"SERIOUS? POSE LIKE THIS?" ASKED THE GROUP.

It doesn't happen often, hearing the Contours' "Do You Love Me?" in the wild. Last night I was in the alley having a smoke and I heard it in the distance. I think it was playing at the shit show they call Oktoberfest down by the beach. My town's Oktoberfest has very little to do with Bavaria, brats, kraut, sausages, or lederhosen and everything to do with knucklehead out of towners needing an excuse to get trashed. It's really kind of pathetic, no oompah bands or anything. And they line up like lemmings in a hour long line to pay for the privilege of going into a fenced-in area to get drunk when there's dozens of bars or breweries with cheaper drinks and no admission charge within three blocks. I don't get it, but then no one asked me.

Anyway, about the Contours, most people only know the one song, "Do You Love Me", and that's a pity. Their whole first album is great. It's a Berry Gordy joint, pre-Motown, on the Gordy label. It doesn't really sound like hit machine Motown, it's closer to a cross between the Four Tops and an earlier vocal group like the Olympics. You can find a copy online for less than ten bucks. Make sure you get the '81 reissue that has "You Get Ugly" and "First I Look at the Purse", the latter covered later by the J.Geils Band. "Do You Love Me?" has been covered a bunch: the Dave Clark Five, the Supremes, the Sonics, Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Miracles, the Kingsmen, the Heartbreakers and more. (If you're curious go here).

To those of you who have tastes similar to mine, check the video liked below (the LAMF video). Walter Lure (Heartbreakers), Wayne Kramer (MC5), Tommy Stinson (Replacements) and Clem Burke (Blondie) doing a version of "Do You Love Me?" live in 2016. I'm kind of cynical when it comes to punk related "supergroups" doing what is essentially an oldies review but as I looked at each member one by one and then saw Clem Burke and thought "Good for Clem Burke, I like that guy." followed by, "Aw hell, good for all of them. Why be cynical? Save it, pick your battles." Like shitty Oktoberfests.

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

Listen:
The Contours - Do You Love Me? mp3 at Internet Archive
The Sonics - Do You Love Me? (streaming) at YouTube
The Heartbreakers - Do You Love Me? (streaming) at YouTube
The Contours - You Get Ugly (streaming) at YouTube
The Contours - First I Look at the Purse (streaming) at YouTube
Video:
The Contours - Do You Love Me? at YouTube
LAMF - Do You Love Me? (live) at YouTube Walter Lure, Wayne Kramer, Tommy Stinson and Clem Burke

MOPED? HONDA 90? SOME WEAK ASS BIKE.

Man, it's been too long. I forgot how good early Motown is. I had been saturated with Motown for years so, while I enjoyed hearing it, I kinda of eased up and didn't actively seek out any more. Worse though, I have all three of these records and I can't tell you the last time I dug them out. I'm an idiot.

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

Listen:
Barret Strong - Money mp3 at Internet Archive
The Contours - Do You Love Me mp3 at Internet Archive
Marvin Gaye - Hitch Hike mp3 at Internet Archive

YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN A COVER VERSION

We've all learned of songs from covers and most of us have gone on back to hear the originals. Everybody has made a mix tape (or playlist) consisting of all covers. What I like to do is make mixes of originals of songs that I first heard as covers. But you can't mix the covers in, it ruins it. Because if it's all originals of songs you first heard as covers, there's something a little off. It's like reliving an alternate version of your life. Or something like that.

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

Listen:
Erma Franklin - Piece Of My Heart mp3 at Internet Archive Covered by Janis Joplin
Betty Everett - You're No Good mp3 at Internet Archive Covered by Linda Ronstadt
Gloria Jones - Tainted Love mp3 at Internet Archive Covered by Soft Cell
The Velvettes = He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' mp3 at Internet Archive Covered by Bananarama
The Contours - First I Look At The Purse mp3 at Internet Archive Covered by the J.Geils Band
Marvin Gaye - Can I Get A Witness mp3 at Internet Archive Covered by the Rolling Stones

SONICS' KILLER FILLER

If you're like me, you can't get enough of the Sonics. You know 'em, the baddass early stuff. "Psycho", "The Witch", "Cinderella", "Boss Hoss", "Strychnine", "He's Waitin'", "Shot Down". Aaargh! Fuck, just thinking about them raises the hair. It's some-of-you-may-never-get-it type essential stuff. Whenever some would-be chin-rubbing egghead starts spouting off about "proto-punk", if the Sonics aren't near the top of the list, just walk away. There are those who may never get it. What would be the point of trying to convert them? The early Sonics records came with stale beer, cigarette ashes and sweat pressed into their grooves. If that's not your thing, why are we standing here talking?

Here's three covers by them. Sonics people will know these. If you profess to love the Sonics but don't know these, you should stop the cherry picking. Take your sorry ass on down to the record store and buy yourself a twelve inch LP.

To fully appreciate what the Sonics can do with a cover, check Richard Berry's original version of "Have Love, Will Travel", and then listen to the Sonics' version. Now go back to what you were doing.

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

Listen:

The Sonics - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at Wish I Were There
The Sonics -Do You Love Me mp3 at ATumblr (?)
The Sonics - Walkin' the Dog mp3 at ATumblr (?)
The originals:
Richard Berry - Have Love Will Travel (streaming) at YouTube
The Contours - Do You Love Me (streaming) at YouTube
Rufus Thomas - Walkin' the Dog (streaming) at YouTube
Visit:
More Sonics here Scroll down for older posts.

THE HAMMOND LADY AND HER HEAVY FRIENDS

I'm not a big fan of money. Not because it's a little scarce at times but because, while it may not be the root of all evil, it's sure as hell the root of a lot of it. So I had reservations about posting a song titled "I Want Some Money Baby", because, really, we don't want more money. None of us. You may want the security of knowing you won't suffer dire financial straits, or you may want to own "nice things", but money is just the means to get that stuff. Never mind the tangible dollar bills in stacks and bundles. That's a bad Scarface joke. And people kill for that shit. It's paper. I don't subscribe to that money is power routine. That'll get us right back to that root of all evil thing. I'm of the opinion that money pretty much blows.

Cherry Wainer (above. with drummer Don Storer) changed my mind tonight. Though her wicked cool cover of Barrett Strong's "Money" has been posted here before, well, it's wicked cool. Cool enough to grease the wheels for Tommy Ridgley's "I Want Some Money Baby". So, I'm throwing up my hands. Here's some songs about money, with a lengthy counterpoint that hits closer to home by the O'Jays. "For the Love of Money". The long version. Yeah. It's wicked cool all over the place in here.

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

Listen:
Tommy Ridgley – I Want Some Money Baby mp3 at Soul Garage
Barrett Strong - Money mp3 at Post Post Racial
Cherry Warner - Money mp3 at Boogaloo Time
The Contours - First I Look at the Purse mp3 at Ghost Whisperer (?)
The O'Jays - For the Love of Money mp3 at AMPS (?)

FROM THE "BEFORE THEY SUCKED" FILE

You probably won't believe me, but the J. Geils Band used to be cool. As in sweaty, greasy, energetic and action packed. They had two LPs under their belt in '72, when they released their epic "Live" Full House album, one of the best beginning-to-end live LPs ever (at least that I've heard, and I've heard a lot). Really, it's so good that it still holds up today. Alas, they're better known for their MTV era hits, particularly the embarrassing "Centerfold."

Full House needs to be played as a set, to get a feel of the pace of their live show back then. Every song segues into the next, with comments from Peter Wolf serving as bumpers. It really isn't possible to listen to one song to fully experience it. So, here's just a taste, a cover of the Contours' "First I Look at the Purse," along with a link to a site with the full LP. There's also the Contours' original version of the same song for comparison.

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

The J. Geils Band - First I Look At the Purse mp3 at 4Shared (Click on blue "Download Now" button.)
The Contours - First I Look At the Purse mp3 at 4Shared (Click on blue "Download Now" button.)
LP rip:
The J. Geils Band "Live" Full House LP download at Orexis of Death
Video:
The J. Geils Band - Floyd's Hotel/Hard Driving Man (Live 1972) at YouTube