YEAH,YEAH. IN THREES. STILL...

Wow, what a messed up week. Jimmy Castor, Johnny Otis and Etta James all gone in a matter of days. Just an unpleasant reminder to go see the living greats, if you can, before you can't. Here's some from Etta James, who, contrary to how it may seem, did more than one song. Really, as great a song as "At Last" is (and it is), she really is someone who could make a song all hers, a master song stylist. To wit, "I Just Want To Make Love To You" is nothing like the version first made famous by Muddy Waters. The same goes for her treatment of "Just A Little Bit" (Roscoe Gordon), and "Security" (Otis Redding), and a whole bunch of others.

Etta James, with Keith Richards, Robert Cray and Johnny Johnson. While superfan Chuck Berry watches.

I'm reluctantly taking a pass on Jimmy Castor and Johnny Otis, because Funky 16 Corners has both of them well covered and he's promised a Monday Etta post, so bookmark him. (Hell, if you haven't already booked him as a regular destination, you need to start paying attention.)

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Listen:
Etta James - At Last mp3 at Carried Away
Etta James - Good Rockin' Daddy mp3 at Dirty Poodle
Etta James - Tell Mama mp3 at Blog Rage
Etta James - I Just Want to Make Love to You mp3 at Tsururadio
Etta James - I'd Rather Go Blind mp3 at Free Beer For Yorky
Etta James - Just A Little Bit mp3 at The Soul Girl
Etta James - Security mp3 at LS Scott
Etta James & Sugar Pie Desanto - In the Basement (Pt 1) mp3 at Dr. Mooneys
Etta James & Sugar Pie Desanto - In the Basement (Pt 2) mp3 at Dr. Mooneys
Etta James - Lover Man mp3 at Musik Kurier
Etta James - Something's Got A Hold On Me mp3 at Music Kurier
Etta James - Watch Dog mp3 (via Box.net) at 27 Leggies
Etta James - Six more songs at Funky 16 Corners

TAKE THAT DJ FUCKFACE

I was out in the alley again, reading a few pages and having a smoke. After a day at the beach when all I heard was bad classic rock and an ultra loud unrelenting thump, DUUIISH-DUUIISSH-DUUIISH!!!, of bad, repetitive EDM. It kept going for hours and you could hear it a mile away. It was invading my space, man. I had pretty much given up any thought of hearing a random song from anybody this weekend that would sound any good. So there I was, in the alley, sun low in the sky, chilling with a book, a gentle breeze blowing. It carried the string intro to Etta James's "At Last", a song I've heard a thousand times as I'm sure you have. But it was just what I needed. From a stranger a half block away. It changed my mood. I don't think I'll ever hear it again without thinking of the sonic salve it provided.

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Listen:
Etta James - At Last mp3 at Carried Away
Etta James - Tell Mama mp3 at Blog Rage
Etta James - I'd Rather Go Blind mp3 at Free Beer For Yorky
Etta James -  I'm Gonna Take What He's Got mp3 at Groove Addict
Etta James - Seven Day Fool mp3 at Soul Garage

AND EXHALE.

I honestly don't know how you people who are running around all the time do it. I only had to do minor running around during the past few weeks, and it's really fucked with my normal routine of not planning anything and doing things when I feel like getting around to it. And to think that some of you had to travel over the holidays, or jet all over the place for your everyday job, and some of you have kids and their schedules to deal with...well, my hats off to you. Quite frankly, having half the duties you have, just for a short spell, has me pooped and ten kinds of discombobulated. So, while still digesting todays traditional family Christmas taco throwdown, it's time to regroup and get back into the non-holiday groove. Hey, there's Etta James! Let's flag her down!

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Listen:
Etta James - I Just Want to Make Love to You mp3 at Tsururadio
Etta James & Sugar Pie Desanto - In the Basement (Pt 1) mp3 at Dr. Mooneys
Etta James & Sugar Pie Desanto - In the Basement (Pt 2) mp3 at Dr. Mooneys
Etta James - Seven Day Fool mp3 at Soul Garage

LADY KICK ASS IS BACK

Earlier tonight I was reading out in the alley when out of nowhere Etta James's version of "Security" popped into my head. Hearing a decent copy of the 45 version at a high volume is total heavy metal, seriously. Super powerful; the playing, the production (Rick Hall, FAME Studio) and her voice. I have the record but all I found online were a bunch of YouTube posts, and many of them were the LP version. So it's YouTube only for that song. Oh well. It did make me keep looking. In doing so I found a another FAME era goosebump inducing song at Groove Addict, "I'm Gonna Take What He's Got", on which her vocal performance just plain fucking kicks ass. She hits 'em all.

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Listen:
Etta James - Security (streaming) at YouTube
Etta James -  I'm Gonna Take What He's Got mp3 at Groove Addict
Etta James - Seven Day Fool mp3 at Soul Garage
Etta James - At Last mp3 at Carried Away

L.L. WILLIE D

Etta James

Here's a couple of interpretations of Willie Dixon songs by two singers from the same era, that may or may not have shared a stage at one time or another. Etta James's 1961 take, doing "I Just Want To Make Love To You", is about as rough as you could expect from a record with strings on it. At different parts she sounds like the recipient of her aural advances is going to get something ripped off in the process, then she turns to an almost cooing voice. We've all probably had significant others with that talent, though not with strings, possible a little more psycho. A remarkable effect.

Koko Taylor

Koko Taylor's 1966 version of "Wang Dang Doodle" is dripping with Chicago. Chess Records, label mate Buddy Guy on guitar doing that trademark lick, along with the usual Chess regulars including Dixon on vocals.

Both songs have been posted here before, but the link to James's was dead so I figured what the hell. They're both Dixon songs and both were recorded in Chicago. It was just too easy to throw a compare and contrast exercise at you.

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Listen:
Etta James - I Just Want To Make Love To You mp3 at Deds (?)
Koko Taylor -  Wang Dang Doodle mp3 at Le Mellotron

LOCK DOWN THEATER NIGHT 8

This should kill more than a few hours. These were first posted here five years ago, but it's worth a bookmark, especially not knowing how long the stay at home orders last. Without just repeating what was said when I first posted these, I'm just slapping a new title on the post. Here's what I said back then:

Dude looks pretty square doesn't he? Assuming you don't know who Hoss Allen is, if someone were to tell you that he hosted a syndicated TV show you'd probably think it would be fairly tepid, right? Wrong. He hosted The !!!! Beat, a 1966 music series with insanely solid line-ups of soul, R & B and blues artists all performing in the studio, most in front of a live band. The list of performers includes (prepare to drool here) Etta James, the Bar Kays, Louis Jordan, Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Freddie King, Willie Mitchell, Barbara Lynn, Sam and Dave, the Mighty Hannibal, Joe Tex, and on and on. Yeah, budget a night or two, get a six pack, and for fuck sake, turn off that phone.

Seriously you guys, this is insanity. For just a couple teasers of what can be found in random samplings, click here for Barbara Lynn doing "What I'd Say", with Clarence Gatemouth Brown on guitar. (Oh yeah, that's another thing. Brown was part of the house band! Holy shit and what not!) And one more quick one before you leave, click here for a goosebump inducing clip of Etta James doing "Only Time Will Tell". Those two are just completely random. Here's some links to entire shows, but there's lots more at Youtube.

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Listen:
The !!!! Beat, Vol 4 Show #15 at YouTube Louis Jordan and the Tympani Five (five songs) and Freddy King (two songs, one with Clarence Gatemouth Brown)
The !!!! Beat, Vol 6 # Show 26 at YouTube Otis Redding (guest host!), Percy Sledge, the Bar Kays, Sam and Dave, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, and more.
The !!!! Beat, Vol 1 # Show 2 at YouTube Joe Tex, Etta James, Little Milton, Gatemouth Brown, and more.
The !!!! Beat - More episodes (over fifteen) at YouTube

SHE KICKED SO MUCH ASS

Dang me, I just ran into Etta James's "Seven Day Fool", I'd forgotten how good it is. Dig the production, particularly the sound of the drums. That other one,"Tough Lover", is kick ass in a Little Richard sorta way. Man, she was so good.

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Listen:
Etta James - Seven Day Fool mp3 at Boogaloo Time
Etta James - Tough Lover mp3 at Dusty Books
Other:
Large high resolution version of above photo

HALL OF FAME

Rick Hall, the producer, owner and proprietor of FAME Studios died on Tuesday. Man. He pretty much invented the Muscle Shoals sound. And the Muscle Shoals sound put the shitty little city on the map. Hell, it probably wasn't shitty, that just seemed like it would sound good. Everyone from Aretha to Etta, Pickett to Conley, made their way there. Later some guys from FAME broke out and started their own studio, imaginatively named Muscle Shoals. Hall persevered. He was an unlikely giant in Southern soul. Here's some of his work.

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Listen:
Etta James - I'm Gonna to Take What He's Got mp3 at Groove Addict
Etta James - Tell Mama mp3 at Blog Rage
Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You) mp3 at Funky 16 Corners
Irma Thomas - Cheater Man mp3 at Groove Addict
Willie Hightower = You Used Me Baby mp3 at The B Side
Jimmy Hughes - Neighbor, Neighbor mp3 at The A Side
Arthur Conley - I Can't Stop (No, No, No) mp3 at The A Side
Clarence Carter - She Ain't Gonna Do Right mp3 at The B Side
The FAME Gang - Grits n' Gravy mp3 at The A Side Awesome instrumental

HUMP DAY CRAP SHOOT

In case you haven't poked arouind over there at Soul Garage, I recommend that you do so; that is if you dig soul, R&B, funk and that sort of stuff. Don't let the fact that the blog has been dormant for a couple years deter you. There's a lot of posts, and there's a high keeper rate. This is just one I happened on tonight. I'm going back there right now. Come on, come over with me, let's party.

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Listen:
Etta James - Seven Day Fool mp3 at Soul Garage
Etta James - A bunch more here at this old post
Visit:
Soul Garage

LOCK DOWN THEATER NIGHT 50

Yet another flick, another good documentary. This one is about Muscle Shoals, appropriately titled Muscle Shoals. You'll be sucked in, and if you don't know what's special about Rick Hall, you will. The songs at the bottom, all produced by him. He pretty much made the Muscle Shoals sound.

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Tonight's feature:
Muscle Shoals at YouTube
Listen:
Etta James - I'm Gonna to Take What He's Got mp3 at Groove Addict
Etta James - Tell Mama mp3 at Blog Rage
Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You) mp3 at Funky 16 Corners
Irma Thomas - Cheater Man mp3 at Groove Addict
Willie Hightower - You Used Me Baby mp3 at The B Side
Jimmy Hughes - Neighbor, Neighbor mp3 at The A Side
Arthur Conley - I Can't Stop (No, No, No) mp3 at The A Side
Clarence Carter - She Ain't Gonna Do Right mp3 at The B Side
The FAME Gang - Grits n' Gravy mp3 at The A Side Awesome instrumental

THAT'S IT?

Just a quick head's up here. If you're in the U.S. or can otherwise get the broadcasts of PBS, on Monday night, April 21, there's a documentary about Fame Studio, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, and the house band that played at both, the Swampers. Ho-hum you say? The list of artists that recorded at the studios, most backed by the Swampers, include Arthur Alexander, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Joe Tex, Clarence Carter, Etta James, the Stones, Duane Allman, the Black Keys, Candi Staton, and Tom Jones among many others. Here's just a few.

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Listen:
Etta James - Tell Mama mp3 at Blog Rage
Arthur Conley - Sweet Soul Music mp3 at Athens Friday Night
Arthur Alexander - You Better Move On mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
Joe Tex - Hold What You've Got mp3 at Radio George
Video:
Muscle Shoals - Trailer at YouTube
Visit:
A Musical Journey Through Muscle Shoals at PBS
Fame Studio at Wikipedia
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio at Wikipedia
The Swampers at Wikipedia

THE SOOTHING SOUNDS OF SUCK FACE

Here you go. A tad early for Valentines Day but I didn't want to flake. In years prior I'd posted these links and had at least once suggested that they'd make a great soundtrack to a Valentines Day party. Well, we all know that's not gonna happen this year. But you can still hang with your bubble babe. Think of it as a litmus test. If she/he/it can't find anything to like in these mixes, let her/him/it know they're in the wrong house. After they leave eat the chocolates and get drunk.

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Listen:
Spread the Good Word's A Bloody Love Mix, Volume 3

John Buck & The Blazers, Bobby Freeman, Dorsey Burnette, Donnie & Ronnie, the Del-Vikings, Don Johnston, Marvin Rainwater, Piano Red, B.B. King, Ann Cole, the Valentinos, Soul Brothers Six, the Duetts, the Highway Q.C.'s, Del Shannon, Tom Reeves, Jimmy Kirkland, Lord Creator, Johnny Burnette, Sanford Clark, Eddie Cochran, the Four Dreamers, and the Animals

Spread the Good Word's A Bloody Love Mix, Volume 2

The Cramps, the World Famous Upsetters, Ronnie Love, Lavern Baker, Mickie Most & His Playboys, the Mustangs, the Righteous Brothers, Johnny Cash, the Wild Ones, Etta James, Benny Joy, Elvis Presley, Roy Hamilton, Bracey Everett, Shouting Thomas Torment, Billy Fury, Little Willie John, Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, Renato Carosone, Irving Aaronson & His Commanders, Ric Cartey, and the ever amorous Wild Man Fischer.

Spread the Good Word's A Bloody Love Mix, Volume 1

Joe Houston Orchestra, The Phantom, The Victors, Sonny Terry & Buster Brown, Heavy Trash, Kris Jensen, Sammy Myers, The Royal Jokers, Fire Escape, The Del-Rios, The Raelets, Wanda Jackson, Eddie Taylor, Johnny Angel, Ole Miss Down Beats, Ronnie Hawkins And The Hawks, Bernie Hardison, Ric Cartey, Johnny Watson, The Blues Busters, Slim Whitman.

THE LIST NEVER SLEEPS

Chalmers, second from left, at a Etta James session, Fame Studio

Ten years ago, I would have heard "The Sidewinder" and not had the slightest clue about its origins. I probably wouldn't have even recognized the song. It might not even register how unusual it was for a song recorded at Fame Studios to be released on Chess Records and have liner notes by Jerry Wexler. But here it is and it's a nice reminder that if you taste test stuff you're not familiar with you can still learn about music, or anything really, no matter how much you've consumed over the years. I never set out to recognize a cover version recorded by some sax player named Charlie Chalmers. I never even sought out the original by Lee Morgan. I never made a point of learning about Fame Studio, that they were known mostly for the soul music recorded there, and that a large part of that music was released on Atlantic Records. And, shit, I've known Chess Records for ages (thank you Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters), but never imagined that Jerry Wexler, a journalist turned producer mainly affiliated with Atlantic Records, would write liner notes for an LP on Chess Records. Tomorrow I'm sure I'll learn that he did it all the time. But enough about me. Charlie Chalmers played sax.

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Listen:
Charles Chalmers - The Sidewinder mp3 at Groove Addict
Charles Chalmers - Velvet Soul mp3 at Groove Addict
Visit:
The Horn Arranging Secrets of Muscle Shoals, Aretha Hits at AL.com Lengthy interview with Chalmers

WORKAHOLIC

Just a quick one here. I heard Willie Dixon's "29 Ways" on a Chess Records blues compilation today (bought used, as a stray from a broken up boxed set, thank you very much) and, to be honest, Chess was so deep in classic Chicago blues that I'm not going to even step near that rabbit hole. But Dixon was special, you name 'em, he worked with 'em: Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Otis Rush, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Joe Louis Walker, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Koko Taylor, Little Milton, Lowell Fulson, Memphis Slim, Washboard Sam, Jimmy Rogers, and many, many more. He was a singer, songwriter, arragnger, producer, and session player who was one of the most prolific blues musicians of his era. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to name a more prolific blues man in any era. I had to share "29 Days" because I dig the drums and the pace of it, and just for good measure, there's "Insane Asylum", a duet with Koko Taylor, because, despite hearing it a thousand times, I still get goosebumps when Taylor comes it.

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Listen:
Willie Dixon - 29 Ways mp3 at Drew's Blues
Wille Dixon and Koko Taylor - Insane Asylum mp3 at Beware of the Blog
A few covers:
Howlin' Wolf - Wang Dang Doodle mp3 at Burning Hand
Koko Taylor - Wang Dang Doodle mp3 at Clumsy & Shy
Etta James - I Just Want to Make Love to You mp3 at 8106
Muddy Waters - You Shook Me mp3 at Harmony Talk
Visit:
Willie Dixon at Wikipedia
Big high resolution version of above photo

LAST MINUTE KISSY KISSY POO POO

Oh holy hell, I completely jelled. I forgot today was Valentines Day. It's not like I'm going to be in the dog house. I am currently squeezeless, so there's no one to yell at me. But there was talk all day about Valentines Day, so I was reminded that I forgot to post some kissy-kissy stuff. Then, when I got home a couple hours ago, I found my screen door with heart shaped stickers on it, and a small bouquet of sour grass. I looked around at the other doors in the complex and my door was the only one decorated like that. Someone did something to brighten my day today and I don't know who it was. The gesture was so sweet, and it really did make me feel, I don't know, liked? Liked enough for someone to have done that. Shit like that rarely happens to me and I'm not going to ruin it by trying to figure it out. Because of the sour grass angle a guess would be someone on a budget. Or someone that knows that fancy and me don't mix. Or one of the kids in the neighborhood grabbing the closest thing they could find that represented flowers. I don't know, but it worked. I had a momentary warm and fuzzy moment.

Then it hit me. It's Friday. Tomorrow's Saturday. There might be some people still celebrating Valentines Day tomorrow, so I might not too late. Cue Reverend Tom Frost, mix meister of South of Hell, France. Here's three mixes that he posted in 2008-2012 that are still lurking on Mixcloud. Each are good for about an hour of uninterrupted face sucking.

That photo at the top is from a wedding I went to a few months ago. The person who took  it, a sister of one of the subjects,  said that it was a spur of the moment shot and she didn't realize that her phone was set on black and white. But I love the photo, there's nothing in it that would peg it as being recently taken and it's about as candid as it gets. Nice wheels too. On to the mixes...

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Listen:
Spread the Good Word's A Bloody Love Mix, Volume 3
John Buck & The Blazers, Bobby Freeman, Dorsey Burnette, Donnie & Ronnie, the Del-Vikings, Don Johnston, Marvin Rainwater, Piano Red, B.B. King, Ann Cole, the Valentinos, Soul Brothers Six, the Duetts, the Highway Q.C.'s, Del Shannon, Tom Reeves, Jimmy Kirkland, Lord Creator, Johnny Burnette, Sanford Clark, Eddie Cochran, the Four Dreamers, and the Animals

Spread the Good Word's A Bloody Love Mix, Volume 2
The Cramps, the World Famous Upsetters, Ronnie Love, Lavern Baker, Mickie Most & His Playboys, the Mustangs, the Righteous Brothers, Johnny Cash, the Wild Ones, Etta James, Benny Joy, Elvis Presley, Roy Hamilton, Bracey Everett, Shouting Thomas Torment, Billy Fury, Little Willie John, Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, Renato Carosone, Irving Aaronson & His Commanders, Ric Cartey, and the ever amorous Wild Man Fischer.

Spread the Good Word's A Bloody Love Mix, Volume 1
Joe Houston Orchestra, The Phantom, The Victors, Sonny Terry & Buster Brown, Heavy Trash, Kris Jensen, Sammy Myers, The Royal Jokers, Fire Escape, The Del-Rios, The Raelets, Wanda Jackson, Eddie Taylor, Johnny Angel, Ole Miss Down Beats, Ronnie Hawkins And The Hawks, Bernie Hardison, Ric Cartey, Johnny Watson, The Blues Busters, Slim Whitman.
 

LAST MINUTE DOG HOUSE PASS

Did you forget what day it is? Depending on what time zone you're in, this might be too late. A preemptive kiss up should have been posted last night, but I was too busy getting off on the Invictas. Regardless, if you're in the dog house, this might be your only chance for redemption. So here's a few sweets for your special someone. If you need to make your point with gusto, I'd start the plea Ronnie Self or the Sonics, move on to the mix from Funky 16 Corners and seal the deal with Phil Phillips. And, you can always lay it on real thick by handing over the mixes from Romeo Reverend Tom Frost that were posted a few days ago. But, as you can probably guess, I'm the last person you should take this sort of advice from.

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Listen:
Ronnie Self - You're So Right For Me mp3 at Rocky-52.net
The Sonics - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at Girl Jukebox
Bo Diddley - Who Do You Love? mp3 at Rocky-52.net
Little Willie John - Fever mp3 at Diddywah
Phil Phillips - Sea of Love mp3 at Diddy Wah
Five more lovey doveys at Diddy Wah

Mixes:

Funky 16 Corners' Dance of Love - 18 song soul heavy mix from loverboy Larry Frank Wilson, Charlie Rich, Darrell Banks, Jackie Wilson, Eddie Bo and Inez Cheatham, Charlie Earlands Erector Set, JJ Barnes, Spinners, Sand Pebbles, Platters, Lee Dorsey and Betty Harris, Len Barry, Producers, Lee Williams and the Cymbals, Broadways, Velvelettes, Soul Brothers Six, Wilson Pickett

Spread the Good Word's A Bloody Love Mix, Volume 3

John Buck & The Blazers, Bobby Freeman, Dorsey Burnette, Donnie & Ronnie, the Del-Vikings, Don Johnston, Marvin Rainwater, Piano Red, B.B. King, Ann Cole, the Valentinos, Soul Brothers Six, the Duetts, the Highway Q.C.'s, Del Shannon, Tom Reeves, Jimmy Kirkland, Lord Creator, Johnny Burnette, Sanford Clark, Eddie Cochran, the Four Dreamers, and the Animals

Spread the Good Word's A Bloody Love Mix, Volume 2
The Cramps, the World Famous Upsetters, Ronnie Love, Lavern Baker, Mickie Most & His Playboys, the Mustangs, the Righteous Brothers, Johnny Cash, the Wild Ones, Etta James, Benny Joy, Elvis Presley, Roy Hamilton, Bracey Everett, Shouting Thomas Torment, Billy Fury, Little Willie John, Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, Renato Carosone, Irving Aaronson & His Commanders, Ric Cartey, and the ever amorous Wild Man Fischer.

WE MEET AGAIN

This actually started out as a quick post just to shove Foghat's version of "I Just Want to Make Love to You" in front of you, because I love the sound of it. It was produced by Dave Edmunds in the early 70s. It's nothing close to the original, just a nice slice of 70's guitar thud. So, after straying off the path, I ended up going on a two day Willie Dixon binge. It was overdue. I've seen his name in album cover notes since...well, a long fucking time. One of my earliest fetishized LPs (Johnny Winter) had a Dixon song on it. Later, I finally heard his music, and revisited versions by his contemporaries. (If you want a mind fuck, check out this list at Wikipedia.) He was a singer, guitarist, bassist, songwriter, producer, arranger, and talent scout; one of the architects of the Chicago blues sound, as well as the sound of Chess Records. He is the man.

Here's a variety of Dixon written stuff. Starting with a few rock bands. Love Sculpture is an early Dave Edmunds band. And check the video at the bottom. Strap yourself in. it's the pay off. Dixon's in it, with some heavy friends. It is awesome. Turn it up and go full screen on the mother.

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The UK rock bands:
Love Sculpture - Wang Dang Doodle mp3 at From Russia With Art
Foghat - I Just Want to Make Love to You mp3 at The Giant Panther
Cream - Spoonful mp3 at South Bay Amp Works
Led Zeppelin - You Shook Me mp3 at Great Gonzo
The old school:
Howlin' Wolf - Wang Dang Doodle mp3 at Burning Hand
Koko Taylor - Wang Dang Doodle mp3 at Clumsy & Shy
Etta James - I Just Want to Make Love to You mp3 at 8106
Muddy Waters - You Shook Me mp3 at Harmony Talk
The Man:
Willie Dixon - Spoonfull mp3 at Le Mellotron
Willie Dixon - You Shook Me mp3 at Great Gonzo
Willie Dixon - Twenty Nine Ways to My Baby's Door mp3 at Merry Swankster
Willie Dixon - I'd Give My Life For You mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Willie Dixon & Koko Taylor - Insane Asylum mp3 at Clumsy & Shy
Watch:
Willie Dixon - Bassology video at YouTube
Several videos at Willie-Dixon.com
Visit:
Willie Dixon at the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame
List of Dixon songs, and who has covered them (incomplete list) at Wikipedia
Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation

WATCH THIS:

DUDE WAS THE MAN

I was just kind of reading up on Little Esther, nothing in depth, just a little digging, and I ran into a thing that mentioned she was discovered by Johnny Otis. It got me thinking about Otis, and how completely under appreciated his contributions to music are by the general public. Dude did everything. He was a musician, bandleader, talent scout, radio DJ, songwriter, and a champion of R & B music. The whole shooting match. Besides Phillips, he discovered Big Mama Thornton, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John, Hank Ballard and Etta James. He was bros with Big Joe Turner and Don & Dewey, among many others. And his records, oh holy shit. Who else kept current in R & B from the early fifties all the way through the seventies? Scratch your head on that. These are a random sampling, from the early fifties through to what sounds like the late sixties or early seventies.  Check that last one. It's like a precursor to Donna Summer, the whole slow groove with steamy moaning and carrying on. See how these diversions happen? I'm stopping here. Disco frightens me.

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Listen:
Johnny Otis Quintet - Ali Baba's Boogie mp3 at Internet Archive
Johnny Otis - Harlem Nocturne mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Johnny Otis Quintet - Linda Lu mp3 at Internet Archive
Johnny Otis - Crazy Country Lover mp3 at Internet Archive
Johnny Otis - Willy and the Hand Jive mp3 at Radio George
Johnny Otis - Bye Bye Baby Until We Meet Again mp3 at Internet Archive With Roy Buchanan on guitar.
Johnny Otis Quintet - Chicken Gumbo - mp3 at Internet Archive
Johnny Otis - Don't It Make You Feel Good mp3 at Internet Archive

THE POOL JUST GOT SMALLER

Man, oh man, I don't know if you've heard yet, but Allen Toussaint passed away today while on tour in Spain. He was a songwriter, performer, producer, label owner, studio owner, mentor and unofficial ambassador of New Orleans, the city he helped put on the musical map. To say he did it all is an understatement. He was about as big of a part of the classic New Orleans R & B sound as anyone could be.

His songs were recorded by fellow New Orleans icons Lee Dorsey, Benny Spellman, the Meters, Ernie K-Doe, Aaron Neville, Art Neville and Irma Thomas, among many others. That's just one city. Outside of New Orleans, the Doors. Q65, Al Hirt, the Yardbirds, the Rolling Stones, the O'Jays, Alex Chilton, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Patti LaBelle, Dr. John, Joe Cocker, Glen Campbell, the Band, Devo, Etta James, Ramsey Lewis, the Leaves, Ringo Starr, the Kingsmen, Bo Diddley, the Paul Butterfield Band, the Who, the Nomads, and about eight paragraphs of other names.

Excellent BBC documentary

It is a sad day. Make no mistake, this is big. His influence is so vast that it's hard to name an living musician that comes close. If you're unfamiliar with his work, do a little digging. Over a half century of work is out there, and hardly a stinker in the bunch. This is just a random sampling, a very small, very random sampling.

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Listen:
Al Tousan - Moo Moo mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban Early, under psuedonym
Al Tousan - Cow Cow Blues mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban Early, under psuedonym
As writer:
Lee Dorsey - Working In a Coal Mine mp3 at Internet Archive
Benny Spellman - Fortune Teller mp3 at Northern Soul Music
Lee Dorsey - Yes We Can Can mp3 at Fish Heads
Warren Lee - Star Revue mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Raymond Lewis - Miss Sticks mp3 at Juke Box Mafia (Co-writer)
Yardbirds - A Certain Girl mp3 at Boogaloo Time
Aaron Neville - Let's Live mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Pointer Sisters - Yes We Can Can mp3 at Le Mellotron 
As Producer/label owner:
Prime Mates - Hot Tamales (Pt 1) mp3 at Super Sonido
Prime Mates - Hot Tamales (Pt 2) mp3 at Super Sonido
Visit:
Allen Toussaint at Wikipedia
Allen Toussaint - Interview at Red Bull Academy
Allen Toussaint - Video interview at NAMM

ARE WE EARLY? OR LATE?

Well this certainly adds to the late sixties psychedelic soul clusterfuck. Fuji, whose real name was Ellington Jordan, was the guy who wrote "I'd Rather Go Blind", a hit for Etta James (right after being released from jail, so the story goes). He was pals with the Temptations' Eddie Kendricks, who introduced him to a band called Black Merda. Together, Fuji and Black Merda recorded an album that wasn't heavily promoted, and went nowhere. Everyone who writes about it online seems to revere like it's some sort of psychedelic soul godhead. I've only heard a portion of it, and a handful of Black Merda's things without Fugi, so I'm not going to sit here and tell you that it's overrated, or that a lack of promotion didn't sink it. But, I'll tell you what, it made me want to lose myself in some psychedelic soul stuff from the A-listers. The Temptations cuts below were produced by Norman Whitfield, with guitar by Dennis Coffey. That's a killer combination right there. Hard to beat. Chess/Cadet, the label that released the Fugi LP, were probably throwing up there hands. "Aw fuck. We can't compete with that."

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
Fugi - Mary, Don’t You Take Me On No Bad Trip mp3 at Brobots
Black Merda - Ashamed mp3 at ATumblr (?)
Black Merda - Long Burn the Fire mp3 at Hard Raw Deep Funk
The Tempations - Ball of Confusion mp3 at LZ Center
The Temptations - Papa Was a Rolling Stone mp3 at Radio George
Dennis Coffey - Scorpio mp3 at EricMGrant.EJFlavors 
Full LPs:
Black Merda - Three full albums (via Diveshare) at Hard Raw Deep Funk
The Temptations - Cloud Nine (streaming) at YouTube Put this one on, turn it up, and go about your business for 35 minutes. It's perfect for that.