Hot Rod Lincoln

The Zoo Crew is spinning the classic track "Hot Rod Lincoln" by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen from their 1971 album Lost in the Ozone, and the Zoo Freaks are loving it! This song, a high-octane cover of Charlie Ryan’s 1955 rockabilly hit, became the band’s biggest success, peaking at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. According to Songfacts, it’s considered a defining anthem of the 1950s hot rod culture and has appeared in soundtracks like The Beverly Hillbillies movie. Fans on Reddit share nostalgic stories, with one recalling how their dad played it on road trips, while another learned the lyrics by heart as a kid and still sings it at 67. A vinyl enthusiast noted that the song, alongside others like "Seeds and Stems (Again)," was a staple of the band’s legendary live shows, blending country rock and western swing.

Trivia about "Hot Rod Lincoln" abounds. The song’s narrative, about a wild race up Grapevine Hill in a souped-up Model A with a Lincoln motor, was inspired by Charlie Ryan’s real-life hot rod—a 1948 Lincoln chassis with a 1930 Ford Model A body. Some fans, like a commenter on Songfacts, argue the song’s fast-talking delivery makes it a contender for the first-ever rap song, though likely in jest. Another tidbit from Reddit highlights a trivia night where a team lost points for mistaking "Commander Cody" for "Commander Carl"—a near miss! The song’s iconic guitar riff, played by Bill Kirchen on a Telecaster, has also sparked debates among fans about its similarities to other tracks, though no one can quite pin it down.

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen formed in 1967 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, led by George Frayne IV, who adopted the stage name Commander Cody, inspired by 1950s sci-fi serials like Commando Cody and King of the Rocket Men. According to their Wikipedia page, the band started playing in local bars, fusing country, rockabilly, blues, and western swing. By 1969, they relocated to Berkeley, California, where they caught the attention of Paramount Records. Their debut album, Lost in the Ozone, released in 1971, showcased their unpretentious bar-band energy, with "Hot Rod Lincoln" becoming an unexpected hit. The band’s marathon live shows, as noted on Last.fm, were legendary, influencing the British pub rock scene and earning them a devoted following.

George Frayne, a multi-talented artist with a bachelor’s in design and a master’s in sculpture and painting from the University of Michigan, was the heart of the band. His brother, Chris Frayne, designed the iconic cover art for Lost in the Ozone and other albums, as mentioned on Wikipedia. After the band disbanded in 1976, Frayne continued performing under various names, including the Commander Cody Band, until his passing in 2021, as mourned in a post on X. The band’s official website, commandercody.com, offers a glimpse into their legacy, though it’s more of a historical archive. Their Facebook page remains active with fan posts, while Instagram and X accounts under the band’s name are less official, with fans sharing memories on platforms like the Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen Fan Group on Facebook. Fan sites like SonicHits also keep the spirit alive, celebrating the band’s boogie-woogie-infused Americana.