Tuesday, December 29, 2009

JACK KITTEL- Psycho


JACK KITTEL- Psycho

Quite a complex history behind this brilliant slice of gothic American country and western. What I can unravel is as follows: 'Psycho' was written in 1966 by a prolific blind songwriter Leon Payne, who's music career stretched back to the 1930s and who's writing credits include such classics as 'Lost Highway' (Hank Williams) and 'I Love You Because' (Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash). Depending on who you believe, Payne wrote 'Psycho' in response to a notorious mass shooting spree at the University Of Texas and the strangely affecting letter the shooter left next to the bodies of his mother and wife, or to the story of murderer and grave robber Ed Gein (who also inspired Bloch's book/Hitchcock's movie of the same name), or possibly both.
I don't think Leon Payne ever recorded the song and certainly it's first appearance on record was that by Eddie Noack in 1968. Unfortunately for Eddie the world was not yet ready for such a creepy record written from the point of view of a serial killer (at least not one without Porter Wagoner's name on it) and Noack's version sunk without a trace.
Jack Kittel then revived 'Psycho' in 1973 with the inspired, in my opinion definitive, version posted here. I can't find out much about Jack Kittel and he seems to only be remembered for this song, which became an underground classic after being picked up by various DJs including Dr Demento.
Elvis Costello then brought 'Psycho' to a bigger audience, releasing a live version in 1981, which is the same year that this Raven pressing of Jack Kittel's version was issued in Australia (perhaps not coincidentally). I'm guessing this 7" was a bit of novelty fun for Raven, who at the time were best known for excavating Australia's exciting 60s pop history with records such as the demented Ugly Things compilations, and are still a respected reissue company today.
It's possible the Raven pressing was not exactly 'official' as the label has no publishing information and miss-credits Jack Kittel as the songwriter as well as offering up a choice of spellings of his name. This could also account for the B-side being simply a backwards recording of 'Psycho', complete with backwards label. Whatever the motivation, it was an inspired decision as 'Psycho' sounds almost as good, and just as chilling, running the wrong way (admittedly I do have a huge unquenched love of backwards pedal steel brought on by early exposure to 'Change Is Now' by the Byrds).
JACK KITTEL- Psycho (backwards)
'Psycho' then had a further part to play in Australian music history being covered by The Beasts Of Bourbon on their great first album from 1984 and subsequently becoming a minor hit for the band. I've posted their promo video below.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Psycho was recorded in Muskegon Mich. in 1973 at Don Hermanson and Jay Mihelich's Belt Sound studios. The music producer and arranger was Frank Rogers with his brother Dennis as engineer. Steve Foster played drums. The record was then illegally leased by Powerhouse records of Detroit to GRC records in Atlanta Ga.

Christopher Fast said...

Thanks for the extra information. Did you have a connection with the recording?

Anonymous said...

I can vouch for the original post.
There are a lot of people in Muskegon who remember Jack as a honkytonk musician appearing all over town in every country bar at that time.

Unknown said...

I'm surprised at the number of people who feel that Kittel's version is better or definitive. I've always felt that Noak's version carried a real sense of menace with the lethargic, disoriented unhingedness of his performance. Plus I just think it sounds better. Great guitar. But, that is just my opinion.
Sidenote: I also heard that Noak didn't want the record to be released while he was still alive.

Unknown said...

I believe that was Leon Payne who didn't want it released.

Unknown said...

I believe that was Leon Payne who didn't want it released.