WILL LEE & BILLY GIBBONS

Allen Toussaint’s “Get Out of My Life, Woman”

Miley Cyrus nude on the “Wrecking Ball” video is so last week.

This week it’s Will Lee’s “Get Out of My Life, Woman,” that’s taking the Internet by storm.

Okay, only 6,045 views on YouTube so far at last count, but that’s bound to rise now that both music industry newsletter writer/whiner Bob Lefsetz and Howard Stern have championed the clip.

And you can expect the tally to skyrocket once people recognize that the guy next to Billy Gibbons is yours truly, and if not skyrocket, at least inch upwards as the handful of people I’ve sent the link to click on it.

But all half-joking aside, it really is a good video—unlike most if not almost all.

First, it maintains visual interest with the rhythmic cutting between black-and-white and color footage, the black-and-white for Gibbons and Lee (and me) and the color for Allen Toussaint—the third guest star—who wrote the much-covered song, and wasn’t present at the Lee-Gibbons-Bessman session. That the video quality varies throughout is actually another visual hook.

Of visual interest, too, is the intercutting with the lady’s legs, no doubt meant to evoke ZZ Top’s classic video for “Legs.” But music video visuals are worthless without good music to visualize, and this performance of “Get Out of My Life, Woman” is truly inspired.

And here’s where I really come in, for I can now relate why this particular recording is so great: Billy had a cold.

Yes, I was with him in his hotel room when he called his buddy Will, pretty much just to say hello and tell him he was in town and see if there was anything going on. Will understandably was thrilled to hear from Billy, especially as he was recording his album Love, Gratitude and Other Distractions, and had the perfect song for Billy in “Get Out of My Life, Woman.”

Billy was even more excited. His head cold gave him the ability to reach lower vocal tones, and Will’s session gave him the opportunity to exploit them.

They couldn’t have chosen a better song, as you can now see and hear. I’m just glad they let me come along for the ride.

Jim Bessman