ENTER THE WAH WAH

Do you know Dennis Coffey? You bet your ass you do. He was a later member of the Funk Brothers, and his guitar was all over the '69-'72 Motown stuff, including the Temptations' "Ball of Confusion," "Psychedelic Shack," and "Cloud Nine," and Edwin Starr's "War." He was a big part of Motown producer Norman Whitfield's wall of psychedelic funk, staying put in Detroit, when half of Motown's roster up and moved west (some working with members of the Wrecking Crew). Coffey also played on Freda Payne's "Band of Gold," and the Isley Brothers' "It's Your Thing," among many others, and he still managed to squeeze out solo stuff. His 1971 instrumental hit, "Scorpio," made it to #6 on the charts, and he was the first white performer on Soul Train when he appeared to play the song.

If you want to get in the mood for a listen, check this clip of Soul Train first. I couldn't find a clip of him performing back then, but this one's real good. With "Scorpio" playing, the Soul Train crowd is seriously getting down. What strikes me is the variety of moves, all tight enough to seem choreographed. You could watch the clip several times and not see all of the different dance moves. And everybody is into it, even during the conga break. You cannot watch this sitting down.

Coffey has a new album out on Strut. He's still at it. Guesting are Kings Go Forth, Mayer Hawthorne, Fanny Franklin (from Orgone), Lisa Kekaula (the Bellrays), and a duet with Mick Collins (the Dirtbombs) and Rachel Nagy (the Detroit Cobras). Who ever did the picking, did a damn good job.

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From the new one:
Dennis Coffey with Mayer Hawthorne - All Your Goodies Are Gone mp3 at Potholes in My Blog
Dennis Coffey with Fanny Franklin - Don't Knock My Love Pt 1 mp3 at American Athlete
Old stuff:
Dennis Coffey - Scorpio mp3 at EricMGrant.EJFlavors
Dennis Coffey - Wings of Fire mp3 at Art Decade
Dennis Coffey - Theme From Black Belt Jones mp3 at Blog.ddiction
Dennis Coffey - Free Spirit mp3 at Keyboard Masher
Dennis Coffey -Taurus, Ride Sally Ride and Never Can Say Goodbye mp3s at The Vinyl District Note: Click on small arrows under "Download"
Session work:
The Temptations - Psychedelic Shack mp3 at La Viie en Robe
Edwin Starr - War mp3 at Cows Are Just Food
The Temptations - Ball of Confusion mp3 at FishHeads
Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing mp3 at Parasoul
Podcast:
Dennis Coffey - Premium Blend podcast, two part retrospective of his career at BandCamp
Oddball bonus: Purists be forewarned, this is a mash up:
Dennis Coffey, King Curtis, Ken Freedman, Led Zeppelin, and Tina Turner - Whole Lotta Whole Lotta Love mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Visit:
Dennis Coffey Official site
Dennis Coffey at Wikipedia

DOUBLE BILL FOR THE AGES

I know, just did the Richard Berry thing, that had the Sonics and the Wailers. But I had to post this. It's a first hand account of a Sonics/Wailers double bill that happened back in the day, written by Frank Gutch Jr. He attended as a teenager, and writes about the show with amazing recall. I'm downright proud to say that Frank was the first person to make me listen to them, over thirty years ago. In my world, the man deserves a medal. (He also turned me on to the Flamin' Groovies and Big Star, among others.) Frank was partners in a record store, called "Scratching the Surface." The San Diego punk scene was just beginning, and his encouragement was essential in getting things off the ground, as was his store, which served as an ersatz hub.

I had lost track of Frank, for easily two decades, when a friend at a record store told me he saw a copy of my old fanzine on Ebay. When I looked at the item description, I knew the seller had to have been someone I knew, the description was so thorough. Out of curiosity, I emailed the seller, only to find out it was Frank. (He had a column in that issue, called "Boss Hoss," after the Sonics' song.) We've been in touch ever since.

One quick note: Because the Wailers share a name with the reggae Wailers, it's nearly impossible to find mp3s of the Fabulous Wailers.

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Read: The Sonics vs the Wailers - Battle of the Bands! by Frank Gutch Jr., at Indie Musicology
Rock and Reprise - Frank's older stuff
Listen:
The Sonics - Boss Hoss mp3 at Pretty Goes With Pretty
The Sonics - Psycho mp3 at The Adios Lounge
The Sonics - The Witch mp3 at Blah Blah Blah Science
The Sonics - Walking the Dog mp3 (via MediaFire) at Metal Bastard Goes Soft
The Wailers - Out of Our Tree mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Wailers - Louie Louie mp3 via MediaFire
The Wailers - Mashi mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Wailers - Gunnin' For Peter mp3 at API.Ning
Let's Go Chopping:
Norton Records 45 RPM Juke Box Series -11 Sonics and Wailers singles on vinyl (scroll halfway down page)

WE MEET AGAIN

This actually started out as a quick post just to shove Foghat's version of "I Just Want to Make Love to You" in front of you, because I love the sound of it. It was produced by Dave Edmunds in the early 70s. It's nothing close to the original, just a nice slice of 70's guitar thud. So, after straying off the path, I ended up going on a two day Willie Dixon binge. It was overdue. I've seen his name in album cover notes since...well, a long fucking time. One of my earliest fetishized LPs (Johnny Winter) had a Dixon song on it. Later, I finally heard his music, and revisited versions by his contemporaries. (If you want a mind fuck, check out this list at Wikipedia.) He was a singer, guitarist, bassist, songwriter, producer, arranger, and talent scout; one of the architects of the Chicago blues sound, as well as the sound of Chess Records. He is the man.

Here's a variety of Dixon written stuff. Starting with a few rock bands. Love Sculpture is an early Dave Edmunds band. And check the video at the bottom. Strap yourself in. it's the pay off. Dixon's in it, with some heavy friends. It is awesome. Turn it up and go full screen on the mother.

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The UK rock bands:
Love Sculpture - Wang Dang Doodle mp3 at From Russia With Art
Foghat - I Just Want to Make Love to You mp3 at The Giant Panther
Cream - Spoonful mp3 at South Bay Amp Works
Led Zeppelin - You Shook Me mp3 at Great Gonzo
The old school:
Howlin' Wolf - Wang Dang Doodle mp3 at Burning Hand
Koko Taylor - Wang Dang Doodle mp3 at Clumsy & Shy
Etta James - I Just Want to Make Love to You mp3 at 8106
Muddy Waters - You Shook Me mp3 at Harmony Talk
The Man:
Willie Dixon - Spoonfull mp3 at Le Mellotron
Willie Dixon - You Shook Me mp3 at Great Gonzo
Willie Dixon - Twenty Nine Ways to My Baby's Door mp3 at Merry Swankster
Willie Dixon - I'd Give My Life For You mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Willie Dixon & Koko Taylor - Insane Asylum mp3 at Clumsy & Shy
Watch:
Willie Dixon - Bassology video at YouTube
Several videos at Willie-Dixon.com
Visit:
Willie Dixon at the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame
List of Dixon songs, and who has covered them (incomplete list) at Wikipedia
Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation

WATCH THIS:

RICHARD BERRY HAS A POSSE

Diddy Wah just posted Richard "Louie Louie" Berry's original version of "Have Love Will Travel," which, of course, I took as my cue (or excuse) to post the Sonics' version. And, as if I don't have enough shit rattling around in my head, I began thinking about the Kingsmen's hit version of "Louie Louie." Most of you will know that another Northwest band, the Wailers recorded it before them; and that Paul Revere and the Raiders recorded their version of "Louie Louie" in the same studio as the Kingsmen, in Oregon, right about the same time. (I've always thought it poetic justice that the Kingsmen, despite being the non-gimmick underdogs, ended up with the hit.) What do you think the chances are that the Sonics heard Berry's "Have Love Will Travel," (released a couple years after "Louie Louie") and decided that they had better snag it before the Wailers, Raiders or Kingsmen did?

Moment of silence interlude: I just found out that Wailers' Kent Morrill died yesterday. According to LouieLouie.net, Morrill's wife Toni said that he was singing "Louie Louie" in his sleep the night before he died. Pay your respects: The Wailers' "Out of Our Tree" and "Louie Louie" are posted below.

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Richard Berry - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at Diddy Wah
The Sonics - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Black Keys - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at The Adios Lounge (For you youngsters in need of a point of reference.)
RIP Kent Morrill:
The Wailers - Out of Our Tree mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Wailers - Louie Louie mp3 (via Mediafire)

RECORD STORE DAY IS TOMORROW

Do you remember where you bought your first record, 45 or LP? Do you remember who turned you on to what, and where? Yesterday I mentioned a record store called Soundsville, as an important store to me. It was, in fact, where I busted my shop lurking cherry. But it was only the first of many. It made me think about all of the other record stores I've spent countless hours in. Because favorite record stores are easier recalled for what they offered, rather than what they lacked.

Along with Soundsville, the other record store I frequented in my formative years was Good Karma. (After I got to know one counter guy from Good Karma, he told me that he always watched my brothers and I, because we browsed so much in relation to what we bought, he convinced that we were shoplifting. Where a gangly 13 year old would hide a 12" x 12" record is still beyond me.) Both record stores were doomed once Tower Records move into San Diego. LPs at Tower were less than $3.00, and they were about four bucks at the two independent outlets. The extra mile or so of a bike ride was worth it back then, especially if your source of income was a paper route, and time was not a factor. Tower had a much larger selection, and the prices were lower, but they lacked the personal touch of the smaller stores. It would be about five or ten years before that personal touch returned, when punk, new wave, imports and reissues breathed new life into independent stores. The chains just weren't flexible enough to adapt quickly, and to be curt, the employees not quite passionate enough. (There were exceptions of course. I'm still pals with a few ex-Tower employees, one of which I used to DJ with. Though, something tells me that I'll still get flack, even with that disclaimer.)

Rather than go through the list and bore you with names of more stores that you probably couldn't care less about, I would be remiss if I didn't take talk of records stores as an opportunity to give a rare retail endorsement. Thirsty Moon Records is one of the best, if not the best, record stores in San Diego. Per square foot, it definitely tops the list. It's tiny, and off the beaten track, but it has quality, variety and, this is important, cool knowledgeable counter guys. It has all the ingredients. The selection is obscure enough that you won't find any top sellers. Punk rock, funk, jazz, metal, psych, garage, soul, and reggae, you will find. And, even if there inventory is not overwhelming in its volume, it's varied enough that, if you're not a one genre person, you'll find something that you've never heard, and more importantly, that you will dig. And if you don't, leave a want list. After a conversation with one of the guys, I asked him to give me a call if he ever came across an rare Italian pressing of the Injections, a punk band one of my former roommates was in. There were less than a thousand pressed, so I my expectations weren't that great. But, less than two weeks later, they called to tell me that they had a used copy they were holding for me. I was properly dipped in shit.

Record Store Day is this Saturday, and even if your local record store isn't participating. it's reason enough to go talk shop with like minded freaks. Learn something, or proclaim the virtue of your latest "you gotta hear these guys." And, by all means, feel free to endorse your favorite record store in the comments.

Here's a few from The Witch, from the shelves of Thirsty Moon (the LP is in the photo above). Because you can never have enough Zambian afro-psych music.

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The Witch - Black Tears mp3 at Arkitip
The Witch - Motherless Child mp3 at Arkitip
The Witch - Strange Dream mp3 at Arkitip
The Witch - Look Out mp3 at Arkitip
The Witch - Havoc mp3 at Arkitip
A few good record stores:
Thirsty Moon Records, San Diego, CA
Folk Arts Records, San Diego, CA
Groove Merchant, San Francisco, CA
Village Music, Mill Valley, CA
Read:
Record Store Day official site
Review of Thirsty Moon at Blog San Diego
Review of Thirsty Moon at Arkitip
Previous posts that mention record stores:
Behold the Economic Solo (Monty Rockers)
Two From the Twit (Monty Rockers)
I'm A Monster (Amoeba)
(Lazy Title) Straight Outta Tel Aviv (Tower Records)
How To Stay In Business (Monty Rockers)
We're Going to Take A Short Break While We Mop Up Gary's Vocal Chords (Scratching the Surface)

BIG IN THE BOYS' ROOM

Soundsville was bitchen. It was the first record store that I remember going to, that sold only records (back when "bitchen" was used liberally). You could go to all sorts of stores and find a small selection of records, but Soundsville had pegboard rack after pegboard rack, spilling with 12 inch stimuli. I don't even remember seeing 45's there. These guys were heads. You could go in there and browse, and the long hair behind the counter would say something like "Watcha lookin' for?... What do you like?" Uh, I like Jimi Hendrix. "Oh then, you'll like Randy California, sounds just like him." I'm paraphrasing, of course, but that's the type of store it was. They figured out what sometimes separates the successful record store and the great record store.: a counter guy who can recommend something off the wall, that you've never heard of. They don't point you towards a more popular title. They point you to a more obscure title, one that you'd likely overlook.

Record Store Day is this Saturday. Depending on the quality of your local independent record store (if you're lucky enough to have one), it could present a good opportunity to commune with fellow geeks.

Here's the only Randy California cut I could find, along with a few from Montrose, one from Golden Earring (dig the horns!), and a couple remarkably good cuts from Todd Rundgren's A Wizard, A True Star LP (a really great LP you should check out). These were all held in high regard in the boys room.

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Randy California - Downer mp3 at The Pingle Pad
Montrose - I Don't Want It mp3 at Kevins Media
Montrose - Rock The Nation mp3 at Kevin's Media
Montrose - Good Rockin' Tonight mp3 at Kevin's Media
Golden Earring - Radar Love mp3 at NGamer.speedrunwiki.com
Todd Rundgren - When the Shit Hits the Fan/Sunset Blvd mp3 at The Rising Storm
Todd Rundgren - International Feel mp3 at Die Monster
Celebrate:
Record Store Day

SHIVER ME TIMBERS

A few weeks ago, I posted a link to a song on the blog My Dad's Records. Today I returned there to dig through it a little and enjoyed a serendipitous moment that was a little too close to home to ignore. The blog is by a guy who is digitizing his dad's record collection, and taking the opportunity to have conversations with his dad about the music, album by album. His dad had/has pretty good taste, so it's kind of neat seeing the insights he passes on as an elder, as much as it is reading his son's interpretations.

Note: From here down, the rest of this post is about my Dad, so skip to the links at the bottom if you couldn't give a shit.

Where was I? Oh yeah, it got me thinking about my own Dad, who passed away a few years ago. He had lost pretty much his entire savings trying to start a business just after his retirement, and ended up with little more than Social Security to live on. He took on part time work to stow a little money away, and began brushing up on his sailing, something he had done as a teenager and young man, but not much since. He soon became competent enough to rent medium size boats and go sailing in the local bays. He looked for crewing opportunities, and landed a couple open water cruises with strangers looking for able bodied, albeit retirement aged, crew.

Then, with a little help from friends, he bought Aeolus, his own boat, living on it in a local marina, to cut expenses and to prepare it for a solo voyage. It took a year or so, but he finally got it in ship shape. The maiden solo voyage was to be up and down the coast of Baja California. He shoved off, remaining in contact with family and friends via mail and email, when he stopped at various marinas. Some of the stories he related in his correspondences were hilarious (though, perhaps, only if you knew him). In one letter, he told of being on deck in the middle of the night, buck naked and bathing, in the middle of the ocean. Out of nowhere, a helicopter appeared, shining a spotlight on him. Figuring that they might think he was in distress, he gave them the all clear, flipping the bird at the blinding light. In another letter, he related having caught a fish big enough that he couldn't possible eat it all, so he gave it to the people in the local fishing village. Later that night, he was below deck when he heard some clunking around and some animal sounds and when he ducked out of the cabin, he saw a villager delivering a live goat, tied at the hoofs, reciprocating his gift of fish. The person delivering the goat was so appreciative, and my Dad's Spanish so limited, that declining the gift took a great deal of effort. (Now, I really want to read the old letters again.)

After a while, my Dad had some health concerns, and came back to the U.S., leaving his boat in a Mexican marina for his return. His health worsened, and after briefly returning to Mexico to salvage his belongings and sell Aeolus, he returned to the states to live out the rest of his life.

So what do the songs below have to do with anything? Recently, I had a conversation with my sister, about my Dad's sailing and his unrealized long term plans. I mentioned that I thought that his wish was to die at sea, that it was his preferred "perfect way to go." She confirmed that it was absolutely his intention, reminding me that he had laid out provisions that would repay his friends that had helped him buy Aeolus. Back to the beginning, tonight, while perusing Dad's Records, I ran into a song, "Shiver Me Timbers" by Tom Waits, that has reminded me of my Dad ever since his passing, even without the recent confirmations of his intent by my sister. The song really should have been played at his wake. It seems so dead-on true to his spirit.

One of my Dad's favorite songs was Kris Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down." He loved the line about picking out "my cleanest dirty shirt." It's one of the few songs that we ever got around to talking about. And that is why I like the blog Dad's Records. I hope that the guy realizes what a neat thing he's doing. I think it's neat, in a high praise sorta way.

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Tom Waits - Shiver Me Timbers mp3 at Dad's Records
Kris Kristofferson - Sunday Morning Coming Down mp3 at HankUS1.com
Previous posts about Tom Waits:
Tom Waits and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Early Tom Waits: Live

I JUST CAN GET ENOUGH

Here's a handful from the "are they still doing this?" basket. Nouvelle Vague: swell concept. But, how long can they keep it up? Is it already old? Are they just Sha Na Na for hipsters? Who cares? Ever heard them do the Cramps' "Human Fly"? Or the Dead Kennedys' "Too Drunk To Fuck"? Sick of questions? Do you have the attention span left to hear them do the Clash's "Guns of Brixton"? Seriously, some of their covers stink, but these are good. One per mix, tops.

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Nouvelle Vague - Human Fly mp3 at Cover Freak
Nouvelle Vague - Too Drunk To Fuck mp3 at Le Blog de la Grande Chose
Nouvelle Vague - Guns of Brixton mp3 at Motel de Moka

MORE FROM THE JUNK DRAWER

Here's a few that I've been meaning to post, thought I'd throw them together for the sake of house cleaning. First, a couple Chuck Berry deepish cuts. I just did a Chuck Berry thing a while back, but I thought I'd hep you to the blog I found these at, The Rising Storm. It's a nice write up over there, and the site, a worthy bookmark. If all you own is a Chuck Berry compilation (you had better own at least one), then consider these a start on the other 99% of his catalog. (Links below.)

Next up is a video of the San Diego School of Rock, doing Drive Like Jehu's "Caress." (If that seems like an obscure choice, they also do a Pinback song, so chances are one of the instructors lives at the Casbah.)

I'm not sure what I think of the School of Rock franchise. I saw a set by the San Diego School of Rock a couple years ago, at a street fair. It just seems like it takes the garage out of the band, so to speak. I don't want to seem like Chicken Little over here, but it's like crib notes for an entrance exam. If you take all of the struggle out of it, like aluminum bats and surf leashes, the playing field isn't leveled, it's lowered. (And, yes, I know that blogs are, in effect, doing the same thing. But where else would I rag about a feel good story like the School of Rock?)

Another thing I've been meaning to post is the video of the singer the Trashmen (not the whole group, mind you), lip syncing "Surfin' Bird" on American Bandstand. It's the funniest thing I saw all week. (There's no embed code, so go here to see it.) Dig too, the other Trashmen cut below. It boss.

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Chuck Berry - It's My Own Business mp3 at the Rising Storm
Chuck Berry - Duece mp3 at The Rising Storm
Drive Like Jehu - New Math mp3 at Review Stalker
Drive Like Jehu - Future Home of Stucco Monstrosity mp3 at Pretty Goes With Pretty
Drive Like Jehu - Caress (audio only) streaming at YouTube
Drve Like Jehu - Caress (live, poor quality, 1992) at YouTube
The Trashmen - Surfin' Bird mp3 at Zminin.com
The Trashmen - Surfin' Bird video at YouTube
The Trashmen - On The Move mp3 at Beware of the Blog

NEW BEASTIE BOYS

Blink...holy shit, twenty five years, already? When the first Beastie Boys LP came out in November 1986, I was living in New York. It was one of the few cassettes that I bought when I lived there, and I played that sucker incessantly on my Walkman. With the exception of a few mix tapes, it is the music I most associate with my short stay there. Now, the Beastie Boys have announced a new album coming out in a few weeks. Good news because it means Adam Yauch is over the cancer thing, that postponed a tour and recording about a year ago. Only one cut has been leaked (see link below) and there is a preview clip from a 30 minute video "Fight For Your Right - Revisted." If it doesn't look like them in the screen grab, it's because it's not. There's all sorts of other familiar faces in the preview, but not them. I've got no clue if it's a respect thing or what, but they managed to cast an A-list of actors, including Will Ferrell, Susan Sarandon, Jack Black, Seth Rogen, John C. Reilly, Elijah Wood, Ted Danson and Rainn Wilson and that's just in the clip below. In the full version, Steve Buscemi, Amy Poehler, Jason Schwartzmann, Alicia Silverstone, Laura Dern, Kirsten Dunst, Chloe Sevigny, Maya Rudolph, Rashida Jones, Will Arnett and Orlando Bloom also make appearances. The Beastie Boys do make a cameo in the full version, as cops. It looks funny as shit.

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The Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise mp3 at Culture Bully
(Note: If link doesn't work, go to Culture Bully, because it worked over there.)
Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise (Passion Pit Remix) mp3 at Vacay Wave
Video:
Fight For Your Right - Revisited Complete 30 minute version (added 4/22/11)
Read:
Blurb about Beastie Boys' "Fight For Your Right - Revisited" at Huffington Post

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

With a name like Psychedelic Aliens, I'll definitely bite. Vintage African funky weirdness. If that doesn't wet your whistle, take a pass. Otherwise thank Aquarium Drunkard (host to all sorts of esoteric goodies), Rollo & Grady, Undomondo, and Frank from Voodoo Funk, who put the whole package together.

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Psychedelic Aliens - Blofonyobi Wo Atale mp3 at Aquarium Drunkard
Psychedelic Aliens - Okponmo Ni Tsitsi Emo Le mp3 at Aquarium Drunkard
Psychedelic Aliens - Hijacking mp3 at Rollo & Grady
Psychedelic Aliens - Extraordinary Woman mp3 at Undomondo
Read:
Psychedelic Aliens profile at Spinner.com

L.L.COOL S

Compared to Serge Gainsbourg fans, the French, or even your average hipster, I know very little about Serge Gainsbourg, and I like it that way. He's always been just an often referenced acclaimed musician. A once controversial, disheveled guy, who didn't give a shit, was big in France, and knew how to charm the ladies. (Which of course, makes him a perfect candidate for a post.) And one thing that can be said about the French, when they do unremarkable looking and off color, they do it right. Dude had style. When it comes to male swagger, the French got Gainsbourg, and we get Charlie Sheen burning bowling shirts. America has yet to find a way to mix Bernard Herrmann and Johnny Thunders.

Here's a few, the first four from soundtracks, which were the impetus for my buckling. A couple of them kinda remind me of Ennio Morricone, but that might just be the soundtrack thing.

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Listen:
Serge Gainsbourg - Requiem Por Un Con (from Le Pacha soundtrack) mp3 at Now Again Records
Serge Gainsbourg - New Delire (from Manon 70 soundtrack) mp3 at Now Again Records
Serge Gainsbourg - Danger (from Cannabis soundtrack) mp3 at Now Again Records
Serge Gainsbourg - Theme From La Horse mp3 at Now Again Records
Serge Gainsbourg - Javanaise mp3 at Zdanz
Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birken - Je Taime...Moi Non Plus mp3 at Avenge the Virgins
Serge Gainsborg & Nico - Strip Tease mp3 at 8106
Serge Gainsbourg & Françoise Hardy - L'amour en Privé mp3 at Art Decade
Serge Gainsbourg - Marilou Reggae mp3 at Clumsy & Shy
Video:
Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot - Bonnie & Clyde at YouTube
Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B. (and documentary footage) at YouTube
Serge Gainsbourg meets Whitney Houston (not his best moment) at YouTube
Visit:
The Secret Life of Serge Gainsbourg at Vanity Fair
Serge Gainsbourg - A Requiem at Now Again Records
Serge Gainsbourg - The Obscurity of Fame at WFMU.org
SergeGainsbourg.com

THEY'RE ONE DOLLAR

First off, let me apologize for indulging in this long winded flashback. I wouldn't blame you for skipping to the end. For you younger folk, you're going to have to take my word on this one: Rod Stewart used to be cool. Really. I saw Rod Stewart and the Faces back in 1975, on a bill with (gulp) Loggins & Messina, Fleetwood Mac and Lynyrd Skynyrd (concerts had all sorts of freaky bills back then). It was at an outdoor venue, San Diego High School's Balboa Stadium. By the time the Faces came on, my friends and I were spent. We had walked into the concert with a five gallon cooler full of Tequila Sunrise (no shit). We were all under age, and none of us yet experienced drinkers; hence the overkill, and the choice of drink. Halfway through the show, we realized that we couldn't possibly finish off the cooler full of warming cocktail. So we did what any enterprising teens would do. We began selling drinks from where we were seated, at a buck a shot, right there in broad daylight. Hard as it may be to believe, security was so lax that no one questioned why there would be a line of people forming, leading to a bunch of fresh faced teenagers. We weren't shit faced or anything, but it was probably the first time most of us were buzzed. (My brother was loose enough that he had his first make out session, with one of my sister's friends.)

After a day of bands that we weren't there to see, as the sun was setting, the normal between-set music died down. David Rose's "The Stripper" began playing over the PA system; the band came out, and plugged in their instruments, to the anticipatory roar of the crowd. Then Rod Stewart came out, arms raised, with a bottle of champagne in one hand; the place went suitably nuts. Once they started playing, it became apparent why the road crew had laid out a stage length mat. Stewart would pick up speed and then slide on it, falling on his ass a few times. As would be expected, they played a mix of Faces and Rod Stewart solo stuff (it was after Smiler came out, so Rod Stewart did not yet fully suck). To be honest, I don't remember much of the set list, I just remember thinking that we were all part of the same party. The Faces were having a ball. They were loose, goofy and self deprecating, and probably as buzzed as anyone in the crowd. It was one of the first shows I'd been to that seemed like the performers and the audience were on the same page, albeit one soaked in silly soup.

One more memory must be exorcised. About a year later, my first girlfriend had just broken up with me. I'm driving down Friars Road in my (sorely missed) '61 Falcon station wagon, blasting the second hand FM radio, when the Rod Stewart cover of the Temptation's "(I Know) I'm Losing You" comes on. I started feeling all sad sack; woe is me type shit. That is, before the songs tempo started to pick up, and the rock endorphins began flowing. By the time Kenny Jones starts wailing, I'm thinking "Wow, Kenny Jones sure can play! ...Lynn who?"

Post script: Just before I was getting ready to post this, I ran into the documentary video posted below. About midway (at 2:54), Ronny Lane pretty much confirms what I said about being on the same page. (But you really should watch the whole thing.)

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

Rod Stewart - (I Know) I'm Losing You mp3 at The Giant Panther
Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story mp3 at Rock Town Hall
The Faces - Stay With Me mp3 at Eresmas.net (?)
Rod Stewart - True Blue mp3 at NatalieMcDonald.com
The Faces - Ooh La La mp3 at Foe Weel (If you ever intend to grow old, you'll be glad you have this one.)
Video:
Rod Stewart & the Faces - (I Know) I'm Losing You at YouTube
Clip from a Faces documentary (1970) at YouTube

PATTI READS, PATTI SINGS

Sometime in the late 70s, a friend of mine was going to a book signing of Patti Smith's up in L.A., for her book, Babel. I asked him to pick one up for me, and he did, giving it to me the next time we hooked up. When I opened it and read the inscription, the few words said more to me than her first two LPs. It said, "To Tom, Tongue of Love, Patti Smith". I remember thinking, "what kind of a person writes that to a total stranger?" To write that to some unknown person sets you up for all sorts of misinterpretations or possible eye rolling. It would leave you vulnerable, to whatever the reader would take from it. That's when it became apparent that Patti Smith didn't shy away from other people's perceptions of her. With those few words, Patti Smith had nailed it. Let them think what they will think. Ever since then, I've always had a soft spot for her. Good or bad, she's always done her thing, without fear of criticism, or cynicism.

I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking of her as some sort of cool older sister or cousin. When she does something good, I think "good for her." When she does something that isn't my cup of tea, I just figure that Patti knows Patti best. But I've always had the utmost respect for her, as a performer and as an individual. Because she has shown, time and time again, that rock n' roll is not some sort of mindless teenager shit. It can be a party, it can be art, and it can be your life. But most of all, it can be liberating. I am not in love with Patti Smith. I'm in love with the spirit she represents.

Here's a bunch of Patti Smith stuff, at both ends of a thirty five year span. The earliest is a poetry reading from 1971, one of the first times that Lenny Kaye accompanied her. Though I never thought about her sounding old, or worldly, on these she sounds so goddamned young. Just listen and you'll see what I mean. There's some other readings as well, live stuff from 1976, and, at the bottom, a link to her final gig at CBGB's, just before it closed, in 2006. And the "Be My Baby" clip is only a short segment, in an otherwise not-my-thing video, from some party. Just skip to 1:10 to watch about a minute of a buoyant Patti Smith. I haven't checked out all of the stuff posted at these sites, so you'll want to follow the links for more. There's a ton of it.

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

Patti Smith, reading, St. Marks Church, NYC, Dec. 25, 1971

Bitch mp3 at Ubu Web
Seventh Heaven mp3 at Ubu Web
Piano mp3 at Ubu Web
Nine more at Ubu Web

Patti Smith, Max's Kansas City, NYC, 1974:
We're Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together mp3 at Ubu Web
Piss Factory mp3 at Ubu Web
Neo Boy/Hey Joe mp3 at Ubu Web
Eight more at Ubu Web

Patti Smith, reading, St. Marks Church, NYC, 1975
Patti Smith - Histories of the Universe mp3 at Ubu Web

Patti Smith, live at the London Roundhouse, 1976:
Free Money mp3 at ROIO
Pissing In A River mp3 at ROIO
Pumping (My Heart) mp3 at ROIO
Ain’t It Strange mp3 at ROIO
Gloria mp3 at ROIO
Time Is On My Side mp3 at ROIO
More live stuff, from Central Park, 1975, and two interviews at ROIO.

Video:
Patti Smith's final CBGB's performance (2006) at Beware of the Blog
Patti Smith - Be My Baby, LMA Party, Fashion Week, 2010 at YouTube. Note: skip to 1:10 in the video, to avoid all the nonsense.

WORLD'S RAREST FUNK 45S

The above photo is of the Fabulous Mark III, who don't appear on either compilation, but make for a suitably generic funk band shot.

There's no shortage of claims to "rarest funk 45," because DJ's are what they spin. But, unless you're a DJ or a collector, should it really matter? Really, music should be qualified by its quality, not necessarily its scarcity. That said, I'm all over obscure music, not because it's rare, or even because it's good. I just like to have bands that I'm not that familiar with stuck in the middle of mixes. So when I ran across these two posts at Hard Raw Deep Funk, I bit. I figured some of you might like some obscure funk too. If your a total fiend, chances are you may have these anyway. But in case you don't, here's some rare funk, from "World's Rarest Funk 45s" volumes 1 & 2. (Volume 2 should really be titled "World's 17th - 32nd Rarest Funk 45s," but this isn't the place for nitpicking.)

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

Individual songs:
Larry Ellis And The Black Hammer - Funky Thing (Part 1) mp3 (via DivShare) at Hard Raw Deep Funk
The PC's Limited - Fast Man mp3 (via DivShare) at Hard Raw Deep Funk
Innersouls - Just Take Your Time mp3 (via DivShare) at Hard Raw Deep Funk
Black on White Affair - Funky Manuel mp3 (via DivShare) at Hard Raw Deep Funk
Full albums (16 cuts each):
World's Rarest Funk 45s, Vol 1 - Full album download link (in the comments section of post)
World's Rarest Funk 45s, Vol 2 - Full album download link (in the comments section of post)

BATTLE OF THE LEADING LADIES

Here's a couple by actresses who sing, or at least think they can sing. You be the judge. It was with skepticism that I clicked on the Scarlett Johansson & Peter Yorn thing, "I Am the Cosmos", but I ended up liking it. Her voice ain't bad, and I really like the way the song is written. If it would have been given a Pet Sounds treatment, I'd be slobbering all over the place.

After I heard it, I remembered that Goldie Hawn did a respectable cover of "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight," backed by the Buckaroos (that's Buck Owens' band for those of you who aren't Ginny). I went looking for it, but couldn't find it. But I did find her cover of "Hard Days Night," from a George Martin compilation. As an afterthought I went digging for a Juliette Lewis cut, just to, you know, give this post a feisty edge. Found exactly the type of song I was looking for, one with her and the Prodigy.

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

Scarlett Johansson & Peter Yorn - I Am the Cosmos mp3 at 8106
Goldie Hawn - A Hard Days Night mp3 at Scalp Plaxmol
Juliette Lewis with The Prodigy - Spitfire mp3 at Dark Castle
Bonus:
Chris Bell - I Am The Cosmos mp3 at Chompy.net