Deep in the Motherlode

Last updated

"Deep in the Motherlode"
Single by Genesis
from the album ...And Then There Were Three...
B-side "Scenes from a Night's Dream"
ReleasedJuly 1978 (US) [1]
RecordedSeptember October 1977
Genre
Length5:15(album version)
3:35 (U.S. single edit)
Label Atlantic Records (US)
Songwriter(s) Mike Rutherford
Producer(s) David Hentschel and Genesis
Genesis singles chronology
"Many Too Many"
(1978)
"Deep in the Motherlode"
(1978)
"Turn It On Again"
(1980)
Audio sample
"Deep in the Motherlode"

"Deep in the Motherlode", also titled "Go West Young Man (In the Motherlode)", is a song performed and recorded by English rock band Genesis, with lyrics and music by Mike Rutherford. It was released as the sixth track on the group's 1978 album ...And Then There Were Three... under the title "Deep in the Motherlode".

The song tells a fictional story of a man's travels during the Nevada gold rush and his family's urging for him to get as much gold as he can.

A mother lode is a rich vein of valuable metal in a mine. The lyric "Go West, young man" is a reference to a famous phrase by Horace Greeley, who, in a 13 July 1865 editorial, advised: "Go West, young man, go West and grow up with the country."

The song was performed live by Genesis on their 1978 tour and was used as a frequent opening number on their 1980 tour, but the song was not performed live thereafter. In Japan and North America it was released as a single, but re-titled as "Go West Young Man (In the Motherlode)".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genesis (band)</span> English rock band

Genesis are an English rock band formed at Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, in 1967. The band's longest-existing and most commercially successful line-up consisted of keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford and drummer/singer Phil Collins. In the 1970s, during which the band also included singer Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett, Genesis were among the pioneers of progressive rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Styx (band)</span> American rock band

Styx is an American rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1972. They are known for blending melodic hard rock guitar with acoustic guitar, synthesizers mixed with acoustic piano, upbeat tracks with power ballads, and incorporating elements of international musical theatre. The band established themselves with a progressive rock sound during the 1970s, and began to incorporate pop rock and soft rock elements in the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Collins</span> English musician (born 1951)

Philip David Charles Collins is an English singer, drummer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and 1990, Collins achieved three UK and seven US number one singles as a solo artist. When his work with Genesis, his work with other artists, as well as his solo career are totalled, he is responsible for more US top 40 singles than any other artist during the 1980s. His most successful singles from the period include "In the Air Tonight", "Against All Odds ", "One More Night", "Sussudio", "Another Day in Paradise" and "I Wish It Would Rain Down".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Stills</span> American musician (born 1945)

Stephen Arthur Stills is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Manassas. As both a solo act and member of three successful bands, Stills has combined record sales of over 35 million albums. He was ranked number 28 in Rolling Stone's 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and number 47 in the 2011 list. Stills became the first person to be inducted twice on the same night into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. According to Neil Young, "Stephen is a genius."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nils Lofgren</span> American rock musician (born 1951)

Nils Hilmer Lofgren is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a member of Crazy Horse, and founder/frontman of the band Grin. Lofgren was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Coverdale</span> English rock musician

David Coverdale is an English singer, best known as the founder and lead singer of hard rock band Whitesnake. Coverdale was the lead singer of Deep Purple from 1973 to 1976, after which he released two solo albums before forming Whitesnake in 1978. In 1993, during a Whitesnake hiatus, he collaborated with ex-Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page on the Coverdale–Page album, which was subsequently certified platinum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Hackett</span> English musician and producer (born 1950)

Stephen Richard Hackett is an English guitarist, songwriter, singer and record producer who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis from 1971 to 1977. Hackett contributed to six Genesis studio albums, three live albums, seven singles and one EP before he left to pursue a solo career. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Mason</span> British singer-songwriter and guitarist

David Thomas Mason is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic. Over the course of his career, Mason has played and recorded with many notable pop and rock musicians, including Paul McCartney, George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Steve Winwood, Fleetwood Mac, Delaney & Bonnie, Leon Russell, and Cass Elliot. One of Mason's best known songs is "Feelin' Alright", recorded by Traffic in 1968 and later by many other performers, including Joe Cocker, whose version of the song was a hit in 1969. For Traffic, he also wrote "Hole in My Shoe", a psychedelic pop song that became a hit in its own right. "We Just Disagree", Mason's 1977 solo U.S. hit, written by Jim Krueger, has become a staple of U.S. classic hits and adult contemporary radio playlists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roxy Theatre (West Hollywood)</span> Nightclub

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richie Furay</span> American musician

Paul Richard Furay is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member. He is best known for forming the bands Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Bruce Palmer, and Dewey Martin, and Poco with Jim Messina, Timothy B. Schmit, Rusty Young, George Grantham and Randy Meisner. His best known song was "Kind Woman," which he wrote for his wife, Nancy.

<i>...And Then There Were Three...</i> 1978 studio album by Genesis

...And Then There Were Three... is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Genesis. It was released on 31 March 1978 by Charisma Records and is their first recorded as a trio of singer/drummer Phil Collins, keyboardist Tony Banks, and bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford, following the departure of guitarist Steve Hackett. The album marked a change in the band's sound, mixing elements of their progressive rock roots with more accessible material, and Collins contributing to more of the group's songwriting.

Go West may refer to:

The Amazing Kornyfone Record Label (TAKRL) was one of the first bootlegging record labels in America. Kornyfone was based in Southern California in the 1970s. The label released albums from such artists as The Beatles, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Pink Floyd, Genesis, and others. Kornyfone was known for their packaging, with interesting artwork and informative covers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Invisible Touch (song)</span> 1986 single by Genesis

"Invisible Touch" is the title track and first single from the 1986 album of the same name by the English rock band Genesis. The song is a group composition which featured lyrics written by drummer and singer Phil Collins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Follow You Follow Me</span> 1978 single by Genesis

"Follow You Follow Me" is a love song written and recorded by English rock band Genesis. It was released in March 1978 as the first single from their ninth studio album, ...And Then There Were Three... (1978). The music was composed by the band, and the lyrics were written by bassist and guitarist Mike Rutherford. The single became Genesis' first top 10 hit in the UK and first top 40 hit in the US, reaching No. 7 and No. 23 respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illegal Alien (song)</span> 1984 single by Genesis

"Illegal Alien" is a song by the English rock band Genesis. It was written by members Tony Banks, Phil Collins, and Mike Rutherford, produced by all three alongside Hugh Padgham, and released as the third single from their self-titled 1983 album in January 1984. The song's lyrics, inspired by the band's troubles with getting visas to reenter the United States while on tour, tell the satirical story of an illegal immigrant facing obstacles in the process of trying to move to the United States. Its accompanying music video depicts the members of Genesis as a group of Mexican men unsuccessfully attempting to get their passports approved, and shows them in ponchos and sombreros.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)</span> 1974 song by Genesis

"I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" was the first charting single by the rock band Genesis. It was drawn from their 1973 album Selling England by the Pound. The single was released in the UK in February 1974, and became a minor hit in April 1974, when it reached number 21 in the UK Singles Chart.

"Go West, young man" is a quote often attributed to American author Horace Greeley concerning America's expansion westward.

Genesis Live in London 1980 is a short concert film by the progressive rock band Genesis. It was filmed by the BBC at the Lyceum Theatre in London on 7 May 1980, but was not released until 2007. The show features the band performing live during the Duke tour. DVDs of the full show have been widely available for a number of years and are of generally less-than-standard DVD quality and some even have tracks missing, most frequently "The Knife". A 39-minute remastered excerpt from this concert was included on the DVD of the 2007 re-issue of Duke in higher quality and is the only officially released version to date; this re-issue was originally part of the Genesis 1976–1982 box set.

Natural Gas was a Canadian rock music group featuring a horn section. Consisting of eight members, it was formed by George Olliver. They released an album and a single in 1970. They had hit that year with "All Powerful Man". Their self-titled album also made the charts.

References

  1. Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 322. ISBN   9780862415419.