SO MANY RECORDS, SO LITTLE TIME

May 12th, 2012

The Move

Listen: Night Of Fear / The Move
Night

I think I first noticed The Move in the UK charts section of BILLBOARD. In the 60′s, they used to print Hits Of The World over one page, Top 10′s from all the countries, but always a Top 30 or 50 from the UK. This was of course, during the tail end of the British Invasion, December ’66 to be exact. My local shop, Smith’s Records, in Oneida NY, would save their week old BILLBOARD for me, and on Fridays, when my Mom & Dad would do their shopping, they’d drop me at Smith’s. I’d get to play the new releases in their listening booth and read BILLBOARD at the counter. Basically studying it, especially the Bubbling Under The Hot 100 section. That was always a goldmine for me, ever changing, probably bought mentions by the labels of their new records, all hoping to help them jump into the proper Hot 100 chart. Missing a week meant you might not be aware something was out. Then later, back home with last week’s issue, I’d really comb it over for details.

I still remember seeing ‘Night Of Fear’ by The Move progressing #17 to #2 up that British chart. At this point I had watched it since debuting at #42 the previous week. The Move was simply the best name for a band ever. I needed to hear this group, and see photos, which luckily, I quickly did. Both their sound and look represented the black and white, rainy England that we heard about as kids, an exotic place with the greatest bands, a new perfect one emerging almost weekly.

My loyalty to The Move was blind, only lately can I admit by ’69, they went downhill slowly but steadily, eventually bringing Jeff Lynne in to grind them to a Beatles influenced halt. But their beginning was never to be repeated for me. A week or so later, Dick Clark played the single on his weekly AMERICAN BANDSTAND Rate A Record, two song competition. I have no recollection of the other single played, or which came out on top, but I still have my reel to reel recording of ‘Night Of Fear’ off the TV. I dove for the red record button, mike and recorder permanently positioned by my bedroom TV set. Technically I was a criminal then, that era’s version of file sharing I suppose. I listened to that tape hundreds of times.

You couldn’t buy ‘Night Of Fear’ anywhere. London, Deram’s parent company, clearly wasn’t promoting or payola-ing it at radio and hence the one stops weren’t inclined to stock it. In small town America, the stores all bought from one-stops, so they primarily sold the hits.

It always pissed me off when I’d read in the Melody Maker back then that The Move weren’t big in The States. They weren’t played. Kids here didn’t get to decide.

So my record company letter writing continued. Someone at London in NY had a deal with me, I’d send him $1.50 per record, which was extortion in those days but he’d send whatever I needed. He was basically selling promos through the mail, genius. Worked for both of us. The stuff I bought off this fellow: The Cryin’ Shames, The Attack, The Syn, World Of Oz, The Honeybus, non-hits by Them, The Small Faces, Unit 4 + 2, The Zombies. Even then I knew I should get extras, but I didn’t have the cash. On this particular occasion he sent me the stock copy above of ‘Night Of Fear’, not easily found then or now.

Over the years, I’ve acquired many copies, US and UK. The Dutch picture sleeve above, Roy Wood signed when I got to meet him during Wizzard’s first and only US tour. Then there was the time ten or so years ago, somewhere on Long Island where Duane and I were garage sale-ing very early one Saturday morning. Walking up the driveway I see a pile of singles on a table. The top one is on Deram. Probably White Plains or Procol Harum I think to myself, but it was ‘Night Of Fear’. I froze. I said, “Duane you need to buy this”. I just couldn’t handle the high.

Denny Cordell produced this perfect record. The mp3 post is from my overplayed original $1.50/extortion copy.

The original lineup of The Move, who played on ‘Night Of Fear’, are pictured above. If there’s a better shot of a band anywhere on earth, go right ahead and send it to me.

The above is a repost, originally from June 8, 2008.

Posted in American Bandstand, Billboard, Bubbling Under The Hot 100, Denny Cordell, Deram, Dick Clark, Duane Sherwood, Jeff Lynne, Melody Maker, Procol Harum, Roy Wood, Smith's Records, The Attack, The Beatles, The Cryin' Shames, The Honeybus, The Move, The Small Faces, The Zombies, Them, Unit 4 + 2, White Plains, Wizzard, World Of Oz |

May 9th, 2012

Blodwyn Pig

Listen: Dear Jill / Blodwyn Pig
Dear

Even if you don’t favor late 60′s blues or progressive stuff, you might still appreciate Blodwyn Pig. They were an exception, really quite musical and in fact, still hold up well today.

The band was formed by Jethro Tull’s original guitarist Mick Abrahams, not long after they’d released their debut album, THIS WAS.

Similarly, Blodwyn Pig leaned a bit jazz and like Jethro Tull, were based in more than your standard guitar/bass/drums lineup, with Jack Lancaster on saxes/horns/harmonicas. A particularly strong asset being Mick Abrahams’ effortlessly authentic blues voice. Plus he was a very accomplished acoustic slide player as you can hear.

Pretty amazing to realize this music was written and played by guys in their late teens or at most, early twenties. Saw them once too, along with Chicken Shack, opening for The Kinks. The stellar UK band triple header had me glazing over my school work as I counted down the weeks, then days, then hours until showtime. Man, was it ever worth the agony.

Posted in A&M, Blodwyn Pig, Chicken Shack, Island, Jack Lancaster, Jethro Tull, Mick Abrahams, The Kinks |

May 7th, 2012

Them

Listen: I Can Only Give You Everything / Them
I

This came on Little Steven’s Sirius station yesterday. I was in the car, literally flying down the FDR. It was a bizarre Saturday, as though New York had been deserted. There was no traffic. None.

Not only did the mere sound of Them completely lift my mood, it also reminded me I’d never heard ‘I Can Only Give You Everything’ on the radio in my entire life. Released during summer ’66 makes it a good four, going on five decades later that the record is finally getting some airplay. A mitzvah indeed.

Like ‘Gloria’ before it, I recall ‘I Can Only Give You Everything’ being covered by seemingly every American punk band during the 60′s. In so doing, Them were immortalized and, I guess to Van Morrison’s annoyance, tarred with those horrible garage band shackles.

Make no bones about it mind you, ’66 was a great year for Them when it comes to US singles. Four in all, and every one locking their place in music history as being perfect: ‘Mystic Eyes’, ‘Call My Name’, ‘Richard Corey’ and this.

So when the very first notes came through the dash, my involuntary reaction cranked the volume, and in a way too, purposely forced me to miss the 23rd Street exit, Bobbie Graham‘s drumming so driving I needed to keep speeding along to catch the song’s priceless dynamic moment at :47, when that Farfisa organ drops right as the second verse begins.

Seriously, the combination made me feel a little high. New York’s skyline almost overpowering the senses on a warm yet chilly spring day, hearing this long forgotten piece of musical perfection loudly and basically having the FDR entirely to myself at 70 mph.

Posted in Bobbie Graham, Little Steven, Parrot, Sirius, The Chesterfield Kings, Them, Van Morrison |

May 3rd, 2012

Jason Crest

Listen: Turquoise Tandem Cycle / Jason Crest
Turquoise

The most hardcore psychedelic music prioritized itself just as it read: psychedelic first, music second. I loved the insanity of it as much as the next guy, it’s power to baffle the unsuspecting listener was hard to top. Unfortunately, struggling through a whole side of what LSD supposedly sounded like on a compilation, or worse yet an entire cd, always got tedious around these parts.

A 7″ single, freestanding, that was another story. I like to think I was well adept in the style, with The Smoke ‘My Friend Jack’ or The Pretty Things ‘Defecting Grey’ being favorites when current. Compared to the average American teenager, my friends and I were definitely hardcore. But to the true psychedelic addicts, we were lightweight I’m sure. Given the choices were everywhere for a summer or two made stumbling on the obscure not very difficult, especially when, in my case, a cousin in London was happily exchanging UK psychedelic singles for US soul hits.

If I’d read about something, or just saw a trade ad in DISC & MUSIC ECHO or MELODY MAKER, on to my list it would go. And weeks later, for the simple task of mailing off something like The Supremes ‘Reflections’ or Gladys Knight & The Pips ‘The End Of Our Road’, The Accent ‘Red Sky At Night’ or Jason Crest ‘Turquoise Tandem Cycle’ would turn up in my parents postbox. Good deal.

‘Turquoise Tandem Cycle’ certainly could double as a blueprint for sweet shoppe lyrics meets kitchen sink production, all carefully assembled for the psychedelic cause. Add in a large dose of no fun, and ptoff, we have a masterpiece. I’ve seen this record called just that on a few occasions. I don’t necessarily disagree as long as were clear of what kind of a masterpiece.

Having played it many, many times during those long, late summer vacation nights, it will always touch a soft spot. It’s admittedly silly compared to The Pink Floyd ‘See Emily Play’, but so is Napoleon XIV ‘They’re Coming To Take Me Away’ and anyone who snubs that is a moron.

Posted in Disc & Music Echo, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Jason Crest, Melody Maker, Napoleon XIV, Philips, The Accent, The Pink Floyd, The Pretty Things, The Smoke |

May 2nd, 2012

Iron Cross

Listen: Little Bit O’ Soul / Iron Cross
Little

There’s nothing like a stone solid flop. Records such as those are often times my favorites. Enter Iron Cross.

‘Little Bit O’Soul’ is an early incarnation of, in my observation, metal confusing itself with glam. Even before the later had peaked, the former was slithering it’s way into a thirty some odd year presence. Much of the imaging and music associated with the Los Angeles Sunset Strip pop metal calamity from the 80′s grew out of California’s infatuation with English glam during the 70′s, including records such as this. Mix that with Gazzarri’s pay to play numbskull helium guitars and there you have them, hair bands and their accompanying fully formed genre, glam metal.

Little seems known about Iron Cross, bar the rumour they were an alias for eternal prog rock support slot champions Rare Bird. As with Erasmus Chorum, Hector, Screemer and other similar bands, most can lay claim to a one single discography during their brief history. All of them and more have found their way onto some must have glam comps like BOOBS or the fantastic GLITTER FROM THE LITTER BIN.

Posted in Erasmus Chorum, Glitter From The Litter Bin, Hector, Iron Cross, Rare Bird, Screemer, Spark Records |

April 30th, 2012

The M.G.M. Studio Orchestra

Listen: Bird Bath / The M.G.M. Studio Orchestra
Bird

The Mercury/Philips/Fontana labels were, in my opinion, secretly the best when it came to 60′s soundtracks. The industry elite likely considered United Artists or MGM to be the cream, but I just don’t think so. Those labels were outlets for their sister film divisions, so for quantity, they far outdid the Mercury group, but not quality.

Like Fontana’s BLACK ORPHEUS, the Mercury soundtrack to the Elizabeth Taylor / Richard Burton clunker THE SANDPIPER is slammed full of period piece background music, almost generically perfect for any B movie all nighter. In fact, despite the film being an MGM release, my guess is the loud thud of the movie’s flop meant their record division hot potatoed the soundtrack. What a God-send for Mercury.

And seriously, this Quincy Jones produced album is all over the map. In fact, via liner notes from the hand of composer Johnny Mandel himself, he intentionally attempted to accomplish something different in soundtrack music, wherein the “wildest possible variety of sounds and tempo….the surf, the grandeur of the mountains, the beauty of the land” were rolled into one whopping must of a vinyl album, not omitting the ultimate schlock standard ‘Shadow Of Your Smile’ along the way.

But it’s the closing track, and miraculously the 7″ single choice, ‘Bird Bath’ that takes the cake and really makes no sense in the context of all the other songs. Bordering on teen beat, late 50′s style, this was beautifully out of step by it’s release in ’65.

Why on earth did anyone at Mercury think this would get airplay and be a hit? Well, whoever made that decision, I sure would like to thank them. ‘Bird Bath’ is magic.

Posted in Johnny Mandel, Mercury, MGM, Quincy Jones, The M.G.M. Studio Orchestra, United Artists |

April 29th, 2012

David Bowie

Listen: The Prettiest Star / David Bowie
The

Although re-recorded for the ALADDIN SANE album in Fall ’72, this original mono version of ‘The Prettiest Star’ came from sessions at London’s Trident Studios during January ’70 when, with his then backup band Junior’s Eyes and Marc Bolan as guest guitarist, the intent was to followup David Bowie’s first hit, ‘Space Odditiy’.

To his credit, he never gave up trying for that initial success, which took five years in the making, from “Liza Jane’ in ’64 through various attempts with Parlophone, Deram and UK Pye/US Warner Brothers. Every door was shut in David Bowie’s face. Read THE PITT REPORT sometime. It’s an eye opener.

So with ‘Space Oddity’, a #5 UK hit in the Fall of ’69, seemingly positioning him for a much smoother career ride, the original plan was to cut a new version of his final Deram submission ‘London Bye Ta Ta’, which that company had rejected as a fourth single, thereby dropping him. The story goes that during those sessions, ‘The Prettiest Star’ was also recorded and became his choice as followup.

Even more fun is the often documented detail of ‘The Prettiest Star’ selling just under 800 copies when current, a desperately shocking result off the back of a Top 10 hit. That number sounds rather exaggerated now, with even total stiffs moving more copies than 800, given loads of singles were sold regularly then.

Decades later, when included on various compilations, it’s the stereo version of ‘The Prettiest Star’ that’s chosen. To my knowledge, this original mono only ever saw the light of day on those initial pressings like the one above and a BEST OF from ’87.

Posted in David Bowie, Junior's Eyes, Marc Bolan, Mercury, Parlophone, Pye, Warner Brothers |

April 28th, 2012

The Brother Jack McDuff Quintet

Listen: But It’s Alright / The Brother Jack McDuff Quintet
But

Brother Jack McDuff had an amazing two year run during ’65 and ’66, releasing a total of twelve albums on Prestige. Such was the demand for long playing records, many chocked full with jazzy soul renditions of contemporary hits, all done in a nightclub style. Along side Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff, seems these Hammond mod interpretations were a license to print money.

In ’68, under a one time tag, The Brother Jack McDuff Quintet, with David Newman on brass and guitarist Melvin Sparks, he recorded DOUBLE BARRELLED SOUL. Keeping with the tradition, the project was a grab bag of well known currents including the much covered ‘Sunny’ and J. J. Jackson’s ‘But It’s Alright’. The two were also paired for 7″ release as Atlantic 2488.

If nothing else, the record’s superb live drum sound will turn any low key get together into a proper swinging party.

Posted in Atlantic, David Newman, J. J. Jackson, Jimmy McGriff, Jimmy Smith, Melvin Sparks, Prestige |

April 25th, 2012

The Creation

Listen: How Does It Feel To Feel / The Creation
How

The Creation, undisputed masters of British psychedelia. Eddie Phillips is as stellar a guitarist as he is a songwriter. He wrote, or at least co-wrote, most, if not all of their original material. Plus he was the first to use a violin bow on the instrument, combining his mastery of feedback with scraping, screeching chaos to ultimate effect. Jimmy Page later brought the technique mainstream on ‘Whole Lotta Love’, but fairly, has always credited Eddie Phillips for the idea. It’s also widely documented that indeed he asked him to join Led Zeppelin as second guitarist.

They recorded two versions of ‘How Does It Feel To Feel’ in summer ’67. Oddly, this one specifically for the US market, apparently deeming the violin bowed manic version more suitable to American programmer. Huh? Nonetheless, it’s a super version and top single to own and cherish, which I do.

In ’01, The Creation finally made it to America, playing The Warsaw Theater here in New York. I had injured my leg, it was a very cold November night, none of my friends wanted to attend, so I struggled along alone. The pain vanished when the musty maroon curtain lifted and there were The Creation, looking weirdly not a day older than those pictures from back when, sharp haircuts, great colored shirts and pants, but not dressed too young for their age. Sorta like if today’s Paul Weller would tone his image down a bit. Huge Union Jack backdrop. Sounding so powerful, my jaw dropped. Everyone’s did.

Bob Garner, original bassist and then sometimes singer, now permanantly on lead vocal, executing the red and purple spray paint free form psychedelic graffiti routine during the closing song ‘Painter Man’. Truly worth the 34 year wait.

Afterwards, I did my jukebox tab signing routine, Eddie and Bob both filling one out (see below). Flattered, appreciative, friendly, talkative, great, great guys.

Little Steven brought them back a few years later for his Randall’s Island Festival. Still powerful. Still one of a kind.

Above: Jukebox Tabs signed by The Creation. Eddie Phillips (left), Bob Garner (right)

Posted in Decca, Eddie Phillips, Garner, Jimmy Page, Jukebox Tab, Kenny Pickett, Led Zeppelin, Little Steven, Paul Weller, The Creation |

April 24th, 2012

The Chants

Listen: She’s Mine / The Chants
Chants.mp3

The Chants, despite a very ordinary name, were different than most from the British Invasion era. Basically a five piece vocal group with no musicians in their lineup, their real historical moment came late in ’62 when turning up at The Cavern Club for an audition without a band. The Beatles offered to fill in, but Brian Epstein objected. John Lennon overruled and The Chants made their Cavern dubut in November of that year with his band providing the backing.

Phil Ward turned me on to this one, having been hooked on it big time. At first, I mistook them to have Phil Spector involvement, given ‘She’s Mine’ could double for any number from The Crystals or The Ronettes songbook pretty easily with the arrangements and even production not unlike his.

Released in the US on Interphon got my curiosity up. Being Vee Jay’s subsidiary imprint, created exclusively for UK product, meant The Chants were English. Digging through my hardcore, only for obsessed collectors, research books allowed the plot to thicken and the above piece of trivia to be uncovered. Never knew it until recently.

Why didn’t Interphon market them via that Beatles connection? This was ’64, and anything Beatles was contagious. The label could easily have spread the rumor it was indeed them on the record. What a blunder.

Posted in Brian Epstein, Cavern Club, Interphon Records, Phil Spector, Phil Ward, The Beatles, The Chants, The Crystals, The Ronettes, Vee Jay |

April 23rd, 2012

The Who

Listen: I’m A Boy / The Who
WhoBoy.mp3

I was very down on The Who after they played Syracuse back in early ’68. Pete Townshend chose to refuse my friends and I autographs. My pals were a bit more upset than me. You see I wasn’t really feeling ‘I Can See For Miles’, which had been released the previous autumn, but instead was desperate to impress my first girlfriend Mary Ann with their signatures.

No escaping it, ‘I Can See For Miles’ just didn’t hit the way ‘Substitute’, ‘The Kids Are Alright’, ‘Pictures Of Lily’ or ‘Anyway Anyhow Anywhere’ had previously. The Englishness had been polished off ever so slightly, but enough for me to notice without question.

Our crowd were the only ones buying those non-hits off the little racks in the back of Walt’s Records or at Smith’s Records; both usually stocking five or so copies at the most of US non-hits from UK bands. So when Pete Townshend got into the awaiting station wagon, hung himself out the window, gave us the finger with both his hands and shouted “You got a show for your $6 pricks”, we were speechless. Calm down dog, all we wanted were autographs. I do remember the other band members, who had obliged, looked seriously perturbed.

Fast forward to the first weekend of April 2012. Out of late night boredom, mixed with insomnia from being alone for the night, I Netflix’d up AMAZING JOURNEY – THE STORY OF THE WHO. Honestly, I’d floated along all these decades in arrogant denial at how powerfully great this band was. That documentary certainly sobered me. You must watch it, all three hours. The film will speak for itself. And if you’re in a band, learn a lesson to always treat your fans with respect.

I’ve been playing their first seven or so singles non stop since then, loaded them on the iTouch too. ‘I’m A Boy’ being just one that deserved airplay in the US during it’s day. Funny how all those programmers back then were wrong to keep them off their airwaves at the time. Even funnier how they’ll rewrite history to imply they hadn’t.

Posted in Decca, Pete Townshend, Reaction Records, Smith's Records, The Who, Walt's Records |

April 22nd, 2012

Zap-Pow

Listen: This Is Reggae Music / Zap-Pow
This

Recorded and originally released in ’73, don’t be surprised if you think ‘This Is Reggae Music’ is blatantly influenced by HELL UP IN HARLEM Blaxploitation soundtrack production. There was a lot of it about. Harry Johnson and Chris Blackwell must have been knee deep in the stuff at the time.

By then, as a result of ‘Shaft’, the worldwide hit single for Isaac Hayes from the film of the same name, the style pretty much became a mainstay at RnB, or Black radio as it was referred to, finding it’s way into everything including reggae apparently.

Lead singer Dwight Pinkney sure does have a voice that later should have been confused for Steve Perry’s from Journey. In fact, that band could have easily pulled off a version of ‘This Is Reggae Music’ had they known and felt a fondness for the genre, which I’m betting the bank they did not.

The other guys in Zap-Pow played on many of Lee Perry’s Black Ark sessions.

Posted in Black Ark, Chris Blackwell, Dwight Pinkney, Harry Johnson, Isaac Hayes, Island, Journey, Lee Perry, Mango, Steve Perry, Zap-Pow |

April 21st, 2012

Toots & The Maytals

Listen: Chatty Chatty / Toots & The Maytals
Chatty

By the time ‘Chatty Chatty’ was released in 1980, reggae seemed mainstream, at least to us collectors. Although the occasional US ska or reggae radio hit of the 60′s had long ended, and it’s resurgence in the 90′s still being a ways off, college stations were playing it pretty heavily. Plus the touring acts would hit all the punk and new wave clubs, drawing primarily the same audiences.

If ‘Chatty Chatty’ sounds similar to Bob Marley & The Wailers’ ‘Could You Be Loved’ it’s not surprising. Chris Blackwell produced both in that same year. On first listen I was convinced Toots & The Maytals had a mainstream smash on their hands, at least in the UK. Wrong. It never charted. None of his singles did. Seems hard to believe.

‘Chatty Chatty’ serves as the perfect springtime single, April 7, 1980 being it’s exact release date. That was something I learned from Chris. He many times saw a song’s first listen as being seasonal. Toots was spring and summer, Marianne Faithfull definitely autumn or winter.

Posted in Bob Marley & The Wailers, Chris Blackwell, Island, Marianne Faithfull, Toots & The Maytals |

April 20th, 2012

Amon Duul II

Listen: Pigman / Amon Duul II
Pigman

Back when Rich Fazekas oversaw the college promotion department at United Artists Records with Marty Cerf, the label was pretty much my favorite. I was nuts about Family and anything Roy Wood had involvement with. That meant The Move, The Electric Light Orchestra and Roy Wood’s Wizzard, all on the roster. Then there was Hawkwind, Brinsley Schwarz and their distributed labels too, especially Blue Note, with Bobbi Humphrey and Marlena Shaw. He and I were on the phone daily, literally daily. Rich at the label’s Sunset Blvd office in Los Angeles, me at my college radio station’s pathetic office in Rochester New York, fairly desperate for a way to trade up, out and to a label job located in a real city.

Rich meanwhile, always tried to convince me about some of the German acts they had too. Occasionally he’d slip one of the UK pressings he’d been serviced with by bands like Neu or Can, and often pounded me on the US released albums from Amon Duul II. I was clearly more in pocket with the pop singles by Roy Wood’s projects or even Family 7′s, as opposed to six or eight minute meandering album tracks.

Then one afternoon, Rich called to say he’d just overnighted me a new Amon Duul II release, but this time it was a 7″. Well alright, a single by any prog rock act, usually sliced into three minutes from something much longer, had always been a form of collectibility. I never needed much justification to horde a 7″, and still don’t.

When ‘Pigman’ arrived the next day, the title alone had me interested. After all, it put everyone else at the station off immediately, a good initial sign. Although not what I was expecting, having aligned them more with Kraftwerk or Faust, I still wanted to like this, the label copy looked great. The band’s name being one I’d never seen on a 7″. These things excited me.

Those ahead of the curve college radio programmers never gave their albums much of a break with airtime, and ‘Pigman’, the band’s first and only US single, didn’t change the shut out. And I don’t understand it any more clearly now than then, given the record had tongue in cheek country verses with hard rock chorus riffs. Seems it should’ve been eaten up.

Oh well, a nice 7″ pressing to have. I never see it around much these days either.

Posted in Amon Duul II, Bobbi Humphrey, Brinsley Schwarz, Can, Faust, Hawkwind, Kraftwerk, Marlena Shaw, Marty Cerf, Rich Fazekas, The Electric Light Orchestra, The Move, United Artists |

April 17th, 2012

Patsy Cline

Listen: Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray / Patsy Cline
Three

Usually accurate, Wikipedia’s Patsy Cline singles discography is very incomplete. US Decca had more than one number series during the 50′s and 60′s, making them an impossible tool when attempting to organize their releases chronologically. Through the years, I’ve stumbled upon so many promo copies of her singles, and squirm a bit at the thought of them being out of order in my library, therefore deciding to sort these out once and for all, hitting Wikipedia as a reference. To be fair, it did help a bit, listing a few relevant titles through the years, thereby identifying some numerical logic, but overall it was glaringly patchy.

Meanwhile, the organizing turned into an extended Patsy Cline singles session. Scary how some of the earliest titles, from say ’55, sound so dated, way more hillbilly than country. All very primitive but still recorded meticulously, generally by Owen Bradley. Shocking too how many records she released without any success on either the Pop or Country charts. Other than one title in ’57, ‘Walkin’ After Midnight’(#2 Country, #12 Pop), it would be six years of chart failures until ‘I Fall To Pieces’(#1 Country, #12 Pop) began her string of hits.

‘Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray’, time frozen by both title and lyric, has weathered the years to become a classic, covered often and always included in various compilations and anthologies. Apparently a rather haunted person in real life, one of the few items recovered from the plane crash site was her “beloved Confederate Flag cigarette lighter which played ‘Dixie’”, making the song even more cryptic.

Posted in Decca, Owen Bradley, Patsy Cline |

April 16th, 2012

Alabama Shakes / The Cramps

Listen: Mama / Alabama Shakes
Mama

Never did I think a band would magically marry The Cramps to early Big Brother & The Holding Company. But lo and behold, Alabama Shakes have done just that with ‘Mama’. Now I love this band, and I’m rooting for them big time. I want them to win. Some of the same folks who championed these kids seem to already be dismissing their debut album for not being up to snuff. Trust me, that’s a crock of shit.

Angus Baskerville tipped me to Alabama Shakes last November, urging me to see them when they came through New York. Best advice I’ve had on a new band in years. I won’t miss them live ever.

‘Mama’ is the second of two songs hidden on the B side of their ‘Heavy Chevy’ 7″. I’ve played it about twenty times this past weekend. Wow, ‘Mama’ is beautiful but badly recorded, although not in my world mind you. To me it’s ugly and perfectly documented, just as I like it. Chances are the former may be how the pros in the know heard it, hence ending up as a throwaway B side.

Listen: I Can’t Hardly Stand It / The Cramps
I

‘I Can’t Hardly Stand It’, with one of Lux Interior’s most priceless vocals, was slotted as song two on side B of their ‘Drug Train’ single. It became one of the band’s classics.

Likewise, ‘Mama’, also song two on side B of a single, will be regarded similarly in the world of Alabama Shakes. Yet another detail in common with The Cramps. Looks like the stars are lining up for greatness to me.

May 21 and 22 at Roseland Ballroom can’t come quick enough.

Posted in Alabama Shakes, Angus Baskerville, ATO Records, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Illegal Records, Roseland Ballroom, The Cramps |

April 15th, 2012

The Ramones

Listen: I Wanted Everything / The Ramones
I

SPIN magazine put it perfectly when they named The Ramones the #2 Best Band Of All Time: “Punk exists because of the false assumption that The Ramones can be imitated”.

Or as Seymour Stein said, “A band like The Ramones don’t come along once in a lifetime, they come along once”.

We all remember how the mainstream and the old guard laughed down at The Ramones in the 70′s, accusing them of being limited to three chord simplicity. ‘I Wanted Everything’ was just one of the songs being played in the offices of WYSL when I stopped by for my weekly drill, plugging MCA’s product. My job at the time being the label’s New York State local promo guy and I just loathed most of those moronic programmers who fought hard to keep punk off their airwaves. These guys were spot checking their way through the newly released ROAD TO RUIN album, having a laugh, their self appointed intelligence wrongly assuming it was superior to the band’s.

None of them have jobs in the business now. They were yesterday’s version some of today’s musicians who dismiss electronic music for not being real or from the heart, fooling themselves into believing that their tired guitar rock sludge is. Doesn’t anyone learn from the past?

The nice thing about many of The Ramones’ singles through the years were the songs chosen for B sides. I mean, every song they ever did was single worthy, and it’s nice to discover the unexpected when playing their flips.

‘I Wanted Everything’ was coupled with ‘Needles And Pins’ and has way more than three chords. Besides not having their finger on the pulse, those 70′s radio programmers apparently couldn’t count either.

Posted in Seymour Stein, Sire, Spin Magazine, The Ramones, WYSL |

April 14th, 2012

Cornershop

Listen: Brimful Of Asha (Norman Cook Remix) / Cornershop
Brimful

Went to my first Knick’s game at Madison Square Garden last week. Well, in full disclosure, went to my first ever professional basketball game. As a whole, the event was flawlessly slick, very big time and an absolute wildcard of fun. It’s music programming, both intricate and super tightly timed out, literally crested the audience into cheers of excitement repeatedly. Very impressive.

I was ready to hear bits of Queen ‘We Will Rock You’ and The Ramones ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’, but not ‘Brimful Of Asha’. In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting, even in my wildest, to hear anything by Cornershop. Seriously, it took me by such surprise, but the sing-a-long really was the shocker. Wow, did this record sound ever so great in that huge room.

The original band version of ‘Brimful Of Asha’ fell rather flat upon release and was basically on life support until Wiija, the label, or maybe their manager or hopefully the band, had the magic idea of a timely remix. Luckily, Cornershop were groovy enough in that moment to sway a very in-demand Norman Cook toward reinvention. Credit where credit is due, he and his remix made a world of difference, turning the song into both a hit, and dare I say, the definitive version thereafter.

Posted in Cornershop, Norman Cook, Queen, The Ramones, Wiija |

April 13th, 2012

James Brown

Listen: Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose (Remix) / James Brown
Give

Back in the late 80′s, when plundering a label’s master tape library to feed remix mania was prevalent, the UK offices, in particular, had an official field day unearthing soul and funk. They just couldn’t get enough of the stuff, and neither could the British consumer. Polydor’s Urban imprint, in addition to signing new acts that imitated American RnB and hip hop, cornered Polydor’s back catalog remix campaign, with older James Brown material as a flagship.

I can only guess he approved, given it did much to supplement his income, and money can change you, so to speak. Tim Rogers was brought in to do an album’s worth of his remixes, released as IN THE JUNGLE GROOVE during ’88, with ‘The Payback Remix’ reaching #12 in the UK Pop chart when coupled with this, ‘Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose (Remix)’ as both a 7″ and 12″ single.

I heard it on Radio 1 almost as much as the A side, and really fell in love with it. I may even prefer it to the original.

Posted in BBC Radio 1, James Brown, Tim Rogers, Urban/Polydor |

April 10th, 2012

Arrow

Listen: Groovemaster / Arrow
Groovemaster

The Island offices on 4th Street, right above Tower Records, were a real hubbub of activity back in the late 80′s and early 90′s. Seems a day wouldn’t go by when at least someone from the roster would stop by. Julian Cope, Phranc, Toots Hibbert, Bootsy Collins, Melissa Etheridge, Etta James, Third World, Rakim, Marianne Faithfull, Anthrax. Seriously, there was never a dull moment.

Arrow lived locally, and seemed genuinely thrilled to have a group of friends at the company, all of whom attended his many in Central Park or SOB’s shows. He was forever a happy jolt to any workday.

Seeing him live was a quick trip to carnival, there was no way you could have a bad time. For an hour or so, everyone danced and laughed and got rid of all their troubles. Sounds all very patronizing I’ll agree, but it really did happen that way.

Despite some of the sonic trappings of his Mango releases, like those electronic drums for instance, overall I have the fondest memories of ‘Groovemaster’ and those days when it was a current single. Not being one for Latin music, like truly not at all, ‘Grooovemaster’ just slides by unscathed. Hey, after all, it was World Music. Most importantly, it’s only possible to remember the good times associated with all things Arrow.

Above: Jukebox Tab signed by Arrow

Posted in Anthrax, Arrow, Bootsy Collins, Eric B & Rakim, Etta James, Island, Jukebox Tab, Julian Cope, Mango, Marianne Faithfull, Melissa Etheridge, Phranc, Third World, Toots & The Maytals |