Buried Treasure: Gladstone - A Piece of Paper (1972)

Without expressing my views on the subject here is a rerun of a post that is quite relevant today considering the surprise leak of the controversial - but not yet officially released - Supreme Court decision overturning Roe vs. Wade. Originally published here on June 27, 2013, it has generated a higher number of comments than one of my posts usually receives.

Have you ever heard of Mike Rabon? No? I didn't think so. He was the lead guitar player for The Five Americans, a band that charted five singles a long time ago. They reached the top twenty only once - in 1967 - with "Western Union," a song co-written by Rabon that is still played on oldies radio stations today.

Eventually, The Five Americans went their separate ways and in the early 70s Rabon hooked up with another band, Gladstone ("From down home in Tyler, Texas U S A," their debut album cover said). From that LP the unknown group lifted "A Piece of Paper" as a single. It only got as high as number 45 on the charts in October 1972.

The song's title was derived from the fact that all it takes to decree something legal - moral or not - is a signed piece of paper. Its lyrics are telling: "Some folks live by others paper, some folks live like they should." Featuring some very nice vocal harmonies, "A Piece of Paper" accurately reflected the era in which it was conceived. The band used it as a vehicle to express their opinions on many of the changing social norms and politics that were popular at the time. In less than three minutes the song's lyrics cover a lot of ground: the draft, war, marriage, religion, and abortion. It's a fine piece of music, but it's a relic of its era, so that could be the reason why the 45 RPM continues to languish in eternal obscurity.

Gladstone released a second album that received even less attention than the first one, so it's conceivable that no one heard it at all.

Rabon eventually gave up rock 'n roll for teaching. He went back to school, received a master's degree, and worked in Oklahoma's public school system for three decades.

Comments

  1. jb9:32 AM, June 27, 2013

    I'd never heard this until it came on a compilation I bought several years ago. Its overt mention of abortion is interesting, given that it was recorded and released before Roe v. Wade, when abortion would have been legal in some states and not in others.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Todd Mason11:14 AM, June 27, 2013

    Yep, when abortion still carried a very infra dig stigma even among folks who, when pressed, would probably be at least functionally pro-choice.

    Nice bitter song!

    ReplyDelete
  3. William Kates9:54 PM, June 27, 2013

    I vaguely remember hearing this on the radio way back when. Hearing it now I'd say it earned its status as "forgotten".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:16 PM, June 24, 2022

      And I'd have to say you have crummy taste.

      Delete
  4. TAD6:35 PM, July 08, 2013

    Hey Charlie: I BOUGHT the "Piece of Paper" 45 when it came out -- it got quite a bit of airplay in Tacoma, Wash., when I was 12 years old. Thought the vocals were nice -- the message was kind of secondary. Still have the 45, too. Interesting how open radio station playlists were back then -- a song that criticized issues as directly as this one does probably wouldn't get much airplay now....
    Thanks for the blast from the past....

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous8:21 PM, May 13, 2014

    They were still free to criticize abortion. Good times.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous4:30 PM, April 09, 2016

    The lyrics date the song (not really if you understand their message) but those harmonies are timeless. I only heard this song on the radio a few times when it was released, but carried it in my head until Napster let me hear it again. Thanks for remembering it yourself, and thanks for the info on Rabon.

    Alby
    albydm@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tom Hendricks5:13 PM, November 24, 2016

    Doug Rhone who was a key part of Gladstone - composer, guitarist, and leader, has been one of the guitar players and back up singers for Neil Diamond for decades.

    ReplyDelete
  8. R.K.7:06 PM, August 23, 2017

    Specifically, the song appeared to be pro-marriage, anti-"tithing", anti-abortion, and anti-draft.

    ReplyDelete
  9. eBook Pioneers7:30 PM, January 20, 2018

    Mike Nelson, one of the two guys who invented and sold the Boomerang looper pedal, was in this band. This song got played a lot on KSHE in St. Louis when I was in school.

    ReplyDelete
  10. jimmyflash4:06 PM, January 26, 2018

    My ex-wife and I fought over this Gladstone album she ended up with all the Cheap Trick, Aldo Nova, Axe and docken I got two Gladstone albums and 13 Manfed Mann albums.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous12:39 AM, August 30, 2019

    This received some airplay and charted in Chicago on WCFL for several weeks in the early fall of 1972.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oliver Wilkening / ARS1:19 PM, October 03, 2019

    The two albums just entered my record collection some days ago, buried treasures from my 2nd hand record shop in Dortmund, Germany. I think the second is a little bit more into country than the first one but a nice one, too. Jerry Scheff on bass is the musician who is the best known name on the two records and has made a carreer in the business. Both records are recommendable to country rock-fans.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dewey Gill10:43 PM, December 06, 2019

    Hit top 20 in Milwaukee. Bought the single. 5 Americans had 5 songs in the top 20 here as well. 2 hit the top 10

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous10:01 AM, August 02, 2020

    Michael Rabon also had another group called 'Michael Rabon & Choctaw' . Now THAT is a forgotten group

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous9:28 PM, February 24, 2022

      In my opinion the most under-rated souther rock bands.

      Delete
  15. Unknown8:45 PM, August 24, 2020

    I still play this song every once-in-a-while on my show. Great song. I remember when it came out in 1972.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Gary T11:13 PM, January 07, 2021

    I actually bought the 45 when it came out,I was 15 .Believe it or not I still am spinning that 45 to this day!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:31 PM, June 05, 2023

      recorded it off the radio in 1972 on my great little AIWA 3 1/2" reel to reel tape recorder.

      Delete
  17. Grajo5:42 AM, January 09, 2022

    I’ve both albums, bought on first release. Wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Jim O11:37 AM, July 17, 2022

    I saw Gladstone play several times in a Dallas club called Abbey Inn, and I still have the first album. I have the Michael Rabon and Choctaw album, too. I also saw "Buckwheat" Stevenson a few times at Abbey Inn, before he became famous as B.W.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous1:58 AM, October 10, 2022

    I remember that song well. It was the year I checked the "yes” box for ROTC. I figured I was going to be drafted for Viet Nan a I'd rather be in front of my platoon that just in it.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous6:07 AM, October 13, 2022

    Mike Rabon died Feb. 11, 2022, age 78.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous1:07 PM, January 28, 2024


    The girl who sang background on “don’t you think that I can love you” on the album was Yvonne Gary who was in an all girls band called The Girls in the late 60’s and 70’s. She is from south Louisiana.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous9:52 PM, October 20, 2024

    Nice interview with the late Mike on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38l5IrJxdcc

    ReplyDelete

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