April 12 – Turntable Talk 13 : Deke’s Out On The Highway

On By DaveIn Songs And Their Stories, Turntable Talk

Welcome back to Turntable Talk! Thanks once again to all the regular readers and welcome to any new ones. If you’re keeping count, this is our 13th instalment…hopefully lucky 13! For any new readers, briefly, on Turntable Talk we have a number of guest columnists from other music sites, sounding off on one particular topic. This month, our topic is This Song’s Going Places! We’ve asked our guests to pick a song, or even album that is all about going somewhere…there’ve been tons of great songs about traveling, either geographically or mentally , not to mention ones about specific destinations. A big category, and I look forward to seeing what piqued the others imaginations.

Today we have Deke, from Deke’s Vinyl Reviews and More. There he does a bang-up job on keeping up with the best of new releases and old classics in the hard rock or metal end of the spectrum. Which maybe suggests what his traveling pick will be: 

Thanks to Dave for once again coming up with an interesting topic. My pick for this series is a bonafide winner in the hard rock category of “Planes Trains and Automobiles” – Judas Priest‘s “Heading Out To The Highway!“

Released back in 1981 from the Point of Entry album, ” Heading Out To The Highway” was the lead off track on the record. For me personally, next to 1982’s Screaming For Vengeance, Point of Entry is my favourite album of theirs as it’s not your typical, full-out heavy metal record but one that balances the fine line between Rock and Hard Rock… if that makes sense.

“Heading Out To The Highway” begins with the twin guitars of Glenn Tipton and KK Downing followed by Ian Hill’s bass and Dave Holland’s drums. Lead singer Rob Halford cracks the opening line of “Hit ’em boys” and we’re off and running as Rob sings about the freedom of jumping in your car and heading out to any highway without a worry in the world. No back seat driving is allowed, according to Halford!

I have loved this tune from the time I purchased it on cassette tape back in the summer of 1981 for my good ol’ Sony Walkman and over the various years I have rebought it on CD and now of course, vinyl.

I love how the song builds and builds with such a catchy chorus, and Priest as they always do in their tunes have KK and Glenn dialing in the dual leads together which is what they are known for (and with Rob’s vocals of course). Plus the rhythm machine of Hill and Holland just plays it straight ahead.

“Heading Out To The Highway” still gets my heart pumping whether I’m walking or riding around on my mountain bike as it gives me that extra shot of energy. Basically the only difference between 1981 and 2023 is of course my age, and the IPhone has replaced the Walkman but other than that the song still remains the same for me!

Cheers folks! Thanks for reading!

Check out this video to get a feel for the tune…

“Heading Out to The Highway’

Hit ’em boys

Well I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again
You get nothing for nothing, expect it when
You’re backseat driving and your hands ain’t on the wheel
It’s easy to go along with the crowd
And find later on that your say ain’t allowed
Oh that’s the way to find what you’ve been missing

So I’m heading out to the highway
I got nothing to lose at all
I’m gonna do it my way
Take a chance before I fall
A chance before I fall

You can hang in a left or hang in a right
The choice, it is yours to do as you might
The road is open wide to place your bidding

Now, wherever you turn, wherever you go
If you get it wrong, at least you can know
There’s miles and miles to put it back together

And I’m heading out to the highway
I got nothing to lose at all
I’m gonna do it my way
Take a chance before I fall
A chance before I fall

On the highway
On the highway

Making a curve or taking the strain
On the decline, or out on the wane
Oh everybody breaks down sooner or later
We’ll put it to rights, we’ll square up and mend
Back on your feet to take the next bend
You’ll weather every storm that’s coming at ya

And I’m heading out to the highway
I got nothin’ to lose at all
I’m gonna do it my way
Take a chance before I fall
Yes, I’m heading out to the highway
I got nothing to lose at all
I got nothing to lose at all


19 thoughts on “April 12 – Turntable Talk 13 : Deke’s Out On The Highway”

  1. Thanks Deke! Ahh the appeal of the open road… just as British as North American I guess. I’d never heard it before but it’s pretty decent…they were surprisingly “accessible” for a metal band back then (I remember ‘Another Thing Coming’ being all over radio & The New Music show back around then too). Do you think they got their title or idea from that great, displaced Canadian band Steppenwolf’s hit?

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  2. Thanks Dave. Geez I never thought of that Steppenwolf connection but you may have a point there. The Point of Entry album was as you mentioned accessible and when it didn’t sell like they wanted too they ramped up and cranked it up a lot more. This tune is awesome….

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    1. it’s catchy…almost surprised it didn’t get at least some airplay on Q107 in Toronto at the time. Steppenwolf – ya, first thing I thought of when I saw the title of the song you picked , …’got your motor runnin’ , head out on the highway…’

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  5. Badfinger (Max)

    Judas Priest always struck me…well early on anyway as a heavy band but with some pop hooks thrown in like Living After Midnight. The first stuff I heard by them was British Steel I believe.
    This one is catchy and yes it rocks. Good choice Deke

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    1. to me they seem a bit like Def Leppard, not meaning that in any insulting way. Rather, kind of heavy metal but with some pop sensibilities and melodies mixed in, which I don’t mind at all.

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      2. Yup by 1990 and the Painkiller record they went right heavy and I checked out. I have bought the last couple by them the last one which was Firepower which was good but for me my favourite era of Priest is from 77-87. Love those albums and the live ones that came in that 10 year span!

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  7. It’s a great road tune. Like Deep Purple’s “Highway Star”, one probably needs to be careful when listening to it while driving! 🙂

    I also agree “Heading Out to the Highway” isn’t full-blown heavy metal, which makes it pretty accessible to folks who usually don’t listen to heavy rock.

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