Song of the Day 9/7: The Fireballs, “Bottle of Wine”

The Fireballs, originally Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs (named for the Jerry Lee Lewis song), are most famous for their 1963 No. 1 hit “Sugar Shack,” a tune that in retrospect seems to sum up popular music in the period between Buddy Holly’s death and the Beatles’ arrival in the U.S. The subsequent British Invasion roared through popular music like Hurricane Dorian through Grand Bahama, and the Fireballs were among those swept away. They released little until 1967, when they changed record labels and scored a Top 10 hit with this Tom Paxton song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZynyHW2hfw

Paxton released the song as a single in 1966, and it was covered by a number of folk artists. He kept it in his set throughout his career.

What did Paxton think of the way the Fireballs reworked it? He told”That was such fun, because it was flat-out jukebox rock’n’roll, you know. It was really a kick to hear that. And it almost — I think it would have gone to number one, except the one woman who oversaw the ABC radio station affiliates banned it, because it was about wine. And so, without those stations, it didn’t make it. It was in the Top Ten. I think it would have gone all the way if they’d let it be on the ABC radio stations. But I loved it. I thought it was great fun.”