THE DOG ISSUE

I cannot trust anyone who straps their dog to the top of a car. I don't care if they think the dog likes it. Hell, your kid might find it fun being strapped to the roof of your car, but that doesn't make it safe. Anyone with that kind of skewed judgement doesn't get past the door. I wouldn't trust them to come back with the right brand of beer if they were making a beer run, let alone run the country.

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Listen:
Ry Cooder - Mutt Romney Blues mp3 (via Box.net) at The Slow Drag
Devo - Don't Roof Rack Me Bro (streaming) at Soundcloud

PARTY WITH ME PUNKER

Back when I was a kid, Tom Jones was all over the place. He had hits on the radio, his own variety show, and stages littered with ladies panties. He was never cool. He was always cool. He didn't give a shit if he was cool, and that made him so. He wasn't my cup of tea, back then, or now, but you know what? I have to acknowledge his well crafted schtick.

Fu-huck yeah.

Back in the 90s I was hanging out at my Mom's house with a buddy of mine. Both of us were probably still a little buzzed from the night before, because everything we were watching on TV was hilarious. After watching the Three Stooges for a little bit, we flipped around and came across a Tom Jones concert that happened to be on. In the footage we watched, there they were, the de rigueur panties raining onto the stage. Jones picked one pair up, started wiping his sweat and, as he was got to his face, he said "Mmmm, these smell familiar." This sent us to the floor laughing.

A couple years ago, I was in the Las Vegas airport and I ran into a friend of mine from San Diego. When I first met Brian, he was in a punk band called the Furious Four. In ensuing years he would work different jobs, primarily as a bartender, and, for one Motorhead tour, as Lemmy's guitar tech (lots of antidotes there). When I ran into him in Vegas I asked where he was going. He said that he was there to see Tom Jones, and was in fact a Tom Jones freak. I was convinced he was putting me on, but he elaborated saying that he saw Tom Jones every time he came to Vegas and, when he had the dough, actually shelled out for the best seats in the house. At that point I was having even a harder time believing him. He rolled up his sleeve to show me a tattoo he had. In big bold cursive letters it said "What's New Pussycat?" I walked away thinking "go figure." Later it occurred to me how much it made sense. Tom Jones didn't give a shit, so why should he?

He's got a good voice. He doesn't give a shit. He's a lady killer. He sang with Raquel Welch, Janis Joplin and Chrissy Hynde. The kicker? He doesn't take himself too seriously.

These are for my sister GG, who's taste in music intersects with mine quite a bit. It's her birthday and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that her TJ fiending is what finally convinced me to listen more objectively, and not give a shit.

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Listen:
Tom Jones - She's A Lady mp3 at The Soul Girl Jimmy Page on guitar.
Tom Jones - It's Not Unusual mp3 at Stranger Dance His first U.S. hit.
Tom Jones - Thunderball mp3 at Bond Movies
Tom Jones - Sex Bomb mp3 at jopeto.nadejda (?) Not a Flipper cover
Tom Jones with the Pretenders - Lust For Life mp3 at Cover Me Has Chrissie Hynde ever sounded sexier?
Video:
Tom Jones - Treat Her Right at YouTube At 1:17, severe case of ants in pants.

RIP UP YOUR TICKETS

As one of the first punk 45s out of L.A., the Weirdos "Destroy All Music," established the Weirdos as a band to to watch, and it set the tone of the whole first wave of L.A. punk bands as something decidedly not New York or London. Hearing the songs below, it might be a case of "you had to be there'" because, as good as the Weirdos recorded output was, their live show was just completely over the top. As if a Robert Rauschenberg combine plugged into an amp, turned it up, and then stepped into a bucket of water. One thing just struck me recently, and may have been why the Weirdos were so memorable and why they were taken seriously despite some humorous lyrics, crazy get ups, and borrowing from pop culture. Outside of a few early photos, they hardly ever smiled; not on their record covers, not in fanzines and definitely not when they played live. Make no mistake, they were a serious band; they just chewed up Southern California culture and spit it out.

I've posted their stuff before, but The Adios Lounge just posted three of their songs with a good write up, so I had me an excuse to push them on you again. In doing a search for other songs, I ran into a couple posts at The Devil's Music about their first two 45s, both essential slabs of L.A. punk.

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Listen:

The Weirdos - Destroy All Music mp3 (via DivShare) at The Devils Music Click on green "Download" button, wait 15 seconds for download button to reappear, and then click on it again.

The Weirdos - Life of Crime mp3 (via DivSghare) at The Devils Music Ditto.
The Weirdos - Why Do You Exist mp3 (via DivShare) at The Devils Music Ditto.
The Weirdos (We Got the) Neutron Bomb mp3 (via DivShare) at the Devils Music
The Weirdos - Solitary Confinement mp3 at 7 Inch Punk Direct linking may be disabled. If so go there to get.
More:
The Weirdos - Three songs at The Adios Lounge
Visit:
Weirdosism - Weirdos bio by John Denny at Break My Face

SHUGGIE ZEPPELIN SOUL

Here's a couple covers from two formidable ladies of soul. Though Bettye LaVette and Sharon Jones are only separated by ten years in age, their musical careers are a study in relative contrasts. LaVette recorded her first single in 1962 at the age of 16, and has recorded sporadically ever since. Jones, though singing all of her life, didn't really catch a break until 1999, releasing her first solo song when she was 43 years old (on an LP by the Soul Providers). As most of you know, she's more than made up for lost time, recording and touring pretty much nonstop for the last decade.

Both of these songs are down tempo, which is where a soul voice is really tested. LaVette covers Led Zeppelin's "All My Love" which is quite another test altogether, at least for me, because I hate the original. But it works. Jones's cover of Shuggie Otis's "Inspiration Information," is some sweet soul stuff, with a vintage groove due in no small part to the Dap-Kings, who as many of you know, shit soul grooves.

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Listen:
Bettye LaVette - All My Love mp3 at Town Full of Losers
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Inspiration Information mp3 at Town Full of Losers
Visit:
Bettye LaVette - Official site
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Official site
Bettye LaVette at Wikipedia
Sharon Jones at Wikipedia

FRIDAY NIGHTS IN TEXAS

I'd almost given up on Musica del Alma. They hadn't posted anything new for six months, and that's usually a sign someone's lost the fire. So I was surprised and stoked that there was a new post. I had no idea that it would lead me from Texas to East L.A., and through a half a dozen sub-genres. It ended up being one of those three or four day obsessions that usually end up adding to the want list, and what better to add than a bunch of stuff recorded decades ago by bands I hadn't even heard of a week ago.

The thing at Musica del Alma was a guest post by a guy by the name of High C, about Tony Hernandez and the Latin Liners, out of Sequin Texas. Both songs were funky, both keepers, so I decided to check the blog of the guest poster, as he seemed to really know his shit. Once at his place, Excavation, I started poking around and then just started eating straight out of the can. There's a lot of good stuff over there. The few below are from his "Top 5 Recently & Locally Procured Chicano 45s" post. Big Man and the Night People's "Night Creeper" is some sort of Stax/JB/Booker T thing, with a grit becoming of the band's name and song title. The Blue Nights' "No No" sounds like a garage band trying to play soul, and two thirds of the horn section called in sick. Seriously, it's like you're at their band practice, and they just barely give a shit. And that makes it good. The other three selections over there are also raw, a little off, and excellent; that is if you like imperfect efforts. Effort it is though, be it lackadaisical, over the top, dead on, or a little twisted. The last one down there, from American Athlete, is just an semi-related gimme. I don't know if it's from Texas. I just happened to run across it, and it is Latin and funky, and that's close enough.

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Listen:

Tony Hernandez and the Latin Liners - Jo Tex mp3 at Musica del Alma
Tony Hernandez and the Latin Liners - Nothing Is the Same mp3 at Musica del Alma
Big Man and the Night People - Night Creeper mp3 at Excavation
The Blue Nights - No No mp3 at Excavation
The Rondels - Love Bones mp3 at Excavation
Sherman Evans with Cruz Ortiz and the Flames – The Craze mp3 at Excavation
The Modulation Corporation - What To Do mp3 at Excavation
Seguida - Mambo Rock at American Athelete
The Latin specialists:
Musica del Alma (aka LatinFunk.org)
Excavation
Super Sonido

MARCUS GARVEY HAD SHORT HAIR

How in the heck did the guy above influence reggae? And rastas? There's a few links below if you're interested in learning, particularly those of you who know Garvey was a significant figure but don't really know why. You know-it-alls might find the thing from the Jamaican Gleaner interesting (last link below). If you're just here for music, there's one song below (the most awesome "Marcus Garvey" by Burning Spear) and a link to five more Garvey related ditties.

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Listen:
Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey mp3 at For the Sake of the Song
Five more songs at For the Sake of the Song
Visit:
Marcus Garvey at Wikipedia
Marcus Garvey - Multiple articles and writings at PBS
The Myth of Garvey and Rasta at The Jamaican Gleaner

TELL 'EM I'M NOT HERE

Can you not like a song that starts with the line "My baby works at a hot dog stand"? Maybe, if you're a Ballpark Franks sort of person, but if you're a Nathan's or Hebrew National person, you know what I'm talking about. Regardless, here's a couple from Corky Jones, a name you might not recognize. That's the name that Alvis "Buck" Owens decided to use for his very short foray into rockabilly territory. He didn't want to water down his country cred. Before you cry "chickenshit", haven't you, at least once, wished that a favorite artist stuck to their A game? What was that oddball Neil Young thing? Oh yeah, Trans. Wouldn't you rather he'd have at least changed his name to, I don't know, Florian Young, Neil Schneider, or something? Oh jeez, I almost forgot the elephant poseur in the room, Chris Gaines, Garth Brooks's thing. I'll stop now, before it gets ugly. But I do like these two. (Rocky-52 does it again.)

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Listen:
Corky Jones - Hot Dog mp3 at Rocky-52
Corky Jones - Rhythm and Booze mp3 at Rocky-52

FUZZ + HORNS = CLICK MEAT

This is some good stuff. Aquarium Drunkard used Dennis Coffey, the Funk Brothers, Lee Perry, Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Dr. John as reference points, and they're not far off. Others have referenced George Clinton and Norman Whitfield, and the latter is really the most accurate, but with a twist. Monophonics sound like they listened to the all of the Whitfield produced psychedelic soul on Motown, and then lost the records; as if they just started winging it, filling in the gaps with stuff from the rest of their record collection. Just check these, all four are worth a listen.

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Listen:
Monophonics - They Don't Understand mp3 at Hillydilly
Monophonics with Fanny Franklin - All Together mp3 at Aquarium Drunkard Direct linking to mp3 disabled. Go there to get it.
Monophonics - Bang Bang (streaming) at Heavy Soul Brutha's
Monophonics - There's a Riot Goin' On (streaming) at Sunset in the Rearview

DETOMICMANIA SPREADS

Here we go again, more instrumentals. The big difference this time is that one of these is by a band you might recognize. The Routers, who do the mighty fine "Mashy" below, actually had a hit with "Let's Go!" which makes them practically rock stars in the world of dime-a-dozen instrumentals. Dave and the Detomics have been posted here before, but I'll fly their flag any day of the week, especially when they're posted as the exalted Tuesday Tassel Twirler at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban. And don't get me started about Billy Davis and the Legends. Like all of the instrumentals Diddy Wah posts (including his latest score, the accurately named Terrifics), it's a aftershave drenched transporter room gone haywire. Beam me backwards, Scotty.

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Listen:
Dave and the Detomics - Detomic Orbit mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Billy Davis and the Legends - Spunky Onions mp3 at Diddy Wah
The Routers - Mashy mp3 at Junk Shop Juke Box
Visit:
More Detomics at Garage Hangover
More instrumentals and other goodies at Diddy Wah
Earlier posts with instrumentals

COOL MIX STASH ALERT

Here's a cool mix, from Ghetto Blasters and Switchblades, a nifty site with plenty of other cool mixes as well. I singled this one out, because it includes Don and Dewey, who are near saints in these parts, and Link Wray taking a stab at a vocal number, something you don't hear everyday. A lot of you might have some or most of the songs, but for those of you who don't, you've got a bit of catching up to do. This one has Eddie Cochran, Charlie Feathers, Bunker Hill, the Phantom, Kip Tyler, Jack Scott, Black Lips, Ramones, Pussy Galore, Hasil Adkins, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Link Wray, the Gories,the Sonics, Hank Mizell, Don & Dewey, Oblivians, Teengenerate, Ronnie Allen, New York Dolls, the Shangri-Las, and the Cramps, among others.

Dig around over there because they have a bunch of well informed mixes: A garage mix, a few punk rock mixes, power pop, "Another Fucking 80s College Rock Playlist," a hardcore mix; you get the picture. The song selections are good enough that you may mistake it for the record collection of that motherfucker who bought everything before you did. You know him, doesn't let a beer get within ten yards of the stereo. But how thrashed are your records?

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Listen:
Let's Rumble - Music For Juvenile Delinquents mix (via DivShare) at Ghetto Blasters and Switchblades 34 essential rockers, go there for the playlist

CON THE BEACHCOMBER

Just a quick one here, an insanely cool song from the Twit. Ladies, beware. When he croons "blonde haired, green eyed tough lookin' baby to me," you will be weak in the knees. At least you would be if Chris Isaak was singing it.

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Listen:
Conway Twitty - Beachcomber mp3 at Newer

YOU CAN DO THIS SLY

Been on a Sly thing the past few days. Took a deep breath, because I'd read blurbs on him being down and out, homeless, and kind of out there. Though it's partially true, reading the details did not, as I had selfishly worried it would, change what I thought of his music. It still sounds funky and fresh. He, though, hasn't fared that well. Drugs and alcohol have put him in a hole. Though he says he lives out of a camper van by choice, he performs and speaks like someone in need of an intervention, vigilant counseling, life coach, something. It seems the spark's still there, but it'll be one long big ass road to haul.

Sidenote: If any one knows anything at all about Waheymi, who do the cover of Sly's "Underdog" below, pipe in. I looked all over and couldn't find a bio.

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Listen:
Sly and the Family Stone - Underdog mp3 at All Up In Your Earhole
Waheymi - Underdog mp3 at All Up In Your Earhole
Sly and the Family Stone - Loose Booty mp3 at The Adios Lounge
Sly and the Family Stone - Family Affair mp3 at Portals
Video:
Sly Stone: Portrait of a Legend - documentary (Part 1) at YouTube
Sly Stone: Portrait of a Legend - documentary (Part 2) at YouTube
Visit:
Sly Stone homeless? Or choosing a camper-van over a house? at L.A.Times

THIS IS SERIOUS

Don't ever take freedom of speech for granted. Three members of the Russian band Pussy Riot have were sentenced today to two years for singing a protest song in a cathedral. Read, write, listen and watch.

Free Pussy Riot - Peaches

Listen:
Free Pussy Riot - Peaches at Soundcloud Click on small "Download" button above streaming bar
Pussy Riot - Putin Lights Up the Fires (streaming) at The Guardian Released 8/17/2012
Write:
Send a letter to Russian authorities via Amnesty International
Sign petition at Change.org
Visit:
Pussy Riot Closing Statements at n+1
Pussy Riot members sentenced to 2 years in prison at L.A. Times
Pussy Riot at Wikipedia
Masked Pussy Riot supporters stage demonstrations around the world at The Telegraph Photo essay
Obama White House backs Pussy Riot at Examiner.com
Paul McCartney voices support for Russian punk band at L.A. Times
Added 8/18/2012:
Russian clerics forgive Pussy Riot after band’s 2-year sentence for anti-Putin rant in church at The Washington Post
Why Pussy Riot Is Big in America, But Not Russia at Vulture.com

NEW SINGLE RELEASED TODAY

You know, the whole Pussy Riot thing is much, much bigger than just a single incident. Beyond the song, beyond the performance, whether or not they were being disrespectful in a house of worship or not; beyond all of that, it is the Russian governments way of clamping down on dissent. As someone said (I forget what report it was in), it is far easier for the Russian government to jail three women musicians, make an example out of them and take the heat, then it is to control ten thousand protesters in the street. We'll see how the people of Russia react. Don't forget, the Arab Spring proved that single incidents can spark historic change.

Listen:
Pussy Riot - Putin Lights Up the Fires (streaming) at The Guardian Released August 17, 2011
Write:
Send a letter to Russian authorities via Amnesty International
Sign petition at Change.org
Visit:
Pussy Riot Closing Statements at n+1
Pussy Riot members sentenced to 2 years in prison at L.A. Times
Pussy Riot at Wikipedia

YEAH, BUT I HAD A PAPER ROUTE.

File this under "If I think about it too much, I've thought about it too much." Sure, it's lightweight kiddie reggae. Fuggit. If you remember when this was on the radio, you remember what a relief it was. Quit trying to be cool.

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Listen:
Musical Youth - Pass The Dutchie mp3 at Boboparisienne

OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

How have I not gone off about the Bo-Keys? Listen to the songs below and you'll know why that is a huge oversight. I like old soul music, especially when it's new. It may be an age thing, or maybe taste (or both), but anything new around here is scrutinized to death before jumping it. The Bo-Keys survived with flying colors, and I forgot to publicly wig out about them.


Got twelve minutes? It's worth it.

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Listen:
The Bo-Keys - Bling Bling mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Bo-Keys with Otis Clay - Got to Get Back mp3 at A Chicago Thing
The Bo-Keys with Harvey Scales - Work That Skirt mp3 at Aquarium Drunkard Direct linking may be disabled. If so, go there to get it.
Visit:
The Bo-Keys at Wikipedia
The Bo-Keys at MySpace

HALF ASSED POST YOU CAN DANCE TO

Decision time: to post, or blow it off and enjoy a mix? Screw it, here's a hack job of doing both. Reggae Archives posted a great mix of reggae covers. Alton Ellis, Lyn Taitt and the Jets featuring Lee Perry, Judy Mowatt and the Gayletts, Roland Alphonso,Lloyd Charmers & the Hippy Boys and others, doing covers of the Meters, Dusty Springfield, Marvin Gaye, Tammy Wynette and so on. Twenty one songs in all. It's some tasty stuff. Here's a mess of assorted single songs too; just filler, but really good filler. All have been posted before, but you may not have seen them all.

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Listen:
Ken Boothe - In the Summertime mp3 at Cubik Musik
The Heptones - Only Sixteen mp3 at Rasta Geeks
Alton Ellis - These Eyes mp3 at Quality Peoples
Sound Dimension - Reggae In the Grass mp3 at Reggae Top Site
Prince Jazzbo - Takeover mp3 at Reggae Top Site
Marcia Aitken w/Trinity - I'm Still In Love With You mp3 at Planet Mondo (7 minute mix!)
Clancy Eccles - Fatty Fatty (X-rated version) at Beware of the Blog
U Roy - Runaway Girl mp3 at Tous les jours la grande chose (1975)
Scotty - Draw Your Breaks mp3 at La Grand Chose
Big Youth - Hit the Road Jack mp3 at PashPash
Lee Perry & the Full Experience - Disco Devil mp3 at Evil Vince
King Tubby - King Tubby Dub mp3 at CubikMusic
Augustus Pablo - King Tubbys Meets the Rockers Uptown mp3 at Nintendo Planet Video
Mix:
Cover Me Jamaica at Jamaican Archives 21 song reggae cover mix, mp3 download or streaming.

HERE'S TO WOOD PANELING

You know what I really like about Mr. Airplane Man? At times their vibe went beyond the standard distorted punk blues routine utilized by so many. Sometimes they really had it, that same feeling a good Gun Club song has. Something's impending, and you're not sure what it is, but you know you're ankle deep in it. These are rad. The second one has a little Dream Syndicate Sonic Youth Black Keys Velvet Underground Grace Slick thing going on.

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Listen:
Mr. Airplane Man - Shakin' Around mp3 at Newer
Mr. Airplane Man - Wait For Your Love mp3 at X818

HEY STOMP. BANG ON THIS.

Watching the Olympic Closing Ceremony (which really is just a pop concert), I had to stop for a second. Motherfucking Stomp? I thought they were done. Really? Stomp, huh? I'll give you "stomp."

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Listen:
Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music, Part 1 mp3 at WWMMD (?)
Bonus filler:

Velvet Underground - Guess I'm Falling In Love (Instrumental) mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu Essential.

Pre-Velvets:
The Primitives - Do the Ostrich mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Primitives - Sneaky Pete mp3 at Beware of the Blog

IT'S NOT THAT KIND, LOVER BOY

I've posted stuff from Head before, but it's now posted in its entirety on YouTube (here). I really just needed something to pad Carole King's demo of "Porpoise Song." If you don't know the Monkees beyond the hits, they did get a little weird. Head is a good example, though not all of the weirdness is theirs. It was written and produced by Bob Rafelson and Jack Nicholson, and conceived (allegedly) during a brainstorming pot party with them and the Monkees in attendance. You can tell there was something going around. The whole thing is a jumble of short intertwined sequences that make little sense, but is a hoot to watch. Alongside the Monkees are Victor Mature, Jack Nicholson, Carol Doda, Annette Funicello, Frank Zappa, Sonny Liston, and Dennis Hopper; and that juxtaposition of personalities fits.

Head trailer. Full length film is here.

If you do know the Monkees beyond the hits, and know the movie, and the Carole King demo of "Porpoise Song," or otherwise couldn't give a shit, I'll see you next post.

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Listen:
Carole King - Porpoise Song (demo) mp3 at Nevver
The Monkees - Porpoise Song mp3 at Joe Sepi
Video:
The Monkees - Porpoise Song (from the film Head) at YouTube
Head - The entire film at YouTube
Visit:
Head at SOTCAA Exhaustive site about the film includes posters, one sheets, scripts, stills, marketing campaigns, interviews and reviews.

GET OUT THE WING TIPS

It's that time again. Time to catch up on Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban's Tassel Twirler Tuesdays. By now, you may have noticed a fondness of these late fifties and early sixties instrumentals, known to many as "tittyshakers." Though the term is widely used, I've decided to retire it as a tag for these posts, replacing it with the equally descriptive but less monster truck-ish term "strip tease instrumental." All of you sweaty pigs can cry foul if you want. The way I figure it, if Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban, the host of quite a few of these gems, has made it a point not to use the term in question, the least I can do is fall into line with their unwritten style guide. Do not weep. Kogar is still an ape, and he still swings. That has not changed.

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Listen:
The Savoys - Blo Jangs mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Carl Simmons' Orchestra - Boodoo mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
The Fireballs - Chop Stick Blues mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
The Gimicks - Sneaky Snail mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
The Tempos - Nut Sundae mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Johnny Moore and the Fabulous Tempos - Nut Sundae No. 2 mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Visit:
Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Kogar's Jungle Juice

THAT BIG FUCKIN' BOMB MADE ME DEAF

The video for Tom Wait's "Hell Broke Luce" has been put online and it's a whopper. Really, just speaking visually, every single shot in it is arresting. And Wait's lyrics spelling out the perils and reality of going off to war make it a chilling four minutes. It really isn't a music video. It's not a film, or a dream sequence. It's, dare I say, art; in a good way. Everything comes together in a video that you will not be able to shake. If you're wondering why loose is spelled "luce," in an interview with Slate.com, Waits said, "There was a prisoner in Alcatraz during a prison riot—this goes back to the ’40s. And during the riot, of course, everyone was nervous, and he scratched on the wall with a knife. And he wrote 'hell broke luce,' and that’s how he spelled it." The Wait's quote pulled from Mojo's site about the video, while serving as a description of his intent, doesn't come close to preparing you for the intensity of the whole thing:

“Matt Mahurin has created an apocalyptic war dream to accompany the song ‘Hell Broke Luce.' Kathleen [Wait's partner] and I envisioned it as an enlightened drill sergeant yelling the hard truths of war to a brand new batch of recruits. The video grew from the gnawing image of a soldier pulling his home, through a battlefield, at the end of a rope."

“I think you will agree, it’s uplifting and fun.” Yeah, right. Maximize your screen and see how uplifted you are.

More video:
Tom Waits - Chicago at YouTube From the Late Show With David Letterman
Visit:
Tom Waits interview at Slate.com
Earlier Tom Waits posts

THANK YOU HAROLD

I can remember the incident like it happened yesterday. I was at some sort of party somewhere, and right about the time Jessie Hill says "Ohh yeaaahhh," in the opening of "Ooh Poo Pah Doo," my friend Harold, who had an encyclopedic knowledge of music and an unquenchable thirst for all things hot shit and true, got this really wild grinning look on his face and let out with "'Ohh Poo Pah Doo'!! I love this song!!" and then proceeded to get down. His musical taste had always been so dead on, that the impulsive endorsement has stuck with me, not only every time I hear the song, but every time I hear anything out of New Orleans with that familiar chunky beat.

Harold later moved to New Orleans where he's lived for the last twenty or so years. One year, when all of the planets were aligned, my brother and I, along with six other friends from San Diego, all ended up in New Orleans at the same time, and Harold set the bar as ambassador. He arranged for a bunch of us to camp out in vacant apartments in the French Quarter during the few days that we were there. Ernie K-Doe was still DJing on WWOZ, Professor Longhair's cousin was playing in the bar down the street and the Nevilles played for free in Jackson Square. Music poured from shops and residences seemingly non-stop. My brother picked up 78s of Little Richard and Chuck Berry for practically nothing (you read that right, 78s!). It was total bliss.

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Listen:
Jessie Hill - Ooh Poo Pah Doo, Pt 1 mp3 (via DivShare) at Junk Shop Juke Box
Jessie Hill - Ooh Poo Pah Doo, Pt 2 mp3 (via DivShare) at Junk Shop Juke Box
Jessie Hill - Oogsey Moo mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Jessie Hill - Whip It On Me mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Visit:
Jessie Hill at Wikipedia
Junk Shop Juke Box
Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban

THEY JUST LOOK HARMLESS

You want to hear a good cover? Listen to this sucker. Ronnie Hawkins skins "Who Do You Love," and gnaws on the bones; not to slight Bo Diddley's original, which is also hot shit, or the song itself, which is pure badass gold. My favorite part of the song is actually two parts, one at :52, and the other at 1:56; each about eight seconds of monosyllabic guttural glee.

"Southern Love" has a sort of spooky sound has the same feeling as Wanda Jackson's "Funnel of Love," Kip Tyler's "She's My Witch," or any number of Jody Reynolds songs; which is to say Cramps meat. "Forty Days" is a cover of Chuck Berry's "Thirty Days" with ten days added. You know, because Hawkins is way more chill.

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Listen:
Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks - Who Do You Love mp3 (via Box.net) at The Slow Drag Blue "Download" button on the top right of the screen at Box.net
Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks - Southern Love mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks - Forty Days mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
Visit:
Ronnie Hawkins at Wikipedia

OCCUPATION: TWANG

Right now, I'm watching the Honeymooners on TV, listening to Duane Eddy mp3s, and keeping an eye on the live streaming thing about the Mars landing tonight, which is set to happen in less than an hour. Not only is it kind of a mind fuck, it's highly distracting. Somethings got to give. The twang will be there. It will always be there, as it has been for the last fifty years. So, I'll make it short.

This is a variety of Duane Eddy stuff. "Stalkin'" is about as sinister sounding as he gets. I dig it. "You're Baby's Gone Surfin'" is one of his corny ones with a lot of background vocals. The payoff on this one is where Darlene Love takes off, at about 1:53. Phew! "Rebel Rouser," you know that one. The ridiculously named "The Attack of the Duck Billed Platypus" is a good one, from his latest album, released in 2011. "Twango," is like twang meets Django Reinhardt, hence the corny name (he's got a million of them); it's also from the latest. Now, I'm off to see Mars on the NASA site. Jeesh. Here's Duane Eddy.

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Listen:

Duane Eddy - Stalkin' mp3 at So Many Records, So Little Time
Duane Eddy - Your Baby's Gone Surfin' mp3 at So Many Records, So Little Time
Duane Eddy - Rebel Rouser mp3 at So Many Records, So Little Time
Duane Eddy - The Attack Of The Duck Billed Platypus mp3 (via MediaFire) at Black Sea Surfer
Duane Eddy - Twango mp3 (via MediaFire) at Black Sea Surfer
Duane Eddy - Desert Song mp3 (via MediaFire) at Black Sea Surfer
Visit:
Duane Eddy at Wikipedia
Duane Eddy - Official site

TALLER HAIR AND WEIRDER

At first glance Esquerita might appear a poor man's Little Richard. There's some speculation about who influenced who, but both were flamboyant as all get out, that much is certain. Though Little Richard made it big, Esquerita must have been just too weird, because he's pretty much just one of those, uh, unique talents that slipped through the cracks, known by few outside of lovers of, uh, unique talent. While Little Richard has enjoyed a long on again-off again career, by the time the eighties rolled around Esquerita was working as a parking lot attendant, and washing windshields for tips. Listen to the first two songs below and you'll understand the Little Richard chicken-or-egg debate. Listen to the third song and you'll understand why he may have been a little too out there for general consumption. Interesting factoid: Paul Peek, one of Gene Vincent's Blue Caps (see previous post) was the one who first brought him into the studio. Tell you what, it's a small weird world.

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Listen:
Esquerita - Crazy, Crazy Feeling mp3 at Rocky 52
Esquerita - Rockin' the Joint mp3 at Rocky 52
Esquerita - Esquerita and the Voola mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Esquerita - Mississippi God Damn at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Little Richard - Dew Drop Inn mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban Co-written by Little Richard and "Esqrita"
Visit:
Esquerita at The Hound Blog Excellent bio

DUDE'S INTO IT

Have you ever seen the film The Girl Can't Help It? There's a scene in it with Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps doing "Be Bop A Lula," that is one of very few high quality clips of Vincent and his band in their prime. If you've seen it, you no doubt recognize the guy above, Paul Peek. He looks certifiable in the clip, like he's ready to blow a gasket. The rest of the band does some respectable rockin', he seems like he's absolutely possessed. (It might also be noted that it is one of the earliest documented cases of guitar face.) I knew nothing about him, but after reading that he played guitar, bass and pedal steel by the time he was twelve years old, I thought, "well shit, now I gotta hear him." I was only able to find one song, and it isn't rockabilly at all. Recorded in 1961, it's somewhat of an answer song to Ernie K-Doe's "Mother In Law," and being so, has a New Orleans sort of feel. That concludes the Paul Peek crazed looking guitarist portion of our show.

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Listen:
Paul Peek - Brother In Law (He's A Moocher) mp3 at Juke Box Mafia
Video:
Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps - Be Bop A Lula at YouTube
Visit:
Paul Peek at Wikipedia
Paul Peek at the Rockabilly Hall of Fame

WE FORGOT BILLY PRESTON

By the time he was 16, Billy Preston had already played with Mahalia Jackson, Little Richard and Ray Charles. He recorded the first two songs below around that time, "Greazee, Pts 1 & 2." These are two pretty awesome Hammond jams (with session icon Earl Palmer on drums). By 1969, Preston was buds with the Beatles, which led to the release of his That's The Way God Planned It LP on their Apple label. The band on the LP consisted of Preston on keys, George Harrison and Eric Clapton on guitar, Keith Richards on bass, and Ginger Baker on drums. A Beatle, a Rolling Stone, and two members of Cream. That's just nuts.

From The Concert For Bangladesh. Watch the entire song.

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Listen:
Billy Preston - Greazee Pt 1 mp3 at Funky 16 Corners
Billy Preston - Greazee Pt 2 mp3 at Funky 16 Corners
Billy Preston - That's the Way God Planned It mp3 at Sober Musicians
Billy Preston - Nothing From Nothing mp3 at Dna 9 Sky (?)
Billy Preston - Space Race mp3 at New York Night Train
Vistit:
Billy Preston at Wikipedia

I KNOW WHERE I'LL BE

Some might say that Allen Toussaint is New Orleans music. Actually, you could say that about any number of of his peers: Professor Longhair, Lee Dorsey, Ernie K-Doe, the Meters (or any combination of the three dozen Neville brothers), and so on. But Toussaint had associations with just about every one of them, as he did with practically every other significant act from New Orleans, from fifties through the sixties, seventies, and beyond.

You'll like this: it's Allen Toussaint Month at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban. One of the first posts was these hopped up R&B instrumentals. Citizens, these are Godhead. Toussaint, then going as Al Tousan, was only about twenty years old when they were recorded. And it's not just Toussaint, every instrument on these is just on fire. You really should bookmark Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban and check in with them for the next month (and the next month, and so on,...and beyond).

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Listen:
Al Tousan (Allen Toussaint) - Cow Cow Blues mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Al Tousan (Allen Toussaint) - Moo Moo mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Al Tousan (Allen Toussaint) - Pelican Parade mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Visit:
Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Allen Toussaint at Wikipedia

FESS UP. YOU HAD IT.

Holy blowdryer Batman! How in the world did these hairdo girlymen end up on the turntables of rock fiends in the seventies? Just about everyone I knew had a copy of "Desolation Blvd." For a band that seemed a little too into grooming, without the requisite scuzziness, The Sweet (sometimes without the "the") somehow snuck in the back door, and caught the attention of the same people listening to the Dolls and Bowie. They had that glam beat, and songs so catchy that you gave them a pass for the falsetto vocals. A good number of their songs were written by songwriting team Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, the same guys who wrote Suzi Quatro's catchiest stuff ("Can the Can," "48 Crash," and "Devil Gate Drive").


The Sweet ("four men in make up") concise eight minute profile.

The Sweet were practically made for radio, at least in the UK, where they racked up thirteen hits in the seventies. On "Desolation Boulevard," the had it down to a science, locked in as a stripped down formulaic glam machine (Occam's Razor, ala Ramones). They even had the marketing wherewithal to have the Sunset Strip, the Hollywood epicenter of Rodney's English Disco-era glam, on the cover. What self respecting L.A. glam scenester wouldn't buy an album with Filthy McNasties, Turner's Liquor and Powerburger on the cover? They didn't have to put a photo of the Whiskey-A-Go-Go. You knew it was right across the street. Every glam kid in Hollywood would own that LP, and that's exactly who they wanted it in the hands of.

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Listen:
Sweet - Ballroom Blitz mp3 at Medicine Films
Sweet - Fox On The Run mp3 at The Cargo Culte
Sweet - The Sixteens mp3 at Medicine Films
Sweet - AC/DC mp3 at The Vague
Sweet - Teenage Rampage (Live) mp3 at Medicine Films
Sweet - Hell Raiser mp3 at Medicine Films
Oddball:
Dondero High School A Capella Choir - Fox On the Run mp3 at Archive.org
Video:
Sweet - Fox On the Run, Top of the Pops, 1975 at YouTube
Visit:
Sweet at Wikipedia