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All Things Brewer &
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Jim Pepper original
Songwriter and
saxophonist Jim Pepper adapted the song "Witchi Tai To" from an
ancient peyote chant
that he learned from his Native American grandfather.
"Witchi Tai To" was first recorded by Pepper's group, the short lived,
Everything Is Everything.
The group's producers encouraged Pepper to express
his Native American heritage in his music, and helped him work out the
arrangement and English translation. To this day
"Witchi Tai To"
is the only hit
in the history of the Billboard pop charts (reaching #69 in 1969)
to feature an authentic Native American chant.
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Brewer & Shipley
cover
Brewer & Shipley
first heard Everything Is Everything's original of "Witchi Tai To" on
Clyde Clifford's legendary "Beaker Street" on KAAY-1090 beaming
out of Little Rock, Arkansas. KAAY's cult status was forged in the
late 1960s, when, after 11:00 p.m. each evening, the station abandoned their
standard Top 40 format for three hours of
underground music with the program
"Beaker Street." KAAY's nighttime AM signal (50,000 Watts) extended
its reach to much of the
midwest, and as far away as Canada and Mexico, leading to its nick-name "The Mighty
Ten Ninety." Brewer & Shipley tuned in to listen to "Beaker Street" as
they were traveling between gigs all over the midwest. |
Clyde
Clifford @ KAAY |
It is
understandable that Brewer & Shipley would misinterpret some of the lyrics
listening to "Witchi Tai To" on their car radio late at night.
The irony is that they got all
the Native American lyrics right but misheard the adapted English lyrics. Michael Brewer
explained, "While we were traveling all over the
heartland late at night, that [Clyde Clifford's Beaker Street] would be one of the only things we could get
on the radio. 'Witchi Tai To' was getting a lot of airplay, and we just
loved it, 'cause Tom and I have always been into Native American culture and
music. I'm from Oklahoma, so I grew up with it all around me. We learned it
off the radio, and sang phonetically. I think we got the Indian part right,
but I don't think we're singing the English right to this day."
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Everything Is Everything
Water spirit feelings
Springin' round my head
Makes me feel glad
That I'm not dead |
Brewer & Shipley
What a spirit spring
Is bringing round my head
Makes me feel glad
That I’m not dead |
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Brewer & Shipley's version of the song from their Weeds album got
heavy FM airplay, and in some circles is the more well known version.
It was even mentioned in Jim Pepper's obituary in the New York Times.
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Witchi Tai To lyrics |
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All Things Brewer &
Shipley |
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