Song of the Day 6/30: Moby Grape, “Murder in My Heart for the Judge”

I’m sure millions of people these days can relate to the sentiment expressed by Moby Grape’s Jerry Miller and Don Stevenson, first released on “Wow,” the band’s flawed 1968 follow-up album to their eponymous LP of 1967.

That album would have established them as San Francisco’s best band if their manager and record company hadn’t screwed the pooch — their manager by pissing off concert organizers so Moby Grape opened the Monterrey Pop Festival when they should have been a headlining act, the record company by releasing five singles from the album at once, resulting in little airplay for any of them.

I couldn’t find any reference to a particular court case that prompted the song. Though three band members were arrested for marijuana possession when a jam session got raided over a noise complaint, they beat the rap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsZ3DT4rRWc

The song was soon covered by Three Dog Night, who gave it their usual heavily produced razzle-dazzle, but a lot of people think the best version was cut in 1970 by Lee Michaels, who made it sound personal.

Several others have covered the tune, including Chrissie Hynde and the Radiators. The most recent take was by Nellie McKay, who sped up the tempo to good effect.