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Lyr Req: Grazing in the Grass
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Lyr Req: Grazing in the Grass |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grazing in the Grass From: Joe Offer Date: 26 Dec 17 - 03:14 PM One of many songs I've heard countless times, but never knew the title: Friends Of Distinction - Grazing In The Grass (1969) Hugh Masekela - Grazing In The Grass (1968)[instrumental] - Composed by Harry Elston / Philemon Hou / Hugh Masekela
From allmusic.com: A Top Five hit in the summer of 1969 and the biggest bubblegum soul/sunshine pop hit this side of the Fifth Dimension, the Friends of Distinction's vocal version of Hugh Masekela's "Grazing in the Grass" (itself a huge hit less than a year before) is one of the defining singles of its era. The arrangement, by Ray Cork Jr., speeds up Masekela's original considerably, and loses the earthy South African groove in favor of Las Vegas glitz, heavy on the gloppy orchestral swells and faux climaxes. That doesn't matter, however, since the song's focal point has been shifted over to the remarkable interplay of the four singers, Harry Elston, Floyd Butler, Jessica Cleaves, and Barbara Jean Love. Memory does not accurately render just how gosh-darn fast these four are really singing, especially during the truly astonishing "I can dig it, she can dig it" bridge. After decades of familiarity, groups like the Ramones no longer sound like the fastest rock & roll ever made; perhaps it's because they're largely relegated to the shadows of history, except for occasional oldies radio play, but the Friends of Distinction sound every bit as remarkable today as they did in 1969. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grazing in the Grass From: keberoxu Date: 26 Dec 17 - 02:07 PM You're right about that speeded-up tempo. Can you imagine Hugh Masekela's poor cowbell percussionist, trying to ding-a-ling the cowbell as fast as the Friends of Distinction could sing it?! At the time, the Fifth Dimension and the Friends of Distinction were competitors, so it was easy to confuse the two. The Friends of Distinction single that I best recall was "Love, or Let Me Be Lonely," much more interesting harmonic changes. And NOT so darned fast either. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grazing in the Grass From: GUEST Date: 22 May 13 - 08:28 PM song was recorded by FRIENDS OF DISTINCTION, not 5TH DIMENSION. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grazing in the Grass From: GUEST Date: 14 Oct 12 - 04:22 PM The reason the instrumental was better is because it was slower in tempo. I don't know why which ever band chose to sing along sped up the song so much but.... Yestderday I got to feeling nostalic and looked up the song after hearing it (the instrumental) on a local radio station. The minute I started hearing the lyrical verse my brain kept cringing saying why are the playing so fast? |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grazing in the Grass From: GUEST,harry elston Date: 15 Jun 11 - 05:51 PM grazin in the grass (vocal version) was recorded by "friends of distinction" |
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Subject: RE: Grazin' in the Grass From: Jim Dixon Date: 15 Dec 10 - 01:20 PM Philemon Hou composed GRAZING IN THE GRASS as an instrumental for Hugh Masekela, who recorded it in 1968. Harry Elston later wrote words for it, and the Friends of Distinction (of which Elston was a member) recorded the vocal version in 1969. This information is from Wikipedia. Allmusic.com lists many other groups that also recorded it, but The Fifth Dimension isn't one of them. |
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Subject: RE: Grazin' in the Grass From: Horton Date: 18 Aug 97 - 06:28 PM Thanks to everyone who responded. A friend of mine just found an old 45 rpm single of this song as performed by Friends of Distinction. When I hear I should be able to tell if that was the popular version. |
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Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: GRAZING IN THE GRASS From: Gargoyle Date: 03 Aug 97 - 11:53 PM Key of F F7 It sho' Am7 is mel- Gm7 low Grazing C7 in the Grass. F7 F7 Grazing in the Am7 Grass is a gas, Gm7 baby can you C7 dig it? What a F trip Am7 Just watch- Gm7 ing as the C7 world goes by F7. F7 Grazing in Am7 Grass is a gas Gm7 baby can you C7 dig it? F7 There are so man- Am7 y groovy things to Gm7 see while Grazing C7 in the Grass F7 F7 Grazing In the Am7 Grass is a gas Gm7 baby can you C7 dig C7 it? F7 Flower with col- Am7 ors bright making Gm7 every thing out a sight C7 in the grass F7 F7 Grazing in the Am7 Grass is a gas Am7 baby can you C7 dig it? F7 The sun Ed6 beaming down between Ed7 the leaves. F6 Grazing in the F7 grass is a gas Eb7 baby can you dig it? And the F birds F7 dart- Ed7 ing in and out of the F6 trees Grazing in the F7 Grass is a gas Ed7 baby can you dig it? F Ev'ry thing here is so F7 so clear Bd you can C7 see it. F And everything there is F7 so new Bd you can C7 feel it. F And it's real Gm so c7d9 so real so F real F7 so real F7 so Bd9 real, Gm7 so real C7 can you F dig it Am7 Gm7 C7 Fm7 I can dig it he can dig it Am7 she can dig it, we can dig it, Gm7 they can dig it, you can dig it C7 Oh, let's F dig it. Am7 Can you dig Gm7 it, ba- C7 by? |
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Subject: RE: Grazin' in the Grass From: Allan Samuels Date: 03 Aug 97 - 09:21 PM This is strictly from memory and so likely imperfect, but the name Hugh Masakela is conected to the song. It may have been his orchestra on the record. I think that was an instrumental version,and was the big hit. The Fifth Demension's recording was a cover version. To be sure they were a great group, but the vocal lost a lot of the wonderful stataco rythym of the original. There were just too many words. Allan |
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Subject: Grazin' in the Grass From: Horton Date: 29 Jul 97 - 12:02 PM Does anyone know the lyrics to this song? Also, was it the Fifth Dimension that made the hit out of it in the '60s? |
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