Essentials: The Top 10 Long Ryders’ Songs

Taking their name from a Walter Hill-directed Western, The Long Ryders emerged as part of the Paisley Underground in the 1980s, after Sid Grifin left the garage-influenced The Unclaimed. Griffin’s initial musicians wanted-advert for the band sums them up well: “Folk-rock, Tex-Mex, soul, surf, psychedelic”. The four piece, which recorded their first album, comprised: Sid Griffin on vocals, guitar, autoharp and harmonica; Stephen McCarthy on vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin and keyboards; Greg Sowders on drums and vocals; and Des Brewer on bass and vocals. Brewer was replaced after their first album by virtuoso bassist, Tom Stevens, who sadly passed away in 2021.

The band quickly secured a major label deal and spent five years gigging and recording three albums before breaking up in 1987. Although The Long Ryders periodically got back together between 2004 and 2016 for short tours, it wasn’t until 2019 that they finally released a new album, ‘Psychedelic Country Soul’, which was followed fairly swiftly, given the 32 year gap between their previous records by ‘September November’ in 2023. Rightly recognised as one of founders of the alt-country movement, their blend of country, punk and new wave makes them a formidable live act. As Griffin writes on their web site, “Go see them for the musical ride of your life”.

Number 10: ‘Greenville’ (2019)

‘Greenville’ came about because of Dr. Dre, well sort of. Larry Chatman, a former member of The Long Ryders’ crew in the 1980s, had never forgotten their kindness and always wanted to pay the band back in some way. Many years later, Chatman became a business partner with Dr. Dre, co-owning the Record One recording studio in Los Angeles, with him . In 2018, Chatman called Griffin and said, “Dr. Dre has some studio time free and I’d like to gift it to you guys if you wanted to come in and make a record”. ‘Greenville’ is one of the twangy, radio friendly songs which came out of these sessions.

Number 9: ‘Elmer Gantry Is Alive and Well’ (2023)

The Long Ryders have lost none of their edge as they’ve got older. This is a song about Trump, the rise of the right in the US and conspiracy theories. The Elmer Gantry in question, was portrayed by Burt Lancaster in the eponymous film in 1960, a performance for which he won an Oscar. In the film, the loquacious Elmer Gantry relinquishes his job as a salesman to become an evangelical preacher. Things don’t turn out well for Gantry’s side kick Sister Sharon Falconer, as the main protagonist walks away from the mess he’s caused. As The Long Ryders fittingly sing in the chorus, “The 21st century has gone to hell, Elmer Gantry is alive and well”.

Number 8: ‘I Want You Bad’ (1987)

As Greg Sowders said, “Our label wanted a cover to help break us and we picked an obscure one”. Sowders is right – the record label probably weren’t expecting The Long Ryders to deliver a song by the then little known NRBQ, who’d formed in 1966, and never had a hit, even if they were later to become the unofficial “house band” for The Simpsons. Various members of The Bangles, who were at their peak, found the time to add backing vocals to the song. It was the lead single from the band’s third studio album ‘Two-Fisted Tale’, but alas it failed to chart.

Number 7: ‘Run Dusty Run’ (1984)

Griffin originally hails from Louisville, Kentucky, home to The Kentucky Derby horse race, which celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025, so it’s appropriate that he wrote a horse racing themed song. Musically Stephen McCarthy takes inspiration from the Beach Boys’ ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ guitar solo. Griffin has gone on record as saying that “Any song about a horse race is fine with me”.

Number 6: ‘If I Were a Bramble and You Were a Rose’ (1985)

Appearing initially only as the B-side to the single ‘Looking for Lewis and Clark’, it’s a beautiful, acoustic ballad which showcases the softer side of The Long Ryders. Steve Wickham, who was a member of The Waterboys at the time, provides some exquisitely, mournful fiddle and Christine Collister’s harmonious vocals complement Griffin’s voice perfectly. It’s a wonderfully, poignant love song, too good to have been hidden away on a flip side.

Number 5: ‘Gunslinger Man’ (1987)

‘Gunslinger Man‘ was the band’s last single before they broke up in 1987. Seen by Griffin as follow up to ‘Looking for Lewis & Clark’ with its “anti-Ronald Reagan lyrics”, it features some fine guitar work as ever from Stephen McCarthy. The video was shot in November 1986 on 8 mm film during band’s sessions for their ‘Two Fisted Tales’ album at A&M Studios in Hollywood by Ed Stasium.

Number 4: ‘Too Close to the Light’ (1984)

This is one of the few Long Ryders’ songs credited to Griffin, McCarthy, Stevens and Sowders. As Americana UK writer, Clint West, put it “’With ‘Native Sons’, the band’s psychedelic leanings were largely parked to one side. The exception being the glorious ‘Too Close to the Light’ with its jangly guitars and dreamy vocal harmonies”. A “Buckskin Mix” appeared on the B-side of ‘I Had a Dream’.

Number 3: ‘Lights of Downtown’ (1985)

The video here is an acoustic version. It’s slower than the original and was recorded for one of Bob Harris’s “Under The Apple Tree” sessions in May 2016. The song was originally mooted as a follow up single to ‘Looking for Lewis and Clark’. Island record label stalwart Nick Stewart remixed the track but it was never released. Kevin Morris of Dr Feelgood had toured with Sid Griffin’s Coal Porters, when their lead singer Lee Brilleaux was ill. In 2006, Dr Feelgood would release their version of the song.

Number 2: ‘I Had a Dream’ (1984)

It’s hard to go wrong with a chiming 12-string Rickenbacker guitar combined with an open-tuned Telecaster fuzztone, backed by a melodious bass line, and The Long Ryders didn’t. At first listen it may appear that the song is about two people trying to salvage their relationship, but it’s actually about the willingness of the USA and Russia to go to war and obliterate their citizens. The song descends into a great musical wig out at the end. To quote Stephen McCarthy, “The outro was a musical assault. I thought of Ronnie Wood with the guitar line”.

Number 1: ‘Looking for Lewis & Clark’ (1985)

A composition which takes it title from the explorers, Lewis and Clark, whose 1804 expedition failed to fulfil its main aim of finding a route by water across the United States. However, in many other ways their two year, 8,000 mile trip into the wilds of the Pacific Northwest was a great success and they were hailed as heroes in America on their return. Lewis and Clark reflect simpler times when American pioneers were cast as the pillars of society. In this song  Clark and Lewis’s leadership qualities are implicitly juxtapositioned with those of Reagan and Thatcher, who were in power when this single was issued.

The song opens with a wrath filled howl, as the drums crash in, and Griffin vents his frustrations at the music industry with Gram Parsons and Tim Hardin name checked as being casualties, ‘no one gave Tim reason to believe’, while their labels get rich. At the same time, tawdry politicians only offer betrayal, as Griffin sings ‘I thought I saw my government running away with my heart’. It’s the sound of a band at its absolute zenith from the guitar solo, to the wailing harmonica, to the punchy lyrics; play it loud!