In 1970, rock music was about to undergo a pretty significant transformation, even though most people may not have known it at the time. Still, it was in 1970 that some of the best rock songs were released, including these three songs, which still make me smile when I listen to them today.
“After Midnight” by Eric Clapton
“After Midnight” is Eric Clapton’s first single as a solo artist. It also became his first Top 20 hit. On his eponymous debut, “After Midnight” was written by J. J. Cale.
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The song says in part, “We’re going to cause talk and suspicion / We’re going to give an exhibition / We’re going to find out what it is all about / After midnight, we’re going to let it all hang down.”
Interestingly, Cale released his own version of “After Midnight” in 1966, becoming a Top 5 hit. The song has been covered by multiple other artists, including Chet Atkins, Jerry Garcia, Phish, Marc Cohn, and more.
“American Woman” by The Guess Who
The title track of an album that also came out in 1970, “American Woman” is the first of The Guess Who’s two No. 1 singles in the United States. The song was written by band members Burton Cummings, Garry Peterson, Jim Kale, and Randy Bachman.
“American Woman” begins with, “American woman, stay away from me / American woman, mama, let me be / Don’t come a-hangin’ around my door / I don’t wanna see your face no more / I got more important things to do / Than spend my time growin’ old with you.”
“It’s basically an antiwar protest song saying, ‘We don’t want your war machines. We don’t want your ghetto scenes, stay away from me,’” Bachman later explains.
In 1999, Lenny Kravitz released his own version of “American Woman”. Kravitz earned a Grammy Award for his take on “American Woman”.
“My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison
“My Sweet Lord” is George Harrison’s first single after leaving The Beatles. The song, written by Harrison, is on his All Things Must Pass album.
A four-week No. 1 single, “My Sweet Lord” says, “I really want to see you / Really want to be with you / Really want to see you Lord / But it takes so long, my Lord / My sweet Lord / Hm, my Lord / Hm, my Lord.”
A big hit, “My Sweet Lord” also resulted in a big lawsuit. Harrison was sued by Bright Tunes Music, claiming the song was too similar to The Chiffons’ 1963 single, “He’s So Fine”. He was later found guilty of “subconscious plagiarism.” Although the case was ultimately settled, Harrison admitted it put a damper on his musical ambitions.
“It’s difficult to just start writing again after you’ve been through that,” Harrison said. “Even now when I put the radio on, every tune I hear sounds like something else.”
Photo by L. Cohen/WireImage
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