Friday, May 31, 2013

ORIGINAL EDITION: 500

Enough of this leaning on I'm Shakin'. I went bookmark crazy over there for a few days, and am having a hard time stopping. So, let me lay this on you, man. I'm Shakin' is worth looking through. I think I mentioned that it was chocked full of keepers. Not just good music, great music that you might never run into again. It hasn't been updated in a while, but it seems like all of the music links are still good. So do yourself a favor. Bookmark the sucker. I'm going to try to resist the urge to keep posting links there, one after another. It's probably annoying somebody. So one last one, for a while anyway. Because, like those earlier in the week, this one is top shelf. And I am now finished wiggling my ass out of doing a legitimate post. Yet again.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Kenny and the Kasuals - I'm Not Talkin' mp3 at I'm Shakin'
Kenny and the Kasuals mp3 at I'm Shakin'
Visit:
Kenny and the Kasuals - Profile at I'm Shakin'

Thursday, May 30, 2013

STEALTH

The Sparkles. That sounds like a cutesy name doesn't it? Yeah, keep on believing that. Don't bother to get past that, or the photo above. Keep thinking that these aw shucksers are incapable of getting nutty, or making wild music. I'll be over here.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
The Sparkles - No Friend Of Mine mp4a at I'm Shakin'
The Sparkles - The Hip mp4a at I'm Shakin'
The Sparkles - Two more songs and a great profile
at I'm Shakin'

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

WE SALUTE SAL AND MARY

It's just nuts how bottomless that well of obscure garage bands is. It seems like every kid who heard the Beatles and had access to a guitar had to give it a shot. Is there any wonder why there are so many collectors? It's because there's tons of garage bands, and a lot of the bands might have a discography that includes only one or two singles. Some of them were so young, they could have packed away their musical hopes before they even left home. But here we are, almost a half a century later, being treated to one overlooked short shelf life after another. Anyone who's ever put out a record will tell you that, no matter how good a record is, it will only sell if it gets heard. Recording that hot ass song is only part of it. Someone needs to promote that record and get it in the hands of radio people, concert promoters and the like. When your parents start their own label to put out your record, it's almost guaranteed that it won't get the exposure it could, because instead of hounding boss jocks, they're likely pushing them on their fellow PTA members or the guys at work. "Yeah, Sam, you have a teenager at home. How's about bringin' home one of my kid's records?"

That may seem like a bad thing, but ho-ly shit, think about that sub-genre for a second. Garage band records pressed by parents of the band. "Son, even though the record execs aren't interested, me and your mother think you're fantastic. We'd like to put out a record by you and the boys, and watch it climb the charts." How ever well intended, it sounds like a recipe for disaster, or at least disappointment. Any way you look at it, the possibility of parental involvement in any rock 'n' roll endeavor being a hindrance is high. But then again, that guy that the father pushed the record on, the guy at work, took it home and gave it to his kids, It became a favorite of theirs, but their friends weren't interested because they hadn't heard it on the radio. The kids lose interest and it ends up bouncing around thrift stores for a few decades. Until it lands in the hands of someone who, thank a deity, recognizes it as one hot ass slice of something that must be shared. Behold S.J. and the Crossroads, as heard on Salmar Records, funded by Sal and Mary Serio, parents of two of the members. A short bio and two songs are at I'm Shakin'. Be advised: their cover of Jessie Hill's "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" is a fucking riot. This is a long winded hell yeah endorsement. Go there, it's worth the trip.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
S.J. and the Crossroads - Ooh Poo Pah Doo mp3 at I'm Shakin' Go there to get it.
Jessie Hill - Ooh Poo Pah Doo, Pt 1 mp3 at Junk Shop Juke Box
Jessie Hill - Ooh Poo Pah Doo, Pt 2 mp3 at Junk Shop Juke Box
S.J. and the Crossroads - Night Time mp3 at I'm Shakin' Go there to get it.
The Strangeloves - Night Time mp3 at Nevver

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

MEET LINDA GAYLE

Fu-huck yeah. There is no other way to put it. This song just flat out kicks ass. I'm not dumbing it down, I just can't express it a better way. That is what it does. It makes me want to bounce off the walls, and other things far less responsible. It's a cover of Bob Dylan's "Maggie's Farm" by Linda Gayle, from 1965. If you're thinking, "oh yeah, another Dylan cover,...ho hum", think again. If you don't believe me, it's you're loss. I don't want to elaborate, because I don't want to ruin it for you. So do this. Just go there, sit back and take in the first few seconds. Then buckle in.

It appears to be one of those odd mysterious force 45s, because everything else I've heard from her is tamer, some considerably so. Though, her version of "Got My Mojo Workin'" is good, it's nowhere near as good as the Dylan cover. That's the one. That's when everything comes together, when a song becomes a party. A party that you want to be at. This comes from Boogie Woogie Flu, and I'm not linking directly to the mp3 because his blog deserves to be visited. (It's just one more click.)

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Linda Gayle - Maggie's Farm mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu Go there to get it.
Linda Gayle - Got My Mojo Workin' (streaming) at YouTube

Monday, May 27, 2013

YARDBIRDS? NEVER HEARD OF 'EM.

Something funny is going on here. It's not unusual to borrow a guitar part here or there. That's how music evolves. But when a band borrows from another particular band twice in the same recording session, you gotta figure something's going on, even if not intentionally. The Yardbirds songs below were recorded in 1965 ("I'm Not Talkin'") and, I think, 1967 (Happenings Ten Years Time Ago"). The Iggy and the Stooges cuts were recorded around 1972. In London. Come to your own conclusions. Any way you look at it, whether it was intentional or coincidental, it's interesting. 

"I Gotta Right" and "I'm Not Talkin'" just share the first few bars, that's it. But "I'm Sick of You" and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" (I hate that title) share a significant guitar part. In "I'm Sick of You" it comes at 2:35, in "Happenings..." it's at :46. (That one was pointed out in a review I read years ago, either in Slash or Back Door Man.)

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Iggy and the Stooges - I Gotta Right mp3 at Olcros (?)
The Yardbirds - I'm Not Talkin' mp3 at Yardbirds.us (?)
Iggy and the Stooges - I'm Sick of You mp3 at Olcros (?)
The Yardbirds - Happenings Ten Years Time Ago mp3 at X818

Sunday, May 26, 2013

ADVICE FROM AN ELDER

Here's a couple of cuts from the alien who will not go quietly, Roky Erickson. His first big record with the 13th Floor Elevators, "You're Gonna Miss Me", was released in 1966 when he was just nineteen years old. Two years later he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and it's been an uphill battle ever since. He's been in and out of psychiatric hospitals, claimed he was an alien, and had various obsessions. (One of which was mail, as in collecting junk mail, and writing to celebrities, both alive and dead. You know, the usual stuff.) He has put out some really great records, and put out some stinkers. But the cool thing is that the man is still here.


Roky Erickson's advice: "Just to find the things that you love and are important and ... make sure you have them with you."

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
13th Floor Elevators - You're Gonna Miss Me (mono) mp3* at The Rising Storm
13th Floor Elevators - You're Gonna Miss Me (stereo) mp3* at The Rising Storm
*Direct linking may be disabled. If so, just go to the site to hear them
Roky Erickson - Don't Shake Me Lucifer mp3 at Nevver 1980(?)
More songs and links at this earlier post Several of the song links are still good.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

SHUT UP, MY MOM MADE THIS SHIRT

Here's another one with some surface scuzz, Kit and the Outlaws' "Don't Tread On Me". You may know it, or you might have heard one of several covers; the Nomads and the Gravedigger V are two that come to mind (and the Cramps, though with different lyrics). As great as those bands are, the original is something to behold, the fuzz, the in-the-red production, the vocals,...man, this is one tough song. You can imagine what their cover of "Midnight Hour" sounds like. It is another monster.

I'm Shakin', the hosting blog is packed with gems this good; quite a variety too, not just garage. From Kenny and the Kasuals, to Ray Barretto. And different levels of obscurity too. I guarantee you'll find a good deal of Grade A stuff over there that you didn't know existed. Every single post I've seen is excellent.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Kit and the Outlaws - Don't Tread On Me mp4a at I'm Shakin'
Kit and the Outlaws - Midnight Hour mp4a at I'm Shakin'
Note: The links are mp4a files, but they play in my player so hopefully they'll work with yours. If not, free converters are available. 

Friday, May 24, 2013

I HEART WORN RECORDS

Even if your familiar with Andre Williams, even if you know the song "Humpin', Bumpin' and Thunmpin'", there is something to dig in this. Because if you know the song, my unscientific guess is that you probably like the sounds of vinyl pops and scratches, and this record's got 'em. You know it's the perfect way to hear it.

There's a few more down there and, if you have a little time, the complete documentary done back in 2008. Even if you've seen it, it's on Hulu, and these days I'm sure some of you have some sort of gizmo that plays it on your giant wall filling dominant fixture.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Watch:
Agile, Mobile, Hostile: A Year With Andrew Williams - Documentary, 2008, 1 hr 27 min at Hulu.com
Visit:
Andre Williams at Wikipedia

Thursday, May 23, 2013

(AKA HARMON BETHEA)

This is some good stuff. Mask Man (real name Harmon Bethea) in various groups, including several with the Agents, his "breakthrough" group. Listen to his lyrics, he's got a storyteller's flair. He comes off like some second rate Otis, singing songs sound as if they were co-written by Doug Clark and Chuck Berry that one night they got drunk.



Here's enough to get you started. A bunch of songs at Beware of the Blog, posted by the multi-faceted, always boss, Debbie D. There's a handful below to give you an idea. I'm not sure what role Mask Man played in Billy Clark and his Orchestra's instrumental "Hot Gravy", but I don't care, because it smokes. "Talkin' About the Boss and I" is another good one, more so for the words. You really ought read the bio/obituary linked down there too. I'm mean, look at the guy. Doesn't he look like he has a story worth reading?

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Mask Men and the Agents - One Eye Open mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Mask Man and the Agents - Roaches mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Billy Clark and His Orchestra - Hot Gravy mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Harmon Bethea - Talkin' About the Boss and I mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Mask Man - Ten more songs recorded under various other names at Beware of the Blog
Mask Man and the Agents - Six more songs at Beware of the Blog
Visit:
Variety, persistence marked D.C. singer's pursuit of the big hit at Washington Post

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

SAY HEY WILLIE

Willie Mitchell is one big reason why I troll. When he died a few years ago, some of my favorite haunts did tribute posts, and if they hadn't it probably would have been a while before I would have been properly introduced to his work. As I now know, he was an indispensable part of the Memphis soul sound, with his solo work and as a producer, notably most of Al Green's better known stuff.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Willie Mitchell - Monkey Jump mp3 at The "B" Side
Willie Mitchell - Woodchopper's Ball mp3 at The "B" Side
Willie Mitchell - Up Hard mp3 at Royal Punkness
Visit:
Willie Mitchell bio at The B Side

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

AGAIN, MAN AND GUITAR

One thing you can say about Lightnin' Hopkins is that he sure knew to make hay while the sun shines.  Everything in his bio is almost textbook bluesman. After meeting Blind Melon Jefferson at age eight, he started playing guitar. He did a stint in prison in his mid-twenties, moved to the city (Houston) to try to make it, and when that failed, he went home and worked as a farm hand. Things could have ended there, but just a few years later he went back to the city, got discovered and started recording in 1946. That's still early. In 1959 there was a folk and blues thing picking up steam, and Hopkin's jumped on that shit, releasing at least one LP a year for eleven years straight, twenty six in all. Yeah. There were five in 1960 alone. Even if he is, as they say, the most recorded blues man in history, I challenge you to bring in a stinker.



~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Lightnin' Hopkins - Lightnin' Strikes One More Time mp3 at Music Like Dirt
Lightnin' Hopkins - Lovin' Arms mp3 at Music Like Dirt
Lighntin' Blues - Lightning Boogie mp3 at 8106
Lightnin' Hopkins - Coffeehouse Blues mp3 at Rock Town Hall 
Lightnin' Hopkins - Rainy Day Blues mp3 at Shimmy She Wobble 
Lightnin' Hopkins - Shake That Thing mp3 at Clayton Counts
Video:
Lightnin' Hopkins - Playing at a party
at YouTube Short but sweet. Dig the washboard.
Lightnin' Hopkins and Sonny Terry at YouTube Period clips from a Les Blank film

Monday, May 20, 2013

NICEST HAIR RUNNER UP

Ray Manzerek died today. Now, before you go saying that he wasn't that big of a deal, that Jim Morrison was the Doors and the rest of the band were but bit players, or that he grabbed onto the coattails of X in the late seventies to try to reclaim some sort of L.A. counter culture coolness, or that he shamelessly slogged on tours some years back in some sort of ersatz Doors with the guy from the Cult singing in the place of Morrison, before you say the guy hadn't been relevant in years, you have to take a step back, silence the skeptic, and look at what he did do. He played keyboards for one of the most original bands to ever come out of L.A., a band that had a sound all their own, a sound that relied heavily on keyboards, and still managed to sound badass. An argument could be made that without him, the Doors would have sounded like a hundred other bands, albeit one with a good looking waste case William Blake fetishist of a lead singer. But I'm not some stoned hippie chick on the Sunset Strip, and this is not 1967. I like the Doors as a package, and Manzarek was an indispensable part of it.

Here's just some oddballs; mostly covers, but they're good ones. The live one, with Albert King guesting on slide, is really good, sloppy good. I trust most of you already have some Doors you can revisit. If not, for craps sake, don't start with a greatest hits package. Just start with the first LP and get to know it as an entire album. Then continue with some of their others. You should listen to them as they were intended to be heard. Don't be a stupid ass spring chicken.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
The Doors - Break On Through mp3 at Happy Blue Mondays
The Doors - Soul Kitchen mp3 at Happy Blue Mondays
The Doors - Moonlight Drive (Demo) mp3 at Music For Humans
The Doors with Albert King - Money (Live) streaming at Hellhound on My Trail
Covers:
Shirley Bassey - Light My Fire mp3 at Cover Me 
X - Soul Kitchen mp3 at Cover Me
Patti Smith - Soul Kitchen mp3 at Happy Blue Mondays
The Ramones - Take It As It Comes mp3 at Cover Me
The Fuzztones - I Looked At You mp3 at Cover Me
Nico - The End mp3 at Cover Me

Sunday, May 19, 2013

FAR EAST FUZZ

When you really think about it, fuzz is an odd thing to have as an effect, isn't it?  What is it about it that's so appealing? How was it ever thought to enhance the sound of guitar, or bass for that matter? I know, I shouldn't ask too many questions, because what ever the reason, fuzz works for me. Especially when you put it on some oddball record from a faraway place. More so when it's not the weirdest thing going on in the song. Yes, these have been posted before, but it's been a couple years. Regardless, it time for our periodic reminder that westerners don't have a lock on weird.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
The Key Boys - A Sailors Song mp3 at Waxidermy
The Key Boys - My Love Is Distant mp3 at Waxidermy

YOUR BAND LOOKS STUPID

I don't have much to say about these. Spock sings. So does Kirk. There are several people I know that would be pissed if they knew I ran into these and didn't post them. And you don't want to get a Trekkie pissed, they know all sorts of weird moves. Martin Jaquish, wherever you are, this one's for you.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Leonard Nimoy - Highly Illogical mp3 (via DivShare) at Estudio del Sonido Esnob
William Shatner - Mr. Tamborine Man mp3 (via DivShare) at Estudio del Sonido Esnob

Saturday, May 18, 2013

BEST LOUD

There's no urgency. I'm long past the age where you have to be the first to buy and dissect a debut LP from some hot shit band to somehow prove that you were in on it first. That's kid stuff. So, I sit back, listen to a few songs here and there, and deliberate. Oh, do I deliberate. You save money that way. I'm still on the fence about Savages. They don't strike a chord in me that hasn't been struck before, and I'm not using a capo. But, as they now have an LP out, I thought I'd go looking for something more than the couple of cuts I'd heard before. I'm still not convinced. There was a serendipitous detour though. One of the sites had a cut by the Heliotropes that I like, if for no other reason than it sounds like the Shangrilas doing the Stooges, "We Will Fall" stylee. If you try real hard. No, maybe Sabbath, or Dream Syndicate, or the Velvets, or what have you. Night Soil Man is down there because the other two bands made me think of them. You can't dance to any of them, but they're of sonic interest.



~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Heliotropes - Psalm mp3 at The Deli
Heliotropes - Live show, good quality soundboard recording at NYC Taper 
Savages - She Will mp3 at The Key
Savages -Flying to Berlin mp3 at Rollo and Grady 
Savages - Shut Up mp3 at Indie Rock Cafe
Night Soil Man - Hyena (streaming) at YouTube

Friday, May 17, 2013

ZYDECO STAR

It's not everyday that you run into a 1955 single by Clifton Chenier on Specialty Records. Okay, fiends, I know you're rolling your eyes. It's probably not all that rare. But, boy oh boy, it's nice to hear it with all of the pops and crackles of a well played, bordering on thrashed, 45. The second one down there is a must-listen too. It's bare, just drums, accordion and barely audible violin. And Chenier's voice, holy fuck, that voice. It's genre defining, Of course his playing is good, but damn his singing. It's iconic. I hate that word. You know what I mean. Chenier's voice, accent, and phrasing are dead on. Like Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Jerry Lee Lewis, Howlin' Wolf or Ltlltle Richards, He's a template. Is it any damn wonder why he was on both Specialty and Chess, among other labels?

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen
Clifton Chenier - Ay-Tete-Fee mp3 (via DivShare) at Dad's 45s
Clifton Chenier - Baby Please Don't Go mp3 at You're Soaking In It
Clifton Chenier - Zydeco Sont Pas Sale mp3 at Let's Polka
Visit:
Clifton Chenier at Wikipedia

Thursday, May 16, 2013

CROWD THINNING SPECIAL

Two peas in a pod, aren't they? In some weird way, they are alike. Maybe because they're both, in their own way, repelling to some people. You know, the ones you don't want around anyway.  Here's a video I ran into at Aquarium Drunkard. It's the two of these guys together, for eight minutes, doing "Constipation Blues". There is singing in there, but there's a whole lot more weirdness. Gainsbourg seems totally unfazed by the grunting and carrying on of Hawkins, not because he's Joe Cool, it's more like some secret society of nut cases.



~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Screamin' Jay Hawkins - Alligator Wine mp3 at Api.ning.com
Serge Gainsbourg - Couleur Cafe mp3 at Sadko-Martin

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I TOO AM DIGGING IT

You all know Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88", right? It was a very early recording done at Sam Phillips studio, then sold to Chess Records, who whipped into a hit in 1951. Phillips, realizing that it was a relatively bonehead move, took his cue and started his own damn label. That worked out for him.

"Rocket 88" was actually recorded by Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm, and Brenston, a member of the band, just happened to sing lead. The Chess brothers decided that Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats had a little more pizzazz, so they exercised the label asshole option, and that's how the record ended up being credited.



"Rocket 88" is a fine song, no doubt about it, but most of you have heard it enough to know that. No matter, the song that got me all worked up is another recorded the same year, "Juiced". I ran into that at Diggin' It!, and although you have to jump through a few hoops to download it, believe me, it's worth it. Just the guitar tone alone is worth it, but that Phillips Studio sound...yeesh! Add to that Brenston's yelp in the intro, and the yelp buckshot unleashed during the seriously tweaked guitar solo, and what you have is a two and a half minute party.

To get that one, once you get to DivShare, just click on the green "Download" button and scratch your head for fifteen seconds. When the button reappears, you're good to go.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Jackie Brenston - Juiced mp3 (via DivShare) at Diggin' It!
Jackie Brenston - Leo the Louse mp3 at Rocky 52
Jackie Brenston - Trouble Up the Road mp3 at Rocky 52
Jackie Brenston - Rocket 88 mp3 at Rocky 52

Monday, May 13, 2013

WHO SNUCK IT IN?

In case you missed it the first time around, here it is again, Nora Dean's "Angie La La", an improbably spacey cut from the studio of Duke Reid, ex-cop turned reggae producer. This isn't reggae at all, I'm not sure what you'd call it, but it's often posted as a YouTube streaming thing, rarely as an mp3, which is why I'm posting it again. Mixtape Riot has it.


The unusual thing about the record, other then the sound, is that Reid was a hard ass. As mentioned, he was an ex-cop. When something went haywire during a recording session, he was known to fire his side arm into the ceiling. Plus he had a no dope rule, in his studio that recorded almost exclusively reggae. He actually sounds like kind of a dick. So how did this trippy thing get made there?

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Nora Dean - Angie La La mp3 at Mixtape Riot 
Nora Dean - More at this post

Sunday, May 12, 2013

HOW DO YOU HOLD THIS THING?

Say what you will, he's still here. Know what I like about Keith Richards? Anything you can say about him, he'll cop to. Every stupid thing he's done. You want to say he's done two much partying? He'll acknowledge it. Say he's only a marginally good guitar player? His singing's worse. Too big of an ego? Too much money? You should hate him, like Reggie Mantle with a shaggy hair cut. He knows all that. He knows he's lucky.

The conversation below, between him and Hunter S. Thompson, ends with Thompson saying, "You're just a rock 'n' roll punk". That alone should make you see it. There's a part in there when they're talking about what J. Edgar Hoover would come back as, in a second life. Richards, or Keith as we call him, settles on "a fawt". Despite all the fame, the money, cars, sex, drugs, fancy homes, and just about anything he could possibly want, despite all of that, Keith Richards still thinks a fart is funny. At the end of the day, that's why I like this guy, I hope he sticks around a while longer.



Here's some Keith Richards stuff. Definitely check out the post at Boogie Woogie Flu, Duets with George Jones, Johnnie Johnson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dave Edmunds and Rockpile, and Bob Dylan. There's also another link to a Tom Waits thing he played on.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Keith Richards and George Jones - Say It's Not You mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
Jerry Lee Lewis and Keith Richards - Sweet Virginia (2010) mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
Tom Waits with Keith Richards- Satisfied mp3 at Informal Flick Thru
Jerry Lee Lewis and Keith Richards - That Kind of Fool (2006) mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
Keith Richards - Nine cuts with duets at Boogie Woogie Flu Duets with George Jones, Johnnie Johnson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dave Edmunds and Rockpile, and Bob Dylan.
Video:
Jerry Lee Lewis w/Keith Richards - Your Cheatin' Heart, Little Queenie (1983) at YouTube
Jerry Lee Lewis w/Keith Richards - Whole Lotta Shakin' (1983) at YouTube
Visit:
Keith Richards - Interview at The Guardian

Saturday, May 11, 2013

IT'S THAT TRICK BAG GUY

Boy, was Earl King ever entrenched in the New Orleans music scene of the fifties. The first talent contest that he entered, at age fifteen, was emceed by Ernie K-Doe. His guitar teachers were Guitar Slim and Huey "Piano" Smith(!). His mom, known as "Big Chief", and was the inspiration behind his song of the same name, famously recorded by Professor Longhair. On his first record he was backed by Huey Smith and Lee Allen. His second had both of them, and Earl Palmer on drums. That, admittedly, is cherry picking a lengthy profile. You should read his whole story over at The Hound Blog.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Earl King - Trick Bag mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Earl King - Fly High mp3 at RnB 45
Earl King - Everybody's Carried Away mp3 at RnB 45
Earl King - Mother's Love mp3 at Snuhthing Anything
Visit:
Earl King - Profile at The Hound Blog

Friday, May 10, 2013

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?

Every once in a while, it's just the record cover. If it's a good one, I'll try to like the music. I'm like that. Not necessarily because the music demands serious consideration, it's more like appreciating the music as part of a package. If the cover is bewildering, I'll try to find something bewildering in the record.

Good old Harold y su Banda don't disappoint. Here's the thing. The cover is a little odd, not necessarily freaky, and the music is a little odd too, to me anyway. Both as an funky ultra thick wall of weird thing, or busy Latin funk disco. I can't tell for sure whether I really like it, or find it irritatingly busy. Maybe both. I'm just sitting over here, bewildered, man.

The host of this music, Musica del Alma, refers to it as Heavy Colombian Funk and b-boy catnip. There are some fine beats. I am so damn fresh. Anyways, it's something different. It's a big world out there.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Harold y su Banda -Busque El Gato mp3 at Musica del Alma
Harold y su Banda - Latino mp3 at Musica del Alma
Harold y su Banda -Two more, and all four streaming at Musica del Alma plus a bigger scan of the LP cover

Thursday, May 9, 2013

STUDIO ONE RARITIES

Oh yeahhhhh. If you're at all into reggae, particularly early and rare, you're in for a treat. Here's a new one. a massive mix of more than sixty early and rare Coxsone Dodd productions, from his Studio One and Coxsone labels. If you're thinking, "yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before, Studio One, blah, blah, blah..." think again.  This is a recently posted mix and there's a lot of stuff here you probably haven't heard, obscure artists, familiar riddims with different vocals, and versions available only on the flips of records that are rare to begin with. Speaking of versions, can any of you reggae eggheads ID the DJ toasting over Burning Spear's "Rocking Time"? That's one of the more recognizable cuts here. Without going into specifics about each and every cut, take my word for it, this is dynamite stuff. As I've posted a lot of Dodd's work before, you guessed it, it's recycled text time. If you've stopped by the earlier Studio One post, just skip the next three paragraphs. It's for the new people:


Dodd was the owner of Studio One, the most prolific reggae studio in the sixties and seventies. He had his own studio, his own house band, and his own, often copied, rhythms. He was so good at producing reggae hits, that he had over ten different record labels so Jamaican radio stations wouldn't shy away from the records fearing charges of favoritism. He gave a lot of reggae artists their first breaks, and while many would record elsewhere, most owe their musical identities to Dodd.



His chief competitor in the early years of rock steady and reggae was Duke Reid, who ran Treasure Isle records. But Dodd got consistently better results from the artists that the studios shared. Many attribute that to the differences in demeanor. Duke Reid was an ex-cop, who often wore a side arm in the studio, and was known to shoot into the studio ceiling when something pissed him off; and, being an ex-cop, he prohibited the smoking of weed by the musicians. Dodd, on the other hand, was more open minded, and chose to look the other way when the weed came out, which led to an entirely different creative process. Most reggae rhythms at the time were written in the studio, the results of in-studio jams; in the case of Studio One, loose jams.



Coxsone Dodd's adult life was all about music. It all started with a trip to the U.S. to work in the fields. He came back with R&B records, and began playing them at sound systems,. He then opened a recording studio, and a record store, and created multiple record labels. He discovered dozens of artists, and created rhythms still recycled today. He was there, from the beginning of ska, through rock steady and on into reggae, a key proponent of all. Even after he started to slow down in his later years, he moved to the U.S. and opened another record store. He is one of the most significant figures in history of reggae. In these parts, Coxsone Dodd is the man.

There's a handful of other random Studio One mp3s down there, to satisfy the cherry pickers. The real show, though, is the mix. Here's a quick how-to guide for this one: It's posted at Zippy Share in a 172 mb zip with over sixty individual mp3s (it takes six minutes). Just make sure to enter the Captcha, and then click on the "Download Now" link (not the button that just says "Download"). The song list resides at the host of this baddass puppy, Underground Undercover.

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Listen:
Jackie Mittoo - Hot Milk mp3 at Badminton Stamps
The Minstrells - People Get Ready mp3 at Club Cortez 
Errol Dunkley - Way Down Low mp3 at Pixie Radio
Ken Boothe - Set Me Free mp3 at Surface to Air 
Alton Ellis - Tumbling Tears mp3 at Snuthing Anything
The mother lovin' mix, 60+ songs:
Coxsonne Dodd Rarities at Underground Undercover (where it says "LINK" at the end to the text) NOTE: Once at Zippy Share, enter the Captcha, and then click on the "Download Now" link, not the button that just says "Download"

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

ANYWAY, ENOUGH ABOUT HIM

Oh jeez, I'm embarrassed to admit that this post doesn't contain anything revelatory about Johnny Kidd. He did a fine job with his original version of "Shakin' All Over", to that I think you'd agree. And he did, with his band the Pirates, make the guitar-bass-drums-vocals quartet style do-able (which, if Wikipedia is to be believed, convinced the Who that Roger Daltrey should ditch the guitar), but if astounding surprises are what you're after, you'll have to settle for the video below. It's Donna Loren, singer and actress, who was off on the sidelines playing second fiddle to Annette Funicello in beach party movies. She, like Annette, was squeaky clean, not someone you'd thing of as being cool. But cool is what she is in this clip from Shindig. She may not give Ronnie Spector anything to worry about, but one would have to cop to the fact that in this particular clip, she does a good job appropriating the expressionless beehive routine that elevated the Ronettes to top tier huzza-huzza status.



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Listen:
Johnny Kidd and the Pirates - Shakin' All Over mp3 at Mp3 Rockabilly
The Who - Shakin' All Over (BBC session) mp3 at N1.vmuzike.net 
Johnny Kidd and the Pirates - Growl mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

SAY HEY LADY SPINSTA

A heads up here. Diddy Wah just posted "I Found You" by Yvonne Fair, which probably brings no spark of recognition from all four of you who traipse through here. It's the same song James Brown released three years later as "I Feel Good (I Found You)". Though Fair's version is Northern Soul all the way, it's notable that she's backed by "James Brown Band" who must have still been getting their funky footing. I'm not really sure how many of the members of the band were actually on both recordings. It's safe to say the way the JB billed backing bands on early recordings is muddy to say the least. 

Now, this is how this works, this meandering. After I ran into the Diddy Wah post and decided to look into things a little. I did find another really good early cut, "Say Yeah Yeah". Then I read that she later recorded at Motown with Norman Whitfield producing. If you've been paying attention, you know that Whitfield is the man who pushed things at Motown in a psychedelic soul direction, in the late sixties and early seventies. There's probably very few singers who have worked with James Brown in the early sixties, and worked with Whitfield in his prime. I found one song from that period, "Let Your Hair Down", and though it's got the Whitfield touch, it's got the pace of an Issac Hayes jam, and her voice sounds like Betty Davis.  It's really bare bones. At the very least an interesting thing to hear, I happen to dig it. Completely different from the other two, but that's how this meandering works. I'm not going to let all this goofing off go to waste.

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Listen:
Yvonne Fair - I Found You mp3 at Diddy Wah (Go there to get it)
Yvonne Fair - Say Yeah Yeah mp3 (via Zippy Share) at Funky By Nature NOTE: There are several download buttons. Click on the orange one that says "Download Now"
Yvonne Fair - Let Your Hair Down mp3 at Rap Radar 
James Brown - I Feel Good mp3 at Momo92zik (?)

Monday, May 6, 2013

MAN AND GUITAR

R.L. Burnside was on that long list of people it never occurred to me to look for online, until I ran into that video below. It lead to a nice diversion and a few songs I hadn't heard. If Burnside's name conjures up thoughts of a certain former collaborator from NYC, maybe a couple of his earliest cuts will rid you of that association.


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Listen:
R.L. Burnside - Poor Black Mattie mp3 at Article 11 (late 60s) 
R.L. Burnside - Just Like a Bird Without a Feather mp3 at Article 11 (late 60s) 
Much later:
R.L. Burnside - Nothin' Man mp3
at Review Stalker
Visit:
R.L. Burnside at Wikipedia

Friday, May 3, 2013

ATTENTION POSEURS

Have you heard this kid Willy Moon? Oh brother is right. It got me thinking about how things get watered down, and how some music really should require some degree of authenticity. If you borrow heavily from a particular genre or era, you really ought to think twice before you try to fuck with the formula. This Moon kid reminds me of hearing Blink 182 way back when and thinking, some people think this is punk rock? There's just no fucking pedigree, real or imagined. It's just throwing spaghetti at the wall.
 

A few posts after the Moon one, I ran into one about Nick Waterhouse, While it didn't exactly cheer me up, it did lessen the "Oh god, this shit is weak" blow. Waterhouse does a respectable job, but he doesn't have me bouncing off the walls. Not like Nick Curran did. (The video below is required viewing.)



By now my early rhythm and blues/rock 'n' roll ADD is kicking in. I started thinking about others that have tried to tackle this sort of music, early rock 'n' roll with horns and/or piano, and who has, not only the pipes, but the authenticity to pull it off. Here's a few that gave it a shot, with varying degrees of success.

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Listen: 
The Blasters - Marie Marie mp3 at Full Songs (?) 
The Blasters - Red Rose mp3 at AM Then FM 
The Blasters - Dark Night mp3 at OST For Me 
Nick Curran and the Lowlifes - Kill My Baby mp3 at KEXP
Nick Curran and the Lowlifes - Reform School Girl mp3 at Austin Town Hall
JD McPherson - Wolf Teeth mp3 (via Box.com) at The Slow Drag
JD McPherson - Carol (Live in studio) mp3 at MOKB
JD McPherson - Scratching Circles mp3 at Cortesia de la Casa
Eli "Paperboy" Reed - Ace of Spades mp3 at Ryan's Smashing Life
Eli "Paperboy" Reed - Explosion mp3 at Dr. Mooney's 115th Dream
Nick Waterhouse - Some Place mp3 at Augasm
Nick Waterhouse - (If) You Want Trouble mp3 at Augasm