"AND COMBO"? GEE, THANKS FOR THE INFO.

I'm not going to bullshit you. Sometimes I don't really feel like going through the hassle of posting anything. I guess that's obvious when I take a couple days off, On most days like that I'll give it the ol' college try. I find something I like and then, if it's someone I'm not familiar with, I dig for info. In today's case I found little. The song is great but, I found nothing autobiographical about Roy Tann, other than his real name, Willis Threats Jr.. That too turned up with squat. So, it takes me a paragraph to say, fuck it, here's a Roy Tann song that started my fruitless search. I did run into a couple other things to pad the post. One is an unrelated song by Ray Agee, only because it's of similar vintage and it's got a similar feel, and it also is hot shit.

The other thing I ran across, the one takeaway from my Tann search was a radio show by the Hound, a WFMU affiliated true fiend. The artist bios on his site are usually about fifty times more thorough than anything you're going to find on Wikipedia or anywhere else. The guy knows his shit. So his radio show is well selected (I hate it "curated"). He starts with surf, rock 'n' roll, rhythm and blues, and some hillbilly before he even gets to Roy Tann. But it's like when you first get a car you really dig and you just drive around waiting for the next awesome tune to pop up. Enjoy the cruise.

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

Listen:
Roy Tan [sic] - Isabella mp3 at Soul Garage
Ray Agee - Your Precious Love mp3 at Soul Garage
The Hound - As heard on WFMU at The Hound Go there for the playlist. 3 hours, aired 1991
Visit:
The Hound Blog

NO WORDS

After a couple days of digesting the latest compilation by Kogar the Swinging Ape, Bali Ha'i Twisten' Train, I figured out why I was listening to it again and again. It's thirty four instrumentals that were posted over the course of a few months at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban as "Instrumental 45 of the Week". They're mostly guitar instrumentals and most, if not all, by bands that you've never heard of. Not even a Travis Wammack level of obscure. These are downright nobodies. Without looking I'd guess that the average discography of these bands was two 45s long. So it is with Apeman. Even in the heyday of thrifting, you'd be hard pressed to uncover this many worthy, practically anonymous, instrumental 45s. Pat him on his hairy back.

So what sucked me into multiple listenings wasn't something I immediately noticed, but then it dawned on me. At different times, I'd pause to really listen to the guitar work.  I realized that the songs I was digging on the most were the ones that I was trying to pick apart. Take the Moon Men's "Some Kinda Nut". When I was listening to that my first thought was that they had definitely heard Link Wray. But then there was a kind of disjointed solo and I was thinking "Robert Quine has definitely heard this record." Thirty four songs of that. With quite a few good band names and song titles, from nobodies.

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

Listen:
The Moon Men - Some Kinda Nut mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
The mix:
Bali Ha'i Twistin' Train at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban Thirty four individual obscuro instros in a zip.

REEDER, S.Q.REEDER.

If you aren't familiar with the guy above, with the piled high hair, you'd be tempted to think he was ripping off Little Richard. You'd be wrong. Esquerita was a contemporary of Richard's and they first met before either had made it big. One of them would, make it big, the other was just a little too wild. Per The Hound (Jim Marshall), a guy who knows more about these things than you or I put together, "S.Q. [Esquerita] taught him his thundering piano style, this would be the key element in Little Richard's development of the style that would take him to the top of the charts." That tells you which one made it big. Esquerita was too out there to make a dent.  

Today, a nice surprise, an email from Norton Records that contained a link to a free download, a biography and discography of Esquirita, 48 pages. Haven't read it yet, but it's likely the most thorough Esquerita guide there is. I never thought I'd see anything lengthier then The Hound's awesome post. Between that, and the Esquerita re-issues and unreleased records put out by Norton, I considered myself set. This is some awesome icing. Put together by Big Beat magazine (per Norton "alias the French Esquerita Fan Club"). Dig it.

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

Listen:
Esquerita - Good Golly Annie Mae mp3 at Rockabilly Hall
Esquerita - The Rock Around mp3 at Rockabilly Hall
Esquerita - Hole In My Heart mp3 at Rocky 52
Esquerita - Rockin' the Joint mp3 at Rocky 52
Esquerita - Crazy Crazy Feeling mp3 at Rocky 52
The book:
Esquerita! The True, the False and Some Mysteries! at Big Beat
Visit:
Esquerita - Bio at The Hound Blog

Buy:
Esquerita LPs at Norton Records

THE HOUND IS THE MAN

When it comes to good posts, all you can really ask for is informative text, a handful of images and some well chosen music.  It's amazing how rare it is that someone gets that combination right.  Take it from me (as someone who doesn't get it right), as simple as that sounds, it's not all that easy.  It takes time and a good amount of musical knowledge to get it down pat.  When I need a taste of how it should be done, I head over to The Hound Blog and just browse.  My casual excursion usually ends up turning into a good hour or so of good ol' fashioned music education, often on just one post.  Such was the case when I landed on the Hound's post about Elmore James.  Forget Wikipedia, forget All Music Guide, forget all about those other sites that are all facts and figures, with no insights as to when a musicians best sides were cut.  Forget who "you might also like."  I might also like the Hound.  He does it right.  I tip my hat.

Here's just a couple of the songs from his Elmore James post, to satisfy the immediate gratification crowd.  The first is the original version of "Dust My Broom," recorded clandestinely by a label owner who James was under contract with, but refused to record for.  (Did I tell you?  The Hound is full of tidbits like that.) It features Sonny Boy Williamson on harp.  As for the other two down there, "Hawaiian Boogie," is one I happen to like, and "12 Year Old Boy," is down there because the Hound said it was good, and I will not ever second guess the Hound.  There are roughly twenty more cuts over there, and a good bio and recording history.  What are you doing?  Scram!

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

Listen:
Elmore James - Dust My Broom mp3 at The Hound Blog
Elmore James - Hawaiian Boogie mp3 at The Hound Blog
Elmore James - 12 Year Old Boy mp3 at The Hound Blog
Visit:
The Hound Blog  Bookmark it.  I mean it.

YEP. ANOTHER INSTALLMENT.

There's a reason why the Cramps torch never seems to dim. Their legacy (and yes it is a legacy) is as complete living breathing rock 'n' rollers, on stage and mulling around dank thrift stores, throughout their decades spanning existence. Always a little out there, but undeniably palatable. That is, if you had an ounce of freak in you. They had a record called "Stay Sick," and that's just what they did, yessir. Just enough to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Here's three LP length downloads, all posted recently at other blogs, and few individual songs that have been posted before.

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

First, in case you missed them:
The Cramps - Confessions of a Psycho-Cat mp3 at Review Stalker
The Cramps - Let's Get Fucked Up mp3 at 8106
The Cramps - I Was a Teenage Werewolf mp3 at The Mad Makerel
The Cramps - Surfin' Dead mp3 at Indie Shuffle
The Cramps - Goo Goo Muck mp3 at Review Stalker
The Cramps - Human Fly mp3 at Review Stalker
The full lengths:

Lux & Ivy's favorites, Vol 2, Remastered at The Hound Blog This series should need no introduction (see this post for other volumes).
Lux Lives Commemorative CD 2012 Another mix by the Hound. This one was handed out at an annual gathering of Lux Interior fiends and assorted Crampers. Read the story about it, and give it a listen...jerk.
The Cramps - Songs the Lord Taught Us (Alternate mix) LP flac rip at White Trash Soul You might need some sort of a converter for this one, to play it as an mp3. Too much hassle for me, but fiends is fiends and I'm sure there's some of you who are part geek. Do it up.

DON'T KNOW JIM DICKINSON?

You should know him. You probably do. He recorded with, or produced, (...ready?) the Stones, Wilson Picket, Aretha Franklin, the Flamin' Groovies, Duane Allman, the Cramps, the Replacements, Toots Hibbert, Alex Chilton, Big Star, Jerry Jeff Walker, Dion, Dylan, Ry Cooder, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Mojo Nixon, Mudhoney and many, many more. I knew his name from album credits (remember those?) over the years but never kept a mental tally. After his death, a week and a half ago, I began seeing bloggers' tributes and was astounded by his dossier.

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He was a musician, and a producer, but he was a music freak first. Like you. Like me. And, if his output was any indication, the man had taste. His "Monkey Man," recorded with the Katmandu Quartet, sounds like the Legendary Stardust Cowboy fronting a Northwest garage band. Red Headed Woman, recorded with the Cramps and showcasing his skills on the 88's sounds like, well, the Legendary Stardust Cowboy fronting the Cramps with Jerry Lee Lewis on piano. Then there's the 1967 straight-up garage rocker he played on with Flash and the Memphis Casuals, "Uptight Tonight." And (what seems to be commonly regarded as) the last great 45 on Sun, "Cadillac Man" b/w "My Babe" by the Jesters, which he sang lead on, though he wasn't a member of the band.

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This is just a taste. Visit the blogs linked below for the entire story, and a lot more mp3s (remember, "right click, save as..."). And read album liner notes while they still exist!

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Listen:

Jim Dickinson w/the Cramps - Red Headed Woman mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu

Jim Dickinson and the Katmandu Quartet - Monkey Man mp3 at The Hound

Flash & the Memphis Casuals - Uptight Tonight mp3 at The Hound

Jim Dickinson w/the Jesters - Cadillac Man and My Babe mp3s at The Hound

Flamin Groovies - Teenage Head mp3 at Beware of the Blog

The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses mp3 at Beware of the Blog

The Replacements - Tossin n' Turnin' mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu

Mudhoney - Beneath the Valley of the Underdog mp3 at Beware of the Blog

Toots Hibbert - Hard to Handle mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu

Aretha Franklin - Spirit in the Dark mp3 at Beware of the Blog

Read:

Jim Dickinson post (excellent bio) at the Hound

Jim Dickinson post at Beware of the Blog

Jim Dickinson post at Boogie Woogie Flu

The Jim Dickinson page at Wikipedia

Visit:

His Zebra Ranch studio site

MAYDAY! BILLY LEE RILEY ILL AND BROKE!

UPDATE, MAKE THAT SAD UPDATE:
From the Rockabilly Hall of Fame website:
"Billy Lee Riley R.I.P.
One of the greatest original Sun recording artists, peacefully passed away on Sunday August 2nd, 2009 at 5:20 AM. His family was at his bedside."
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[The following was written before his death.] Not to sound like a complete jerk, but here's a novel idea: Before another legendary early rocker passes away, and the requisite "woe-is-me" eulogizing pours out of a thousand blogs (guilty here too), let's help a ailing rocker live. Billy Lee Riley has stage four bone cancer, and he's broke..

Why you should care: Riley was in the early crop of Sun Records artists, and was never fully given his due. Though revered among rockabilly fanatics and record geeks everywhere, he's practically unknown to John Q. Gotta-Lotta-CDs. Few know that he and his band, the Little Green Men, were the studio house band at Sun. And Riley, a solo artist as well, literally coulda been a contender. "Red Hot", the closest he ever got to a hit, was passed over by Sam Philips so he could promote Jerry Lee Lewis. As the story goes, Riley was in the Sun office when Phillips cancelled advance orders of 30,000 copies of "Red Hot," telling distributors to push "Great Balls of Fire" instead. Riley then did what any self-respecting rocker would do: he went out and got loaded, returning later to demolish the studio..

Whether or not every part of the story is true, it does speak to Riley's refusal to be a patsy. His disillusionment with the label would later force his exit, landing at Brunswick for a short time, before starting his own label. In the PBS produced documentary, Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records, while in conversation with other early Sun artists, Riley was the only one that mentioned getting the short end of the Sun stick. Meanwhile, the others hemmed and hawed about the good ol' days.

Bottom line, gang, is that he is part and parcel of the reason rock n' roll exists. Even if you whittled his career down to his two best known songs ("Red Hot" and "Flying Saucers Rock n' Roll," both essential fuel in the original fire), we would owe him a debt. But he was one of the Sun second-stringers, slightly wilder (ergo less marketable), who kept the stars from getting too, well, soft, during their tenure at Sun.

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He's racked up big medical bills. He and his wife, Joyce, are having a tough go of it. For the love of whatever rocks you, help Billy Lee Riley live. Here's his address:

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Billy Lee Riley

723 Crest Drive

Jonesboro, Arkansas 72401

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Or you can donate via PayPal at the Rockabilly Hall of Fame home page

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Billy Lee Riley - Red Hot mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu

(w/Jerry Lee Lewis on piano)

Billy Lee Riley - Flying Saucers Rock n' Roll mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu

(One of the earliest recorded whammy bars)

Billy Lee Riley - Red Hot (alternate take) mp3 and two others at The Hound Blog

Billy Lee Riley's bio, in his own words at Delta Boogie
(NOTE: Scroll halfway down the page)

Billy Lee Riley page at the Rockabilly Hall of Fame

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A special thank you to Boogie Woogie Flu for putting it out there.