You're Gonna Miss Me (song)
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"You're Gonna Miss Me" is a song by the American
psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
band
the 13th Floor Elevators The 13th Floor Elevators was an American Rock music, rock band from Austin, Texas, United States, formed by guitarist and lead vocalist, vocalist Roky Erickson, electric jug (instrument), jug player Tommy Hall (American musician), Tommy Hall, ...
, written by
Roky Erickson Roger Kynard "Roky" Erickson (July 15, 1947 – May 31, 2019) was an American musician and singer-songwriter. Called an "outsider genius," he was a founding member and the leader of the 13th Floor Elevators and a pioneer of the psychedelic r ...
, and released as the group's debut single on Contact Records in 1966. It was reissued nationally on International Artists, in May 1966. Musically inspired by traditional
jug band A jug band is a musical band, band employing a jug (instrument), jug player and a mix of conventional and homemade instruments. These homemade instruments are ordinary objects adapted to or modified for making sound, like the washtub bass, washbo ...
and R&B music, combined with the group's own experimentation, "You're Gonna Miss Me" with its Stacy Sutherland and Tommy Hall-penned
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
"Tried to Hide" was influential in developing psychedelic rock and
garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...
, and was one of the earlier rock compositions to use the electric
jug A jug is a type of container commonly used to hold and serve liquids, but not normally to drink from directly. It has an opening, sometimes narrow, from which to pour or drink, and has a handle, and usually a pouring lip. Jugs throughout histor ...
. Accordingly, critics often cite "You're Gonna Miss Me" as a bona fide garage rock song and a classic of the
counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...
era. "You're Gonna Miss Me" reached number 55 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, making it the 13th Floor Elevators' only single to chart in the U.S. The failure of the song to achieve a higher chart listing is attributed to poor distribution by a non-established record label. In addition, the band was prevented from consistently touring during their parole for possession of marijuana. The song was also included as a track on their debut album ''
The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators ''The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators'' is the debut album, studio album by the 13th Floor Elevators. The album's sound, featuring elements of psychedelic music, psychedelia, hard rock, garage rock, folk music, folk, and blues, is ...
'' in November 1966. In Canada, the song reached number 54 on the ''RPM Magazine'' charts.


Composition

The song's lyrics are, for the most part, about a woman doing the singer wrong, and his boasting that "you're gonna miss me" after the two have separated, which is traditional to the template that many other garage rock bands had followed. An alternative motive to the song's concept was that the lyric, "you're gonna miss me", actually was directed toward songwriter
Roky Erickson Roger Kynard "Roky" Erickson (July 15, 1947 – May 31, 2019) was an American musician and singer-songwriter. Called an "outsider genius," he was a founding member and the leader of the 13th Floor Elevators and a pioneer of the psychedelic r ...
's extended absences from his family, which began when he was enrolled in junior high school. Erickson acknowledges that three compositions influenced the song's conception such as his musical role model,
James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...
's " I Don't Mind", a key line of which is, "you're gonna miss me", as well as
Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...
's "Early in the Morning", and
Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of moder ...
' lesser-known recording, "You're Gonna Miss Me". After entertaining the idea of embarking on a music career as a country singer, Erickson shifted to emulating the vocalization of
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
musical artists he held in high-regard, including James Brown,
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...
, and
Screamin' Jay Hawkins Jalacy J. "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins (July 18, 1929 – February 12, 2000) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, film producer, and boxer. Famed chiefly for his powerful, shouting vocal delivery and wildly theatrical performances of s ...
. However, perfecting his wails, and screams took a level of considerable difficulty, and required a degree of privacy for Erickson, who wanted to project an impression that he was naturally talented. On occasions when he rehearsed, Erickson worked in seclusion with only a few close friends, and the results manifested itself on "You're Gonna Miss Me". During these practice sessions Erickson, at age 15, composed both "You're Gonna Miss Me" and "We Sell Soul". Both of the songs originally appeared in 1965 on a single released by Erickson and his group the Spades, gathering regional success and intrigue from contemporary musical acts. Among those impressed with Erickson were
jug A jug is a type of container commonly used to hold and serve liquids, but not normally to drink from directly. It has an opening, sometimes narrow, from which to pour or drink, and has a handle, and usually a pouring lip. Jugs throughout histor ...
player Tommy Hall and lead guitarist Stacy Sutherland of another local band, the Lingsmen, who swayed Erickson to join their ensemble, which soon became
the 13th Floor Elevators The 13th Floor Elevators was an American Rock music, rock band from Austin, Texas, United States, formed by guitarist and lead vocalist, vocalist Roky Erickson, electric jug (instrument), jug player Tommy Hall (American musician), Tommy Hall, ...
.


Recording

The master recording of "You're Gonna Miss Me" was made on January 2, 1966 at Walt Andrus's studio in Houston, with record producer Gordon Bynum arranging the sessions. Prior to entering the studio, Erickson and bass guitarist Benny Thurman initiated last-minute rehearsals of both their old and experimental material, before concluding their safest move was to re-record "You're Gonna Miss Me", coupled with "Tried to Hide". With only a three-track available, the group was collectively recording live, reserving the other tracks for vocals and guitar. Hall's jug instrumental replaced much of Erickson's harmonica to aid in evoking the mind-altering experience of
LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German ; often referred to as acid or lucy), is a semisynthetic, hallucinogenic compound derived from ergot, known for its powerful psychological effects and serotonergic activity. I ...
, and attempt to "put the acid" into the song. According to Thurman, the band members were under the influence of the
psychedelic drug Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluc ...
throughout the recording process. The 13th Floor Elevators managed to record one perfect take of "You're Gonna Miss Me" in the early morning, but the playback was completely wiped from the tapes. Thurman brought an electric fiddle in hopes of utilizing the instrument on "Tried to Hide", left it on the
mixing console A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for Audio mixing (recorded music), mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems. Inputs to the console include microphones, signals fro ...
, and the
magnetic pickup A pickup is an electronic device that converts energy from one form to another that captures or senses mechanical vibrations produced by musical instruments, particularly stringed instruments such as the electric guitar, and converts these t ...
consequently interfered with the recording heads. Writer Austin Powell, in his 2011 book ''The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology'', has noted that the influence of Little Richard's singing style is clearly heard in "You're Gonna Miss Me", with Erickson's primal shrieks and wailing. In addition to the composition's striking lead vocal, the song is also highlighted by Sutherland's precise and driving guitar motif and classic E-D-A-G chord progression. "You're Gonna Miss Me" exhibits the influence of
John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...
, particularly in the distorted sound quality created by Hall's unique application of the electric jug. Hall was able to amplify the sound of the instrument by holding it near a microphone and through his vocal techniques. In his book ''The A to X of Alternative Music'', music historian Steve Taylor also considers the hearsay from band members that Hall altered the pitch, and musical textures by varying the amounts of marijuana in his jug. The author goes on to conclude that the results garnered interest from listeners, and was expanded upon in the 13th Floor Elevators' later recordings.


Release

"You're Gonna Miss Me" was released on January 17, 1966 on Bynum's newly established Contact Records (the name alluding to the "contact high" the music created), reaching number two in Austin, Texas. Following the single's release, the 13th Floor Elevators were drawing sold-out audiences as advertised psychedelic music artists on a weekly basis, but also attracted the attention of the authorities. This resulted in the band being busted for possession of marijuana, a report which circulated across Texas's music underground. Additionally, the group was barred from traveling outside the state or from performing at their regular venues the Jade Room and the Wig. The 13th Floor Elevators countered by having their debut at the new venue, the New Orleans, which was broadcast live on KAZZ-FM radio, and perversely their outlaw status won them a larger audience. In May 1966, the group negotiated a contract with International Artists to distribute "You're Gonna Miss Me" in the U.S. The reissue peaked at number 55 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, on October 9, 1966 and spent two months on the charts. As a consequence of poor distribution, label confusion between International Artists, Contact Records, and Hanna-Barbera Records, and excessive bootlegging, the single failed to achieve a higher positioning nationally. Nonetheless, "You're Gonna Miss Me" managed to reach the Top 10 regionally in Miami, Dallas, Detroit, and San Francisco. At the height of their popularity, the 13th Floor Elevators performed the tune on
Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American television and radio personality and television producer who hosted ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 1989. He also hosted five incarnations of the Pyramid (game show), ...
's ''
American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...
'' on October 29, 1966. Infamously, prior to their act, Clark asked who the head of the group was to which Hall replied, "We're all heads!" In November 1966, "You're Gonna Miss Me" was featured as the opening track to the 13th Floor Elevators' debut album ''
The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators ''The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators'' is the debut album, studio album by the 13th Floor Elevators. The album's sound, featuring elements of psychedelic music, psychedelia, hard rock, garage rock, folk music, folk, and blues, is ...
''. The song later appeared on the album ''
Live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film * ''Live'' (2023 film), a Malayalam-language film *'' Live: Phát Trực Tiếp'', a Vietnamese-langua ...
'', and the 1988 live album '' Live: I've Seen Your Face Before''. It is also included on '' Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968'', ''The Collection'', ''
The Psychedelic World of the 13th Floor Elevators The Psychedelic World of the 13th Floor Elevators is a 3 disc box set by the American rock band the 13th Floor Elevators. The set collects the band's studio output, with live cuts, alternate versions, and the two original singles as The Spades. ...
'', and ''The Very Best of the 13th Floor Elevators Going Up''. The Spades' original version was released in 1965 on Zero Records.


Personnel

*
Roky Erickson Roger Kynard "Roky" Erickson (July 15, 1947 – May 31, 2019) was an American musician and singer-songwriter. Called an "outsider genius," he was a founding member and the leader of the 13th Floor Elevators and a pioneer of the psychedelic r ...
– lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica *Stacy Sutherland – lead guitar * Tommy Hallamplified jug, backing vocals *Benny Thurman – bass guitar, backing vocals *John Ike Walton – drums, percussion


References


External links


An Interview With Spades' Drummer John Kearney The Austin, Texas band which featured Roky Erickson on vocals and lead guitar (pre-Elevators) ©2003 Andrew Brown
{{Authority control 1966 singles American psychedelic rock songs American garage rock songs Acid rock songs Radar Records singles 1966 songs Songs written by Roky Erickson The 13th Floor Elevators songs