October 22nd, 2011
Listen: Glass Of Champagne / Sailor
Glass
An almost religious combination of then current Roxy Music and as well, Sparks signature keyboard style, Sailor’s ‘Glass Of Champagne’ made it to #2 during December ’75 in the UK, most likely because it was hard to avoid instant addiction to the song’s commercial synth heroin.
Predating acid house daytime pop by easily fifteen years, the well produced, major label, manufactured sound of Sailor was not a problem in my world. Along with Chicory Tip from two years prior, and a few others, the eventual demise of guitar rock found it’s early footing in hits like this.
Producer Rupert Holmes has become a bit of an unsung hero. I just never hear him being credited when the mainstream print media are celebrating themselves and others, you know like yearly Q Awards and things. Seems they always honor groundbreaking producers, but I don’t recall Rupert Holmes ever getting a look. Hey, he produced Sparks’ BIG BEAT album, which includes some of their best material. That alone makes anyone with more.
Having just succeeded the previous year (’74) with his own solo album on Epic, I wonder did he usher Sailor on to Epic or did the label see a fit between he and the band? Regardless, it worked.
Sailor and ‘Glass Of Champagne’ have shrugged off all the dismissive poo-pooing over the years. In fact, I heard it being used last summer on a UK TV commercial for Marks & Spencer. Wow, did it grab you instantly. Don’t care if it’s thirty years old, a hit’s a hit’s a hit.
Posted in Chicory Tip, Epic, Q, Roxy Music, Rupert Holmes, Sailor, Sparks |
October 20th, 2011
Listen: Where’s The Place / Alton Joseph & The Jokers
AltonJosephWhersThePlace.mp3
Anything with Huey P. Meaux’s name attached should heighten your radar immediately. From what I know, he’s never made a bad record.
The former music director from a one of a kind, progressive 60′s / early 70′s Rochester AM Top 40, WSAY, brought me two massive burlap bags of promo 45′s when the station sadly lost steam in ’79, by then churning out a weak country format to deaf ears. The aged and nasty private owner was selling. Everyone was losing their jobs.
It was a drag, this guy was so distraught and worried, yet clearly wanted to share some decency via the truly unexpected gifts. He knew I had drooled over the thousands of singles locked behind management’s doors, and decided to just say fuck them, grabbing me several hundred. At the time, I was a local promotion rep for MCA, and always took good care of him while most others were dismissive and disinterested. It was a massive surprise when he buzzed me from my apartment building lobby, huge burlap bags in each fist and certainly a most kind repayment.
Impossible to wait, halfway up the stairs, I pulled out a couple. ‘Please Stay’ by The Cryin’ Shames on an orange swirl US London was one, this was the other.
About then, my interest in Loma was beginning to fully form, and anything from the label bugged my eyes. Alton Joseph & The Jokers, produced by Huey P. Meaux, well I couldn’t get upstairs and to my turntable fast enough.
This was April ’79. The thirteen year gap between a Spring ’66 release of ‘Where’s The Place’ and my first listen already created a euphoric walk back into time. Nowadays, it’s a total rocket ship ride to the past, in a good way.
I swear, this was a one take, live in the studio natural for these guys.
Listen: The Other Place / Alton Joseph & The Jokers
The
Never could I find any comprehensive information about Alton Joseph & The Jokers, their lineup or origins. Bob Krasnow, who ran Loma and years later, Elektra during my time there, couldn’t remember many details either, barring an almost complete certainty that they were Texas beer joint locals, and broke musician friends of Heuy P. Meaux on the three boogie woogie sets a night treadmill.
‘The Other Place’ might indeed verify Bob’s instinct, given it’s a penny pinching instrumental of the A side, only shortened a bit and given a slighty different mix.
Magic was made.
Posted in Alton Joseph & The Jokers, Bob Krasnow, Elektra, Huey P. Meaux, Loma, London Records, MCA, The Cryin' Shames, WSAY |
October 19th, 2011
Listen: I’ve Been Hurt /Big Lucky
BigLuckyHurt.mp3
Levester Carter, a native of Choctaw County, Mississippi described his earliest influences as being both a wind-up phonograph and the stack of blues records purchased at Sears-Roebuck that were played on it. He took up guitar in the 50′s while in the Navy, and after playing in various bands around Memphis, sang lead on the two Ed Kirby aka Prince Gabe singles, ‘Blue Nights’ and ‘Mean Old Gin’, released by Sam Phillip’s Sun Records.
Come ’68, local Memphis disc jockey A.C.’Moonah’ Williams put Big Lucky Carter, his then stage moniker, in touch with Hi Records boss Willie Mitchell, who demo’d him at the Hi studios. Liking the result, he coupled ‘Miss Betty Green’ and ‘Stop Arguin’ Over Me’ as the first of two singles for the label’s subsidiary M.O.C. (MOC 670), released April 7, 1969, according to an old production schedule from Hi/M.O.C.’s parent label, London Records, that I have poured over for many hours through the years.
Coupled with ‘Goofer Dust’, ‘I’ve Been Hurt’ (MOC 673) followed as an A Side on Dec 8, 1969. My favorite of the bunch, it sat nicely next to label mate Big Amos Patton’s ‘Going To Viet Nam’ (MOC 665) from a year or so earlier. The two records just go hand in hand despite having nothing in common lyrically.
Like Big Amos, his association with Hi did little to expand Big Lucky’s profile, matching neither Big nor as is his case, Lucky, in real life. Nothing beyond local Memphis airplay resulted and two more greats proceeded into obscurity, making their records even more cherished collectibles.
Posted in A.C. 'Moonah' Williams, Big Amos, Big Lucky, Ed Kirby, Hi, London Records, M.O.C. Records, Prince Gabe, Sam Phillips, Sun Records, Willie Mitchell |
October 18th, 2011
Listen: Live / The Merry-Go-Round
Live
I think summer ’67 was the sunniest ever. I remember it like yesterday, and can still feel the angst of wanting every last record that was being released. I was insatiable, riding my bike daily, many times twenty miles each way on the back country roads either between Canastota and Oneida, or into Syracuse. Every night as I lay in bed with the transistor under my pillow, listening to AM broadcasts from far away places in the Midwest or way up into the Northeast via Boston or Maine, I’d be scheming out tomorrow’s plan of where to go, looking for, asking for records.
Back then, at dusk, AM stations were required to switch from broad, local signals, to limited radius and directional. This meant those directional beams would make local broadcasts from hundreds and hundreds of miles away sound down the street. And with many of the looser US Top 40′s playing the latest underground and psychedelic releases overnight, new discoveries became a daily occurrence. Whether it be Country Joe & The Fish, The Pink Floyd, Moby Grape, The Move, The Magic Mushrooms, Tim Hardin, The Lewis & Clark Expedition, The Flowerpot Men or The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, I was hearing it all and my want list was endless.
So off I’d go, to the various shops, blagging promo records, last week’s copies of BILLBOARD, CASHBOX and RECORD WORLD, music surveys from the local Top 40′s, inventory check lists the distributors would leave with the store buyers, I hoarded them all.
Wednesdays were when the national record label reps would hit the Syracuse stations promoting their wares. None of my friends dared join me, so I’d wait alone on my bike in the parking lots for them to pull up, and got good at talking singles out of these guys, handing my high school newspaper record reviews to them in exchange for a dig through their latest releases. I’ll tell you truthfully, I’ve tried just about every drug out there, but never have I found a high near the one a free for all through a promotion man’s trunk full of 1967 promo 45′s could provide.
What became known as sunshine pop surfaced amongst the sub genres and regional music scenes during that summer. God, I hated the term and generally cringe when having to admit liking music tagged as such. Along with The Third Rail, Sagittarius, Eternity’s Children, Colours and The Sunshine Company, I guess The Merry-Go-Round’s ‘Live’ inhabited a slot. Their obvious British looking haircuts caught my eye, and when ‘Live’ started to pick up a lot of daytime play quickly, I was hooked. Critics claim a similarity to The Beatles, I don’t hear it. I preferred to associate them closer to The Hollies or The Tremeloes, they certainly looked the part.
‘Live’ almost made it nationally, but stalled just short of Top 50, which was ultimately a real shame.
You know those songs that take you right back? This is one for me.
Posted in A&M, Billboard, Cashbox, Colours, Country Joe & The Fish, Eternity's Children, Moby Grape, Record World, Sagittarius, The Beatles, The Flowerpot Men, The Hollies, The Lewis & Clark Expedition, The Magic Mushrooms, The Merry-Go-Round, The Move, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, The Pink Floyd, The Sunshine Company, The Third Rail, The Tremeloes, Tim Hardin |
October 17th, 2011
Listen: Temple Of Dreams / Messiah
Temple
Not to be confused with Switzerland’s death metal band, this Messiah formed in ’88 during London’s acid house craze by college friends Ali Ghani and Mark Davies. When the pair met at an Iggy Pop concert, they decided to purchase some electronic equipment and make music for fun. According to the band’s bio, it was then that their musical chemistry became evident, coinciding with the English rave scene. The duo’s brand of techno encompasses the aggression and volume of punk as well, the diva vocals of house music. So there you have it.
By the early 90′s, several of those acid house anthems began to surface into the mainstream, and even found their way onto the occasional US major label. Such was the case with ‘Temple Of Dreams’ in ’92. Rick Rubin’s American Records, then distributed by Warner Brothers and just down the hall from Duane and I at Medicine, picked up Messiah for the US, and issued ‘Temple Of Dreams’ as an initial single on his techno offshoot, WHTE LBLS.
Everyone loved this on the floor. I don’t think any of us could get enough of it, or the various mixes that seemed to be commissioned weekly.
But the back story was as intriguing as the single. In ’83, This Mortal Coil released a cover of Tim Buckley’s ‘Song To The Siren’, a track from his STARSAILOR album (’70), as a UK single. Peaking at #66 in the Pop Charts, the record went on to spend a total 101 weeks in the UK Indie Chart, a run that ranked 4th during the entire 1980′s, after three classic long-selling records: ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ / Bauhaus (131 weeks), ‘Blue Monday’ / New Order (186 weeks) and ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ / Joy Division (195 weeks).
Messiah actually sampled This Mortal Coils version heavily, adding their own blips and bleeps plus a bunch of new shouty vocal vamps.
Despite having played this white at the time, I hadn’t heard it for years until tonight while doing some therapy filing. It’s on about the tenth repeat play at this point.
Posted in Ali Ghani, American Records, Bauhaus, Duane Sherwood, Iggy Pop, Joy Division, Mark Davies, Messiah, New Order, Rick Rubin, The Medicine Label, This Mortal Coil, Tim Buckley, WHTE LBLS |
October 16th, 2011
Listen: Merry-Go-Round / The Youngbloods
Merry-Go-Round
As with my post from a few years back, ‘Merry-Go-Round’, the followup to the equally poppy ‘Grizzly Bear’ single, was a first listen record. Despite Gail Collins and Felix Pappalardi’s psychedelic revolutionary lyrics, I’d go as far as to say this is the band’s most pointed attempt at a throwaway Top 40 hit. Throwaway, only because I’ll bet you anything the band hated it.
Let’s be fair, The Youngbloods were very musical. They mastered a perfect electric piano/clean guitar sound off the bat. Anyone who got a chance to see them live will instantly verify their greatness.
‘Merry-Go-Round’ was a hit upstate. All their singles got played, and in hindsight, that’s quite unusual. Most weren’t getting national attention from radio. ‘Get Together’ flopped on release. Not until a few years later, when reissued, did proper airplay result.
‘Merry-Go-Round’ worked perfectly coming out of the car dashboard, trust me. It sounded just fine next between The Ohio Express and The 1910 Fruitgum Company to be honest.
Sorry guys.
Posted in Felix Pappalardi, Gail Collins, RCA, The 1910 Fruitgum Comapny, The Ohio Express, The Youngbloods |
October 15th, 2011
Listen: You Can’t Love Me (In The Midnight Hour) / Ann Mason featuring Little Mac & The Boss Sounds
You
Although this one is somewhat known as the answer record to Wilson Pickett’s ‘In The Midnight Hour’, I’ve never been successful in uncovering a drop of info about Ann Mason.
‘You Can’t Love Me (In The Midnight Hour)’ was recorded with Ranstoff, North Carolina’s Little Mac & The Boss Sounds in ’65. It’s B side is the instrumental version. In the UK, both sides were issued under the band’s name, with no mention of Ann Mason. Yes, the plot thickens.
Meanwhile the song, already suggestive, is even more blatant from a woman’s harsh point of view.
Posted in Ann Mason, Atlantic, Little Mac & The Boss Sounds, Wilson Pickett |
October 13th, 2011
Listen: Worried Life Blues / Ray Charles & His Orchestra
Worried
Big Maceo and Tampa Red are credited with ‘Worried Life Blues’, sometimes known and recorded as ‘Someday Baby Blues’. Combined, the song(s) clock in as one of the most recorded blues tracks ever, with Bob Dylan, The Blues Magoos, Eric Clapton, The Animals, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Junior Parker, Keith Richards and B.B. King amongst the most familiar.
Ray Charles first cut ‘Someday Baby”, a very faithful version of ‘Worried Life Blues’ except for the title, on his THE GENIUS SINGS THE BLUES album. Later, this re-recorded and re-titled version made it’s way to a 7″ B side in the UK.
To some, ‘Worried Life Blues’ probably sounds like any old formula blues song 101. Despite his fetish for fur coats and loads of 70′s schlock covers, Ray Charles had the voice to always rise above the clutter, turning what might have been a throwaway single into a record I ended up playing a lot, and still do.
Posted in B.B. King, Big Maceo, Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, HMV, Junior Parker, Keith Richards, Muddy Waters, Ray Charles & His Orchestra, Tampa Red, The Animals, The Blues Magoos |
October 10th, 2011
Listen: Deep In The Heart Of Harlem / Walter Jackson
Deep
Never reaching above #88 in the BILLBOARD Top 100, his mid chart RnB successes kept him very much out of the mainstream eye. With his thunderous, powerful baritone voice, it was hard not to notice the occasional bland, safe choices of singles from time to time.
Originally signed to Columbia in ’62, but being moved to their newly formed Okeh imprint by ’64 meant an out of jail free card was granted to him, given that label’s groovy personality.
In short, never pass up an Okeh single.
His version of ‘My Ship Is Comin’ In’ personally rivals The Walker Brothers’, which is saying a lot. Yet it’s his non-chart 7″, ‘Deep In The Heart Of Harlem’ a thematically updated version of Sam Cooke’s ‘Chain Gang’ in the message department, that stakes claim as my favorite of the Walter Jackson Okeh singles.
Despite a seemingly RnB track polished up in hopes of reaching the safe, white American adult stations, there’s no diguising the lyrical reality of the underlying message. It’s become a real period piece of 60′s struggle amongst the underprivileged.
Posted in Billboard, Okeh, Sam Cooke, The Walker Brothers, Walter Jackson |
October 7th, 2011
Listen: Do The Do /Howlin’ Wolf
Do
Blues. It’s a funny genre, almost extinct, possibly musical days gone forever.
I used to be okay with an LP side of the blues, and one day, my pal Phil Ward told me he hates the blues, and I swear, I’ve never been able to hear it the same since.
Now the occasional song or side of a single, if intriguing, still pushes my button. The dirtier the better. Some of Bessie Smith’s records are so filthy, they make Lil’ Kim sound as ass licking safe as Sheryl Crow.
Even the raunchiest of small town southern, chitlin circuit stations would not have touched ‘Do The Do’, hence it being banished to a Howlin’ Wolf B side status.
In ’90, Betty Boo went to #7 in the UK with ‘Doin’ The Do’, an undeniably terrific pop single. But in the early 60′s, there was no chance of getting airplay on a song that, let’s be real, was all about oral sex. Yeah right, no one did it then……
All good, makes this one even more fun to have and hear. ‘Do The Do’ never made it to the box set, and God knows if it’s ever been included on a compact disc, as I believe they are called. I’m sure, as the majors scrape every last morsel to keep lights on in those corner offices, it’s been re-released.
But does it sound like the mono vinyl 7″ pressing above? No way.
Posted in Bessie Smith, Betty Boo, Chess, Howlin' Wolf, Lil' Kim, Phil Ward, Sheryl Crow |
October 6th, 2011
Listen: I’ll Slap Your Face / A Handful Of Cheek
HandfulCheekSlapFace.mp3
King Of The Hooks, as Jonathan King was known, kept a non-stop flow of pop novelty singles coming from his UK Records imprint during the early 70′s. Initially distributed by Decca and later Polydor, some deservedly became the occasional hit.
Clearly, all these one-off releases were from his own musical pen, when not picking up the occasional left field Reggae (Carl Malcolm), Northern (The Devonnes) or American Soul (Hoagy Lands) master that is.
JK always came up with hysterical synonyms for himself and his hired musicians. In this case, A Handful Of Cheek.
When visiting London in March ’77 with Corinne, we made the rounds of all the labels, blagging records. Howard set us up with Andrew Lauder at United Artists, and folks at Chrysalis, Charisma, etc. No one was about to bother with UK, deemed quite unhip despite 10CC and The Kursaal Flyers. Maybe others looked down their nose at UK, but certainly not me.
Maintaing a small office just near the entrance to Warren Street tube, the very nice receptionist gladly opened the cupboards and pulled out a good fifty singles for me to take back home for my US college station. Bless her. A Handful Of Cheek was among them.
Starting with a glam drum sound, ‘I’ll Slap Your Face’ soon turns into one of my favorite Jonathan King novelties. Dropping in the orchestral backing at the key change is an unexpected and undeniable example of why King Of The Hooks, even if self appointed, is undeniably justified.
Posted in 10CC, A Handful Of Cheek, Andrew Lauder, Carl Malcolm, Charisma, Chrysalis, Decca, Hoagy Lands, Howard Thompson, Jonathan King, Polydor, The Devonnes, The Kursaal Flyers, UK Records, United Artists |
October 5th, 2011
Listen: If I Were A Carpenter / Leon Russell
If
Despite rabidly dismissing Leon Russell in his heyday, I always liked his version of ‘If I Were A Carpenter’, turning a blind eye toward the rather embarrassing lyric changes. Actually, it’s surprising Tim Hardin allowed them. He probably needed the money, because heaven knows he didn’t seem to get his fair share.
I never quite knew if Leon Russell’s country hick delivery was serious or an inside joke, right down to his “s” being instead pronounced “sh”.
Over the years, as with many acts, my tastes have changed, particularly when produced by Denny Cordell. He really had it all down when it came to an English fellow loving American delta roots. Besides, Duane Sherwood is such a rabid Leon Russell fan, we’re all forced to sit up and listen or else.
Posted in Denny Cordell, Duane Sherwood, Leon Russell, Shelter, Tim Hardin |
October 4th, 2011
Listen: Beeside / Tintern Abbey
Beeside
Many years back, in the late 80′s, a friend John Stainze had stumbled on a bunch of Deram singles. I seem to recall them being from a UK Mom & Pop record shop or something. He called asking if I wanted him to pick any up, running a bunch of titles past me. They were around $5 each so I said yes to a few including The 23rd Turnoff record.
Amongst their stock was the sole release by Tintern Abbey, ‘Beeside’, of which they had five copies. I took them all, even though they were $20 a piece back then. When the box arrived, I was bragging to Corinne that I’d gotten five copies of this, and she berated me for wasting even money on more useless records, not to mention multiple copies. One recently sold for $1135 on eBay. She remains unimpressed. Now I just need to unearth the remaining four somewhere in the black hole of extras.
The record is often sighted as classic British psych, to these ears not unlike Love in parts. It’s truly up there with The Smoke, Tomorrow and The Pretty Things ‘Defecting Grey’. But that’s just one useless opinion.
Listen: Vacuum Cleaner / Tintern Abbey
Vacuum
Both sides of the record are often compiled on psyche compilations, and it seems many have confused ‘Vacuum Cleaner’ as being the A side, given ‘Beeside’ sounding like a clever play on words I’m guessing.
Not sounding unlike a Shel Talmy production, I suppose in a pinch, it could pass for The Creation.
For the record, drummer John Dalton is not the same John Dalton who played bass with The Kinks for centuries.
Posted in Deram, John Dalton, John Stainze, Love, Shel Talmy, The 23rd Turnoff, The Creation, The Pretty Things, The Smoke, Tintern Abbey, Tomorrow |
October 3rd, 2011
Listen: Chittlins / Gus Jenkins
Chittlins
Damn, I wish I knew more about Gus Jenkins. I know he recorded as early as ’56, under the name Gus Jinkins, and he’s up there as one of the most mysterious raw blues obscurities around.
Someone at Capitol decided to release ‘Chittlins’ via their newly formed subsidiary, Tower, in late ’64.
The Tower label went on until ’68, amassing a small, but fairly collectable bunch of releases, the most famous of course being all the very early US singles by The Pink Floyd. But there were more, Joe Meek masters by Heinz and Tom Jones, Ian Whitcomb & Bluesville, The Chocolate Watch Band, The Standells…pull up a Tower discography sometime. Nice stuff.
Even on first listen, you’ll agree, a wonderfully noticeable amount of Gus Jenkins’ swagger may have influenced The Cramps just a bit, and even more, The Rolling Stones, sounding not unlike any number of tracks from their first few albums.
According to BILLBOARD’s November 14, 1964 RnB DJ Roundup below, along with Jimmy Reed’s ‘I’m Going Upside Your Head’, Ed Wright at WABO Cleveland was spinning it, Ed Hardy over at KDIA in San Francisco chose ‘Chittlins’ as well as Little Jerry Williams’ ‘I’m The Lover Man’, a filthy sleaze fest of a single, a no fucking around must for every collection. And let’s not forget WYLD’s Ed ‘Screaming’ Teamer in New Orleans, who was not only jamming Gus Jenkins and Little Jerry Williams, but was playing the mad great ‘My Country Sugar Mama’ by Howlin’ Wolf.
Posted in Billboard's RnB DJ Roundup, Chess, Ed Hardy, Ed Screaming Teamer, Ed Wright, Gus Jenkins, Gus Jinkins, Heinz, Howlin' Wolf, Ian Whitcomb & Bluesville, Jimmy Reed, Joe Meek, KDIA, Little Jerry Williams, The Cramps, The Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, The Standells, Tom Jones, Tower, WABO, WYLD |
October 2nd, 2011
Listen: Go Away From My World / Marianne Faithfull
Go
If you watch early Marianne Faithfull clips on SHINDIG or HULLABALOO, there’s often a sole, seated acoustic guitarist accompanying her. That’s Jon Mark, or Jon-Mark as the name appeared on his solo single, later of The Mark – Almond Band, one of the highest calibre musicianship outfits of their day.
Despite the label misspelling, ‘Go Away From My World’ was his composition, and indeed seems tailor written for her, it’s doom ridden mood unknowingly predicating a fifteen year marketing treadmill for both her personal and musical direction. It couldn’t have been more perfect.
This US only single, in it’s seldom seen picture sleeve above, was her last to ever chart on the BILLBOARD Top 100 in late ’65 at #89.
With thankfully another birthday a few days away, I’m always reminded of my 37th, when Marianne organized an Indian dinner for Corinne and I and some friends, then while cutting the cake, sang me a bit of ‘The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan’, adapting the “at the age of thirty seven….” lyrical line to the occasion. How’s that for a birthday present?
Posted in Billboard, Hullabaloo, Jon Mark, Jon-Mark, London Records, Marianne Faithfull, Mark - Almond, Shindig |
October 1st, 2011
Listen: The New World / X
The
I saw one of the greatest bands in the solar system tonight at Irving Plaza in New York, and one their greatest shows ever.
X
Seen them many times, worked with them at Elektra, was a fan prior. But let me tell you, there is no other punk band in the universe from the era that a) still exists in the original lineup and b) can even begin to compete. They have scared off all the competition. Deservedly so.
X are presently touring, performing the LOS ANGELES album in it’s entirety, plus a ton of greatest hits. Yes, be relieved, they have survived the hump from has beens to legends. And thank God they did. We lost The Cramps, The Ramones and The Gun Club. The White Stripes and L7 threw in the towel. Only Suicide can stand proudly next to them.
If X come to your neck, don’t fuck up your remaining years on earth and miss this one.
Thankfully, tonight they played ‘The New World’. Funny listening to the recorded version now. It’s so much faster and, dare I say, pop or slick. Still, in it’s day, who was speaking out about injustice and corrupt politics. Maybe there were others. I only remember X.
Elektra UK had half a brain then. Unlike the US side, they released ‘The New World’ as a commercial 7″ (in the US it was serviced as a promo only 12″). Half a brain? Yeah, in the era of picture sleeves, how could the company not house this in one? The UK never took to X. Their loss.
A very rare 7″, but as it probably plays out, not as rare as finding a person that wants one.
Yes, we vinyl collectors are dying off. Someday this 7″ will be in the Smithsonian. Neither of us will be around, but my bet is, it’s a Mona Lisa.
Posted in Elektra, L7, Suicide, The Cramps, The Gun Club, The Ramones, The White Stripes, X |
September 29th, 2011
Listen: Smashed! Blocked! / John’s Children
Smashed!
True story: In the early 80′s, I had a weekly two hour radio show called Import/Export for WCMF, the then mainstream rock station in Rochester, NY. It was tucked away at midnight on Tuesdays, and in today’s market it’d be deemed a specialty show, where all the bands and records that were left of center, or both hip and on the way up, got a weekly spin. It was loads of fun.
When the station decided to leave the building they’d been housed in since the 60′s to a much smaller location, their massive record library needed to be eliminated due to space restrictions. Oddly, instead of inviting the staff to help thin it out (take whatever you want – we’re about to toss it anyways), give it away to a library or charity, or God forbid super serve their listeners with a free for all, they instead chose to rent a dumpster and fill it daily until the massive library was eliminated. Still gives me the shivers.
On that particular Tuesday, I left the station somewhere around 4am, as I’d always stay awhile and visit with Roger McCall, who was my co-host and did the normal overnight shift that followed and a very close friend. I just couldn’t resist having a look into that dumpster. I must tell you, the area and parking lot were a touch daunting anyways. Being in a very quiet part of town, and not the nicest either, I always made a quick dash to the car.
In fact, I vividly remember getting in, starting the engine and just staring at the dumpster heaving with records. The junkie in me came out. But suddenly of equal concern was getting caught. Seriously. There was a security camera affixed to the entrance area allowing the on-air dj’s a look at who rang the bell before buzzing them in. Plus there had been a stern directive that no one was to pilfer through the discarded records.
Nonetheless, I got out of the car, approached the dumpster, opened the heavy lid, and the very top album, I swear on my family’s lives, was ORGASM by John’s Children.
Now if you’re a collector, you are well aware that this is a very, very, very valuable record. In ’67, it was pressed up promotionally, a result of their one and only US single ‘Smashed Blocked’ becoming a regional hit on the west coast, even a Top 10 at KHJ in Los Angeles. As well, on January 14 of that year, it peaked on BILLBOARD’s ‘Bubbling Under The Hot 100′ chart at #102, where it had already spent two weeks:
Needless to say, the album title caused more resistance than it was worth and as the single had stiffed just outside of The Top 100, I’m guessing the label, White Whale, cancelled it’s release. Commercial copies were never manufactured, thus it’s collectibility to this day.
At that moment though, I was purely convinced it was a set up, being as critical and lippy of the station’s shit playlist then as I am of some current US radio song choices now. But fuck it. I wasn’t leaving this one behind.
By the time I arrived home, I was comforted in realizing there wasn’t a person at the station, other than Roger, with a thread of knowledge about a record of this obscure, and hence they’d never have even known to place it top of the heap to frame me. I slept fine.
Posted in Billboard, Bubbling Under The Hot 100, John's Children, Roger McCall, WCMF, White Whale |
September 28th, 2011
Listen: Poetry Man (Mono) / Phoebe Snow
Poetry
The nice thing about double A promo singles, up until the late 70′s, was you got an otherwise unobtainable mono mix on one side. Being a mono collector, these are now coveted.
I hated Phoebe Snow when this single was current. I went to see The Pretty Things in Niagara Falls during their SILK TORPEDO tour, and Carol Hardy, who worked promotion for Atlantic at the time, took me backstage to meet the band. I’d already booked them two years earlier at my college in ’73, which unbelievably was during their first ever US tour. Can you believe this seminal band didn’t tour here until ’73! Still I was well up for hanging out with them.
John Povey, Phil May and I got to talking about current records, and they proclaimed their love of ‘Poetry Man’ and Phoebe Snow, who they’d not heard until arriving Stateside. I was mortified. How could The Pretty Things liked this record?
Didn’t change my mind. I proceeded with nose in the air towards her for years.
But my tastes changed and one day, I just had to hear Phoebe Snow. Just like that. Snap.
Now I worship her voice, it’s huge and thunderous. I love all her Shelter Records releases. Leave it to Denny Cordell.
Posted in Atlantic, Carol Hardy, Denny Cordell, John Povey, Phil May, Phoebe Snow, Shelter, The Pretty Things |
September 27th, 2011
Listen: All That I’ve Got (I’m Gonna Give It To You) / Billy Preston
All
1968. The Beatles starting Apple Records, and even better, turning into A&R guys who immediately proceeded to over spend on their friends. Thankfully they kept George Martin well clear of their roster.
Seems it was primarily George Harrison who got in there signing, writing, playing, producing. His works with Jackie Lomax, Doris Troy, and Billy Preston all proved to be good ones.
Maybe it was the Abbey Road studios, where I’m guessing they were all recorded. Not sure, but something gave every one of those records a roomy, live sound. A decidedly American Delaney & Bonnie & Friends communal feel identified this particular single. Like my previous Billy Preston post, his releases were a touch classy, oddly polished and unpolished alike, and kinda too good for mainstream consumption. What else is new?
Posted in Apple, Billy Preston, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, Doris Troy, George Harrison, George Martin, Jackie Lomax, The Beatles |
September 26th, 2011
Listen: Crippled With Nerves / Kilburn & The High Roads
Crippled
Having read about this single and the band in the Melody Maker, I somehow special ordered a copy of Kilburn & The High Roads ‘Crippled With Nerves’. I was curious and just knew I needed it, if for no other reason than having spent my first few weeks of ever visiting London in Kilburn with my Aunt Tess and Uncle Mick. Sure am glad I followed through though. In fact, I’m not even really certain who/what/where my source for UK singles was in this particular period, given it being just post my time with Discount Records, where we could order imports through JEM and during my very early RIT days, prior to meeting Howard Thompson, who sent me everything. Probably Greg Prevost at House Of Guitars got it for me.
Anyways, I was really hoping to see more of the band represented, albeit briefly, in the Ian Dury film. Despite that, it’s a wonderful movie, and a not to be missed look into this fascinating genius.
Having only seen him in the States, when he made it over to tour Ian Dury & The Blockheads, I can stand up amongst all others who got to witness their super human live show. One of the best ever.
‘Crippled With Nerves’, an unlikely A side for sure, certainly takes on multiple meanings once you know Ian Dury’s weaving and jarring history, which musically began with Kilburn & The High Roads. This will provide an excellent read for the curious or uninformed.
Posted in Dawn Records, House Of Guitars, Howard Thompson, Ian Dury, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, JEM, Kilburn & The High Roads, Melody Maker |
