“The Gardener”
by The Sky Saxon Blues Band
1967 song
Its title recalls The Seeds’ "Mr. Farmer" and "Flower Lady And Her Assistant", but 1967’s "The Gardener" has nothing in common with those drug-happy pop-psych classics. "The Gardener" is straight hard blues, recorded with Muddy Waters’ guitarist Luther Johnson on October 4, 1966. It’s one of the more convincing tunes on A Full Spoon Of Seedy Blues, the fan-dividing album credited to The Sky Saxon Blues Band. Not only does Luther add a lot of extra spice but the band is denser than normal, achieving a believable blues gravitas.
Sky Saxon bleats his ominous lines like a devil at night, playful but aggressive at the same time: “Come here little girl, help me plant my seed,” he snarls as Luther responds musically right beside him. The members of The Seeds were always proud of recording with real blues players, and it’s songs like "The Gardener" that make it clear why.
