Gettin' Out

Listen up Zoo Freaks, it's your far-out Zoo Crew DJs, droppin' the needle on that gritty soul-blues stomper "Gettin' Out" by Vinegar Joe, right from their raw 1972 self-titled debut on Island Records. Man, this track's a straight-up escape anthem, with Elkie Brooks wailin' like a wildcat in heat over those chuggin' riffs and Robert Palmer's cool croon slidin' in like a sly fox—pure R&B fire that feels like breakin' free from a bad trip into the neon night. Brooks herself spilled in a Louder interview how the band's live energy was "R&B so rough-edged you could sand floors with it," and "Gettin' Out" captures that just right, a gritty groove about ditching the dead weight that fans still call their secret weapon for roadhouse romps. Pete Gage, the guitar wizard, quipped in the same chat that the debut sessions were a whirlwind of "meat and potatoes stuff," but Elkie's full-throttle howl turned everyday riffs into something electric, makin' this cut a standout in their short-lived blaze.

Dig this gem of trivia: The album dropped amid the band's non-stop uni circuit grind, but "Gettin' Out" never got the single push—yet it sneaks into modern playlists like a hidden joint, with X rockers geekin' out over its Wet Willie vibe. One devotee posted a grainy Old Grey Whistle Test clip from '73, swearin' the crowd lost it when Elkie and Robert traded verses, callin' it "the ultimate underrated escape hatch from the '70s blues swamp." Another thread from diehards swapped stories of blastin' it on late-night drives, notin' how the horns punch like a plea to bolt before the dawn, while a 2024 forum nod on Steve Hoffman boards hailed it as "pure soul-rock liberation" that Palmer later echoed in his solo slickness. Wild how a deep cut from a band that fizzled fast still fuels these fires—provin' Vinegar Joe's grit was too tough to fade.

Now, let's rewind to the hazy origins of these blues-rock renegades—Vinegar Joe bubbled up in late 1971 London from the smoky ashes of Dada, a massive 12-piece Stax-soul jazz-fusion beast that Ahmet Ertegun signed to Atlantic after catchin' their wild US tour. Elkie Brooks and Pete Gage were the heart of Dada, slingin' vocals and guitar-piano magic, but after droppin' one album, Ertegun handed the reins to Island Records' Chris Blackwell with orders to slim it down for that rawer edge. Enter Robert Palmer, fresh off the Alan Bown Set, joinin' post-Dada's wax to co-front with Elkie—boom, the core locked in, addin' bassist Steve York, keys from Tim Hinkley and Dave Thompson, and a drummer shuffle that saw Phil Collins audition (and bomb) before Keef Hartley and Conrad Isidore stepped up.

Blackwell dubbed 'em Vinegar Joe after the no-nonsense WWII general Joe Stilwell— "Vinegar Joe" for his tart tongue—much to Gage's chagrin, who called it a "lame, unattractive name" jab at his own sarcasm in a Nostalgia Central deep-dive. These seasoned cats, weaned on '60s soul and blues from Brooks' solo pub gigs to Palmer's psych-pop roots, hit the ground runnin' with relentless club and festival hustles alongside Rory Gallagher and Sandy Denny, forgin' a sound like Ike & Tina meets Foghat in Muscle Shoals. By '72, their debut spun out at Island Studios, but as Brooks reflected in a Robert Palmer bio chat, "I found my feet in Vinegar Joe... it was fabulous," turnin' northern grit into a team triumph that lit up the British Invasion's tail end before Palmer's solo itch split the crew in '74.

Cravin' more from this short-burn legend? While there's no active official site these days, dive into the Discogs hub for rare vinyl hunts and full discog lore. Catch throwback vibes on the Vinegar Joe Facebook page, a cozy spot for fan shares and old pics. No dedicated Insta or X handle pops, but the real Freak hangs are in forums like the Vinegar Joe thread on Steve Hoffman Music Forums, where audiophiles swap bootlegs and session tales, or the Any Love??? discussion buzzin' with love for their Elkie-Robert spark. Keep the soul burnin', Zoo Freaks—rock that escape!