RUDOLPH BETTER HAUL ASS

You gotta like Lemmy. He's his own man, isn't he? He never seems to say no, and he leaves it all out there. Even with a Christmas song. On "Run Rudolph Run" he teams up with Billy Gibbons and Dave Grohl, but really, it's all Lemmy. Every song he does sounds like the last song of a live set, on the last date of a long tour. And he's been like that for how long? God love him.

The second song down there is a cover of "Stand By Your Man" with the late Wendy O. Williams (Plasmatics), and it sounds like you'd think it would sound, at the punk end of the metal-o-meter. There's a couple covers of Motorhead's "Ace of Spades" down there too. One is an awesome soul version by Eli "Paperboy" Reed, and the other by Union Avenue, a Johnny Cash tribute band from Scotland. Their entire repertoire seems to be covers done in the style of Johnny Cash. That shit might get old. But do check the version by Reed. And check the trailer for the Lemmy documentary if you haven't already seen it. See what all the fuss is about.

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

Listen:
Lemmy, Billy Gibbons and Dave Grohl - Run Rudolph Run mp3 at What Hh8r (?)
Lemmy and Wendy O. Williams - Stand By Your Man mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Eli "Paperboy" Reed - Ace of Spades mp3 at Ryan's Smashing Life
Union Avenue - Ace of Spades mp3 at Cover Me
Video:
Lemmy- Documentary trailer at YouTube
Motorhead - Ace of Spades (live) at YouTube

LEMMY & SQUIGGY

If you know anything about Lemmy Kilmister, you know that he does things his way, without compromise. That includes, how you say, "lifestyle choices." A guy I know was a guitar tech for a Lemmy tour, and swears up and down that he subsists solely on hard liquor, smokes, red meat and women. You know what? Lemmy may be the one guy who gives Keith Richards a run for his money. And if ever there was a signature song for an artist, it's Lemmy/Motörhead's "Ace of Spades." You know it right? I certainly hope so, because it's one ferocious mutha. The way he spells out his life plan, mid-song: "I was born to lose, and gambling's for fools, but that's the way I like it, I don't want to live forever." Yet, he will.

Eli "Paperboy" "Squiggy" Reed

So, I was listing to an old mix I had, and it had a solid soul cover of "Ace of Spades" by Eli "Paperboy" Reed. I realized that, although I'd posted Reed's version a while back (actually it was two and a half years ago), I'd never posted a link to Motörhead's original. To be honest, as much as I like Reed's version, the original makes it sound like sissy stuff. Just put them on different mixes and you'll be fine.

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

Listen:
Motörhead - Ace of Spades mp3 at Shelter From the Norm
Eli "Paperboy" Reed - Ace of Spades mp3 at Ryan's Smashing Life
Watch:
Motörhead - Ace of Spades (live) at YouTube

SALAD BOWL OF SOUL

Here you go. A mish-mash of soul music, some old, some new, some weird. What had started as a quick post about Eli "Paperboy" Reed's newest single "Explosion," became a couple hour long troll for random soul shit. First, about Reed: Up until now, everything I've heard of Reed's has been straight up soul, even his reworked version of Motorhead's "Ace of Spades." He's got an extraordinary voice, and his band is reliably retro, and the new one, "Explosion" follows that pattern. Though a bit of a faster paced Reed, he's still sticking to the formula (which must have been working because he's now signed with a major). But then I just ran smack dab into a oddity. Reed on a track by, of all people, Basement Jaxx. Make of it what you will. (A reminder: there's a little comment link below that is begging.)

Another current/retro soul act, Kings Go Forth are, well, more than a little influenced by Curtis Mayfield, though there's a little early Gamble & Huff thing going on too (think Archie Bell & the Drells "I just Can't Stop Dancing"). They're based in the soul hotbed of...wait...Milwaukee? Having never gigged beyond Indiana before being signed, leave it to Luaka Bop to get them. Semi-related: There was a thing in the New Yorker recently, about Go Forther Andy Noble in an NYC record store.

An interesting side story is about the Kings Go Forth album cover. There's been much ado about eccentric, primitive, outsider and oddball art. Little has been celebrated about the artistic music-loving hyper-prolific teenager. I encourage you to read the story of Mingering Mike. Because, this is pre-computer music geek godhead.

There's a couple Otis Redding cuts here, because they're from a new album, recorded live at the Whiskey a Go-Go, and because they're Otis.

And then, there is Wayne Cochran. "The White Knight of Soul," poster child for weird white soul dudes. The dollar bin James Brown. That's him, at the top of of the post, with the big hair. Crazy looking; check out his moves on the YouTube clip.

And, because it's her due, Sharon Jones. She's finally getting the attention she deserves, this time on the network news. Good for her.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Eli "Paperboy" Reed - Explosion mp3 at Dr. Mooney's 115th Dream
Kings Go Forth - One Day mp3 at Far From Noise
Kings Go Forth -Now We're Gone mp3 at Aquarium Drunkard
Kings Go Forth - I Don't Love You No More mp3 at KEXP.org
Kings Go Forth at Luaka Bop
Soul Slam: Andy Noble goes to a record store, at the New Yorker.
The Home of Mingering Mike
Basement Jaxx with Eli "Paperboy" Reed - She's No Good mp3 at Audio Drums
Otis Redding - Satisfaction and Security mp3s (live) at the Adios Lounge
Wayne Cochran and the C.C. Riders - Get Down With It mp3 at The Soul Girl
Wayne Cochran and the C.C.Riders - Going Back to Miami video at YouTube
Wayne Cochran bio at Roctober
Sharon Jones on CBS News (6/6/10)

THE ONLY CARD I NEED

Ever wonder what "Ace of Spades" would sound like as a full-on funky soul send-up replete with screams, breaks and horns? Dig it, this one's a keeper!

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If you're a little skeptical about how it translates, you're not alone. But, unless you know the original well...no, even if you know the original well, it might not hit you until you hear Lemmy's future epitaph, "That's the way I like it, I don't want to live forever!" It works, primarily because Reed has the pipes and the soul sensibility to interpret it remarkably well. Now, you wanna feel old? The original (which should be a staple in the collection of everybody over 40) came out in 1977, 32 years ago. Reed is 23. Yeah, uh-huh, his parents probably hadn't even met...

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Eli "Paperboy" Reed and the True Loves - Ace of Spades mp3 at Ryan's Smashing Life

CALL IT BLUE-EYED SOUL AT YOUR PERIL

It is soul or it is not. No qualifiers, Righteous Brothers. This kid has it and, at 23, has a lot of singing ahead of him.

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Eli "Paperboy Reed & the True Loves - The Satisfier mp3 and two more at Bag of Songs

4/23/08: Another mp3 and lengthy bio at The B Side:

Eli "Paperboy" Reed & the True Loves - It's Easier mp3 at The B Side

NEW 4/24/08: NPR plugs the Paperboy!

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MORE NEW SOUL BLOOD:

Ryan Shaw - Do the 45 also at Bag of Songs