Born to be Wild Link Wray

BORN TO BE WILD (Link Wray)

“Born to Be Wild” is a song first performed by the band Steppenwolf, written by Mars Bonfire. The song is often invoked in both popular and counter culture to denote a biker appearance or attitude. It is sometimes described as the first heavy metal song, and the second verse lyric “heavy metal thunder” marks the first use of this term in rock music (although not as a description of a musical style). (More from Wikipedia)

As it happens, I have a live album by Link Wray from the same time period as the original Link Protrudi and the Jaymen, called Live in ’85. It is a little sad to hear all of the chatter by the audience in the background, and seeing him having to resort to covering Bruce Springsteen (“Fire”) and Steppenwolf (“Born to be Wild”).

(February 2013)