This Is Uncalled For

Welcome to week two of Medicinal Music. I was intending on posting a weirder, more psychedelic song today, but I found this instead. I'll admit that 65% of the reason I chose to write about this song is because of the band name - Uncalled For. For some reason, I find the it to be an insanely clever name...imagine a radio DJ or a concert announcer introducing them - "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Uncalled For!"

Nashville's own Uncalled For (not to be confused with Johnny and The UNcalled Fours from Ohio) released "Do Like Me" in 1965. This would be the only single Uncalled For released, although they recorded a couple demos in 1966 that have surfaced. The song starts out with a very mellow tone, sparse rhythm guitar is paired with some drums and trance inducing background vocals underneath the lead singers cool delivery. During the first verse, the singer asks us if we've "ever had a day the man's kept you down?" Well of course we have! What should we do?

Ah ha! The answer kicks in during the chorus, and so does the song's energy -
"Come on over/I'm gonna show it to you/Everything I know, girl/Everything to do...Do Like Me." Unfortunately for listeners, as enjoyable as the song is, one can notice that the band seems to be a little subdued in the studio. It begs a listener to imagine what kind of raucous this chorus would have caused in the bars of Nashville. Overall, this song has a great feeling of stoned subversiveness, sexuality, and cockiness that has a listener nodding their head in approval.

"Yeeaah"

Uncalled For
"Do Like Me"
1965