Workin' for MCA

The song Workin' for MCA by Lynyrd Skynyrd, featured on their 1974 album Second Helping, is a gritty, autobiographical track that captures the band’s early struggles and their signing with MCA Records. Written by Ed King and Ronnie Van Zant, the song was performed at the “Sounds of the South” press party hosted by producer Al Kooper to showcase his label’s new acts. According to the band’s box set booklet, when Lynyrd Skynyrd launched into a roaring rendition of Workin' for MCA, 500 industry veterans stopped the party, climbing onto chairs to catch a glimpse of the then-unknown band. This performance caught MCA’s attention, leading to the band’s signing for $9,000, a sum referenced in the lyrics with a wry nod to the “Yankee Slicker,” Al Kooper. The song’s suspicious tone reflects the band’s wariness of the music industry, yet it also hints at the perks of their journey, as Kooper described the decadent Record Plant studio in Los Angeles—complete with jacuzzis, groupies, and tie-dye decor—where Second Helping was recorded.

Another layer of trivia comes from the song’s context during Lynyrd Skynyrd’s time opening for The Who on their 1973 Quadrophenia tour. At the tour’s first show at San Francisco’s Cow Palace, the band was so nervous they did whiskey shots backstage, blasting through their set in a state of panic. Bassist Leon Wilkeson later noted they were the first opening act for The Who not to get booed, a testament to their raw energy. That same night, The Who’s drummer Keith Moon passed out mid-performance, and a fan, Scott Halpin, took over—an chaotic evening that underscored the wild rock scene Lynyrd Skynyrd was entering. The song’s lyrics, like “seven years of hard luck” (1966–1973, from when the band named itself to their first album’s release), ground its narrative in their real grind from Florida to Nashville’s honky-tonks.

Lynyrd Skynyrd began in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964 as a group of high school friends—Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Allen Collins (guitar), and Gary Rossington (guitar)—initially calling themselves My Backyard. They later added bassist Leon Wilkeson and keyboardist Billy Powell, adopting the name Lynyrd Skynyrd as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to their gym teacher, Leonard Skinner, who disapproved of their long hair. Playing small gigs across the South, the band honed their Southern rock sound but struggled for years. In 1972, producer Al Kooper discovered them at Atlanta’s Funocchio’s club and signed them to his Sounds of the South label, later acquired by MCA. Their 1973 debut, Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd, featured Free Bird, a tribute to Duane Allman, which gained traction after they opened for The Who. Second Helping in 1974, with hits like Sweet Home Alabama, cemented their fame, though a 1977 plane crash tragically killed Ronnie Van Zant and others, halting their peak. The band reformed in 1987 with Johnny Van Zant as frontman and continued to tour, with Gary Rossington as the last original member until his passing in 2023.

You can stay updated on Lynyrd Skynyrd through their official website, Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts, where they share tour dates, merchandise, and tributes to their legacy. Fans also connect on platforms like the Lynyrd Skynyrd Fan Club on Facebook, a vibrant group for Zoo Freaks to discuss the band’s music and history. Additionally, fan-driven sites like Lynyrd Skynyrd History offer detailed archives of the band’s journey, from their early days to their enduring influence in Southern rock.