Wild Tales

Album: Wild Tales (1974)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • As a member of both The Hollies and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Graham Nash had heard plenty of wild tales. For the title track of his second solo album, he put some of them into a song. Sound engineer Don Gooch explained: "'Wild Tales' is based on a couple of real stories, in particular the milkman part ('Cause you caught the milkman with double cream, he was delivering down your halls') was part of a story that someone Graham had met had related and it was so bizarre he wrote the song around it. A lot of the other songs are based on his personal experiences and may be too personal to divulge." >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    DeeTheWriter - Saint Petersburg, Russia Federation
  • Released on January 2, 1974, the Wild Tales album stalled at #34 in the US and didn't produce any hits. Nash blamed Atlantic Records for not promoting it enough. He left the label shortly after and signed on to ABC Records with David Crosby. It was clear, though, that there was a lot more demand for Crosby, Stills & Nash (with our without Young) than there was for their solo albums or any other configurations of their members. Later in 1974, all four members set their differences aside and toured for the first time since 1970. But they squabbled in the studio and couldn't get an album together. Another one didn't appear until 1977 when they issued CSN.
  • The album's darker tone is often attributed to the murder of Nash's girlfriend, Amy Gossage, but that didn't occur until over a year after it was released. It was actually his breakups with Rita Coolidge (who'd previously left his CSN&Y bandmate Stephen Stills to be with him) and Joni Mitchell (who'd had a love affair with bandmate David Crosby) that put him in a somber mood. Mitchell contributed vocals on another of the album's tracks, "Another Sleep Song."
  • Nash borrowed the song/album title for his 2013 memoir, Wild Tales: A Rock & Roll Life.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Todd Rundgren

Todd RundgrenSongwriter Interviews

Todd Rundgren explains why he avoids "Hello It's Me," and what it was like producing Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album.

Steve Cropper (Booker T & the MG's, Blues Brothers)

Steve Cropper (Booker T & the MG's, Blues Brothers)Songwriter Interviews

Steve Cropper on the making of "In the Midnight Hour," the chicken-wire scene in The Blues Brothers, and his 2021 album, Fire It Up.

Corey Hart

Corey HartSongwriter Interviews

The Canadian superstar talks about his sudden rise to fame, and tells the stories behind his hits "Sunglasses At Night," "Boy In The Box" and "Never Surrender."

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman Jack

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman JackSong Writing

The story of the legendary lupine DJ through the songs he inspired.

Producer Ron Nevison

Producer Ron NevisonSong Writing

Ron Nevison explains in very clear terms the Quadrophenia concept and how Heart staged their resurgence after being dropped by their record company.