OK, I've one for the music sluths out there: in the early 1970's ('71-'73, as
I recall) an early "underground" FM station, WWOM in New Orleans, LA US,
played a song that they identified as "Border Song," and attributed it to
Barry McGuire, who had been with the folk group, New Christie Minstrels, and
had previously recorded "Eve of Destruction" in about 1965. I heard the song
played twice. The first time, the DJ gave the above identity, and after the
second playing, I called and got the info that it was definitely Barry
McGuire, but the operator could not get the song title. At that exact time,
the FCC issued a ruling that no songs with "drug" references could be played,
and this wasn't to the best of my knowledge.
The song was a soulful ballad about a dope transporter lamenting that he "
shoulda' took the time... " to hide his stash better as he sat in the line of
cars at the Tiajuana Checkpoint. There was heavy orchestration featuring
Spanish trumpets on the reprise, and the above line was the refrain. The song
chronicaled the fear and regrets that the transporter had, as the line of cars
inched along and he feared detection.
I have searched for years for any discography on Barry McGuire that features
any song that even sounds remotely like this one, but have drawn a blank. I've
done paper searches of "Top 10,000 albums of Rock" and Googled every thing I
can think of. As the station was one of the first in the Deep South to feature
full albums (those funny black discs back long before CD's), and were not into
anything resembling pop singles of the day, I suspect that this was a song
from an album, rather than a single, but do not know for sure.
I know that Al Stewart (Year of the Cat, and many others) did a song, "On The
Border," but that is not it. I have exhausted all resources that I can think
of and ask if anybody with a better search engine, or better use of a search
engine can find any details on this song.
It seems that Barry McGuire converted to Gospel Music not too long after this
time, and all of his releases since about 1980 have been in that vein. The
voice on the song that I heard was much more melodic, than what I would have
ever attributed to the gravely-voiced baritone, McGuire, but then I have only
heard a few of his solo pieces, and they all featured the sound that can only
be described as angry.
I'm looking to acquire the song on CD, or vinyl, rather than as a download,
but after all these years and fruitless searching, I'll take anything.
Anybody?
Hunt
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