Graham Higgins Illustration

Love’s 1967 album ‘Forever Changes’ is certainly in my top five favourites. I didn’t stumble on it until five years later in the heat of a long English Summer when it made a perfect soundtrack – a garage band set in a lush backdrop of strings and a punchy brass section. Some of the lyrics are beautifully poised, some are psychedelic wack. All the songs apart from Bryan Maclean’s ‘Alone Again Or’ and ‘Old Man’ were written by Arthur Lee.

The lyrics include two of my favourite lines in pop: ’For every happy hello there will be goodbye’ – a simple observation that’s been a comfort in times of separation; and ‘The news today will be the movies for tomorrow’ – probably referring to Vietnam, but a cynical wisdom that’s proved a constant in my lifetime.

Arthur careered through a chaotic life and was rescued late by a Love tribute band, resulting in a tour recorded on The Forever Changes Concert DVD from the Royal Festival Hall in 2003, backed by the required orchestra. It’s astonishing that he was still standing and in good voice. His vocals always had a fragility about them but in this setting they’re both moving and heroic.

Here’s a case of simple chords allowing you to be your own jukebox – it surprised me how simple and few the chords are to this happy punk-flamenco number. That Cmaj7/F7 is one of my favourite changes (they’re just the C and F chords missing their highest fretted note).

My friend David called round this morning and with this song on my mind I played it through and he put a couple of terrific Spanish-flavoured solos over the changes. Being a tolerable busker has the advantage that you can roll out a carpet of chords for more accomplished players to dance along. ‘Between Clark and Hilldale’ refers to the location of a specific club, the Whiskey A Go Go, where Arthur Lee hung out, hip and on the scene.

“Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale”

(Arthur Lee)

Intro: Am

Cmaj7   F7                         G

What is happening and how have you been

Cmaj7   F7                 G

Gotta   go but I’ll see you again

Em              C             G

And oh, the music is so loud

Em           C                Am

And then I fade into the…

Crowds of people standing everywhere

‘Cross the street I’m at this laugh affair

And here they always play my song

And me, I wonder if it’s…

Wrong or right they come here just the same

Telling everyone about their games

And if you think it obsolete

Then you go back across the street

Yeah, street, heah hey hey

[guitar solo over verse chords]

When I leave now don’t you weep for me

I’ll be back, just save a seat for me

But if you just can’t make the room

Look up and see me on the…

Moon’s a common scene around my town

Yeah where everyone is painted brown

And if we threw that stuff away away

Let’s go - let everybody play

Yeah, play, yeah, yeah ye-eah

[guitar solo over verse chords; let final Cmaj7 ring]