Archive for the ‘Capitol’ Category
Saturday, November 13th, 2010
Listen: The Robots (Edited Version) / Kraftwerk KraftwerkRobots.mp3
Thirty two years. It’s a long time.
Well that number represents two things: how many years ago ‘The Robots’ was released and how many years behind contemporary music just about every commercial radio station in America is. They still have no idea.
Believe me, liking this single or Kraftwerk in 1978 got you many a cross eyed look. No worries, I was used to them. The same facial expression greeted me for loving The Pretty Things first album, The Pink Floyd’s PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN, even that wild and zany Jimi Hendrix Experience. Yes, other kids would shoot stuff at my crowd in the school hallways for our queer tastes. I recall one classmate hassling me for liking “the nigger that wears women’s clothes”. True.
Upstate New York was not a very open minded place in the late 60′s.
Now I guarantee you, most of those ignorants are still listening to these very bands, yes still.
Fast forward to 2002. I’m working at Columbia and our chairman had decided to sign David Bowie. He passed around the demos from HEATHEN, his forthcoming label debut. Settling into a weekly A&R meeting, he asks me what I thought of the songs.
“Garbage. I hate them.”
“What! You never liked Bowie? You didn’t like ZIGGY STARDUST?”
“Boss, when I liked ZIGGY STARDUST, I got laughed at in the hallways and chased home after school by bullies.”
There was no way this guy was into a bloke wearing a fake fur top shaped like two rabbit ears, hot pants, seamed fish net stockings and stilettos in ’72 (David Bowie’s exact outfit at the Syracuse Landmark Theater that very year).
In truth, there was no replacing the pulse of those moments, like championing any of the above in their prime, when you’re insatiable for the sonic palate cleansing these genre inventing acts provided. It was a rush. You felt high every time you listened, and you couldn’t listen enough.
Like Kraftwerk, THE MAN MACHINE. A defining work of music that changed culture, introduced the world to the sound of technology. And a whole bunch of people still don’t even know that it has yet. That’s how far ahead of their time Kraftwerk were/are.
You’re going to be dead for an awful long time, so don’t ever, ever miss them in concert if you can help it. In many ways, there is no better live act. When it comes to electronic music, only The Chemical Brothers come close, and they’re a completely different experience altogether.
Tags: Capitol, David Bowie, Jukebox Tab, Kraftwerk, The Chemical Brothers, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Pink Floyd
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Monday, October 18th, 2010
Listen: Machines / Lothar & The Hand People LotharMachines.mp3
When, of all people, Mort Shuman wrote ‘Machines’, I wonder did he intend it to sound like this. Given that this and Manfred Mann’s versions are all drums and bongos and such leans towards a “yes”.
Lothar & The Hand People first and foremost had a killer name. Immediately uncomfortable sounding. On first look, you could’ve mistaken them as one of the San Francisco bands, which indeed I did for a while. Being on Capitol Records blindly reinforced the possibility, as the label seemed to lean west coast when it came to domestic signings. Indeed, the band were New York based, and who knows, may have stumbled on ‘Machines’ at The Brill Building. It’s possible.
Supposedly one of the first electronic rock bands to use Moog in the lineup, as with Silver Apples, seems they set the stage for Suicide a few years down the line. Lothar in fact refers to the band’s theramin as opposed to a member.
‘Machines’ got a lot of late night AM radio play summer ’68. All things were leaning underground, as the genre was called, and many of the major market Top 40′s were programming the sound of youth culture at night. Nowadays, US pop radio just swims as hard against that tide as possible.
It’s how I heard it – and only ever heard it via the transistor radio under my pillow until snatching a copy in a shoe store running some kind of tie-in with one of the local Top 40′s. Buy a pair, get a free single. I was having none of that. Sweet talked about fifteen 7′s out of a peer working the register.
Tags: Capitol, Lothar & The Hand People, Manfred Mann, Mort Shuman, Silver Apples, Suicide
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Monday, October 11th, 2010
Listen: Different Drum / The Stone Poneys StonePoneysDifferentDrum.mp3
Ok, so a follow up single isn’t always better than the hit preceding it, as was maybe the case with ‘Up To My Neck In High Muddy Water’. It’s hard to top ‘Different Drum’. In fact, Linda Ronstadt never did. At least I don’t remember her doing it, possibly due in part to my general lack of interest toward country leaning music back then.
‘Different Drum’ was indeed another story though. It became a radio staple not long after Jefferson Airplane’s somewhat similar sounding ‘White Rabbit’, and at the same time as both ‘Itchycoo Park’ by The Small Faces and ‘Zabadak’ from Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich.
‘Different Drum’ felt a bit psychedelic, even though it wasn’t. Maybe it was by association. Nick Venet was the producer and his work covered many genres. As a Capitol in house employee, seems he was handed all their youth culture signings of the day, thus slotting The Stone Poneys sessions between The Leaves, Lothar & The Hand People or Hearts & Flowers. It was one of many historic times at the Capitol Tower.
Listen: Up To My Neck In High Muddy Water / Linda Ronstadt & The Stone Poneys StonePoneysUpToMyNeck.mp3
Long before Simon Cowell, the ruthless corporate machine gnawed it’s way through bands, carving out the superstar for investment and mainstream marketing, leaving the other members to survive somehow. As when Clive Davis butchered Big Brother & The Holding Company for Janis Joplin, so too, it seems, did Capitol decimate The Stone Poneys for the asset now known as Linda Ronstadt.
‘Different Drum’ by The Stone Poneys was literally still on Billboard’s Top 100 when ‘Up To My Neck In High Muddy Water’ was released as Linda Ronstadt & The Stone Poneys. Housed in a full color sleeve, big things were expected. The record stalled at #93, but the setback was only temporary. She skyrocketed. It’s a great single despite the misery.
Linda Ronstadt was particularly critical of The Ramones, having gone to CBGB’s, catching an early performance and trashing them the very next day in a local New York paper. It was a hurtful moment that they talked about on occasion. So when Elektra threw a rather lavish party for her in New York, upon release of a successful new album, CANCIONES DE MI PADRE, the mischievous idea of inviting the band was impossible to resist and they were happy to attend.
We all met at Paul’s Lounge on 3rd and 10th, now a drug store, for a drink, then proceeded uptown to the event. Monte of course came along, Michael Alago and Arturo Vega did too. Everyone cleaned up on designer Mexican food, the album theme being traditional Mexican folk songs, and waited patiently for her to make the rounds, greeting her guests. The moment when she turned towards our table was classic, but it was too late to turn back. Obviously, she’d not been forewarned. Her look was priceless. DeeDee smiled and stared very menacingly, John just glared. Joey, after about five or ten seconds, decided to break the silence with “So Linda, long time no see”.
Nervously: “How are you guys doing?”
“We’re fine” replies John before she’s even finished her last word.
Incredible singer, successful artist but at that moment, Linda Ronstadt was stumped. Wincing, she backed away and slithered into the crowd.
Touché.
Tags: Arturo Vega, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Billboard, Capitol, CBGB, Clive Davis, Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, Dee Dee Ramone, Hearts & Flowers, Janis Joplin, Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone, Linda Ronstadt, Lothar & The Hand People, Michael Alago, Mike Nesmith, Nick Venet, Simon Cowell, The Leaves, The Ramones, The Small Faces, The Stone Poneys
Posted in Arturo Vega, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Billboard, Capitol, CBGB, Clive Davis, Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, Dee Dee Ramone, Hearts & Flowers, Janis Joplin, Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone, Linda Ronstadt, Lothar & The Hand People, Michael Alago, Mike Nesmith, Monte Melnick, Nick Venet, Simon Cowell, The Leaves, The Ramones, The Small Faces, The Stone Poneys | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
Listen: Fever / Peggy Lee PeggyLeeFever.mp3
Ever driven through the eastern tip of Maine and up to Nova Scotia? It’s like Norway. And if you haven’t been there, well they’re all basically greener and cleaner than anywhere else. Nova Scotia is particularly another world onto itself. An oasis of cool, almost fall-like weather in August, amongst many other exotic things.
Do the drive sometime, with absolutely no plan in place, stop and flop wherever. The bed and breakfasts are mindblowing. Family friendliness, spotlessly clean, overly comfortable, they’re heaven. And the food – be ready – you will over eat, happily. For some real fun, fire up the scan function on the FM wireless, something called a radio that was popular during the last century and interestingly still in most cars. Our scan gives you a ten second soundbite per station. That means they have exactily ten seconds to stand and deliver or it’s ‘next’.
To their credit, the things you’ll hear are shocking. Remember, this is Canada, and they generally tend to be a bit more English in many ways. Through the years, lots of the UK acts got exposure and traction there, hence into the Canadian charts they went. Now, the most unexpected songs can be found on their oldies stations. I like this.
Then there’s the AC stations – absolutely fascinating time warps. Even more bizarre and inviting than those oldies formats. Believe me, that ten second scan function will have you amused for hours.
Peggy Lee’s rendition of ‘Fever’ is certainly a well known classic, you don’t need me to let you know that bit. But have you heard it lately? Wow. When it came on, it sounded truly fantastic.
Standing out like nothing I can describe, the production and arrangement brought me right back to her live performance. I was lucky enough to get tickets for one of Peggy Lee’s last New York performances in the 90′s, at The Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center, where she performed in a wheelchair. Didn’t matter. She blew everyone away.
All the lights went dark, and I mean pitch black, for ‘Fever’. The audience was ready, and religious. A single, intense, perfectly precise spotlight lit her snapping fingers as the extra long intro teased the crowd up to that first lyric. Sparsely lit throughout, beams highlighting just the right musicians, their musical body parts and instruments throughout. The visual direction was a work of art.
Listen to the song, your imagination won’t need to work hard to envision what went down. I really hope you all got to see her live too.
Unforgettable.
Tags: Capitol, Peggy Lee, The Rainbow Room
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Monday, August 30th, 2010
Listen: 13 Questions / Seatrain Seatrain13.mp3
Despite my preference for the British bands from the 60′s and 70′s, there’d many times be an American group as part of those three band live lineups so prevalent at the time. Like there were always three at The Fillmore. Three bands were kind of a given.
No recollection which bill Seatrain were part of, ’13 Questions’ was current at the time and I remember liking the set.
Besides, I did fancy the look of the Capitol label around this time: those lime green with purple/black logo albums, then the circular orange and red with graphically matching blue/yellow bullseye 7″ label/sleeve combos. Plus, Capitol used a lot of recycled vinyl, whereby they’d grind up and melt down returns and defectives with the label still affixed, hence ‘Capitol surface noise’ as we all coined it. Example: did you EVER hear a Quicksilver Messenger Service album without it during the quiet patches? There you go. The proof.
I must admit, it made all those records by Joy Of Cooking, The Band and yes, Seatrain sound a touch desirable to one person at least. I liked Capitol’s particular sound of crackle.
Listen: I’m Willin’ / Seatrain SeatrainWillin.mp3
Seems ’13 Questions’ had a fair share of airplay on the FM stations in it’s day. I know I heard it on occasion, as was the case with their version of Lowell George’s ‘I’m Willin”. Despite Seatrain’s general lack of lyrical ability, seems they were not alone. Lowell Geroge, on this particualr song at least, is clearly no poet. I mean, are these words supposed to be funny?
Still, I’d acquired a taste for violin in rock, when well done as in the case of Family, it can make one quite open minded. Then I saw The Flock support John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, and Jerry Goodman was setting the place ablaze. Really good stuff. Likewise with Seatrain. Richard Greene was a much more subtle but classy violinist. His playing was never overdone.
Live, they were pretty raw. In the studio though, with George Martin producing, no doubt wearing his signature shirt, tie and suit coat, they were sadly cleaned, polished and de-souled. He did have a knack for white washing things in the booth. See my post on The Action.
Got home that night after seeing the band and played both ’13 Questions’ and ‘I’m Willin” a good half dozen times each, until I could stand the ‘Capitol surface noise’ no longer.
Tags: Capitol, Family, George Martin, Jerry Goodman, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Joy Of Cooking, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Richard Greene, Sea Train, The Action, The Band
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Thursday, May 27th, 2010
Listen: Let’s Have A Party / Wanda Jackson WandaParty.mp3
Who doesn’t love Wanda Jackson?
I’ll tell you who – only people that don’t know about her. Dragging along a big old impressive history that included Elvis, her real unheard of at the time talent was being a rockin’ ass guitar player. My guess is way more rockin’ than the recordings give evidence to.
‘Let’s Have A Party’ was her first Billboard hit after signing to Capitol, when rockabilly safely walked hand in hand with country.
Listen: Cool Love / Wanda Jackson WandaCool.mp3
It’s B side, ‘Cool Love’ features touring band members pianist Big Al Downing and guitarist Roy Clark. Other than The Duchess and Cordell Jackson (no relation), she had no competition for years and years. Neither did they.
And then there was Ivy.
Tags: Big Al Downing, Capitol, Cordell Jackson, Elvis Presley, Ivy Rorschach, Roy Clark, The Duchess, Wanda Jackson
Posted in Big Al Downing, Capitol, Cordell Jackson, Elvis Presley, Ivy Rorschach, Roy Clark, The Duchess, Wanda Jackson | No Comments »
Monday, February 15th, 2010
Listen: Big Towne, 2061 (Mono) / Paris Paris2061.mp3
While going through the library for my previous Mica Paris post, I couldn’t resist also listening to her alphabetical predecessor, Paris, the band.
Baffling how this post Fleetwood Mac, pre solo success Bob Welch era hardly gets a mention. Almost as though his band, Paris, never existed.
Firstly, nowhere near enough credit is afforded to the Fleetwood Mac/Bob Welch chunk of albums. Being just prior to their Stevie Nicks/Lindsey Buckingham skyrocket, it’s sadly dwarfed. As with the Peter Green era just before it, both include must have singles.
I was a serious Glenn Cornick fan, for ages considering him the best bassist out there. From seeing Jethro Tull’s first US show at The Fillmore East, I was in. THIS WAS and STAND UP, have remained big favorites. That band just plummeted downhill once he was replaced by a very stiff someone or other. All of the band’s soul was robbed.
Therefore, with much interest did I approach Paris. BIG TOWNE, 2061, their second album, oddly didn’t register with FM radio, a strange twist given the Fleetwood Mac and Jethro Tull history. Not to mention it’s quality. Seemed Capitol didn’t care, never do I recall much press or visibility. Add bad timing to the equation as this preceded punk by less than a year, so in no time, the sound was passe.
Still, a good single. I forced it on everyone around for ages, which clearly didn’t help the big picture at all.
Tags: Bob Welch, Capitol, Fillmore East, Fleetwood Mac, Glenn Cornick, Jethro Tull, Lindsey Buckingham, Paris, Peter Green, Stevie Nicks
Posted in Bob Welch, Capitol, Fillmore East, Fleetwood Mac, Glenn Cornick, Jethro Tull, Lindsey Buckingham, Paris, Peter Green, Stevie Nicks | No Comments »
Saturday, September 12th, 2009
Listen: The Doctor / The Doobie Brothers DoobieBrothersDoctor.mp3
It rocks, as they say, with clinical precision. Not sure why this became such a favorite of mine. I don’t think any of my friends ever believed I was being serious. The Doobie Brothers represented the type of band and music that we all labelled ‘enemy’, as un-English as you could get. One can only imagine how much the band enjoyed hearing this final mix playback through big studio speakers.
Not unlike the occasional Journey, Heart or REO Speedwagon track, I still play this often.
Tags: Capitol, Heart, Journey, REO Speedwagon, The Doobie Brothers
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Friday, July 24th, 2009
Listen: When I’m Dead And Gone / McGuinness Flint McGuinnessWhen.mp3
Listen: Malt And Barley Blues / McGuinness Flint McGuinessMalt.mp3
Manfred Mann, despite having several massive US hits, would always find it hard getting radio attention for the two or three followups each time. US radio never had any loyalty to many artists or it’s listeners. The audience takes a record to #1, but there’s no responsibility to let that same loyal customer hear the followup – unless of course the station was brown bagged an incentive. Manfred Mann were no exception. So it was really surprising when the McGuinness Flint (featuring Manfred Mann’s Tom McGuinness and Hughie Flint from John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers) debut, a very British sounding single ‘When I’m Dead And Gone’, got immediate play – and became a bit of a hit (#47). Guess what, it didn’t last. The above pattern fell right into place. It’s followup, the equally great ‘Malt And Barley Blues’ got not an airing.
Long forgotten, I was reminded how much I valued them and as ‘When I’m Dead And Gone’ suddenly came in to my head the other night, I couldn’t get home fast enough to pull it out of the library. There next to it was ‘Malt And Barley Blues’. Been playing them both steady for a good couple of days ever since.
Tags: Capitol, Hughie Flint, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Manfred Mann, McGuinness Flint, Tom McGuiness
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Saturday, July 18th, 2009
Listen: Take Me For A Little While / The Koobas KoobasLittleWhile.mp3
I originally passed up the US ‘Take Me For A Little While’ sleeve upon release, and never ever saw another. Desperate for it as the years past, Mike Goldsmith came to the rescue while at a record fair a few years back. What a relief. Sometime during the 90′s, I stumbled on a UK pressing at London’s Record & Tape Exchange in Notting Hill. This copy appeared to be autographed. How does one ever verify that?
Listen: The First Cut Is The Deepest / The Koobas KoobasFirstCut.mp3
The record itself was most pleasant British Beat at the time, but in no way hinted toward the psychedelic greatness that their ‘First Cut Is The Deepest’ would be. Despite being dwarfed chart-wise by P.P. Arnold’s version, historically it’s equally vital.
Tags: Capitol, Columbia, Kapp, Mike Goldsmith, P.P. Arnorld, Pye, Record & Tape Exchange, The Koobas
Posted in Capitol, Columbia UK, Kapp, Mike Goldsmith, P. P. Arnold, Pye, Record & Tape Exchange, The Koobas | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
Listen: Billy’s Bag / Billy Preston BillyPrestonBag.mp3
Sticking with the euphoric fantasy of 60′s Mod clubs around London’s Soho I touched on in the last few posts, it’s irresponsible not to include Billy Preston. ‘Billy’s Bag’ was christened hip, no small reason being it’s issue on the Sue label. Nice hammond groover, as the in crowd would say.
Listen: Sunny / Billy Preston BillyPrestonSunny.mp3
It’s not news that I’m a sucker for covers of ‘Sunny’. I hated the song when it was current, check my Bobby Hebb post from November ’08, but have since sobered up and done my penance. Amongst my collection is this fake (I’m guessing) live version apparently attempting to recreate one of those very club nights mentioned above. Again, nice hammond groover, again as the in crowd would say.
Tags: Billy Preston, Bobby Hebb, Capitol, Sue Records
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Thursday, February 26th, 2009
Listen: Ramblin' Gamblin' Man / Bob Seger System BobSegerRamblin.mp3
In ’68 this bordered on garage rock. Caught my ear the very first time it came on the air. I forever associate it with The Choir’s ‘It’s Cold Outside’, a terrific single despite it’s overflowing power pop sweetness. Probably Bob Seger’s finest moment. Mind you, this is coming from someone who never listened beyond to his other work, except when he got real traction years later and his stuff couldn’t be avoided. I would always cut him a break though, his heart seemed in the right place and despite his appearance, it appeared he loved to ‘rock’.
I was equally impressed when he showed a true card: even he wanted to be like The Cramps. His ‘Old Time Rock And Roll’ is the perfect corporate rock, cleaned up, MTV friendly version of the pure primal blueprint: The Cramps ‘God Damn Rock And Roll’. What a compliment. He got film usage, mainstream American ‘Rock’ radio play and a license to print arena tickets out of it – while The Cramps resided happily in the tunnels beneath hell. Yet another example of Lux Interior’s lyrical genius:
Jill’s bucket Jack had to hold,
Humpty dunked it ’til it done explode,
Even before Van Gogh had art
Adam & Eve did it in the park
They did that Goddamn Rock n Roll
The kind of stuff that don’t save souls
Ain’t nothin’ good about it that I know
I dig that Goddamn Rock n Roll
(lyrics reprinted without permission)
Listen: Goddamn Rock And Roll / The Cramps CrampsGodDamn.mp3
Posted in Bob Seger, Capitol, MTV, The Choir, The Cramps | No Comments »
Saturday, December 27th, 2008
Listen: Quicksilver Girl / The Steve Miller Band SteveMillerQuicksilverGirl.mp3
Listen: Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around / The Steve Miller Band SteveMillerDontLetNobodyTurnYouAround.mp3
Listen: Going To The Country / The Steve Miller Band SteveMillerGoingToTheCountry.mp3
They keep coming to me: west coast bands that were guilty pleasures.
Let’s see, there’s Spirit, Mother Earth, Country Joe & The Fish and also The Steve Miller Band. Even the progressive bands tried making commercial singles at the start. Maybe it was record label pressure, maybe not. But they did it. No question, Steve Miller had a knack for hooks. Even later singles, like ‘The Joker’ and ‘Take The Money And Run’ were each like a three minute oasis on Top 40. The above earlier ones never got AM play, but the underground FM’s gave them exposure. Perhaps the role of the 7″ then was to focus the DJ’s on the more pop leaning songs. Seems likely. ‘Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around’ has a guitar line that replicates the vocal line identically. Canned Heat, and a lot of the ‘blues’ bands did this. You just don’t hear that anymore – which is probably for the better. ‘Going To The Country’ was typical lyrical stuff in the late 60′s. Oh dear me, the city is just too much – let’s get out into nature and, uh, be free. Fair enough, it made for something to sing about. Again, guilty pleasure.
Tags: Add new tag, The Steve Miller Band
Posted in Capitol, Country Joe & The Fish, Mother Earth, Spirit, Steve Miller Band | No Comments »
Thursday, October 23rd, 2008
Listen: Fresh Air / Quicksilver Messenger Service 01 Fresh Air.mp3
I was somehow attracted to them – as with both Big Brother & The Holding Company and Blue Cheer. All from San Francisco, all sporting super long hair – two things arrogantly against my better judgement at the time, yet I liked them still. Quicksilver were cursed with a forever tinny sound, oddly devoid of any mid-range, negatively enhancing the shrill of Dino Valenti’s vocals. Combine that with Capitol’s nasty habit of using recycled vinyl (ever notice the pops and crackles on all those pressings) and you should have a recipe for disaster but still – I liked them. Now some of their singles (‘Hope’, ‘Bears’) were……so not ‘singles’, that they attracted me even more. And then some were super great ‘Pride Of Man’ (I heard this once on late night Boston radio), ‘Shady Grove’ (shrill overkill) and ‘What About Me’. Lyrically, very period and very Haight-Ashbury. The secret weapon for Quicksilver was undoubtably guitarist John Cipolinna. His sound was so unique, he just scared off any potential imitators. I was lucky enough to see him play a few times in his later years – thankfully nothing had changed, not the hair, clothes, sound or sideburns. Oh, then there was the name: Quicksilver Messenger Service. Names are really important. They are the first thing to get you curious, to invite you in, then ultimately represent. This one really, really worked.
Tags: Big Brother & The Holding Company, Janis Joplin, Quicksilver Messenger Service
Posted in Big Brother & The Holding Company, Blue Cheer, Capitol, Dino Valente, John Cipolinna, Quicksilver Messenger Service | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 15th, 2008
Listen: Louisiana Man / Bobbie Gentry
Louisiana
Even when covering material, like this Doug Kershaw song, she always picked just the right stuff lyrically, as well as for her voice, often coined husky by the press. Not unlike the self written ‘Ode To Billy Joe’, thematically this is southern trailer trash. Probably more respectable descriptions prevail, but I like to think of them more as part of the America’s scummy underside. And what other singer could really pull these songs off?
‘Louisiana Man’ had the unfortunate misfortune or perfect luck, depending on your take, of reaching BILLBOARD’s Top 100 for one lonely week, peaking at #100.
Tags: Billboard, Bobbie Gentry, Capitol, Doug Kershaw
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