WENT FOR MR. BEAR, STAYED FOR THE HOUND.

Well shit, sometimes you reach a dead end. Revisiting a compilation that I'd pulled songs from for a Mickey Baker post, I relistened to a couple songs by a Mr. Bear and got to wondering. Who the fuck is this Mr. Bear that I've never heard of? I went looking. Couldn't find much at all. Even Discogs only listed two 45s. After stating "Of the other artists, there's little to say as I don't know much!", the liner notes of the compilation just say that his real name is Teddy McRae and that the songs came after a duet with Champion Jack Dupree for King Records. Then I went to The Hound Blog because he has extensive histories of a lot or real obscure rhythm and blues performers. Squat. You can dig further if you want. I'm going to resume browsing at The Hound. I forgot how great that site is. Yeah, yeah, the music links there don't work, but you can bet the songs are on YouTube. Regardless, his posts are so well researched and full of factoids, you get sucked in.

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Listen:
Mr. Bear - Peek-A-Boo mp3 at Internet Archive
Mr. Bear - Radar mp3 at Internet Archive
Mr. Bear - Mr. Bear Comes To Town mp3 at Internet Archive
Mr. Bear - How Come? mp3 at Internet Archive
Mr. Bear - The Bear Hug mp3 at Internet Archive
Visit:
The Hound Blog Dig through the old posts.

R.I.P. TERRY HALL

Well, shit. I just heard that Terry Hall died a little over a week ago. Pancreatic cancer. He was the lead singer of the Specials from 1979-1981, when the band was at the peak of their popularity and the most visible of the second generation of ska bands, primarily British and most on Two-Tone Records. After he left the Specials he continued with Fun Boy Three, then Colourfield and, well, a few other projects. He eventually re-joined the Specials for a reunion tour in 2009. When you think about it, and I have, the Specials are a big part of the reason that people, in the U.S. anyway, know that there was Jamaican popular music prior to reggae. Although I'm sure I'd heard a few ska songs by the time the Specials surfaced, I hadn't noticed a distinct difference from reggae. But, just as in going backwards to find the sources of old blues or rock 'n' roll songs, I was prodded to learn about the origins of ska after hearing Hall and the Specials. Dude was like the Elvis of ska, in that he was turning kids on to old music originally done by black musicians they never heard of.

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Listen:

The Specials - Gangsters mp3 at Tumblr
The Specials - Rat Race mp3 at Tumblr
The Specials - Too Hot mp3 at Tumblr
The Specials - Too Much Too Young mp3 at Tumblr
The Specials - Little Bitch mp3 at Tumblr
The Specials - Take Five mp3 at Tumblr
The Specials - Do the Dog mp3 at Tumblr
Video:
The Specials 30th Anniversary Tour at YouTube Full set, 24 songs
Visit:
2-Tone.Info - Extensive fan site

EVERY GENERATION HAS IT'S STANDARDS

I should have posted this last night but after setting out cookies and milk for the fat man I fell asleep. Though a day late, I can't let this holiday season go by without posting it. This is one of those you get it or you don't songs. Thankfully I do, probably because I heard it a million times. It was on just about every DJ's playlist during the holiday season at my old hang, the Pink Panther (RIP). For several years I had the Christmas Eve slot and it was always a riotous good time, one of those nights that they cover the pool table with plywood because they know there will be elevated dancing. Now that all the gift giving malarkey is over, pop a bottle and hug your squeeze.

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Listen:
The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl - Fairy Tale of New York mp3 at Internet Archive
Video:
The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl - Fairy Tale of New York at YouTube

TONIGHT AT THE SLACKFEST SIDE STAGE

If you're of a certain age, you probably recognize the horn intro to Run DMC's "Christmas in Hollis". MTV played the shit out of it back in the day, using it for holiday commercials and bumper music a thousand times a day. It might have been a year or two but it seems like much longer because it's so ingrained. Run DMC's choice of a sample from Clarence Carter's "Backdoor Santa" was somewhat of a deep pick, particularly because the sample itself, without being from a well recognized Christmas song, was still from a Christmas song. It's the most dominant sample in a song that also includes pieces of "Frosty the Snowman", "Jingle Bells", and "Joy to the World". For as little known as Carter's song was, they could have used a sample from any song and most people wouldn't have noticed one way or another. But had they done that, I wouldn't have been able to ramble on about their sample choice thirty years later. You gotta hand it to them, that blast of horns makes the song.

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Listen:
Run DMC - Christmas In Hollis mp3 at AM Then FM
Clarence Carter - Backdoor Santa mp3 at AM Than FM

WELL, IF IT AIN'T OL' SLACKFEST SPENCE.

It's time. I woke up this morning thinking about Joseph Spence and his rendition of "Santa Clause Is Coming To Town". If you haven't heard it let me tell you what's in store. Spence was a Bahamian singer, which doesn't tell you much. What if I were to tell you that he sounds like Tom Waits's drunk grandfather. If you know Tom Waits. you'll get it. And you'll wonder, as I have, what Tom Waits might have thought the first time he heard Spence. "Man, that guy stole my act!" would be the comical thought balloon. The only thing is, I'm convinced that Tom Wait's gruff voice isn't an act. I met him back in the later seventies and being that it was just him and a friend of mine in the conversation, there was no reason for him to keep up appearances. In other words, he was just as he is now, just a younger version. He's just a few years older than me but he sounded like a grizzled old barfly that had smoked a pack of Pall Malls in the half hour before I ran into him.

Looking through old posts for Spence's song, I was alarmed to find out that the link that I'd relied on so many times in the past no longer existed. Luckily I found another link, fortuitous because it was with another unusual holiday song, the Legendary Tiger Man's "Fuck Christmas, I Got The Blues". Who is the Legendary Tiger Man? I took a quick gander at his Bandcamp page. Interesting..., nope, not going down that road. Not tonight. I got shit to do. I am a very busy man. 

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Listen:
Joseph Spence - Santa Claus is Coming to Town mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Legendary Tiger Man - Fuck Christmas, I Got The Blues mp3 at Beware of the Blog

GOD REST YE MERRY SLACKFESTERS

I know, you're thinking "Is there any end to Slackfest?" Yes, Virginia, there is an end to Slackfest. Just what do you think is celebrated on the twenty fifth of December? We have a few days to go and with the impending end of Slackfest and more holiday ditties to jam down your gullet, I was tempted to change course but, you know, most of these songs are only appropriate during the holiday season. Take these Jimmy Smith tunes. If these weren't posted for the holidays, when are you going to hear them? Besides, they're Jimmy Smith. As you well know, Jimmy Smith is cool and, as you will find out, these swing.

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Listen:
Jimmy Smith - Jingle Bells mp3 at Panic Stream
Jimmy Smith - Santa Claus is Coming to Town mp3 at Review Stalker
Jimmy Smith - God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman mp3 at Panic Stream

SLACKFEST FINDS THE MOP TOPS

It's time for the Beatles' Christmas records. Yeah, I know, another repost. Just rotating the stock. Anyway, they sent these out to fan club members from 1963-1969. It's interesting to hear how their personalities evolved during the height of Beatlemania. If you know a beginning Beatle freak who doesn't know these existed, a burned CD and a little cut and paste cover would be a quick way to cross one off your list. If you've never heard them, check them out. Skip around and hear the messages go from zany to thoughtful to weird.

The first link has mp3s, just click on the record labels of each individual record. The second link has the descriptions and click-able high resolution images of the covers.

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Listen:
The Beatles Christmas Records Records - 1963 - 1969 mp3s at The Beatles Source NOTE: Right click on record labels for mp3s.
The Beatles Christmas Records Records - 1963 - 1969 at All Dylan Right click on record labels for high resolution.

SLACKFEST PARTY PACK

Wow, would you look at the time! Holy shit, with Christmas Eve falling on next Saturday night, tonight's probably the Christmas party night! Here's three more mixes, these from Boss Radio 66 (formerly Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban) who, if you know that WFMU crowd, definitely have discerning taste. Each of the mixes are single mp3s, roughly an hour long. That'll get you to the point in the party that people will be smashed enough that you can roll them a second time from the beginning and they'll be too busy lurking under the mistletoe to notice. The bonus? Burn 'em on a flash drive or CD and viola! Last minute Christmas gifts!

You've got the big names, Otis Redding and Carla Thomas, Ike and Tina Turner, Elvis, the Ventures, the Beach Boys, the Supremes, Buck Owens, and the who the fugzits? The Barbary Coasters, the Hepsters, Jose Gonzalez and the Husky Team. All sorts of head scratchers to break things up. Yee haw.

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Listen:
Merry Twistmas from Ichiban!!! - Three mixes at Boss Radio 66
If you don't need the playlists, here's links to the mixes:
Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban Christmas Mix 3 at Boss Radio 66 23 songs
Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban Christmas Mix 2 at Boss Radio 66 27 songs
Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban Christmas Mix 1 at Boss Radio 66 31 songs

CHILLIN' WITH (BLANK), COULDA HAPPENED.

Years ago when I was in my twenties I was traveling in Europe and met an ex-roommate of Chris Bailey's. Bailey, at the time, was the lead singer of the Saints, a punk band from Australia. (I loved the Saints.) Harriet, the ex-roommate was a music geek and really sweet. We were only in the same city (Florence) for a few days, and managed to talk a lot, right off the bat. Anyway, I've always associated her with Bailey and the Saints, enough so that when I hear Chris Bailey's voice I always imagine sitting around with the two of them and having a beer or ten. Obviously, that never happened, key word: imagine. When I heard the Saints today, I realized that's what it was. That was the criteria. If you can't imagine hanging with the band (or singer), fuck 'em. You probably shouldn't be listening to them anyway. Oh fuck. Now I really want to go get smashed with Sun Ra.

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Listen:
The Saints - Wild About You mp3 at Internet Archive
The Saints - Lipstick On Your Collar mp3 at Internet Archive

ORIGINAL RAY'S LUX TAPE LINKS

Time to crank the Slackfest up to 11. So here's a Christmas mix made on cassette tape by Lux Interior from the Cramps. He made it for Kristian Hoffman, a former member of the Mumps who was later involved with No Wavers Lydia Lunch and James White and the Blacks, among others. The mix is 26 songs split into two separate zips, one for each side of the cassette.

But wait, there's more! Another Lux Interior curated Christmas mix posted a couple years later. Who would've guessed that Interior had that much spirit in him? I mean, Halloween is right up his alley, but Christmas?

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Listen:
Jeezus Fuck, It's Christmas!!! - A Lux Interior Christmas Tape at Boss Radio 66 37 cuts in two zips.
The second mix:
Christmas Beauty and Soul - A Lux Interior Christmas Tape at Boss Radio 66 26 mp3s in one zip.

ON THE FOURTH DAY OF SLACKFEST

Here we go, Jon Spencer's "Big Yule Log Boogie", released as a Subpop Singles Club thing in 1992. With the flip, "My Christmas Wish", there were only 2,218 copies released. It's still relatively easy to find if you're so inclined. It's not his best but it's far from his worst. I don't know, as long as I listen to it only once a year I'm not going to over analyze it.

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Listen:
Jon Spencer - Big Yule Log Boogie mp3 at I Am Fuel You Are Friends
Jon Spencer - My Christmas Wish mp3 at I Am Fuel You Are Friends

TRAMPLE MY LAWN FOR ALL I CARE

Here's your feel good moment. Remember the Linda Linda's? When I posted them a year and a half ago they were 10-16 years old. A couple days ago they were on Jinny Kimmel doing "Groovy Christmas". In just a year and a half they went from the Los Angeles Public Library to network television. Good for them. No, excellent for them. Make that awesome for them. Whatever, here's the clip. Big ol' bonus points for name dropping Charlie Brown and the Grinch in the same song.

More videos:
The Linda Lindas - Racist Sexist Boy at LA Public Library's Twitter
TEENtastic Tuesdays: AAPI Heritage Month Kick-off with The Linda Lindas at YouTube Entire show
The Linda Lindas - Rebel Girl at YouTube

RANDOM NUGGETISTIC SLABS

Blah, blah, blah, garage bands. What can be said that hasn't been? You know, kids in a garage hoping to be the next Stones or Kinks, blah, blah, blah,  with bowl haircuts and  pointy shoes, blah blah, recorded in questionable studios for shitty little labels. Whatever generalizations you want to throw out there do nothing to diminish the charge I get out of loud fuzz, Farfisa and snotty vocal deliveries. And there's usually something a little overreaching. The less known you are, the more you have to do to stand out. You have to be the fuzziest, snottiest, or have the craziest drummer. There's always something that, once you hear it it, cannot un-hear it.

The bands below aren't that obscure but I had already rounded them up and I'll be damned if I'm going to go hunting just to find other garage bands that are more obscure.

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Listen:

Kenny and the Kasuals - Nothin' Better to Do mp3 at Internet Archive
The Music Machine - Let Yourself Go mp3 at Internet Archive
The Remains - You Got A Hard Time Comin' mp3 at Internet Archive
We The People - You Burn Me Up And Down mp3 at Internet Archive
The Other Half - Mr. Pharmacist mp3 at Internet Archive

"MUDDY AND GENEVA" (DOPE COMPOSITION)

Call me dense. I've been listening to Muddy Waters since high school and have known the song "I Can't Be Satisfied" for decades. I did not realize that it was his first record and that it was on the awkwardly named The Aristocrat of Sound label, released in 1948. The song is on all sorts of Chess Records compilations so I'd always assumed that it was a Chess product. Did Chess license the recording? Just like that I slipped into a two day Chess Records rabbit hole. Long story short: Leonard and Phil Chess recorded Muddy Waters for Aristocrat and then bought the label itself and changed the name. They were jazz guys and this was the first blues thing they took a stab at. It quickly sold out. From that we have not only Muddy Waters's prime years, but Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and on and on. An awesome gamble.

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Listen:
Muddy Waters - I Can't Be Satisfied mp3 at Internet Archive 1948
Muddy Waters - You're Gonna Miss Me mp3 at Internet Archive 1949
Muddy Waters - Rollin' and Tumblin' mp3 at Internet Archive 1949
Muddy Waters - Where's My Woman Been? mp3 at Internet Archive 1950

BAH, INDEED. HERE'S SOME ODDBALLS.

The internet is great if you're into obscure music. It must have pissed off the pre-internet collectors and archivists. All the work they put in to network now wide open to the casual collectors with deep pockets. They forget that the real value is the music. And you can find even the rarest records somewhere online if hearing the music is your priority. If collecting is the biggest part of it, sorry. The same thing happened with baseball cards and a lot of other collectibles with no aural value at all. Maybe some collectors will remember what drew them to music in the first place.

Here's a few quality tunes by people that I've never heard of before tonight. They sound like they're from the late fifties to maybe the early sixties, definitely regional. Nothing earth shattering, but that's part of the allure. As much as I like well produced records, I really love records that sound like the artist and producer were trying their hardest to find that magic that makes a hit but, well, due to limitations coming up with a quirky record that someone will, by chance, listen to over fifty years later. That's your job. Dig it. Cardboard sounding drums, exaggerated vocal deliveries, wonky solos. Basically the shit that make obscure oddballs like these so endearing.

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Listen:
Jeff Daniels - Switch Blade Sam mp3 at Internet Archive
Rick Johnson - Eenie Meenie Minie Mo mp3 at Internet Archive
Blue Charlie - Watch That Crow mp3 at Internet Archive
Tommy Strange - Nervous and Shakin' All Over mp3 at Internet Archive
Joe Carl & the Dukes of Rhythm - Rockin' Fever Sam mp3 at Internet Archive