Ten Favorite Allen Toussaint Compositions: Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues) (#5)
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (86829)
United States
July 5, 2018 8:54am CST
Ever wonder what happened on July 5, 1776? "Oh, man, General Washington lost the hot dog eating contest, and now we've got to go back to work, too!" Probably not. Traffic was light coming to work this morning, leading me to believe that people are making an extra-long weekend out of the midweek holiday. I hope everyone had a happy and safe one. And to our friends in the United Kingdom, glad we're friends again. 
Here's the next song on the countdown of hits written by Allen Toussaint.
#5: Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)
Play something sweet, and make it mellow
Play something I can sink my teeth in like Jello
You know, if I had a vote, I'd put Allen Toussaint in the Songwriters' Hall of Fame for that one line.
This is one of those songs that had Toussaint probably not caring if "everyone" knew his name. The list of people who recorded this song is long: Frankie Miller (the guy who wrote Bob Seger's "Ain't Got No Money," not the country singer), Levon Helm, BJ Thomas, Little Feat, and even Sylvester (put that in your disco heat!).
The "big hit," of course, came from Three Dog Night. It was on their controversial Hard Labor album (with the mock-up of a birth on the cover), the last "hit-laden" album they had (this album also produced "Sure As I'm Sittin' Here" [written by John Hiatt] and "The Show Must Go On" [written by Leo Sayer]). This wasn't the first Toussaint song that Three Dog Night recorded, either (one of them will show up later in the countdown), and it wasn't the last ("Mind Over Matter") was on their next studio album, Coming Down Your Way).
It also stands as the final song Allen Toussaint sang. On November 9, 2015, he closed his show in Madrid, Spain with this song. He had a heart attack and died during the night.
A fitting farewell for a man who sure did play lots of things sweet.
Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues
Written by Allen Toussaint
Recorded by Three Dog Night
From Hard Labor, 1974
I said to myself, I said, "Self!":
Here's the next song on the countdown of hits written by Allen Toussaint.
#5: Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)
Play something sweet, and make it mellow
Play something I can sink my teeth in like Jello
You know, if I had a vote, I'd put Allen Toussaint in the Songwriters' Hall of Fame for that one line.
This is one of those songs that had Toussaint probably not caring if "everyone" knew his name. The list of people who recorded this song is long: Frankie Miller (the guy who wrote Bob Seger's "Ain't Got No Money," not the country singer), Levon Helm, BJ Thomas, Little Feat, and even Sylvester (put that in your disco heat!).
The "big hit," of course, came from Three Dog Night. It was on their controversial Hard Labor album (with the mock-up of a birth on the cover), the last "hit-laden" album they had (this album also produced "Sure As I'm Sittin' Here" [written by John Hiatt] and "The Show Must Go On" [written by Leo Sayer]). This wasn't the first Toussaint song that Three Dog Night recorded, either (one of them will show up later in the countdown), and it wasn't the last ("Mind Over Matter") was on their next studio album, Coming Down Your Way).
It also stands as the final song Allen Toussaint sang. On November 9, 2015, he closed his show in Madrid, Spain with this song. He had a heart attack and died during the night.
A fitting farewell for a man who sure did play lots of things sweet.
Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues
Written by Allen Toussaint
Recorded by Three Dog Night
From Hard Labor, 1974
I said to myself, I said, "Self!":
A #33 hit from late 1974, on TDN's album "Hard Labor"
2 people like this
3 responses
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
5 Jul 18
I am with JJ. Don't know this song.
1 person likes this
@Namelesss (3364)
• United States
5 Jul 18
My first thought was Thee Dog Night. Sure wish they were still around. I didn't know who wrote this song but I'm with you, put Toussaint in the Hall of Fame. That line still holds brilliant!!
1 person likes this
