Products in Song Titles Top Ten: 1952 Vincent Black Lightning (#2)

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Surprise no surprise for the top two. You might not think of these top two songs as having brand names in the titles, but — as I said the other day with “Orange Crush” — it may be a service to point out that it is a product. With that in mind, here’s a major favorite for today’s song. #2: 1952 Vincent Black Lightning - Richard Thompson I’m glad whoever that guy is who covered Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel” left this one alone. Of course, this got very popular in bluegrass when Del McCoury covered it. This was the bluegrass song of the year in 2002. Well, not this version. Richard Thompson didn’t pull the title out of the air. Vincent Motorcycles were relatively short-lived (1928-1955), and the Black Lightning had even a shorter production run (1948-1952). There were only 31 Vincent Black Lightnings ever made. (Not counting this song, of course. ) The Black Lightning held, at the time, the world’s record for fastest “production” motorcycle (as in, made in a factory, not custom-built or altered), hitting over 150 MPH/240 KPH as Rollie Free rode it in Utah in 1948. Vincents were made primarily in England and didn’t export well (especially not to the US, home of the Harley). Financial problems exacerbated by the break during World War II doomed the company. But Richard Thompson remembered them well, and fictionalized a 21-year-old criminal who “robbed many a man to get my Vincent machine.” This is one of Thompson’s best-known songs, among his fan base and outside of it. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning Written by Richard Thompson Recorded by Richard Thompson From Rumor and Sigh, 1991 Product: Vincent motorcycle My hat’s off to you (a live version at the Ryman Auditorium):