May I - Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs
Following from Jackson Browne's version of "Stay" (see last post), originally recorded by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, I thought I'd share this piece of delicious mayhem from Maurice and the boys from 1965. From the tentative organ intro note that's literally bust apart by the bollocking (yes bollocking) drums, through the outrageous treble vocal, to the explosive middle eight where this post doo-wop ensemble for a split second propels us to another sound zone as he sings
"Oh, well, I've mentioned everything that I could say. I've done everything that I could do, for you, baby, now"
the overlying question is
"May I have your love?"
and that's the point, he's squirming on the rim of a steamy volcano of anticipated ecstasy. This is sensual stuff, as hot and horny as you can get.
The lyric sheet reads,
"May I speak with you?"
but he's fooling no-one - this is a man at the edge of reason, begging, and the words we HEAR are
"May I sleep with you?"
How it got past the US sixties censors, I'll never know.