began to rehash his earlier Chicago career, so his subsequent records are neither timely nor so impassioned.
On July 29th 2022, Jim Sohns passed away from complications due to a stroke. He was 75 years old.
I'm Gonna Make You Mine
The Shadows of Knight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The folks back home
And twelve miles of road
I used to roam
Sometimes I think about
My crazy Willie Jean
She ever get as far as New Orleans
We used to spend the summer
On a grassy riverbank
And drink hard water
From a rare old fillin' tank
Sometimes I think about
My crazy Willie Jean
Will she ever get as far as New Orleans?
Daddy told me, son
I see you're gonna come to harm
I'm gonna see you on that natural county farm
Sometimes I think about
That crazy Willie Jean
She ever get as far as New Orleans
Sometimes I lie awake
And I cry, I think about Willie Jean
Oh, she ever get as far as New Orleans
Mmm, mmm, please Willie Jean, as far as New Orleans
The Shadows of Knight's song "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" depicts the singer's nostalgic recollection of his youth in which he roamed about twelve miles of road with his friends, reminiscing about the past and his crazy Willie Jean. The singer and Willie Jean used to spend their summers on a grassy riverbank, drinking hard water from a rare old filling tank. The lyrics are filled with longing and regret for the past that the singer left behind.
The song's title, "I'm Gonna Make You Mine," contrasts with the melancholic, wistful tone of the lyrics. The singer is yearning for something that he can't have, or possibly for something that he's lost. It's unclear whether Willie Jean ever made it to New Orleans, but the uncertainty adds to the song's overall nostalgic feel.
The song paints a vivid picture of youth, with its long days spent swimming in a river and drinking water from a filling tank. However, the lyrics take a darker turn when the singer remembers his father's warning that he will come to harm and end up on a natural county farm. The juxtaposition of youthful innocence and adult warnings gives the song a sense of melancholy.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I think about
The singer occasionally remembers something from their past.
The folks back home
The people from their hometown.
And twelve miles of road
A specific distance they used to travel.
I used to roam
The artist used to wander around.
My crazy Willie Jean
Referring to a person the artist knew.
She ever get as far as New Orleans
Wondering if Willie Jean traveled to New Orleans.
We used to spend the summer
Talking about how they used to pass their time.
On a grassy riverbank
Where they would spend their summers.
And drink hard water
Consuming water that was not clean and had minerals, making it hard.
From a rare old fillin' tank
Where they used to get water from.
Daddy told me, son
The singer's father advised them.
I see you're gonna come to harm
The father foresees trouble for the artist.
I'm gonna see you on that natural county farm
The father imagines the singer getting into trouble and being sent to a rural correctional facility.
Sometimes I lie awake
The singer experiences insomnia from thinking too much.
And I cry, I think about Willie Jean
The singer becomes so emotional, that they break down and cry when thinking of Willie Jean.
Oh, she ever get as far as New Orleans
Continuing to wonder if Willie Jean ever made it to New Orleans.
Mmm, mmm, please Willie Jean, as far as New Orleans
A plea to Willie Jean to make it to New Orleans, indicating some level of worry or concern.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILLY CARR, CARL DERRICO, CAROLE SAGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@impalaman9707
The heaviest song of 1966!!
@ianknapp6049
Jimmy S and the Shadows the best garage band ever!
@OldMod67
Massive fave for years. In 1995 UK mod/r&b combo The Clique finally released an LP which included a fantastic version of this,which I ended up preferring (sorry purists!) Give it listen...
@ferdinandhiro3474
I knew the band singer had died last yearβ¦
Big respect.
R.I.P.
@worldwidehey
Sounds like the drums are falling down the stairs...one of the first punk rock songs
@joemaliska5851
They do a version of got my mojo workin that sounds as if drummer is having a fit. Fuckin ace ππ»
@geokrpan7527
R.I.P. Jim Sohns, the singer, died 7/29/2022 age 75.
@UnViejoImpala
He did something great. RIP.
@robertstickler8533
Gone but not Forgotten R.I.P.
@gasparucciox9706
real r.n.r !!!!!