When I was young before I had cassettes, the only good way of making a playlist of songs was to stack 45s on the turntable. I would arrange for them to play my favorite songs in my favorite order. These posts are about records I had in my stacks.
I saw this record at a multi-family garage sale in the parking lot of Alpharetta Elementary, Alpharetta, Georgia in 1970 or maybe 1971. I had never heard of it or Al Wilson, but it looked interesting so I bought it for a dime. “The Snake” was the A-side and “Getting Ready For Tomorrow” was the B-side.
“The Snake” was written by written and first recorded by American singer, songwriter, playwright, poet, civil rights activist, and actor Oscar Brown in 1963. Johnny Rivers released his version of the song in 1966 on his ” …And I Know You Wanna Dance” LP. Al Wilson then released his version on Johnny Rivers’ Soul City Records in 1968.
The horns are by Marty Paich, an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. The record was co-produced by Johnny Rivers and Marc Gordon, Soul songwriter, producer, and manager of The Fifth Dimension. The song made number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968. Due to the UK Northern Soul Scene, the song has been rated number 4 of the top 500 Northern Souls songs of all time.
I love this record but never cared for the B-side. I played “The Snake” on a regular basis. “Getting Ready For Tomorrow” was written by Willie Hutchison, an American vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter who wrote “I’ll Be There” for the Jackson 5. Wilson’s recording of “The Snake” was also featured in a Lambrini television advertisement in the UK.
On her way to work one morning
Down the path along side the lake
A tender hearted woman saw a poor half frozen snake
His pretty colored skin had been all frosted with the dew
“Oh well,” she cried, “I’ll take you in and I’ll take care of you”
“Take me in oh tender woman (come on in)
Take me in, for heaven’s sake (come on in)
Take me in, for heaven’s sake
Take me in tender woman,” sighed the snake
She wrapped him up all cozy in a curvature of silk
And then laid him by the fireside with some honey and some milk
Now she hurried home from work that night as soon as she arrived
She found that pretty snake she’d taking in had been revived
“Take me in, oh tender woman (come on in)
Take me in, for heaven’s sake (come on in)
Take me in tender woman,” sighed the snake
Now she clutched him to her bosom, “You’re so beautiful,” she cried
“But if I hadn’t brought you in by now you might have died”
Now she stroked his pretty skin again and then kissed and held him tight
But instead of saying thanks, that snake gave her a vicious bite (oh…)
“Take me in, oh tender woman (come on in)
Take me in, for heaven’s sake (come on in)
Take me in tender woman,” sighed the snake
“I saved you,” cried that woman
“And you’ve bit me even, why?
And you know your bite is poisonous and now I’m gonna die”
“Oh shut up, silly woman,” said the reptile with a grin
“You knew damn well I was a snake before you brought me in
“Please take me in, oh tender woman (come on in)
Take me in, for heaven’s sake (come on in)
Take me in tender woman,” sighed the snake
Sighed the snake
“Take me in, tender woman”
Sighed the snake, sighed the snake
“Take me in, tender woman”
Sighed the snake
