The band formed in Benton Harbor, Michigan as the Four Sounds. The original line-up consisted of Gene Harris (September 1, 1933 – January 16, 2000) on piano, Andrew Simpkins (April 29, 1932 – June 2, 1999) on double bass and Bill Dowdy (August 15, 1932 - May 12, 2017) on drums, along with saxophonist Lonnie `The Sound' Walker, who dropped out the following year. The group moved to Washington and then New York, where as the Three Sounds, they cut a record for Riverside Records, before signing an exclusive contract with Blue Note.
Between 1958 and 1962, the group released nine LPs for Blue Note. They toured nationally during this period, building a large following in jazz clubs across the country. Later Three Sounds recordings were also released by Limelight and Verve Records.
The Three Sounds song "Put On Train", from the 1971 Gene Harris album The 3 Sounds was featured as the prominent background sample in the hip-hop group Beastie Boys song "What Comes Around" on their 1989 album Paul's Boutique. It previously stated here that this sample came from the Three Sounds album Live at the It Club, recorded in 1970, however this was not released (on Live at the It Club Vol. 2) until 2000.
I Thought About You
The Three Sounds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I thought about you
I passed a shadowy lane
And I thought about you
Two or three cars parked under the stars
Winding stream
Moon shining down on some little town
And every stop that we made
Oh, I thought about you
And when I pulled down the shade
Then I really felt blue
I peeped through the crack
Looked at the track
Oh I'm going back to you
And what did I do, I thought about you
There were two or three cars parked under the stars
Winding stream
Moon shining down on some little town
And with each beam, the same old dream
And then I peeped through the crack
And I looked at the track
Oh I'm going back to you
And what did I do, I thought about you
The Three Sounds’ “I Thought About You” is a classic love song with a melancholic feel. The lyrics describe a train ride during which the singer ponders about their love interest. As the train makes stops and the moon illuminates different towns, the singer sees the same old dream of reuniting with their love. The vivid imagery of the winding stream, stars, and moonlight creates a romantic atmosphere. The singer’s yearning for the person they miss is heightened when they pull down the shade in their cabin. It is in this moment that they realize how much they miss their love.
The song’s lyrics create a sense of longing and nostalgia for a love that is not present. The constant repetition of “I thought about you” emphasizes the singer’s fixation on their love interest. The lyrics are simple yet powerful and evoke a sense of sadness that comes with missing someone deeply. The song is further enhanced by the use of dissonant chords that create a somber and reflective mood. The Three Sounds’ piano-centric arrangement perfectly complements the introspective nature of the lyrics and adds to the song’s emotional depth.
Line by Line Meaning
I took a trip on a train
I left on a journey by train
And I thought about you
And I couldn't help but think of you
I passed a shadowy lane
I went by a dark and mysterious street
And I thought about you
And my mind immediately went back to thoughts of you
Two or three cars parked under the stars
There were a couple of cars parked under the sky full of stars
Winding stream
Curvy water flow
Moon shining down on some little town
The moon was reflecting its light over a small town
And with each beam, the same old dream
And with every ray of light, I dreamt the same dream
And every stop that we made
At all the stops we made
Oh, I thought about you
I couldn't help but think of you
And when I pulled down the shade
When I closed the window covering
Then I really felt blue
Then I felt very sad
I peeped through the crack
I looked through the small hole
Looked at the track
Observed the train track
Oh, I'm going back to you
Oh, I'm returning to you
And what did I do, I thought about you
And as usual, all I could think of was you
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: JAMES VAN HEUSEN, JIMMY VAN HEUSEN, JOHNNY MERCER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mistermister668
Tracks:
A1 Tenderly 00:00
A2 Willow Weep For Me 04:32
A3 Both Sides 09:12
A4 Blue Bells 13:51
B1 It's Nice 18:17
B2 Goin' Home 22:54
B3 Would'n You 26:46
B4 O Sole Mio 33:56
Credits:
Piano, Celesta – Gene Harris
Bass – Andrew Simpkins
Drums – Bill Dowdy
Recorded on September 16, 1958 (Tracks A1 to A3, B1) & September 28, 1958 (Tracks A4, B2 to B4).
mistermister668
Tracks:
A1 Tenderly 00:00
A2 Willow Weep For Me 04:32
A3 Both Sides 09:12
A4 Blue Bells 13:51
B1 It's Nice 18:17
B2 Goin' Home 22:54
B3 Would'n You 26:46
B4 O Sole Mio 33:56
Credits:
Piano, Celesta – Gene Harris
Bass – Andrew Simpkins
Drums – Bill Dowdy
Recorded on September 16, 1958 (Tracks A1 to A3, B1) & September 28, 1958 (Tracks A4, B2 to B4).
Ronald Unkel
The most soul-jazz trio during those marvellous jazz years. Recorded a series of truly funky/bluesy albums for Blue Note, during the late 50’s and 1960’s. Great stuff, folks. Have a swinging G’day, toodeloo’s & Cheers!
PJC
Smooth.
Excellent.
Can listen over and over and never tire of it.
Mister Mister...668 thanks!
clumsiii
the live recording production is so good too! hear that room!
Don's place
Bought this album when it first came out still playing today, check out blue hour with Stanley Turpentine.
clumsiii
@Don's place well, if ever you wanna tell some stories about the shows you seen just go on and i'll be all ears --
Don's place
Absolutely 💯
clumsiii
Hey Don! That's so cool you got this when it came out -- you must've seen some great shows -- I got to see Ahmad Jamal when he reunited with his original trio back in 98? i forget when - it was at Yoshi's in Oakland - nothing like live jazz
Emil JAI
Much groovy - much nice - thank you
Steven Bernie Bernstein
I don't know what else to say but thank you so much for all these things you are posting