Brewer & Shipley *Acoustic Duo* One Toke Over The Line!

[@BruceKoller]

Loved One Toke but I didn't look into these guys until I saw them sometime in the '80s in Martinez, CA, during a First Night (alcohol-free) Festival on New Year's Eve. They were on the bill with John Sebastian (an old favorite of mine from The Lovin' Spoonful). They played a moody number called "Don't Wanna Die in Georgia" and it made me want to look into their work. I got the album Tarkio and I discovered how wonderful their singing and songwriting was. They've made lots of albums and CDs over the years. I've never come across a bad one. I especially like their cover of Jackson Browne's "Rock Me On The Water."

[@alvinmarcus5780]

We had the best music that's ever been made. Nothing better since. 👍😎

[@fredfinke2583]

I saw them many times in KC at the Vanguard, owned and operated by Stan Plesser (also their manager)! The last time I saw then was at Overland Par, KS! And they were as good as ever!!! Always enjoyed their shows!

[@dennisellis968]

I damn near go to tears, thinking back ,how things were, the music that just kept flowing, new Bands,singer,songwriters ,,What a time to be alive.and -- Boy howdy -- did that song popped in my head , that one too many of many things,many times, Thanks R/D got something in my eye again. I'll still keep the light on.

[@RiverDocs]

I hear ya. I don't live in the past but when it comes to music I sure do like to visit there quite often!

[@ronaldwilliams4954]

I don't want to die in Georgia O no Kamasutra Buddha That's a classic LP record label 👍😩🎸

[@delusican1960]

You tell it like it is brother. I was 11 and I have never ever forgotten this song either..... Who would have ever thunk it but 3-4 yrs later I'd be be 1 toke over that line...

[@bradwilli1]

I remember my straight laced 8th grade PE teacher walking around singing this song while in class back when it first came out in 1971. I used to get a chuckle wondering if he even knew what a "toke" was. Whenever I hear this song I always think of him. I bought the CD back in the nineties and love listening to it from time to time. GREAT SONG. The seventies music had heart and soul. Today's music may as well be produced by a computer. It has neither.

[@domicam100]

Tom's father was once the principal of my high school.

[@triciawoolley3982]

I have seen that documentary several times, and love Terry Kath- he was absolutely amazing!

[@RobCastro]

Thanks for sharing. Never heard of the song until I read Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas back in the 70s. I instantly thought the song was about drugs.

[@zeroceiling]

Yeah..I was also suspicious..

[@terry10tnj]

This was really well made I loved every minute I could listen to this guy talk all day lol

[@cheyennesantos-l4g]

It was 1972 Cordova High School, rather than smoke in the designated area , we smoked in the bathroom and busted DAILY by the Principal. We reunited years later and agreed "One Toke Over The Line" reminded us of those days and was our favorite song. ♥

[@alanb287]

My girlfriend and I saw Brewer & Shipley in Greenwich Village in 1976 or 1977. Every time I hear their name I think of the pitcher of Sangria we shared while watching them that night. Great memories.

[@RiverDocs]

Thanks for sharing your story Alan. Sounds like a great memories to remember. Thanks for watching.

[@boe4448]

Thanks RD, Very informative and well done. Most of us growing up in the 60/70's (possibly) remember singing along with that catchy number. Great sing along song. Keep up the good work! Thank, BOE

[@arthurblackhistoric]

I was heavily involved in Christian music in 1971, singing in a Christian Rock choir (no joking) and performing most weekends with them. At my first Christian youth camp over the Easter weekend of 1971, everyone was talking about this song and other Top 40 songs that had a possible Christian message. No one in the leadership team knew what a toke meant. They were what you'd call squares trying to be hip for the sake of us teenagers whom they were trying to wrangle. I didn't have the heart to tell 'em because I enjoyed singing it and didn't wanna get censured. The other song they didn't have a clue about was My Sweet Lord by George Harrison. Again, they had no clue that it was actually a Hare Krishna song! But for whatever reason, they came down hard on Spirit In The Sky by Norman Greenbaum. That was the only one that actually had a Gospel message, LOL.

[@RiverDocs]

Thanks for your story!!

[@arthurblackhistoric]

@@RiverDocs . . My pleasure. I love to reminisce about the best years of my life.

[@MichaelSSmith-hs5pw]

I met these guys when they came down from Kansas City to Columbia, Missouri to visit with Michael Cochran & The Sound Farm Band out at The Sound Farm music compound, I think it was 1970. They jammed with The Sound Farm Band, we got high & had a real good time. They visited a couple of more times, but then their record hit big time & they turned into dickheads who thought they were to good to jam with the little people anymore. Outstanding song, ego tripping dudes.

[@jeffyoung8726]

Even though these guys had one hit, it was and is a great song! And that's all you need. I still hum that song to this day. What can I say, it's a catchy tune. Got to see these guys, back in the 70's. They were cool. I remember them getting the crowd clapping a lot during their show. My Aunt bought my ticket and took me to the show. It was at a college campus. I was very young(12)and remember there was this strange odor in the air. People were passing around the same cigarette and were very happy afterwards? Hmm, I wonder why? 🤔 Thanks, as always for the great video! ✌

[@RiverDocs]

You're welcome Jeff. I have the same type memories of these guys. Glad it brought back a good memory for you too!!

[@StonersStashbox]

Great story my friend. I have Weeds and Tarkio on vinyl. Love both albums. Lol yeah I remember seeing One Toke on Welk. Lol

[@RiverDocs]

Thanks Stoner!! Cool music during a very cool time in life! Thanks for watching!

[@Revolverguy38]

Great story, Great song. Thanks for sharing 🇺🇸

[@RiverDocs]

You're very welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tedgibson5960]

how strange can that be? a song they didn't take serious becomes their biggest hit! all right RD till next time🎵😎✌

[@richardtaylor8595]

Any song about doobies we loved.

[@joshuagarland1369]

Fear and loathing brought me here.

[@ttgone1135]

Great video man!! They were very cool at that time and that song is timeless! Thanks.

[@UserGuy-g4l]

How many people know that Michael and Tom met up with Gail Ferrell a few years back and took her out to lunch. Tom's a friend on Facebook, and he had uploaded the Welk video on his page at one time.

[@bobbest8627]

Nice. I did see them live. It was a few years after their hit but I can’t remember where. It might’ve been the icehouse in Pasadena California. When the song came out, I was in eighth grade I didn’t know what toke meant. In fact, I did think the song was a spiritual song, and I thought the lyric was.” one tug over the line.” Wasn’t till a few years later that I found out what Toke meant And don’t Bogart that joint, and all those groovy sayings from the late 60s and early 70s.

[@RiverDocs]

Thanks for the comment Bob. Glad you enjoyed the story!

[@rodneyharouff5739]

oh yea!

[@RiverDocs]

:-)

[@Harlem55]

To answer a few questions this video poses: 1. Marijuana use was common to the Big Band likes of Dorsey, Bassie, and Miller. The reason why: Jazz saxophones and Clarinets are much easier when the hands are relaxed with the muscian seated and fast runs are not to be stiff - e.g. in big band we dont want fast runs to sound like fast runs Rimsky Korsokov, Motzart, Bach, etc. Cf. Miller's sunrise serenade with Rimsky-Korokov's Capricio Espanol Mvts. 4 and 5. Alcohol doesnt work well for this because it most usually clouds the head even in small amounts. Therefore Welk most probably was not adverse to marijuana use in the band but wasnt dumb enough to make it publucly known either. Because the original piece follows the form of the 70s gospel spiritual in terms of arrangement, welk used it for exactly what it was musically speaking, while playing the generation gap card. 2. High voices usually sit to the conductor's (or the audience's) left and low voices to the right with Contra-altos like the horn in F on center. This is part of how you get orchesteral blending and balance. Today it wouldnt matter as much in the setting of small ensemble because of what we can do with mics on a mixer board you couldnt do in the 70s.

[@UserGuy-g4l]

Produced by Nick Gravenites!

[@RTEHeydrich]

I heard that Jerry Garcia played the steel guitar on One Toke… IF that’s true I’d love to know the story behind that…

[@rosem2551]

So, I guess they may have changed a line or 2 for the Lawrence Welk Show...--(Sexual Reference)