Archive for the ‘Louis Armstrong’ Category

Scratchmo

Friday, January 23rd, 2009

Play That Thing / Scratchmo

Listen: Play That Thing / Scratchmo Scratchmo.mp3

Play That Thing / Scratchmo

I still get a kick out of this one-off. I don’t really remember who put it together, but Julian Palmer at Island UK signed/released it – and sent me an advance when I did A&R for the US company. Proceeding to pretty quickly schedule it as a 12″, I think he was shocked. Early mix of mashup and acid house, it all sounds a bit novelty now. Thankfully, Julian released this on 7″ as well as 12″. The Louis Armstrong angle attracted me. I was very in to his aqua kitchen that I’d seen pictures of at the time. Handy for Scratchmo that I was going thru a Satchmo phase.

Tom Waits

Monday, January 12th, 2009

Heartattack And Vine / Tom Waits

Listen: Heartattack And Vine / Tom Waits TomWaitsHeartattack.mp3

Frank's Wild Years / Tom Waits

Frank's Wild Years / Tom Waits

Listen: Frank's Wild Years / Tom Waits TomWaitsFrank.mp3

In the Neighborhood / Tom Waits

In the Neighborhood / Tom Waits

Dilapidated Hollywood motels like the long gone Sunset-Orange, where the vacancy sign’s on/off flicker kept you from sleeping all night (I tried it once), hookers doubling as strippers clothed only in pasties and G strings (check out the sleeve of his SMALL CHANGE album), the hangover after taste of a night in the French Quarter, that grizzly homicide in the Mohave desert near Las Vegas, the freeform delivery of The Last Poets, the acquired taste for Louis Armstrong’s voice, the romantically inviting booze, pills and dope cocktail. Just some of the images he conjures up in my pea sized brain. It must sound like I’ve just taken a continuing education class in creative writing. No, I’m just putting into words they way I hear Tom Waits, most of them are his. A more cinematic songwriter/performer I can’t really think of. Can you believe this recipe could make it onto several 7″ singles……what a great world we live in.