RIP Rick Derringer. 1947-2025.
I remember him from several bands, starting with The McCoys. There's a YouTube video where he talks about his musical beginnings. He seemed like a very likeable guy. Reminded me of a couple different people I've worked with. Also a person with a lot of nervous energy.
Anyway. They got that name from a song on The Ventures' album Walk, Don't Run. It was the first song they learned, and their first success. And from there, Hang on Sloopy was their big hit. Derringer commented about their management from those days. “I was stoopid. They took most of my money- but I got a career out of it!”
Indeed. With Edgar Winter's White Trash, Johnny Winter And(which was Winter plus The McCoys), Steely Dan, and many albums of his own. Plus he produced a lot of stuff, did a lot for other musicians.
The album cover here was part of the YouTube video with Rick Derringer. I remember hearing Edgar Winter's White Trash with a group of friends in the 70s, when he was their guitarist. And I remember him doing a hellacious blues solo. He had a lot more chops than he let on, when he really got going, for what that's worth.
I gotta say, this album cover made me laugh out loud when I saw it on YouTube. It made me think of Hustler magazine's Most Tasteless Cartoon. Which was usually Dwayne Tinsley, their most tasteless cartoonist(amazing some of the things you still remember getting older, along with all the stuff you forget). And it's certainly tasteless here in 2025. But still gets a laugh…
Happy Trails.
