Mike Brewer was half of the folk-rock duo Brewer & Shipley, best known for their 1971 hit song, “One Toke Over the Line.”
- Died: December 17, 2024 (Who else died on December 17?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Missouri at the age of 80.
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Mike Brewer’s legacy
Brewer met his longtime musical partner, Tom Shipley, in the mid-1960s while they were both touring as solo folk musicians. They each did their own thing for a few years before forming their duo in Los Angeles in 1968. They quickly developed their signature sound, sharing lead vocals as they harmonized together and playing intricate guitar lines.
Their third album, 1970’s “Tarkio,” became their best-known release, and it included their enduring single, “One Toke Over the Line.” In fact, the duo initially didn’t intend to record the song. They wrote it jokingly while stoned, after Shipley said the now-famous words: “Man, I’m one toke over the line tonight.”
Later, while touring as an opening act for Melanie (1947–2024), Brewer & Shipley’s set went over so well with the audience that they ran out of songs during repeated encore requests. They played the new tune, and the crowd loved the lighthearted song. Their record company’s president did, too. He urged them to record it for their upcoming album.
“One Toke Over the Line” became a flashpoint for controversy. Released as a single in 1971, it made its way to American charts’ Top Ten, even as authorities were cracking down on drug-related lyrics on the radio. The FCC issued new guidance to radio stations, apparently threatening to shut down stations that played such songs. Some responded by ceasing airplay of “One Toke Over the Line,” while others defiantly played it even more.
In another legend-making moment, a cover of “One Toke Over the Line” was played by Gail Farrell and Dick Dale on the perennially stodgy “The Lawrence Welk Show.” Some of its lyrics – “sweet Jesus,” “sweet Mary” – led Welk to think it was a spiritual. The song was also mentioned in the 1971 Hunter S. Thompson (1937–2005) novel “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” and it is sung along to briefly in the 1998 movie adaptation.
Though “One Toke Over the Line” was by far their biggest hit, Brewer & Shipley recorded a dozen albums and toured off and on for decades. Their other singles included “Tarkio Road” and “Yankee Lady.” Brewer also released the 1983 solo LP, “Beauty Lies.”
Notable quote
“We made Nixon’s ‘hate list,’ which we held as a badge of honor and still do to this day, and the Vice President, Spiro Agnew, named us personally on national TV one night as ‘subversives to America’s youth.’ I mean, you can’t buy that kind of publicity.” — from a 2016 interview for Ultimate Classic Rock
Tributes to Mike Brewer
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