Archive for the ‘Atco’ Category
Wednesday, July 8th, 2009
Listen: I’m Blue / The IkettesIkettesBlue.mp3
All the behind the scenes drama, politics, tension and sleeze associated with Ike & Tina Turner is an endless source of stimulation for this voyeur. Get hold of every last cd booklet accompanying their reissues, and especially the box sets (the Time/Life one is hugely advised) and study. The countless sessions and musical chairs will never really be figured out, but when this bunch was on – they were truly on. Whether as an after thought, or a genius parallel business model, The Ikettes were the bomb. ‘I’m Blue’ premiered them to vinyl and was probably an unexpected hit. The first of many sizzling, gutteral vocal performances – you could always depend on an Ikettes single.
Listen: Peaches & Cream / The Ikettes IkettesPeaches.mp3
‘Peaches & Cream’ sounded fantastic on AM radio in ’65, and I was well excited to see that summer’s Dick Clark Caravan Of Stars make a Syracuse stop. The Ikettes took the stage in silk fringed orange mini dresses and gyrated though four numbers including this one. Being afforded the benefit of headliner Tom Jones’ full brass back up band transformed it into a crazy wild Soul revue. Not surprisingly, these weren’t The Ikettes at all, at least not the ones on record. Still through Ike’s revolving door it seems everyone was an Ikette for a minute, so who’s complaining. Considering they followed Them on stage after ‘Here Comes The Night’, ‘Call My Name’ and a rousing ‘Gloria’, and upped the stakes is proof of their power.
Listen: I’m So Thankful / The Ikettes IkettesThankful.mp3
Like The Flirtations’ ‘Nothing But A Heartache, ‘I’m So Thankful’ is one of the great Motown records that was never on Motown. You’d swear it was recorded right there on Grand Blvd.
Tags: Atco, Atlantic, Caravan Of Stars, Dick Clark, Ike & Tina Turner, Motown, Polydor, Stateside, The Flirtations, The Ikettes, Them, Tom Jones
Posted in Atco, Atlantic, Dick Clark, Ike & Tina Turner, Motown, Polydor, Stateside, The Flirtations, The Ikettes, Them, Tom Jones | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
Listen: Jadoo / Passport PassportJadoo.mp3
Back in ’74/’75 when I worked at Discount Records’ Syracuse University location, a bunch of my co-worker pals were really into all the jazzy prog coming out of the UK and Europe. Bands like PFM, Hatfield & The North, Faust, that kind of stuff. Probably it’s how I got turned on to Passport. I didn’t follow that sound down the Herbie Hancock or Mahavishnu Orchestra path though and drifted back to more familiar terrain quickly. Some of the sonic elements that, say, Manfred Mann’s Earthband would incorporate, were enough for me.
I always liked ‘Jadoo’ from the CROSS COLLATERAL album and was so excited when the WEA salesman, Jack Riehle gave me a sampler 7″. I hadn’t listened to this in a good ten years. Having pulled it out recently, I was actually shocked to discover it a precursor to techno. Who knew?
Posted in Atco, Discount Records, Faust, Hatfield & The North, Herbie Hancock, Jack Riehle, Klaus Doldinger Passport, Mahavishnu Orchestra, PFM | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
Listen: It's The Little Things / Sonny & Cher SonnyCherLittle.mp3
Listen: You Better Sit Down Kids / Cher CherKids.mp3
Listen: Laugh At Me / Sonny SonnyLaugh.mp3
It’s hard to top ‘I Got You Babe’? Fuck that, ‘It’s The Little Things’ kills it. Splat. I’ve been listening over and over tonight, can’t think of a thing to say – I just keep repeating it. When Cher’s voice cracks at exactly 2:06 on “you’re STILL my guy”, I lose it. They were so in love then – it couldn’t be hidden. Incredible.
Running down a parallel track starting around ’65 was the train known as Cher’s solo career. ‘You Better Sit Down Kids’ was pretty heavy stuff, she even takes on the male role lyrically which always seemed a little off. Despite the song’s message, I still think they were in love though.
One night I was walking past The Bottom Line, the legendary NY club now gone. Out came Sonny with Chastity. Damn if I can remember who was playing that evening. I make a habit of carrying blank jukebox tabs and these are just the moments when I’m happy I do. Sonny was so gracious, and like everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, I have ever asked to fill one out he said “Nobody has ever asked me to do this before”. Neither of us could remember the B side. Chastity and Corinne were of no help.
The real genius behind Sonny & Cher, his tenure on the LA record making circuit with Phil Spector, Leon Russell, Al Kooper etc is now very obvious. He wore it humbly on his sleeve. A real unsung talent.
Posted in Al Kooper, Atco, Bottom Line, Cherry Truckers, Imperial, Leon Russell, Phil Spector, Sonny & Cher, Sonny Bono | No Comments »
Monday, November 10th, 2008
I hung out with Phil tonight. He stopped by to get some songs needed for a DJ job in Scotland that he’s schlepping to. He started brainstorming about his next project, The Cherry Truckers and played me a few tracks. It’s going to be pretty hot.
We met ten years ago when I picked up his band The Lo Fidelity Allstars for Columbia and became fast record collecting friends. We certainly had some fun bus rides on those US tours. Then a few months ago, by ridiculous coincidence, he and Holly bought an apartment two blocks from me. Why he left England is a constant to and fro between us but that’s another story. Deservedly, their single ‘Battleflag’ became a pretty big hit even in the States. You see the original version, which was blocked from release, had a Prince bit in it. The Lo Fi’s publisher, Warner-Chappell also published Prince, but couldn’t seem to get him to clear it – or according to some sources, had no rapport with him to even present the idea at all – so off it came. This post is that uncleared version. Some white labels were initially pressed for clubs, but the legal department freaked and in addition to ordering them destroyed – covered their asses by having them stamped ‘Uncleared Sample – Do Not Circulate’ first, just in case. That was way too tempting for me. I had a pal in the plant grab a few boxes and send them straight over to my office. They have since changed hands on eBay for crazy amounts. Worth it I must say. More importantly, this version is out there as it should be – and I bet Prince would like it too. See if you can spot the potential issue.
Listen: Battleflag / The Lo Fidelity Allstars 07 Battleflag.mp3
So Phil is flipping through stuff, putting together some songs to play at this Scottish do. Inevitably, these are the fun moments, when one good track leads you to find another. Not having heard this in ages, we gave it a play. I’d forgotten about it’s deep soul production, one only a great voice can fill. Never knew at the time if this was a guy or girl. Deon was pronounced just like Dionne, and it always baffled me until I saw him on Shindig. This record actually got it’s start on TV. It was CKLW’s Swingin’ Time, Detroit’s local American Bandstand knockoff that triggered it. He even managed an album on Carla’s parent label, Atco. According to Wikipedia, he’s a student supervisor nowadays.
Listen: Love Makes The World Go Round / Deon Jackson 11 Love Makes The World Go Round.mp3
Tags: Deon Jackson, Dionne Warwick, Prince, Shindig, Skint, The Lo Fidelity Allstars
Posted in Atco, Cherry Truckers, CKLW, Columbia, Deon Jackson, Dionne Warwick, Phil Ward, Prince, Shindig, Skint, Swingin' Time, The Lo Fidelity Allstars | No Comments »
Sunday, September 28th, 2008
Listen: Never Ending Song Of Love – Delaney & Bonnie & Friends 06 Never Ending Song Of Lov.mp3
I never got too deeply into that American country sound, the occasional single by The Band or Poco once in a while, I guess. In hindsight, the more country/blues, loosely shambled records actually appeal from time to time. Seems like everybody has forgotten about Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. Probably best known for letting Eric Clapton join their band after the success of The Cream, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and The Yardbirds was just too much to handle, they seemed to fade away as soon as he left. Don’t know about you, but I never hear them anywhere. Bonnie Bramlett got into a scrabble with Elvis Costello after he’d made a racial slur towards blacks in a hotel bar once. So I do give her props for that. Once in a while, I like the laziness of their back porch sound to be honest.
Tags: Atco, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Eric Clapton, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Poco, The Band, The Cream, The Yardbirds
Posted in Atco, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, Elvis Costello, Eric Clapton, John Mayall, Poco, The Band, The Cream, The Yardbirds | No Comments »
Friday, June 20th, 2008
Listen: I Walk On Guilded Splinters Part 1) / Dr. John, The Night Tripper
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If ever, as a youngster, I felt intimidated by an album cover; or more precisely by the life that artist appeared to lead as a result of the album’s graphics, it was Dr. John, The Night Tripper’s GRIS GRIS. I was starting to get interested in drugs and this one sure did look druggy to me. A dark, menacing smoke filled back lit photo of this guy, super imposed over an even more alarming profile shot not only frightened, but of course, sold me on getting a copy. To be honest, I didn’t like it much for a the longest while but it was a bit of a dark secret pleasure still the same. My friends hated it. Even the mono (they were a buck cheaper) Atco label looked kinda ‘stoned’ to me, butterscotch and gray……these were hangover colors. I had a couple of other mono Atco albums, The Cream’s FRESH CREAM and the first Buffalo Springfield record. They were fittingly considered drug records. So Atco too became intriguing as well. Always more focused on singles than albums I was well pleased to get one of ‘I Walk On Guilded Splinters’, dividing the the 7:57 album version into Parts 1 & 2. How can you not be curious by a song with this title? I certainly was. I seem to remember it being the clincher for putting down the $2.98 of lawn mowing money to buy the LP.
Tags: Dr. John
Posted in Atco, Dr. John, The Buffalo Springfield, The Cream | No Comments »
