MOVE OVER JERRY LEE

I've always dug Roy Head's "Treat Her Right," it's only about two minutes long and has hardly any lyrics, a song so simple that even Johnny Thunders couldn't fuck it up. But I've heard little else of his, and knew squat of his background. After listening to the song again tonight, I decided to take a look-see. I ran across a great cover of Rosco Gordon's "Just A Little Bit." Then, on another hunt for an image, I landed on a post about Head at The Hound Blog. There in the middle of a long profile (with eleven mp3s and a few videos!), I ran into this illuminating quote: "I beat up club owners, choked disc jockeys, and did a lot of things I wish I hadn't done. Just just screwed up." Roy Head is now one of my favorite people.

This video is better once you know he's a party monster.

A read of The Hound's piece is highly recommended. Let's just close with another Head gem: "Hell, I've screwed up. I've got thrown off tours because I was having a little more fun than some of the other acts. I bit Elvis Presley on the leg when I was drunk one night and his bodyguards leaped on me, man, I had to go to the chiropractor for three weeks to get straightened out. I'm still not through. If there's one son of a bitch in the room that's paid to hear me, I'll work my butt off for them." There is no other guest of honor tonight.

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Listen:
Roy Head - Treat Her Right mp3 at Rocky-52.net
Roy Head - Just A Little Bit mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
Roy Head - One More Time mp3 at The Hound Blog
Roy Head - Ten more songs at The Hound Blog
Visit:
Roy Head - Excellent profile at The Hound Blog
Roy Head at Wikipedia

TIME TO BONE UP

Oh joy, another reunion. Actually, this one might not be so bad, if only because At The Drive-In didn't really get their fully deserved due on their first go around. They must have just announced it, because there seems to be a some sorta elder-blogger buzz going around. And you kids had better listen up. If you wonder what all the fuss was the first time, have a look at this video:

Yeah, try keeping that up for a set, which, by all reports, they apparently did. There's nary a video around that doesn't show them like some ten year old kid, hopped up on two pots of coffee, being told that they're going to Disneyland tomorrow, oh, and by the way, today is Christmas. It's now eleven years later (and yes, I did end up looking that up), and they're eleven years older. More coffee.

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

Listen:
At The Drive-In - Pattern Against User mp3 at Central Village
At The Drive-In - One Armed Scissor mp3 at Herbert
At The Drive-In - Arcarsenal mp3 at Karljohann.hneta.net
At The Drive-In – For Now … We Toast mp3 at Cause Equals Time
At The Drive-In - Metronome Arthritis mp3 (via MediaFire) at Metal Bastard

NO, YOU SUCK.

You could spend a whole lot of time trying to track down all of the releases of any reggae DJ, so it's no wonder that it took me a while to get to Prince Jazzbo. With U Roy, Dillinger, Dr. Alimantado, Big Youth, and Dennis Alcapone (among others) all with older releases still lingering on my want list, I was hard pressed to let any others in the door. That was before I heard the long version of Prince Jazzbo's "Crab Walking," which features all the elements: a Studio One rhythm (Horace Andy's "Skylarking," thank you very much), toasting, and, on the disco mix, dub. It was immediately put into heavy rotation. (Note: Couldn't find the long version, but the single version is below.) He was added to the list, as was I Roy, due to the ongoing feud between the two. Though they remained friends until I Roy's death in 1999, they kept listeners on their toes (and record sales up) with potshots at each other on vinyl; and unlike other musical battles, their intents were not all that veiled. Titles included “Straight to Jazzbo’s Head" (I Roy), “Straight to I-Roy’s Head" (Jazzzbo), “Jazzbo Have Fe Run” (I Roy & Prince Far I) and “Gal Boy I-Roy” (Jazzbo). King Tubby & the Aggrovators even got their two cents in with "Straight To I Roy's Big Mouth," which has got to be one of the greatest reggae song titles ever. Good times.

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Listen:
Prince Jazzbo - Gal Boy I Roy mp3 at Bedazzled
Prince Jazzbo - Takeover mp3 at Reggae Top Site
Prince Jazzbo and Lee Perry - Croaking Lizard mp3 at 4Shared
Prince Jazzbo - Pepper Rock mp3 at Reggae Top Site

Prince Jazzbo - Crab Walking mp3 via 4Shared* *NOTE: Once there click on blue "Download Now" button, then wait until the timer times out (don't click on the orange "click here" button unless you want to sign up for a premium service). Click on "Download file now" link when it appears.

More feud fun at YouTube (streaming):
I Roy - Straight to Jazzbo’s Head
Prince Jazzbo's Straight to I-Roy’s Head vs I Roy's Jazzbo Have Fe Run
Visit:
I Roy and Prince Jazzbo at War at Distinctly Jamaican Sounds

YEAH? SHOW ME SPECIAL

I was not all that surprised that the Specials still had an official web site. Thinking: Oh, hey, there's a blog...let's see here...oh, wow, there's something about a tour? Oh yeah, this is gonna be rich. What's this nonsense about strings? ...and so on. Then I scanned to the bottom of the page, waaay down there, and in tiny type, it said "Jerry Dammers will not be performing as part of the re-formed The Specials." What?! If you ask me, no Dammers, no Specials, AKA or otherwise. Reformed or otherwise. I've forgotten their history (and I'm too lazy right now to deal with researching why I have the impression that I do), but somewhere along the way, I've had reason to think of Dammers as the heart and soul of the Specials. Whether or not it's warranted, that's what I think. When the Specials split up, some became the Fun Boy Three, and some became Special AKA. The latter went on to record "Free Nelson Mandela," which is a magnificent piece of work. The former did a Go-Go's song. And Dammers was the head AKA-er, that much I know. So he was there for "Message To You Rudy," he was there for "Ghost Town" and he was most definitely there for "Free Nelson Mandela." Nope, sorry. Ain't buying it. If he's not in it, it ain't.

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

Listen:
The Specials - A Message to You Rudy mp3 at Booween
The Specials - Little Bitch mp3 at Joe Bien
The Specials - Ghost Town mp3 at 8106
Special AKA - Free Nelson Mandela mp3 at Contort

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.

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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

DIRTBOMBS SAVE THE DAY

The good old reliable Dirtbombs. Every time there's a lull, either in motivation or new cool stuff, you can always depend on a handful of bands that are consistently listenable, have a pretty vast catalog, and are posted often. The Dirtbombs are one of those bands. You could shoot at a pile of mp3s blindfolded and still hit something interesting by the Dirtbombs. Here's five, the first two are from a recent LP of Detroit techno covers. The last three are the Dirtbombs we all know and love. Check out "Chains of Love" for them doing what they do best.

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Listen:
The Dirtbombs - Alleys of Your Mind mp3 at Big Rock Candy Mountain
The Dirtbombs - Sharevari mp3 at The Finest Kiss
The Dirtbombs - Chains of Love mp3 at Indie Rock Cafe
The Dirtbombs - Cosmic Cars mp3 at KEXP
The Dirtbombs - Get It While You Can mp3 at Dailybeatz

SOME PRODUCT

Nothing new here, just schmoozing for dollars. Whether it's appearing in commercials or print ads, endorsing products, having tours sponsored, or co-branding of merchandise, it blows. You might call it doing what you have to do too remain a recording artist without having to resort to (shudder) working a day job like the rest of us suckers. Some may call it selling out. And guess what? Some of us working suckers consider artistic purity when it comes time to go record shopping. Here's just a few random offenders. Some are obvious (Michael Jackson), some are surprising (X, John Lydon) and some were just the drummers, so their share of millions of dollars just won't take them through the end of the month. Believe me, these were so easy to find, this could have gone on all night. Let's start with the granddaddy of them all, the I-Tunes commercial, where the all star suck-ups include Liz Phair, George Clinton, Exene (X), De La Soul, Iggy Pop, Chuck Berry, Lil Kim, Smashmouth, Dwight Yoakum, Amy Mann, Ziggy Marley, Barry White, and Jeff Tweedy (Wilco).

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Listen:
The Who - Odorono (deodorant) mp3 at The Rising Storm ( parody)
Rolling Stones - Rice Crispies mp3 at Guterman
X - This Bud's For You mp3 at Billy Zoom.com
The Ramones - Fill My Cup (Steel Reserve) mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Ramones - High Gravity Lager (Steel Reserve) mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Ramones - Gimme My Steel Reserve (Steel Reserve) mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Troggs - Coca Cola mp3 at 4Shared
The Supremes - Coca-Cola mp3 at 4Shared
Full length collection:

Things Go Better With Coke (108 Coke commercials '65-69) via Megaupload) at Psychotic Leisure Mustic (Download link and password at bottom of post) 108 Coke commercials with the American Breed, Aretha Franklin, B.J.Thomas, the Bee Gees, the Box Tops, Carla Thomas, the Drifters, the Everly Brothers, the Fifth Dimension, Fontella Bass, Golden Earring, Jan Dean, Joe Tex, Leslie Gore, Los Bravos, Marvin Gaye, Nancy Sinatra, Petula Clark, Ray Charles, the Shirelles, the Supremes, the Troggs, Vanilla Fudge, and the Who, just to name, well, most of them.


Lou Reed in Honda ad (Thanks to Ray, TGWAFCSOYT)

Video:
Neil Young - This Note's For You (parody) at YouTube
Os Mutantes - Shell Oil commercial at YouTube
White Stripes - Coca Cola commercial at YouTube
Iggy Pop - Car Insurance commercial at YouTube
John Lydon - Butter commercial at YouTube:
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Nike commercial at Youtube
James Brown - Miso Soup commercial at YouTube
Ringo Starr - Pizza Hut commercial at YouTube
Ringo Starr - Oldsmobile commercial at YouTube
Ringo Starr - Country Wine Cooler commercial at YouTube
Ringo Starr - Japanese apple drink commercial at YouTube
Ringo Starr - Private Issue credit card commercial at YouTube
Ringo Starr - Charles Schwab commercial at YouTube
Michael Jackson - Pepsi commercial commercial at YouTube
Britney Spears, Beyonce, Pink Enrique Iglesias - Pepsi commercial at YouTube

WHO THE HELL WERE THEY?

Here we go. I've been poking around smelly bins of music minutiae for years, and I still run into stuff I can't find anything about. In this case, a band called the Parkays. First off, it may be just a small coincidence that the first time I ever heard of the Parkays is when the Mystery Suggester hipped me to their groovy "Last Date" a while back. Soon afterward, she pointed me towards the Martinis "Hung Over."

Exhibit A: The Martinis featured one Packy Axton, a sax player who was in the Mar-Keys, and partied his way out of a steady gig at Stax (owned by his mother and uncle). He went on to form a series of combos, among them bands called the Packers and the Pac-keys. Exhibit B: You will note that similarities between the Mar-Keys' "Last Night" and the Parkays' "Green Monkeys." Exhibit C; The similarities in band names, the Mar-Keys, the Parkays, and the Pac-Keys. Exhibit D (the only sketchy one): All references to the Parkays point to the ABC-Paramount label, who, though based in New York, "licensed finished masters from independent producers and purchased regionally-released records for national distribution" (according to the Wikipedia entry for the label).

This is where I get off. I may continue the poking around later, and I may not. Who knows? I might get a wild hair and become the unofficial biographer of the Parkays, seeing as how there doesn't seem to be anybody else stepping forward. Maybe I'll just start a Parkays Locator Club. Wanna join?

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

Listen:
The Parkays - Green Monkeys mp3 at Diddy Wah
Visit Diddy Wah for another Parkays cut
The Mar-Keys - Last Night mp3 at Rock 'n; Soul Ichiban
The Pac-Keys - Dig In mp3 at Office Naps
The Packers - Hole In the Wall mp3 at The Hound Blog

WE PISS ANYWHERE MAN

I was bumming around The Hound Blog the other day and I ran into a really good post about the bootleg 6 CD set that is The Genuine Black Box, a set that the Hound rates as the best ever Stones bootleg (and this guy knows his shit). He posted a whole bunch of worthwhile stuff, from early demos and unreleased finished songs to alternate takes and alternate vocals (Jagger on "You Got The Silver," and Richards on "Gimme Shelter"). I'm not linking to any of the songs, because you really ought to go there to get them, he's got all these awesome annotations going on. (Click on the linked song titles in the text for the songs.) All the stuff is great quality, some much more raw sounding than the released versions, which suits me fine. (Check out "Jumpin' Jack Flash.") Well, don't just stand around looking stupid. Go get 'em!

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Listen:
The Secret World Of The Rolling Stones- The Genuine Black Box at The Hound Blog Roughly 18 songs, a few videos and and the background information on the songs and set.

BACK OFF ROMEO

I just ran into a post on a blog that mentioned someone with the last name of Self. If you're into rockabilly, you might have had the same sort of association that I did. I immediately thought of Ronnie Self, a rockabilly second stringer who released two songs that have ended up on more than a few rockabilly compilations, "Bop-A-Lena" and "Ain't I'm a Dog," along with a host of other solid rockabilly records. Before I even started poking around, I told myself that if I found them posted by this French guy named Rocky, I would take the opportunity to sing his praises. Why? Because in this house, Rocky (of Rocky-52.net) is a fiend by which all fiends are measured. And guess what? Good ol' Rocky had the only three Ronnie Self songs I could find posted anywhere. And it didn't surprise me. The man is a saint, Rocky-52 that is. Primarily into rockabilly and country and western, he has space on his palet for assorted other genres like Western swing, hillbilly, early rock 'n' roll, and the odd surf, blues and what not. His site looks pretty basic, but do a little digging and you'll be blown away at how much stuff is on there. Just click on "discography" (on the menu on the left side of his home page), pick an artist. If there's a speaker icon, there's an mp3. He's got a lot of top shelf stuff. About Ronnie Self: you can read about him at the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, but do give his stuff a listen; especially "You're So Right For Me" which features the most self defeating delivery of any courtin' song I've ever heard. Dude sounds fucking crazy.

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

Listen:
Ronnie Self - You're So Right For Me mp3 at Rocky-52.net
Ronnie Self - Ain't I'm A Dog mp3 at Rocky-52.net
Ronnie Self - Bop-A-Lena mp3 at Rocky-52.net
Visit:
Ronnie Self at the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
Rocky-52.net Note: Click on discography, pick an artist. If there's a speaker icon, there's an mp3.

BO PLUS THE DUCHESS TIMES INFINITY

The video below slays me. Bo Diddley, with the Duchess..., ooh the Duchess. She, the total proto-Ivy. I was digging a lot of stuff about this one. Hell, first off, it's in shitty quality black and white, which is totally apropos. It gets so repetitive in the middle that it's almost Velvet Underground-ish. Then there's the dancers, and the trippy (for the time) prism effects. I started to fantasize about seeing that video at high volume in front of a wall of a hundred screens, all showing it simultaneously. Party 'til you puke.

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Listen:
Bo Diddley - Diddy Wah Diddy mp3 at Diddy Wah

EL MEJOR JERRY, EL MEJOR

Flaco Jiménez has been around a long ass time. I dig him. Maybe it's because I've spent just about my whole life about twenty minutes from Mexico. I don't know. Is it a border thing? I can't be objective. Flaco's the best. (The best, Jerry, the best.)

Here's a few by him, and a Texas Tornados cut that's really good. The Texas Tornado were some sort of Tex-Mex supergroup weren't they? Doug Sahm, Augie Meyers, Freddy Fender and Flaco Jimenez, in one band. Fuck-'n-A. Beats the Traveling Wilburys, hands down if you ask me. And whoever's on pedal steel on the cut below is pretty badass too.

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Listen:
Flaco Jiménez - El Pata Caliente mp3 at Let's Polka
Flaco Jiménez - Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio mp3 at 4Shared
Flaco Jiménez - Laureles mp3 at Let's Polka
Flaco Jiménez - En El Cielo No Hay Cerveza mp3 at L.A. East Side
The Texas Tornados - Hey Baby, Que Paso? mp3 at Geolibro.org
Visit:
Flaco Jiménez - Interview at PBS
Flaco Jiménez at Wikipedia Please somebody, if you have a discography, add add it to the wiki thing!

PORT OF CALL: ODDBALL

Really, with a cover like the one above and a band called Dorothy and the Vampires, did you really expect me not to click? This ditty from Singapore might seem a bit tepid, but when will you ever run into it again? Found at Radiodiffusion International, a site that features vintage oddballs from Africa, the Middle East and Asia. If that doesn't wet your whistle, you must not be into the exotic bag.

You've heard "Miserlou," "Telstar," and "Walk, Don't Run" to the point of exhaustion, right? Here's a couple instrumentals you won't recognize, by the Silhouettes, lifted from the first stereo record released in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Dig it, "Bhavayia" features solos in guitar, organ and sitar.

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Listen:
Dorothy & the Vampires - 爱情感气球 (Love is Like a Balloon) mp3 at Radiodiffusion International
The Silhouettes - Bhavayia mp3 at Radiodiffusion International
The Silhouettes - Hodge Podge mp3 at Radiodiffusion International
Visit:
Many more exotic oddballs at the Radiodiffusion Annex

BURY HIM WITH THE GLOVE

Holy shit, another bummer. I just found out that Sean Bonniwell, lead singer of the Music Machine died on December 20. Before going any further let me just say this: if you don't own "Talk Talk," and don't download it now, you are a dandy boy and have no business hanging around here. If you know the song, and I'd expect that most of you do, you know what I'm talking about. Two minutes of archetypical perfection. The brevity, the lyrics, the fuzz, the organ, the vocals, the groans, the solos, the mix, the title. Shit. Can you think of a single genre specific quality that it doesn't possess? It was the Music Machine's first single. One minute and fifty nine seconds. Bang! They're in the annals.

I've moaned about some of their other less effective stuff on an earlier post, so I won't go into it here, just as I won't go into their other excellent stuff. This is just a head's up. Just listen to "Talk Talk" and relish in it's awesomeness.

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Listen:

The Music Machine - Talk Talk mp3 at Sous les Paves, la Plage
The Music Machine - Trouble mp3 at Sous les Paves, la Plage
The Music Machine - Double Yellow Line mp3 at The Rising Storm
The Music Machine - Come On In mp3 at Iron Leg
The Music Machine - Cherry Cherry mp3 at Sous les Paves, la Plage
Video:
The Music Machine - Cherry Cherry at YouTube (The sight of a flute player with a black leather glove slays me.)
Earlier Music Machine posts:
Rocket From the Machine Rocket From the Crypt play the Music Machine
If It Works, Don't Fix It Rag, rag, rag.
Read:
Sean Bonniwell - Obituary at the L.A. Times
Beyond The Garage - Sean Bonniwell's site
The Music Machine at Wikipedia

BAREFOOT IS GOOD

Are there any artists in your collection that are personal favorites, but no one else you know seems to have heard of them? You know, they become so yours, that you don't even attempt the impulsive "you gotta hear this" push. Cesaria Evora is like that for me. After listening to the one album I had for a couple years, it turned out that one of my friends had heard of her, and because of who that friend was (and still is), and what their taste in music was, it seemed to validate my own fondness for Cesaria's music.

I'm not lying: This gives me goosebumps.

Cesaria Evora passed away about a week and a half ago, and it was a uncharacteristically solemn moment for me when I heard the news, as if a friend had died. Often referred to as "the barefoot diva," she sang for years in the night clubs of her native Cape Verde in relative...no, make that total obscurity, until someone offered her a trip to Paris to record an LP in the eighties. At that point she was 47, and her career finally kicked into high gear, spreading the sound of morna globally (much like Bob Marley's music became entry level reggae). Morna is often referred to a music of longing and sadness, and because of the disparate elements, it's really kind of hard to peg the sound. It's easier to say what it feels like, and to me it feels like an earthy version of Billie Holiday, at her saddest. I'm at a loss to explain why I think it's beautiful, or if it even really belongs here.

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

Listen:
Cesaria Evora - Petit Pays mp3 at Digital Citrus
Cesaria Evora - Rotcha 'scribida mp3 at Baza
Cesaria Evora - Besame Mucho mp3 at Llaertsky.com
Cesaria Evora - Sodade mp3 at Star Maker Machine Note: Go there to get it, because they have a good concise bio. Plus they get extra special credit for being one of the very few blogs to note her passing.
Visit:
Cesaria Evora - Official site
Cesaria Evora - Excellent bio at ArthurScount

HIPSTER REPELLANT

It only takes one good song to gain admission over here, and one good song is about all I know of Porter Wagoner. But, what a doozy it is. Some of you may know it from the Flying Burrito Brothers cover of it. Tom Jones, and a few others, covered it as well. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure Wagoner's is the original. Doesn't matter though. If it's all that important to you, feel free to pipe in. By the way, check out "The Rubber Room" and tell me if that doesn't have Cramps written all over it. For all I know the Cramps may have covered it. (See how I cover myself? A simple yet effective anti-nitpicker shield.)

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

Listen:
Porter Wagoner - Green Green Grass of Home mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Porter Wagoner - Rubber Room mp3 at Beware of the Blog

JUST DON'T MESS UP ANYTHING

What the hell. I'll give these guys a ride. The less I know the better. They're already on thin ice, because of the stupid band name, and a song title that consists of the word "Like" seven times in a row. But, yeah, what the hell, what with the holidays and all, I'm feeling more tolerant, and too lazy to dismiss a band that managed to wiggle it's way into my space based solely on the guitar, (perfectly) crude mix, and songs that are hard to shake. I just hope they don't take themselves too seriously, because that would ruin everything.

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

Listen:

The Intelligence - Thank You God For Fixing the Tape Machine mp3 at Brooklyn Vegan

The Intelligence - Sailor Itch mp3 at KEXP
The Intelligence - Like [x 7] mp3 at Get Bent
Video:
The Intelligence - Bong Life at YouTube
The Intelligence - Like [x 7] (live) at YouTube
Visit:
The Intelligence at In The Red Records

IT'S THE ECONOMY, SANTA

We had a few Christmas records when I was growing up, but none played as much as a Nat King Cole Christmas album. It consisted of a few standards and a few upbeat kid oriented numbers, the most annoying of which was "The Happiest Christmas Tree" ("I'm the happiest Christmas Tree, Ho, ho, ho!, Hee, hee, hee!, Look how pretty they dressed me..."). There was one track that was odd in juxtaposition, the dark side of the happiest Christmas tree coin. It was "The Little Boy That Santa Clause Forgot." It's got to be one of the most depressing holiday oriented songs I've ever heard. But guess what? It's even harder to hear it these days, because it paints a scenario that may be more likely today than it was when it was released.

This one is for my siblings, who know well all of the words.

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Listen:
A Girl Called Eddy - The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot mp3 at Crying All The Way To The Chip Shop
Visit:
Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Together

DARLENE LOVE ALERT: TONIGHT!

Wow, that went by in a blink. Exactly a year ago, I posted a thing about Darlene Love's annual appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman. Every year she performs her signature song, "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" on the last Letterman show before Christmas. (You can read my whole gushing thing here.) This post is just a reminder that tonight is the night, the twenty fifth year she's done it, and it's worth watching. When I think about all the different places I've been while been watching her perform this particular song, and the different states of sobriety (it's on after midnight for crying out loud!), it's like experiencing the last couple decades flashing before my eyes. I've watched it in bars, at parties, at friends' houses, at my own parties, while wrapping gifts, while exchanging gifts, and at home by myself. Gawd, I think I may have even watched on a night I was DJing. (Again, if you want to know what the fuss is about, check out last years post.) It's my own personal holiday tradition. Make it yours.

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

Listen:
Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) mp3 at AM Then FM
Video:
Added 12/24/11: Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) 2011, Letterman at YouTube
Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) 2010, Letterman at YouTube
Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) 2006, Letterman at YouTube
Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) 2009, Letterman at YouTube
Darlene Love - Saved (1965) video at YouTube
Darlene Love - Christmas Time For The Jews (claymation) video at Hulu.com (from Saturday Night Live)
Visit:
Last years post, with additional video and assorted gushing

STAY ON THE SCENE

I was going to ease up on all this holiday stuff, but that was before the Godfather of Soul entered my ear canals today. I realized that I never gave him his holiday due. It's no surprise that The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, a man who could turn a fart into a soul funk classic, was also prolific in the Christmas music game. There's tons of his holiday stuff out there and, like most of his output, a high percentage is good enough to eat. So, as I again celebrate another lazy post, here's James Brown. The Man.

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

Listen:
James Brown - Funky Christmas mp3 at SB Dave
James Brown - Go Time At Christmas Time mp3 at The Sound of Indie
James Brown - Soulful Christmas mp3 at Love My Oldies
James Brown - Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto mp3 at Too Much Happiness
James Brown - Christmas In Heaven mp3 at Pup 'n' Taco
James Brown - Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year mp3 at Too Much Happiness
James Brown - Merry Christmas Baby mp3 at Plain or Pan
Visit:
James Brown - Discography at Wikipedia