D-Sides, Orphans, and Oddities: Recent Episodes
Gilbert Neal
Obscure and fun music from the ‘70s and late ‘60s. Lots of interesting music history. Hosted by Gilbert Neal. Please share, please FOLLOW!
Visit my music site at gilbertneal.com
Some of the music is good. Some is ok. I leveraged my Korean friend's eloquence and polyglot acumen. If you like '70s Korean pop, and some strange covers of KC and the Sunshine Band in different languages, please have a listen.
The Joseph Consortium (1969) Sides 1 and 2.
Written by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice, this is the musical that everyone knows, recorded and played through a psychedelic prism. I've played this show on bass about a million times. It's almost identical to the version we all know. It's easy, it goes down nicely, and even the college shows I've played were tight like this.
Wikipedia: Joseph was first presented as a 15-minute "pop cantata" at Colet Court School in London in 1968, and was published by Novello and recorded in an expanded form by Decca Records in 1969. (Ed: This is what you're hearing.) After the success of the next Lloyd Webber and Rice piece, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph received amateur stage productions in the US beginning in 1970, and the first American release of the album was in 1971. The musical had its professional premiere, as a 35-minute musical, at the Haymarket ice rink during the Edinburgh International Festival in 1972. It was Part Two of Bible One, a Young Vic Theatre Company production presented by the National Theatre of Great Britain. While still undergoing various modifications and expansions, the musical was produced in the West End in 1973. In 1974, its full modern format was performed at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester and was also recorded that year. The musical was mounted on Broadway in 1982. Several major revivals, national tours, and a 1999 direct-to-video film starring Donny Osmond followed.
A long treatise on Dorothy Moskowitz.
Country Joe McDonald - Sexist Pig (1973)
Country Joe McDonald - Colorado Town (1973)
Steamin' Freeman - End of the Line (1975) Written by DM. Recorded live at Mooney's Pub Irish Pub, San Francisco, CA.
Steamin' Freeman - Southland (1975)
The drummer is Ginny Whitaker. She was credited as the drummer on the odd-ball hit "Pac-Man Fever". That band, Buckner and Garcia, had roots going back 17 years before that! Can you imagine struggling for decades and then striking oil based on a fad?
Moskowitz and Fregulia - Guess I'll Say Goodbye To Lady Day (1979) Recorded live. Released on the Blue Koala label.
Moskowitz and Fregulia - Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most (1979)
Moskowitz and Fregulia - When We Were Cool (1979)
The United States of America - Love Song For a Dead Che (1968)
The United States of America - Hard Coming Love (1968)
The United States of America - The American Way of Love (1968)
Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies - Sing-Along Song (1969)
Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies - Kaylani (1969)
The Blue Cats - Nowhere Man (196?) I'm gonna guess 1966 since this band released three albums of covers of their time plus some instrumental originals. Probably German studio guys bringing the Western hits of the day to their homeland.
Diane and Annita - Groovey Kind of Love (1965) Fans (?) of this release propose that this might not even be the titular singers (who sound nothing like the voices on this recording) but actually the writers, Carol Bayer-Sager and Toni Wine. Annita Ray also recorded a one-off novelty single with Eden Ahbez, the writer of "Nature Boy," in 1956. It was titled "Frankie's Song" b/w "Elvis Presley Blues."
Wikipedia: The melody is from the Rondo from Muzio Clementi's Sonatina, Opus 36, No. 5. Even though Wine and Sager claim full songwriting credits, they mainly wrote the lyrics and just slightly modified Clementi's music. Bayer Sager originally pitched the song to pop star Lesley Gore in early 1965, but Gore's producer at the time, Shelby Singleton, rejected it, as he found the word "groovy" too slangy.
Gene Cotton - Let Your Love Flow (1975)
The Undisputed Truth - Papa Was A Rollin' Stone (1972) This version actually preceded the Grammy-winning version by The Temptations, and the two are pretty similar. The Undisputed Truth had their biggest hit with a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong as well, "Smiling Faces Sometimes", which was originally recorded by The Temptations! This is another trivia question you can ask your friend.
Beau Williams - C'est La Vie (1984)
Black Magic! - Miss Jessie (1970)
Brian Wilson - Just Say No (1986)
C.W. McCall - Kidnap America (1980)
The Soul Searchers - We The People (1972)
Roogalator - Cincinnatti Fatback (1976) Note the Stiff Records logo on the upper left corner. This was one of the first Stiff releases. Danny Adler was an American ex-pat living in England. This was the second version of Roogalator (formed in 1972), and as much as this track smokes, the band got virtually no support from the label, and constant personnel changes killed the group. Could you have hung on that long with an entire movement (that you helped start) bubbling under your feet, only to be ignored and ultimately ripped off?
Cliff Bennett and his Band - Back In The U.S.S.R. (1968)
Con-Funk-Shun - Clique (1974)
Sesame Street - Cracks (1976) "Cracks" is an animated musical insert produced for Sesame Street in the 1970s. A young girl is unable to go outside to play because of the rain, and so she imagines the cracks in her wall form a camel. The camel takes her on an adventure through the wall where she meets a hen and a monkey, also made out of cracks.
The voice is the one and only Dorothy Moskowitz, who I featured on a recent show. She is mostly known as the female voice of The United States of America.
Debby Dobbins - How You Gonna Feel (1979)
A selection from the one and only album by Don Thompson - Fanny Brown/Just Plain Funk/Night Ladies/Hang Loose (1977)
God, I love this funk.
From Dusty Groove: The one and only album from drummer Don Thompson – a funky Brunswick classic from the 70s, and one of the most unique records we've ever heard from the label at the time! Don's got this style of singing that has a bit of a southern twang at times, but he works with grooves that are definitely northern in their orientation – served up in a range of styles that includes the funky drum break of the title cut, some mellow-stepping moments on a few other tunes, and the bouncing boogie that's really become the album's calling card over the years! There's loads of great bass work on most cuts, which really grounds that album alongside Don's drums – and titles include "Just Plain Funk", "Fanny Brown", "Lovin To The Bone", "Night Ladies (part 1 & 2)", and "Hang Loose".
Donny Hathaway - The Ghetto (1970) His early records were expansive and unique, and his voice was second to none. He was every bit the equal of Stevie and Marvin, but you know him from his duets with Roberta Flack.
Wikipedia: During the peak of his career, Hathaway began suffering from severe bouts of depression and exhibiting unusual behavior. In 1971, he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia for which he was prescribed various medications. At one point, Hathaway was prescribed fourteen different medications that he was to take twice a day. After Hathaway was diagnosed and began taking medication, his mental state improved. However, Eulaulah Hathaway has said that her husband became less than diligent about following his prescription regimen when he began feeling better and often stopped taking his medications altogether. From 1973 to 1977, Hathaway's mental instability wreaked havoc on his life and career and required several hospitalizations. The effects of his depression and severe mood swings also drove a wedge in his and Flack's friendship; they did not reconcile for several years, and did not release additional music until the successful release of "The Closer I Get To You" in 1978. Flack and Hathaway then resumed studio recording to compose a second album of duets.
You should investigate his discography, especially this stunning debut album, Everything Is Everything. He was brilliant.
Donny Hathaway - To Be Young, Gifted, and Black (1970)
Donnie Most - Rock Is Dead (1976)
Enoch Light and the Light Brigade - Pick Up The Pieces (1975) John Miller on bass.
Enoch Light and the Light Brigade - Puppet Man (1970)
Fleetwood Mac - Sentimental Lady (1972) POACA will remember that Bob Welch rerecorded this with a more prominent Christine McVie backing vocal part. The singing members of Fleetwood Mac circa 1977-1980 could have crapped on a cracker and it would have gone gold.
The Mothers of Invention - Help, I'm a Rock (Suite In Three Movements)
I. Okay To Tap Dance
II. In Memoriam, Edgard Varèse
lll. It Can't Happen Here (1966)
Ian Dury and the Blockheads - Reasons To Be Cheerful (Pt. 3) (1980)
Kelly Gordon - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother (1969) First version. Beautiful.
Kid Creole and the Coconuts - Indiscreet (1983) Live. Goddammit, Carol Colman on bass.
The Residents - Die In Terror (1980)
Hoover Commercial with Brian Johnson of AC/DC on vocals. (1979)
Carpenters - Suntory Pop Jingle (1977)
There are enough people out there who yearn for the arcane, the odd, the unsuccessful, the strange, and the historically overlooked to justify 200 podcast episodes of D-Sides, Orphans, and Oddities.
This makes me happy, and the topics are inexhaustible. From the strange singles of Freddie Cannon and Lou Christie to the occasionally wonderful singles of Les Humphries Singers, Doris, Os Mutantes, to the strange paths to fame like The American Breed ("Bend Me Shape Me") evolving into Rufus, and then Chaka Kahn, and then "I Feel For You", her biggest hit, written by Prince, but the Kahn version was actually the 4th release and, had Patrice Rushen opted to try it (she turned it down), the 5th. A Prince song with Stevie Wonder playing harmonica over his own voice being sampled.
To me, pop music is styles and the biggest records tend to be styles smooshed together. People like dangerous white music and safe black music. People like rap, but with a melodic vocal hook. While the Bee Gees were not a disco group, the Saturday Night Fever movie was a perfect petri dish. Combine Travolta's white-hot star power with the zeitgeist of Disco and the very odd recordings the Bee Gees were doing at that time. It was the success and the playing it safe in the movie's wake that doomed them.
The Beatles were preternaturally gifted with a work ethic that would kill the musicians of today. But their fame was also born of withering luck. A producer and a manager (and record company) that didn't really know what they were supposed to do with these four tough guys. None of them tried to make The Beatles pick a lead singer, so, like their live act, all four would do it. Because they had the shocking temerity to say "Nope, we're not doing that song...", it was like saying to someone with a gun In your face, "Go ahead. We've come this far. You don't know WHAT we've seen. We see through you, over and over. In Germany. In Sweden. In Wales. We never said 'no' to a gig, no matter how much driving or begging or lack of sleep, and if the Reeperbahn couldn't stop us, what makes you think YOU will?" And their genuine love of Black music somehow broke the barriers for generations of singers, players, etc.
Imagine that moment. You're in The Beatles, you've struggled and burned the roads up and played innumerable gigs, and sat, nose to nose, creating songs in your room that people would be singing and playing for 60 years hence. But now, the sessions begin, and the man in the tie wants you to record a "ringer". And you try it, but it doesn't really do anything. It's ok. But you have to decide. Play the game? Or risk this dude's red pen.
Or show up with something better.
And the guy with the tie has been through some shit as well. And he's tired of being relegated to 2nd string and he resents being put in a place where these four punks dare question his choice. Do better. I'm tired of this shit.
And "Please Please Me" is as black a record as anything any band from England before them had tried. And that little phrase can be attributed to everything they tried after that. Because they proved it, in that ONE shot across the bow that would resonate for what will be eons, that your old choices for ringers, publishing company favors, Brill building production lines, plug-and-play Motown stuff, etc., were going to either fade or have to adapt.
I stop my show pretty much at 1980 because that's when drum machines and synths became songwriting devices. I never liked Joy Division. I just don't get it. At that point, and with exceptions, sure, drum programming and synth programming made songwriting easy. That didn't make the songs any better. Just easier to make. Someone else can do that show.
Anyhow, this is to say thank you to all the folks that have listened and downloaded.
THIS show is me delivering a preamble and then playing 4 hours of music from past shows that I really like. Let's call this "Part 1" because the show, as I originally tried to put it together, lasted 10+ hours. So consider this show when you're on a long drive, doing work, making love to your woman, or man, or both, or none.
So......
This is the setlist, but they’re not all ‘good songs’. Some are meant to show you the arcane nature of what I find most enjoyable. Song-poems (“The Beatle Boys”), artists coping with the end of their heyday (Gary Glitter) and ill-prepared for life after that, or artists way before they found their niche (The Gap Band). And, of course, groups I love like Rose Tattoo, The Free Design, and SAHB.
Leo’s Sunshipp - Give Me The Sunshine (1978)
The Free Design - My Very Own Angel (1969)
GLS United - Rapper’s Deutsch (1980) Samples “Rapper’s Delight”, which samples “Good Times” by Chic, “Here Comes That Sound Again” by Love De-Luxe with Hawkin’s Discophonia (which i played on one of my previous shows), and a quote from the movie Five on the Black Hand Side, specifically, a scene in the barbershop that predated the advent of Rudy Ray Moore’ Dolemite character by 2 years.
Louis Armstrong - The Creator Has a Master Plan (1970) w/ Leon Thomas
Rick Wakeman - I’m So Straight, I’m a Weirdo (1980) I just like playing this awful oddity from the keyboard player from Yes. This record defies description. But if you see the video on Youtube, look for a young Boy George.
James Last - Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (1971) From the album Voodoo-Party.
Billy Preston - My Sweet Lord (1970) One of two albums he released on Apple Records.
Rod Rogers (really, Rod Keith) and the Swinging Strings - The Beatle Boys (196?)
The Gap Band - Magician’s Holiday (1974)
Gary Glitter - A Little Boogie Woogie in the Back of My Mind (1977)
The Free Design - There Is A Song (1972) I will never stop praising this wonderful group.
Stuart Damon - Eros (1970) Dr. Alan Quartermaine from General Hospital had a brief singing career.
The Millennium - There Is Nothing More To Say (1968) Lou Christie lifted this wonderful melody for his own “Canterbury Road" later that year. From the film “Till [sic] Kingtom Comes”.
XTC- Across This Antheap (1987) I never tire of this amazing track. It’s my show.
Aerosmith -Nobody’s Fault (1976) I like Aerosmith’s ’70s albums very much. They were all loaded with hidden gems, and to me, “Nobody’s Fault” was just the most succinct example of a band that made consistently good/great albums.
Frank Zappa - Andy (1980) A great, difficult tune (you try it with your band.) Recorded live in Buffalo.
Annette Peacock - The Succubus (1979)
The Red Shadow - Anything Good (1975)
Carpenters - B’wana She No Home (1977)
Bruford - Back To The Beginning (1978)
Frank Sinatra - Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown (1974)
Barry McGuire & The Doctor - South Of The Border (1970) I love this song. We are on the eve of destruction indeed. Might as well…
Beach Boys - Rollin’ Up To Heaven (1972?) This is so insane, and especially from a major artist, that it defies categorization.
Rose Tattoo - We Can’t Be Beaten (1982) Ferocious.
Billy (Crash) Craddock - Knock Three Times (1971)
Led Zeppelin - Black Dog (1972) Unbelievable live version from “How The West Was Won”. Listen to those bass drum tricks. Especially during the coda. I wish Robert Plant never smoked. A normal drummer would go crazy with fills. Bonham put them where they belonged, no more. He showed amazing restraint at times. You wouldn’t think so, but he was a grooving monster above all else.
Black Oak Arkansas - Hot And Nasty (1971)
Michael (Mick) Jackson - Blame It On The Boogie (1978)
Bob & Earl - Harlem Shuffle (1969)
The Kids From The Brady Bunch - Candy (Sugar Shoppe) (1972) So inappropriate that I wonder what the record company/TV show producers were thinking. Good song and a nice performance by the studio band.
Bread - Everything I Own (1972)
Carla Bley - Rawalpindi Blues (1972)
Nick Mason - Do Ya? (1980)
Liberace - Say Ciao (1970) Liberace puts it into words and music..."Never Say Goodbye, Say Ciao"...capturing the mood of Ciao Liqueur...the imported new liqueur with the elusive new taste. I can’t find another song that Liberace wrote himself.
Crack The Sky - Surf City (Here Come The Sharks) (1975)
Les Humphries Singers - Dancing Queen (1976) You can still hear Jimmy Bilsbury’s straining, smoky tenor in the choruses. “Having the time of your life…” Poor guy.
Eddie Kendricks - Me 'N Rock 'N Roll Are Here To Stay (1974)
Denny Greene - The Great Escape (1981) Ex-Sha Na Na member trying to break type like J Jocko tried a few years before. I love this. This is a dance mix of the original he did in 1977.
Dennis Wilson - River Song (1977)
Doris - Did You Give The World Some Love Today, Baby? (1970) No one knows who Doris is. I’d rather listen to her and this crazy Swedish band for a year before I ever give any time to Janis Joplin.
Rotary Connection - Didn’t Want To Have To Do It (1967)
Adriano Celentano - Prisencolinensinainciusol (1972) This is a wonderful remix of the original fluke hit.
The Move - Do Ya (different version) (1971)
Jeff Lynne - Doin’ That Crazy Thing (1977)
Rick Nelson - Don’t Blame It On Your Wife (1968)
Sha Na Na Anti-Drug PSA (197?)
Doris - Beatmaker (1970)
Dschinghis Khan - Rocking Son Of Dschinghis Khan (1979)
Edith Head Fashion Prescription
Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Trilogy (1973)
Utopia - Eternal Love (1976)
Alix Dobkin - View Form Gay Head (1973)
Fats Domino - Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except For Me and My Monkey (1968)
John Farrar - Falling (1980)
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Feelin’ Blue (1969)
Laverne and Shirley - Five Years On (1976) Written by Michael McKean. His story is too long for me to get into. For POACA he was "Lenny" of Lenny and Squiggy. Or he was David St. Hubbins in Spinal Tap. Or he was Saul Goodman's brother in Better Call Saul.
Genesis - Fly On A Windshield/Broadway Melody of 1974 (1974)
Fonzie Impressionist Track (Aaaaay, Cool, Nerd, Sit On It) (1976) One of the weirdest things in my collection. Why does it exist? And then it repeats in reverse!!
A Flock of Seagulls - Telecommunication (1981) EP Released before their debut album. Produced by Bill Nelson.
A Flock of Seagulls - It's Not Me Talking (1981)
Bill Nelson - Love Without Fears (1982)
Be Bop Deluxe - New Precision (1978) Be Bop Deluxe was like The Stranglers in a way. They rarely settled on one style. They started in a kind of glam/new wave hybrid aesthetic and moved to prog and the like. The difference was that Bill Nelson was an amazing guitarist, which (thankfully) distinguished them from the punk zeitgeist that was to soon dominate the UK charts. So they rarely made fools of themselves and stopped when their bass player's visa expired instead of trudging on and on. Always interesting, good lyrics, and overall horribly underrated. I hope you like my little sampling of their overlooked discography.
Be Bop Deluxe - Ships In The Night (1976)
Be Bop Deluxe - Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus (1974)
Strontium 90 - Electron Romance (1977)
Wikipedia:
Strontium 90 was the name of a short-lived 1977 British band with members Mike Howlett (lead bass, vocals), Sting (bass, vocals), Stewart Copeland (drums), and Andy Summers (guitar). The band is most notable for introducing Summers to Sting and Copeland, as this trio would go on to massive success as The Police.
The band was formed in mid-1977 by Howlett after he quit Gong and recruited Sting and Summers to participate in a new project. Chris Cutler was unavailable to play drums, so Sting brought along Copeland, with whom he had been playing in an early lineup of The Police.
I've played Gong on this show a few times. Gong was the band that briefly featured Bill Bruford (after Yes and King Crimson)and Dave Stewart who went on to form Bruford with Alan Holdsworth and Jeff Berlin. One of the finest prog ensembles ever. If you like quirky, other-worldly prog, don't find Can funny and wish Incredible String Band had a better line-up, go listen to Gong. Mike Howlett was a fine bassist but wasn't integral to Gong's original sound.
Strontium 90 - New World Blues (1977)
Strontium 90 - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (1977)
Public Zone - Naive (1977) Peter Godwin, Duncan Brown, and Sean Lyons were members of Metro. The band briefly changed their name to Public Zone and released this single with Stewart Copeland who played drums on both tracks
Curved Air - Desiree (1976) Stuart Copeland on drums. Copeland was romantically involved with Curved Air vocalist Sonja Kristina beginning in 1974, and they were married from 1982 to 1991. Copeland adopted Kristina's son Sven from a prior relationship, and they had two more sons together, Jordan and Scott. I came THIS close to interviewing Stuart Copeland when he was in town last time. I would have asked him about Sonja, Klark Kent, and not much more.
Curved Air - Juno (1976)
Last Exit - Savage Beast (1975) Sting on vocals.
Last Exit - Fool In Love (1975)
Last Exit - Carrion Prince (1975)
Tim Rose - Second Avenue (1975) What a nice song. Andy Summers plays guitar. I played this over and over when I found it.
Kevin Lamb - Last Farewell (1973) Andy Summers on guitar.
Joan Armatrading - Stepping Out (1975) Andy Summers on guitar.
Eric Burdon and the Animals - Colored Rain (1968) Andy Summers on guitar.
Dantalian's Chariot - Soma (Parts 1 & 2) (1967) Andy Summers on guitar.
Dantalian's Chariot - World War Three (1967)
Dantalian's Chariot - Madman Running Through The Fields (1967)
The Beach Bums - The Yellow Beret (1966) Did you know Bob Seger was such a right-wing nut job?
The song is a parody of The Ballad Of The Green Berets by Barry Sadler, a huge hit in February 1966, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Cashbox, and Billboard Adult Contemporary charts, as well as #2 on the Country charts. It sold over two million copies in just the first two weeks. This song is a stark contrast to Seger's better-known ANTI-Viet Nam song, "2 + 2 + ? " released just 2 years later.
As you know, Seger finally hit the big time with Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man in 1969, but what you might NOT know is that future Eagle Glenn Frey played acoustic guitar and sang backing vocals on Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man.
Bob Seger - The Famous Final Scene (1977) My favorite song of his.
Wings - Give Ireland Back To The Irish (1972)
John Lennon - The Luck Of The Irish (1972)
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Photograph (2017)
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Give Me Love (2017)
Johnny "Guitar" Watson - I Wanna Ta Ta You, Baby (1976)
Johnny "Guitar" Watson - Superman Lover (1976)
Zappa on Watson:
"Watson, he's the original minimalist guitar player. The solo on "Lonely Nights," the one-note guitar solo? Says it all! Gets the point across. I can remember guitar players in high school learning that solo and just going, "But how does he get it to sound that way?" It really was one note. If you can play that note against those chord changes and derive the same emotional impact that he got from playing that note, then you're onto something. He can make that one be so nasty. You know, like, "What's behind that note? What is the mode? Why are you continuing to play the tonic when the dominant chord comes around? Are you goin' like this [gestures with his middle finger in the F-you" position] with your playing or what?" You have to learn how to do that. (...)generally the people who write about music don't know music. Anybody can tell whether these four notes are faster than these four notes. But what does it take to listen to Johnny Guitar Watson's one note, and know that he's doin' that? Did you ever point that out to a reader? Did you ever get across that there's something more to it than rilly-rilly-ree?"
Johnny "Guitar" Watson - It's All About the Dollar Bill (1977) "Distributed by Amherst Records, 355 Harlem Road, Buffalo (West Seneca, really), NY, 14224" which was about .25 miles from where I grew up. They would occasionally have cut-out sales in that warehouse. I bought an American "Greatest Hits" album by The Move, but it was so cheaply packaged and sounded terrible.
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - This Guy's In Love In With Guy (2017)
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Come Sail Away (2017)
O C Smith - La La Peace Song (1974)
The Equals - Black Skinned, Blue-Eyed Boys (1970) Written by Eddie Grant of "Electric Avenue" fame.
The Revox Singers - The Woodstock Message (1969?) An anti-war single from around that time. I think it was a song-poem. In other words, someone sent a poem to a "boutique" record company (in this case, Aladdin Records out of Chicago) and they wrote accompaniment.
Percy Mayfield - Walking On A Tightrope (1969)
Percy Mayfield - I Don't Want To Be President (1974)
Discogs:
US R&B vocalist and composer (b. August 12, 1920, Minden, Louisiana, d. August 11, 1984, Los Angeles, CA) Though maybe mostly known for penning the classic "Hit the Road, Jack", Mayfield himself was a major performer for the Specialty label in the first half of the 50s delivering slow blues ballads with his smoky voice reminiscent of Charles Brown. His biggest hit was the 1950 "Please Send Me Someone to Love", an R&B standard covered by many singers since then. The good-looking Mayfield was nearly killed in a 1952 car accident that left his face severely scarred and may have had a limiting effect on his career as a performer. In 1961 Ray Charles made his "Hit The Road, Jack" a major hit, and Mayfield was subsequently hired by Charles's Tangerine Records as a songwriter. After a decade in the background, Mayfield had a comeback and released several albums late 60s to early 70s on Tangerine and RCA. On these albums, Mayfield's smoky baritone voice is often heard accompained by top jazz session-players of the era.
Percy Mayfield - Right On, Young Americans (1972)
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Show Me The Way (2017)
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Miracles (2017)
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Fooled Around In Love (2017)
I chose some lesser-known songs from Chuck Berry's post-heyday. Some of the songs on these records are great stories like the great man could do effortlessly.
Chuck Berry - Ma Dear (1965)
Chuck Berry - Bio (1973)
Chuck Berry - My Dream (1971)
a-ha - Lesson One (Take On Me first demo) (1982) Before their one. big, groundbreaking mega-hit (mostly for the video) this song underwent a couple revisions. They knew somehow that they had gold, but they struggled to find a winning chorus. They would.
Anna Frid Lyngstad - Guld Och Gröna Ängar (10CC's "The Wall Street Shuffle" in Swedish) (1975) The red-headed female in Abba released solo stuff with some success in her homeland throughout their heyday. But she didn't hit in the USA solo until teaming with Phil Collins for "I Know There's Something Going On" in 1982.
Anna Frid Lyngstad - Liv På Mars? (David Bowie's "Life On Mars?" in Swedish) (1975)
Anna Frid Lyngstad - Skulle De' Va' Skönt (The Beach Boys' "Wouldn't It Be Nice" in Swedish) (1975)
Baker Gurvitz Army - Hearts On Fire (1976) A pretty stupid song written by Ginger Baker. I never really liked him. I never liked Cream, to be honest. I like Jack Bruce singing with Carla Bley on "Escalator Over The Hill".
Bridges - Miss Eerie ("The Juicyfruit Song", the earliest recording of "Take On Me") (1981) In 1981, a-ha’s Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen recorded this song for their band Bridges. In 1984, having formed a-ha with vocalist Morten Harket, they’d take yet another stab at the track.
Jack Bruce - I'm Gettin' Tired (Of Drinkin' and Gamblin') (1965)
Ginger Baker's Air Force - Sweet Wine (1970) Same musical structure, in a way, as Mothers of Invention, without the scatology.
Ginger Baker - Ariwo (1972)
Hawkwind - Levitation (1980) With Ginger Baker on drums. Another band that never really pinged my interest. Throw them on the pile!
Michael Lloyd and Mike Curb - It's Magic (1969) From...Hot Wheels Cartoon Soundtrack.
Liner notes: This exciting album contains all of the original sound track music from HOT WHEELS- the high adventure show on ABC-TV's Super Saturday Club. This thrilling weekly cartoon series features a group of young drivers who have formed a "hot wheels" auto club. Their activities cover all aspects of this fast road sport...cross country, track and dunes, and the music reflects their love of high speed action. HOT WHEELS is an up-to-the minute show and the music from the sound track is as turned on and tuned-in as today's high performance cars. Mike Curb. who wrote the music for the show, puts it all into high gear on this fast moving album!
Ian Dury and the Blockheads - Reasons To Be Cheerful, Pt. 3 (1979) These guys could play. I went through their stuff. Very exciting and versatile. The late '70s in UK must have been an exciting time for music fans.
Ian Dury and The Blockheads - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (1978) Listen to that bass guitar. Norman Watt-Roy. What fun it must have been to produce these records. That seems to be when the best records were made. When all concerned were united in making a good sound, but not taking themselves too seriously.
Jack Bruce - Never Tell Your Mother She's Out of Tune (1969)
Jack Bruce - Pieces Of Mind (1974)
Jack Bruce - Victoria Sage (1971) Even though having Ginger Baker in my band would have been a special circle of hell for me, and I think Jack Bruce might have been a tad busy for my taste, I find both of their records invariably more interesting than anything Eric Clapton did. And aside from Jack Bruce's first solo album, Songs For A Tailor, neither artist charted in the US with anything. And I know this might be sacrilege to say, but is Duane Allman's slide solo on "Layla" THAT good? I find it pretty...meandering. Out of tune, even. Go ahead and kill me.
Madness - Blue Skinned Beast (1983) Same album as their US hit "Our House". Dan put this on a mixtape for me once. I never forgot.
Madness - Embarrassment (1980)
Madness is an English ska band from Camden Town, North London, who formed in 1976. One of the most prominent bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s two-tone ska revival, Madness's most successful period was from 1980 to 1986 when the band's songs spent a total of 214 weeks on the UK Singles Chart.
Madness has had 15 singles reach the UK top ten, which include "One Step Beyond", "Baggy Trousers" and "It Must Be Love", one UK number-one single "House of Fun" and two number ones in Ireland, "House of Fun" and "Wings of a Dove". "Our House" was their biggest US hit. In 2000 the band received the Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors for Outstanding Song Collection.
Madness - On The Town (Feat. Rhoda Dakar)/Bingo (2009) Read the Wiki about this album. Most artists, after how many years, regress or become a trivia act. Madness reached for the stars. It's a worthy listen for sure.
Marianne Faithfull - I'm a Loser (1965) You had to be there, I guess.
Mike Curb & Lawrence Brown - Bay City Boys (1967) From the original motion picture soundtrack to the film "Mary Jane".
A car driven by a driver intoxicated by marijuana plunges off a cliff, killing the driver and injuring a female passenger. It turns out marijuana use is rife at a small-town high school, led by the clique of Jordan Bates. Art teacher Phil Blake tries to persuade student Jerry Blackburn not to smoke. Jerry borrows Phil's car and Jordan leaves some marijuana in it. Phil gets arrested for possession of marijuana.
This movie starred Fabian, who was a heartthrob in the early '60s. Maybe this was his attempt to be a serious actor.
The movie was co-written by Dick Gautier (POACA will recall his ubiquitous presence on every game show ever done, as "Hymie" the Robot on Get Smart, and in 1973, when Burt Ward and Yvonne Craig reprised their Batman roles (as Robin and Batgirl respectively) for a TV public service announcement about equal pay for women, Adam West, who was trying to distance himself from the Batman role at the time, declined to participate. Gautier filled in for West as Batman. The other co-writer was Peter Marshall, who hosted The Hollywood Squares for 15 years.
For the fetishist, here is that PSA, with Dick Gautier as Batman.
https://youtu.be/3LviAKGZxPs
Mike Curb Congregation - Come Together/Hey Jude (1970)
The Mike Curb Congregation - Burning Bridges (1970) From the movie "Kelly's Heroes".
Hank Williams Jr. & The Mike Curb Congregation - Walkin' To New Orleans (1971)
The New Life - The Sidehackers Soundtrack (1969) Do you remember the MST3K episode? Well, there's a soundtrack that features Mike Curb's involvement. Besides the Sidehackers soundtrack, The New Life also scored songs for a film called Black Water Gold.
You might like this little slice of relatively well-recorded tomfoolery recorded live at the famous Fillmore East in 1971. What a night it must have been. Anyhow, it really depends on which mix you like better. Lennon and Ono or Frank Zappa. To me, Some Time In New York City sounds pretty muddy. I like this album because it has (to my knowledge) none of Zappa's Xenechrony. It's all raw, but if you really pay attention, these Mothers were pretty tight.
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention - Well
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention - Say Please
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention - Aaawk (I love Yoko's ferocious "aaawk" squeals...like she's repeatedly being shoved underwater.)
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention - Scumbag
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention - A Small Eternity With Yoko Ono
Willie Dickson and The Playboys - Licking Stick (1969)
Andrea True Connection - More, More, More (1976) Instrumental version sounds almost like a run-through. Especially that bass. I like it.
Collective Consciousness Society CCS - Whole Lotta Love (1971)
Discogs: CCS (Collective Consciousness Society) was a British group formed by bluesman Alexis Korner and Danish vocalist Peter Thorup. The band itself also consisted of different studio casts who would be around but also included Tony Carr (drums), Herbie Flowers (bass), Harold Beckett (trumpet), Harold McNair (woodwind), and Henry Lowther (trumpet), among others. This wasn’t all, as they were going for a unique sound to rival the top Rock acts of the day. So they would grab the creme de la creme of jazz studio musicians of the time. The entire lineup would always be subject to change throughout the band’s history, depending on personnel availability at recordings.
Desmond Dekker and the Aces - Licking Stick (1971)
David Peel and the Lower East Side - The Ballad of New York City - John Lennon / Yoko Ono (1972)
Elephant's Memory - Local Plastic Ono Band (1972)
George Torrence and the Naturals - (Mama, Come Quick, And Bring Your) Lickin' Stick (1968) Note the composer.
James Brown - Licking Stick, Licking Stick (1968) Now, the same song, re-written by James Brown.
Rusty Garnett - Licking Stick, Licking Stick (196?)
Tenth Hour - Lickin Stick (1975) This beat Shazam! Credited to Charles Manley and George Torrence.
The United States Air Force Band featuring The Free Design – "The Now Sound Of Christmas" (1968) These are all live recordings, and some have never been released on Free Design albums. ESPECIALLY the song "Shepherds and Wisemen" which, to my ears, is very good. A hidden gem.
The Proper Ornaments/Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence/Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer/Close Your Mouth (It's Christmas)/Christmas Is The Day/Winter Wonderland/Shepherds and Wise Men/Reprise-The Now Sound of Christmas. It would be so nice to hear this on a big FM radio console in a living room.
Jimmy Castor Bunch (featuring the Everything Man) - Supersound (1975) I love this.
John Paul Joans - Got To Get Together Now (1970)
John Davidge was a politically motivated and confrontational stand-up comedian In 1970, he made a record for the UK Christmas market. His manager arranged for Eric Stewart, Lol Creme, and Kevin Godley (later of 10CC) to write the song with him. It was "Man From Nazareth" with the flip side "Got To Get Together Now". Both were recorded at Strawberry Studios and released on Mickie Most’s RAK label.
The song was tipped as a 1970 Xmas #1 but lost its momentum because the other John Paul Jones objected, necessitating that all the records be recalled, destroyed, and reprinted! The song peaked at No. 25 in January 1971 after a belated post-Xmas Top of The Pops performance.
A selection from Andrea True's Europe-only third album War Machine (1980)
Open Up Baby/Hootchie Kootchie Floozies/War Machine
Babatunde Olatunji - Soul Makossa (1973) Originally recorded by Manu Dibango, and borrowed for Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough."
Earth and Fire - Memories (1972)
Earth and Fire - 21st Century Show (1970)
Earth and Fire - Circus (1975)
Serge Gainsbourg - Joanna (1965)
OST from the film "ComeTogether" - ComeTogether/Get Together (1971)
Something Weird: Come Together is one of those great, unique, hard-to-categorize European films that would best be described as a slice of life from the "free love" hippie generation.
TONY ANTHONY plays Tony, a free-wheeling American stuntman working in Italian films, who tries to pick up two swinging American tourists, Lisa (LUCIANA PALUZZI) and Ann (ROSEMARY DEXTER). His persistence pays off and he gives them a tour of Rome in his new sports car. As the trio develop a friendship, we find that Ann is still suffering stress from an abortion, and Lisa was recently involved in a messy affair with an older married man. Tony has his own mental baggage: he was the only survivor when his unit was massacred in Vietnam. All three are searching for an intimate relationship.
Tony is hired to play a Mexican bandit in a spaghetti western in Spain -- fans of the genre won’t want to miss these scenes -- and finds himself missing the two girls. When he returns, the three take a trip to Pompeii, get turned on by the ancient erotic paintings (not an easy thing to do) and plunge into a ménage à trois. However, Tony is pretty freaked out by this and drives off to sort things out. It doesn’t take him long to return and accept the relationship for what it is. It all comes to a head with a jaw-dropping out-of-left-field ending that would never fly with today’s test audiences...
Mr. Anthony, "best known" for his spaghetti western Stranger character (Stranger in Town), is hilarious (sometimes unintentionally) and his ’60s voice-over philosophy is a hoot. He’s also a real fashion casualty of the times in his floppy hippie hat and Mickey Mouse denim jacket. A standout scene shows him as a gigolo in bed with a whacked-out client, lots of poodles, and a vibrator. Gorgeous Luciana Paluzzi is best known as James Bond’s love interest in Thunderball.
Hardcore Beatles fanatics should be alerted that the soundtrack for Come Together was released on Apple Records. Co-director SAUL SWIMMER was also involved with Let It Be, and Ringo Starr and Tony Anthony starred together in Blindman.
Justin Hayward and John Lodge - Blue Guitar (1975) With 10CC.
John Lodge - Street Cafe (1980)
Robert Lamm - Song for Richard and His Friends (2006?)
Robert Lamm - Temporary Jones (1974)
The Four Seasons - Silver Star (live) (1980)
Laura Brannigan - Deep In The Dark (1983)
Dave Clark 5 - Children (197?)
The Osmond Brothers - Flower Music (1967)
Firyuza - Native land (1979)
The Searchers - Love Potion #9 (1975) A pointless reinvention.
The Residents - Bach Is Dead (first version) (197?)
Robert Lamm - A Lifetime We (1974)
The Knack - Africa (1981) From their 3rd album, Round Trip.
Peter Cetera - Holy Moly (1981)
Gerard McMahon - Hello Operator (1976)
Robert Lamm - Crazy Way to Spend a Year (1974)
Angelo - It Don't Matter (1976) With the Chicago horns, as well as Danny Seraphine on drums, Laudir de Oliveira on percussion, and the ubiquitous Peter Cetera.
Odyssey - Home Of The Brave (1972) With Donnie "Hot Licks" Dacus.
Robert Lamm - Where You Think You're Goin? (1972)
Don Felder - Never Surrender (1983) Written with Kenny Loggins ("Footloose", "Danny's Song") and featuring Pankow and Loughnane.
Gene McDaniels - Feel Like Makin' Love (1975)
Joe Vitale - Sailor Man (1981)
Leon Russell - Let's Get Started (1978)
The Knack - Lil' Cals Big Mistake (1981)
Maynard Ferguson - Rocky II Disco (1979) Featuring the real Sylvester Stallone on grunting, and Danny Seraphine on drums.
Flo & Eddie - Hot (1975) Featuring D. H.L. Dacus on slide guitar.
Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman signed with Columbia [Records] as Flo & Eddie. In his autobiography Shell Shocked, Kaylan revealed that upon receiving the cover art for their first album, they were appalled to learn that the printer had mistakenly printed the duo's stage names in the wrong order above their photograph. Volman was identified as Flo, which had been Kaylan's stage name in [Frank] Zappa's band, and Kaylan was identified as Eddie, Volman's stage name. The label refused to reprint the cover, saying that it would cost too much money. Thus, Kaylan and Volman decided to professionally swap stage names.
They sang backing vocals on so many famous songs and albums that you've likely heard them today. Among them:
"Bang a Gong" by T Rex.
Illegal Stills - Stephen Stills
From The Inside - Alice Cooper
"Hungry Heart" by Bruce Springsteen
Blondie, Psychedelic Furs, Todd Rundgren (when you hear "Bang on the Drum All Day" at a sporting event, that's them singing,) Duran Duran, etc. Volman and Kaylan also sang on the first recording by Steely Dan, a demo of "Everyone's Gone To The Movies." I read an article where Kaylan says he was asked to be their lead singer, but he nixed the idea of singing without his partner.
James William Guercio - Tell Me (1973)
Peter Cetera - Livin' in the Limelight (1980)
Wikipedia: When Columbia Records dropped Chicago in 1981, Cetera was in the middle of recording his first solo album for the same label. He had to personally buy the rights to the album before it could be released. According to Cetera, Chicago's new record company, Warner Bros., released the Peter Cetera album while it was waiting for Chicago 16 to be released. Cetera has asserted that one reason for the album's poor commercial success, however, was lack of support from the record company: the record company didn't want it to be successful and didn't promote it for fear that he would leave the group. In his 2011 autobiography, former Chicago bandmate, Danny Seraphine, backs up Cetera on this point, writing, "... [the album] sank like a stone due to lack of record company support. Warner Brothers didn't want it to interfere with their plans for Chicago." A full-page advertisement announcing the album appeared on page 100 of the November 21, 1981 issue of Billboard magazine.
Marcos Valle - A Paraíba Não é Chicago (1981)
My last Carpenters show got wiped for some reason. Maybe the ghost of Karen?
A sound that no one will forget once they hear it. I am talking about those tight harmonies. Richard's scholarly, clever approach to harmonies often goes unnoticed, but he was quite the craftsman. What can you say about Karen? She wasn't meant to be the star. She was a black sheep. Not meant to shine. Meant to be grounded into fine dust like the Carpenter women before her.
Wikipedia: In early 1966, Karen tagged along at a late-night session in the garage studio of Los Angeles bassist Joe Osborn, and joined future Carpenters collaborator and lyricist John Bettis at a demo session where Richard was to accompany (Dan) Friberg (trumpet player and friend of Richard). Asked to sing, she performed for Osborn, who was immediately impressed with her vocal abilities. He signed Karen to his label, Magic Lamp Records, and Richard to his publishing arm, Lightup Music. The label put out a single featuring two of Richard's compositions, "Looking for Love" and "I'll Be Yours". As well as Karen's vocals, the track was backed by the Richard Carpenter Trio. The single was not a commercial success due to a lack of promotion, and the label folded the next year.
Carpenters - Get Together (1969) Richard on vocals. You can sort of divine, even at this nascent stage, why Richard was not going to do many vocals from here on in.
Karen Carpenter - Jimmy Mack (1980) From the aborted solo album. Backed by Billy Joel's versatile group, these sessions were replete with fawners (of the good kind) like Joel, Paul Simon (who offered up his own "Still Crazy After All These Years"), and Peter Cetera of Chicago. One gets the feeling there was so much respect, almost a quiet but unmistakable hopefulness that she could get well, be free.
Carpenters - Crescent Noon (1970)
Carpenters - Get Together (1970) From a "Your Navy Presents" radio program.
Spectrum - Crescent Noon (1966)
Karen Carpenter - Midnight (1980)
Carpenters - Mr. Guder (1970)
Wikipedia: Richard and Bettis then were hired as musicians at a refreshment shop at Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A. They were expected to play turn of the 20th century songs in keeping with the shop's theme. The shop's patrons had other ideas; many requested the musicians to play current popular music. When the pair tried pleasing their customers and honoring the requests, they were fired by a Disneyland supervisor, Victor Guder, for being "too radical". Bettis and Richard were unhappy about their dismissal and wrote the song "Mr. Guder" about their former superior.
Karen Carpenter - My Body Keeps Changing My Mind (1980)
Carpenters - Road Ode (1972)
Carpenters - B'wana She No Home (1977) I like their daring choice and also this version of the Michael Franks tune.
Karen Carpenter - Looking For Love (1966)
Carpenters - You'll Love Me (1967)
Carpenters - The Rainbow Connection (Recorded in 1980, released in 1999) Richard objected to the "syllabification", notably the first verse that Kermit the Frog sings in The Muppet Movie, for whom the song was written. That original was nominated for an Academy Award. So while they dutifully trudged on, Karen wasn't pleased with the outcome and the recording was not released in her lifetime.
Carpenters - One Fine Day (1973)
Carpenters - Piano Picker (1972)
Your Wonderful Parade (1969)
Carpenters - California Dreamin' (1967/1999)
Richard Carpenter via Obscure Media: From Joe's Studio, circa 1967. This is the one tape, 4-track or otherwise, that survives, as, for some reason, Joe gave it to me. Even though the most important ingredient on tape, the lead, is on its own track, the bass, piano, drums and string machine were all bounced to another track, leaving two open…for what, I can't remember.
As a result, in 1999, we transferred the 4-track to 48-track and re-did everything, including a reproduction of my original electric piano solo. I finally got around to putting real strings on the track instead of those on the Chamberlain Music Master that was on the demo. This is one of my favorite tracks on this collection. Karen, at 17, is a marvel. I especially like the way she jumps an octave, from chest voice, to head voice on the letter (and note) "A" in the opening and then seamlessly back to chest on "Dreamin'". There is some electronic noise on the lead track, we don't know why. And I realize now and I should have then, that we have an incorrect word in the second verse: "began to pray" should be "pretend to pray".
Karen Carpenter - I'll Be Yours (1966)
Carpenters - Morinaga Hi-Crown Chocolate Commercial (1975?) Morinaga was/is a Japanese candy company. Hi-Crown Chocolate was, as far as I can tell, a way to market sweet, sweet nicotine to kids:
From the Morinaga website:
CANDY FIT FOR AN EMPEROR
1964 - Hi‐Crown chocolate debuts, and becomes a major hit from one end of Japan to the other. This was the start of a long string of hit Morinaga candies -- including you-know-what. [ed: I don't.]
The Morinaga Group’s Corporate Philosophy
The Morinaga Group’s Corporate Philosophy is composed of Our Mission, Our Visions, and Our Commitments. Our Mission states how the Group will contribute to society, and Our Visions comprise the five visions that we will pursue toward the future. Our Commitments represent the values that we have developed during more than 100-year history since the founding of the Group and will continue to uphold as our firm belief for many more years to come. To describe the essence of our Corporate Philosophy in one word, it is “Delicious, Fun, and Healthy.”
Carpenters - Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again (1975/1994) It would have appeared on the Horizon album but Richard decreed that the album already had too many ballads. This was recorded before the version we all know by Barry Manilow. I love her version. So weary. So deep and sad. This should have been released.
The Richard Carpenter Trio - Every Little Thing (1966)
Carpenters - Suntory Pop Jingle #1 (1977)
Carla Bley - Enormous Tots (1974) The vocalist is Julie Tippetts, formerly Julie Driscoll, who sang on releases by Bob Dylan and Donovan. You've heard her before on this show, singing on the Centipede album. Her band of note in the late '60s, Brian Auger and The Trinity, starred in the rarely-seem 33⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee, a post-Head TV special, more psychedelic than the movie if you can believe that. As you know, I love Carla Bley. Her early '70s stuff is amazing. Like Zappa. More abstract.
The Move - Feel Too Good (1970)
The Carla Bley Band - Musique Mecanique I (1979) This suite is meant (I think) to sound like a mechanical device brought to sentience. I could and probably am very wrong. I love it.
The Carla Bley Band - Musique Mecanique II (At Midnight) (1979)
The Carla Bley Band - Musique Mecanique III (1979)
Electric Light Orchestra - Boy Blue (1974)
Electric Light Orchestra - Laredo Tornado (1974)
Electric Light Orchestra - Poor Boy (1974) I don't know if it was this album's legend or the fact that there's mostly a real orchestra/chorus, or the wonderful cover, but when I bought this I felt like I was holding something special. It really is a wonderful pop album. Their second-best.
Pink Floyd - Dogs (1977)
A filmstrip record from American Motors used to train salesmen how to sell the Rebel Machine. (1970) I know nothing about cars. But I did find this record and wanted to play it for you.
Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports - Can't Get My Motor To Start (1981) This is a Carla Bley vanity project that was released under Nick Mason's name. He has said he liked the record he did with Rick Fenn (who was in 10CC after Godley and Creme left to develop the Gizmo) better, but it's not nearly as interesting as this. No one knew what to do with this, and people expecting The Wall were probably amused or stunned or both.
Louie and the Rockets - Stay Away From Karen (Unholy Rollers) (1972) "Behind-the-scenes life of the Roller Derby circuit... A beautiful young woman joins a Roller Derby team, but her fierce independence and competitive spirit get her into trouble."
This song was written by Bobby Hart, one half of the Boyce-Hart team that wrote "Come A Little Bit Closer" as well as a bunch of hits for The Monkees' first couple albums. And the theme. And they toured with Dolenz and Jones in 1975. Louie and the Rockets have a website.
Marvin Gaye - "T" Stands For Trouble (1972) From the film "Trouble Man", Marvin Gaye's one and only soundtrack album.
Yes - Going For The One (1976)
The Killjoys - Naïve (1977) Featuring Kevin Rowland, later to be the lead singer of Dexys Midnight Runners who had a huge worldwide hit with "Come On Eileen". Normally I'd frown on such trend-hopping (this was just the first of many image reinventions to come) but when lightning strikes, it strikes. But it almost never strikes twice in pop music. And it didn't for him.
The Monkees - Head Radio Promo (1968) This is hilarious! Hearing Annette Funicello and a few members of the cast waxing about these "crazy" Monkees. Not The Monkees themselves, mind you. By the way, one of the shortest soundtrack albums I've ever seen. Each side clocks in at about 14 minutes with some incidental dialog.
The Dave Clark Five - Last Train To Clarksville (1971?) Dave Clark had been approached (according to an interview I read from 1967) for the group to do the TV show which became The Monkees. But he turned it down because he did not see his band acting on screen the way the four actors who formed the 'made for TV band' called The Monkees would be asked to do. This particular recording appears on an out-of-print collection called "Unreleased Tracks", as were the other DC5 tracks on this show.
กุง กาดิน (Gunga Din) - ฉันจะร้องเพลง I Shall Sing) (196?)
Alice Swoboda - Potter's Field (1972) B-side of her second single. She released two.
Archie Bell & The Drells - Let's Groove (1975)
Doc Severinsen - Bond Street (1968)
Enoch Light - Bond Street (1969)
Fórmula 7 - Bond Street (1968)
Hager Twins - Pizza Man (1979) Written by Eddie Rabbitt.
Peoples Temple Choir - Welcome (1973)
Lafayette - Bond Street (1967)
Lazaro Salazar - Artuditu (1978)
Men Without Hats - Antarctica (1982)
Mouth and Macneal - ABC (1971)
The Folkswingers (featuring Harihar Rao) - Raga Rock (1966)
Richard Simmons - Wake Up (1982)
Richard Simmons - You Can Do It (1982)
The Styx - Soul Flow (1971) Not the Chicago prog band.
The Body Shop Trailer (1972)
The Colours - Cocaine (1968)
The Dave Clark Five - Get It On Now (197?)
The Dave Clark Five - Ruby Baby (197?)
It's hard to embarrass me. But when I tagged along with some friends to the theater to see Rocky Horror Picture Show, with the toast and the actors in front of the screen acting out the scenes as they played on the screen, I finally felt true embarrassment. True, inescapable discomfort. This would be...1994? Before I was even born. It wasn't Tim Curry. He was excellent. It was the feeling that people, all these young people, will do ANYTHING to belong to something bigger than themselves. We go from one thing to another.
Tim Curry - Paradise Garage (1979) Co-written with DIck Wagner, who wrote or co-wrote Alice Cooper's ballad-ish hits "Only Women Bleed", "I Never Cry", "You And Me" and "How You Gonna See Me Now".
Tim Curry - Working On My Tan (1981)
Tim Curry - Brontosaurus (1978) Written by Roy Wood for the album Looking On, the first Move album with Jeff Lynne. Pretty lethargic, but the original wasn't that peppy either.
Tim Curry - We Went As Far As We Felt Like Going Single (1975) Written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan, who also wrote "My Eyes Adored You" and Labelle's "Lady Marmalade" (both 1974). Sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it? Like a cross between "Evil Ways" by Santana and the Labelle song. Maybe they thought no one would be listening in 2022. But they couldn't imagine you and me, could they?
5th Avenue Buses - Fantastic Voyage (1967) From the album Trip to Gotham City. I might buy this one somewhere down the road. The titles all have something in common. It was 1966. It was a fad, but these records were intended to tweak the guilt of parents.
A Letter Home - Child in Question (1975)
From the record company: What do you get when you mix about a dozen musicians (including members of The Animals & The Police) with a lot of drugs? An acid psych opus! What do you get when you package it in a prefab jacket with stock Christmas art and a festive title? Total confusion! We hypothesize that if you take enough drugs you may think this private press treasure is a holiday album...but we’re not so sure.
One of the artists was Andy Summers, later of The Police, but he doesn't play on this song. The album cover was just lying around the studio, I guess. They put no thought into it at all, again, thinking no one in 2022 would be listening.
Rubber Duckie - A Teenager In Love (1973) 10cc in their nascent stages.
Billy Page - Its Pop (1965) Another rip-off attempt. Boy, this comes off as disdain. In fact, there was a whole industry pushing to keep "hippie" culture irrelevant. Soon, the industry would just subsume the entire thing in TV, music, etc. This might be the same guy that created the above 5th Avenue Buses rip-off. This label also featured Don Randi, who played sessions for more artists than you can shake a stick at.
Bobby Lyle - Shaft (1975)
From Yamaha: Conceived for theaters and similar use, the GX-1 set the electronic keyboard industry on its ear. The first polyphonic synthesizer instrument of its kind, it bridged the gap between organ and synthesizer. The velocity-sensitive keyboards allowed true expression of the voices, a concept never before imagined in electronic organs. The smaller solo keyboard was pressure-sensitive. It weighed over 700 pounds.
From Wikipedia: GX-1 voices were "programmed" onto matchbox-sized cartridges. Each cartridge had 26 screw-sized dials on them to change the VCO, VCF, VCA, and envelope of the voice. 70 cartridges in total were loaded into racks that emerged from the top of the console.
From me: This keyboard featured prominently on Led Zeppelin's In Through The Out Door album. And I don't like it. Also, Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key of Life. For example, the string-ish intro to "Village Ghetto Land." I mean, I know what he was TRYING to do. The juxtaposition and all that.
Bus Boys - Heart And Soul (1982) For a very brief time, due almost entirely to the ascendence of (and relationship with) Eddie Murphy, The Bus Boys were all over the place in the early '80s. Their schtick was working class, inoffensive, smiling, patriotic, black Rock and Roll. Nothing subversive, nothing offensive. But they were good. This album was their second, and there was just no way to keep this edifice fresh, but I like this version more than the others (Huey Lewis and the News and Exile) but it wasn't enough. Search for their videos on YouTube. They're still around.
Gayle Moran - Magic Spell (1980)
Grupo Solo - A Real Mother For You (1977)
Harry Gullett And The Wheels - The Wondering Man (197?)
Jennie Darren & The Second City Sound - River Deep Mountain High (1969) Jenny Darren would record the original version of Pat Benetar's hit "Heartbreaker". A little more convincingly, if you can believe that. Hear for yourself, ya greedy so-and-so.
Lance Rentzel - Beyond Love (1971)
Lance Rentzel - Lookin' Like Somethin' That it Ain't (1971) On Columbia, no less. A label of prestige and fine taste. And they must have been embarrassed when:
From Wikipedia:
Rentzel was leading the [Dallas Cowboys] in receiving yards, when he was arrested for exposing himself to a 10-year-old girl. At the time the accusation was made, the press revealed a nearly forgotten incident that happened when, as a Minnesota Viking in September 1966, he was charged with exposing himself to two young girls in St. Paul, and pled guilty to the reduced charge of disorderly conduct. He was not sentenced to jail, but merely ordered to seek psychiatric care. Because of the nationwide reaction and publicity from the scandal, his wife, singer and actress Joey Heatherton, divorced him shortly thereafter. Rentzel asked the Cowboys to place him on the inactive list so he could devote his time to settling his personal affairs.[14] He would miss the last three games of the regular season, including the Cowboys' playoff drive to its narrow Super Bowl V loss to the Baltimore Colts. Rentzel finished with 28 receptions (second on the team) for 556 yards (second on the team) with a 19.9-yard average and five touchdowns.
Joey Heatherton was smoking hot. She's on the left. Marty Allen is on the far right. I've played a record of HIS on my show as well.
Lark - Rubber Duckie (1973)
Louie Pascua - Rama's Song - CCP Dance Company Rama Hari Prod_ Ryan Cayabyab
Prince Blackman - Rockers Delight (1980)
Return to Forever - Do You Ever (1977) Hard to fathom: An album like this reached Top 30 status on the album chart. It was a different time.
Rex Griffin - Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby (1935 - 1946) I bet you didn't know that Carl Perkins didn't write this.
From Wikipedia:
"Everybody's Tryin' to Be My Baby" was written and recorded in 1936 by Decca artist Rex Griffin. On March 2, 1936 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, it was among ten self-penned tracks recorded that day by the recently-signed artist, accompanied only by his guitar. It was released on Decca 5294 in November 1936 to little notice. Griffin copyrighted it on January 22, 1944.[4]
In March 1956, Carl Lee Perkins, who had released "Blue Suede Shoes" the previous December, was working on follow up material at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, and brought in a song called "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby", that he had written. Shortly after it was recorded, Perkins and his brother were in a serious auto accident, and the song and album were not released until May 1957. Perkins was listed as the sole writer when Knox Music, Inc. published it on November 12, 1957. It is unknown, but doubtful, that Griffin ever confronted Perkins, or even learned of the matter, since he died two years later, while the 1950s non-album oriented radio environment prevailed. In retrospect, Perkins contributed a modern arrangement, along with some minor lyric changes.
Bruford - Age Of Information (1980) I guess, if I'm going to call the Bowie band of 1975-1980 the best band of the decade, this group would come close to that. With the inimitable style of Jeff Berlin on bass and the wonderful Bill Bruford on drums, this album might have been the closest Prog came to the elusive jazz/pop hybrid bred into the bone for so many of the Prog hopefuls of the era.
Jan Hammer Group - Don't You Know (1977)
Can - I Want More (1976) Can was a sometimes impenetrable German Prog outfit. Their music in the early part of the decade wasn't something I could say I liked, even though I tried like heck. This was a single, which kinda makes sense. All Prog was catching a terminal disease at this juncture, but no one knew it.
Renaissance - Flight (1983) I messed this song up on my show, but this is not a bad record. Renaissance had some great moments in the '70s, and if you are interested, go find Scheherazade and Other Stories from 1975. Like Close to The Edge, it only has three songs, but I think that record is their apex by a mile, and I like the other albums. This was from their last "Golden Era", Time-Line album, although it had been a while since they could get a record company to pony up the do-re-mi for an orchestra.
Discogs: Renaissance was originally formed in London, UK, in 1969 by ex-Yardbirds vocalist Keith Relf and drummer Jim McCarty who wanted to explore a new sound blending elements of rock, folk, and classical music. Relf assumed the role of guitarist, and they were joined by bassist Louis Cennamo, keyboardist John Hawken, and vocalist Jane Relf. This lineup recorded the first self-titled album and most of the second album, Illusion (1971). A rapid series of personnel changes followed. Guitarist and composer Michael Dunford first appeared on Illusion. Before his departure from the band Hawken recruited new vocalist Annie Haslam. By 1972, when the Renaissance recorded their third album, Prologue, none of the original members remained though McCarty still wrote music for the band.
By 1973 the lineup had stabilized with Haslam, Dunford, keyboardist John Tout, bassist and vocalist Jon Camp, and drummer Terry Sullivan. This lineup produced a string of relatively successful albums over the remainder of the decade. They had one Top 10 single in the U.K., "Northern Lights", from the album A Song For All Seasons (1978).
By 1980 Sullivan and Tout departed leaving Haslam, Dunford, and Camp as the stable core of the group with various other musicians coming and going through the early and mid-1980s. The group released two albums, Camera Camera (1981) and Time-Line (1983) which were not well received by either fans or critics. Renaissance went into the studio to record a further album but found themselves without a label willing to release it. Material for this album as well as discarded tracks from the sessions for the previous three releases finally saw the light of day as Songs From Renaissance Days in 1997. [Ed: Which I gobbled up the day it came out, as there was no other domestic CD of this group available at the time.]
Yes - The Revealing Science of God (1973) There are moments in this song that, to me, are just amazing, transcendent, and still cause chills maybe 40 years after the first time I heard them ("Getting over overhanging trees...") like almost all of Yes' epic side-long monsters. There's a reason Prog fans like me are filled with sadness that the people who made this magic for us cannot seem to just stop recreating or trying to recreate these moments with an ever-shifting group of lesser talents. The Beatles did it right. They just stopped, resisted the potentially lucrative urge to make themselves stand there again, together, and recreate sounds from which they had long ago moved past. I like this. There's a real fire that people might have forgotten these very young men possessed.
King Crimson - Thela Hun Jinjeet (1981) So this might be #3. Tony Levin played on some later Yes albums, as well as Peter Gabriel (he plays the Chapman Stick, a strapped upright instrument with both tenor and bass strings). He also played with Paul Simon and hundreds of others. Robert Fripp played with David Bowie on his Berlin Trilogy, and Bill Bruford was amazing in Yes, his own band, Bruford, and...Genesis during a tour! Bowie and...Adrian Belew!! Who is here after stints with Talking Heads, Zappa, Tom Tom Club....it goes on and on, but I really like anything Bill Bruford played on.
Bruford - Gothic 17 (1980) I've played stuff from Bruford's first record with Annette Peacock. This is in that funky, other-worldly combination of jazz and pop. I love Jeff Berlin's voice. I wish they had dome more records together. Go find "Joe Frazier" off this album. Whoo boy.
Gentle Giant - Interview (1976)
Genesis - One For The Vine (1977) Genesis at their peak. It's hard to believe it now, but this was composed solely by Tony Banks. The scope and drama, pathos, and virtuosity amaze me especially when one considers that he (and they) never created anything this beautiful again. Who was the best keyboard player in Prog? I think about it and Kerry Minnear comes to mind, as he really was the creative force in Gentle Giant. But neither he, Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, or any of the others, as good as they were, authored something as wonderful as this.
Rush - Jacob's Ladder (1980) I don't care what you say. This album is peak Rush. After years of album/tour/album/tour, "The Spirit of Radio" captured their amazing musicianship, their cool humor, and the fact that you could be groovy in 7/8. I think of this record as the end of the beginning, but not in a good way. I played this in a band once. We were terrible. I had a tiny Casio keyboard (it was all we could afford) and I couldn't play the last bit on bass with anything resembling speed. Our drummer was great.
Discogs: Rush's seventh studio album.
The cover depicted the famous incorrect headline "Dewey Defeats Truman" on a newspaper in the bottom left corner.
However, the Chicago Tribune (the paper that originally published the error) pressured the band to remove the headline. Some versions appear altered with either "Dewei Defeats Truman" or a blanked section.
The billboards in the distance (mid-right) originally read "Coca-Cola." However, the cola company objected to the use of their logo and the cover was changed to display the band members names in a similar typestyle to the original logo.
Trivia: The woman on the cover of this album is model Paula Turnbull. Contrary to rumor, the guy waving in the background on the cover is not one of the members of Rush, it's actually Hugh Syme, the art director of the album.
UK - In The Dead of Night/By The Light Of Day/Presto Vivace and Reprise (1978) One of the first Prog supergroups, members of other big groups smooshed together. In this case, John Wetton of King Crimson, Roxy Music, Uriah Heep, Mogul Thrash, etc., Bill Bruford, the amazing Allan Holdsworth (Soft Machine, Gong) , and Eddie Jobson (Zappa, etc.) make a great album. Then Bill leaves, and Terry Bozzio (Zappa) records another record and a live album, and then...Asia.
Joe Simon - Before The Night Is Over (1977)
I don't consider The Moody Blues or Pink Floyd prog.
Were The Moody Blues "prog"? I don't think so. They weren't virtuosos in any sense, although they were all very competent (or somewhat competent - Graeme Edge wasn't asked to do much, really) but they WERE unique and extremely popular. And every album has a treat or two. At least the ones before 1983. All you had to do was light a marijuana joint with the pot leaves and let the gentle mellotron patina take you to a new land. I guess the key to The Moody Blues' success was that they never asked too much of the listener (like Yes or King Crimson), but never insulted them (like Chicago would, eventually.) In 1975 they all recorded solo albums, and they were also pretty good.
Justin Hayward - Forever Autumn (1978)
Ray Thomas - Hey Mama Life (1975)
Graeme Edge Band - Somethin' We'd Like To Say (1975) Trivia! Barry St. John sang backup on this album. She appeared on "Dark Side of the Moon" and of course, she was in Les Humphries Singers.
Graeme Edge Band - Be My Eyes (1977)
John Lodge - Into to Children of Rock 'n' Roll (1977)
John Lodge - Children of Rock 'n' Roll (1977) Featuring Kenny Jones on drums. He was in The Small Faces, then The Faces with Rod Stewart, and then released a single in 1974 ("Ready or Not") and then this. He also played in Paul McCartney's supergroup Rockestra around this time. Maybe this is where he met Pete Townshend.
Mike Pinder - The Promise (1976) My favorite Moody released the blandest solo record of the lot. Maybe he found religion and not just mysticism. Whatever the case, I was disappointed by this. "Solar heaven?"
Mike Pinder - Free As A Dove (1976) This was co-produced by Robert Margouleff, one of the main forces behind Stevie Wonder's golden era. He and his partner Malcolm Cecil brought (and tamed) synthesizers from their unwieldy beginnings into unlikely mainstream dominance. He worked with Billy Preston, The Isley Brothers, Devo, Syreeta Wright, and Stevie. Also, a curious album was released in 1980 by a group that was ubiquitous at the time, The Bus Boys. Remember? Their hit was "(The Boys Are) Back In Town." They recorded a song with Eddie Murphy in 1988 called "Never Giving Up." I wonder what happened to them to stop their momentum. Does either of you know offhand?
John Lodge - Natural Avenue (1977)
The Graeme Edge Band - Paradise Ballroom (1977)
The Graeme Edge Band - We Like To Do It (1974)
The Moody Blues - The Word/Om (1968)
Ray Thomas - Adam and I (1975)
The Moody Blues - The Balance (1970) This song was co-written by Edge and Thomas. Most Moody Blues songs were written by one member.
The Moody Blues - In The Beginning/Lovely To See You (1969) This record came with a booklet that included all the lyrics and credits, ornately written. To wit:
The Moody Blues - The Dream/Have You Heard (1969)
Gilbert O'Sullivan - We Will (1972) Just a nice pre-'US fame' song I thought you might like.
Michael Johnson - Rooty Toot Toot For The Moon (1973) His big hit was "Bluer Than Blue" in 1978. Produced by Chris Dedrick.
Merry Clayton - Sly Suite (1980) Arranged by Chris Dedrick. Merry Clayton was the backup singer on the Stones' "Gimme Shelter".
From Brute Force's 1980 album (released in 2009), Planetwork. All tracks were arranged by Chris Dedrick.
Driving to the Stars
Fantasy of Nationality
Spinning Rock Lullaby
Spinning Rock
Our man recorded one solo record in 1972 (Be Free), but it wasn't released until 2000.
Chris Dedrick - Begin Work
Chris Dedrick - I'll Go Away
Chris Dedrick - I'm a New Man
Chris Dedrick - Someday
Halo - Have You Ever Felt That Feeling (1981) Produced by Lawrence Hilton Jacobs of Welcome Back, Kotter fame.
Halo - Let Me Do It (1981)
Hudson and Landry - Hippie and the Redneck (1971)
Carpenters - California Dreamin’ (1967/1999)
Hudson and Landy - The Gas Man (1974)
Pere Ubu - 30 Seconds Over Tokyo (1975)
Pere Ubu - Heart Of Darkness (1975)
Rob Agerbeek - Ob-la-di Ob-la-da (1973)
Rob Agerbeek - The Word (1973)
The Chantels - It's Just Me (1966)
Y Dyniadon Ynfyd Hirfelyn Tesog - Dyddiau Fu (1970)
Gene Marshall - Shake Your Good Stuff (?)
Jeff Reynolds - Music For Four Footers (?)
Stevie Wonder - Light My Fire (1970) Listen to that bass player.
Syreeta Wright - Spinnin' and Spinnin' (1974) No one was EVER as hot as Stevie in the '70s, and the album this came from proves that even occupied with his own music, he can lovingly produce one of the best female-sung records of the '70s. I love this factoid from Wikipedia:
Three artists who performed on this album (Stevie Wonder, Deniece Williams, Michael Sembello) would all have Billboard number one songs ("I Just Called to Say I Love You", "Let's Hear It for the Boy", and "Maniac", respectively) within a year of each other, a decade after this album's release. Another artist on this album, Ollie Brown of Ollie & Jerry, would have a Billboard top ten single, "Breakin'... There's No Stopping Us", in the same one-year period.
The song "Come And Get This Stuff" was originally intended for Rufus, but lead singer Chaka Khan refused to do the song. Instead, Stevie wrote "Tell Me Something Good" for them which appeared on their album Rags to Rufus.
There's no word to describe how good he was in this five-year period.
This song made it to #49 in the UK, and never a peep in the US, which is a shame.
Gentle Giant - Weekend Cowboy (1970) I love their sound on these early demos. Less prog than they would become, a sort of The Band meets Harry Chapin. Through the filter of England, of course.
Godley and Creme - Random Brainwaves/I Pity Inanimate Objects (1979) When Gary Storm played this on Buffalo's WIZR 107.7, I had never heard anything like it. I still love what they did with the backing vocals.
Jimmy "Bo" Horne - Dance Across The Floor (1978)
Lawrence Hilton Jacobs - Larry's Theme (1978) He was Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington on Welcome Back, Kotter and Michael Jackson's father Joe on The Jacksons: An American Dream ("Get the switch!") but I actually find his albums in the late '70s very listenable, especially this. So much shit came out from TV stars around that era. Scott Baio was the worst.
Les Humphries Singers - Mexico (1972) Included here because doing this show helped me discover them. My one-man raison d'être is to make you a believer! It's not that good. Just a strange pre-sampling curio.
Nino Tempo and April Stevens - Love Story (1972) From Buffalo, NY! Their biggest hit was "Deep Purple" from 1963. They were siblings. God, she was beautiful. Her first record came out in 1950 (!) but her biggest solo hit was "Teach Me, Tiger" from 1960. She reprised this in 1965, but this was virtually the same recording, with dialog implying that she had kidnapped one of The Beatles in order to seduce him. Just wow. I love it.
Men At Work - Down Under (original, non-hit version) (1980)
A brief retelling of The Greg Ham Story. Don't Do Drugs.
Mudcrutch - Don't Do Me Like That (original, non-hit version) (1974) The almost note-for-note prototype for the Tom Petty hit a few years later.
The Osmonds - War in Heaven (1973)
Sammy Davis Jr. - John Shaft (1972) Ok, ok. Shaft. Ok! Shut up and let me finish my dinner.
Sha Na Na PSA (1972)
Pink Floyd - Scream Thy Last Scream (1967) I was surprised to learn that Nick Mason sang this.
Bee Gees - Lovers (1976) This is a very strange and wonderful album track from a band on its....third ascension?
Sensational Alex Harvey Band - The Dolphins (1979) I love this song as much as any I have ever played on D-Sides. I never would have heard it if not for this show.
The Langley Schools Music Project - The Long and Winding Road (1977) You should read about this. I think I read about this in RE/Search magazine.
The Residents - Give it To Someone Else (1980) Every song on The Commercial Album is about 60 seconds long. There are 20 per side.
Wild Cherry - Baby Don't You Know (1977) A wonderful, horrible attempt to recapture the lightning of the last single, "Play That Funky Music". THIS is how you follow up a fluke hit:
One more time Well we play that funky music And we were looking so good yeah Electrified funky feeling Was coming down like I thought it would So we went out on the road yeah Try to get ourselves ahead And on the way I was surprised to discover That all those funky people Had been misled, they were shouting out
Black? NO! White? Right!, Oh what a sight! I really didn't know the suckers was white Baby don't you know, Baby don't you know Baby don't you know, Baby don't you know That the honkey's got soul Baby don't you know, Baby don't you know Baby don't you know, Baby don't you know That the honkey's got soul
Roger Nichols and Small Circle of Friends - Don't Go Breaking My Heart (1968) So beautiful, especially the "Middle 8". Just amazing harmonies.
The Free Design - Day Breaks (2001) This will be my funeral song. I don't WANT a funeral. Just a little party for people to remember funny stories about me. In life, very few people are still in touch with me in an earnest sense. People have come and gone and sometimes I look around and wonder if someone should have bought me a ball gag long ago. Still, even after all the mistakes I have made in my life and my dealings with people I have lost, I know deep down that some people will be genuinely touched by the fact that we met and decided to be in each other's lives for as long as we had. If you listen to this song and put yourself in that place, celebrate the people who DID choose to be with you, no matter WHAT you said. Everyone is broken. Everyone. You're not alone.
Co-written by my friend Bruce Dedrick.
The Free Design - Friendly Man (1971)
Adriano Celentano - Prisencolinensinainciusol (1972) This song is being used for a commercial in the US. I like to think it's because of me.
The Beatles - Revolution (Take...Your Knickers Off!) (1968)
Joe Simon- Come Back Home (1974) I have to play you a Joe Simon song that was used as a sample for a VERY famous Hip Hop song. Not many people know.
Helen Reddy - I Am Woman (1971) The original, superior (to my ears) version. She has appeared on my show singing in ads for cigarettes in Australia, as well as later misses like "Handsome Dudes."
Barbara, The Grey Witch - Witch’s Love Song (1971)
Obituary Barbara Roehrs, also known as Barbara the Gray Witch of Raven House, passed away on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, at Healthwin in South Bend, IN, after suffering the long-term effects of a stroke. She was born Barbara Ann Hostetler on May 9, 1944, in South Bend. She was the youngest child to John and Anna May Hostetler, both of whom preceded her in death.
Barbara was a talented and accomplished artist. She was a larger-than-life personality and public figure. She hosted a U93 radio show and appeared yearly at the Niles Haunted House. She was a beloved friend and counselor to many and had a large and loyal following. She was an animal lover. She loved spending time with her dogs – especially her beloved ‘familiar,’ Gabby. She also loved back road adventures in her Volkswagen Beetle, meeting new people, and seeing new places. She loved fishing and having a good time.
The family would like to extend a thank-you to the Heart to Heart Hospice team and the healthcare workers at Healthwin for caring for Barbara so well.
So for my money, the best band of the 1965-1980 period was the band that David Bowie assembled for his Station To Station/Low/"Heroes"/Lodger/Stage phase. They were loose and tight. Funky and capable. With him as a singer, there's no way the band could lose. But these dudes were special. Carlos Alomar, Dennis Davis, and George Murray. Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew functioned at a right-angle in the proceedings, but that, too, made the ensemble special. I rank them higher than Led Zeppelin for their harmonies, Bowie's lyrics, and just the bravery. Higher (ever so slightly) than The Beatles for their live performances, and the fact that their music was really one guy showing up with an unfinished idea and the band using the ideas as clay. They could jam but they never recorded anything that wasn't precise and good fun.
David Bowie - Fashion (1980)
David Bowie - It’s No Game (1980)
David Bowie • Station To Station (Live) (1978)
Children of the Night - Dracula's Undying Love (1976)
This collection of 1970's "Rock & Roll" songs tells the story of a big party at Count Dracula's house. The between-song skits have a pretty cut-rate vibe throughout (Dracula sounds remarkably like Dan Ackroyd doing his SNL Yortuk Festrunk "Wild & Crazy Guy" character, The Mummy introduces himself with the lyrics to the Bob McFadden & Dor single "The Mummy")...
Count Lorry & The Biters - Frankenstein Stomp (1974)
David Bowie - “Heroes” (Live) (1978)
Electric Food - Nosferatu (1970) German heavy prog rock band which included all Lucifer's Friend musicians except John Lawton. You know who John Lawton was. He was in Les Humphries Singers! Sang their biggest hit, "Mama Loo" and enjoyed a stint with Uriah Heep.
Dick (Ghoulardy) Knight - His Ghoul (1973) By the time this single was released, the name "Ghoulardi" was owned by Storer Broadcasting out of Cleveland, OH. Hence the different name. Go here to read about Ghoulardi, a story that could never happen now. You can see the "T.K. Productions" on the bottom of the label here. Read their story. You wouldn't know it from this but T.K. ended up owning the charts in the late '70s. The part The Bee Gees didn't devour, that is.
Iggy Pop - Sister Midnight (1977)
Jimmie John - What Happens When We Die? (1964)
Jo Banks and the Soul Train - The Toy Shop Killer (1979)
David Bowie - What In The World (Live) (1978)
Johnny Fever - Zombie (1967)
Mickey and His Mice - Cracker Jack (1970)
Discogs: Wilfred "Mickey" Fields was a saxophonist from the Baltimore area, a local legend who refused to play outside his Baltimore area, although he was invited several times to take the road for tours with many famous bands. He is recognized as one of Baltimore's best-known jazz saxophonists and has mentored many other jazz musicians, including Paul H Brown. Mickey created the "Monday Night Jam Session" at Sportsman's Lounge, allowing many young jazz musicians to perform. He was also known for his constant encouragement of young artists. Fields began his career with the blues jump band The Tilters. As a solo artist, he recorded on Atlantic Records and Groove Merchant. Howard Earl Washington, a Baltimore area jazz drummer, was another member of the Tilters. The Tilters played for the great Ethel Ennis. Fields then recorded several songs with his group "Mickey And His Mice", entitled "Cracker Jack", known as one of the 100 most funky titles ever created and the popular "Little Green Apples". He then recorded an album with the great Richard "Groove" Holmes, for the label Edmar (New Jersey). Fields also played with his talented sister, Shirley Fields, who has been a singer for many years and who has also played an important role in the Baltimore Jazz Company.
Monsters - Transylvania Disco Hustle (1977) Produced by the same guy that produced "Dracula's Undying Love." In fact, three of the guys that played on that record played on this!
Screen Idols - Blind Man (1979) Notable for the presence of one Woody Woodmansey, ex-Spiders From Mars drummer. Right after Woody Woodmansey's U-Boat.
Gaylord & Holiday - Dixie (1977) A remnant from the Amherst Records Story show.
Santiago - Nice And Slow (1976) A remnant from the Amherst Records Story show.
Bobby Hatfield - Messin' In Muscle Shoals (1971) One half of the Righteous Brothers records some forgettable pseudo-Americana, but you can't take the pure show-biz mawkishness out of the delivery.
Bruce Haack & Miss Nelson – (Excerpt from) Dance, Sing, And Listen Again & Again! (1963) Included here because this was an early attempt to use synthesizers for more than burps and squeaks. A children's album that's pretty strange but not bad.
Charles Dodge – (Excerpt from) Synthesized Voices (1976) Liner notes: "A1 and B realized at the Columbia University Center of Computing Activities and the Nevis Laboratories A2 realized at the Bell Telephone Laboratories"
Pretty strange synthesized vocal music.
Cradle - Man Is A Man (1970) The Quatro sisters record a kind of Moody Blues meets Blue Cheer hybrid of prog. Suzi Quatro quit to become a solo star (mostly in England) and as Leather Tuscadero on Happy Days. Patti Quatro appeared on Fanny's Rock and Roll Survivors album. The single from that album was a cover of "I've Had It", which I remember them performing on American Bandstand, but it didn't help. I still felt kinda funny watching them.
Don Powell - Black Man (1972)
Tronquista - Hoffa's Blues (1966) Rare 1966 blues release by an anonymous R&B / blues singer in a tribute to Teamster’s President Jimmy Hoffa who was very popular with African-Americans for his stand on equal rights. It was pressed in 1966 for the Teamster’s convention in Miami and was available only at this event. The name Tronquista is the name used for the Teamsters union in Puerto Rico so this may be a clue to the identity of the artist and suggests it was privately pressed in the Miami area rather than union headquarters in Detroit.
John Strand - Remembering Laci (2003)
From WFMU:
"Remembering Laci" was written and performed by John F. Strand, a guard at Tracy, California's Deuel Vocational Institution.
Here's the Wikipedia article.
Lila - Step Into Time (1978)
Liner notes:
Dear Friend,
We are happy you are listening to our songs of the Mother. This album was inspired by the ideals of Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886) and his wife Sarada Devi (1853-1920), great devotees of the mother, who dedicated their lives to loving tolerance and appreciation between devotees of all religions and all paths. "All the main religions and spiritual paths are true", Ramakrishna said, after practicing 80 of them one by one. "God is Form and Formless Mother, and Father, Son, Friend, Beloved. He is available in whatever way the individual heart yearns for him". We hope our songs help you in your own way. We bow to your soul and individuality.
Everyday day at noon, we pray for a new world of Love and Harmony. Join with us if you would like.
Lila
Lou Christie - Mickey's Monkey (1969) You know I am a big fan (for various reasons) of Lou Christie's Buddah Records period. From the late '60s to the early '70s, he made some pretty odd recordings, but he also made the wonderful Paint America Love. This was the album before that.
The Mam'selles - Oye Coma Va (1969)
Voodou Juju - The VooDou Ju Ju Obsession Part 1 (1969)
Richard O'Brien - Shock Treatment (1981) You kids love that Rocky Horror Picture Show. But you might not know is that there was a sequel. It was called Shock Treatment. It was not very good. And it went virtually unnoticed. In fact, it only showed at midnight movies (as did the Rocky Horror zeitgeist in time). But without the electric Tim Curry on screen, it was just another "let's make a move, guys!" dynamic. I saw RHPS once and I felt horribly embarrassed. And it takes a lot to embarrass a man who mixed plaids with stripes. I cannot imagine this. This version of the theme song is not on the OST, as it is slightly more radio-friendly (in its time) than the cast version.
Bobby Pickett and Peter Ferrara - Star Drek (1976) Yeah, the same Bobby Pickett that had a big hit with "Monster Mash". That one oddball hit kept him in cheap capes and attempts at all sorts of permutations, including comedy and disco.
Stephen Kalinich - If You Knew (1969) In 1969, he recorded his only album, A World of Peace Must Come, with production by Brian Wilson. It was unreleased until 2008. The Beach Boys appear on some of the tracks from the album. While under contract as an artist signed to the Beach Boys' Brother Records, Kalinich co-wrote several songs released by the group including "All I Want to Do", "Be Still", "Little Bird", as well as "A Time to Live in Dreams" with Dennis Wilson. Many Beach Boys completists are unaware of their collaborations with Kalinich and Charles Lloyd. These people are idiots.
Stephen Kalinich - The Magic Hand (1969)
Stop Smoking...Stop Over-Eating With Reveen (1978) Excerpt from this nutty record out of Canada. Peter Reveen quickly gained fame across North America with his stage shows. AKA Reveen The Impossibilist.
Supernatural Family Band - Thank You (Falettenme) (1976) "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" was a 1969 hit for Sly and the Family Stone. This is a crazy cover with young girls offering up the least soulful interpretation since Ann Margret. But somehow all the craziness works for me. I don't know. The tuba? The harmonica?
The Average Disco Band - I Want You (She So Heavy) (1976) A remnant from the Amherst Records Story show. Listen closely and you can hear a swarthy male voice intone "J'taime". Maybe some Serge Gainsbourg floating around? This song bears almost no resemblance to the Beatles version.
The B.C. & M. Choir - Stealing In The Name Of The Lord (1969) "B.C.& M." stands for "Baptist, Catholic & Methodist Choir."
The Eric Burdon Band - City Boy (1975)
The Mighty M.C.'s - Drugs, Don't Get Involved (1986)
The Minute Men - Please Keep The Beatles In England (1964)
The United States of America - Osamu's Birthday (1968) To be rerecorded by Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies the following year. In THAT version, the vocals were recorded phonetically with backward backing, then reversed. Interesting, but she was no Dorothy Moskowitz.
Bruce Haack & Miss Nelson – (Excerpt from) Dance, Sing, And Listen Again & Again!
Bill Niles and His GoodTime Band - Bric-a-Brac Man (1967)
Bill Spiller - Hot Pants Girls (1971)
Byron MacGregor - How Good You Have It In America (1974)
Carol Channing & Jimmy C. Newman - Lousiana Cajun Rock Band (1978)
Senator Sam Ervin - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1974)
Stop Smoking With Reveen Excerpt (LP)
Sunflower Radio Promo (1970)
The Beach Boys - Slip On Thru (Instrumental backing and backing vocals ) (1970)
The Beach Boys - Forever (1970)
The Beach Boys - Til I Die (vocals only) (1971)
The Beach Boys - Add Some Music To Your Day (1970)
The Beach Boys - Seasons In The Sun (1971) Originally titled "Le Moribund" ("The Dying Person"), it was a huge hit for Terry Jacks in 1973, who had previously been part of a husband-wife band called The Poppy Family. The Poppy Family had a sitar player in the band. Four people. One was a sitar player. ANYHOO, Jacks tried repeating his luck by recording another Brel song, "Ne Me Quitte Pas", as "If You Go Away", but as the French say, "La foudre ne frappe jamais deux fois."
Wikipedia: The first version of the song was recorded by Jacques Brel, who also wrote it in a brothel in Tangiers. Sung in a marching tempo, it tells of a man dying of a broken heart and shows him saying his last farewells to his close friend Emile, a priest friend, an acquaintance named Antoine, and his wife who has cheated on him numerous times with Antoine. Despite knowing of Antoine being his wife's lover, he wishes no ill upon him but tells him to take care of his wife. The American poet Rod McKuen translated the lyrics to English. In 1964, the Kingston Trio first recorded an English version of "Seasons in the Sun", which was later heard by Terry Jacks and became the basis for his rendition.
Jacks rewrote the lyrics, although he is uncredited for it. He justifies the rewriting by stating that he deemed the original version and its translations to be "too macabre". The inspiration for the rewritten lyrics was a close friend of his who was suffering from acute leukemia and died four months later. The Terry Jacks rendition, which was later dedicated to the friend, has the dying man giving his last words to his loved ones with whom he shared his life, much like the original. However, unlike the Jacques Brel version, the man does not die broken-hearted but instead, acknowledges the rights and wrongs of his actions in life as he passes away peacefully.
In the rewritten version, the man first addresses his close friend, whom he had known since childhood, and reminisces the happy times they had such as playing and studying together ("climbed hills and trees", "learned of love and ABC's"), and friendships with others ("skinned our hearts and skinned our knees"). He then addresses his father, who tried to give him a good upbringing and exert a positive influence on his undisciplined life ("I was the black sheep of the family", "You tried to teach me right from wrong", "wonder how I got along") which included overindulgence, vices, and revelry ("too much wine and too much song"). The man finally addresses "Michelle", possibly his daughter or niece, and stating how she lifted his spirit up in times of despair. Before he dies in peace, the man reminds all three that he will always be alive in their hearts and will be present in spirit when they see people or visit places; pretty girls (old and new friends) for the close friend, young children playing for the father, and flower fields for Michelle.
This version is actually produced for The Beach Boys BY Jacks. He produced this one song and they gave him the heave-ho. Maybe he said, "I'll produce, but there's this song I wrote called 'Put The Bone In' which you might like." The ticket back to Vancouver was on its way.
Allan Sherman - Pop Hates The Beatles (1964)
The Average Disco Band - Eleanor Rigby (1977) Coming soon, my Amherst Records show!
The Average Disco Band - Help (1977)
Avon "Elusive" Salesperson Ad (1969)
Bill Haley and His Comets - Rock Around The Clock (1974) Live from the Hammersmith Palais in London.
Bill Haley and His Comets - Rock Around The Clock (1979) Amsterdam, Netherlands. Notable as having Chico Ryan from Sha Na Na on rhythm guitar. To me, I guess.
Bill Haley - Rock Around The Clock (1968 vocals, accompaniment overdubbed horribly by a bunch of anonymous guys.)
Bill Haley and His Comets - Rock Around The Clock (1968) Philips Studio, Stockholm, Sweden, before an audience invited to a session by Sonnet Records.
Boiling Point - Let's Get Funktified (1978)
? - Dedicated To The ATA (197?) Off the album CB Truckin': 20 Gigantic Hits
Elton John - She Sold Me Magic (1970)
Erwin Bouterse and His Rhythm Cosmos - Disco Party (1979)
Freddy Cannon - Red Valley (1971) Featuring Wadsworth Mansion, which had a catchy as hell hit the previous year with "Sweet Mary". One album and zap.
Invader - Disco Soodara-bushi (1979)
Joe Thomas - Tongue Twisters (1983) Known as "The Ebony Godfather".
The Jules Blattner Group - 2001: A Soul Odyssey (1969) I played their song "Call Me Man".
Winterspring - No One (1970)
Bill and Lisa - Koobamanah (1973)
From the back cover: "Music today is so open to style and expression that we enjoy the challenge of always presenting a wide variety of songs to reach as many people as possible. They have been entertaining alternately between the Montauk Golf & Racquet Club and Gurney's Inn for the past three years. Off-season, Bill and Lisa perform on cruise ships, including trips to the South Pacific and the Orient."
Kool and the Gang - Raw Hamburger (1969) Formed by Robert "Kool" Bell, his brother Ronald Bell and a bunch of their New Jersey teenage friends in the mid-60s (then called the Jazziacs), Kool & the Gang played traditional jazz in regional venues for several years, slowly morphing their style to incorporate emerging funk sounds of Sly and the Family Stone and James Brown. They were signed by the De-Lite label in the early '70s and gathered a small but loyal national following (in particular for their 1971 release Live at the Sex Machine). The group's fortunes exploded in 1974 with Wild and Peaceful, an infectiously raw album that spawned three smash hits, "Funky Stuff," "Hollywood Swinging," and "Jungle Boogie," all featuring great instrumentation and lyrics virtually shouted by the group. However, as quickly as they rode to fame, Kool & the Gang faded, their rough sound appearing out of place against the slick, dance-oriented sounds that began to dominate popular radio in the late '70s. And then they broke up, never to be heard from again.
Kool and the Gang - Country Junkie (1972)
Looking Glass - Sweet Something (1973)
Born in North Carolina, Ray Denson started to dance professionally in 1951, taking on the professional name of Billy Lamont. His singing career started in 1956.
"(Zap! Pow!) Do the Batman" was recorded for Atlantic in January 1966 with Gate Wesley and his band, one of the first Batman records. "Communications Is Where It's At, Parts 1 & 2" was credited to Billy the Baron & His Smokin Challangers (sic), released in 1976. Probably Lamont's final release was the 12-inch maxi-single "The Man With the Master Plan"/"The Cowboy" (credited to Billy Lamont & the Unn Band), issued in 1980.
Billy Lamont died on June 3, 2012, aged 82.
Billy The Baron & His Smokin Challengers - Communications Is Where It's At (1975)
Billy Baron and the Umm Band - The Man With The Master Plan (1980)
Gate Wesley & Band - (Zap! Pow!) Do The Batman (1966) Billy LaMont on lead vocals
Freddie Cannon - She’s A Mean Rebel Rouser (1983) On Amherst Records! Notice the label reads, "From The LP 'Rock Attack'" which never came out. Oh, Lenny...I played this side because the credited writer Frederick A. Picariello is Freddie Cannon's real name. He wrote this. Old rocker to the bone. In his discography, his name is spelled "Freddy" AND "Freddie".
Side 2 of the 1966 Musicor Label All-Star (?) Album "The Gene Pitney Show"!
Gene Pitney - There's No Living
The Critters - I'm Gonna Give
The Bitter End Singers - I'm On The Run
Teddy and the Pandas - (Bye, Bye) Out The Window
Steve Rossi - My Alphabet of Tears
Marie Knight - Cry Me A River
Selections from the 1973 album, "Carnival", by The Les Humphries Singers.
Dixie
Something I Saw
Uniform
Carnival
Me - Scare Us (2012)
The first try was so successful, we need to do it again.
Percy Faith - A Summer Place '76 (Original release in 1959) In 1960, the original Percy Faith version (from the movie of the same name) reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for nine consecutive weeks, a record at that time.
Gene Vincent - Be-Bop-A-Lula '69 (1956) Produced by Kim Fowley, the remake eliminates the swing in favor of a straight 4/4. The original reached #7.
Charlie Daniels Band - Uneasy Rider 88' (1973) The original reached #9. Charlie Daniels had played on records by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and co-wrote the Elvis song, "It Hurts Me." And apparently, he felt the need to retro-fit his big hit to denounce gays instead of hippies. His biggest hit was "The Devil Went Down To Georgia."
Bobby Hebb - Sunny '76 (1966)
The Residents - Santa Dog '78 (1972)
The Moonglows - Sincerely '72 (1954)
Sœur Sourire (The Singing Nun) - Dominique '82 (1963) Belgian singer (born Jeannine Deckers) in 1933. Later she became a nun (Sister Luc-Gabrielle) and recorded 'Dominique' in 1963. The song was an international hit and even reached #1 on the Billboard chart after it was released in the USA with the artist name 'The Singing Nun'. The Singing Nun also achieved the remarkable feat — the first in American chart history — of a simultaneous No. 1 single and No. 1 album, both of which sold over a million copies.
She committed suicide on March 31, 1985. Deckers and her companion Annie Berchet were found dead in a flat at Waure near Brussels. Both had taken an overdose of barbiturates. The tragedy happened after the Belgian authorities demanded the tax from the monies earned during her fleeting 15 minutes of fame. The convent took a large share of the royalties from her success, as did her record company.
This apparently left the former nun in such a state of depression that she took her own life. In a joint suicide note, Deckers wrote: “We are going together to meet God our Father. He alone can save us from this financial disaster.”
I told you. Religion ruins everything.
Michael Rabon & The Five Americans - I See The Light '69 (1965) John Durrill was the keyboardist and wrote "Dark Lady" for Cher.
Louis Jordan - Caledonia '56 (1945)
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates - Shakin' All Over '65 (1960)
Legendary Stardust Cowboy - Paralyzed '80 (1968)
Andre Williams - Bacon Fat '86 (1956)
Allen & Rossi - Sway (1976) POACA will recall Marty Allen's ubiquitous presence on 70s talk shows and game shows. Whether they like it or not. Naw, he was funny! More Allen and Rossi vinyl to come!
From Both Sides Now, a wonderful resource for people wanting to know the stories behind the labels: The Calla label started in 1965 as an independent New York label, owned by Nathan (Nate) McCalla. Calla hit big with J.J. Jackson's "But It's Alright" in 1966, a song recorded in England with British musicians backing Jackson, and then turned this 45 hit into an LP of the same name. Calla licensed the rights to J.J. Jackson's material to Warner Brothers sometime later, and the same song re-charted in 1969 on WB. Other artists on the label included The Sandpebbles, Jean Wells, Billy Mitchell, and Betty LaVette, Rudy Love, and The Persuaders.
Early singles and possibly the first album were distributed by Cameo-Parkway, but Cameo-Parkway soon ran into problems staying in business. With Cameo-Parkway on the rocks, McCalla decided to do his own distribution. McCalla was a friend of Morris Levy and was part of the Roulette Records group of labels, but operated independently as far as distribution. This worked well until 1972 when the material seemed to dry up.
Calla was all but inactive for the 1972-1975 years. But in 1976, Calla issued a handful of albums distributed by a company called Shakat Records. The albums that sold well were shifted to CBS for distribution later that same year, and CBS eventually reissued several of the Calla albums on Epic, with a small Calla logo.
Calla shut its doors in 1977 when Nate McCalla decided to go on an extended stay outside the United States. When he returned in 1980, he was soon murdered. Like many record company execs, Nate McCalla was less of a studio man and more of an office man, one who knew what he liked, signing a wide variety of musical genres to his label. He leaves a relatively small but quite interesting musical legacy.
Dennis Parker - New York By Night (1979) 12" Mix.
Dennis Parker - Like An Eagle (1979) 12" Mix"
Look at this guy. Just look at him. Sweat. Muscle. Mmmm. I think I'm gay now. Actually, he did straight porn AND gay, and he hooked up with Jacques Morali, and then made this album. I actually like it. As disco goes, it's in the hands of the master. And so was Dennis, for a while.
Side One of "The Gene Pitney Show" (1966): This is a fake live album, with Joe O'Brien as emcee. The album features several Musicor acts of the time, many of whom never had an LP release, meaning that this album is the only place to find some of these songs in stereo. I believe this album was meant as a ploy to get more exposure to other Musicor acts by having their biggest star (Pitney) "appear" with the others in concert. However, as stated earlier, this is a fake live album, and a poorly done one. Crowd noises are added in at seemingly random points in the songs, some of the sound effects weren't properly cued up so you can hear the FX record gain speed. On top of this, Joe O'Brien randomly starts speaking at random points on some tracks. If it weren't for the hard-to-find songs (in stereo or mono) this would be just a waste of vinyl.
Gene Pitney - Backstage
The Critters - Georgianna
The Bitter End Singers - Let Me In or Keep me Out
Teddy and the Pandas - Once Upon A Time
The Platters - I Love You 1,000 Times
Danny and Diego - Glitter and Gold
Tony Bruno - This Time You're Right (1974)
Tony Bruno - Love Was Born Today (1974)
I'm glad I bought this little-known soundtrack to a little-known movie with songs by a little-known singer that I love (Tony Bruno).
Elliot Lurie - Rich Girl (1976)
Elliot Lurie - Disco (1975) I have raised 3 children, done thousands of gigs, won Musician of the Year in High School, etc., but NOTHING gives me more pleasure than doing my imitation of Elliot Lurie.
Therapy - Fantasia on Eleanor Rigby (1975) Sleeve notes: "This album, our third, is a selection of material which can be heard at a typical Therapy performance."
I'm the Greatest - David Hentschel (1975) Phil Collins on drums.
Selections from Side One of Les Humphries Singers' "Carnival" album (1973) WHICH I OWN!!:
Kentucky Dew
Do-Da
Lonely Kind of Man
Square Dance
Les Humphries was not a bad songwriter at all. Somewhat derivative in places, but mostly inoffensive pop in the vein of Gilbert O'Sullivan or a young Elton John after a night out.
Os Mutantes - Panis et Circenses (1970) English version. Translates to "Bread and Circuses".
Os Mutantes - I Feel A Little Spaced (1970) English version of "Ando Meio Desligado". These are not bad. I think the songs are so good and the performances so sincere and unaffected that they transcend our clunky lexicon. They must have done this to expand their audience in the USA. It didn't work but I'm glad they released this at all.
Bobby Lee Trammell - You Mostest Girl (1958) Our favorite guy, Bobby Lee Trammell, records an almost note-for-note copy of Elvis' "You're So Square (Baby I Don't Care)".
J.D. Drews - Don't Want Nobody (1980) Jürgen Drews from the aforementioned LHS tries to break into the American market by anglicizing his name and adopting all the quirky affect of a real-live New Wave singer with somewhat staid results. This song was written by P Delph and D Edwards. I can't see that they wrote anything else. The Brecker Brothers, Jan Akkerman, and Joe Chemay.
Pete Sacco - Pennsylvania (197?) Lou Christie's brother recorded this on the Lightning Label.
You know, as long as there've been lady parts and attendant man parts to go into them, abortion has been practiced.
It always will be.
No law can change it either way. The only thing that laws like Roe do is give a safe, clean room in which to practice the fetal cell-smooshing arts for the poorest and least advantaged of us. That seems to be the real reason people wave signs and chant their religious nonsense. Taking things away from people they think are less deserving. Because as my old mistress Missy Quinn said (and I'm paraphrasing) if you can't trust a woman with a choice, how can you trust her with a child?
Bill Seluga - Dancin' Johnson (1978) Bill Seluga was a founding member of the improv comedy troupe Ace Trucking Company. His Raymond J. Johnson bit was pretty much that, a bit. He was probably best known for the bit "But ya doesn't have to call me Johnson". It was the voice and the repetitiveness that was supposed to be funny. In the '70s, it was. The Ace Trucking Company was active from the late '60s through the mid-'70s and was frequently on variety programs like The Tonight Show, Mike Douglas, Dick Cavett, and The Midnight Special. Fred Willard was in this group So was Patty Deutsch, who was also in the later incarnation of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, as well as the Exorcist parody album The Hexorcist. I could go on and on.
Cold Chisel - Choirgirl (1980)
Kinky Friedman - Rapid City, South Dakota (1974)
Abortion Suite:
Victor Buono - I Am (1971) American actor and comedian. Six foot four and tipping the scales at some 400 pounds, Victor Buono often played the "heavy" on screen. A 1971 album Heavy! charted, thanks in no small part to Victor's performance of the "Fat Man's Prayer" on The Tonight Show. He also played the role of King Tut in the '60s Batman series.
The Gaunga Dyns - Rebecca Rodifer (1967)
Peggy Seeger - Nine-Month Blues (1979) Discogs: Peggy Seeger (born June 17, 1935, New York City) is an American folksinger. She is also well known in Britain, where she lived for more than 30 years with her husband, songwriter Ewan MacColl. The well-known Pete Seeger is her half-brother.
Gary Paxton - The Big "A" = The Big "M" (1978)
Malvina Reynolds - Rosie Jane (1975)
Lee Hazlewood - I'll Live Yesterdays (1971)
Harry Chapin - Woman Child (1972)
Sylvain Sylvain - Formidable (1981)
Lorene Mann - Hide My Sin (A-b-o-r-t-i-o-n N-e-w Y-o-r-k) (1972) Hmm. Same label and backing vocalists as Elvis.
End of Abortion Suite.
Adam & Eve - Hey Neandertal Man (1970)
I Nuovi Angeli - L'uomo di Neanderthal (1970)
Harlem Underground Band - Smokin Cheeba Cheeba (1976)
John Farrar - Falling (1980)
Kin Ping Meh - Come Together (1972)
Syreeta - How Many Days (1972)
Dave Clark Five - Good Old Rock and Roll (1969)
The Holy Mackerel - Wildflowers (1968)
Todd Rundgren - Tin-Foil Hat (2017) Featuring Donald Fagen.
John Travolta - What Would They Say (1978)
American Spring - This Whole World (1972)
Denny Laine - The Blues (1973)
Three Dog Night - A Change is Gonna Come (1969)
Michael Nagy (Naj) - A Clever Man (1998)
Adriano Celentano - Pregherò (1962)
Barry McGuire - This Precious Time (1965)
Cindy und Bert - Im Fieber Der Nacht (1978)
Elvis Presley - Proud Mary (1972)
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons - Hickory (1974)
Gary Lewis and the Playboys - Then Again Maybe (1972)
Frank Zappa - I Don't Wanna Get Drafted (1980)
Cal Tjader - Along Comes Mary (1967)
Cal Tjader - Gimme Shelter (1971)
Marran Gosov - Lampenfieber (1977) Now THIS is German Existentialism!
The English translation to what he is singing:
At the first time came energy At the second then the imagination At the third came with you the pleasure At the fourth you've kissed me
At the fifth I was searching you
At the sixth then only cursed you At the seventh i have discovered you At the eighth tasted on the skin
Stage fright Without you I can not be Fever Without you I'm alone Fever My cross and yarn on the pulse of power Fever I need you again and again Stage fright
At the ninth you've touched me At the tithe seduces me very quick At the eleventh came the Wonderland At the twelfth it started all over again
You are hope and energy The engine of my imagination My cross and yarn on the pulse of power My time-escort until midnight
Without you I can not be Without you I'm alone I need you again and again stage fright
Sakarin Boonpit – ควายหายล้อมคอก (Buffalo Disappears Around the Stall) (1978?) Thai cover version of Elvis' "Little Sister"
Silver Apples - Oscillations (1968)
Silver Apples - Program (1968)
Silver Apples - I Don't Care What The People Say (1998)
Silver Apples- You and I (1969)
Decades after their brief yet influential career ground to a sudden halt due to being sued for exorbitant amounts by Pan Am Airlines, Silver Apples remain one of pop music's true enigmas: a surreal, almost unprecedented duo, their music explored interstellar drones and hums, pulsing rhythms and electronically-generated melodies years before similar ideas were adopted in the work of acolytes ranging from Suicide to Spacemen 3 to Laika.
Silver Apples was formed in New York in 1967 and comprised percussionist Danny Taylor and lead vocalist Simeon, who played an instrument also dubbed the Simeon, which (according to notes on the duo's self-titled 1968 debut LP) consisted of "nine audio oscillators and eighty-six manual controls... The lead and rhythm oscillators are played with the hands, elbows and knees and the bass oscillators are played with the feet." Although the utterly uncommercial record — an ingenious cacophony of beeps, buzzes, and beats — sold poorly, the Silver Apples resurfaced a year later with their sophomore effort, 'Contact', another far-flung outing which fared no better than its predecessor.
This record's cover, depicting the duo in the cockpit of a Pan Am airplane, resulted in a legal battle that left the band unable to continue recording and releasing music. However, in 1996 the Silver Apples resurfaced, as Simeon and new partner Xian Hawkins released the single "Fractal Flow." American and European tours followed, and a year later a new LP, 'Beacon', was released to wide acclaim.
Simeon Coxe died on September 8, 2020.
Wendy & Bonnie - The Winter Is Cold (1969)
From Under The Radar: Genesis, released in 1969, was the one and only album from sisters Wendy and Bonnie Flower. The San Francisco-based siblings were 18 and 15 at the time the album was originally released, and the music of Genesis belies their tender ages. The songs on Genesis are light psychedelic folk, reminiscent of artists like The Free Design, Tim Buckley, and, to a certain degree, fellow Californians, The Mamas and the Papas. The sisters’ harmonies are the main draw, floating into the ether above the airy soundscapes. While songs like “Let Yourself Go Another Time” and “The Winter Is Cold” are upbeat and jaunty, most of Genesis is restrained beauty.
The album has been championed of late by artists the likes of Jarvis Cocker, Stereolab, and Super Furry Animals, the latter of which sampled the gentle Wendy & Bonnie paean “By the Sea” in the opening of its 2003 song, “Hello Sunshine.” Unfortunately, at the time of its initial release, Genesis did not find as impressive a following. Shortly after the album was released, and amid promotion for the record that included an aborted slot on The Merv Griffin Show, the group’s record label, Skye Records, dissolved due to bankruptcy. Subsequently, Wendy and Bonnie Flower faded into seeming obscurity.
Then my show came along. This show opens with Cal Tjader, who co-owned Skye Records along with being an in-demand percussionist. he was a family friend that thought the young girls would benefit from not being thrust into the pop scene without a guiding hand on their team. But when the label went belly-up, Bonnie went off to college. I like most of this album. I wonder how many other hidden masterpieces got snuffed out before they got a chance to be heard by a wider audience. I mean these two teenagers, 15 and 18, got pretty far relatively speaking. Even for the time.
Wendy and Bonnie - By the Sea (1969)
Wendy and Bonnie - Five O'Clock In the Morning (1969)
Wendy and Bonnie - Let Yourself Go Another Time (1969)
Yardbirds - Knowing That I'm Losing You (Tangerine) (1968)
Yardbirds - White Summer (1968)
The Yardbirds - Glimpses (1967)
The Yardbirds - Dazed and Confused (1968)
Eric Burdon & The Animals - Orange And Red Beam (1968)
Freee Fall - Big Mack Truck -????? That's really how it's spelled. Recorded "live" onboard Norwegian Cruise Liners and, as the name states, intended for the passenger/tourist audiences. I enlarged the back cover because it's amazing. Apparently Norwegian gave these passenger-only records as gifts. I gotta get some more.
Brandon Wade - Letter From a Teenage Son (1967)
Bulldog - Rock & Roll Hootchi Coo (1974) Rick Derringer (the composer) spelled it "Hoochie Koo". Believe it or not, it had been rendered on vinyl three times before his own recording in 1973 became his biggest hit (by far).
It was first recorded in 1970 by Johnny Winter and his band, Johnny Winter And, of which Derringer was a member. In 1973, Derringer recorded a solo version, which was his only Top 40 chart hit as a solo artist in the U.S. It became a staple of 1970s radio and rock music compilations. The song was initially recorded by Johnny Winter in 1970 with his band "Johnny Winter And", which included Rick Derringer and other former members of The McCoys, Derringer's previous band ("Hang On Sloopy" was their biggest hit...by far.).
In 1970, they recorded the song during the Live Johnny Winter And tour, which was released as Live at the Fillmore East 10/3/70. Winter and Derringer later recorded the song with Winter's brother for Edgar Winter's White Trash live 1972 album Roadwork.
Bulldog was an obscure spinoff of The Rascals that formed in 1971. Gene Cornish and Dino Danelli, after leaving their successful act behind, signed with Decca Records. That first album sank without a trace, and their contract with Decca came to an abrupt end and Bulldog spent the majority of 1973 trying to avoid the oldies circuit that had started swallowing up their contemporaries.
They signed with Neil Bogart's Buddha Records in 1974 and released Smasher. Perhaps Buddha's primary reputation for bubblegum and novelty records can explain why this release was virtually ignored upon its release. The album sank without even a slight showing on the Billboard charts and Bulldog was dead by early 1975.
Cornish and Danelli would resurface a few years later, teaming up with Wally Bryson (Raspberries) in the power-pop act, Fotomaker. Though they issued several albums, they too were dealt a merciless death, leaving Cornish and Danelli on the oldies circuit in a revived lineup of The Rascals. They would later be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with the rest of their former bandmates that they had worked so hard to extricate themselves from.
Rick Derringer rererererecorded the song in 2012, a new version of the song with lyrics reflecting his Christian beliefs. Titled "Read the Word and Live It Too". He supported Trump. So f him.
Cledus Maggard - Virgil And The $300 Vacation (1976) I've played Cledus Maggard and The Citizen's Band on my show once before, playing the song "The White Knight" on my CB Radio show.
Leslie Podkin - You Won't Need No Money (1961)
Ogo - Marijuana [Guam] (?)
Roy E. Baker - Ballad Of The Abortion Child (A Love Letter From Heaven) (1974)
Obituary: Roy “Boy” Edward Baker, age 85 of Knoxville, passed away Saturday, August 30, 2014. Roy was born May 28, 1929, in the coal mining town of Hazard, KY to Gilbert and Mahalia Baker. It was growing up in Hazard that he picked up the nickname “Roy Boy.” He was never able to shake the nickname and it has followed him throughout his life. He was affectionately known as “Roy Boy” by the many friends that loved him so. As a boy, Roy was a Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer all rolled into one. In the small coal-mining where he lived, people worked hard and went to bed early. At night, Roy Boy would slip out of a bedroom window just to wake the town by ringing the church bell. He was the epitome of mischief. His father was a coal miner and Roy grew up expecting that he would follow in those footsteps. It didn’t take him long to decide he needed to pursue something else. “I worked a half-day in a coal mine where donkeys drug the coal out. I decided that was not the life for me,” he said. Roy left the coal mining town where he grew up and continued to have a career with General Motors in the tool and die industry. An accomplished musician playing piano, guitar, banjo, drums, and the bull-fiddle, Roy enjoyed many years as a musician, singer, and songwriter. While working for General Motors, he often played musical shows on weekends. The name “Roy Boy” became his stage name. As a movie actor, he played the part of a coal miner in the movie “October Sky,” which was partly filmed in Knoxville and Oliver Springs. When he was nine years old, Roy began drawing cartoons and selling them to his classmates in Hazard. A true patriot of America, Roy continued to use his talents drawing pictures that exemplified his patriotic love of God and country. On any given day you could find him sharing his art with friends at fast-food restaurants. His trademark was the patriotic clothing that he designed and wore in support of America. His iconic little red and white striped truck proudly displayed the American flag and could be seen in parades and events all over East Tennessee. His support for humanitarian projects was recognized and honored in various circles. He was recognized as the Man of the Year in Abstract Art by the city of Knoxville in 2007.
The British North-American Act - Corduroy Coat (1969)
Brenda Lee - Takin’ What I Can Get (1976)
Carla Bley - Rawalpindi Blues (1971) From the great artist herself.
The first piece we wanted to record was RAWALPINDI BLUES, which featured Jack Bruce and trumpet player Don Cherry, but it seemed impossible to get them both in New York at the same time. By the time Jack could get away (he was working almost every night in London with Tony Williams’ band) Don had to leave for commitments in Europe. So we split the music into two parts and recorded Don’s parts first. This actually enhanced the piece since it was intended to be a dialogue between Eastern and Western cultures. The first session, featuring Don Cherry and the “eastern band”, took place on Nov. 30th, 1970...The band’s improvised sections were of the highest quality, rare and effortless. Don left the country the next day and on Dec. 7th Jack arrived and went right into the studio and recorded for 2 days and nights almost straight through. Luckily John McLaughlin was also in town so we were able to use him on electric guitar. With Jack on bass guitar, Paul Motian on drums and myself on organ, we had the “western band” Again, I was amazed at how great the playing was. We finished up RAWALPINDI BLUES and also recorded BUSINESSMEN, DETECTIVE WRITER DAUGHTER, parts of … AND IT’S AGAIN, and a few other bits and pieces. Jack and John went back to London and I settled down to putting RAWALPINDI BLUES together. After listening to the material we had so far I decided to bring in another singer to do parts of RAWALPINDI BLUES that hadn’t been suitable for Jack or Don. I needed someone who could slide his voice around. Steve Ferguson, formerly of NRBQ, was a country singer from Kentucky, but I heard a connection between the way Steve moved his voice and the way it’s done in Eastern music. He came in on Dec. 18th and it worked out well.
Using the best of the things we had so far, we put a tape together. RAWALPINDI BLUES was really difficult to mix. We had indiscriminately filled up all 16 tracks right at the beginning and then crammed in other elements wherever there was the slightest space. So when we finally got down to mixing it, it was all hands on the board and took two full days. One of the most un-nerving and time-consuming parts was a process I used a few times called cross-fading, which involved mixing two 16-track tapes down to a 2-track tape all at once. They used to flinch at RCA when we called in and told them how many machines we would need that day. From then on we tried to keep things simpler. We didn’t want Ray Hall to grow old before his time.
We ended up calling it (the album) a chronotransduction, which was a word coined by Sherry Speeth, a scientist friend of Paul’s (Paul Haines, the lyricist), although we still call it opera for short.
I find this whole album amazing, frustrating, thrilling, devastating. I LOVE Jack Bruce on this. Linda Ronstadt sings on this album as well. I highly recommend it. "Hotel Overture" might be the most amazing horn-playing (French horn player Bob Carlisle) I've heard on record.
Chuck Berry - Little Marie (1964) Sort a sequel to "Memphis". No, it's a sequel to "Memphis".
Dave Clark and Friends - I’m Sorry Baby (1972)
Davey Johnstone & China - One Way Ticket (1977) Ass-kicking music from Elton John's band. I love it. Released on his label.
Frank Sinatra - Everybody’s Twistin’ (1962)
Dolly Parton & Porter Wagoner - Mendy Never Sleeps (1970) Even before my time, Dolly Parton was a young talent brought into the fold of Nashville society by Porter Wagoner, more or less, by starting out as a singer on his TV show. She was too talented, too gifted a songwriter and singer, too unconventionally beautiful, and too ambitious to stay there for long, even though she stayed two years past her initial agreement. Dutifully, she stayed longer than she should have, and in fact, the hit "I Will Always Love You" was written for him.
Petula Clark - L’Agent Secret (1969)
Bill Haley and the Comets - A Little Piece At A Time (1971)
Billy Thorpe - Drive My Car (1975) His next album would be his breakthrough and zenith in the US, "Children of the Sun".
Kevin Coughlin - I Gotta Be Me (1969)
Soupy Sales - Muck-Arty Park (1969) From the album, "A Bag of Soup". Soupy Sales was a television comedian whose antics delighted children and enraged adults. He flirted with mainstream success with comic pop songs on television and radio, but in the end remained a cult personality, albeit one who pushed the envelope of what was possible in TV comedy. He played a big role in the growth of "pie-in-the-face" comedy.
The Residents - Elvis and His Boss (1978)
Tom Jones - Never Had a Lady (1979)
Me singing over an instrumental song I programmed.
Noel Harrison - A Young Girl (1969)
Coca-Cola - Keep Things Jumping (?)
Burgess Meredith - The Capture (1966) Played The Penguin in the TV series with Adam West. There was a whole series of Batman records released to promote the 1966 TV series where they got the actors from the show to do these "in character" songs.
The Cowsills - The Milk Song (1969) This is the band that served as the prototype for The Partridge Family. But the mother was not seen as attractive enough. So Shirley Jones would have to be the one to sing "Whale Song" and make me feel funny. Down there. I didn't understand these feelings.
Datsun - All You Really Need (1972?)
The Dave Pell Singers - Oh, Calcutta (1972) Oh, Calcutta was an off-Broadway musical that got pretty bad reviews but thrived in the era of flower-power as a corporate weapon. Loosen up, brother!! Anyhow, it enjoyed a long run, eventually reaching Broadway, with revivals running for years and years. One skit's first draft was written by John Lennon of The Beatles.
Stereo Speaker Test (?)
Dick Clark - The Wasting of Wesley Joe Grimm (1969)
John & Ernest - Super Fly Meets Shaft (1973) Produced by Dickie Goodman, the then-king of the cut-in record.
The Garden Club - Little Girl Lost and Found (1967) One member was Tom Shipley, later of Brewer and Shipley, who had a Top 10 hit with "One Toke Over The Line". Which Lawrence Welk covered on his TV show.
The Gentle Touch - Among The First To Know (1967)
Hank Levine - Let Us Begin Beguine (1964)
George Burns - The Sun Shines On My Street (1969) ANOTHER take-off/tribute based on The Beatles' Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band cover. There were many. Who was George Burns?
POACA might recall that before television was the king of everything, radio was the thing. And no one was bigger in that medium than the plain-spoken, often exasperated but always kind and honest George Burns. He and his wife/comic foil Gracie Allen reigned supreme for decades. It would not be exaggerating to say that she was the most famous radio star for years. Gracie Allen ((in real life, an amazing intellectual who held her own on the very difficult quiz show "Information, Please" (which you should research but you will not because no one reads this)) had a singular ability to make audiences love her. From the '30s to the '50s, Burns and Allen were one of the most beloved shows in all of America. And George Burns won an Academy Award in 1974 for his appearance in The Sunshine Boys (when he replaced another giant of radio, Jack Benny, who died before the movie was made.) He also appeared in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band with Peter Frampton. No one won an Oscar for that. He also reached the Top 20 in the country chart with "I Wish I Was Eighteen Again".
Jayne Mansfield - That Makes It (1966) Basically, The Big Bopper's "Chantilly Lace" from a woman's point of view. Jayne Mansfield was an attractive, versatile Marilyn Monroe-esque It-Girl who gave birth to Mariska Hargitay of "Law and Order SVU".
Julie London - Marlboro Song (1963)
The Lettermen - Touch Me (1970)
Mike Curb and Bob Summers - Teenage Rebellion (1969)
Orson Welles - I Know What It Is To Be Young (But You Don't Know What It Is To Be Old) (1984) Ah, the French.
The Partridge Family - Summer Days (1971)
This show features Rita Lee, the first, best-known singer in Os Mutantes, one of the greatest non-English bands ever. Their music was inspired and free of boundaries, their lyrics subversive and literate. They carried on for years after her departure. I don't think the original three ever reunited. Maybe someone from Brazil can teach me about Os Mutantes. From my international fan club.
Larry Jon Wilson - Ohoopee River Bottomland (1974) Listen to those handclaps during the last verse. That's production.
Charles Lloyd - All Life is One (1971) Alan Jardine, Bill Cowsill, Brian Wilson, Michael O'Gara, Mike Love, and Rhetta Hughes on backing vocals. Dave Mason (featured in another episode) on acoustic guitar.
Rita Lee - And I Love Him (1970) A sort of garish cover on an otherwise good record.
Bill Haley - Let the Good Times Roll Again (1979)
Bill Haley - Mohair Sam (1976) Recorded in 1976 at Fame Studio in Muscle Shoals, for Sonet Records. Not released in the US until 1979.
This is a rare studio version of Bill Haley's version of the Charlie Rich hit. He often played it live. Written by Dallas Frazier who also wrote "Elvira".
Bill Haley and His Comets - I Need the Music (1979)
Bill Haley Rock Around The Clock (1969) Live @ The Bitter End in NYC. Haley was a pro, that's for sure. He brought it in every live performance I've seen or heard.
Buddy Raye - Alphabet Man (1985?) Buddy Raye, AKA Dick Kent, AKA Sonny Cash, AKA Elmer Plinger (probably his real name), was a member of the MSR Singers. He was the most prolific of all the song-poem singers. I go into detail on my show, but here's a link to that wiki. I have an extensive collection but this one is just different somehow.
Elton John - Nina (1967/68) From the Gentle Giant website: "Reg (Elton) played with Simon Dupree & the Big Sound for a couple of months when our keyboard player Eric Hine was recovering from glandular fever. We toured Scotland during this time and became good friends. One night in a Scottish hotel he played us what was to become songs from his first album including 'Your Song' Of course we fell about laughing especially when he said he was changing his name to Elton John. We got on so well that Reg wanted to stay with us. At a session in Abbey Road studios he played on a track called 'Laughing Boy From Nowhere' featuring Phil (Schulmann)'s son Calvin (laughing) and we recorded one of his songs. We stayed in touch for quite a time after that and I used to go to see Reg and Bernie Taupin in Watford where they lived. I also went down to the studio when he was recording his first album...This would have been around the time GG was forming. One more celebrity highlight: Dudley Moore played piano on a Simon Dupree single 'Broken Hearted Pirates' (terrible song)...
I Got You Babe Tiny Tim & The Band (1967) Tiny's girlfriend Eleanor Baruchian shares (Cher's?? HAHAHAH) vocal duties with Tim. Are you a The Band completist? You have this. Somewhere.
John McLaughlin, Charles Lloyd & Mike Love - California Girls (1974) From the cable show Speakeasy with Chip Monck. Chip Monck MC'd the Woodstock festival, worked with Dylan and Hendrix, etc. etc. Good interview here. Odd to hear such strange style-differences clash.
Lovers & Friends - Misty (Epic Version) (1977)
Mutantes - Dom Quixote (1969)
Odara - Gilberto Gil e Rita Lee (1977) From the wonderful live album Refestança. "Refreshment"
Os Mutantes - Ando Meio Desligado (1970) "The Divine Comedy or I'm Half Off"
Os Mutantes - Fuga No. II (1969)
Carole King - Porpoise Song (1968)
Rita Lee & Tutti Frutti - Agora é Moda (1978) "Now It’s Fashion"
Rita Lee - Vamos Tratar Da Saúde (1972) "Today Is The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life"
Rita Lee e Tutti Frutti - Yo no creo pero. (1974) "I Dont Think So"
Rita Lee- Lady Babel (1976)
Rita Lee - Shangrilá (1980)
The Association - One Sunday Morning (1975)
You would be right to think of Sha Na Na as a goofy amalgam of caricatures from a bygone era that might not have actually existed. But there was a time, JUST before their crowning achievement: their show being syndicated, when they attempted to be real, songwriting artists. Not of their self-appointed time and place, but as legitimate pop singers. I DO like some of their stuff. Scott Simon, J Jocko, and Denny Greene released solo records. They were not successful. None of these songs were, either. Scott Simon co-wrote "Sandy" for Grease.
ShaNaNa (letter-spacing is intentional - this is how the label reads) - Top 40 (1971) Reached #84, the closest thing they ever had to a hit record. Produced by Eddie Kramer, a South African-English recording producer and engineer that collaborated with several artists now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including the Beatles, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, the Kinks, Kiss, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, John Mellencamp, and Carlos Santana.
Also Anthrax, Joe Cocker, Loudness, Peter Frampton, John Mayall, Ten Years After, Mott the Hoople, John Sebastian, Carly Simon, Dionne Warwick, Small Faces, Sir Lord Baltimore, and Whitesnake.
(Deep breath) Kramer's film soundtrack credits include Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight, Festival Express, Jimi Plays Monterey, Jimi Plays Berkeley, Live at the Fillmore East, Mad Dogs and Englishmen, The Pursuit of Happiness, Rainbow Bridge, The Song Remains the Same, and Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More. And this album by ShaNaNa.
Sha Na Na - Bounce In Your Boogie (1972) Produced by Jeff Barry, who co-wrote "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Then He Kissed Me", "Be My Baby", "Chapel of Love", and "River Deep - Mountain High" (all written with his then-wife Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector); "Leader of the Pack" (written with Greenwich and Shadow Morton); "Sugar, Sugar" (written with Andy Kim); "Without Us" (written with Tom Scott), etc.
And he produced this album for Sha Na Na.
Sha Na Na - Glasses (1972) This is the only song I could find in their discography that was written by John "Bowser" Bowman.
She Na Na - Only One Song (1971) This might be their best original, save for the clunky drum punch-ins and mediocre preaching.
John Lennon's backing band of choice from 1971-1973 or so also tried to succeed on their own terms, first as a kind of hippy-dippy second-rate peace-loving band of conscience, and later as a hippy-dippy second-rate peace-loving band of conscience that had backed John Lennon. Carly Simon was in the band for a brief time.
Elephant’s Memory - Old Man Willow (1969) This is from the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack. I love Buddah Records.
Elephants Memory - Crossroads of the Stepping Stones (1969) Produced by Wes Farrell who was the music director for The Partridge Family.
Elephant’s Memory - Mongoose (1970)
John Lennon - Woman is the Nigger of the World (1972) With Elephant’s Memory and Invisible Strings. I happen to love this song and Yoko's lyrics are truer every day.
John Lennon - Sunday Bloody Sunday (1972) Which is better? This, or McCartney's "Give Ireland To The Irish"?
Chuck Berry - Bio (1973) Backed by Elephant's Memory.
Elephant’s Memory - Running Man (1974)
Someone gave Ringo Starr a big pile of cocaine (a hell of a drug) and convinced him that he could run a record label, or at least serve as a tax-dodge for someone else. From the website Rare Beatles:
As early as 1970, Ringo had involvement with a production company, Beachport Company Ltd. (in fact, most of the RING O’ RECORDS releases feature this name). On July 26, 1973, Ringo started a new music publishing company, Wobble Music Ltd.. However, his own compositions were published by two other Ringo-owned companies, Startling Music Inc. and Richoroony Ltd.. Ringo purchased Tittenhurst Park, John and Yoko’s old manor, on September 18,1973 and immediately made the in-house studio, re-christened Startling Studios, available for use by other recording artists.
With Apple Records not being fun anymore and virtually little product being released, George formed Dark Horse Records Ltd. on May 23, 1974. Hot on George’s heels, on June 28, 1974, Ringo started a company called Reckongrade Ltd.. By December 11, Ringo changed the name to Pyramid Records Ltd.. On April 4, 1975, Ringo officially declared that RING O’ RECORDS was open for business, even though one single and an album had already been released! Just to add more confusion to the paper trail, the RING O’ name and logo were trademarks of another Ringo company, Wibble Records Limited.
RING O’ RECORDS actually signed artists and produced records. However, Ringo was not, personally, an active participant in the company, nor was he signed to the label. Over a three-year period, seven albums, and 17 singles were released. [Ed: Click that link for a complete discography.]
In North America, Capitol Records distributed the first two singles and the first album of the fledgling label. Polydor issued the label throughout the rest of the world. But distribution problems and the lack of a personal recording deal saw Ringo put his floundering company on hiatus for 18 months.
Polydor became the worldwide distributor for the newly re-launched RING O’ RECORDS in March 1977. Only a handful of artists (eleven) recorded for the label.
In 1978, RING O’ RECORDS, in Europe, became a production company, the Able Label. Ringo’s financially disastrous venture into the record business was over.
Bobby Keys - Gimme That Key (1975)
Dirk and Stig - Ging Gang Goolie (1977) Listen for Eric Idle. This is him and Ricky Fataar, late of the South African band The Flames, The "So Tough"-era Beach Boys, and The Rutles, of which this record is a precursor. If in name only.
Someone gave George Harrison a big pile of cocaine (a hell of a drug) and convinced him that he could run a record label, or at least serve as a tax-dodge for someone else. At least his discography is more extensive. Among same:
Henry McCullough - You Better Run (1975) Late of Wings. One wonders how this signing happened. If you listen to "Money" by Pink Floyd, Henry is the one saying "I was really drunk at the time..." They also recorded Paul and Linda but they didn't offer much in the way of insight. Any Beatle fan knows this label.
Attitudes - Ain’t Love Enough (1975) Yes, THAT David Foster.
Jiva - Don’t Be Sad (1975) Jiva was the first American act signed to Dark Horse Records. According to Geoffrey Giuliano's George Harrison biography, Harrison signed Jiva because they were followers of the young Indian Guru Maharaji, to whom he had been introduced by his future 2nd wife Olivia.
Stairsteps - Posado (1976) This was originally The Five Stairsteps and Cubie, and then just The Five Stairsteps. Then Five Stairsteps. And then, for a brief time, "Dr. Jimmy and His Amazing Dancing Uvula", and finally, just Stairsteps. They recorded "O-o-h Child", the huge hit from 1970.
Ravi Shankar - I Am Missing You (1974)
Ravi Shankar - Dreams (1974)
The Temptations - Psychedelic Shack (long version) (1970)
The Lundstroms with Tiny - The B-I-B-L-E (?)
Think - Gotta Get To Know Each Other (1971) Think had an oddball Top 10 hit in the US with "Once You Understand".
Traffic Safety Tip (Public Service Announcement) (?)
Spike Jones Without His Orchestra - What is a Disc Jockey? (1954)
Vox Populi - Ah! (1969)
Wayne Newton - Charade (1964)
We All Together - It's Us Who Say Goodbye (1973)
Werner Müller - The Stripper (1972)
William Shatner - That’s Me Trying (2004)
Wilson Malone Voice Band - Penny Lane (1968)
Xerox - Bit By Bit (?)
Discogs: Dave Mason was a founding member of the group Traffic, but left following the release of their debut album, Mr. Fantasy (1967), only to rejoin halfway through the sessions for their next album, Traffic (1968), after which he left again. Last Exit (1969), a compilation of odds and ends, features little material by Mason apart from his song "Just for You". Traffic later re-formed without Mason, although he briefly began working with the band for a third time, touring with them in 1971 and playing on Welcome to the Canteen. In his brief spells with the group, Mason never quite fit in; Steve Winwood later recalled. In 1970, Mason was slated to be the second guitarist for Derek and the Dominos. He played on their early studio sessions, including the Phil Spector production of "Tell the Truth", which was later withdrawn from sale (and is now a collector's item). He also played at their first gig at the London Lyceum but left the group soon after that.
For a brief period in the mid-1990s, Mason joined Fleetwood Mac and released the album Time with them in 1995. He toured with them over the course of 1994–95. Over the course of his career, Mason has played and recorded with many notable pop and rock musicians, including Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones (e.g. on Street Fighting Man), George Harrison (appearing on All Things Must Pass), Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Steve Winwood, Fleetwood Mac, Delaney & Bonnie, Leon Russell, and...Cass Elliot. One of Mason's best-known songs is "Feelin' Alright", recorded by Traffic in 1968 and later by many other performers, including Joe Cocker, whose version of the song was a hit in 1969. For Traffic, he also wrote "Hole in My Shoe", a psychedelic pop song that became a hit in its own right. "We Just Disagree", Mason's 1977 solo US hit, written by Jim Krueger, has become a staple of US classic hits and adult contemporary radio playlists.
Cass Elliot was credited with creating the group name 'The Mamas and The Papas' while watching a TV program, with the other band members, while temporarily residing in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Although some releases were still credited to Mama Cass Elliot, it was around this time that she used her original stage name, Cass Elliot. She starred in many a TV show including two specials of her own. She was loved and is still admired for her pleasing alto and all-around ability to entertain. In her way, she was as troubled as her other drug-taking contemporaries like Jim Morrison, in addition to her life-long weight problems which probably kept her close to people but not so close that her loneliness abated. She, to me, sounds like an American Annie Haslam.
So if you didn't know that these two members of the RRHOF did an album together, now you do!
Wiki: After being introduced by a mutual friend, Mason and Elliot hit it off and decided to pursue singing together professionally. Elliot, having released two solo albums at that time, missed the collaborative effort of producing music, and Mason, who had just arrived in the U.S. after splitting with Traffic, was interested in a fresh collaboration. Originally Elliot was intended to be co-producer with Mason on an intended solo album by the latter: after Elliot sang background for Mason on some sessions the idea of the album being a Mason/Elliot collaboration emerged.
Dave Mason and Cass Elliot - Glittering Facade (1971)
Dave Mason and Cass Elliot - Sit and Wonder (1971)
Dave Mason - Every Woman (1973)
Dave Mason - Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave (1970)
Dave Mason - Save Me (1980) Michael Jackson on backing vocals.
Dave Mason and Cass Elliot - On and On (1971)
Cass Elliot - I'll Be There (1972)
Cass Elliot (billed as Mama Cass Elliot) - It's Getting Better (1969)
Cass Elliot - New World Coming (1970)
Dave Mason - The Lonely One (1973) Stevie Wonder on harmonica solo.
Laura Nyro - Beads of Sweat (1970) Laura Nyro (rhymes with "Hero") was a female Jimmy Webb (or he a male Laura Nyro) who reinvented songwriting possibilities for a generation. She influenced so many writers that I cannot list them here. Her influence really shows itself in the works of Todd Rundgren, Elton John, Patti Smith, so so many. She merged the melodic gifts of Carole King with the lyrical ones of Bob Dylan. You know her songs. Between 1968 and 1970, a number of artists had hits with her songs: The 5th Dimension with "Blowing Away", "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Sweet Blindness", and "Save the Country"; Blood, Sweat & Tears and Peter, Paul and Mary, with "And When I Die"; Three Dog Night and Maynard Ferguson, with "Eli's Comin'"; and Barbra Streisand with "Stoney End", "Time and Love", and "Hands off the Man (Flim Flam Man)". Ironically, Nyro's best-selling single was her recording of Carole King's and Gerry Goffin's "Up on the Roof".
Laura Nyro - Eli's Coming (1968)
Laura Nyro - New York Tendaberry (1969)
Laura Nyro - Mr. Blue (1978)
Laura Nyro - Smile (1976)
Cockney Rebel - Psychomodo (1974)
Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel - Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) (1976)
Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel - Sebastian (1973)
Paul Revere and the Raiders - Ain't Nothing Wrong (1976) Everybody tried disco. Everybody. This song was written by Harry Casey and Rick Finch! Flopped.
Johnny Cougar - Need Somebody Baby (1976) Like my unfortunate management deal that forced me to call myself "Sir Gilbert Slitherbottom VI", John Mellencamp's management had no idea who or what he was. He started out for a brief period of time as a "glam rocker" but then tried out for a solo career with his first album Chestnut Street Incident released by former David Bowie manager Tony DeFries on the Mainman (division of MCA) label. That album was a complete flop partly due to the fact that the record label wanted to mold John into something he was not (a pretty boy ala James Dean) and the fact that the album mostly consisted of cover songs.
Johnny Cougar - The Man Who Sold the World (1976) What a strange curio from the early days of John Mellencamp.
Queen - All Dead, All Dead (1977)
The Spotlights - Batman and Robin (1966) Produced by Leon Russell and Snuff Garrett. Gig's a gig!
Dion and the Belmonts - My Girl the Month of May (1966) This album features the song "For Bobbie" which was written by John Denver, and he recorded it himself in 1972, retitling it' "For Baby."
Mick Taylor - Leather Jacket (1979)
Moody Blues - Veteran Cosmic Rocker (1981)
Ruth Copeland - The Silent Boatman (1970) Do you prefer this version or the one by Parliament?
The Osmonds “The Plan" (1973)
The platitudes are vague enough, the admonishments placid enough, the complaints about society inoffensive enough. Kolob was/is a Mormon magical land with...never mind. Look it up. Kolob Records was the exclusive domain of the Osmond family (Jimmy, too--in fact he was making records in Japan as early as 1969 and his hit in the US, "Long-Haired Lover From Liverpool" featured The Mike Curb Congregation, which we have played on this show many times) and in 1973 Kolob released this. It's very professionally done. There's instrumental virtuosity in many styles. Makes for a pretty good listen once or twice, but I think it ruined their credibility in the younger market. Both "Goin' Home" and "Let Me In" reached #36 on the Billboard chart. This album didn't reach #50.
POACA might recall that at one time The Osmonds roamed the teeny-bopper landscape free of predators, and actually charted 4 Top 10 hits. I thought it was more. And my sister bought every Tiger Beat and Teen Beat magazine she could find. Always Donny's toothy grin. And she also bought a few Osmond albums, including this one. I want the one they released ONLY in Japan, The Wonderful World Of The Osmonds. Because I love that shit. My birthday is coming up in 10 months. Might as well?
Both Donny and Marie would try to change their images down the road, but when this came out, it was really the beginning of the end for any question of artistic integrity.
War In Heaven
Traffic In My Mind
Before The Beginning
Movie Man
Let Me In
One Way Ticket To Anywhere
Are You Up There
It's Alright
Mirror, Mirror
Darlin’
The Last Days
Goin' Home
Lou Christie
Selections from "Paint America Love" (1971)
I came across this album when I was heavy into Q Magazine out of England. They did an article about it and I tried to find my own copy. And I like it. I find that Lou Christie is just a little different, a little more daring than his contemporaries. He tried and failed at much, but what hit, I really love. I will never not be fascinated by Paint America Love.
Look Out The Window
Wood Child
Paint America Love
Buddy and Cathy Rich - The Beat Goes On (1967)
Dyke and the Blazers - Let a Woman Be a Woman, Let A Man Be A Man (1969)
Funk band formed in 1965 in Phoenix, Arizona. Best known for their 1966 hit single Funky Broadway, later even more successfully covered by Wilson Pickett.
The band was disbanded when bandleader "Dyke" Arlester Christian was shot to death in 1971.
Eddie and Dutch - My Wife The Dancer (1970)
G. C. Cameron - If You Don’t Love Me (1974) Written by Stevie Wonder. G. C. sang both lead parts on The Spinners' big hit, 1970's "It's a Shame", co-written and produced by Stevie, and remained with Motown as a solo artist when The Spinners left Motown in 1971. Although Cameron was not a major-seller for the label, he did have a hit with "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday", the theme song of the 1975 film Cooley High, which was later covered to great success by Boyz II Men.
Gene Vincent - Be Bop A Lula ’69 (1969) Produced by our friend Kim Fowley.
Lou Christie - Genesis and the Third Verse (1968) I love Lou's collabs with his Gypsy pal, Twyla Herbert. Herbert was born in Riverside, California. Christie was 15 years old when he met Herbert, a "bohemian gypsy, psychic, and former concert pianist," at an audition in a church basement in his hometown, Glenwillard, Pennsylvania. She was over 20 years older than him, with flaming red hair, a self-described clairvoyant and mystic who allegedly predicted which of their songs would become hits. They co-wrote "Lightning Strikes".
The Jackson Five - Doctor My Eyes (1973) Yes, The Jackson Five covered Jackson Browne.
John Travolta - Razzamatazz (1976)
Julie London - Louie Louie (1969)
King Crimson - Cirkus (1971)
Renaissance - Can You Understand (1973)
Albert Finney - Those Other Men (1977) On the Motown label. Hard times had befallen this American institution. I remember him singing this on the Mike Douglas Show. He explained the lyric, and the crowd applauded.
Bill Haley - God Bless Rock and Roll (1980) From the Producer, Kenny Denton's book about his life in music:
In March 1979 I received a phone call from Sonet Records, asking if I would like to produce 3 or 4 tracks with their artist Bill Haley. Although Bill had not sold in large volume for many years, I jumped at the opportunity to work with a Legend. I was asked to contact Bill’s manager, Mr. Patrick Maylnn. This would turn out to be a very short conversation filled with unease, as he told me there was no way I would be producing his artist Haley! This was a job for his assistant Dave Davis who doubled as Bill’s road manager, and that Bill had insisted that Davis should produce any recordings he was going to make. I contacted the record company to inform them of my conversation with Mr. Malynn; their reaction was that unless I produced the recordings for them, no sessions would take place.
A few days later I had the most charming call from Mr. Maylnn saying, ‘That if the record company had so much faith in me, they had decided to give me their blessing to produce the recordings”. Patrick also suggested that I should contact his assistant Dave Davis, as he Knew Bill so well, he would be in a position to give me a few helpful pointers. I welcomed any input that would make the sessions go smoothly, so I phoned Davis to obtain any useful suggestions that he may be able to pass on to me about Bill. Davis told me “Its very important to make sure he is in a vocal booth separated from the band, he’s a very moody type of guy, and the slightest thing could upset him, never call him Bill, only Mr. Haley”. Davis went on to tell me various other nuances about Bill that I may encounter. I was beginning to think maybe I should have left the productions to someone that knew Mr. Haley a bit better than myself.
Charro - Love Will Keep Us Together (1977) For people of a certain age, Charro was a talk show/variety show mainstay. Sexual without being sexual. Talented without record sales. She played a mean flamenco guitar! But she was also a willing parody of herself.
Clarence Carter - Jennings Alley (1976)
David Cassidy - Darlin’ (1975)
"I wanna change my image! i really wanna show people I can R O C K!! Gimme that guitar. Now find me the best producer you can get. Brian Wilson! What? He's trying to get his brothers to get him hamburgers? Ok. What about Mike Love? No? Ok....Bruce Johnson. HOW MUCH are the extras on the cover costing me?? Just...get the janitor's family..." Yes, "I Write The Songs" is on the album. And "Darlin'" was a Beach Boys single from the late '60s. Not as bad as his brother's Todd Rundgren-produced desperation from 1980.
Dennis Wilson - River Song (1977) The album "Pacific Ocean Blue" was the best post-1973 recording by any Beach Boy bar none, including the band itself.
Gentle Giant - Freedom’s Child (1970) Folky, nice demo, sort of a POC for the prog leanings that would flourish and flounder later in the decade. I like all the stuff they did during these unreleased demo recordings, but I don't really dig their first album.
Godley and Creme:
If it wasn't for Gary Storm of WIZR 107.7 in Buffalo, I never would have heard about these guys, but for a good two years, I was obsessed. The things they did with harmonies, writing lyrics, and wild sound experiments that I had never heard before amazed me. Especially "Random Brain Wave/I Pity Inanimate Objects". They were in 10CC and I tried for a good long time to like 10CC, but it just never took as it did with these guys. It didn't surprise me that they ruled MTV's early days. Their imaginations ran wild and in the video realm and its nascent possibilities, they were champions.
Godley and Creme - “Consequences” Side C (1976)
Godley and Creme - The Sporting Life (1977)
Godley and Creme - Hit Factory/Business Is Business (1977)
Godley and Creme - Random Brain Wave/I Pity Inanimate Objects (1978)
Godley and Creme - Gizmo Demonstration Record (1975) Godley and Creme quit 10CC (they should have just taken a break, but who can reason with wealthy stoners?) to develop and record with a kind of E-bow for all six strings of the electric guitar. Little teeth rubbing against the strings to create a fine sound, when it worked. From Kevin Godley's website:
In 1977 Lol Creme and I released a triple album box set called CONSEQUENCES to explore the potential of a device we’d invented years earlier called the GIZMO. It was a mechanical unit that straddled the bridge of an electric guitar and bowed the strings to simulate violin, viola, cello, and contrabass. Unfortunately, the technology and physical materials of the day weren't resilient enough to engineer a reliable product and the GIZMOTRON, as it was dubbed when brought to market in 1979, quickly faded from view (as did the album). Oh, it surfaced occasionally over the years, on the odd track by some big names, sonic experimentalists, and fans of arcane guitar effects but, at the time, it was a double whammy kick in the balls for us, so we reluctantly let it go - we had to. The GIZMO represented an extensive period of intense work and faith with negligible critical or commercial rewards, so we moved on, let the patents expire, and closed the door on that chapter of our lives.
Godley and Creme - An Englishman in New York (1978)
Like The Beach Boys, Godley and Creme have apologists who can mine and cheer for little nuggets from sonic abortions like Ism Ism, Birds of Prey, and Goodbye Blue Sky, but trust me. Stay with their first three albums. They released an album called The History Mix (Vol. 1) which was produced by Trevor Horn and featured two side-long, occasionally clever dance-mixes (?) chock full of G&C/10CC snippets recontextualized. But as big a fan as I was, no group I know regurgitated their own mythology as much as these guys. Their first three records, though, are seminal.
Original versions, anyone?
Brenda Holloway - You Made Me So Very Happy (1967)
Cissy Houston - Midnite Train To Georgia (1973) Note the spelling of "midnight" changed for the Gladys Knight version.
Linda Lyndell - What a Man (1968)
Jean DuShon - For Once In My Life (1966)
John Hartford - Gentle On My Mind (1967)
Greyhound - Black and White (1971)
Leon Russell - This Masquerade (1972)
Lou Johnson - Always Something There To Remind Me (1964)
Ray Charles - The Sun Died (1968)
Ray Charles - Understanding (1968) This song only reached #46 in 1968, but it was a big enough hit to inspire the odd-ball takeoff recorded by The Red Shadow. It contains the unfortunate little snippet:
My old lady also understands that a man must have respect What I mean is, if she must play around don't let me catch her, because what I don't see can't hurt me, you understand?
But on the other hand, If I should ever catch her I'm not gonna talk about-a and call her a bunch of bad names like you all might No no mh What I'm gonna do, I'm gonna go down-town to the Hardware store and buy myself a double blade ax, Come back, square off, and believe her soul's gonna Belong to the good lord Because her head's gonna belong to me, and I Guarantee she'll know what I mean when I'll say...
The Red Shadow - Understanding Marx (1975)
Red Shadow was an odd outfit performing polemical rock and roll from the mid-1970s. The core of the group was three ideologically minded economists who met at the University of Michigan in the early 1970s. They decided to form a band to preach the urgent message of left-wing economics.
Red Shadow put out two albums, Live at the Panacea Hilton (1975) and Better Red (1978) [Ed: WHICH I JUST BOUGHT FOR YOU!!]. Red Shadow’s song “Gone Gone Gone” is a parody of the Beach Boys’ “Fun Fun Fun” in which the malign corporate overlords will be “gone gone gone when the workers take their power away.” Similarly, “Anything Good” reworks Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” to accommodate the following lyric:
They may know how to serve the ruling corporate brass But they’ll never have the knowledge of the working class No no, no they don’t know know know Anything good
Sammy Davis Jr. - The People Tree (1972) Written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse, who also wrote Sammy's only #1 hit, "The Candy Man". That song was from the soundtrack to the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. "The People Tree" was, in fact, the follow-up single, and it sank without a trace.
Gordon Parks - Blowin’ Your Mind (1972) With vocals by O. C. Smith, whose big hit was "Little Green Apples". Talk about trying to make lightning strike twice (see "The People Tree")! O. C. Smith had been recording since the mid-'50s, starting out as Ocie Smith. An excellent stylist. I could and should do a whole show about him.
Leonard Nimoy - Spock Thoughts (1967)
The Beach Bums (alias for Doug Brown and the Omens) - The Ballad of the Yellow Beret (1966) With Bob Seger(!) on vocals. Look at the composer. From AllMusic: Despite a meager recorded output, Doug Brown and the Omens continue to hold a key place in Detroit rock and roll history as a launching pad for the young Bob Seger. Brown was already fronting the Omens when he first met Seger in 1964, soon inviting the aspiring singer/songwriter to join the band; financed by Del Shannon, sometime around 1965 the group cut a single, "TGIF"/"First Girl," which represents Seger's first known official recording. In January 1966, Brown produced Seger's regional solo blockbuster "East Side Story," the record credited with making the singer a Detroit superstar; the following summer, he also helmed Seger's "Heavy Music," another local smash.
Which doesn't excuse this particularly tone-deaf single. I guess no one thought their darker moments would be around in 2021.
The Osmonds - Havin’ A Party (1975)
Gentle Giant - Weekend Cowboy (1970)
The Isley Brothers - Sweet Season/Keep On Walkin’ (1972)
Pat Boone - Wish You Were Here, Buddy (1966)
James William Guercio - Tell Me (1973) Terry Kath on vocals, uncredited.
Bob McGrath - Sir Duke (1977)
The Utica Club Natural Carbonation Beer Drinking Song (1968) The band playing on this is the Chicago-based The Trolls.
Richard Berry - Doin’ It (1973) Richard Berry wrote and recorded the original 'Louie, Louie,' later performed by The Kingsmen. It is the second most-covered song in the history of rock music.
Be Thankful For What You Got (inst.) - William DeVaughn (1974) From Wikipedia:
DeVaughn was a salaried government employee as a drafting technician and a part-time singer. He wrote a song called "A Cadillac Don't Come Easy", which was eventually re-written to become "Be Thankful for What You Got", in 1972. He spent $900 towards getting it recorded with Omega Sound, a Philadelphia production house. The record producer at Omega, John Davis (a member of the MFSB studio session group), came up with a smooth arrangement, eventually booking time to record at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, used by Philadelphia International Records.
The song was released on Roxbury Records, a subsidiary of Chelsea Records, run by industry veteran Wes Farrell. You know him from his work with The Partridge Family.
The record sold nearly two million copies on its release in spring 1974, reaching No. 1 on the US Billboard R&B chart and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. With a sound and content influenced by Curtis Mayfield, its simple and encouraging lyrics hit home, to the extent that it became featured on gospel radio stations. When his success as a recording artist seemed guaranteed, DeVaughn quit his government job.
DeVaughn released an album, mainly of songs with a religious character, and its second single, "Blood Is Thicker than Water", reached No. 10 R&B and No. 43 pop later in 1974; "Give the Little Man a Great Big Hand" had only minor R&B chart success early the following year. Live, DeVaughn preached to and admonished his audience from the stage [Ed: Just like George Harrison!]. He lost interest in the music industry not long afterward, working in a record store and again as a draftsman.
Dave Dudley - Coffee, Coffee, Coffee (1965) Written by Tom T. Hall.
Terry Jacks - Put The Bone In (1974)
Lee Edwards (The Christian Con Man) - Maui Girl (1983) From one of the biggest inspirations for this show, for better or worse, 365 Days Project: "The Christian Con Man Goes Hawaiian" is like a three-wheeled Radio Flyer rolling down a rocky hill. It starts slow but careens out of control by the journey's end. The track "Maui Girl" appears at the point when Lee Edwards is really picking up momentum (or another glass of cheap whiskey). "KIMCHEE LOVIN'!! I SHOOK HER COCONUTS!"
UK - In The Dead of Night (1979) This is the almost never-heard single recorded with Terry Bozzio on drums, instead of the original with the also-great Bill Bruford.
Bill Haley and the Comets - Me and Bobby McGee (1972)
The Four Tops - So Deep Within You (1973) Odd to hear The Four Tops cover The Moody Blues. This has to be Justin Heyward on lead guitar. HAS to be.
IS. Here is an article.
Fanny - Conversation With a Cop (1970) From Discogs: Fanny was an American rock band, active in the early 1970s. They were one of the first all-female rock groups to achieve critical and commercial success, including two Billboard Hot 100 top 40 singles.
The group was founded by guitarist June Millington and her sister, bassist Jean, who had been playing music together since they moved from the Philippines to California in the early 1960s. After playing in several bands, they attracted the interest of producer Richard Perry who signed them to Reprise Records in 1969 as Fanny. The band recorded four albums together before June Millington quit the group. Following a final album, Fanny disbanded in 1975.
Lee Dorsey - Yes We Can Can (1970)
Jackie Lynton - The Ballad Of Hank McCain (1969) From the soundtrack to "Gli Intoccabili" (aka "Machine Gun McCain"); Written by Ennio Morricone. Fricking GREAT.
GTOs - Circular Circulation (1969)
Hugh X. Lewis - Evolution and The Bible (1968)
Frank and Nancy Sinatra - Life’s a Trippy Thing (1971?)
Renaissance - Island (1969)
The KISS Show!! With Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon:
Wicked Lester - She (1972)
Lips - Beck (1971?) The original version of “Beth”, obviously from a cassette. This band never released anything. Lips was born the night Criss's previous band Chelsea died. While the material they would develop was similar to the material Chelsea had done, several later KISS songs were born in this period. "I know you love complainin'..."
Crazy Joe and the Variable Speed Band - Eugene (1981) Co-written and produced by Ace Frehley. "Crazy Joe" was actually Joe Renda, White Plains NY producer and recording studio owner linked to the local Ren-Vell Records and North Lake Sound studio. He is perhaps best remembered for...this..., but his roots extend back to early 60s garage rock.
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Beth
Gene Simmons - Black Tongue (2004) Garbage. Utter trash.
Kiss - Bad Lovin’ (1978) (“Dr. Love” demo)
Peter Criss - Hooked On Rock and Roll (1978)
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - I Was Made For Loving You
Kiss - Watchin’ You (1972-73)
Paul Stanley - Tracks Of My Tears (2021)
Wicked Lester - Too Many Mondays (1972) Turn up the volume to hear at comparable volume. It speaks to how Kiss would have turned out if they hadn't decided on the gimmick we all know.
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Dr. Love
Potpourri featuring some bad Jan and Dean:
The Free Design - You Could Be Born Again (1968)
Bernie Waldon - Bright Lights And Go-Go Girls (1968)
Obituary:
Bernard E. “Bernie” Waldon, age 77, passed away June 27, 2012, in Brooksville, Fla. He was born in Crawfordsville to Floyd and Agnes Waldon. He graduated from Crawfordsville High School and moved to Indianapolis in 1965. Bernie worked in radio for several years at WILO, WHOW and WIRE in Indianapolis, and WZIP in Cincinnati. He was a musician working with several Country and Bluegrass groups mainly the Indiana Band and Bluegrass Partners. He appeared on radio and television, was a guest on the Grand Ole Opry and Renfro Valley Barn Dance. Bernie retired from Emery Worldwide in 1977, prior to that he worked for Purolator Courier. Bernie was a private pilot and past president of the Indiana chapter of the Antique Airplane Association of which he was a national lifetime member. He also belonged to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associations, the Experimental Airplane Association and the Luscombe Association. He served eight years in the Indiana National Guard.
Billy Dee Williams - A Taste Of Honey (1961) This was the first version of what would become a very popular war-horse for singers all over the world. Another trivia question! Who did it first? Lando California.
Jean DuShon - For Once In My Life (1966) This was the first version of what would become a very popular war-horse for singers all over the world. Another trivia question! Who did it first? Jean DuShon.
Jerry Jeff Walker - Mr. Bojangles (1968) This was the first version of what would become a very popular war-horse for singers all over the world. Another trivia question! Who did it first? Jerry Jeff Walker. He also wrote it.
Rod Rogers & The Swinging Strings - Beatle Crawl (1965)
Tony Bruno - Rhoda Mendelbaum (1969) How I love Tony Bruno.
Gianfranco & Gian Piero Reverberi - Nel Cimitero Di Tucson (1968) From the movie "Django, Prepare a Coffin". Starring Terrence Hill.
The Jackson Five - Doctor My Eye (1973)
Jan and Dean - Laurel and Hardy (1966-1969) In response to market forces, Jan and Dean decided to go all out and record a psychedelic album of their own. In the process, Jan got into a car crash that left him somewhat debilitated. The album was finished by 1969. While presented as a Jan and Dean album, Jan Berry (even though he wrote and produced the material) only played and sang on a few songs due to complications from his car accident. Dean Torrence, who by that time had become disillusioned with the duo's prospects, only appears on one song. Glen Campbell made some contributions to the sessions, and singer Tom Bahler performed lead vocals on several songs. Tom Bahler wrote "She's Out of My Life" for Frank Sinatra. He never sang it, but Michael Jackson did on Off The Wall. Bahler also wrote the Bobby Sherman hit "Julie, Do Ya Love Me". A song I wrote and sang in my mind for Julie Pawlowski of Emporium Avenue, West Seneca, NY, 14224.
This song was co-written by Roger Christian, who co-wrote several songs for The Beach Boys, mostly about cars, including "Ballad of Ole' Betsy", "Car Crazy Cutie", "Cherry, Cherry Coupe", "Don’t Worry Baby", "In the Parkin' Lot", "Little Deuce Coupe", "No-Go Showboat", "Shut Down", and "Spirit of America", all of them penned with Brian Wilson.
And Roger Christian was from Buffalo, NY. We rule.
Jan and Dean - The Universal Coward (1965) You have to hear this to believe it.
Jan and Dean - Yesterday (1965)
Kathy McCord - She’s (I’m) Leaving Home (1970)
Kathleen McCord was born to Bill and Ann McCord. Both of them were in the show business: Bill was a radio and television announcer at NBC, whilst Ann was a singer who sang backup on Perry Como's TV show and hit records like "Catch a Falling Star", "Round and Round" and "Magic Moments". She was introduced to Chip Taylor by her brother, Billy Vera (who had a big weepy hit with "If I Could Just Hold You Again") when she was 16 years old. She has something to do with Kiss. I forgot.
Bill Withers - You Got The Stuff (1979)
Bruce Johnston - Deirdre (1977) Not bad on Sunflower, but excrement here.
Frank Sinatra - I Sing The Songs (1977) Written by Bruce Johnston. Barry Manilow's Grammy-winning version was actually the third recording, after Captain and Tennille and David Cassidy. But if you listen to this show, you already know that.
The Soft Machine - Feelin’ Reelin’ Squeeling’ (1967)
Sons of Champlin - Fat City (1966) Lead singer Bill Champlin joined Chicago in 1982.
The Archies - Don’t Touch My Guitar (1969)
The French Fries (Sky and the Family Stone) - Danse A La Musique (1968)
The Shaggs - Things I Wonder (1969)
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb (demo) (1979)
Utopia - Sunburst Finish (1977)
The Beach Boys - Loop De Loop (1970)
The Beach Boys - ’Til I Die (Remix) (1970)
Brian Wilson - It’s Over Now (1977)
My Two Favorite Side-Long Songs:
Renaissance - Song of Scheherazade (1975)
Yes - The Gates of Delirium (live in Detroit) (1976)
The Beach Boys - TM Song (1976) I am hoping The Beach Boys knew that this song was so terrible that no DJ in his right mind would offer up anything but the "money" song, which, in this case, was a nearly total soul-evisceration of Chuck Berry's wonderful hit. The BB version went to #8, but that was on the heels of their surprisingly popular Endless Summer compilation from the previous year. Even with the little play that starts the song, the whole thing lasted a mercifully short 1:35. I hate BB apologists.
The Beach Boys - Transcendental Meditation (1968)
Charles Lloyd and The Beach Boys - TM (Transcendental Meditation) (1972) Backing vocals by Al Jardine, Billy Hinsche (a friend of the band from way back, who was in Dino, Desi, and Billy) Carl Wilson, Michael Love, and Pamela Polland.
Ringo Starr - Back Off Boogaloo (Stop and Smell The Roses Version) (1981)
Albert Desalvo - Strangler in the Night (1967) Sleeve reads "...These are my thoughts, feelings and emotions." Albert H. DeSalvo. Astor paid the real serial killer Albert DeSalvo (The Boston Strangler) fifty bucks for the rights to Strangler In The Night which was then ghostwritten and recorded by The Bugs adding the voice of former Boston WEEI reporter Dick Levitan, who actually interviewed DeSalvo a couple of times.
Muhammad Ali - Ali’s Elusive Dream (1976) If Dan was here, he'd say this was Ali's Rubber Soul.
Wolfman Jack - Free Shots (1975) Cautionary tale about VD. Who was Debbie Sabusawa?
Mike Douglas - Have a Nice Trip (1968) Cautionary tale about drugs.
Reuben Ware - The Fate Of Mary Jo Kopechne (1971)
From Wikipedia: On July 18, 1969, Kopechne attended a party on Chappaquiddick Island, off the east coast of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The celebration was in honor of the dedicated work of the Boiler Room Girls and was the fourth such reunion of Robert Kennedy campaign workers. Robert's surviving brother, Senator Ted Kennedy, was there. Kopechne reportedly left the party with Kennedy at 11:15 p.m.; according to his account, he had offered to drive her to catch the last ferry back to Edgartown, where she was staying. She did not tell her close friends at the party that she was leaving, and she left her purse and keys behind. Kennedy drove the 1967 Oldsmobile Delmont 88 off a narrow, unlit bridge, which lacked guardrails and was not on the route to Edgartown. The vehicle landed on its roof in Poucha Pond. Kennedy extricated himself from the vehicle and survived, but neglected to inform authorities until the next day of the accident and his inability to rescue Kopechne.
Assistant Medical examiner Donald Mills signed a death certificate listing cause of death as accidental drowning. A private funeral for Kopechne was held at St. Vincent's Roman Catholic Church in Plymouth, Pennsylvania, on July 22, 1969. The service was attended by Kennedy, his wife Joan, his sister-in-law Ethel, and hundreds of onlookers. Kopechne was buried in St. Vincent's Cemetery in Larksville, Pennsylvania, in the parish cemetery on the side of Larksville Mountain. She was among the fifth generation of her family interred in that cemetery.
The exact time and cause of Kopechne's death is not positively known, due to conflicting witness testimony at the January 1970 inquest, and lack of an autopsy.
- Kennedy claimed the accident occurred shortly after he left the party at 11:15 p.m. on July 18. But part-time Deputy Sheriff Christopher "Huck" Look testified that he saw Kennedy's car, with Kopechne and Kennedy in it, around 12:40 a.m. on July 19.
- John Farrar, the fire rescue captain who retrieved the body on July 19, testified he believed that Kopechne stayed alive for up to half an hour in an air pocket, and ultimately suffocated in the submerged vehicle. A petition to exhume the body for autopsy was denied by a Pennsylvania court.
Kennedy failed to report the incident to the authorities until the car and Kopechne's body were discovered the next morning. Kopechne's parents said that they learned of their daughter's death from Kennedy before he informed authorities of his involvement. They learned Kennedy had been the driver from wire press releases sometime later.
Melinda Marx - How I Wish You Came (1965) Melinda Marx was the daughter of Groucho Marx.
Michael Chaplin - Restless (1965) He was the son of Charlie Chaplin.
Nino Tempo and April Stevens - Put It Where You Want It (1973) From Buffalo, NY. My home town.
Ray Manzarek - The Whole Thing Started With Rock and Roll (1974)
Scott Walker -The Plague (1970)
Ike and Tina Turner - Sweet Rhode Island Red (1974)
Paul Revere and the Raiders - Swim (1964)
The Boones - Please Mister Postman (1974)
The Hollies - The Baby (1972)
The Royal Guardsmen - Squeaky Vs. The Black Knight (1966) Same catalog number as "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron". This version was issued only in Canada and only for approx. 2 weeks while licensing issues were being worked out using the "Snoopy" name.
Art Linkletter - Dear Mom and Dad (1969)
Autry Inman with Bob Luman - Ballad of Two Brothers (1968)
Frank Lyndon - Fonzie Meets Kotter's Sweathogs (At The School Dance) (1976)
Herman Silvers & Cornell Tanassy - Hello Ronnie, Good-Bye Jimmy (1980)
James Brown and the J.B.s - Gimme Some Skin (1977)
Johnny Cash & Rosey Nix - Father and Daughter (1974) In the 1980 Rolling Stone Record Guide, this album is described as "weird". It's not. It sounds like a gap-filler. Johnny doesn't sound his best here singing this Cat Stevens cover with his daughter, who also cannot seem to sing. She was the daughter of June Carter and her second husband (of three), Edwin "Rip" Nix. I tried to find his football card from his time with the Tennessee Vols, but I don't think football cards were a thing? Edwin and June divorced in 1966. In around 1985, Edwin married Ira Pilkinton. During her first marriage, to singer Carl Smith, she had a daughter, Rebecca Carlene Smith, professionally known as Carlene Carter, a country musician. Her song "Every Little Thing" appeared on my band "East of Idaho"'s setlist during the first year of our existence. She married Nick Lowe, who I've featured on another episode, and appeared in his wonderfully droll video for "Cruel To Be Kind".
Wilt Chamberlain - That’s Easy To Say (1960)
The Millennium - There Is Nothing More To Say (1968)
Genesis - Apocalypse in 9/8 (1972)
The Free Design - Friendly Man (1971)
You know I love The Free Design more than almost any group I've discovered on my show. Here are three of their best songs.
The Free Design - Love Me (1971)
The Free Design - A Leaf Has Veins (1968)
As Bob Burtman would say, "Icksnay on the uck-fay" as the Parliament Funkadelic live version of "Tear The Roof Off" commenced to play.
Some songs that James Brown made famous and then decided to rerecord. Cocaine is a hell of a drug.
James Brown - I Feel Good (1975) Not the version you're used to hearing.
James Brown - Problems (1975) If you Google "James Brown" and "Problems", it will take a LONG time to get to this song.
James Brown - It’s A New Day (1970) My favorite song by JB.
Parliament-Funkadelic - Tear The Roof Off (Live 1976) Do not listen if the swears offend you.
The Clash - Radio Clash (Remix) (1980)
African Music Machine - Mr. Brown (1974)
Chuck Brown - B.A.D. (1984)
George McCrae - I Get Lifted (1974) From Wikipedia: He was about to return to college to study law enforcement, when Richard Finch and Harry Wayne Casey of KC and the Sunshine Band invited him to sing the lyrics for a song that they had recorded for the band, but could not reach the high notes that were required for the song. The original intention was that Gwen, his wife, should record it, but she was late for the session and George recorded alone. The rest is history! Finch and Casey began their decade-long chart dominance. People don't recall what a big influence the Miami Sound had on dance floors and AM radios all over the country. You just can't fake those grooves.
Jimmy “Bo” Horne - Let Me (Be Your Lover) (1978) Sampled by Stereo MC's to fine effect.
Jimmy “Bo” Horne - Dance Across The Floor (1978)
Ron Louis Smith - Make Me Know It (1978) Ronald Louis Smith is the original KC and the Sunshine Band trumpet player and the leader of the horn section and choreographer. He created all the dance moves the band was famous for. The Sunshine Band was formerly called the Ocean Liner Band. Ronald Louis Smith wrote/produced the hit disco record "Spank" artist Jimmy Bo Horne. He arranged and played the trumpet parts in the big reggae record "Buffalo Soldier" by Bob Marley. He also worked with Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine at Miami Sound Studio.
Chicago - What’s This World Coming To (1973) I love Chicago albums V, VI, and VII. As good a trio of records any group recorded in the '70s consecutively, except for Stevie.
Bobby Rydell - Sway (1976) This is not the original 1960 hit, but an attempt to modernize through the demon known at the time as Disco. Many, many artists rode the train to sadness. Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Kate Smith, Bobby Hebb, so so many.
Frank Sinatra - All Or Nothing At All (1977) This is not the original 1939 hit, but an attempt to modernize through the demon known at the time as Disco. Many, many artists rode the train to sadness. Bobby Rydell, Sammy Davis, Kate Smith, Bobby Hebb, so so many.
The Beach Boys - Here Comes The Night (1979) This is not the original 1967 song, but an attempt to modernize through the demon known at the time as Disco. Many, many artists rode the train to sadness. Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, The Hollies, so so many.
Osmonds - I, I, I (1979) Produced by Maurice Gibb. No answer from Robin or Barry.
Jeff Lynne - Goin’ Down To Rio (1977) From his two-sided dance single. Attendant dance steps on the cover. He was in The Move.
Bobby Hebb - Sunny ’76 (1976)
Neil Diamond - Dancing In The Streets (1979)
Elton John - Thunder In The Night (1979)
Lawrence Hilton Jacobs - Kiss and Tell (1979)
Maureen McGovern - I’m Happy Just To Dance With You (1979)
Sammy David Jr. - We’ll Make It This Time (Theme from "Kojak") (1976)
Tom Jones - Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina (1979)
The King's Singers - Strawberry Fields Forever (1978) Scratch and sniff! Produced by the late, great Greg Lake.
Bangor Flying Circus - Norwegian Wood (1969)
The Goodship Lollipop - Maxwell's Silver Hammer (1969)
Ken Ray Wilemon and Me - Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)
Bud Shank - I Am The Walrus (1968)
Charlotte Dada - Don't Let Me Down (1972) The Girl with the Golden Voice, a title she has more than justified since she started her career with the Uhuru Dance Band early in the 1960s. She also sang with Franco and the Walking Shadows before breaking off as a solo artist, recording with Leader of Uhuru Dance Band Stan Plange and his Experimental Group and the Britain-based group Cool Blaze.
Cher - The Long and Winding Road (1973) At 30:50 of this podcast, the bass player makes a pretty big goof.
Ken Ray Wilemon and Me - The Long and Winding Road
Ken Ray Wilemon and Me - Old Brown Shoe
Don Randi Trio - Tomorrow Never Knows (1966) Don Randi began his career as a pianist and keyboard player in 1956, gradually establishing a reputation as a leading session musician. In the early 1960s, he was a musician and arranger for record producer Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. He played piano on "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra and on her albums as well as being a member of her touring band for decades. He performed on the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" and "God Only Knows". His piano can be heard on the Buffalo Springfield songs "Expecting to Fly" and "Broken Arrow". He claims to have played on over three hundred hit records, working with Linda Ronstadt (the harpsichord on "Different Drum"), Quincy Jones, Cannonball Adderley, Herb Alpert, Sarah Vaughan, Lee Hazlewood and Frank Zappa.
Doug Parkinson In Focus - Dear Prudence (1969)
Fickle Pickle - Maybe I'm Amazed (1970)
Ken Ray Wilemon and I - You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Ken Ray Wilemon and I - Here, There, and Everywhere
Ken Ray Wilemon and I - I Should Have Known Better
Franck Pourcel and His Orchestra - Don't Let Me Down (1969)
Gary McFarland and Gabor Szabo - The Word (1966)
Ray Conniff - Hey Jude (1978)
Ken Ray Wilemon and Me - Gimme Some Truth
The Koppycats - Things We Said Today (1966) Ian & The Zodiacs were a British Rock'n'Roll and Beat band formed in 1958, originally known as The Zodiacs, in Liverpool, England. The band existed in relative obscurity until relocating to Germany in 1964 where they achieved national success. During the band's three-year stint in Germany, they released three albums under their name, exclusive to the country until their re-release. They also released two cover albums featuring material by The Beatles with the name The Koppycats.
The Koppycats - Nowhere Man (1967) Jeesh, get the chords right. And the harmonies.
Les 409 - Hello Goodbye (1967)
Les 409 - I'm a Man (1967)
Link Wray - Please Please Me (1963)
Mike Quinn - Apple Pie (1969)
Nicky Scott - Honey Pie (1969)
Helen Merrill - Norwegian Wood (1970)
Ken Ray Wilemon and Me - Beware of Darkness
Ken Ray Wilemon and Me - Jet
Randy Bachman is Canadian royalty for his pop success in the '60s and '70s with various bands. And for his seeming inability to stop rockin'. But first, I have a sincere question for both of you:
You're not a...commie...are you?
Hagers - 84 Olympics - The Russian Game (1984)
The Guess Who - Take The Long Way Home 1970 (The Way They Were)
Chad Allan & the Expressions - Stop Teasing Me (1965)
Union - Mainstreet USA (1981) You....ARE....going...TO....TOUR.....WITH....THE...OLDIES....we LOVE!!!!!!! Get in the box with Cummings. We can wait. The Canadian government can wait.
Union - Next Stop London (1981)
Brave Belt - Crazy Arms, Crazy Eyes (1971) God help the person with these afflictions. This was the band he formed after he left The Guess Who and before he formed BTO.
Here he is with his purse.
Brave Belt - It's Over (1971)
Brave Belt - Too Far Away (1972)
Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Easy Groove (1977) From the album Freeways. Here's a good article on the history of Randy Bachman and BTO in particular.
Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Lookin' Out For #1 (1975) This was their last big-ish hit in the USA.
Chad Allan & The Expressions - Made In England (1965)
Axe - Take the Long Way Home (1970) The second song in the show, recorded as an instrumental for RB's first post-Guess Who album, Axe. I much prefer Burton Cummings' wailing.
Chad Allan - Ramona's Hourglass (1968) Written by our boy.
The Guess Who? - Believe Me (1966)
Ironhorse - I'm Hurtin' Inside (1980)
Brave Belt - Never Comin' Home (1972)
Randy Bachman - I Am A Star (1978)
Randy Bachman - Just A Kid (1978)
Randy Bachman - Maybe Again (1978)
Ironhorse - Sweet Lui-Louise (1979) Trying to tweak the record-buying public by reminding them of the accidental stuttering in "Ain't Seen Nothing Yet".
Axe - Zarahemla (1970)
Iron Horse - One & Only (1979)
The Guess Who - Palmyra (1970)
The Guess Who - Silver Bird (1970)
The Guess Who - The Answer (1970)
Union - Keep the Summer Alive (1981) You know this song as a Beach Boys release, but what you might not know is that it was co-written by Randy Bachman.
Union - All Night Long (1981)
Australian Playboys - Black Sheep R.I.P. (1967) The "Australian Playboys" was the name given to the Melbourne-spawned rock & roll band The Playboys, for their appearances and record releases outside of Australia, to avoid confusion with Gary Lewis's backing band "The Playboys."
Because if you mess with Jerry's boy, you're gonna have a bad time. Only one person humiliates Gary Lewis, and that's his father.
Eden's Children - Awakening (1968) "Sham," as ABC wanted the non-existent fans to call Richard Schamach, really was. To be hyped as better than Cream no doubt created expectations this trio could never live up to. Produced by Bob Theile, who wrote “What a Wonderful World” and produced countless great artists from the '60s.
Bob Kuban and the In-Men - Drive My Car (1966) Their hit was “The Cheater” (1965). The frontman/singer was Walter Scott. Scott disappeared on December 27, 1983. In April 1987, his body was found floating face-down in a cistern. He had been hog-tied and shot in the back. Scott's second wife, JoAnn (née Calcaterra), pleaded guilty to hindering the prosecution of his murder and received a five-year sentence. Her lover, James H. Williams Sr., whom she married in 1986, was found guilty of two counts of capital murder involving the deaths of his previous wife, Sharon Williams (who died from what was originally thought to be an auto accident in 1983), and of Walter Scott.
That, my friends, is Rock and Roll.
Briarcliff Strings And Voices - I Want To Hold Your Hand (1966)
Burt Bacharach - Lisa (1967)
Eden's Children - Just Let Go (1968) Here is an excellent interview with the lead singer Richard Lee ("Sham"). "After Eden’s Children, I went out to play with Edgar Winter when he was putting together White Trash. When Rick Derringer became available to Edgar I made a hop to Boston again and played with Vern Miller’s (The Remains) group Swallow, with George Leh."
Eden's Children - Invitation (1968)
Eden's Children - Stone Fox (1968)
Freddy Weller - Listen to the Young Folks (1970)
Gary Wilson - Chromium Bitch (1977) Gary Wilson is an experimental musician/performance artist best known for his 1977 album You Think You Really Know Me, after which he promptly retired from recording and performing concerts. He slowly gained a strong cult following during the 1980s and 1990s, and in the early 2000s became active again.
Hamilton, Joe Frank, and Reynolds - Who Do You Love (1975) On Playboy Records. What's that trivia question I gave you?
Hot Chocolate - Walking On The Moon (1980) “Baby you make me Feel like Im walkin...”
Hudson & Pickett - Sky High Market (1976)
Jim Valley - Try, Try, Try (1967)
Jim Valley - Go-Go Round (1967)
Jim Valley - I'm Real (1967)
Jimmy Webb - Saturday Suit (1973)
Jimmy Webb - Arnie's Appeasement Signals (Samurai Sequence)(1973)
Jimmy Webb - Gymnast's Ballet (Fingerpainting) (Soundtrack)(1973)
Jimmy Webb - Song Seller (1972)
Mean Mister Mustard - Davy Jr and Guess Who? (1969)
Paul Revere and the Raiders - We Gotta All Get Together (1970 Version)
Paul Revere and the Raiders - We Gotta All Get Together (1969 Version) Written by Fred Weller. He also recorded a version solo. It's not THAT great a song.
Raiders - Song Seller (1973) Written by Jimmy Webb.
Raiders - Just Seventeen (1970) My favorite Raiders track.
Paul Revere Interviews His Raiders - Free Cardboard Disc from Teen Scoop mag (1967) They had an unbelievable sense of humor.
Freddy Weller - Sexy Lady (1974)
Frederik - Se Jokin Minulla On (1975) The Locomotion in Finnish.
Alice Babs - Been To Canaan (1973)
Pretty Purdie and the Playboys - You've Got A Friend (1971)
Carole King - Child of Mine (1970)
Design - I Feel The Earth Move (1973)
The City - Now That Everything's Been Said (1968) From the great Light In The Attic website:
By the mid-‘60s, King’s marriage to Gerry Goffin, with whom she’d written many of those wonderful hits, had hit the rocks. A divorce loomed, and King all but retired to raise their two daughters. She headed west to Laurel Canyon in ‘67, taking the children with her, and made the previously unlikely move of joining a progressive folk-rock band. King formed The City with future husband Charles Larkey on bass and Danny Kortchmar on guitar and vocals. With King on piano and vocals, they created a folk-rock sound that pre-empted the singer-songwriter boom of the ‘70s.
Produced by Lou Adler and featuring Jimmy Gordon on drums, The City’s sound is deep and soulful, imperfect but passionate. And the songs, with King writing or co-writing all but one, are as exceptional as you’d expect and as widely covered as her factory work. “Now That Everything’s Been Said” was a hit for American Spring [Ed: That was the band that Brian Wilson produced, featuring his wife Marylin and his affair d'couer, his sister-in-law Diane.], “A Man Without A Dream” was tackled by The Monkees, and “Hi-De-Ho (That Old Sweet Roll)” was a hit for Blood, Sweat & Tears. Central to the album’s appeal is King’s own stirring reading of her track “Wasn’t Born To Follow,” covered masterfully by The Byrds for the Easy Rider soundtrack.
King had been used to a life on the sidelines, and her stage fright left the trio unable to tour the LP which adversely affected their fortunes. That, plus some behind-the-scenes distribution problems, meant the album was quickly deleted, and it remained so for the next thirty years–partly at King’s request. Even so, its failure was a surprise to those concerned. “I was 26 when Now That Everything’s Been Said was released in 1968,” King says of the album. “[We] expected it to zoom to the top of the charts within, at most, a few weeks. Individually and together, we optimistically imagined the album’s success as if it had already happened. Danny and Charlie kept telling each other, ’It’s a great album. The City is gonna be Number 1 with a bullet!’"
Frances Yip - I Feel The Earth Move (1973)
The Isleys - It's Too Late (1972) From one of my favorite pages, Wilson and Alroy's Record Reviews: Their review of Brother, Brother, Brother (two stars out of five) This is the kind of thing you can do when you own your record company: the Isleys turn over half the running time to three Carole King covers ("Brother Brother," her then-current hit "Sweet Seasons," and a ten-minute version of "It's Too Late"). All of which are calming and pretty but not particularly moving, similar in style to Givin' It Back but not quite as rough. Those numbers are complemented by some funkier tunes more reminiscent of Get Into Something, including the single "Pop That Thang," "Love Put Me On The Corner," and the propulsive "Work To Do." More than anything, this is transitional, pointing out the direction that was to pay off far better commercially and artistically starting with the next studio album. The younger crop of Isleys played most of the instruments again but still received no producing or arranging credits.
Carol Burnett - It's Too Late (1972)
Jerry Butler - So Far Away (1972)
Daffi Von Cramer - Locomotion (1972)
Lone Kellerman - Kom An Baby (1977)
Mike James Kirkland - It's Too Late (1973)
Nora Aunor - Sweet Seasons (1972) Known as "The Grand Dame of Philippine Cinema" for her contribution to the Philippine film industry. Aunor has released more than 360 singles and recorded more than 200 songs and over 50 albums. She has notched more than 30 gold singles and with an estimated gross sales of one million units, Nora's cover of "Pearly Shells" (1971) is one of the biggest-selling singles in the Philippines. Due to a botched cosmetic surgery in Japan while endorsing a cosmetic surgery clinic based in Shinagawa and Makati, her vocal cords were damaged and she cannot sing due to paralysis of her left vocal cords.
Peter Nero - Jazzman (1975)
Rita Coolidge - One Fine Day (1979)
Carole King - Pierre (1975)
Marlena Shaw - So Far Away (1972)
Vikki Carr - So Far Away (1971)
Carpenters - One Fine Day (1973)
The City - Snow Queen (1968)
The City - I Wasn't Born to Follow (1968)
The Counts - Jazzman (1974)
The Lettermen - You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Man (1970)
Tiiti - Sata Kettaa (1979)
Carole King - Time Gone By (1979)
The Anita Kerr Singers - You've Got A Friend (1973)
Stanislaw Sojka - You've Got A Friend (1979)
The Association was a pretty popular late-'60s singing group. Think Three Dog Night. Like that. Pretty similar arc. You know "Cherish", "Along Comes Mary", "Windy", etc. After the hits dried up, members like Jerry Yester fought the inevitable slide into oldies tours with the odd single, tour, and always in a state of flux. In 1975, a cobbled-together version of the band recorded what would be known to fans as "The Association Bites Back". While RCA was the record company of...record...they do not have tapes that they can remaster for a waiting public. But replacement member Larry Brown did put some of the songs on YouTube. Cassette quality, but a nice historical curio of a once-thriving concern. Here are 4.
And oldies tours are exactly where they ended up. Think Three Dog Night.
Travelin' Boy
That’s What She Said
Time to Get High
Cherish (a disco remake with a strangely funkified coda.)
The Pullice - Can't Get Enough (1966) As seen on the lower right, this is how they spelled their name.
McDonald's Commercial (1969)
Grady Tate - Multiplication Rock “6” (1973) Nostalgia for POACA.
Born in Durham, NC, in a district called “Hayti”, the historic African-American community that is now part of the city of Durham, North Carolina. It was founded as an independent black community shortly after the American Civil War on the southern edge of Durham by freedmen coming to work in tobacco warehouses and related jobs in the city. By the early decades of the 20th century, African Americans owned and operated more than 200 businesses, which were located along Fayetteville, Pettigrew, and Pine Streets, the boundaries of Hayti.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the neighborhood continued to develop through years of racial segregation imposed by white Democrats in the state legislature, following the Reconstruction era in the South. With black-owned businesses and services, a library, a hotel, a theatre, and a hospital, the community became self-sufficient. It declined in the late 20th century, due to suburbanization, which drew some residents to newer housing outside the area. A 1958 urban renewal and freeway project took down houses and businesses in 200 acres of the community and split it with a freeway. St. Joseph's African Methodist Episcopal Church (1891) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; its congregation was founded in 1868. The church has been used since 1975 as a community and cultural center. Hayti's residents have included African Americans who achieved national reputations for their successes.
From Wikipedia:
- Ernie Barnes, NFL star and nationally renowned artist
- Reverend Shirley Caesar, minister, gospel musician
- Blind Boy Fuller (born Fulton Allen) blues guitarist and singer
- Biff Henderson, staff member of Late Show with David Letterman
- John P. Kee, gospel musician
- Lamont Lilly, Movement for Black Lives activist, journalist, and 2016 vice presidential candidate
- John Lucas II, NBA player and professional coach
- Pigmeat Markham, known in the 1950s–1960s as the National Funnyman; his family was the most prominent on its street, which came to be called (and later officially named) Markham Street in the Hayti District
- Tracy McGrady, NBA player, finished high school in the Hayti District
- Clyde McPhatter, 1950–1960s musician, member of the Drifters, member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- Rodney Rogers, NBA player
- André Leon Talley, fashion consultant
- Grady Tate, jazz drummer
- Tommy Wilson, NFL player for Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Brown, and Minnesota Vikings
There is a similar district (well, there was) called “Soul City” near Hendersonville, NC. Friends of mine say they can't find much that's left.
21 Years of Rock n Roll (1977) "The record that launched the Rock 'n' Roll era became a hit in Australia in July 1956. It proved to be one of the most fantastic hits of all time with collective sales estimated at over 22 million. 'Rock around the Clock' has been waxed in thirty-five different languages with over 140 versions globally. 2SM/3XY/4IP with the ANZ Bank commissioned the cream of Australian rock talent to record this limited-edition tribute to 21 years of Rock 'n' Roll. Hope you enjoy it."
The artists: Glenn Shorrock of Little River Band Graeme 'Shirley' Strachan & Frankie J. Holden John Paul Young who had one big US hit with "Love Is In The Air". Daryl Braithwaite Renee Geyer
Aurora Toy Sales Film hosted by Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble (1969) Originally seen at the 1969 New York Toy Fair.
Bev Bevan - Heavy Head (1976)
Cat (Bob Chance) - Slap Dance (1979)
Colours - Bad Day At Black Rock, Baby (1968) Colours was signed to Dot Records in 1967 and released their first single later that year. In 1968, they issued their self-titled debut LP. In 1969, they issued a follow-up LP titled ‘Atmosphere’, but only Dalton and Montgomery are credited on the record. After the band broke up in late 1969, Radle went on to play in Delaney & Bonnie and, shortly afterward, Derek & the Dominoes and J.J. Cale and Eric Clapton. Chuck Blackwell also achieved some renown in the early 70s by playing with Leon Russell, Joe Cocker, Taj Mahal, Freddie King, and other artists.
Doris Duke - Feet Start Walking (1971)
Harmon Bethea The Maskman - Prices and Crisis (1974) A World War II veteran, he recorded and performed gospel and rhythm and blues with the Progressive Four and the Corinthian Singers for Lillian Claiborne’s D.C. label in 1947 and ’48. In late 1949, Claiborne paired Bethea with another of her local acts, The Cap-Tans.
In the midst of the British Invasion and the surge of Motown Records, Bethea took on the persona of “The Maskman", first donning the mask in 1968. His backing group evolved from the Cap-Tans to The Agents. The Bethea continued recording and performing well into his 60s.
Helen Reddy - Baby, I'm A Star (1977) The only track on her Ear Candy album produced by Kim Fowley.
INXS - Doctor (1980)
INXS - Jumping (1980)
The Vegetables (INXS) - We Are The Vegetables (1980)
Jerry Lawler - Heart Of Stone (197?)
John Sebastian - Face Of Appalachia (1974) A beautiful song co-written by Lowell George.
Don Walker and Michael Hutchence - Speed Kills (1981) From the movie of the same name.
Michel Legrand - Wonder Where I'll Be Tomorrow (1974)
Skafish - We’ll See a Psychiatrist (1978)
The Osmond Brothers - Takin' on a Big Thing (1970)
The Family Dogg - Advice To Smokey Robinson (1972)
The Age of Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (Also known as The Flesh Failures)
Music by Galt MacDermot; lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado
From Peter Lawford to Georgio Moroder, just about every singer had taken this anthem of flower power and tried to make it their own. From the Tony-nominated Broadway musical "Hair", you couldn't swing a love bead without bumping into a version of this song when it came out. It summed up the era succinctly, simply, and inoffensively. If you're of a certain age, it will send chills down your spine as you recall a very brief time where The Man was on his heels for once. It made #1 for The 5th Dimension and has been covered over 70 times, which isn't much compared to Yesterday or Summertime, but you have to understand that all those versions were grouped into two years, basically.
Bert Tenzer (with Kings Road) (1969) VERY bad voice-overs of actors pretending to belong to that generation. Old voice-over pros either paying tribute or making fun. We shall never know.
Andy Williams/The Osmonds (1969) Andy Williams was old showbiz but I love the fact that he tried everything. Including Claudine Longet. I really love Andy Williams. He was daring and cool.
Diana Ross and the Supremes (1969)
Englebert Humperdinck (1969)
Donna Gaines, AKA Donna Summer/Original German Cast of “Hair” - Wassermann (Aquarius) (1968)
Johnny Mathis (1969) You hear him most during the holiday season. Then he goes away!
Melba Moore (1970) My second-favorite version. God damn, she sings it. One of the few versions here that tried to reinvent and recontextualize.
Peter Lawford (1969) Yes, the designated driver in the Rat Pack.
Raphael (Live) (1980)
Ray Conniff And The Singers (1969)
The Ventures (Instrumental) (1969)
Tony Martin (1969) My favorite version. Discogs: Tony Martin (Alvin Morris) had enjoyed a long and illustrious career as a star of stage, screen, and shellac (his first national hits for Decca came before the Second World War!), scoring international Top Ten singles in the Forties and Fifties along the lines of his rendition of Stranger in Paradise, overshadowed in the wake of Tony Bennett’s competing version. But by the time Tony pitched up at Motown, he had had no hits for eight years, and his film career had long since hit the skids.
Ethel y Los Drakers - Siempre Brilla El Sol (Spanish) (1971)
Jennifer (Warnes) (1969) Yes, the same gal that sang "Right Time of the Night" and "I Had the Time of My Life" with Bill Medley. If you look close, she's singing backing vocals during the Roy Orbison "Black and White" concert.
Galt MacDermot (1968)
Julien Clerc (French) (1969)
Light My Fire
The Doors
Again, a ubiquitous cover song which appeared in every singer's set-list at that time. Provocative enough for the young, melodic and simple enough for the more seasoned entertainer. One more thing: The Doors were an amazing band when it came to producing singles. Their albums are sometimes embarrassingly naive and treacly, sort of like The Moody Blues or Three Dog Night. But those singles, whew boy, they were good.
Stevie Wonder (1969) This is a great version. Listen to the king of soul bassists, James Jamerson, eviscerate all that came before him.
The Free Design (1971) This album is in my hall of fame for GREAT albums I could listen to over and over and find new things. Albums I discovered since I started this old show. Everything, from the production to the harmonies to the amazing upside-down covers. I am trying to get my hands on Chris Dedrick's solo record "Be Free". Soon. Maybe my birthday? Come on, now. Anyhow, this I put up there with Syreeta's records with Stevie, The United States of America, The Seeds of Love, all of them. The peak of the concept, along with There Is A Song (1972). And no one bought them!! If you like Sunshine Pop, this is the stuff. Better than The Mamas and the Papas. To my ears, by far. Listen to how low the Dedrick sisters are asked to sing. I love women in the lower register. I am a huge fan of all the Dedricks.
And that's Billy Cobham on drums!
Bob Thiele and his New Happy Times Orchestra with Gabor Szabo (1967)
Clarence Carter (w/Duane Allman) (1967)
Rhetta Hughes (1968)
Shirley Bassey (1970) Also extremely very good. She is perhaps best known for having done the vocals on the theme tunes to three films in the popular British espionage film franchise James Bond.
Woody Herman Orchestra (1969) Another cool version, this one by the Woody Herman Orchestra. Herman had been recording since the Big Band era. Fans of Frank Zappa will recognize the name Sal Marquez, who played trumpet solo #1.
Amii Stewart (1979)
Chet Atkins (1968) Even though he made his bones as a session player/producer, Chet was surprisingly open to doing modern songs by pop artists, to his credit. Like my friend Andy Williams.
Minnie Ripperton/Jose Feliciano (1979)
Os Baobas (AKA The Bubbles) (1968)
The Soul Merchants (1968)
The Lettermen (1968) This album made it to #43 on Billboard.
The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band (1969)
Al Green (1971)
Andy Williams - Theme From "Love Story" (12" Version) (1979) Normally, I have a deep disdain for old show business icons trying to ride the ol' disco train, but Andy Williams gives it all in this updated version of his big hit from 1972. Jeesh, say what you want about the guy, but on this, he BRINGS it. I believe this is the "short" version. The long version is 10 minutes. After doing this show for almost 6 years, Andy Williams has become one of my favorite vocalists.
Ann Peebles - Come to Mama (1975) Bob Seger covered this on his break-thru album Night Moves. I like this version much more. Al Green's producer produced this as well. Discerning ears will hear it right away.
Freddie Garrity and the New Dreamers - I’m Telling You Now (1976) Freddie and the Dreamers were an English beat band that had some hits between May 1963 and November 1965. The band's stage act was enlivened by the comic antics of the 5-foot-3-inch-tall Freddie Garrity, who would bounce around the stage with arms and legs flying. This album was about 10 years after their heyday. I can only imagine in 1976, arms and legs flying to keep the blunt from burning the studio rug. IYKWIM.
Freddie and the Dreamers - Tin Pan Alley (1978)
Charlie Dore - Fear Of Flying (1979) Charlie Dore had a fair-to-middling hit with "Pilot of the Airwaves" in 1979. I think they were grooming her to be a sort of Ricki Lee Jones. Hey, George Harrison sang one of her songs!!
Chicago - Street Player (12" Version) (1978) Look at that Donnie Dacus laughing in the middle of the shot. He seems so happy. They were already planning on kicking him to the curb. Of course, it made not one fricking bit of difference in the end.
Wikipedia: His work in the starring role of Woof in Hair, with Annie Golden, Treat Williams, Beverly D'Angelo, John Savage was directed by Academy Award winner Miloš Forman. Hair was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards. The movie opened the Cannes Film Festival in 1979.
Dacus' debut with Chicago followed the death of founding member Terry Kath. The first album Dacus appeared on (Hot Streets) went to No. 12 and platinum. Dacus also was in the lineup for Chicago 13. After the 1979 tour in support of Chicago 13, Dacus was released from the band without an announcement. Someone didn't put into the cocaine kitty.
In 1982, Dacus joined Badfinger.
Danny Livingstone - Rudy, A Message To You (1967)
Dion - Daddy Rollin' (1968) B-side of "Abraham, Martin, and John".
Trailer for the film Dr. Frankenstein on Campus (1970)
Eli Culbertson - I Need Your Love Tonight (1974) I thought this was a good example of an Elvis impersonation before Elvis died. But at the time, the artist insisted it was not an impersonation.
Eli Culbertson - Boogie Queen (1974)
George Harrison - Fear Of Flying (1979)
George Harrison - Lay His Head (1987)
The Beach Boys - Here Comes The Night (12" Version) (1978)
Jack Lee - Come Back And Stay (1976) Jack Lee also wrote "Hangin' on the Telephone".
Little Richard Hurry Sundown (1967)
Mars Bonfire - Born To Be Wild (1968)
Moby Grape - Never (1968)
Niela Miller - Baby, Please Don't Go to Town (1961)
John Lee Hooker - One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer (1966)
Polaroid Swinger Commercial (1965) Barry Manilow on vocals.
Renaldo & The Loaf - Ow! Stew The Red Shoe (1981)
Terri Gibbs - Same Old Mop (1975) Terri Gibbs had a big hit with "Somebody's Knocking". This single predated that one by 6 years.
Manu Dibango - Soul Makossa (1971)
Wikipedia: "Soul Makossa" is a song released as a single in 1972 by Cameroon saxophonist and songwriter Manu Dibango. It was originally recorded as the B-side for "Hymne de la 8e Coupe d'Afrique des Nations", a song celebrating the Cameroon national football team's accession to the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament, as well as Cameroon's hosting the games for the first time; the lyrics were written by Cameroonian poet and musicologist S.M. Eno Belinga. Except for some words in English, it was written in Duala, a native dialect continuum from Cameroon.
In 1972, David Mancuso found a copy in a Brooklyn West Indian record store and often played it at his parties at The Loft. The response was so positive that the few copies of "Soul Makossa" in New York City were quickly purchased. The song was subsequently played heavily by Frankie Crocker, who deejayed at WBLS, then New York's most popular black radio station. Since the original release was so obscure, at least 23 groups quickly released cover versions to capitalize on the demand for the record.
Later in 1972, American-based Atlantic Records licensed the original Manu Dibango version from French record label Fiesta, and released it as a single. The single peaked at number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1973; Dibango's original version of the song and a cover by Afrique was on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart at the same time. The song also became an international hit leading to even more cover versions by various groups around the world.
The song is probably best known for the chanted vocal refrain "ma-ma-ko, ma-ma-sa, ma-ko ma-ko-sa", which was adapted and used in songs by many prominent artists such as Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" from his album Thriller (1982). The refrain is a play on the word makossa, Dibango's main music genre.
Roy Hawkins - The Thrill Is Gone (1951) No, B.B. King did not write this tune, but he certainly made it famous. I thought you might like to hear the original.
Tony Orlando & Dawn - Happy Man (1976)
Do you like the band Queen?
I do:
- For good or bad, they maximized the potential of the modern recording studio with repeated vocal passes until the magnetic tape was almost transparent, pushing the envelope literally to the breaking point.
- They never EVER limited themselves to one style. One need only listen to the first four tracks of “A Night at the Opera”. From almost prog changes in “Death on Two Legs” to the underrated, brave, funny, and effortless whimsy of “Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon” to Roger Taylor’s best Queen song, “I’m In Love With My Car” to the light, breezy but taut pop masterpiece “You’re My Best Friend”. I didn’t even mention what would come on Side Two.
- No Band Rocked Harder. Go back and listen to “Tie Your Mother Down” or “Killer Queen” (my first Queen record) and they effortlessly mastered style after style. And surprisingly, in the time of Glam, they weren’t Glam. Sure, they looked it. But looks were part of the contradiction.
- Freddie Mercury never took himself too seriously. We all knew he was gay, but we didn’t care. In 1975, Elton John was flamboyant, but Freddie was gay. And the reason it never hurt him was because he didn’t care, at all, about what we thought of that. Think about how many gay pop singers had come out before that. Besides John Lennon, I mean.
- Hits, hits, more hits. All styles. You just never knew what was going to come out of that radio. Every member wrote and every member wrote hits (in England, anyhow). And those hits were big, never cheap, never gimmicky.
- They had a joy and a sense of daring that no one since The Beatles had tried. I cannot emphasise enough how many chances they took. Some, like “Mustapha”, didn’t land, but some most assuredly did.
- I will also add that no member released anything remotely approaching solo success or artistic transcendance. I think this speaks to an overall undefinable chemistry. For a band, this is a GOOD THING.
I don’t:
- Queen had the pretension to put the words, “No synths!” in their liner notes. Isn’t multi-tracking guitars until you gag pretty much the same thing? And making your vocal arrangements dense and multi-tracked to the point of sounding like a chorale, to me, was the same cheat.
- I said no band rocked harder. But they were severely limited by their drummer. They couldn’t swing. Cheap Trick, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles...they could swing. I never heard a Hammond organ on a Queen record or soul of any kind. Or real emotion except for rage, lust, and occasional whimsy. There was nothing...whiter...than a Queen album.
- Roger Taylor should not have been allowed to put his own songs on Queen albums. Those songs were all pretty much dreck, sounding like the opposite of the good things about Queen. They sounded like studio jam sessions. I never liked a single one. His boring solo records bear this out.
- Queen is the bonafide best example of “live album as placeholder”. By no means were they the only ones. But if you’re the hottest band in the world (and would continue your run) why break your momentum with one of the worst, most lifeless live albums of the ‘70? It could only be as a money grab. This is a theme with Queen. In fact, by the end, Queen, like Journey, became a money-making Queen tribute band.
- I HATED HATED HATED that movie. We’ll never truly know how it went down since Roger Taylor and Brian May had control of the way the story was told. But as an amateur movie critic, I would have really liked a bio that discussed the band less and just focused on Freddie’s amazing life, warts and all. That IS the remaining member’s fault. Reinventing the history, even of a band, does a disservice to Freddie Mercury. I think by now we can handle the dissonance and contradictions. Since the remaining members were portrayed so facelessly, why bother?
- “The Game”, from 1980 was their only #1 album in the US. None of their subsequent albums reached even the Top 20. Sales don’t necessarily reflect quality, but I can assure you, young reader, in this case, the dearth of subsequent sales tells the story. Queen was decidedly on the downswing in America. Queen had 2 #1 songs in the US. Both from “The Game”. And “The Game” was their sole #1 album on Billboard. Ironically, it was the first album on which they DID use synths. “Another One Bites The Dust” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” were both departures. Almost parodies of styles derived from Black music.
This podcast is all Queen but very little...QUEEN. Every member is represented (including Paul Rodgers, but only one Bad Company song) but like I said, Queen was an unidentifiable mix of talents, and not only that, their chemistry was never duplicated...by them, anyhow. Queen’s trajectory was closer to The Doors than The Beatles in that every one of their albums had some pretty bad songs to go with the ringers.
I saw them for the “Jazz” tour, Buffalo, NY. 1979. They were ok.
So...I like Queen. For their constant bravery, which cannot be faked. For their daring use of harmony. For their very underrated bassist John Deacon. And because, like The Doors, those singles were like nothing before or since. Who would dare?
Man Friday & Jive Junior - Picking Up Sounds (1983) Man Friday is a former member of Funkapolitan who did this one 45 with John Deacon, which was produced by Wham! guitarist Robert Ahwai.
Queen - Fun It (1979) A precursor to "Another One Bites The Dust", no?
Freddie Mercury - In My Defence (1986) From Wikipedia: Dave Clark...wrote a science fiction stage musical, Time, which debuted in 1986. It played for two years in London's West End, starring Cliff Richard (replaced later by David Cassidy). The musical also launched a concept album called Time which featured Richard, Freddie Mercury, Leo Sayer, Stevie Wonder, and Dionne Warwick. Two million copies were sold and it spun off several hit singles. In the UK. Not so much in the US. Clark was by Mercury's bedside when he died on 24 November 1991.
The Opposition (John Deacon) - Sunny (1970) Deacon's pre-Queen band.
Michael Jackson & Freddie Mercury - State of Shock (1983) A terrible, horrible, dumb song. Before Mick Jagger, Freddie Mercury tried to infuse some...er... jazz into the proceedings. I don't think the other Jacksons were in a position to argue too much when this was Side One, Track One of the Victory album. POACA might recall that MJ could have recorded himself punching a puppy in the face and it would have gone Top 40.
Brian May & Friends - Star Fleet (1983) I speak about the all-star (if you consider Alan Gratzer and Phil Chen "stars") jam session that lasted an afternoon or so, but produced some fun, un-self-aware jamming. This is an EP of sorts.
Larry Lurex - I Can Hear Music (1973) Discogs: In the summer of 1972, Trident Studios' in-house engineer Robin Geoffrey Cable instigated an experimental project in an effort to emulate the "wall-of-sound" style made famous by Phil Spector. Our boys happened to be recording their debut album in the studios at the time, so he invited FM to lay down the lead vocals who, in turn, roped in Brian May and Roger Taylor to provide percussion, guitar, and backing vocals - as paid session musicians.
Free - Heavy Load (1970)
Queen - Tenement Funster (1974)
Roger Taylor - Fun in Space (1981)
Roger Taylor - Future Management (1981)
Bad Company - Burnin' Sky (1976) "Naw, naw, mate. It's my new look. The kimono and headband." I love this song, and this album is ok. Look at Boz trying to make himself look small, subconsciously.
Roger Taylor - Killing Time (1984)
Larry Lurex - Goin Back (1973)
John Deacon & The Immortals - No Turning Back (1986) From the OST to the movie..."Biggles: Adventures in Time"? Hey, are either of you Yes completists? There are two incredibly bad Jon Anderson songs on this soundtrack. There's a video of this Immortals song that feels a little thrown together but not that bad. They're wearing flying helmets because that's what the movie is about. Not the Monty Python throw-away gag. Or maybe it is? It isn't. I wish it were.
Roger Taylor - I Wanna Testify (1977) Sucking to soul out of everything he touches. "Bohemian Rhapsody" paints the three guys who weren't FM as bland, personality-less school teachers. Maybe they were.
Freddie Mercury - Time Waits For No One (1986)
Queen - Mother Love (1991) This was the last song FM recorded with Queen, and it is a visceral experience. It really is too bad they were fading in the US by that time.
Queen - The Loser in the End (1974) We continue the Roger Taylor "one track per album in return for being able to use your van" discography. In gatefold: "...and nobody played synthesizer...again."
Roger Taylor - Masters of War (1984) For some reason, RT penned some mighty profound lyrics, exponentially better than wh....oh....this is the Bob Dylan song.
Brian May and Friends - Let Me Out (1984)
King Crimson - Cadence And Cascade (1970) There are versions with Greg Lake and Gordon Haskell singing lead floating around. Now the rarely heard version with Boz Burrell, who I think was being groomed as a kind of heartthrob in mid-60s England but ended up learning bass from Bob Fripp of King Crimson. Then he joined Bad Company and didn't sing a note. KC must have really believed in this song. Their second album was a virtual carbon copy of their first.
Don Potter - Unchain My Heart (1978)
Caravan - The Love in Your Eye (Live) (1974) A more energetic Moody Blues, a far better band than Barclay James Harvest, Caravan never reached any sort of appreciable sales, but they were pretty interesting. Using a full orchestra in the studio and live before even Renaissance, listening to them reminded me of that same old pop vs. prog de-evolution that so many prog bands ended up suffering.
Elizabeth C. Farrell for New York State Assembly (1968) Anti-hippie political campaign flexi-disc. Elizabeth C. (Betty) Farrell was a New York State Assembly candidate for the 138th district in 1968.
Embryo - Wajang Woman (1976)
Family - In My Own Time (1971)
Family - The Weavers Answer (1970)
Sri Darwin Gross - With Eckankar(1972) Religion ruins everything. It's a constant scam with willing, gullible fools who keep pumping money and mindpower into what they hope is salvation of a permanent kind. But it's all a big grift. All of it.
And so it was with a fellow named Paul Twitchell, who started a loony off-shoot of Scientology called Eckankar. This was around 1964. When he died in 1971, his wife chose Darwin Gross as his successor. And this album was released. It's pretty high-quality backing for such a mediocre singer. Judge for yourself!
Family - Burlesque (1972) The bass player is our own prog god John Wetton! This was what he was doing between Mogul Thrash and King Crimson. I wonder if HE sang "Cadence and Cascade" at one time. This is a combination of boogie and prog if there ever was one. Wetton's playing style is instantly recognizable.
Frank Pellico - Shaft (1976) Pellico played the stadium organs for both the Chicago Cubs (Wrigley) and the Blackhawks (United Center).
Funny Bone – Ride On Bones (1977) I love this record. Calvin Arnold recorded singles until the '80s. Worked with Fats Domino in 1970. I owe Fats a show.
Chatham - Hump Up (197?)
Johnny Watson - Unchain My Heart (1967) Before recording his own hits in the '70s and doing stuff with early acolyte Frank Zappa, he was sort of like James Brown on this release, an instrumental album without the "Guitar" part in his name.
Lennie Macdonald - Sad City Woman (1975) Featuring Mike Giles on drums. You know. MICHAEL Giles, the first drummer for....King Crimson. The violin solo features Wilf Gibson, who played with Electric Light Orchestra on their first two albums. Wilf played on LOTS of stuff in the decade. Including CARAVAN, and, most notably, on Kiki Dee's most popular album, I've Got The Music In Me. That was released on Elton John's label.
The singer sounds just like Gerry Rafferty. Or vice-versa.
De Maskers - Unchain My Heart (1967) I should have played this, their 1965 collaboration with what must have been an increasingly desperate Chubby Checker. Next time. I just love this cover. De Maskers (The Masks) was a Dutch pop group. The mask gimmick lasted a year, maybe?
Streetwalkers - Me and Me Horse and Me Rum (1976) From Discogs: In 1974 Roger Chapman and Charlie Whitney formed a band with a fluid line up including Family and King Crimson members. They released an album "Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers" the same year. In 1975 guitarist and vocalist Bobby Tench from The Jeff Beck Group. They released three studio albums as Streetwalkers, before disbanding in 1977.
Also on this record: Wilf Gibson.
Boz - Isn't That So (1966)
Neoton Familia - California Dreamin' (1978) Hungarian disco for you.
NGC-4594 - Skipping Through the Night (1968) The name refers to the designation for the Sombrero Galaxy in the New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars or NGC. I hate The Doors and their influence on bands that tried the same thing they were trying to do.
Painted Faces - Lost You In My Mind (1967)
Chapman-Whitney - Parisienne High Heels (1974) Another collaboration featuring John Wetton and Michael Giles who played in different iterations of King Crimson. Great song. Roger Chapman's voice is a little offputting at first, but these songs are uniformly interesting.
Roger Chapman and The Shortlist - Prisoner (1981) More good stuff despite the cheesy '80s synth, and more John Wetton on bass.
Sakura (櫻花) - Papa's Got a Brand New Bag (1971)
Shankar Ganesh - Coca Cola (198?) From the liner notes of the compilation: "Play That Beat Mr. Raja" is the very first compilation dedicated to Tamil recordings in the West. It explores the wild shores of these late 80's Kollywood music productions. With an avalanche of cinematic strings, analog synths, mind-blowing vocal punchlines, and drumkit earthquakes mixed with folkloric percussive elements, it reveals the audacity of composers such as Ilayaraja, Shankar Ganesh, or Hamsalekha.
Covering an impressive range of styles, it features Kamal Hassan's vocoded rap "Vikram Vikram", Shankar Ganesh's disco stomper "Coca Cola", and the irresistible Bontempi instrumental "Love Theme", among many other hits. Straddling boundaries between traditional southern Indian identity and digested western influences, these selected oddities remain a lesson of creativity and freedom in the world of soundtracks, with their stunning incorporation of the most typical of 80s tools in a classical context, and constant love for daring structures and demented arrangements.
Sri Darwin Gross - At The Grassroots (1972)
You are Soul, an eternal, creative being. Unlimited. Divine.
Does something inside you long to know life’s purpose? To make sense of the world around you?
Eckankar is an active, individual, creative spiritual practice. A companion and road map for your journey home—to the heights of Self-Discovery and God-Discovery, and beyond.
Come along and discover the most secret part of yourself.
The key to spiritual freedom lies within you.
Shigeko Toya - Unchain My Heart (1973)
Mell Martin - Space Oddity (1980)
Sri Darwin Gross - It Just Is! (1972)
Some of these songs...I can't even find the years they were released.
Drink Your Wine - Free Reign (1968?) Pop/Rock group from Evansville, Indiana. Originally known as The Corvettes.
Josef Laufer and the Golem Group - Ďábel diskoték (Disco Duck) (1977) A Czech version of the Rick Dees American hit.
Frantz - Exhibition Tonight (1983)
Freddy Cannon with Ron Dante - Down On Beale Street (2019) I have featured both of these guys from time to time. Not always in a flattering light. So it goes.
Ennio Morricone - Here's To You (1971) (feat. Joan Baez) This song, from the movie Sacco and Vanzetti, has its own Wikipedia page. You should read about Sacco and Vanzetti.
James Luther Dickinson - John Brown (1972)
Linda Sexton - Unborn (197?)
Lyn Todd - Devil Woman (1980)
Claude Peloquin/Jean Sauvageau - Monsieur l'Indien (Quebec 1974) "Recorded in one take, “Monsieur L’Indien’s” haunting loops were created using an analog/mechanical hybrid: small motors rotated an arm equipped with magnets which triggered pre-programmed sensors featuring snares and bass sounds, like the Wurlitzer Sound Man. Péloquin’s contribution was a haunting spoken-word piece about civilization slowly taking over First Nations by building high voltage electric lines around Monsieur l’Indien’s house. It was a slap in the face of Québec’s government, which had nationalized hydroelectricity some ten years earlier. “Frontiers are the hemorrhoids around a nationalist rash,” says Péloquin." The instrument was called a "Sauvageau machine".
The Emporium - I'm So Glad/Rain/I Dig Rock and Roll Music (1970)
The Tremeloes - Yellow River (1970)
Traffic - Paper Sun (1967) I love this song. Always did. Steve Winwood was and is amazing. This was Traffic's first single.
Waiting For The Sun - Waiting For the Sun (1978)
Golden Half (ゴールデン・ハーフ) - 24,000 Kisses (1972) Wikipedia: Golden Half (Gōruden Hāfu) was an early 1970s J-pop band made up of 5 hafu members including Maria Mori, Eva Mary and Luna Takamura. Golden Half was promoted by Watanabe Productions and was composed in September 1970 to sing and go-go dance on the Fuji TV show BEAT POP. They often sang western pop songs in Japanese and split in 1974. The band appeared in the nightclub scenes in Yasuharu Hasebe's Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter where they performed their hit song Kiiroi Sakuranbo ("Yellow Cherry"). WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THEIR PERFORMANCE????
As my son would say, this song slaps.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE TRAILER???? Trust me. You both do.
Coalkitchen - Keep On Pushin (1977) Listen to the "pushin'" and you'll know it instantly as the hook in the Salt-n-Pepa song to come out years later. Those rap producers were no fools. Thieves. But not fools.
Love - Walk Right In (1974) Yes, this is the same Arthur Lee band from psychedelia's heyday. Well, the same brand. Just totally different musicians.
Charles Wilp - Werbung als Kunst - Afri Cola Werbung (1968) Another video you HAVE to see.
"Sexy-mini-super-flower-pop-op-cola - everything is in Afri-Cola... "
Famous models from the 1960s such as Marianne Faithfull, Amanda Lear, Donna Summer, Marsha Hunt [Ed: whom I have featured on this show many times - she had Mick Jagger's baby...] were depicted behind a pane of glass with ice crystals on advertising motifs for the rap-like slogan. According to Wilps, the idea for this arose during a visit to the Marshall Space Center in Huntsville (Alabama), where the Saturn V rocket was built at the time: The frozen, liquid oxygen stored in the workshop led to the formation of ice flowers on the windows of the moving cabins, behind the employees had hung pin-up photos of the 1960s beauties.
Project 122 Featuring Charlie Green - Bus Stop (Electric Slide) (1990)
Odyssey 5 – Everybody's Complaining (1974)
Speed Glue Shinki - Calm Down (1972)
Springbok - Night Fever (1978) A South African recording in the spirit of "Now That's What I Call Music", but it predated it. Except none of these recordings are by the original artists. They're cheap knockoffs.
The Christopher Hayes Movement - Tribute To Jimi (1970)
Marsha Hunt's 22 - Medusa (1973)
The Equals - Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys (1970) Written by Eddie Grant, who, as POACA recall, had a hit with "Electric Avenue".
The Piglets - Johnny Reggae (1971) Written, produced, and directed by Jonathan King, a relatively big deal in the UK (he came up with the "Ooga Chacka" intro to "Hooked On A Feeling" which was the hook for the US hit by Blue Swede) but in the US his only hit was "Everyone's Gone To The Moon" in 1967. He was another version of Kim Fowley, ever-teetering on the edge of an entire era without actually making any sort of big artistic difference.
The Surfers - Windsurfin' (1978) It takes about 16 years for a trend to make it from the US to Sweden, I guess.
The Wildweeds - I'm Dreaming (1968) Cadet Concept was the same label that featured Rotary Connection.
Tony Fabbri - Tony The Cool Casanova (197?) I can find very little information on this guy, but I like this song for some reason.
C.W. McCall - Kidnap America (1980) C.W. McCall was a character created by musician Billy Dale, for his advertising agency. The character was created for and first appeared in a commercial for Old Home Bread. Then, with producer Chip Davis, later to be famous for Mannheim Steamroller, he recorded a smash hit in the '70s with their CB/Trucker song, Convoy. This particular song was recorded in response to the hostage crisis in Iran from the previous year. Its effect remains to be fully measured.
Moon Blood - Come Out Of Her (1970)
Patrice Manget/Blue Gene Tyranny - Condom Sense (1981) Title song to a safe sex education film from 1981.
The Residents - Loss of Innocence (1980) My second favorite Residents song. This album featured 40 minute-long songs. The album featured guest singers like Andy Partridge of XTC, Lene Lovich, and David Byrne of Talking Heads. Yes, THAT David Byrne.
Amusement parks are caked with sounds A solid hunk of meat A barker's sweat flings from his tongue His tattoo shines with heat A wary stranger stands and sways Enraptured by his stance Two-headed goats come stumbling by And give a troubled glance The barker looks into the eyes The stranger tries to bend The barker swears to more delights For all who seek within The stranger enters canvas doors And smells the fresh-cut hay The barker points to Siamese twins The stranger looks away The eyes of horse-faced women Watch the few who wander through They sense the tension in the air And smell the sweet taboo A heart beats fast against a chest The stranger leaves the tent The waves of people drown the sounds Of loss of innocence
Nick Lowe And His Sound - [What's So Funny 'Bout] Peace Love and Understanding (1974) Nick Lowe And His Sound was Nick Lowe backed by Elvis Costello & The Attractions.
Art Reynold Singers - Jesus Is Just Alright (1966) This is the first version of the song that went to #35 for The Doobie Brothers.
As the first gospel group to record for Capitol Records, they soon became pioneers in the development of “gospel rock”. Many considered their music too secular for the time. Their first album Tellin’ It Like It Is went on to become one of the biggest selling albums for a new gospel group. “Jesus Is Just Alright” was also covered by The Byrds.
Arthur Prysock - Here's To Good Friends (1978) POACA will recall this as being the foundation for the Lowenbrau commercials. But Arthur Prysock's first single came out 20 years before this.
Burton Cummings - You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet (1976)
Buzz and Joey - The Willing Conscript (1965) Written by Gary Paxton. Joey Putzer changed his last name to Edmonds and formed a duo with comic Thom Curley. They appeared on Johnny Carson's "Tonight" show and many others. Edmonds later formed a talent agency in Chicago.
Chicago Climax Blues Band - Seventh Son (1971)
Emmanuel Lewis - City Connection (Japanese Version ) (1981)
Emmanuel Lewis was the little scamp that starred in Webster, opposite Alex Karras. Karras played for the Detroit Lions of the NFL.
He (Karras, not Lewis) made four Pro Bowls and was a three-time first-team All-Pro player, but he also missed the 1963 season while serving a suspension for gambling. Many believe that suspension is what kept Karras (again, not the diminutive Lewis) from Canton while he was alive, though Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung, who also was suspended for gambling, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986. Emmanuel Lewis was not.
After his playing career, Karras spent time as a professional wrestler and later became a popular actor. In his biggest role, he played Mongo in the 1974 film "Blazing Saddles". He played in the playoffs once, losing to Dallas 5-0. Emmanuel Lewis, as of this entry, has not been nominated for the NFL HOF. For more information on Alex Karras, also known in wrestling circles as "Dick The Bruiser", consult your local library. Or just click this.
Ella Fitzgerald - "Sanford and Son" Theme (Street Beater) (1972)
Vik Venus, Alias: Your Main Moon Man - Everybody's On Strike (1969) This was the B-side of "Moonlight", a space-based cut-in novelty record (ala Dickie Goodman). "Vic Venus" was a pseudonym for Jack Spector, a famous DJ known for his stint at WCMA, the New York City radio station that attached itself to the arrival of The Beatles in America. In fact, WCMA was the first station in the US to play "I Want To Hold Your Hand". Spector hosted the first American performance of the Beatles at Shea Stadium in 1964.
"Moonlight" made it into the Billboard Top 40, barely. The record used cut-ins of Buddah Records songs exclusively.
James Brown – Fight Against Drug Abuse (1971)
Jeannie Piersol - Gladys (1968) Produced by Darby Slick.
Watch this video!
Darby was Grace Slick's brother-in-law. His song "Somebody to Love" is still heard around the world.
Julie Ege - Love (1971)
Lou Christie - Love In A Limousine (1997)
Pluto - Dat (1976) Went to #6 in the UK.
Daughters of Eve - Social Tragedy (1968) This all-female band out of Chicago opened for groups such as The Buckinghams ("Kind of a Drag" ) and was featured as a backing band during local TV programming with Janis Ian to support the release of her song "Society's Child". They released 4 singles. This was their last, a more psychedelic affair than the others. Then they broke up because of...men.
Lou Christie - The One and Only Original Sunshine Kid (1975) Written by the same fellow that wrote: "I Think I Love You". On Elektra Records!? The music business was funny back then.
These next two tracks are from "The Spectrum of Music Level 6" released in 1974 to a world of restless children being forced to sing songs they did not like did not KNOW and would forget as soon as class was over. BUT SOME OF US REMEMBER.
Here is a video of the unboxing.
Fender Bender (1974)
The Cowboy (1974)
This collection (should you want me to make MP3s) contains "Sakura", "Johnny Has Gone For a Soldier", and a tight little medley from "The H.M.S. Pinafore".
Tartan Horde - Bay City Rollers We Love You (1975) More Contractual Obligation chicanery.
The Beach Boys - My Solution (1970) "My Solution" was written by Brian Wilson and recorded on October 31, 1970, shortly before the sessions for the group's album Surf's Up.
In a 1976 interview, Brian said: "We have a song called 'My Solution' which is a very odd song that has chromatic – strange chords, not regular triad chords. The notes are bunched up. It tells the story about how a guy found an old damsel outside his castle and decided to make her part of an experiment. ... It's about a guy who found his solution. It's a very odd, Boris Karloff eerie type of thing, so it's one of our more far-out, left-field things that we've done."
4 years before this, he composed "God Only Knows". I know I mentioned that a lot, but goddamn, drugs will wreck you. STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS!
The Groop - A Famous Myth (1969) Midnight Cowboy is one of my favorite soundtracks. I really love this song, especially. The Groop was a harmony-based psychedelic pop and soul vocal quartet, active at the end of the 1960s and releasing one self-titled album. Not to be confused with the other Groop, based in Australia around that time. I know you were going to. Don't.
The Hello People - Jelly Jam (1969) Gotta collect all the records by The Hello People.
Vos Voisins- Ya just de t'ça (1971) Good Montreal prog.
Wallace Collection - My Way Of Loving You (1970)
XTC - You're The Wish You Are I Had (Live) (1984) The best group of the '80s and '90s. Lyrics alone, they would be Top 3.
Gino Vannelli - People Gotta Move (1974) Sometimes I sneak in top 40 songs because I love them.
Amon Düül II - Kismet (1978)
From Wikipedia:
Amon Düül began in 1967 as a radical political art commune of Munich-based artists calling themselves, in part, after the Egyptian Sun God Amon. The word Düül originally had no intended meaning.
The commune attained underground popularity for its free-form musical improvisations, performed around the happenings and demonstrations of the youth movement at the time. The commune had a liberal attitude to artistic freedom, valuing enthusiasm and attitude over artistic ability, and as a result, band membership was fluid; anyone who was part of the commune could be part of the group. They issued a declaration: "We are eleven adults and two children which are gathered to make all kinds of expressions, also musical."[5] A faction within the commune was more ambitious, conventional, and musically structured than the commune society overall. This led to a split within the collective, and in September 1968 they performed at the International Essen Song Days—Germany's first underground festival—as two groups, "Amon Düül" and "Amon Düül II", at the suggestion of drummer Peter Leopold.
Amon Düül engaged in exuberant open-ended experimentation that at times equaled their psychedelic rock equivalents in countries such as the USA or Brazil (e.g. [Ed: The vastly better] Os Mutantes), with a focus on political activities. The members were close to Kommune 1 in Berlin and boasted, for a time, a prominent member in the model and activist Uschi Obermaier. Amon Düül signed a contract with the firm "Metronome Records", and continued for seven years with varying degrees of success and in various guises. They wound down in 1973 after releasing four official albums (and a posthumous fifth), though all except one were recorded at the 1968 sessions for their debut. Apparently, the man responsible was producer Peter Meisel, who released the albums without the band's approval in an attempt to capitalize on the success of Amon Düül II. The LPs are these days regarded as unique, if unessential, records in the history of German rock. In contrast, their Paradieswärts Düül album featured a pastoral, folk-influenced sound. The name 'Amon Düül' was trademarked by Chris Karrer and Peter Leopold of Amon Düül II, meaning that re-issues of Amon Düül's albums required to license the name from them.
Like so so so so so many acts of the day, Amon Düül started out with a pure, sincere (if unlistenable) concept and ended up doing disco.
Carole King - Disco Tech (1978)
And ended up doing disco! During the nadir of her career, Carole King recorded with a band named Navarro, which co-wrote this dreck. They themselves put out two albums in the later '70s and faded away. Carole King returned in the video era with a song called "City Streets" which, to my ears, sounds so trite and overproduced that it literally means nothing. Her fella at the time died shortly after this was recorded. That's him on the cover.
Hello People - Future Shock (1974)
Hello People - Destiny (1974)
Hello People - Creego (1974) Two versions. One produced by Rundgren, and the other (somehow...better) recorded at home with fine TEAC equipment.
With the rock-steady guidance of Todd Rundgren and the big break of being asked to team up with TEAC to show off the possibilities of new reel-to-reel home recording technology, it seemed like a match made in heaven. Bowie. Alice Cooper. Peter Gabriel. Mime Rock was due. Alas, it was not to be. I am the proud owner of both of these records, and I feel very, very alone. And yes, they cover "Just One Victory".
From Discogs:
"Recording demonstration; from microphone placing, editing, balancing, channeling, terminology, sound recording & effects.
One full-length song in this recording, it was not recorded inside a Studio; instead, it was fully recorded in someone's house to demonstrate the flexibility of the TEAC multi-track tape record. Many clear examples of what it takes to record a song, all the potential obstacles that come with making a song using all analog instruments.
Home recording tips; recording at home with the 3340-S multi-track tape recorder can offer many of the important elements of the studio experience without the bill. No experience required; you have the opportunity to work ideas in private and to experiment with your own sounds, and learn what you need to know at your own pace.
Recording music, like making music, is fun as it is challenging."
Daddy Dewdrop - Nanu Nanu (I Wanna Get Funky Wich You) (1978) His big hit was "Chick-a-Boom (Don't Ya Jes' Love It)". This is a mawkish attempt at a cash-in. Deftly combining the Mork and Mindy zeitgeist with the Disco zeitgeist, he somehow creates something unlistenable and cheap. His website claims he wrote a song for Ringo Starr. Or that Ringo covered a song of his. That song, "I Wanna Be Santa Claus", was co-written by Mark Hudson, who was the lead singer of The Hudson Brothers, who POACA will remember as the bearded fellow on The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show, which aired on Saturday mornings, from September 7, 1974, to August 30, 1975. Chuckie Margolis!!! Ahahahah.....
The brothers released "serious" albums throughout the '70s.
Donny and Marie - I Want It Back (1978) From the movie Goin' Coconuts, which is a graphic retelling of the Dresden bombing. Graphic.
Franki Vallli - Save Me, Save Me (1978) From the album titled, "...Is The Word". Let there be no mistake. He had lots of momentum. Pretty good shelf-life for a '60s singer. His career was revitalized in 1975 with "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" and "Who Loves You". I like Frankie Valli very much. You hear his voice and you know. I think of all the crooners from back then, he deserves his revivals. It didn't hurt to have Barry Gibb behind you in 1978. In a sense, they were contemporaries from different places.
And he was in "The Sopranos".
If after one listen you can't tell who wrote this, you are in the wrong place. Off with you!!!
Gnidrolog - Snails (1972) No one mentions Gnidrolog when they are listing good prog bands. Believe me. I was swimming in the prog for a good decade, and not one soul mentioned them. If I were to compare their two albums to any other artists, it would be Octopus-era Gentle Giant or Gong. I really like them. They didn't last long, but I think their productions were nice. Especially...
Gnidrolog - Social Embarrassment (1972) Members Colin Goldring (vocals / guitar) and Stewart Goldring (guitar / vocals) went on to form Pork Dukes, and either ironically or to satisfy a hunger for, you know, the Zeitgeist, made the lyrics base and the music basic. One album and no one cared.
Jay Traynor - Love Is In The Air (1978) Jay Traynor of Jay and the Americans tries to jump onto the Disco train by covering the 1977 hit by John Paul Young. Look carefully at the composers.
Kitty and the Haywoods - Disco FairyLand (1978) Kitty had a long recording history as a background vocalist for such acts as Curtis Mayfield. She was also a member of The New Rotary Connection after Minnie Riperton departed Rotary Connection.
Kristie and Jimmy McNichol - Hot Tunes (1978) It was "Little Darlings".
Little Nell - Fever (1978) Too much cocaine will make the dancers dance to everything.
Lenny McDowell - Locomotive Breath (1978) And what better way to bring another award-wanting episode to a close than to play a flute version of "Locomotive Breath".
What would The Beatles' 1 album sound like if The Beatles never existed? What? That makes no sense. I did this show as a tribute to how every song they wrote (almost) was enduring and solid enough to be covered by their contemporaries as well as artists of the future.
The Kids From The Brady Bunch - Love Me Do (1972) This was the album on which "It's A Sunshine Day", "Keep On", and "Drummer Man" appeared. I guess you could call this album their Rubber Soul.
The Crickets - From Me To You (1964) At this point, The Crickets consisted of Sonny Curtis, Jerry Allison, Glen Hardin, and Jerry Naylor. Arranged by Leon Russell. Curtis would later write and sing the theme song for The Mary Tyler Moore Show, "Love Is All Around". He wrote two other songs POACA know. "I Fought The Law", originally recorded by Bobby Vee (who replaced The Crickets on the bill the night Buddy Holly died), and "More Than I Can Say" which was a huge hit years later for Leo Sayer.
Brenda Lee - She Loves You (1965) The Beatles had acted as a support act for Brenda Lee when she headlined a gig at the Star Club in Hamburg, West Germany, in 1962. For any other artist of the time, that must have seemed like the toppermost of the poppermost. The year before this, she recorded "Is It True" featuring Jimmy Page on guitar.
Sparks - I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1975) Produced by Tony Visconti, who also produced Bowie's Berlin trilogy. I cannot listen to Sparks for very long. I think the people who love them have some sort of soul deficiency. But for completion's sake, here.
David Clayton-Thomas - Can't Buy Me Love (1975) I think this was his last solo album before rejoining Blood, Sweat and Tears. Whew. Hard to believe this was never issued on CD. After he rejoined, or maybe BECAUSE he rejoined, but more likely due to those old contractual obligations, their next two albums with him would be credited to Blood Sweat and Tears - Featuring David Clayton-Thomas. Did it make one damned bit of difference? It did not.
John Mayall - A Hard Day's Night (1976) The Beatles were deceptively excellent singers. This comes into evidence when others try to ape their recordings. Produced by Allen Toussaint, who wrote the entire record except for this one track. This album charted nowhere.
The Runaways - Eight Days a Week (1978) The Runaways were pretty limited instrumentalists. This is another deceptively difficult song to carry off. I don't think it's very good.
Alma Cogen - I Feel Fine (1967) "I'm so glad...he's got me in a whirl..." This recording was released posthumously a year after her death from leukemia. It is speculated that she had an affair with John Lennon, who shagged everything not tied down or named Cynthia at that point. Because he could.
Bee Gees - Ticket To Ride (1965) Released in 1970 without the consent of the group... but only in Germany, France, and Japan. The brothers didn't even know about it until they found it in a Swiss record store after the fact. They should have waited 7 more years. They would have made a mint.
Dolly Parton - Help! (1979) The bassist, Abe Laboriel, saw his son become Paul McCartney's drummer.
Marvin Gaye - Yesterday (1969) His next album was What's Going On.
Yellow Magic Orchestra - Day Tripper (1979)
Progress Organization - We Can Work It Out (1971) A Czech rock group. A little like Vanilla Fudge. They released exactly one album. This was on it. Aren't you happy I am here to do this stuff?
Kenny Rogers & The First Edition - Paperback Writer (1973) "If you really like it, you can help me write..." I imagine after this Kenny Rogers asked for his deposit on the practice room returned. This album was a soundtrack of their TV show of the time. I cannot tell if Thelma Camacho is on this record. I played a set of her solo stuff on one of my shows. It's awful.
Revelation - Yellow Submarine (1980) Sounds like Chic. Almost a carbon copy.
The Singers Unlimited - Eleanor Rigby (1977) A pretty cool reinvention of this excellent song. From Wikipedia:
Gene Puerling took advantage of cutting-edge, multi-tracking techniques of German studio engineer Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer to create his harmonic concepts and the group's signature sound. In the overdubbing process, baritone Puerling and tenor Shelton would often add two additional middle parts, after which all parts were "doubled" and "tripled." Creating these extra tracks created the fuller, richer sound of the group's recordings. The group would record their songs by having Bonnie Herman record a simplified version of the melody, after which, Len, Gene, and Don would fill in the remaining parts. Once this process had been completed, Bonnie Herman's original melodic line would be replaced with a new one, in which she could add melodic embellishments and add "color" to the group's sound.
Bass singer Len Dresslar was known as the voice of the Jolly Green Giant ("Ho, Ho, Ho!") for over 40 years, as well as the voice behind other jingles.
Bonnie Herman was the singer of the original "Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm Is There" commercial jingle, which ran for several years. She is the daughter of Lawrence Welk's original Champagne Lady Lois Best and Jules Herman, who was a trumpeter in the Welk orchestra. She is the niece of big band leader Woody Herman.
Amen Corner - Penny Lane (1969) Amen Corner was a Welsh R&B-tinged pop band of the late '60s featuring singer Andy Fairweather-Low, organist Blue Weaver, guitarist Neil Jones, bassist Clive Taylor, saxophonists Allen Jones and Mike Smith, and drummer Dennis Bryon. You remember Dennis and Blue as two rock-steady members of that wonderful Bee Gees incarnation of the mid-to-late '70s.
The Anita Kerr Singers - All You Need is Love (1967) Another song that seems very simple, but without the dotted eight notes, it sounds like your rich Aunt is reading you a book. I like the touches of electric guitar.
François Glorieux - Hello, Goodbye (1977) This song translates unexpectedly well to slow classical piano...That caveman in the lower-left corner was a hidden member of The Beatles named Oook.
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Buck Owens - Lady Madonna (1976)
Brothers Johnson - Hey Jude (1976) You should know, if you do not, about an album released in 1976 called "All This and World War II". The soundtrack made money but the movie tanked.
Get Back - Clarence Reid (1969) Reid had the talent and chops to be as big as Otis Redding or Wilson Pickett, but he became more popular doing dirty parodies of soul hits (“S–ting off the Dock of the Bay,” “What a Difference a Lay Makes?”) with his XXX-rated alter-ego Blowfly.
The Percy Faith Strings - The Ballad of John and Yoko (1970) Squaresville!
Isaac Hayes - Something (1970) All 11 minutes of it.
Willie Bobo and The Bo Gents - Come Together (1971)
Aretha Franklin - Let It Be (1970) Maybe the best of all of these. Aretha made some shitty choices, but she was an angel in front of a mic.
Peter Frampton - The Long and Winding Road (1978) This happened. We all traipsed down to the theater in anticipation of some connection, some meaningful validation of what looked like a miracle about to happen. I cannot lie. When Billy Preston popped out of that statue or whatever, I felt pretty let down.
The Hollies - Draggin' My Heels (1977)
Discogs: Band formed by three members of the Alice Cooper Group after the group split in 1974. As the name Alice Cooper had been taken by the group's lead singer, they took their name from the group's Billboard #1 hit album. However, their 1977 album, Battle Axe was not a critical success and the band disintegrated.
Billion Dollar Babies - Too Young (1977) Quoting (frankly, ripping off) the "I'm 18" idea, clumsily. Even the riff.
Billion Dollar Babies - Shine Your Love (1977)
Billion Dollar Babies - Wasn’t The One (1977)
Discogs: When recording with David Bowie the band was alternatively known as the Spiders or the Spiders from Mars. The members during this period were Mick Ronson, Mick ('Woody') Woodmansey, and Trevor Bolder.
I was a fan of the German Trilogy, not so much the Spiders-era stuff. I never knew these albums existed, frankly. I wonder if Bowie ever heard it.
The Spiders From Mars - Red Eyes (1976)
The Spiders From Mars - White Man Black Man (1976)
The Spiders From Mars - Shine a Light (1976)
The Lovin' Spoonful had a string of inoffensive, catchy, and enduring hits. John Sebastian had only one hit after the sixties ended, "Welcome Back", yet so effortlessly merged jug band folk with Beatle-esque pop while he was with this band. This album was made after he and everyone else left except latecomer Jerry Yester* and...the drummer, Joe Butler (pictured...on the right).
*In 2017, Jerry Yester was arrested for 30 counts of possession of child pornography in Arkansas and was released on a $35,000 bond. As a result of his arrest, he was dismissed from The Lovin' Spoonful. He pleaded guilty to eight counts of distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child on October 9, 2018. In July 2019, he was handed a two-year prison sentence after his conviction for child pornography possession.
The Lovin’ Spoonful Featuring Joe Butler - Amazing Air (1969)
The Lovin’ Spoonful Featuring Joe Butler - Words (1969)
The Lovin’ Spoonful Featuring Joe Butler - Revelation: Revolution ’69 (1969)
I don't like The Doors. Never did, never will. So the fact that they released nothing but excrement after Jim Morrison died surprised me not. People just don't realize that they were a singles band above all, and everything else was just as shitty as it was after JM died.
The Doors - Treetrunk (1972)
The Doors - Ships With Sails (1971)
The Red Shadow - Anything Good (1977) Here's a Dangerous Minds essay about a band I've played a few times on my show. But what you might NOT know is that their underground 'hit' "Understanding Marx" was based on a Ray Charles song called "Understanding", which was more offensive in its own way, advocating violence against the women-folk in the enlightened love-fest of 1968, when everyone loved each other. Love.
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley 1969 (1969) Executive producers (the men with the money) were Kasenetz/Katz. "Sure, we'll finance your album. But we need a sure thing..."
Cary Simon - Long Term Physical Effects (1971)
Chubby Checker - Karate Monkey (1966)
Cook County - Pinball Playboy (1979)
David Bowie - What in the World (1976)
Dennis Linde - Burnin’ Love (1972)
Eddie Simpson - Big Black Funky Slave (1972)
Eric Burdon and War - A Day in The Life (1968) "Just keep Eric in coke...we'll pay for it later..." Recorded at various times between 1969 and 1971, released in 1976, forgotten by 1977.
Sdtk. to Russ Meyer's "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" - The Smell of Female (1966)
Ladies and gentlemen welcome to violence, the word and the act. While violence cloaks itself in a plethora of disguises, its favorite mantle still remains ... sex. Violence devours all it touches, its voracious appetite rarely fulfilled. Yet violence doesn't only destroy, it creates and molds as well. Let's examine closely then this dangerously evil creation, this new breed encased and contained within the supple skin of woman. The softness is there, the unmistakable smell of female, the surface shiny and silken, the body yielding yet wanton. But a word of caution: handle with care and don't drop your guard. This rapacious new breed prowls both alone and in packs, operating at any level, any time, anywhere, and with anybody. Who are they? One might be your secretary, your doctor's receptionist ... or a dancer in a go-go club!
Freddie Cannon - Sock it to the Judge (1968) I am working on my Lou Christie post-1971 discography. I should do the same with Freddie Cannon and 1966. This is another in a line of attempted get-rich-quick gambits by the record industry attendant to the hottest show on TV at the time, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, which POACA will recall as being touted as hip, subversive counter-culture. In reality, it was just the first of many attempts (this one a successful attempt) to take all the hippies, Yippees (short for Youth International Party), tie-dye, headbands, beads, buttons, face painting, etc., put it in a big blender of old show business bewilderment and fear, and end up with Jefferson Starship, Sammy Davis Jr. in Nehru, and ultimately, Ronald Reagan. This record went nowhere, of course, but I love mawkish trend-following by desperate people. Love. It.
Giles, Giles, and Fripp - One in a Million (1968) In 5 years, Robert Fripp and King Crimson would go from this to "The Talking Drum".
Herman’s Hermits - It’s Alright Now (1967)
Howling’ Wolf - Pop It To Me (1969)
Bo Diddley - I Don’t Like You (1969)
Jack Palance - Hannah (1970)
Dee Dee Warwick - You’re No Good (1963)
The original version that, to my ears, cuts the Ronstadt version in half. Clint Ballard also wrote "The Game of Love" for Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders. Look at that slugabed 2nd to the right. That's Eric Stewart of 10cc. Comb your hair, hippie.
Doc Severinsen - Barbarella (1968) The theme to the soft-core romp featuring Jane Fonda. Check out the party scene for a frugging Spiro Agnew. Doc Severinsen was the comic foil and bandleader for Johnny Carson. With the funny suit jackets, etc.
Doris (with Plums) - You Made a Fool of Me (1968) While this single is not from this album, it IS a bonus track if you can find this. I love her stuff. In fact, I confess to you right now that my song, "Epiphany", steals the first three chords of the verse. Those nutty Swedes. First, we steal ABBA. Then we steal this.
Gary Crosby - I'm Gonna Call My Baby (1967) Son of the guy that sang "Hey Jude".
James Iron Head Baker & Group - Black Betty (1933) A rendition of the slave song. Later, a hit for Ram Jam, who's singer was previously in The Lemon Pipers, who had a hit with "Green Tambourine."
Johnny Buckett and his Cumberland River Boys - Hippie in a Blunder (1967-8) The anti-hippie sentiment of the late '60s was silly, tone-deaf (Bob Seger and Jan and Dean recorded anti-peacenik songs), and ultimately unnecessary since the peace movement itself would be bought, sold, repackaged, and neutered entirely just a couple of years later.
Roxy Music - Manifesto (1979) I can't listen to Brian Ferry's vibrato for a very long time, but this song seems to be a good fit. Like a salesman.
Redbone - Fais Do (1972) My confession. She will never see this post, but I used to dream about singing "Julie, Do Ya Love Me" to Julie Pawlowski (of Emporium Avenue) all the time. I still would. My god, I owned this on 8-track, a 2 tape set. I don't remember the TV commercial but there had to be one. "Magic Carpet Ride", "Fais Do", "Family Affair", so many songs. One after the other. Do you ever hear a song and snap into a place and time that hasn't entered your mind in decades? I got on the bus a few stops before her and would always sit in the middle of the two-space seat so that no one would take her spot. I think it worked once.
Gladys Knight and the Pips - Come Together (1975)
The Harvey Averne Dozen - The Word (1967) This is one of my favorite Beatle covers. Simple and funky.
Sonny and Cher - It’s Gonna Rain (1965) No one talks about this b-side, the best thing I think Sonny or Cher ever did. His voice actually compliments the lyrics. There's a version where two different (and I mean different) lead vocal takes are played simultaneously. I don't think Sonny was that subversive, to be honest. Intentionally.
Steve Clayton - (Girls Are Imitating) Twiggy (1967) Discogs: Vocalist and songwriter with a long and varied career. Released numerous singles in the late 1950s and early 1960s in various musical styles but never achieved a hit.
I like Steve Clayton a real lot. This is very similar music to "Music To Watch Girls By" which was a hit at the time. He is like Mel Tormé true, but I can hear another music industry schlepper, Tony Bruno.
If you are a vinyl junkie-type person and you marinate in the smoky studios of the '70s in your mind occasionally, do me a favor: Find a copy of his 1978 album Steve Not David. Does he mean David Clayton Thomas? I mean, by that time, no one cared about either one.
The Beach Boys - Belles of Paris (1978) Horribly uncomfortable Mike Love emoting of some pretty awful lyrics, even by his standards.
Bobby Byrd - I Know You Got Soul (1971)
Bobby Lee Trammell - New Dance in France (1964) ANOTHER music orphan. He tried to be Jerry Lee Lewis, and he came THAT close, but the fates dictated otherwise. God, this episode of my show is sadder than usual. Listen for the fake audience and the attempt to glom onto Beatlemania. Unlike Tony Bruno and Steve Clayton, Trammell DOES have a Wikipedia page.
Boffalongo - Dancing In The Moonlight (1970) The original version. The version that hit big was actually the third version.
Adam West - Miranda (1966)
The Free Design - Friends (Thank You All) (1971)
Alex Harvey was the original punk. His singing career began in fucking 1958. It would be 17 YEARS before he sniffed the Top 40 in the UK, and people in the USA have never heard of him mostly. But those of us who have heard of SAHB are a universally smitten lot. This was a fantastic group that never took itself too seriously. This is a common thread in great bands. They recorded until 1978, but unlike other groups of the time, their last album, Rock Drill, was just as good as the ones they recorded at their peak of popularity. I present my favorite SAHB tracks. But I like many more.
Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Hot City Symphony (1974)
Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Give My Compliments To The Chef (1975)
Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Shake That Thing (1975)
Sensational Alex Harvey Band - The Dolphins (1979)
Johnny Mathis - Love Is All (Theme from “Midnight Cowboy”) (1970)
Lorne Greene - Bonanza! (1964)
Andy Williams - Music To Watch Girls By (1967)
??? - ???
Rodd Keith - Let's Go Savage You And I (?) A song-poem.
Leonard Nimoy - I Walk The Line (1970)
Starland Vocal Band - Liberated Woman (1977) I mentioned this song on the Setlusting Bruce podcast. I called this my favorite (or was it least favorite) SVB song, because of my love for the chauvinistic sentiment masked as chivalry.
Nino Tempo and April Stevens - Love Story (1972) #5 in the Netherlands! From Buffalo, NY!!!
Eric Burdon & The Animals - Mama Told Me Not To Come (1967)
Neil Sedaka - Dimbo Man (1972)
The Collage - She’s Just Laughing At Me (1967) The same guys that wrote this wrote "Never My Love" for The Association. Produced by Steven Douglas. I love this song, but they were no Free Design.
Fox - S-S-S-Single Bed (1976) Reached #4 in the UK, did not reach anything in the US. Written by Kenny Young, who co-wrote "Under The Boardwalk" and "Arizona".
Steve Wonder - Evil (1972)
Doris - Did You Give The World Some Love Today, Baby? (1970) This whole album kicks ass.
Bee Gees - Lovers (1976)
Waylon Jennings - MacArthur Park (1969) Part of the dramatic churn of the original was contained in Jimmy Webb's orchestral arrangements, as well as the interval-rich chords. Everyone loves Waylon, but this is disappointingly flat.
Tony Bruno - I’m Feeling It Now (1969) God, I love this guy. As you know, Tony found his way into the world of pornography soundtracks. This was before that. Produced by Artie Ripp, who also produced:
- "Come A Little Bit Closer" by Jay and the Americans (1964)
- "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)" by the Shangri-La's (1964)
- "Just One Look" by Doris Troy (1963)
Annette - When You Get What You Want (1967)
Strontium 90 - Every Little Thing She Does is Magic (1976)
Gene Marshall - Smoke It - The Pot (?) This song-poem was probably from the 70's.
Kate Smith - Daydream (1966) POACA will recall that Kate Smith's recording of "God Bless America" was the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers' pre-game theme. They won two Stanley Cups in the mid-'70s, one against my Buffalo Sabres. She occasionally sang this in person, even! She had a radio, television, and recording career spanning five decades, which reached its pinnacle in the 1940s. She became known as The Songbird of the South after her enduring popularity during World War II. The Flyers' record when "God Bless America" was played or sung in person stood at a remarkable 100 wins, 29 losses, and five ties as of April 20, 2016. In 1969, in light of Jim Morrison's arrest in Miami for indecent exposure, Smith had performed with The Lettermen, Anita Bryant, and Jackie Gleason in a concert demonstration against indecency, for which President Richard Nixon commended the stars' performances.
But as we all know, Father Time has a way of turning even Kate Smith into a tone-deaf whitey pariah.
From Wikipedia: Smith's rendition of "God Bless America" was played during the seventh-inning stretch of New York Yankees home games from 2009 until April 2019, when the practice was discontinued amid controversy surrounding her 1931 recordings of "That's Why Darkies Were Born" and "Pickaninny Heaven." The following day, the Philadelphia Flyers followed suit. Her statue at The Spectrum (where the Flyers played) was removed on April 21, 2019. Her family responded by denying the racism allegations.
Mel Torme - Molly Marlene (1967)
Neil MacArthur - She’s Not There (1969) A re-imagining of the Zombies hit by Colin Blunstone who also sang the original. For The Zombies.
Nora Guthrie - Emily’s Illness (1967) More info. Nora was Woody's daughter. Arlo's sister.
Paul Jones - Sheena Is a Punk Rocker (1978) I was never a big fan of The Ramones OR Manfred Mann, so this doesn't bother me much. A strange attempt at irony.
Roger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends - Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (1968)
Alan Price - House of the Rising Sun (1980) I was never a big fan of The Animals either, but I don't understand the keyboard player's upending of their big first hit.
Bill Haley - Travelin’ Band (1972)
Bobby Darin - Melodie (1970) On the Motown label.
Clarence Carter - Backdoor Santa (1968)
Klaatu - Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft (1976) You have to know this story. If you're here, you know this story. Radio station WAMS out of Wilmington, Deleware included an insert known as "Klaatu Clues" that promoted the conspiracy that Klaatu were actually the reunited Beatles. No songwriting credits, no musician names, and a hungry populace eager for any signs of a reunion pushed this pretty silly record to #32 in the US.
Capitol Records (who controlled the Beatles' music in the U.S.) tried to make as much of the rumors as possible, by issuing ambiguously-worded statements that failed to make the band's identity entirely clear. The rumor was disproved when Dwight Douglas, program director at WWDC in Washington, D.C., checked the records at the U.S. Copyright Office and uncovered the band members' real names. One of which was John Woloschuk. Richard Carpenter was a fan, and The Carpenters covered this. OR he was high on Quaaludes and hallucinated Klaatu while he was lying at the bottom of the stairs, and Karen promised him that they would do this song if he got better.
Davey Johnstone - Keep Right On (1973) A very good song by the Elton John guitarist. He should have done more.
Dennis Wilson - Constant Companion (1977) From the unreleased "Bamboo" album. It's a pity. Better than anything his band (The Beach Boys) was doing at that time or since. Cocaine is a hell of a drug.
Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder - Pops, We Love You (A Tribute to Father) (1978) Very strange. "Pops" in this case is Berry "Pops" Gordy, Sr., father of Motown founder Berry Gordy. He had died that year from cancer. Gordy Jr. commissioned this to be made in his memory. All that star power couldn't push the single past #59. When I die, get all my superstar friends together and make them release a song about me. Call it something like "Functional is the Opposite of What I Was."
Sha Na Na - Drug PSA (1973?)
The Walker Brothers - The Electrician (1978) Listen to this. The previous Walker Brothers single was a cover of Boz Scaggs' "We're All Alone" which is great, but if you were a Walker Brothers fan in 1978, and there were a waning number of them if any, you just weren't prepared for this. This was a kind of blueprint for Scott Walker's solo career moving forward. Disturbing and wonderful.
Shawn Cassidy - Wasp (1980) A last try to salvage a teeny-bopper career by hiring Todd Rundgren to produce, and members of Utopia to play.
Billy Preston - Slaughter (1972) From the film Slaughter, which starred Jim Brown.
Link Wray and his Wraymen- The Batman Theme (1966)
Marcia Strassman - The Flower Children (1967) The "Welcome Back Kotter" star got her start singing these little odes to flower power. This is one of the most desperately 1967 things I've ever heard, and the shelf life was very brief.
Osmonds - Utah (1972)
The Swingers - Bay-Hay Bee Doll JC Penney Giveaway Premium (1966)
Wolfman Jack - Sunny (?) AGC was a label out of Italy. Maybe 1970?
4,000 Downloads! Thank you! So in return for this gift, I give you...
Lou Christie - Guardian Angels 12" Dance Mix (1981) Producer Ed O'Laughlin co-founded Next Plateau Records, which featured (and was kept afloat with sales by) early Salt 'N' Pepa.
On the left is Curtis Sliwa.
The 1981 CBS made-for-TV movie We're Fighting Back, featuring Bronx-born Ellen Barkin, was based on the Guardian Angels.
Al Martino - Volare (Disco version) (1976) POACA know this song from multiple recordings and performances by Dean Martin, Conny Francis, Bobby Rydell, The Ames Brothers, Wayne Newton, Barry White, even David Bowie. And here it is in Disco form.
From Wikipedia: Franco Migliacci (the composer) began working on the lyrics of the song in June 1957, inspired by two paintings by Marc Chagall. He had planned to go to the sea with Domenico Modugno, but while waiting for Modugno to show up, Migliacci started drinking wine and eventually fell asleep. He had vivid dreams, and when he woke up, he looked at the Chagall paintings (reproductions) on the wall. In "Le coq rouge" was a yellow man suspended in midair, while in "Le peintre et la modelle", half the painter's face was coloured blue. So he began penning a song about a man who dreams of painting himself blue, and being able to fly. Later that same night, Migliacci discussed his lyrics with Modugno, and for several days they worked on the song, tentatively entitled "Sogno in blu" ('Dream in blue').
In 2008, Modugno's widow, Franca Gandolfi, recalled that her husband, after a storm forced open his window, had the idea of modifying the chorus of the song, introducing the word "Volare," which is now the popular title of the song.
Blondie - Once I Had A Love (Heart Of Glass) (1978)
The Lettermen - The Way You Look Tonight (Disco version) (1976)
D. C. (David) LaRue - Do You Want The Real Thing (1978) Read about D. C. LaRue here. He was a dance artist through and through, but that could only take him so far. But I like his voice, the fact that he didn't (or couldn't) fill the songs with grace notes. Pet peeve, that.
D. C. LaRue - Don't Keep It in the Shadows (feat. Lou Christie) (1977) This is basically a "You Should Be Dancin’" clone. I love the grunts at the end. Only some are mine.
D. C. LaRue - Have A Good Time (feat. Rita Moreno) (1979) Like Michael Franks. A little.
Bill Saluga - Dancin’ Johnson (1978)
Exile – Heart and Soul (1981) Huge hit for Huey Lewis and the News. Didn't know it was a cover, did ya? Mike Chapman produced "Heart Of Glass" (the hit version you don't hear on this show) "The Tide Is High", "Sunday Girl", "Atomic" and "Rapture" for Blondie, the band of the early '80s. Chinn/Chapman wrote "Kiss You All Over" for this very same Exile, and too many credits to type out here.
Free Design - Hurry Sundown (1968)
Lou Christie - People (1978) This is a pretty good production for a song that isn't listed in Discogs, Wikipedia, etc. Lou says this was released as a single in 1978, attendant to the short-lived People TV show of the same year. if either of you can find a reference to it, let me know. There's a fin in it for ya. And if you can find the RECORD, so I can buy it, I'll do a "Rasputin" dance on Reels for you.
Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan - Street Player (1978)
Lou Christie and Pia Zadora - Don't Knock My Love (1980) Cover of Wilson Pickett's last Top 20 song, from 1971. What an odd choice of cover. I love Lou, but between him and Pia, they didn't possess any soul or chemistry whatsoever.
Lou Christie - Clouds of Rock Roll On (?) I just know it was before his 2nd (and pretty needless) Greatest Hits album in 1994. Ah, record companies. Is there anything they can't make artists do?
Ivan Dixon - Shoo Shoo Baby (1966) POACA recall a top-rated TV show from the '60s called Hogan's Heroes. It was a heart-warming (if somewhat flat) arc about a bunch of American POWs in Germany during WW2, constantly befuddling, bedeviling, and flummoxing the oblivious Colonel Klink and the lovable Sgt. Schultz, while American and Russian soldiers scythed their way through Europe, trying to close the circle in the city of Berlin in a seemingly endless Bacchanalian traveling parade of rape, destruction, desecration, and madness. And don't get me started on the Germans. Aaaaannnnnnyhow, this was from the album made by the cast, which included Richard Dawson (high on goofballs in this picture), who parlayed his place in that ensemble to star in Match Game '74 and Family Feud, but began his recording career in earnest by recording "Apples and Oranges." Ivan Dixon had an even smaller role, but his performance shines. By comparison. I...guess?
Suggested by Dan Lewis. He LOVES Nazi silverware. And dolls.
Lou Christie - Spanish Wine (1977)
Stephen Tom Electronic Tape Experiment (1978)
Stephen Tom produced groundbreaking electronic music during the post-war years until the late 1970s. He passed away practically ignored by his peers in 1984. Very little is known about him other than that he was a radio engineer during the blitz of London and that he freelanced for Benson Fairlight at his Little Venice studios producing jingles for radio + TV advertisements. A single reel of Tom's electronic experiments was found in a box of personal tapes belonging to the composer Cissy Wakefield.
The Velvet Underground - Friends (1973)
Blondie - Once I Had A Love (aka "The Disco Song") (1975)
D. C. LaRue (with Lou Christie) - Into The Ozone (1980)
Abigail - Biting My Nails (1976) Co-written by John Phillips and his wife at the time, Genevieve Waite. Abigail was a sex symbol in Australia, and she appeared in Mel Gibson's first film, "Summer City" in 1977. She played the part of "woman in pub".
Barclay James Harvest - Child Of The Universe (1974)
Barclay James Harvest - Loving is Easy (1978)
Barclay James Harvest - Mocking Bird (1971) I don't get how a band like this got to record for such a long time. They really do rely on cliché after cliché. The Moodies are very similar, but there was a kind of charm in their records that just doesn't exist here. It's like a cross between Trans-Siberia Orchestra and America.
Devo - Mongoloid (1977) Band name subtitled "The D-Evolution Band" on labels. "Jocko-Homo" - from the soundtrack of "In the Beginning Was the End.. (the truth about DE-EVOLUTION)" a film by Chuck Statler. Chuck Statler, arguably the godfather of the music video, is a pioneer who directed music films for upstart record labels and emerging superstars like Elvis Costello, Madness, and DEVO before MTV’s existence.
Electric Light Orchestra - Beatles Forever (1982) Jeff Lynne: "It's 'cause it's so fawning, y'know. It's so over the top, y'know. Um... maybe one day it'll come out. I'd like to sort of redo it or something." Recorded for their Secret Messages album, which was originally intended to be a double album. This track didn't make it onto what turned out to be another 4/4 sunny dirgefest. I didn't even buy their last record.
In Buffalo, there used to be a TV station (1977-78) called MICR, on which you could see local announcements being posted bulletin-board style, in rolling text on a screen. While that was happening, a guy would spin tunes. So...a guy was playing a song that seemed to reach into my primordial soul. It was like a dream that came true. It was "One Summer Dream" by Electric Light Orchestra. I called the DJ and he (Bill Elliot maybe?) obliged me, live on TV, with 3 or 4 more songs by this band. I remember he played "Fire On High" which I immediately recognized as the intro music to CBS Sports Spectacular (a competitor to Wide World of Sports on ABC). Thus began my 4-year allegiance to all things ELO. I scarfed down their entire discography. Learned much. I know the year because he told me that their new album was coming out soon. A double album! I just liked the sound. Those doubled Ovation guitars, the safe arrangements, the real orchestra. It really inspired me/us the same way Rush, King Crimson, The Beatles had.
Ella Fitzgerald - It's Up To Me and You (1968) She didn't write too many songs herself, but she DID write this one, a paean to MLK, in the wake of his murder.
Barclay James Harvest - Beyond The Grave (1975)
Genevieve Waite - Biting My Nails (1974) Geneviève Waite, a South African actress, singer and former model, married John Phillips on 31 January 1972, and they had two children, Tamerlane Phillips and Bijou Phillips. They divorced in 1985. She died in 2019. Listening to this album reminds me of listening to the Gayle Moran album I Loved You Then...I Love You Now. The feeling that I am the only person in the world listening to this at this particular moment. But no more! Now YOU are listening as well.
Devo - Mongoloid (1978) Album version
Genevieve Waite - Love is coming back (1974)
Genevieve Waite - Times of Love (1974)
Gunhill Road - 42nd Street (1971) Gunhill Road or Gun Hill Road. Gunhill Road issued one album on Kama Sutra Records, which was produced by Kenny Rogers. The album was issued twice because at the time, the drug references made in the song 'Back When My Hair Was Short' were frowned upon. So a new version was recorded, and the album was reissued with different sequencing. To no effect. Except for the Top 40 hit. Which is to say, it reached #40.
Gunhill Road - Back When My Hair Was Short (1972) Original nasty version.
Gunhill Road - Baked Bean Band (1971)
Genevieve Waite - Mr. Blue (1974)
Paul McCartney - I'll Give You a Ring (1982)
Renegade Soundwave - Biting My Nails (1989)
The Primitives - The Ostrich (1964) Lou Reed's first group with John Cale was the Primitives, a short-lived group assembled to support an anti-dance single penned by Reed, "The Ostrich". I never liked Lou Reed, Nico, The Velvet Underground, or anything related. I think that "Walk On The Wild Side" would have been another joyless dirge if it were not for my man Bowie.
On Pickwick Records whaaaaa?
John Phillips - Let It Bleed, Genevieve (1970) From the only record he released in his lifetime, The Wolf King of LA.
John Phillips - Mr. Blue (1975?) Recorded with members of the Stones.
The "bands" Tribe and King's Road made soundalikes for the Pickwick label, and they are notable for their ham-handed attempts to capture the energy of the original "happenings" with fake crowd noise and announcements. I love them.
Tribes - I Think I Love You (1970)
Tribes - Mama Told Me Not To Come (1970)
Tribes - Mississippi (1970)
Tribes - Question (1970)
In the tradition of...
Barclay James Harvest - Taking Some Time On (1970)
These two record covers.
So THIS was the record we had when we were kids. What a scam!! The Tribes became Tribes became Tribe.
Naughty Pickwick Records.
Sometimes, rock and roll dreams can get waylaid, subdued, or even killed by the signing of the line which is dotted. This episode would take 1,000 hours if we only include black artists from the '40s, '50s, and '60s. And '70s, '80s, and '90s. And '00s and '10s. So I just focused on the easy-hanging fruit that is the people who ALSO profited from the hard work of black musicians to make their palatable caucasian crafting.
Adam VIII John Lennon "Roots" Commercial (1975)
What a shitty, washed-out picture. This gives you the idea that Morris Levy just wanted to fuck with Lennon to pay him back for his hubris. Devout (at the time) fans of Lennon like me were perplexed when the last track on "Walls And Bridges" was a strangely shoddy cover of "Ya Ya" with Julian Lennon on drums. Little did we know that that was John Lennon "fulfilling a legal obligation". Just like a junkie would. I don't think anyone would think of Morris Levy as anything but a very sleazy anti-art leech, but that little joke was probably the last straw. "What the fuck is this washed-up hippy doing, and does he know what I can do to him?" Did this whole thing sour Lennon on recording more music, and did he sense his own waning desire to compete with McCartney and use this whole sorry escapade as a good excuse to spend some time in Japan? Lennon was as dishonest and immature as he was gifted, and we will never know for sure.
The insert. Almost as insulting as "The Wedding Album".
Marvin Gaye - Where Are We Going? (1972) I talk to you like you know at least something about popular music. If you don't, let me be the first to tell you that Marvin Gaye recorded an album AFTER "What's Going On" and BEFORE "Let's Get It On". "You're The Man" was intended as another socially conscious record like "What's Going On" (1971), but following the release of its lead single, the title track "You're The Man", [ed: and the lack of positive reaction to same] Gaye canceled its release. [ed: I like this record a lot.]
This was in part due to the reception of the song, as well as the fact that Gaye's political views were different from those of Motown founder Berry Gordy. For these reasons, "You're The Man" was long considered a lost album.
Marvin Gaye - You're The Man (Pts. I&II) (1972)
Marvin Gaye - The World Is Rated X (1972)
Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music (1975) Like The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, etc., some artists tend to benefit from revisionist history. No, "Metal Machine Music" is not a deep, thoughtful cry for help from a misunderstood genius. This was nothing but a big "fuck you" to RCA, which is sad to me because there were so many more talented, interesting, and profound artists than Lou Reed, struggling for royalties, swimming against the tide of record comp.....wait. Maybe he had a point.
...but it's STILL not as bad as "Having Fun On Stage With Elvis".
Badfinger - Apple Of My Eye (1973) Lookie here.
Badfinger - Get Away (1973) So you all know the struggles that Badfinger enjoyed with Stan Polley, who once managed one of my favorite singers, Lou Christie. But Badfinger also suffered under the weight of the lethargic promotion afforded them by The Beatles and Apple Records. This was THEIR Contractual Obligation album, and it's not bad at all. Guys that talented could never turn in a clunker.
From Loudersound:
(In 1973) Apple was in disarray, but Badfinger – by far the label’s most successful artists after The Beatles – had further cause for complaint. Their original contract, drawn up in the days when Apple was living up to its fair-minded (i.e. hippy) ideals, offered a generous artist royalty of 5 percent, with Apple also paying for all recording and promotion expenses. Now, with legendary US tough guy Allen Klein running the company, the band were being asked to not only take a reduced royalty rate but also to pay recording costs.
George Harrison, for one, was devastated at the loss from the label of a group he held dear, and allegedly (and uncharacteristically) confronted Bill Collins [ed: their manager since 1966) and said: “You guys fucked us after we did all that work for you.” Collins retorted that they had been unable to speak to their former champion directly (an accusation that rings true with all the superstar retinue surrounding the former Beatle), let alone with the formidable Klein. In retrospect, Badfinger’s departure marked the beginning of the end of Apple as anything other than a ‘vanity’ label for John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
But the inevitable payback was Apple issuing Ass (as the 1973 album ended up being rather unflatteringly called) as a spoiler three months ahead of the band’s debut for their new label. As it transpired, Ass would be the final non-Beatles album to appear on Apple (it reached No. 122 in the US). One track, Pete Ham’s Apple Of My Eye, was a genuinely fond farewell to their former paymasters, and he contributed only one other; much of the music was written by Joey Molland, which gave it a different feel.
Al Steckler, the man who had given Badfinger ‘their’ gold disc in New York City, was later incredibly revealing to Stefan Granados, author of the invaluable Apple history Those Were The Days (Cherry Red Books) when he outlined the contract Badfinger signed with Warner Brothers. A band at the peak of their powers, with a track record of US success and the Beatles’ imprimatur, might have thought their next record deal would set them up for life. Not so. The advance, which looked good on paper, was $2 million for, Steckler told Granados: “something like six albums. After they signed, Bill Collins and Pete Ham told me what the advance was and I figured it out for them. When you deducted the cost of the albums they had to pay for, deducted Polley’s cut, and split the money between Collins and the four guys in the group, it came out to nothing… $60,000 apiece per album. They’d really thought they were millionaires. They looked at each other and realized that I was right and that it was too late to do anything about it. Peter had this horrible look on his face… it was the last time I saw him.”
Badfinger - Timeless (1973)
Bonzo Dog Band - King of Scurf (1971) Neil Innes wrote music for Monty Python and starred in "All You Need is Cash" with Eric idle. He was brilliant and he wrote songs that you know but don't know that it was him. I never liked this group, but as I mentioned in my show, they were in Magical Mystery Tour. These songs were recorded in 1971, a few years after they broke up. But the United Artists label pointed the Fickle Finger of Fate at the boys, and we have this.
Bonzo Dog Band - The Strain (1971)
Bonzo Dog Band - Bad Blood (1971)
ELP - Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman (1978)
The Mamas and the Papas - Blueberries For Breakfast (1971) Like the Bonzos, they were gently reminded by the bean-counters at Dunhill that there was some unfinished business. So they created this. Again, not that bad!
The Mamas and the Papas - Lady Genevieve (1971) For a drug-addled, amoral daughter-fucker, John Phillips sure wrote a lot of songs about his wife.
The Mamas and the Papas - Pacific Coast Highway (1971)
The Mamas and the Papas - People Like Us (1971)
Shel Silverstein - Boy Named Sue (1969) Silverstein introduced it to Johnny Cash at what they used to call a "guitar pull," where musicians would pass a guitar around and play their songs. He was the main songwriter for Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, and he wrote "The Giving Tree".
Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds - Ain't No Woman Like The One I Got (1972) From Discogs: Hallway Symphony was the second studio album of the band Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds, released in 1972. It was their final album for the Dunhill label. That same year, Tommy Reynolds quit the group to form a band called Shango; different session musicians took his place in their touring and recording before Alan Dennison replaced him permanently a year later (but the band kept their original name of "Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds"). In 1973, the band was dropped from Dunhill due to lack of chart success, but they continued touring and performing live in Las Vegas and various colleges, thanks to the continuing radio play of their huge hit "Don't Pull Your Love." The guys who wrote this also smeared their scent on AM radio thusly:
- "One Tin Soldier" (1971) The Original Caste, (1973) Coven
- "Don't Pull Your Love" (1971), Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
- "Two Divided by Love" (1971), The Grass Roots
- "Are You Man Enough" (1973), Four Tops (From Shaft in Africa)
- "Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.)" (1975), Glen Campbell
- "It Only Takes a Minute" (1975), Tavares
- "Nightshift" (1985), Commodores
- "We Built This City" (1985), Starship
Yes, do tell your friends that they recorded "Falling In Love" on Playboy Records, the only #1 for that label.
Peter, Paul, and Mary - And When I Die (1966)
Family Dogg - Arizona (1969) This would be a big solo hit for Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders, who I like. The fellow who wrote this, Kenny Young, also wrote "Under The Boardwalk" by The Drifters.
Johnny Madara & the Juvenaires - Do The Bop (1957) When Danny & the Juniors were still called The Juvenairs. Initially called "Do the Bop", the song was heard by Dick Clark, who suggested they change the band name to the Juniors and the chorus from "Let's all do the Bop" to "Let's go to the Hop". After performing the song on Clark's show American Bandstand, it gained popularity and went to the top of the US charts, remaining at number one for five weeks.
Connie Stevens - Keep Growing Strong (Betcha By Golly Wow) (1970) You couldn't watch TV without seeing Connie Stevens in the '70s. It's strange that such a scattershot discography (she recorded mostly in the early '60s) should feature such a great song. In fact, I don't see mention of it at all on her website, which, I'm sure was last updated years ago. Her daughter Joely was on Ellen (the show, not the woman) and keeps plugging away. Like you and me.
Johnny Rivers - By The Time I Get to Phoenix (1965)
Petula Clark - Call Me (1965)
David Martin - Can't Smile Without You (1975)
Gator Creek - Danny’s Song (1970) Anne Murray turned this into a hit a few years later. This song was written by the fella that sang "Footloose" and duetted with Stevie Nicks on "Whenever I Call You Friend". Gator Creek included Michael Omartian, who went on to produce Christopher Cross, Whitney Houston, and Michael Bolton. So...thanks?
PJ Proby - Delilah (1967)
Shorty Long - Devil With The Blue Dress On (1964) From that Wikipedia: Long's biggest hit was "Here Comes the Judge" which in July 1968 reached No. 4 on the R&B charts and No. 8 eight on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was inspired by a comic act on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In about a judge by Pigmeat Markham, whose own "Here Comes the Judge" – a similar song with different lyrics – charted three weeks after Long's, also in July 1968, and reached No. 19 on Billboard.
Long was the only Motown artist besides Smokey Robinson who was allowed to produce his own recordings in the 1960s. Marvin Gaye, in David Ritz's biography Divided Soul: The Life & Times of Marvin Gaye, described Shorty Long as "this beautiful cat who had two hits, and then got ignored by Motown." Gaye claimed he "fought for guys like Shorty" while at Motown, since no one ever pushed for these artists. When Holland-Dozier-Holland came to Gaye with a tune, he stated, "Why are you going to produce me? Why don't you produce Shorty Long?"
On June 29, 1969, Long and a friend drowned when their boat crashed on the Detroit River in Michigan. Stevie Wonder played the harmonica at his burial and placed it on his casket afterward.
Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In inspired many, many records. One by Freddie Cannon. It's shit. Most of them are.
The Greenbriar Boys - Different Drum (1966) Great song? Meh. Rhymes "knock it" with "market".
Larry Williams - Dizzy Miss Lizzy (1958)
The Exciters - Doo Wah Diddy (1963) Best known for their hit single, "Tell Him" which reached #4 on the US charts in February 1963.
Thelma Houston - Do You Know Where You're Going To (1973) This was made into a monster hit as "Love Theme From 'Mahogany'" by Diana Ross in 1975. I guess anything can be a "love theme".
These are the lyrics to the version everyone knows:
Once we were standing still in time, Chasing the fantasies that filled our minds. And you knew how I loved you but my spirit was free, Laughing at the questions that you once asked of me. .... Now looking back at all we planned, We let so many dreams just slip through our hands. Why must we wait so long before we see How sad the answers to those questions can be?
And here are the previous, somewhat inscrutable lyrics sung by Thelma Houston:
Sometimes, while standing still in time, You think you leave the thoughts that filled your minds. Now we've both been to Stoney Brook, just hanging out, We've had a look and seen what nothing's about. .... Now, what am I to say to you? What kind of prayer am I to pray for you? I can only do my best and tell ya what I see, And if you see the rest, please send it to me...
The Moments - We Don't Cry Out Loud (1976)
Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes - Don't Leave Me This Way (1975) This was made into a monster hit by Thelma Houston in 1976. No matter which version you listen to, if that chorus doesn't make you move and smile, I can't help you.
The Raindrops - Hanky Panky (1963) The Raindrops were an American pop studio group from New York, associated with the Brill Building style of 1960s pop. The group existed from 1963 to 1965 and consisted of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry who were also both famous songwriters.
The Dells - Higher and Higher (1967)
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - I Heard It Thru The Grapevine (1966)
The Captain and Tennille - I Write The Songs (1975)
Helen Shapiro - It’s My Party (1963)
Richard Kerr - I’ll Never Love This Way Again (1978) Richard Kerr is an English composer, who co-wrote "Mandy", "Looks Like We Made It" and "Somewhere in the Night" (all of which became hit singles for Barry Manilow) and "I'll Never Love This Way Again", for Dionne Warwick.
Paul Revere and the Raiders - (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone (1966) Fans consider this the apex of the Revere canon, but I prefer the crazy, desperate intensity of Collage. Still, good, beat-heavy set anchored by "Kicks" and this.
Gene Cotton - Let Your Love Flow (1975)
Neil Sedaka - Love Will Keep Us Together (1973) The original version is pretty good, with some of the electric and unique magic of the Captain and Tennile version that dominated the charts in 1975. I know POACA will not agree, but if you could disassociate the treacly image of these married session players and their TV show, it was an incredible song. And this version was recorded at Strawberry Studios in collaboration with Graham Gouldman, Lol Creme, Kevin Godley, and Eric Stewart, who had formed the band 10cc since their first joint venture with Sedaka on Solitaire.
"...in association with 10C.C."
Roger Miller - Me and Bobby McGee (1969)
Racey - Kitty (1979)
The Ever-Green Blues - Midnight Confessions (1967)
The Brothers Four - Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)
Brian Johnson Hoover Vacuum Commercial (1980) I wonder if Angus Young heard this and said "Yeah, this is our guy."
PSA - Big Trouble in a Small Tube (1960s) Confession: While building a model car in my youth, I accidentally sniffed the tube. And then I ran outside, panicking, believing that then and there I became a drug addict.
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - For What It's Worth (1970)
The Sweet - Broken Heart Attack (1967) NOT the same group that did "Ballroom Blitz". This Sweet had two discs on Smash Records out of Chicago in 1967, featuring Bobby Howard, who recorded with Link Wray. Would you like to hear 5 versions of "Rumble" recorded by Link Wray? Not today. Soon.
The Sweet - Slow Motion (1968) This is the real deal. Well, as real as the initial idea got. In just a few years, "Love is Like Oxygen"!!
Wink Martindale - Look at Me (1964) Music by Bobby Darin, Lyrics by Randy Newman, sung by gameshow presence from the '70s and '80s. Do you like Eric Andre? Do you recall the first season when that guy showed up in a black bodysuit with little balls on it? THAT WAS WINK MARTINDALE!
Fantastic 4 Meets The Moleman (1975) Fantastic Four is a short-lived 1975 radio drama based on the Marvel Comics series. It adapted the early issues of the comic book by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Featuring Middle Of The Road. Died on 6 June 1977 on a Harley Davidson allegedly bought with the royalties of Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep. See what happens? The lesson: Don't write Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep.
Mudcrutch - Cause is Understood (1973)
Sha Na Na - Sleepin' on a Song (1972)
Split Enz - Holy Smoke (1978)
The Fireballs - Chicken Little (1968) Their hit was "Sugar Shack". Listen to the unique production of "Sugar Shack" next time it comes up on your Beach Music station.
XTC - Funk Pop a Roll (1983)
Zager & Evans - Cary Lynn Javes (1969)
Jerry Clower - Thoughts On Streaking (1975)
PSA - 7th Day Adventists (?)
“Boy, is Vaughn Meader fucked.” - Lenny Bruce, Nov. 22, 1963
"When you're down, it's a long way up. When you're up, it's a long way down. It's all the same thing. No new tale to tell." - Love and Rockets
REO Speedwagon - Ridin' The Storm Out (studio version) (1973) I played this song over and over in my High School cool-kids band Second Age, having never heard this studio version, sung by not Kevin Cronin. Not nearly as exciting.
Rufus - Read All About It (1971) On this show, I play songs by Rufus AND The American Breed, whose big hit was "Bend Me, Shape Me". They had three top-40 songs in total. Al Ciner, Kevin Murphy, and Lee Graziano went on to form Rufus. Chaka Kahn (Yvette Marie Stevens) joined in 1972, age 18, and the rest is history. I love Chaka Kahn almost as much as I love Gladys Knight. All music we heard in the '80s and '90s came (usually) from people who had lived through great hardship, for long years, and no promised road to success.
Bay City Rollers - Jenny (1972) Not a bad group, even though they were produced by that unctuous Jonathan King (who gave the world Genesis (good) and the "Ooohgachaca" version of "Hooked on a Feeling" (bad)), they were struggling with their sound, but I don't think it would be fair to label them a 'boy band' at this point. That would come in a couple of years.
Bay City Rollers - Hey C.B. (1973)
Wings - Beware My Love (demo) (1976) Led Zeppelin's John Bonham on drums. The studio version featured the somewhat less swingy Joe English, who went on to play with the band Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead formed, Kingfish, but not WITH Bob Weir. Kingfish signed to Jet Records for their 1978 album Trident. Since they were on Jet, it makes sense that they opened for ELO on their Out Of The Blue tour (with the spaceship and pre-recorded backing) which I attended. September 1978. I asked a guy who studies all things GD but even HE doesn't know for sure who the drummer for that tour was.
The Crucibles - Beware Of Low-Flying Birds (1966) 5-pc band from Madison, Wisconsin, later "known" as Kiriae Crucible. Can you imagine getting to record your own song in a real recording studio, and when the things arrive, the title is changed because of a shortage of space/ink on the label? TRUE STORY!
Paul McCartney - Dress Me Up As a Robber (demo sections) (1982)
Wings - Going To New Orleans (My Carnival) (demo) (1975)
Bay City Rollers – Saturday Night (original version) (1973) Their big breakthrough hit in the US was recorded previously with their first lead singer Nobby Clark, who left the band to pursue a solo career. The band re-recorded a slightly less Scottish version with their new singer Les McKeown, and, of course, hit it huge. Poor Nobby recorded a couple of singles and did some theater, but ended up ruing his decision for the rest of his drug-addled life. How awful. Can you imagine?
Would you rather be an ex-lead singer whose band blew up right after you left, or would you rather be in that band during their heyday and watch it slowly slip back into the morass of trivia land?
Paul McCartney - Stop, You Don’t Know Where She Came From (demo) (1980)
Bay City Rollers - Manana (1972)
The American Breed - When I’m With You (1970)
Paul McCartney - It's Not On (Pipes of Peace Bonus Track) (1983)
Paul McCartney - Mr. H Atom/You Know I'll Get You Baby (McCartney II Bonus Track) (1980)
Bay City Rollers - We Can Make Music (1972)
Rufus - Fire One Fire Two Fire Three (1971) The origins of Rufus go back to 1962 Cicero, Illinois, when they formed Gary & The Knight Lites.
Rufus - Follow The Lamb (1971) One of the later members of Rufus was David (Hawk) Wolinski, who co-wrote or solely wrote their songs "Hollywood", "Street Player" (later recorded by co-writer Danny Seraphine's band Chicago), "Everlasting Love", "Do You Love What You Feel", and the 1983 hit "Ain't Nobody," which reached #1 on the US Billboard R&B chart.
Rufus - Brand New Day (1971) From the movie "The Landlord". Written by Al Kooper.
Rufus - Maybe Your Baby (1972) Written by Stevie, who recorded it on his Talking Book album. I like this version a little more. Tighter.
Paul McCartney - Soily (1971) Someone on Quora said:
Soily is a fictional character created by McCartney, the daughter of Bruce and Yvonne McMouse. The McMouse family lives under the stage where Wings perform in an hour-long cartoon produced by Sir Paul but later shelved. Very few people have seen the film. Presumably, if heard in the animation, the song’s lyrics would make sense in context. But apparently, Paul doesn’t like the movie, and no one who has seen it is clamoring for its release, so it may be left to rot and be lost to history aside from this song and some character sketches sold at auction a few years ago.
I said: A line from the song: "The cat in satin trousers says it's oily..." explains....something...
Wings - Silly Love Songs (demo) (1976)
Suburban 9 to 5 - Captain Kangaroo (1968) Pretty safe to say you haven't heard of this band, but the guitarist is Gary Richrath, later of REO Speedwagon.
Suburban 9 to 5 - Sunshine Becomes You (1968)
The American Breed - Powder (1968) So this is a remnant of the Sgt. Pepper era, where every band member was now asked to (nay, TOLD to) assert their individual personality, like The Monkees, this album art sort of aping Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. more or less. One thing both albums also have in common: They were both released on the descent, although they could not have known it at the time.
The American Breed - Pumpkin (1968)
The American Breed - Scarlet (1968)
The American Breed -Green (1968)
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - Gypsy Lover (1970)
You can read all about the tragic tale of Vaughn Meader all over the web. But what is NOT widely known is that Vaughn Meader released a 1972 album called "The Second Coming" (two cuts are featured here) where he plays the part of Jesus Christ returned to Earth amid the hippy culture that birthed Jesus Christ Superstar (which was produced by Tom O'Horgan, who produced Hair, Lenny (which I own and will feature soon), and was credited with "stage production conceived and adapted by" for the 1978 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band film. So...that career was interesting.) to virtually no sales, no radio play, etc....it was as if he, himself, was the guy that put the rifle in Clay Sha....er......Lee Harvey Oswald's hands. No one wanted to know. He made a sort of comeback, appearing in the film Linda Lovelace For President in 1975.
Vaughn Meader - The Second Coming (Part 1) (1972)
Vaughn Meader - The Second Coming (Part 2) (1972)
Barry McGuire - Secret Saucer Man (1968) Three years from "Eve Of Destruction". I LOVE this song.
Bay City Rollers - Alright (1971)
Clarence Carter - Light My Fire (1969) With Duane Allman of The Allman Joys on guitar.
Frank Zappa - Public Service Announcement (1968)
Lena Zavaroni - Jump Down Jimmy (1980) You know her story. Don't you? She suffered from the same affliction as Karen Carpenter.
Suburban 9 to 5 - Walk Away (1968)
Martin & Finley - Long Life And Success To The Farmer (1972)
Milkwood - Makeshift Pawn (1972) Would evolve into The Cars.
Nazz - Wonder Who's Loving Her Now (1967)
The Vapors - Prisoners (1979)
The Quick - Ain't Nothin' Gonna Stop Me (1969)
Barry Gibb - The Victim (unreleased) (1969)
Jimmy Ruffin & Marcy Levy - Where Do I Go? (1980) His big hit was "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" which was originally intended for The Spinners. He is the older brother of David Ruffin. Marcy Levy was a veteran of the studio by this time. In this show, I talk about her time with Shakespeare's Sister. To little effect.
Marcy Levy & Robin Gibb - Help Me! (1980)
From Wikipedia: After working on Jimmy Ruffin's Sunrise (including the track "Where Do I Go", a duet by Ruffin and Marcy Levy) Robin Gibb and Bee Gees keyboardist Blue Weaver work together again by supplying tracks for the soundtrack of the film Times Square. And the result was the song "Help Me!" sung by Levy and Gibb. The song was heard in the film's closing credits. I like the XTC song "Take This Town". I recommend this movie to both of you.
Lulu - Everybody Clap (1971) Trivia question to stump the room. Name a song that includes members of Led Zeppelin, Cream, The Bee Gees, and Stone The Crows.
It's this one.
- Lulu — lead vocals
- Maurice Gibb — guitar, background vocals
- Leslie Harvey — guitar (Alex Harvey's brother. Look him up for the troubled tale of an ungrounded mic.)
- Jack Bruce — bass
- John Bonham — drums
How about that? Lulu was Maurice Gibbs' wife. She had a pretty good solo career in the '60s. Her biggest hit was "To Sir With Love". Yeah! That was the gal that let Maurice touch her all over.
Angela, Ken, and I - Jive Talkin'
Angela, Ken, and I - Run To Me
Angela's Utah Stories
The Osmonds - I, I, I (1979) Produced by Maurice Gibb.
Maurice Gibb - Modulating Maurice (1969) Gibb was a session musician in Australia for other artists including Bip Addison, Anne Shelton, April Bryon, Barrington Davis, and singer Jon. Around 1969, Gibb worked with his next-door neighbor, Beatle Ringo Starr, and the result was the track "Modulating Maurice" but it was not released. But here it is, for you.
The Bee Gees - Lovers (1976)
Angela, Ken, and I - Stayin' Alive
Angela, Ken, and I - How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
Angela, Ken, and I - Centerpiece
Angela, Ken, and I - How Deep Is Your Love
Go to https://www.angelabinghamvoice.com/
Her album is here.
She probably doesn't recall doing this show, but I FINALLY got around to downloading it. WHAT FUN we had!
Robin Gibb - Trash (1979)
The Bee Gees - Claustrophobia (1965)
The Bee Gees - She Came In Through The Bathroom Window (1976) Listen for the little piccolo phrase after "And so I quit the police department..." If that doesn't make your insides curl up in terror, I don't know what will. This little pop experiment inadvertently gave birth to the "Sgt. Pepper" movie.
The Fut - Have You Heard The Word? (1969) It's pronounced "foot".
"Have You Heard the Word" was recorded on 6 August 1969. That day, Maurice Gibb had broken his arm falling down a flight of stairs. He showed up wearing a cast and shot full of painkillers, and he proceeded to take advantage of the open bar in the studio. Kipner and Groves were not happy with this listless song to begin with, and as the session deteriorated, they left. Maurice put on tape his best John Lennon vocal impression and somehow played bass as well in his distinctive style. Lawrie recalls that he might have been there too, but admits his memory of the late 1960s is none too good.
This song was credited to The Fut. Years later, Gibb said that he had no idea how that happened. The record appeared in early 1970, with rumors that this song was one of The Beatles, perhaps a bootleg recording. The recording was so plausible as a Lennon song that Yoko Ono [Ed: Ever the pragmatist] and Lenono Music, cleaning house in 1985, registered a copyright on it as a song written by John Lennon, even though Lennon had earlier denied participation in this song.
Angela, Ken, and I - Massachusetts
Frank Lydon - Fonzie Meets Kotter's Sweathogs (At The School Dance) (1976)
Angela, Ken, and I - More Than a Woman
Angela, Ken, and I - Night Fever
Angela, Ken, and I - Tragedy
Angela, Ken, and I - Nights on Broadway
United States Of America - You Can Never Come Down (Demo) (1968) This song was officially released on Joe Byrd's next, slightly inferior band's (Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies) first and only album, American Metaphysical Circus. But this version isn't much better.
Marijuana (Anti-drug propaganda film with Sonny Bono) (Part 1 of 4) (1968) Marijuana is a 34-minute 1968 anti-drug documentary film by Max Miller and distributed by Avanti Films. It is narrated by Sonny Bono. It was described as "the first major film effort to center upon the use and possible risks of marijuana", in which "arguments for and against its use are presented and the accumulation of arguments against is allowed to speak for itself". Music for the documentary was composed by The Byrds' Gene Clark, a "bizarre" choice in his musical career, resulting in "meandering blues and pseudo-psychedelic instrumental jams". Boy, I don't like Sonny Bono.
Ambrose Slade - Journey To The Centre Of Your Mind (1969)
Curious Alice (1971) Written by David Dixon, who co-wrote "I Dig Rock and Roll Music" for Peter, Paul, and Mary.
Gabor Szabo and the California Dreamers - White Rabbit (1967) Carol Kaye on bass. There's lots of Gabor Szabo's crazy music in the ol' DSOO canon. Some day I will feature it all.
Index - Eight Miles High (1968)
Kings Road - Casey Jones (1973) Pickwick Records cover band with unknown singers and performers under the marketing moniker = "Played And Sung Like The Original Hits". Really terrible. It sounds like I sound when I'm making fun of something. This version makes it seem even LONGER than the original. I love the fake crowd noise and the band actually THANKING that fake crowd. Who would do that? Heh...
Surprise Sisters - Got To Get You Into My Life (1976) If artists are oblivious to a song's drug context, does that mean it's not a drug song? The Suprise Sisters release 2 singles in Australia as the Cliffmores before relocating to the UK and changing their name. One-album English - Australian soul-pop - rhythm 'n' blues quartet of sisters. David Bowie [Ed: that solves the drug context conundrum.] saw them performing at the Marquee Club in London and introduced them to Tony Visconti who produced their sole album. As disco goes, pretty tepid regardless.
The Great Society - White Rabbit (Live) (1966) Grace Slick's band before Jefferson Airplane. She was a model before becoming a singer. You can tell at this point she is a singer, but lacking in some confidence. Perhaps having sex with Paul Kantner gave her that shot in the arm.
The Mops - White Rabbit (1967) From Japan. You should read about The Mops.
The Soft Boys - Cold Turkey (1979) Vocalist Robyn Hitchcock went on to considerable solo success.
The Stranglers - Golden Brown (1981)Their big achievement. They went from style to style, but there is something about them when they pull it back. Who the fuck cares what I think? Here we have two distinctly different takes on heroin. I'll stick with pontificating ignorantly about pot, thank you.
Johnny Price - Marijuana, The Devil Flower (1971)
The Terrible Truth (1951) From IMDB: A Juvenile Court judge is at a loss to understand why so many of America's youths are marijuana addicts, so he decides to investigate on his own. He visits Phyllis, a high school senior and former heroin junkie, who tells him about the horrible effects heroin has had on her. She managed to overcome her addiction to marijuana and heroin, but in the process ruined her hair. This leads the judge to the logical conclusion that the drug problem in the U.S. was introduced by the godless Soviet Communists in an effort to "undermine morale" and that the way to stop the drug epidemic was to "use common sense" (an earlier version, apparently, of the Reagan-era "Just Say No!" campaign, and which had pretty much the same effect--i.e., none).
Gene Marshall - Smoke It, The Pot (197?)
United States of America - The Garden Of Earthly Delights (1968)
Neil Diamond - The Pot Smoker's Song (1968) From Dangerous Minds: Neil Diamond’s visits to an NYC rehab called Phoenix House inspired him to start an anti-drug group called Musicians Against Drugs (MAD). The organization soon changed its name to Performers Against Drugs (PAD)... During the verses, actual junkies from Phoenix House talk about how grass made drug fiends of them and ruined their lives, accompanied by merry instrumentation and backing vocals.
Janko Nilovic - Drug Song (1975)
Pepper/Tanner - The Druggist (196?) Pepper Sound Studios, then Pepper-Tanner, still later as The William B. Tanner Company, and for a few years after 1984, Media General. Its jingles ran the gamut from silly to spectacular, depending on the era, the composers, and whether the jingles were recorded in Memphis or Dallas.
A radio station in a small or medium market would agree to air hundreds of commercials for D-Con or one of Pepper’s other advertising clients over the course of a year, in exchange for which the station would receive a customized jingle package. Some of Pepper’s production libraries were also distributed in this manner. You can write your own voice-over script for your favorite druggist and make your own commercial! DO IT. You fucking want to.
Talking Heads - Drugs (1979)
The Mighty Diamonds - Pass The Kouchie (1982) How do you feel when you got no herb?
Harlem Underground Band - Smokin Cheeba Cheeba (1976) Featuring George Benson, whose first album came out in 1964, and went on to record "Let Me Love You One More Time".
Lawrence Welk - One Toke Over The Line (1971)
Simon & Garfunkel - Patterns (1966)
The Tokens - Green Plant (1967) Same band that released "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".
Ultimate Spinach - Mind Flowers (1968)
Neil Young - Roll Another Number (For the Road) (1975)
Jeannie C. Riley - One Toke Over The Line (1972) Sweet fucking god, did no one in 1972 know what a "toke" was? Another album that was never released on CD. I love them.
Styx - You Better Ask (1973)
The Believers - Original Cast Recording - Side One (1968)
Sometimes people would include things in their vinyl records shipments that I didn't order. Someone sent me this. I think it's good, and pretty obscure, too. Liner notes by Sidney Poitier. This show ran for about a year off-Broadway.
Sam Chalpin - Leader of the Pack (1966) Here is a great article on Spectropop you will not read about this whole sad episode. But here is a brief section:
The engineer: "Sam could not read English very well, maybe not at all. If he could read, then he couldn't see. If he was taught the lyrics, he'd forget them. The melody and meter? He had two chances of getting in the vicinity of either one - slim and none. Slim done took the train. Supposedly, he'd learn the song, then Ed [Ed: His son] would bring him in and we put the head phones on him. I think we actually had to tie them on him - he didn't like it. We'd start trying to overdub him by a): feeding him the old vocal in the cans; b): not feeding him the old vocal in the cans; c): letting him listen over and over again to the line or two he was going to yelp at, and d): Ed standing next to him waving his arms and threatening him with violence.
I swear on my children's lives that Ed made his father cry at least once, maybe more, during these sessions. It was terrible for me to watch, and possibly criminal to be involved in. Today, Ed would be arrested for Elder Abuse, and I would be the one who dropped the dime on him.
If we did one punch-in on a song we did 100. I did so many punch-ins, trying to get a single chorus done, that when the record was complete I was punch drunk. This is not exaggerated. The poor old man couldn't sing, couldn't read, couldn't remember and, most of the time, didn't have a clue what was going on. I may make it sound funny, but truly it was an awful thing for one person to put another person through, let alone a son to his father."
The Split Level - Right Track (1967)
Troy Hess - Please Don't Go Topless, Mother (197?)
"My name is Ron Hellard. I am a writer in Nashville for the last 35 years. One day a secretary at the publishing company I was signed to, asked me to write a song for her son, Troy. I did, as a favor to her, knowing that nothing would come of it. it was just a custom deal.
I sat down and wrote this extremely tongue in cheek crap in about five minutes. I slapped it on a cassette and gave it to her.
The best thing you can say about the record was that it was round.
Showland Records (owned by troy's dad) probably pressed a thousand copies at most. I thought that would be the last I heard of this joke. But thirty years later it shows up on web sites and play lists here and across the great pond. I am amazed. I've read that the writer of this "song" must be a hick, and a lousy writer. That bothers me. as I said, it took ten minutes out of my life and it was a JOKE.
I am a pro writer with cuts by dozens of legit artists and have enjoyed success as a viable composer, but this thing sticks to me like glue. The original publisher was Acoustic Music, the catalog has been sold several times since.
I should clarify. One reviewer assumed that "Topless" was an attempt to write a serious country song, and slammed the writer for it. That's what got to me, it was meant to be, and most certainly is, a parody of country music.
regards Ron Hellard" 2005
Just Think [The Teenline 424-5700] (1985) Boston Hip-Hop PSA
Styx - Movement For The Common Man (1972)
Sam Chalpin - Satisfaction (1966)
Rodd Keith - The Ballad Of Juan Rio (197?)
My hero Phil Milstein: "Thomas J. Guygax Sr., late of Springfield, Missouri, is credited as lyricist of 10 known song-poem recordings, all cut either by MSR Records or their subsidiary label, Songuild, and each a standout for its broken-field appropriation of accepted English syntax. While poetic license is always conceded to the artist, Guygax consistently goes one better by seeming to ignore the meanings of words altogether or, at least, the order that gives them meaning."
Song-poems are lyrics submitted by everyday citizens to music written and recorded by in-house song mill hacks who could plow through an alarming number of tunes in the space of an afternoon. Each budding lyricist would pay good money to hear their own musings on an actual vinyl record which could (!) become an enormous incredible worldwide hit. Or so the ads in Popular Mechanics, Modern Romance and Sensational Detective Tru-Crime Cases claimed.
Styx - The Grove Of Eglantine (1973) Styx used to write songs about vaginas.
Sam Chalpin - Daydream (1966)
The Bob Crewe Generation Orchestra - Barbarella (1968)
The Byrds - Draft Morning (1968) From Wikipedia: "Draft Morning" is a song about the horrors of the Vietnam War, as well as a protest against the conscription of men into the military during the conflict. The song was initially written by Crosby, but he was fired from the Byrds shortly after he had introduced it to the rest of the band. However, work had already begun on the song's instrumental backing track by the time of Crosby's departure. Controversially, McGuinn and Hillman decided to continue working on the song, despite its author no longer being a member of the band. Having only heard the song's lyrics in their original incarnation a few times, McGuinn and Hillman couldn't remember all of the words when they came to record the vocals and so decided to rewrite the song with their own lyrical additions, giving themselves a co-writing credit in the process. This angered Crosby considerably, since he felt, with some justification, that McGuinn and Hillman had stolen his song. Despite its troubled evolution, "Draft Morning" is often considered one of Crosby's best songs from his tenure with the Byrds. Lyrically, it follows a newly recruited soldier from the morning of his induction into the military through to his experiences of combat and as such, illustrates the predicament faced by many young American men during the 1960s.The song also makes extensive use of battlefield sound effects, provided for the band by the Los Angeles comedy troupe the Firesign Theatre.
Liberace - Ciao! (1970) My first boss at Lenovo was Chau McCullough. I thought she might like this oddity from Liberace's canon, one of the few original songs he recorded. She did not really care. At all.
The Believers - Original Cast Recording - Side Two (1968)
Don Randi Trio - Tomorrow Never Knows (1966)
Donald Clark Osmond - I Can't Stand It (1977)
France Gall - Zozoi (1970)
Sam Chalpin - Batman (1966)
Gary Lewis and the Playboys - Medicine Man (1969)
Ray Dorset and Mungo Jerry - Heavy Foot Stomp (1977)
Kilopop! - Sky Men (200x) Chris Butler and singer Carla Murray created this paean to Joe Meek. I was fooled.
Lone Kellermann - Kom an Baby (197?)
The Four Tops - Got To Get You Into My Life (1969)
Joey Welz - Listen To The Voices That Want To Be Free (1974)
Joey Welz played piano with Bill Haley And His Comets from 1963 until 1966. Link Wray plays guitar.
Shut Up - Láska K Říkadlům (Back Off Boogaloo) (1972)
Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
Bruce Springsteen - It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City (1973)
Bruce Springsteen - Jungleland (1975)
Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band - Erie Canal (2007) Miss Nixon (pictured) was our Elementary School music teacher.
It struck me like a ton of bricks the other day.
I was having a conversation with Harrison. How did it come up? We were talking about which songs he sang in hie Elementary School music class. He listed a bunch of songs that were on the radio at that time. Death Cab For Cutie and Imagine Dragons. Maroon 5. So what had happened was that the music teacher, to her credit, said to them, "What do you want to sing?" And that was their answer.
But POACA who lived in West Seneca, New York in the '70s were not afforded this delicious luxury. Nope. We sang this song, "Erie Canal". Do you know what the Erie Canal was?
Wikipedia: The Erie Canal in New York is part of the east–west, cross-state route of the New York State Canal System. It originally ran 363 miles from the Hudson River in Albany to Lake Erie in Buffalo. It was built to create a navigable water route from New York City and the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes.
So, about 100 years after it was the main route for the traversing of goods from NYC to Chicago and beyond, to be replaced by the railroads, we kids were still singing about it.
WE sang:
"You're A Grand Old Flag"/"Señor Del Gato"/"O Suzanna"/"Camptown Races"/"America The Beautiful"/"I've Been Working On The Railroad"...lots of jingoism hammered home early, as was racism. What did we think "G'wine ta run all night" meant?
And we didn't get to pick.
There were these records that Miss Nixon would break out. There must have been a whole industry of songs written for kids, with attendant sheet music and these records featuring what sounded like adults pretending to be kids. If you know of any let me know. I recall one song, "Fender Bender", about a guy who played bass guitar. Another one, "A Better World", which I actually learned to play for my own band, Leo. I would LOVE to hear one of these creepy records. Anyhow...
Bruce Springsteen - The River (1979)
Steel Mill - Goin' Back To Georgia (1970)
Bruce Springsteen Band - Don't You Want To Be An Outlaw (1972)
Child - Hold On, I'm Comin' (1969)
Tom Waits - Jersey Girl (1980)
Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul - Lyin' in a Bed of Fire (1982)
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes - The Fever (1976)
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes - Trapped Again (1978)
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes - Why (1980)
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes - I Don't Want to Go Home (1976)
Stevie Wonder - Feeding Off the Love of the Land (1975)
Terrible Lizard - Bang Your Head (1981) This is Human League, the same band that would have a HUGE hit with "Don't You Want Me Baby" and "(Keep Feeling) Fascination".
“We’d often finish sessions late and everyone would go home – apart from Jo,” recalls Dave Allen. “Jo was staying at the studio because he didn’t have anywhere else to go and after a while we had this idea to make a heavy metal ‘Stars On 45’ record. The beat isn’t difficult, is it? That took 10 minutes. And then it was, ‘OK, what songs have we got to do?’. ‘Smoke On The Water’, ‘Alright Now’, ‘Silver Machine’, ‘School’s Out’… It was a joy to get a guitar out and do a really terrible version of ‘Purple Haze’ over a ‘Stars On 45’ beat. It was relaxation.
“Martin came home very drunk one night when we were trying to do the middle eight of ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and we said,’C’mon Martin, we need a mad toms solo like that Led Zeppelin song’, and so he played this brilliant freestyle Linn Drum tom tom solo. In the end, the medley was called ‘Bang Your Head’ and released as a single on Island. The band was called Terrible Lizard. We had a meeting with a guy who said, ‘How are we going to do the promo for this?’. Andy Peebles called it the worst record ever made when he played it on his lunchtime [Radio 1] show. I was very proud.”
Patty Devick - Kill Me! (1979) I love the crazy nature of this single. Artist and song were lost in the shuffle, but I like it. It's unique.
Patty Devick - Sugar, Sugar, Drive Me (1979)
The Association - Silent Song Thru The Land (1972)
The Association - Little Road and a Stone to Roll (1972) Written by John Stewart, who wrote "Daydream Believer" for The Monkees, as well as his own solo hit, "Gold" in 1979. What a great song this is. By then, no one was paying attention to them, but I like this record MUCH more than the ones they made in their halcyon days.
Brainstorm - She Lets Her Hair Down (Early in the Morning) (1969) NOTE: NOT the same Brainstorm that is featured in the "Conductors" episode.
I've played the version by The Tokens. Would you like to see a hair commercial featuring this song from 1970? Sure you would, you deviant.
https://youtu.be/7nOKoCP6zXg
Three labels issued versions of "Early in the Morning" as singles in November, 1969 to capitalize on the popularity of the Clairol TV commercial. The first to be released was Gene Pitney's "She Lets Her Hair Down". The record stalled at No. 89 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Tokens` version was released a week or two later and was the most successful of the three versions, peaking at No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 10, 1970 (No. 59 in Cash Box on Jan 31, 1970).
Bang, as their trade ad highlighted, went to the source and released Don Young's original version, first released under the name "Brainstorm". Mr. Young also sang on the Clairol TV commercial. The Don Young single never broke out of the Billboard Bubbling Under chart.
From Discogs.com:
As a side note, Buddah Records took a full-page ad in Billboard promoting the Tokens' single, "Don't Worry Baby" (February 22, 1970), claiming that the Tokens had performed in the Clairol "She Lets Her Hair Down" commercial. No doubt in response to threats of legal action from various aggrieved parties, Buddah had to take out a full-page "Correction" in Billboard (March 21, 1970) acknowledging the fact that Don Young was the performer in the commercial, and explaining that Buddah had "inadvertently" failed to reference a different Clairol commercial which the Tokens had actually produced.
A Gringo Like Me - Ennio Morricone (1963) From the film Duello nel Texas, also known as Gunfight at Red Sands and Gringo. Featuring the voice of Peter Tevis. Tevis was credited with singing the theme song of the animated television series Underdog in the 1960s.
In the 1970s, Tevis ran a record label called Pet Records, based in Burbank, California. The label released records designed to train pet birds to talk as well as other pet training records.
Brainstorm - Lovin' Is Really My Game (1977)
Canned Heat (feat. Little Richard) - Rockin' With The King (1972)
Diesel - Sausalito Summernight (Live) A guilty pleasure for me, much in the vein of "Moonlight Feels Right" by Starbuck. The original song came out in 1979. This is a slick live version, replete with guests, but I still like it.
Quincy Jones - Do It-To It! (feat. Little Richard) (1972) From the movie "$". What was LR doing in the '70s? Trying to carve out a living with new, flaccid original material or guesting on other people's records. Fighting the strong tide of easy money that contemporaries like Jerry Lee, Bill Haley, Chuck Berry, etc. were grabbing. GARDEN PARTY INDEED!!! AMIRITE?!?
Ennio Morricone - An Eye for an Eye (1965) From the film "For a Few Dollars More", Part 2 of the "Dollars Trilogy". In 2012, that guy on the cover would talk to a chair in front of millions.
Ennio Morricone - Angel Face (1965) Taken from the 1965 movie 'Una Pistola Per Ringo' directed by Duccio Tessari. This and the previous were sung by Maurizio Graf.
Ennio Morricone - Un Ami (1973) From the film "Revolver", starring Oliver Reed, who was Ann-Margret's husband in 1975's "The Who's Tommy".
Ennio Morricone - Nana (1982) I like this song.
Isaac Hayes - Good Love 6-9969 (1971) Before the hyper-meta revival of his career as "Chef" on South Park, Isaac Hayes, boys and girls, was sort of a Barry White/Ronald Isley (reinvented) prototype, releasing long, slow grooves of a sexual nature, covering songs like 'Walk On By" by Bacharach/David, but at about 4 times longer and slower than the original to make his fucking point. His biggest hit was "Shaft", for which he won an Oscar, he co-wrote "Soul Man" for Sam and Dave, as well as "Hold On, I'm Coming". He paid his dues. While inferior to Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, and Curtis Mayfield, his place in popular culture was well-assured even before he sang "Chocolate Salty Balls". Having said that, after listening to some of his discography from the later '70s, I'm pretty sure he could have recorded THAT as a b-side and no one would have batted an eye.
Helen Reddy - Ladychain (1975)
Here is where it gets serendipitously strange.
I watched "Lolita". It was ok. But I wanted to see some of James Mason's other later work. Which led me to "The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go" from 1970. it was directed by Burgess Meredith, of "Rocky" fame. He was "The Penguin" in the campier '60s TV version of Batman.
"James Mason is a Chinese-Mexican crime lord whose weapon of choice is a spear gun. Burgess Meredith is his Chinese acupuncturist/bodyguard. Jeff Bridges is a novelist of Joycean vision turning rough-trade tricks on the side."
But I wanted to know who wrote these crazy songs. One of which I ripped from the opening scene on YouTube and present here in shabby audio, since, obviously, there's no soundtrack.
A Marcia Waldorf wrote the lyrics. Did she sing them, too? She doesn't recall, as I immediately found her email address and wrote to her, and she replied!! She told me all sorts of tales that I will not share here, but she DID write a song that appeared on this Helen Reddy LP, and it was written about Duane Allman. And it's VERY obscure. But no more obscure than her own solo albums (there were 2) of which I play a few later on, for you.
Isaac Hayes Movement - Disco Connection (1975)
Isaac Hayes - Feel Like Makin' Love (1975)
Isaac Hayes - Walk On By (1971)
Isaac Hayes - Zeke the Freak (1978)
Little Richard - Thomasine (1972)
Lucifer's Friend - Toxic Shadows (1970) I just can't get enough of these Les Humphries Singer projects! This was John Lawton, who sang LHS hits like "Mama Loo" and "Sing Sang Song", and then he joined Uriah Heep and he still rocks out today with what I can only call a hair plug fiasco.
Marcia Waldorf - Memoranda (1975) This is one of those times where everyone listening to this show, I can PROMISE you, has never heard a setlist that even resembles this!
Quincy Jones - Money Is (feat. Little Richard) (1972) From the soundtrack to the movie "$".
Quincy Jones - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970) Quincy Jones is the father of Rashida Jones. When you look at the video for the song "We Are The World" with Lionel Richie and Mike Jackson, that older man waving a baton around, exhorting all those singers to sing their guts out for all those African warlords is Quincy Jones! When you hear that funky flute music that Austin Powers is dancing around to, that, also, is Quincy Jones!
Quincy Jones - Summer In The City (1973)
Quincy Jones - The Dude (1981)
Sue Lyon - Lolita Ya Ya (1962) This was an example of a studio trying everything to manufacture a star, including deflowering her via a powerful movie producer. She acted in a few other things, and she wasn't bad. For my purposes, I only care about her recorded history, which consisted of one single. I suggest doing research on Sue Lyon. She was a tragic figure that didn't die soon enough, for lack of a better term.
Sue Lyon - Turn Off the Moon (1962)
Marcia Waldorf (?) - The Yin and the Yang (1970) - Intro with Burgess Meredith and James Mason.
Waldorf Travers - Night Blindness (1979) @DarrellNutt can you make my drums sound like this? According to Marcia, this album was not released in the US.
Rupert Holmes - Why Am I Walking Without You (1974) This is the same guy that would take over the sophisticated white record buyer's soul with "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" not 5 years later. But before that, he struggled with this project and that, and...this, from the movie "Wet Rainbow", a pornographic film starring Georgina Spelvin and Harry Reems (both from "The Devil In Miss Jones", Georgina was a hooker in the first "Police Academy" movie) which by all accounts was actually a good movie. When you're a young songwriter, every opportunity is the right one. See? I just exposed you to a porno. Get right with your god, sicko. I will soon do a whole show on Rupert and Christopher Cross. But his stuff was pretty tightly controlled, so maybe not him.
Ennio Morricone - The Ballad Of Hank McCain (1969)
Mego - Fonzie Commercial Spot (1976)
Bachman Turner Overdrive - My Wheels Won't Turn (1977)
Brian Protheroe - Pinball (1975)
He had a small role in the 1978 film Superman as a co-pilot of Air Force One. In 1984 he played in the West End musical "Pump Boys and Dinettes" on piano and vocals and percussion.
Cher - Classification 1A (1971) Written by Sonny Bono. Tacky as ever. Especially the end.
Dave Clark Five - Put a Little Love In Your Heart (1969)
Dunn & McCashen - Alright In The City (1970)
Gary Glitter - Rock And Roll Part 5 (12" extended version) (1987)
Produced by Trevor Horn. Wretched. Sometimes you get the feeling I don't like you at all.
O'Kaysions - Love Machine (1968) Their hit was "Girl Watcher". Creepy album cover.
Nat Dove and the Devils - Theme from "Petey Wheatstraw" (1977)
I saw this movie a few days ago. Pretty entertaining.
Robey - One Night In Bangkok (1984) While Murray Head's "One Night In Bangkok" was just starting to climb the Billboard Hot 100, Canadian singer and actress (Louise) Robey hit the charts with her own version. It spent three weeks on the Hot 100 in March 1985, peaking at No. 77. Robey's version fared better on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, peaking at No. 5. Remember when I talked about Kid Creole appearing on this chart repeatedly? Same thing.
Roller Blade Trailer (1986)
Sly & The Family Stone - Frisky (1973)
The Archies - Bicycles Rollerskates & You (1969)
The Checkmates - I Keep Forgetting (1970)
"I Keep Forgettin'" is a song originally released by Chuck Jackson, written by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, and Garfield. This single is often cited as one of the most innovative yet least commercial singles written and produced by Leiber-Stoller.
In 1982, Michael McDonald released a song titled "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)". The song's similarity to Jackson's "I Keep Forgettin'" resulted in Leiber and Stoller being given a songwriting credit.
The Klowns - Lady Love (1970) The brainchild of songwriter Jeff Barry, The Klowns were formed on the success of the Archies. The band featured actor Barry Bostwick, who portrayed Brad Majors in Rocky Horror Picture Show. Unlike the Archies, the Klowns never achieved heavy chart success with their only Billboard Hot 100 entry, "Lady Love", which peaked at #95.
The Klowns - River Cruisin' (1970)
The Klowns - Honey Bunny Day (1970)
Bob Dylan - It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (Live) (1965)
Bob Dylan - Wigwam (1970)
Bob Dylan - You're A Big Girl Now (1975)
Donovan - Comin To You (1980)
Donovan - A Well-Known Has-Been (1976)
Donovan - Dare To Be Different (1977)
Donovan - Rock and Roll Souljer (1974)
Noosha Fox - More Than Molecules (1980)
Noosha Fox - Odd Peculiar Strange (1980)
Fox - Dejenina (1977)
Nat Dove and the Devils - Theme from "Petey Wheatstraw" (1977) I programmed this song twice. Dur dur.
Procol Harum - A Salty Dog (1969)
Wooden Horse - Loving Man (1972) Noosha Fox's folk group before Fox was formed. Sort of like Debbie Harry or Gail Garnett in reverse. I have played Fox's song "S-s-s-single Bed" a few times on my show. I really like it.
Chicago Line - Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop (1966) Bass player Louis Cennamo played on James Taylor's first album as well as being a member of the original version of the band Renaissance (pre-Annie Haslam). Kill me for knowing that.
Terry Knight - Saint Paul (1969)
The Fortunes - Seasons In The Sun (1968) An English harmony beat group. Formed in 1963 in Birmingham, they first came to prominence and international acclaim in 1965, when "You've Got Your Troubles" broke into the US and UK Top 10s. So Terry Jacks' version was a cover of a cover, basically. The original, written by Jacques Brel, was translated (more or less) into English by Rod McKuen in 1964. His lyrics were a little more...adult...
Adieu, Francoise, my trusted wife,
Without you, I'd have had a lonely life,
You cheated lots of times, but then,
I forgave you in the end,
Though your lover was my friend,
With your lovers everywhere,
Just be careful, I'll be there...
The Rollers - No Doubt About It (1981) Who does this sound like to you? I hear Toto. The Bay City Rollers, long removed (in '70s rock years) from fame, kept going for a while and released three records under the name The Rollers. They are not as bad as you might think. Sort of a Corporate Rock sound. No heart or soul, but no embarrassing shit, either, and YES, I have heard all three.
The Klowns - Yellow Sunglasses (1970)
In the early '80s, Kid Creole and the Coconuts transcended the NYC dance scene to become something of an oddity nation-wide for a time. Here was lead singer August Darnell in a zoot suit, Coati Mundi dancing around behind marimbas, and three very shapely girls (the aforementioned Coconuts) doing choreography and backing vocals. And the music was fun, audacious, eclectic, and universal, although none of their records sold in big enough quantities to chart in the US (aside from the Billboard Dance Club Songs charts).
There was also, in their nascent club-scene incarnation, Lori Eastside on co-lead vocals, but she didn't stick around long enough for the ascension to national fame. But the extant video of the time reveals that she was fantastic. And Carol Coleman was a bass player of noticeable depth, space, and groove. She will get your attention if you see videos of their live shows of the time, even though she barely moves. But her sound reminds me of George Murray, who, as both of you who listen to my show know, is my favorite bass player.
I SUCK at interviewing. But regardless, I interviewed Adriana Kaegi, "Mother Coconut", dancer, singer, songwriter, and an integral part of the band in their original incarnation, up to 1995. I am not saying that KCatC was a big act, but they were influential. Prince was a fan, and as more and more people discover them through YouTube, their performances and original output live on.
I'm A Wonderful Thing Baby (1982)
Coati Mundi - Que Pasa/Me No Pop I (1980)
Table Manners (Live) (1981) From "Fresh Fruit In Foreign Places" - The Musical. Recorded at The Ritz in NYC.
The Sex Of It (1985) Written by Prince, who was white-hot at the time. The record went nowhere.
Stool Pigeon (1982)
Endicott (1985)
The Coconuts - Indiscreet (1983)
The Coconuts - Did You Have To Love Me Like You Did? ( 12" Version ) (1983)
Coati Mundi - I Say Hey (1983)
Boomerang - Boomerang Fanfare/Boomerang (1986)
Aural Exciters - Maladie d'Amour (1979) Between Dr. Buzzard's Savannah Band and KCatC, there was this odd disco record. The cover says it was produced by Bob Blank, but August wrote/co-wrote everything with another NYC guy, Ron Rogers, who produced/wrote many disco songs of the time. What a scene it must have been.
Christina - Disco Clone (1980) Written and produced by August Darnell.
Cristina - Jungle Love (1980)
Cristina - Ticket To The Tropics (1984) August Darnell had nothing to do with this, but this particular song was co-written by one Doug Fieger of The Knack. You can sort of hear it. The album was produced by Don Was of Was Not Was who also produced records for (deep breath) Ringo Starr, Elton John, The B-52s, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Carly Simon, Willy Nelson, etc.
Funkapolitan - As The Time Goes By (1982) Produced by August Darnell
Prince - The Sex Of It (198?) Demo version.
Kid Creole & The Coconuts - Going Places/In The Jungle (Live) (1981) From "Fresh Fruit In Foreign Places" - The Musical. Recorded at The Ritz in NYC.
She is my favorite female vocalist. The fact that the slide guitar seems like a natural extension of her soul makes me love her more. She doesn't really write that much (or didn't), but some of those sides she recorded in the '70s and her dedication to the genre make me happy she shone so brightly in the early '90s. She paid her dues.
Bonnie Raitt - Runaway (1975)
Bonnie Raitt - That Song About The Midway (1974)
Bonnie Raitt - Guilty (1973)
Liza Minelli - I Can See Clearly Now (1974) You know her as Lucille 2 on Arrested Development, but POACA recall that she was that fireball that danced in her momma's shadow.
Johnny Nash - Mr. Sea (1979)
Johnny Nash - That Woman (1977) Much of Johnny Nash's work never made it to CD. This album doesn't seem to have been released in the US at all.
Johnny Nash - You Got Soul (1968)
Johnny Nash - There Are More Questions Than Answers (1972) The single before "I Can See Clearly Now".
Johnny Nash - Guava Jelly (1972)
Van Halen - Mean Street (1981) Van Halen swung pretty hard. They were a less versatile Led Zeppelin, but their virtuosic prowess and David Lee Roth's devil-may-care swagger defined a generation, affecting all to come later. Van Halen could never have done "Stairway to Heaven", but Zep couldn't have done this. And I LOVE the jacket illustration.
Van Halen - Dancing in the Street (1982)
Van Halen - Little Guitars (1982)
Van Halen - Unchained (1981)
Sonny and Cher - I Can See Clearly Now (1973)
Orange Colored Sky - Mr. Peacock (1969) Orange Colored Sky's roots go back to 1962, when Larry Younger formed The Fabulous Epics in Erie, PA. The Epics soon moved to New York City and became the house band at the world-famous Peppermint Lounge.
In 1968 the band moved to Southern California, was signed by Universal, and became ORANGE COLORED SKY. They hit big in Los Angeles, appearing in the movie "The Love God?" with Don Knotts, in TV commercials with Petula Clark, and on The Steve Allen Show. In 1970 They replaced The Carpenters as Burt Bacharach's opening act.
They also toured with Frank Sinatra and assisted Governor Ronald Reagan's re-election campaign.
Caterina Valente and Edmundo Ros - El Tonto en La Colina (The Fool On The Hill) (1969) This album cover is ok, but Caterina Valente was more talented and versatile than any of her female contemporaries. Seek out videos of her performances. She is on my "list". There are 5. Any time in history, name 5 women you would most like to...hold hands with... She is one.
Ray Charles - I Can See Clearly Now (1977)
The Free Design - My Very Own Angel (1969) Don't diss my homies.
Link Wray & The Ray-Men - Rumble '69 (1969)
Hans Christian Anderson - Never My Love (1968) Born John Roy Anderson in the Lancashire town of Accrington, on October 25, 1944, Anderson dropped the “h” from his first name in 1970. In 1962, Jon joined The Warriors, where he and his almost-look-alike brother, Tony, shared the role of vocalists. He quit this band in 1967, released two solo singles in 1968 under the pseudonym Hans Christian Anderson, and then briefly sang for a band called The Gun. Then he went on to write "Back To School" with Vangelis, who was in Aphrodite's Child.
Bohemian Vendetta - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (1968) How do bands like this get Wikipedia pages?
Bonnie Raitt - What Do You Want The Boy To Do? (1975)
Roger Nichols And The Small Circle Of Friends - Don't Go Breaking My Heart (1968)
Link Wray & The Wraymen - Rumble Mambo (1963)
Van Halen and The Jackson 5 - Mean Machine (Bill McClintock mashup)
Gladys Knight Pips - I Can See Clearly Now (1973)
Springbok Hit Parade 8 - I Can See Clearly Now (1972) The Springbok Hit Parade series was masterminded by Ken Talbot and launched in 1970 with the intent to give consumers cheap and easy access to the hits of the day as played on the "Springbok Radio Top Twenty", as broadcast on Friday nights and hosted by David Gresham. Released by MFP (Music For Pleasure) in South Africa. The cover songs were recorded by various unnamed session musicians but these were gradually revealed to include some well-known artists such as Mutt Lange, Stevie Van Kerken, and Mike Pilot.
Dobie Gray - I Can See Clearly Now (1978)
Sergio Mendes and Brasil 77 - I Can See Clearly Now (1977)
Coati Mundi - I Say Hey! (1983) Coati Mundi (Andy Hernandez) was the energetic sideman and co-creator of Kid Creole and the Coconuts (who will be featured in a future show). When I watch early live videos of KC, it seems to me that maybe, imperceptibly, something of a deep chasm befell this perfect plan when Lori Eastside and her wild energy were "excommunicated". I don't know. All I know is that they continued for a while, and eventually Mundi and August Darnell split. I have a lot to say about my theory, another time. I love this song, which Lori Eastside DOES appear on. Maybe Coati will tell me someday.
Dragon Sound - Friends (1987) That sound you hear in the background is off-beat clapping. Plus some very poor movie dialog. You HAVE to see this movie.
Gerald Nelson - Dominique My Bull (1965?) Pretty rapey song ultimately sung by Elvis. There's a whole album, "Songs I Wrote For Elvis". Literally true. Elvis used to listen to these acetates and chuck 'em against the wall when he was frustrated with what even HE could recognize as crappy, lazy songwriting. Still, I'm talking about his songs, not he mine.
Gerald Nelson - The Chicken Scratch (1965?) "Baby, you're the chicken for my chicken pen."
Gerald Nelson - The Love Machine (1965?) The songwriters of Elvis acetates sure must have pegged Elvis as a very aggressive suitor, let's say.
Gerald Nelson - Yoga Is As Yoga Does (1965?)
Miracles - Love Machine (Instrumental Version) (1975) This is the instrumental version of the #1 song by The Miracles. What a song! Everything in a mid-'70s soul stomper, including elegant strings. This and the following track of the show were parts of a 1975 concept album about Los Angeles that no one talks about, due to the single's overwhelming monster success. Sort of like Tommy James' Christian of the World and "Draggin' The Line". Crazy clavinet playing!!
Smokey Robinson and The Miracles had one #1 song. "Tears Of A Clown".
The Miracles without Smokey Robinson had one #1 song. "Love Machine".
Smokey Robinson never had a #1 song.
Miracles - Overture-City Of Angels Medley (1975)
Dennis Wilson - My Love Lives On (1977)
Robert Lee - The Ballad Of Bruce Lee (1974) Robert Lee was Bruce's brother and this pretty good song was his tribute.
Rocky & Friends - Read Along Book & Record (1977) This is a read-along book based on the Sylvester Stallone movie of the same name.
Skatt Brothers - Oh, Those Girls (1981) After forming in California in 1979 (though originally from Ontario Canada), Sean Delaney’s Skatt Brothers were immediately compared to the Village People until they later returned to their more rockish roots with the release of their second album "Rico & The Ravens", which was released in Australia only.
Skatt Brothers - Life At The Outpost (1979) Skatt Bros. founding band member Sean Delaney was a musician, producer, road manager, and songwriter and who co-wrote songs with each member of KISS way back in the '70s through the '80s and helped with makeup and choreography as well. Sean and Bill Aucoin (KISS' manager) were best friends and roommates for 11 years. SEE THE VIDEO HERE FOR CHRISSAKES. Here's a shorter, cleaner version.
Skatt Brothers - Walk The Night (1979) Note the Casablanca Records logo.
The Beach Boys w/Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - East Meets West (1984)
The Beach Boys w/Little Richard - Happy Endings (1987) From the movie "The Telephone".
The Telephone is a 1988 comedy-drama film written by Terry Southern and Harry Nilsson and directed by Rip Torn, in what was to be the only film he directed.
The film stars Whoopi Goldberg as an out-of-work actress who starts doing some prank phone calls which creates a chain of events. The entirety of the film is set in the main character's apartment and features few actors other than Goldberg. Elliott Gould and John Heard appear in supporting roles.
The film was released on January 22, 1988 to negative critical reception and poor box office. Gosh, Whoopi Goldberg improvising while a surly Rip Torn looks on with a disapproving scowl. What's NOT to like?
Synopsis:
Vashti Blue is an out-of-work actress who we watch make a series of prank calls throughout the night, that causes a chain of events. She is eventually revealed as being medically unstable, as a telephone contractor turns up to her home to confiscate the handset due to arrears with her phone bill. It is revealed that her telephone line was disconnected some time ago, much to her denial. As he struggles to take the handset, she strikes him in the head and stabs him with a knife. AND SCENE!
Unhappy with Torn's editing of the film, Goldberg filed a $5 million lawsuit against New World Pictures and Torn to prevent its release, but she lost. And you've never heard of it! But...this song is in it.
War - Galaxy (1977)
Winfield Scott - Clambake (1965?) An alternate option for the title song. Chuck those acetates, Elvis. CHUCK 'EM!
Ultimate Spinach - Suite-Genesis of Beauty (In Four Parts) (1968)
The Carpenters - You'll Love Me [1967)
The United States Of America - Stranded In Time (1968)
Rotary Connection - This Town (1969) Written by Stevie Wonder.
The United States Of America - Coming Down (1968)
Godley & Creme - Group Life (1978)
Ray Conniff - Hey Jude (1969)
James Brown - Boy Scouts Public Service
John Fred And His Playboy Band - Back In The U.S.S.R. (1970) Their big hit was "Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)".
Steve Walsh - Just How It Feels (1980) I actually like ex-Kansas lead singer Steve Walsh's solo album Schemer Dreamer from 1980. As silly as the cover is, and it's very silly, there is some high-quality stuff here. This track is my favorite. According to one YouTube user: Steve was on tour with Kansas when this album was released. Kerry (Livgren) released a solo album that year, as well. So, Steve & Kerry decided to do one song each, live, in honor of no tour being attached to the albums. It was way back in 1980. The “Audio-Visions” tour. The concert has been uploaded to YouTube for a while now.
The Free Design - That's All, People (1970) Don't diss my homies.
Roger Nichols and Small Circle Of Friends - Love Song, Love Song
Godley & Creme Gizmotron Demo (1976)
This page explains the Gizmotron more than I could, with attendant videos and contemporary quotes.
I was intrigued by the 1968 song "The Prophet" by The Wayward Bus. I played that song on my last show. So I did some research and found a repository for such things as research on ESP, records about ESP, tea cozies based on ESP. I found an album by David Hoy, the aforementioned "prophet".
“David Hoy believes the future can be changed…if it can be foreseen. Hoy says “I hope my predictions into the future will be taken away as an experiment in ESP. I make many predictions I cannot explain, but I state them just as they come to me – through a process of mind-release best defined as TIME PROJECTED EMPATHY.
In many cases, Hoy frankly hopes that action can be taken to avoid the events he foresees…We predict you will find The Prophet entertainingly awesome.”
This record was released in 1970 and doesn't exist in any other format at the moment. But you know I'm gonna bring you the strange. Just like my prom date said about me.
Back cover text:
Dr. David Hoy, one of America's foremost authorities on extrasensory perception, is a scholar of extraordinary psychic capacity. He has conducted a lifetime study of mind-to-mind communication and is world-renowned for his ESP experiences and research conducted under scientific conditions. He is also the author of several books on ESP, read by a large following in seven languages.
Dr. Hoy's astonishing predictions have been well documented and proven to be 85% accurate. David Hoy predicted Bobby Goldsboro's smash hit recording of "Honey" weeks before either of them ever heard of the song! Sixty days before the Silver Bridge collapsed into the Ohio River near Point Pleasant, W. Va., in 1967, David Hoy predicted the disaster on a taped program at radio station KDKA in Pittsburgh. Two years before Jackie Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis were wed, David Hoy predicted the match on Boston radio and TV! Two weeks before the assassination of Sen. Robert Kennedy, David Hoy predicted at Tusculum College in Greenville, Tenn., that Kennedy would win the California primary but that it would be fraught with tragedy! In January of 1969, David Hoy predicted that because of personal tragedy, Sen. Ted Kennedy would not run for the presidency in 1972!
Dr. Hoy's methods of predicting future events are recounted in this monumental recording. His vast experieince [sic] in the realm of extrasensory perception uniquely qualifies him to tell others how to awaken their psychic faculties and develop their own extrasensory potential. This album is the most explicit and interesting presentation of ESP development I have come across in my eight years of psychic study.
Ronald E. Deckard - Specialist in Psychic Research
David Hoy - ESP According To Hoy (Side 1) (1970)
Translator - My Favorite Drug (1982) Dan Lewis exposed me to this album, which I like a lot. I remember that and Ken Gee singing "Everywhere I'm Not" for his band The Standard. He sang it as if he was trying to get out of a hostage situation. The Standard was notable for having George Tatuska on drums. Later George was a founding member of Goo Goo Dolls. Ah, South Buffalo in the '80s. Anyhow, a more edgy but less versatile XTC.
Translator - Everywhere That I'm Not (1982)
Translator - Sleeping Snakes (1982)
Barry Mann - Kicks (demo) (1965) Originally offered to The Animals.
The Beatles - Revolution (guitars and organ only) (1968)
Carole King - Take A Giant Step (demo) (1966)
Charles Manson interview from 1966
Diety - Disco Child (1977)
The Move - Flowers In The Rain (demo) (1966) Roy Wood and Carl Wayne demo. You can really hear the original chords.
Gila - This Morning (1973)
From Discogs: Formed in early 1969, out of the Stuttgart political commune, as Gila Füchs, we can only guess as to what their music was like in these early days, yet they quickly established themselves as the foremost exponents of psychedelic space-rock. After disbanding for some six months or so, and working as a member of Popol Vuh, Conny Veit decided to form a new incarnation of Gila. This new band was a veritable supergroup, as it featured Popol Vuh leader Florian Fricke and ex-Amon Düül II multi-instrumentalist Daniel Fichelscher. Although hinted at by the earlier Gila, the new Gila sound [ed: this record] was very much in the Popol Vuh style, with medieval and ethnic touches in a complexly textured rock music featuring multi-guitars and female vocals. Whereas Popol Vuh were purely a studio band, Gila toured and played many concerts, and existed until summer 1974. After this Danny Fichelscher joined Popol Vuh, and Gila eventually split. Conny Veit then joined Guru Guru for a short while before disappearing from the scene for several years. He reappeared within the ranks of Popol Vuh some time later. Whether he has made any other music, we don't know.
James Brown - Sayin' and Doin' It (1974)
Michael Nesmith and the First National Band - Listen To The Band (early acetate) (1970) I really don't like this version.
Odyssey - Who (1974) An early disco project by Vangelis. I have played some Aphrodite's Child on my show, but probably won't play much Jon and Vangelis. Jon being Jon Anderson from Yes.
Okie Duke - Ain't No Color To Soul (1971) Farley Parkenfarker is the stage name of keyboardist Okie Duke. Best known for his 1978 recording, Farley Parkenfarker Plays Elvis, which he performed on a highly modified Hammond B-3 organ.
Pete Townshend - I Can See For Miles (demo) (1966)
Peter and Gordon - I Feel Like Going Out (1968)
Peter and Gordon - Woman (early version with Paul McCartney on drums) (1965)
Roy Brown - Great Casaboo (1965) I played it twice in a row. I didn't mean to, but it's a great song.
Human League -Don't You Want Me (demo) (1981)
SAHB (Sensational Alex Harvey Band) - Shake That Thing (1974) Trivia: This album features guest singer Barry St. John, who sang on Dark Side of the Moon, and was a brief member of the band began by my favorite tax cheat, Les Humphries.
SAHB - Give My Complements To The Chef (1974) More trivia: Kindly fu** right off if you don't like SAHB. Stop asking for new and original sounds when this one goes shamefully undiscovered.
SAHB - Who Murdered Sex? (1978)
"Not me," said the censor, "It's all going well..."
David Hoy - ESP According To Hoy (Side 2) (1970)
Chicago - A Hit By Varèse (1972) There was a time when Chicago was a VERY political (left-leaning) band. Endorsing "the revolution in all its forms". I remember being extremely excited with the sense of discovery collecting their discography. You would play a Chicago album, and you could be sure of two things: Hits that you've heard all your life on the AM radio, and talk of man's inhumanity to man, in vague but unmistakable terms.
Chicago - Prologue, August 29, 1968
Chicago - Someday (August 29, 1968)
I love Chicago like I love the memory of an old girlfriend during the good times. I saw them at Melody Fair in Buffalo, NY. I had strep throat from my first girlfriend. She said, "I have strep throat." I said, "I don't care! Kiss me!" I parlayed a neighbor's ticket booth gig into front row seats for my Fonzie, Rick Angle, and myself. And it was during their "comeback" tour. "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" was their hit. OUR song. Great show! Despite my pain.
I could do a whole show about Chicago. I know much about this resilient band. Suffice it to say: Cocaine is a hell of a drug.
Hank Ballard - How Ya Gonna Get Respect (When You Haven't Cut Your Process Yet) (1968) Co-written by James Brown. I'm reading his biography. This was the brief time when JB let himself have an afro instead of his rather specific coif.
Liverpool Scene - The Day We Danced At The Dole (1969) The Liverpool Scene was a poetry band, formed around 1967. Their first record was produced by Liverpool DJ John Peel, who was then working on the pirate radio station Radio London. Despite his support, the album achieved little success, as did the other three. Public performances by the band included a (financially unsuccessful) 1969 tour when they opened for Led Zeppelin. The Liverpool Scene disbanded in April 1970.
Liverpool Scene - The Raven (1969)
Liverpool Scene - Love Is (1970)
The Liverpool Scene - Tramcar To Frankenstein (1968)
The Liverpool Scene - The Woo-Woo (1969)
Catch My Soul - Original Cast Recording - Side 1 (1971)
Goats and Monkeys/Wedding Chant/Ballad of Catch My Soul/Drunk/If Wives Do Fall/Cannikins
Among the luminaries, Lance LeGault's trademark voice was at one point featured on self-guided tour cassettes at Elvis Presley's Graceland. PJ Proby had a hit with the Lennon-McCartney "donation" "That Means A Lot". Bob Tench sang with Jeff Beck, Humble Pie, and was a highly regarded session guitarist/singer.
I picked up this album while I was vinyl-happy a month or so ago, and noticed that it hadn't been issued on CD. Quite obscure, and I think it deserves to be heard. As I said in the promo, Rosey Grier was, at one time, cast as Othello. And Jerry Lee Lewis was in the first cast as Iago. By all accounts, he was incredible. Can you imagine?
Here is an article about Jerry Lee Lewis' time in the cast.
David Gilmour - Cry From The Street (1978) Gilmour's pre-Pink Floyd band Bullitt reunited for this pre-Animals solo album. Bass player Rick Wills was in Foreigner later on. It's inoffensive but about as intense as oatmeal.
Rick Wright - Holiday (1978)
Rick Wright - Against The Odds (1978)
Roger Waters and Ron Geesin - Give Birth To A Smile (1970) Featuring Pink Floyd (uncredited).
Nick Mason - Wervin' (1981)
Catch My Soul - Original Cast Recording - Side 2 (1971)
Put Out The Light/You Told A Lie/Very Well-Go To/Willow/Seven Days And Nights/Why/Black On White/Death Chant
Lou Christie - Guitars and Bongos (1966)
Mae West - Criswell Predicts (1956) POACA will recall Mae West.
The Wayward Bus - The Prophet (predictions by David Hoy) (1968)
Wikipedia: In the early 1980s, the federal government had begun cracking down on outspoken tax protesters, whose numbers were then estimated by the Internal Revenue Service at 40,000 or more. In 1985 Tupper Saussy was found guilty of willfully failing to file a tax return for the year 1977, and sentenced to serve one year in Atlanta Federal Prison Camp. (Technically, he filed a Fifth Amendment return, a discredited tax dodge that was popular with tax protesters in the 1970s and early 1980s. He also issued something called PMOC, or "Public Money Office Certificates," and used them instead of money to pay for some services while living in Sewanee.) Saussy fled in 1987 rather than begin serving a sentence at the federal prison in Atlanta. Thus began a game of cat-and-mouse with U.S. marshals that only ended in November 1997 outside his home in Venice Beach, California.
Saussy's appeal was denied by the Supreme Court. Saussy eventually served a 14-month sentence at Taft Correctional Institution in Taft, California. Saussy was given the job of chapel music director and piano instructor to prisoners. Saussy was released from prison on May 12, 1999
Otis Redding - Stay In School PSA (1967)
Donny Most - Rock Is Dead (1976)
Ross Bagdasarian - Come-On-A-My House (1966) The man behind The Chipmunks craze offers up a swinging version of his own composition.
Nick Mason - Hot River (1981)
Frank Zappa - Teenage Wind (1980)
Enoch Light - Pick Up The Pieces (1975)
The Wind In The Willows - Djini Judy (1968) That's Debby Harry. Ah, the possibilities must have seemed endless at the time. But in 1976, Debby and her boyfriend Chris Stein, fresh from The Stillettoes, formed Blondie and became Punk icons. But everyone comes from somewhere. I guess.
Champion Jack Dupree - Story Of My Life (1953) American pianist and singer, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA (in 1908, 1909, or 1910) and died 21 January 1992 in Hannover, Germany. He enjoyed a long musical career after starting out as a boxer.
Chuck Berry - Go Go Go (1963)
Zappa - Brown Shoes Don't Make It (1967)
The Animals - Story Of Bo Diddley (1964)
Leonard Cohen - The Guests (1979)
Manfred Mann - The One In The Middle (1965)
The Barbarians - Moulty (1966)
Wikipedia:
Victor "Moulty" Moulton, the subject of the song, was the drummer of The Barbarians, despite the impairment of his left hand. Moulton critically damaged the hand when, at the age of 14, a homemade pipe bomb prematurely detonated while it was in Moulton's grip. The hand was amputated and subsequently replaced with a metallic prosthetic device that Moulton could attach a drum stick to. When Moulton formed the group in 1964, his disability added an unusual allure to the band's rebellious image that was, in part, responsible for their popularity after their appearance on The T.A.M.I. Show alongside The Rolling Stones, Lesley Gore, and The Supremes.
Moulton commenced recording of the song in early 1966 in New York City while the rest of the band was situated in Boston. For the recording session, Moulton was backed by the Hawks, later known as The Band, who were currently working as Bob Dylan's support group. The lyrics were rearranged by Moulton to include the spoken intro section of the song. The composition opens with Moulton melodramatically reflecting on the struggle of losing his left hand, while the backing vocalists encouraged "Moulty" to "Don't turn away". It continues with "Moulty" achieving his dream, and the song shifts into a balladesque structure in the third verse when "Moulty" realizes he is still lacking love. A chorus ensues and fades out, leaving the question of whether or not "Moulty" managed to find his love. With the uncertain conclusion, a mystique remained around Moulton, which played a role in his enigmatic persona.
Leonard Cohen - True Love Leaves No Traces (1977) Here's a pretty good article from RS about the album. Produced by Phil Spector.
Them - The Story Of Them (pts. 1 & 2) (1967)
Frank Zappa - Help I'm A Rock (1966)
Frank Zappa - It Can't Happen Here (1966)
Glenn Yarbrough & The Limeliters - Acres Of Limeliters (1974)
Paul Revere & The Raiders - Legend Of Paul Revere (1967)
Ike & Tina Turner - Nutbush City Limits (1973) Remember that RSRG from 1981? Ike's albums were all 4- or 5 stars, Tina had released two records while she was still "finding herself" and rated 2 stars each. In fact, the author/reviewer more or less advocated that she go back with Ike. Musically. Now, I've seen the movie "On The Record" and let me tell you. Men like Ike Turner, James Brown, and the like were geniuses. But they were geniuses because the part of their brain that made them musical successes was supposed to be the part of their brain that told them that hitting women was bad. My theory. To laud these geniuses for what they were, there's a great deal of separation that you need to be able to negotiate. Tina's song here isn't bad at all. She's never been my favorite. She scared me in Tommy.
Leonard Cohen - Avalanche (1971)
Iggy Pop - Dum Dum Boys (1977)
John Cale - Autobiography (1984)
Alejandro Escovedo - Nuns Song (2008)
Leonard Cohen - Field Commander Cohen (1974)
Ekseption – Pick Up The Pieces (1975)
Kim Fowley - Mom And Dad (1978)
The Tareyton advertisements were a stroke of genius. Recognizable, fun, ubiquitous. When you saw one, you knew what the message was. And the slogan, "I'd rather fight than switch", lent itself to blues and country music very well.
Come with me, won't you?
100 Proof (Aged In Soul) - I'd Rather Fight Than Switch (1972)
George Jones & The Jones Boys - I'd Rather Switch Than Fight (1965)
A.C. Reed - I'd Rather Fight Than Switch (1965)
Ruby Johnson - I'd Rather Fight Than Switch (1965?)
Don Whitley & Joyce Duke - We'd Rather Fight Than Switch (1965)
Charlie Walker - I'd Rather Switch Than Fight (1965)
Rev. Overstreet & Templette's of Portland, Oregon - Rather Fight Than Switch (197?)
The Residents - Give It To Someone Else (1980)
Martha Stewart even appeared in a Tareyton ad. What a comely lass.
Gentle Giant - On Reflection (live) (1976)
Glockenspiel, cello, violin, recorder, 4 (or 5)-part vocal fugue accompanied by the same musicians providing instrumental backup for those parts, but not the parts they are singing, electric guitar, keyboards, drums, BELLS, etc. in ONE SONG. Gentle Giant was too clever, musical, English, talented....just amazing... too good for American audiences. Their studio creations could be abrasive and angular, but this might be the best live album by a Prog group in the decade. This is a live album with some mistakes, but that's because this is an incredible, real, raw representation of a Prog band at the peak of their powers. Tour, tour, tour, tour...backing group for many many bands that you know. Black Sabbath being one. Can you imagine?
James Brown - Ain't It Funky Now (live) (1971) Live at The Olympia, Paris
As soon as this groove hits you, you wonder how a human being can be so rhythmic, so bred-in-the-bone entertaining, so giving. So broken. But this track always makes me smile because you can hear the rehearsals that went into it. Creating funk like this is a science. People try to understand and recreate, but damn. It's like pretending to be funny. You are or you are not. Brown's organ solo is terrible. But I love it.
Todd Rundgren's Utopia - Another Life (live) (1975) I love this version of this song. It has everything. It sounds like Zappa smushed together with Bowie smushed together with Chicago. I don't care for the rest of the album, but this is impressive to me.
Frank Zappa - Elvis Has Just Left The Building (live) (1988)
Ted Nugent - Stormtroopin' (live) (1977) I know. What an ass. But in my pubescent vulnerability, I found his two Buffalo Auditorium concerts very exciting (and nearly sold out). Selling 16,000 tickets to snow-bound youth is not a small feat. No one would ever say that THAT Ted didn't bring it. Like Gentle Giant, tour, tour, tour, tour. His live album, Double Live Gonzo, is pretty good. I could have picked any number of (non-scatological) songs. Kinda like Zappa.
Grand Funk Railroad - Inside Looking Out (live) (1975) This Animals cover had been a live standard since it was first recorded by the band in 1969. I often wonder what goes into live albums like this, specifically in the way of crowd volume and performance. Ever since I learned that Kiss Alive was doctored thusly, I guess I've become cynical. I listen for it. If there's a live performance without mistakes, it sort of bothers me. And we might never learn the truth. That being said, I owned two Grand Funk live albums. This version is my favorite song from both of them, and the keys really help to flesh out what was a pretty barren version on the first live album. How many times did I practice those hammer-ons on the g-string whenever I got a new guitar? Mark Farner, I believe, left the band for "religious" reasons. That honky could sing.
James Brown - The Big Payback (live) (1974) Live in Zaire is the recording of Brown’s 1974 concert that was part of the build-up to the “Rumble in the Jungle”, the famed boxing match between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali.
The Soul Searchers - Blow Your Whistle (1974)
Trouble Funk - Side B (1981) Go-Go funk band from Washington D.C. that released their own 4-sided album of go-go jamming. This is side 2. They ultimately landed on Island Records, where they proceeded to be neutered and rendered obscure. Can you imagine being in this audience?
The Soul Searchers - We The People (1972)
Charles Brown.
Cameo - Rigor Mortis (1976) Like a cross between Fatback Band, EWF, and Parliament. This isn't go-go per se. Just another band that started in the Soul Searchers/Gap Band mold, only to evolve into something marketable on its own. What do you think of when you think of Cameo? Larry Blackmon's codpiece? I think of that wonderful single "Candy". Gap Band makes me think of their tight harmonies on Stevie Wonder's "Ain't Gonna Stand For It", and of course that big snare drum.
Soulfull Strutters - Let Your Feelings Go (1974)
Look at this record's price on Ebay.
The Soul Searchers - Funk To The Folks (1974)
Cameo - Find My Way (1977) From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "Thank God It’s Friday".
Cameo - Roller Skates (1980)
Chuck Brown - I'm Bad (1987)
Utopia - Love is The Answer (1977)
Notice that this is a cut-out. We covered that on another show. This is a great record. Don't be affected by that.
Leo's Sunshipp - Give Me The Sunshine (1978) I remember reading that the group's name comes from the fact that all the members were Leos. I'm a Leo. Did me no good. Anyhow, you should read about this short-lived group.
First, a story about the ideal first encounter.
Michael Franks - When She Is Mine (1985) His first album was on the Brut label. WAMPUS DOESN'T SOUND SO BAD NOW, DOES IT??? The players on his albums are pretty much the same studio cats on every yacht rock act's harder-to-play stuff. Chicago, Steely Dan, Boz Scaggs, Dan Lewis, everyone. But it's a testament to that cadre of professionals that they can do something as laid back and open as Franks' music AND Steely Dan. I hear the difference. You do, too, if you listen to this show. But...they ruined Chicago. And for that, I will never forgive David Foster. I LOVE this song. I can even forgive the couplet, "She's a virtuoso in amoroso..." No purist, I.
Manhattan Transfer - Walk In Love (1976)
Michael Franks - Tiger In The Rain (1979)
The Brighter Side Of Darkness - Love Jones (1972) Brighter Side of Darkness was a short-lived American R&B/soul group. They were formed in 1971 at Calumet High School in Chicago, Illinois. Their lead singer was 12-year-old Darryl Lamont. "Love Jones" was a #16 hit in the US in December 1972, and was certified gold by the RIAA. They released an album, Love Jones, in 1973. "Love Jones" was parodied as "Basketball Jones" by Cheech and Chong in 1973. The parody was released as a single in August 1973 and reached #15 on the Hot 100. The parody got higher than the original. Oh well, as long as the checks clear. I don't think they all did. They broke up after this.
Manhattan Transfer - It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference (1976)
This album Coming Out featured Popsicle Toes by Michael Franks.
Michael Franks - The Lady Wants To Know (1977)
Manhattan Transfer - Chicken Bone Bone (1971) Manhattan Transfer Phase 1 I guess. Wikipedia: Jukin' remained an orphan in the Manhattan Transfer's catalog. Issued on a different label than their future successes, with a different line-up and sound from what became their trademark, Jukin' is not acknowledged on the band's official website, nor have any of its tracks been anthologized on compilations. The revised group re-recorded the track "Java Jive" on the group's next album. It is the re-recorded version, not the version found on Jukin' , that can be found on multiple compilation albums.
FOR ALL YOU MANHATTAN TRANSFER PURISTS OUT THERE.
Don Ellis - Excursion Part 2 (1970) Written by the same fellow that wrote "Walk In Love" which you'll recall from earlier in my show.
Don Ellis - Pussy Wiggle Stomp (1970) Jay Graydon on guitar. He produced Manhattan Transfer and played that one-of-a-kind solo on "Peg" by Steely Dan. Graydon has written over 200 songs. His catalog includes the Grammy winners "Turn Your Love Around" (co-written with Steve Lukather (Toto) and Bill Champlin (Chicago)) as performed by George Benson and "After the Love Has Gone" (co-written with David Foster (who ruined Chicago) and Bill Champlin (who stood by and watched)) as performed by Earth, Wind & Fire, many songs written with and for Al Jarreau (including "Mornin'", "Breakin' Away", "After All", etc.), and several hits with... Manhattan Transfer.
So, Donny Jenczka...I auditioned for your band in 1985. I sang the song "After All". What was wrong with my performance? Why didn't I get into the band?
Mike Sheridan’s Lot - Make Them Understand (1965) Roy Wood's first recorded song.
Michael Franks - Can't Seem to Shake This Rock and Roll (1973) Michael Franks had a strange take on the Rock. To be....frank? HAAHAHAHAHHA LOL
Sick Man of Europe - Mandocello (1972) Cheap Trick before the mighty Robin Zander grabbed the mic from these idiots.
Nature’s Way - Zander and Kent (1973)
Muse - Across The Skies (1970)
Cheech and Chong (featuring Tyrone Shoelaces) - Basketball Jones (1974) Serendipity! George Harrison plays on this. So does Klaus Voorman. My sister had this album. Read the Wiki.
Weldon Irvine - Love Jones (1974) This record got zero stars in the 1981 Rolling Stone Record Guide, so I had to check it out. If you use the RSRG to help inform your purchases, please take care to note the person doing the reviews. There are (were) many, and I think the guy that reviewed Gentle Giant was a big punk fan. Notable on this particular release is my favorite bass player, George Murray, before his stint with David Bowie. I never would have known that without the shitty RS review!
Manhattan Transfer - The Twilight Zone (1979)
Mahogany Rush - Maxoom (1972) The worst band to be signed to a major label.
Mahogany Rush - Buddy (1972)
In an effort to gain press attention, the original record company created a fictional story that Frank Marino, prior to starting the band, had spent time in a mental institution after taking LSD and was visited by Jimi Hendrix in a vision. This gave him his inspiration to play as he did on the first album which very closely mirrored the style of Jimi Hendrix. By the time the third album, Strange Universe was recorded, this approach to filling the public desire to purchase newer Jimi Hendrix-styled music had been perfected.
Rock and Roll will MESS YOU UP.
I saw Genesis twice. Once in 1980, and then the next year. As I had worn out the grooves of Seconds Out, their live record from 1977, I somehow expected a duplication of the same, which meant playing some of those wonderful tracks from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. I remember them doing lots of tracks off of the album Duke, which was fine, but the next year, when Abacab came out, it was, I knew, time to move on to other things.
The main line-up of Genesis during their glory days was Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, Steve Hackett, and Phil Collins.
Rutherford and Banks wrote "Squonk". Tony Banks wrote "Mad Man Moon" and "One For The Vine". For chrissakes. So what happened? I dunno. Pay me and I'll tell you. I have an idea.
Peter Gabriel - A Wonderful Day In A One-Way World (1978) Any prog fan worth her salt recognizes that Chapman Stick being played by the most famous progenitor of the same, Tony Levin. Aside from being in King Crimson, he was in the movie "One-Trick Pony" with Paul Simon. But there's the Chapman Stick.
Anthony Phillips - Musical Box (demo) (1969) The opening track from the band's third album, Nursery Cryme, was, as you hear here, the birth-child of Anthony Phillips.
Anthony Phillips - Um & Aargh (1979) The drummer is Michael Giles, the drummer for King Crimson's first two albums. King Crimson's family tree, especially in the Prog world, is deep and wide.
Brand X - Nuclear Burn (1976) Phil Collins side-project that started off in the Mahavishnu-Chick Corea vein of Electric Jazz, but, like everything Phil Collins touched, devolved into pure pop.
Flaming Youth - Mars and Jupiter (1969) Phil Collins' pre-Genesis band recorded one album, Ark 2, a concept album about "the evacuation from a dying Earth". It's not bad. I think lots of these bands in the early days of Prog were trying to resolve Sgt. Pepper and The Beatles' affection for and use of old Music hall tropes with Robert Fripp's dexterity and distortion.
Genesis - A Winter's Tale (1968) This single pre-dates their debut album, From Genesis To Revelation (1969)
Genesis - Hair on the Arms and Legs (1967)
Genesis - It's Yourself (1976) B-side of "Ripples". There's a section that sounds like "Los Endos" as if it were meant to be a segue of sorts. this is from the Trick of the Tail sessions, the first album after Peter Gabriel left. It's a great record.
Genesis - One-Eyed Hound (1968) Genesis is a band with lots of pre-fame rarities that are worthy of a listen, if only for Gabriel's authoritative voice. Their first album sold 650 copies.
Genesis - Patricia (1967)
Genesis - Shepherd (1970)
Genesis - The Day The Light Went Out (1978) B-side of the "Many Too Many" single.
Genesis - Try a Little Sadness (1967) Tony Banks is a more prominent backing vocalist on these early sides. Good? Bad?
Genesis - Inside and Out (1978) The Spot The Pigeon EP was released when we would have bought a Genesis Taxidermy Kit if we had the money. But the more I heard it, the more I realized that there was a really fundamental shift in the basic tenets of one of my favorite bands.
According to Wikipedia: "The song was performed several times on the Wind & Wuthering tour in 1977. The first section, "Inside", concerns a man who is wrongfully imprisoned of rape. The second section "Out", is an instrumental passage that represents the man's freedom."
Mike Rutherford - Hideaway (1982) Mike Rutherford sings with the inflections of Phil Collins and the pipes of a drunken Dennis Wilson. Some of the drums on this album by Stewart Copeland. They were on the same polo team. The same polo team. The same fucking polo team.
Peter Gabriel - Moribund the Burgermeister (1977) Nothing but quality from this great. The more I listen the more I realize that he was the heart and soul of that group. Genesis was a different, much less chance-taking group when he left. They must have known this when they heard this album the first time.
Peter Gabriel - Biko (1980) Phil Collins played drums on this record, but if you listen, there are no cymbals on the entire thing.
Peter Gabriel - No Self Control (1980) Robert Fripp appears. He of King Crimson. See? I never said Phil Collins was not a master. He is and was. But the Genesis that old people like me love is the one with this guy sitting in the studio and saying "Why not?" "No cymbals. Why not?"
Robert Fripp appears on the album. He of King Crimson. See?
Phil Collins - Tomorrow Never Knows (1981) From his first solo album, which marked the beginning of the subsumption of the entire pop landscape in the '80s.
Robert Fripp - Here Comes The Flood (1979) PG on lead vocals.
Steve Hackett - Tigermoth (1979)
Mike Rutherford - Time And Time Again (1980) Released two solo records, and then formed Mike and the Mechanics.
Tony Banks - A Curious Feeling (1979) In the words of the Mighty Lew, why are all the solo albums by the two main Genesis songwriters so bland and safe? Could it be David Hentschel's ever-repeating production tricks? He says it's all down to chemistry. I honestly think that the core had the feeling there wasn't anything they couldn't do. And when people started leaving, that precious balance dissipated and mutated.
Tony Banks - This Is Love (1983)
Genesis - That's Me! (1969)
Genesis - Supper's Ready (coda) (1972) I am saying this because it's my show and I want to tell you. After Peter Gabriel sings "The new Jerusalem..." the band plays the coda chords for a while. If you own the original vinyl version, you might listen to the fade-out. There's a bass pedal mistake at the very end that was corrected when they mixed it for CD release.
Sigh.
Nice to see a Go-Gos movie. Wasn't one VH1 special enough? Again, The Go-Gos were not a band after their second album. FIGHT ME. They were a brand. They were not great instrumentalists, but they did not have to be. Their songs were catchy, but there weren't that many of them. They were fun in a B-52's way, even if Belinda Carlisle's Cher-esque vibrato on helium always bothered me. Still, it was nice to see clean-cut, good-looking gals make good in the MTV era. And someday I will play some! But you should know that there were quite a few all-female bands before them. Bands like Birtha and Fanny would have wiped the floor with them.
Brian Hyland - Mail Order Gun (1970)
Brian Hyland had three Top 10 hits in the decade. His first, "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini", went right to #1! 1960. There was also "Gypsy Woman" in 1970 (written by Curtis Mayfield) and that wonderful September song, "Sealed With A Kiss". You know I love the artists who started in the pre-Beatle era and try to reinvent themselves later on. There were so many.
In September 2006 Paul Vance, the song's co-writer, read on TV his own mistaken obituary, as a consequence of the death of another man, Paul Van Valkenburgh, who claimed to have written "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" under the name Paul Vance. The impostor had explained his lack of royalty payments for the song by claiming that he had sold the rights as a teenager. Vance, the song's true co-author, has earned several million dollars from the song since 1960, describing it as "a money machine".
Vance also co-wrote "Playground In My Mind," the hit for Clint Holmes, and "Run, Joey, Run", a hit for David Geddes.
Traffic Safety Tip - Loaded
Brian Hyland - The Bum Is Mine (1977) Written by Allen Toussaint.
Jacqueline Taïeb - 7 A.M. (1968)
Jerry Lee Lewis - The Cannikin Clink (Let A Soldier Drink) (1969) From rehearsals for the musical Catch My Soul, of which I will go into more detail in a future episode. Let's just say I bought the vinyl soundtrack, and it's a pretty good Hair-era retelling of Othello. This is from Peter Guralnick, who authored the ne plus ultra bio (to me) of Elvis Presley:
Picture Jerry Lee Lewis as Iago in the rock ‘n’ roll version of “Othello.” You’re just going to have to imagine it. Me, too. Because as far as I know, no visual record exists except for a few scattered publicity photographs.
He played the role in Los Angeles in 1968. The show was scheduled to come to New York next (we had already made plans to attend) – but it never did. According to Jerry Lee, it was because he had grown tired of the actor’s life, six weeks of following the same script night after night was enough, even if, like any Method performer, he never did play it the same way twice. (“I never worked so hard in my life. I mean two hours and forty-five minutes running up and down stairs – it was a mess.”) Very likely the fact that his recording career revived at exactly this time, with three Top 10 country hits in a row, had something to do with it, too.
No matter. As this rehearsal recording clearly proves, Jerry Lee inhabited the role, just as he has inhabited virtually every song he has ever sung. Listen to the leer in his voice, listen to the clarity of the message, listen to his delight in the lines. Oh man, I wish I had seen the show.
When I first met him two years later, in the spring of 1970, the role was still clearly in his blood. “You know,” he said to me toward the end of my visit, “a lot of people think if you can make a lot of money, that’s what this life is all about. Well, that can’t be what life is all about, you know? If I can just play my piano and sing – you know, the proudest I ever was in my life was when I got my first record out, hear[ing] it on the radio for the first time.“ He meditated on that for a little while. “Well, life is just a vapor,” he said, winking at me, as if I, too, must surely recognize this Shakespearean allusion. “You breathe it in, and what the heck, it’s gone.“
Kenny Vance - Shuffling Up Your Downs (1969) Written by Becker and Fagen. From Wikipedia: In 1967, the songwriting duo of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen came to the Brill Building to sell their songs, and ended up knocking on Vance's door. Vance liked what he heard, and offered to manage them. The duo arranged horn and string sections for Jay and the Americans and toured with them as bassist and keyboardist, eventually recording demos and masters with Vance in 1969. He continued to work with Becker & Fagen until 1971, when he brought one of their songs ("I Mean to Shine") to Richard Perry, who then brought it to Barbra Streisand and recorded it on Barbra Joan Streisand.
Take A Dip With Dinah - Kenny Vance (1969) Ibid.
The Gass - In The City (1966)
The Gass - The New Breed (1966)
The She's - The Fool (1966)
The What Four - Ain't No Use In Crying Susan (1966)
Formed in Manhattan and comprised of Elizabeth Burke (drums), Cathy Cochran (guitar), China Girard (rhythm guitar) and Diane Hartford (bass). They signed with Columbia in 1966, where they released "Baby I Dig Love" b/w "It's Hard to Live On Promises" and "I'm Gonna Destroy That Boy" and "Ain't No Use in Crying, Susan."
"I'm Gonna Destroy That Boy" is a great title.
The What Four - Do You Believe (1966) Different band, same name. This one from Dayton, Ohio.
The What Four - It's Hard To Live On Promises (1966)
Traffic Safety Tip - Corpse
The What Four - Whenever (1966) The males.
The What Four - Baby, I Dig Love (1966) The females.
The What Four - I'm Gonna Destroy That Boy (1966)
Topper Headon - Drumming Man (1985) Ex-drummer for The Clash. 'Drumming Man' is a cover of Gene Krupa's signature tune 'Drummin' Man', as originally recorded by Gene Krupa & His Orchestra in 1936.
XTC - This World Over (1984)
L Ron Hubbard/Yvonne Gillham Jentzsch - The Golden Dawn (1972) Scientology is an applied religious philosophy, jerk.
John Phillips - Zulu Warrior (1973-1979)
Sensation Alex Harvey Band - Give My Compliments To The Chef (1974) The cover is a send-up of the big Roger Dean covers done for Yes, Uriah Heap, etc. I love this record very much. Alice Cooper was a pretty tame imitation/contemporary. This is the real stuff.
Traffic Safety Tip - Lady Luck
Frank Zappa - Little House I Used To Live In (1970)
The Shadows Of Knight - Shake Revisited '69 (1969)
?-?
Velvet Underground - Waiting For The Man (1967)
The Webspinners (Ron Dante) - Theme From Spider Man (1972)
Thee Prophets - Rag Doll Boy (1969)
?-?
Tito Puente - Oye Como Va (1962) Original version
Traffic Safety Tip - Bottle
Tony Martin - Aquarius (1982)
Pink Floyd - Vegetable Man (1967)
Lorne Greene - Waco (1966)
Traffic Safety Tip - Corpse II
Winchester 76 - Buffalo (1967)
Winston Cigarettes - It's How You Make It Long (1967)
Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies - You Can Never Come Down (1968)
Hot Chocolate - You Could've Been A Lady (1971)
David Hill - All Shook Up (1957) The original recording.
From Discogs.com:
Birtha was one of the leading female rock bands performing during the early 1970s. The band consisted of four women: Shele Pinizzotto (guitar), Rosemary Butler (bass), Sherry Hagler (keyboards) and Liver Favela (drums). All four members of the group performed lead vocals and harmonies.
Liver was the last member to join Birtha in 1968. The group immediately started playing the club circuit and toured from California to Alaska. From 1968 to 1971 Birtha worked to tighten and refine their rock sound and in 1971 they started writing their own material, most by themselves, occasionally in partnership with other parties, including Mark Wickman and Gabriel Mekler.
Birtha signed a record contract with Dunhill Records in 1972 and recorded their first album "Birtha" with record producer Gabriel Mekler and engineers Dave Hassinger and Val Garay. After the release of their first album, Birtha began playing rock concerts and clubs throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. While taking breaks in their home town, Los Angeles, they would often play The Whiskey and The Troubadour and frequently played a club in Glendale, CA called The Sopwith Camel.
In 1973 Birtha recorded their second album, "Can't Stop The Madness" with producer and engineer Christopher Huston. The band was on the road for more than 250 days a year and played with groups like, Fleetwood Mac, Alice Cooper, Poco, Black Oak Arkansas, Cheech and Chong, The Kinks, B.B. King, Three Dog Night, James Gang and many more.
The band broke up in 1975 and all the members went their separate ways.
Birtha - Dirty Work (1973)
Birtha - All This Love (1973)
Birtha - Don't Let it Get You Down (1973)
Birtha - Free Spirit (1972)
National Guard Session with Skitch Henderson, Bobby Gentry, and Glen Campbell. (1969)
Radio Moscow Signals - Treachery of the violent kind.
Chuck Barris Syndicate - Donnie (1968)
Eddie Rambeau - Summertime Guy (1962)
Freddy Cannon - At The Disco Down (1980) Strange, strange, strange.
Freddy Cannon - Hey Punk Rocker (1980)
?
Peter Ivers - In Heaven (1977) From the movie Eraserhead.
The Avant Garde - Naturally Stoned (1968)
Luie Luie - Sweet and Tender Touchy (1974)
Luie Luie - Tasty Touchy (1974)
The Avant Garde - Honey and Gall (1968)
The Avant Garde - Well Well Well (1968)
The Avant Garde - Fly With Me (1968)
The Deep - Crystal Nite (1966) From Wikipedia: Psychedelic Moods is the debut album by the American psychedelic rock band, The Deep, and was released on Cameo-Parkway Records in October 1966. The album was one of the first pieces to produce a consistent psychedelic theme throughout the whole LP. All of the material featured was originally composed by the band. Despite the conflicting dates, it is generally considered the first album to use the term "psychedelic" in its title.
The Deep - Psychedelic Moon (1966)
The Deep - Trip #76 (1966)
The Executives - Moving In A Circle (1968)
The Executives - Parenthesis (1969) Written by J. Webb.
The Executives - Sit Down I Think I Love You (1968)
Les Humphries Singers - Cum On Feel The Noize/Breaking Me Up/Herbie Knows How (1974)
The Executives - My Aim Is To Please You (1967)
Billy Preston - My Sweet Lord (1970)
Muzak of some kind
John Simon - My Name Is Jack (1968) Written by John Simon after he was recommended to Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary to help with the movie, “You Are What You Eat”, for which he did the soundtrack, writing and performing most of the tracks, including this song. The movie is unwatchable.
Sammy Davis Jr. - You Can Count On Me (Theme from Hawaii 5-O) (1976)
The Sunrays - Bye, Baby, Bye (1966)
13th Floor Elevators - Zale's Jewelry Ad (1967?)
Bobbi Blake - Too Many Babies (?) Song-poem
Mrs. Marshall manages to make dinner for the family with the aid of the Robot. Ed Marvin reporting. Caloric a-la-carte Oven promo.
This is me talking about my new album, and the tracks thereof, in detail.
If you would like to support a humble troubadour like myself, humbly traipsing through the forest, offering up my tales of daring-do, please visit my Bandcamp thingie.
This show lasts about 1:15 or so. The rest is my standard DSAO fare.
The artwork is by the great Joe Irizarry (The Mad Sketcher) and his artwork can be seen here.
Darrell Nutt and I made this jam and Darrell's a well-liked denizen of all things music. His page is here.
My record company is Wampus.com, and it's run by Mark Doyon. Wampus is here.
Allman Joys - Shapes of Things (1966)
The Sorrows - Amore Iimone (1968)
Fatback - King Tim III (Personality Jock) (1979) if there was a real Rap record before this, please let me know. Either of you.
Steely Dan - FM (demo version) (1978) Theme from the ghastly movie of the same name. As a kid, I thought being a DJ would be a worthy profession. Sure, there'd be slick salesmen with copies of "I'm In You" with cocaine packets in them (sort of like the one in WKRP In Cincinnatti) and sure, there'd be meetings, endless meetings, to discuss the latest rock trends with stalwart veterans of the FM walking dead with names like "Shane", "Mother", "All-Together Heather" and "Steve Rall", debating whether or not that new shitty Stones single was too risque. But that didn't phase me. I even went to school for Broadcasting. I maintained a solid "pass".
No, the day I decided that radio was not for me was the day I got a job producing a show on WCHL, a religious program that I had forgotten the name of. Sundays at 6:00 PM. But we had to wait until the Durham Bulls away game was finished. And the guy operating the soundboard to manage the feed that people heard told me that he was making about $5/an hour. He sat there. He sat there. And I thought, "Gee, that's something I will be promoted INTO." And I left the next day.
Freddy Cannon - She Loves You (1964)
Freddy Cannon - Rockin' Robin (1971) On the Buddah label. Just like Lou Christie.
Freddy Cannon - Charged Up, Turned Up Rock 'n' Roll Singer (1970)
Freddy Cannon - Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (1965)
Gottfried Böttger/Les Humphries - Disco Boogie (1977)
Gottfried Böttger was a German boogie-woogie and ragtime pianist.
Buffalo Springfield - The Hour Of Not Quite Rain (1968) Lyricist's story.
Jay Ferguson - Medicated Goo (1976)
Keith Hampshire - Daytime, Night-Time (1973)
King Tim III - Charlie Says (Roller Boogie Baby) (1980)
Spirit - Water Woman (1966)
Pacific Drift - Yes You Do (1971)
Run To The Poet Man - Freddy Cannon (1967) Desperate for a hit, Cannon tried everything. Disco, Sunshine Pop, reminders of hits past, everything.
Snow - Bless Me (1969)
Snow - Break Away (1969)
Snow - We’re Together Again (1969)
Snow - Wilderness (1969)
Songbird - Dirty Work (1973) Same label as Heart.
Super-Wolf - Super-Wolf "Can Do It" (1980) Often known as a sex-machine.
Allman Joys - Crossroads (1966) Unreleased demo.
Jürgen Drews - Ein Bett im Kornfeld (1998) He was in Les Humphries Singers. Makes him a German star in my book.
Laverne and Shirley - Five Years On (1976)
Marjoe Gortner - Hoe Bus (1973)
Donny Most - I Only Want What's Mine (1980) With Linda Purl as "Lorree". She played Pam Beesly's mother in The Office. The one Michael Scott dated until he found out she was too old.
Freddy Cannon - Suzanne Somers (1981) The sounds like a fake crowd. Man, Freddy Cannon tried EVERYTHING.
Denny Greene - Love Party (1976) I picked out the nuttiest title from Sha Na Na man Denny Greene's one solo album. Spot on. Immaculately produced dross to my ears.
Freddy and Connie Cannon - Blankcheck Market (1981) B-side of "Suzanne Somers". Nothing gets wasted on VINYL NIGHT!! More fake audience hilarity.
Chuck Barris - Too Rich (1969) Here's Chuck Barris's Wikipedia thingie. Too rich an American tale to do justice here. Suffice to say he hosted a show called The Gong Show, a crazy continuum of the Arthur Godfrey Show in that you had a chance, before a nation-wide audience, to be a star (or, TGS, a notorious failure). But your goal was always fame. Barris claimed, until the day he died, to be a CIA assassin.
Chuck Barris - I Know a Child (1969) B-Side of "Too Rich". Nowhere near as good.
Denny Greene - Great Escape (1976) This is different from the 12" single (which is a little different than the LP version). A little less processed, and the bass is nowhere near as prominent.
Citizen - I Am A Citizen (1980) I forget how I found out about Citizen, but I'm glad I did, sorta. I would love to talk to Donn Marier to see what the original plan was. Who decided on the shoulder pads? What was it like recording that video? Did you have any success? The main thing I got from listening to this album was that someone in his band was an amazing guitarist. Donn Marier's website is dead. But here's the video.
Freddy Cannon - Sugar (1976) ANYTHING!!!! Including Disco.
Freddy Cannon - Sugar (inst.) (1976) The b-side.
Citizen - Advertising (Rock Rock)! (1980) No, Wall Street!! You will not take me into your consumer-driven clutches.
Scott Simon - Think About Me (1980) Another Sha Na Na guy puts out an inoffensive record. This one is more reminiscent of the original group. Fun in places, competent. Not great.
Lou Christie - Wood Child (1971) To me, a great record that very few people know.
Hard to find a copy that isn't a cut-out. That means that the record company sends them as wholesale to retailers as non-returnable items, meaning that the store cannot send them back to the distributor for a refund; the reason for the cut or hole in the packaging is to mark the item as non-returnable. The marking also serves to prevent the retailer from selling the discounted item at full price.
All the albums that I have accrued lately are actually cut-outs. The music is the same. The vinyl is the same. It's just a way of preventing them from being perpetually returned by retailers.
That gal is Twyla Herbert, LC's songwriting partner.
J Jocko - That's The Song (1975) The best of the three solo SNN albums during my recent spree. Co-produced by my personal friend Elliot Randall. Slick, pretty fun, and one gets the impression J Jocko doesn't care what anyone thinks.
Lou Christie - Waco (1971)
J Jocko - Lip Service (1975)
Lou Christie - Lighthouse (1971)
J Jocko - Tomorrow’s Rising (1975)
Lou Christie - Paint America Love (1971)
The Guess Who - Country Disco (1981) This HAS TO be a contract fulfillment record. Remember those AM hits? "American Woman"? "These Eyes? "It's Clap For The Wolfman"? Only the bass player remains.
Screamin' Scott Simon - I Ain't Got a Home (1980)
Lou Christie - Indian Lady (1970) Stan Vincent also wrote "O-o-h Child" for The Five Stairsteps. They recorded for George Harrison's Dark Horse Records in 1976.
Roogalator - Cincinnati Fatback (1976) One-off single for Stiff Records. Love it.
Cherie and Marie Currie - Since You Been Gone (1979) Worse ways to get a hit than by regurgitating this rock classic. Cherie Currie was the young lead singer for The Runaways. Something tells me we will never know the complete story of Kim Fowley's combination of creepy misogyny and hyper-driven idea factory in his head. He tried and tried, and I've played his stuff on the show over and over.
"Chastity" promo (1969) Movie starring Cher. Written and produced by Sonny Bono. I sat through this once. Once. As I have said before, Sonny's misunderstanding of (and disdain for) the counterculture of the time infected everything he put his hands on.
Cherie Currie - Beauty's Only Skin Deep (1979)
Sha Na Na - Depression (1971)
Sha Na Na - Hot Sox (1974) I felt pretty uncomfortable playing this. So ya know. But I'm nothing if not a completist.
Sha Na Na - Just A Friend (1971)
Sha Na Na - Sha-Bumpin' (1975)
Yamasuki - Aieaoa (1971)
Anson Williams - I Wanna Believe In This One (1977)
Louis Armstrong and Leon Thomas - The Creator Has A Master Plan (Peace) (1970)
Blackrock - The New York City Bump (1975)
Rick Wakeman - I'm So Straight I'm A Weirdo (1980)
Amber - Introduction (1970?) I don't think I'll ever know who this was or why they either covered Chicago's "Introduction" or why they allowed themselves to be covered without credit. Does either of you know?
? - Beatles Rule (1964)
Big T Stigler and the L.D.S. Band - Cleo (1977)
Don High and Mighty - Black Cojack (1976)
Kokomo Arnold - Busy Bootin' (1935)
Joe Richie - How Do You Get Rid Of A Hippie (In A Country Western Bar) (1981)
Jack Allocco - Disco Madness (1978) From the Disco Fever soundtrack.
From IMDB: Late 50's teen idol Desmond (FABIAN) and his comical manager (CASEY KASEM) gets mixed up with a corrupt disco owner/music manager Cybill who wants to sign Desmond up for a contract only to use him for an opening act for a new disco singer (MICHAEL BLODGETT) on a new DISCO inside an airplane. Fabian sings 3 new songs (not disco) in this very lost gem.
Ringo Starr - Back Off Boogaloo (1981) The worst. The dregs of solo Beatles releases. Harry Nilsonn appears to have been a con-man with a nice voice.
P J Proby - That Means A Lot (1965)
XTC - Respectable Street (1980)
This is Black Sea, the 1980 album by XTC. Buy it. It is wonderful.
The Fifth Estate - No. 1 Hippie On The Village Scene (1967)
Advertisement for Ball Buster. A family game! (1975) You're a BALL BUSTER!!!
Zig Zag - The Bump (1974)
Monti Rock III - For Days and Days (1965)
"I Am A Groupie" advertisement. (1970)
Marva Holiday - Written All Over My Face (1968)
Marva Holiday - Rising Higher (1968)
Louis Armstrong - Give Peace A Chance (1970)
Love - Be Thankful For What You Got (1974) Yes, THAT Love.
Donny Most still swings the GASB for the blue-haired ladies, but in the early 70's, he was the acerbic, somewhat amoral Ralph Malph on the spin-off machine Happy Days, a show that started as a segment of Love American Style in 1972. So it, itself, was a spin-off.
On February 25, 1972, the show aired an episode with a segment titled "Love and the Television Set", a story about Richie Cunningham, his family, and friends. The premise and characters would later be used for the television series Happy Days, and the episode would later be recognized as a de facto pilot for the series (it had originally been produced as a pilot for New Family in Town, which had not been picked up). For syndication, the segment was retitled "Love and the Happy Days". Happy Days, in turn, launched an extensive franchise of spinoffs into the 1980s.
And that's why we have the dance known as "The Fonzie". Thank you, Love American Style. Still waiting for those Season 2 DVDs.
By the way, Happy Days is the reason Julie Pawlowski cut off our conversation when I asked her to see the Stones at Rich Stadium in 1975. It had to be a Tuesday. Fuck you, Happy Days! YOU'RE the reason I wet the bed until I was 25.
Donny Most - Rock Is Dead (1976)
UA was the same label that released Electric Light Orchestra's Eldorado album. Which to push? This posture reminds me of my old friend Dave Pandolfi.
Donny Most - One of These Days (1976)
Written by Barry Manilow, the b-side of "It's A Miracle".
Donny Most - Blue-Finger Lou (1976)
Bill Bixby and Brandon Cruz - Daddy What If (1971)
POACA will recall Bill Bixby as TV's The Incredible Hulk.
Bobby Bare and Bobby Bare Jr. - Daddy What If (fake audience) (1974)
Chuck Berry - Louis to San Francisco/Ma Dear (1968)
Elvis Presley - Raised On Rock (1973)
Elvis Presley - Way Down (1976)
D.A. - Ready ’n’ Steady (1979)
"Ready 'n' Steady" is a song written by D. A. Lucchesi and Jim Franks, and performed by the group D. A. The song appeared on Billboard magazine's Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart for three weeks in June 1979; however, for many years, neither the record nor any information about it or the artist could be found. This led many collectors to label "Ready 'n' Steady" a "phantom record" that did not exist at all until a recording surfaced in 2016 and its artist (by this point deceased) was identified.
Frank Zappa - Andy (Live) (1980)
Frank Zappa - 13 (Live) (1980)
Ted Cassidy - The Lurch (1965)
John Astin - Wallflower Pete (1965) B-side to "Querida Mia".
Moody Blues - Had To Fall In Love (1978)
Blue Jays - This Morning (1975)
Neil MacArthur (Colin Blunstone of The Zombies) - She’s Not There (1969)
Colin Blunstone- I Don’t Believe In Miracles (1972)
Colin Blunstone - Say You Don’t Mind (1972)
Denny Laine - Say You Don't Mind (1967)
Moody Blues - Boulevard De La Madeleine (1966)
Balls - Fight For My Country (1970)
L-r: Trevor Burton, originally of The Move (which was that great Birmingham band that preceded Electric Light Orchestra), Alan White (who played in Plastic Ono Band, and later, Yes) and Denny Laine (who played in The Moody Blues, and later, Wings.) Pretty strong connection to The Beatles (The Move would later include Jeff Lynne, who would go on to produce Cloud Nine for George Harrison, as well as "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" with the remaining Beatles. For a band with such a tiny recorded output, not bad. NOT THAT GOOD, EITHER.
Balls - Hound Dog Howling (1971)
Denny Laine - The Blues (1973)
Laine's solo output is, for lack of a better word, slight.
Wings - Time To Hide (1976)
Denny Laine - Japanese Tears (1980)
Kris Kringle - Help (1972)
Kris Kringle - Janie Slow Down (1972)
For a while, let's say from 1979 to 1985, there was no artist more consistent, reliable, solid, or smart (or photogenic) than Daryl Hall and John Oates. Hall and Oates were big big big. On MTV especially. To my ears (and I did try), they never made a GREAT album, but those singles can't be topped. They were born and bred in Philly soul, and they were/are known soul revivalists of exquisite caliber. But if you really listen to their 1979-1985 hits, it was when they veered away from the purest components of Philly soul and just got Hall's 8th note keyboard style or sparse drum machine going that they found the most success. You could ALWAYS tell who that was. I mean, it WAS soul for sure, but it was more poppy and...fun. I like H and O a lot. During their golden era, hit after hit. If you're young and aren't familiar with them, just grab a compilation of their hits and you will know what it was to live in those times. They paid their dues for sure.
Daryl Hall - A Lonely Girl (1969)
Daryl Hall and John Oates - Philadelphia Freedom (1991)
Robert Fripp - NY3 (1979) Daryl Hall on vocals. Robert Fripp is/was the majordomo for King Crimson, The League Of Gentlemen ((with former XTC keyboardist and distraction Barry Andrews, who went on the form Shriekback, Sara Lee from B-52s (the girl in the bathtub in the "Love Shack" video), Gang Of Four, etc., and Johnny Toobad who also toured with B-52s)) and worked fruitfully with David Bowie, Brian Eno, etc. He played the recognizable lead in "Fashion", "Heroes", etc.
Daryl Hall - Something In 4/4/ Time (1977) Produced by Robert Fripp. What a strange partnership.
Robert Fripp - Exposure (1979) Daryl Hall on vocals. Peter Gabriel covered this on his 2nd eponymous album.
De La Soul - Say No Go (1989) Heavily sampled "I Can't Go For That (Say No Go)" as well as:
- Sly Stone: "Crossword Puzzle"
- The Detroit Emeralds: "Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms)"
- Emotions: "Best of My Love"
- The Funky Four Plus One More: "That's The Joint"
Still, I really like it.
Dee Dee Bridgewater - He's Gone (1976)
Daryl Hall and John Oates - Downtown Life (1988)
Daryl Hall and John Oates - Every Time You Go Away (1980)
Daryl Hall and John Oates - Gino (The Manager) (1975)
The Temptones - Good-Bye (1966) Daryl Hall's '60s group. Or one of them.
Whole Oats - Goodnight and Goodmorning (1972) This was Hall and Oates under their original band/brand name Whole Oats.
Gulliver - Every Day's A Lovely Day (1970)
Daryl Hall and John Oates - War Baby (1974) Can you guess who produced this?
Daryl Hall and John Oates - Lady Rain (1973)
Daryl Hall and John Oates - I'm Sorry (1972)
Jiri Korn - Akrobat (1984)
Justin Hayward - I'm Sorry (1980)
Helena Vondráčková - Kral Diskotek (1982)
Lou Rawls - She's Gone (1974)
Marylin McCoo - One On One (1985) A pretty tepid version for such a wonderful singer.
Nina Simone - Rich Girl (1978)
Juoko, Kosti ja Paavo - Olet Rikkain (1977)
Robert Fripp - North Star (1979) DH on vocals.
Ron - Hi Capito O No? (1983)
Ruth Copeland and Daryl Hall - Heaven (1976) Remember we talked about Ruth Copeland writing for Parliament's first album Osmium?
Sacha Distel - Tu Es Sur Ma Liste (1981)
The Dramatics - Do What You Want, Be What You Are (1978)
The Masters - I Need Your Love (1966) John Oates on vocals.
Daryl Hall with The Cellar Door - The Princess and the Soldier (1968)
Daryl Hall - Vicky - Vicky (1969)
Mike Oldfield - Family Man (1982)
Daryl Hall and John Oates - Cold, Dark, and Yesterday (1984) Pretty good b-side of the #1 song "Out of Touch". Sung by John Oates.
"Elvis is gone but his memory will live on through his music. This album, comprised of songs written by Elvis Presley fans, is their way of saying "Thank You" to a very special person who gave so much of himself for their pleasure and entertinment [sic]."
Jim Ward - Elvis Was The Biggest Thing
The Real Pros - In Love With Elvis
Elvis Presley - Yoga Is As Yoga Does (1967)
Fern Jenkins - Letter To Elvis
Elvis Presley - A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action (1968)
Elvis Presley - She's A Machine (1968)
Excerpt from the Peter Guralnick biography of Elvis.
Elvis Presley - Do The Clam (1965)
Elvis Presley - Just A Little Bit (1973)
The Residents - Elvis And His Boss (1978)
Jaye Pauley - To Our King
Elvis Presley - Poison Ivy League (1964)
Excerpts from the Peter Guralnick biography of Elvis.
Jim Ford - The Story of Elvis Presley (1960)
Matt Vincent - The King Without A Crown
The Residents - Blue Suede Shoes (1989)
Jim Ward - Forever In Our Hearts
Excerpt from the Peter Guralnick biography of Elvis.
Gary Lewis & The Playboys - I Saw Elvis Presley Last Night (1968)
Bill Medley - Old Friend (1984)
The Residents - Viva Las Vegas (1989)
Bob Joyce and Elvis Are The Same Age (2017)
Jaye Pauley - To Our King
Daddy Bob - Welcome Home Elvis (1977)
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My podcast is doing VERY well! Thank you for downloading, listening on Podbean, iTunes, and wherever good podcasts are found. I love doing this work. Obscure music is a passion of mine.
Billy Bossman - Up The Road (1965) Junco Partner rip-off
The Bompers - Do The Bomp (1965) Written by Carol Connors and Roger Christian
The Creations IV - Dancin' In The Sand (1965) Featured in an episode of the Flintstones, this was the work of studio musicians including Larry Goldberg, the man entrusted to run the label's rock output. Also likely to be involved from the start was Danny Hutton, later of the Three Dog Night.
Jean King - Watermelon Man (1966) Taken from her live-in-the-studio HBR long-player "Sings For The In-Crowd". Recent pro-draft duo Jan & Dean are among those supplying the live ambiance.
Kenny Rogers and the First Edition - Calico Silver (1972)
Kenny Rogers and the First Edition - Elvira (1970) Later, a massive hit for long-time gospel group The Statler Brothers.
Skafish - Sign Of The Cross (rarely heard studio version) (1976)
Jim Skafish on Facebook: "When I wrote Sign of the Cross in 1976, it was the first blatantly sacrilegious rock song in history. I was rebelling against a lifetime of religious abuse. The recording most of you know of the song is from the concert film Urgh! A Music War! You might also like the first known live recording of the song at this time, which is from my 21st birthday party concert in Chicago! The intensity is otherwordly! Get bonus points for blasting it on Sundays!" This reporter opines that the live version you know from Urgh! A Music War kicks this version's ass.
Kenny Rogers and the First Edition - Tell It All, Brother (1970)
Kenneth Rogers - That Crazy Feeling (1958)
Kenny Rogers and the First Edition - Dirty Work (1974) A pretty awful version of the Becker/Fagen classic sound-wise, I know. But it speaks to KR's band's attempts to broaden their audience before ol' KR split for greener pastures.
Kenny Rogers and the First Edition - Lena Lookie (1973) Almost prog!
Jimmy Ellis (aka Orion) & "Carl Perkins" - Matchbox (1975) The Carl Perkins recording was probably way before Orion came to Sun Studios and "duetted" with Perkins. I did a whole show segment of a previous show on Orion and his "duet" with Jerry Lee Lewis.
Murray's Monkeys - Gipsy [sp] (1966) Songwriter Mitch Murray and his group.
Scatman Crothers - What's A Nice Kid Like You Doing In A Place Like This? (1966) Airing in March '66 on ABC, "The New Alice In Wonderland" was an animated special featuring Sammy Davis Jr. among its stellar voiceover cast. When Davis couldn't be secured for the soundtrack LP, veteran actor/musician Crothers took his place as the Cheshire Cat on the only track to see release on a 45.
Simon T. Stokes - Big City Blues (1966)
The First Edition - Marsha 2 AM (1967)
The Riot Squad - I Take It That We're Thru (1966) Featuring Joe Meek of Telstar fame.
The WC Fields Memorial Electric String Band -Hippy Elevator Operator (1966) Oh to be a record collector in the late '60s.
Thema Camacho - Take Me To The River (1980)
Charlie Ross - Without Your Love (Mr. Jordan) (1976)
The Guess Who? - Flying On The Ground Is Wrong (1967)
Sylvester & The Hot Band - Southern Man (1973)
Burson Enterprise - Mr. Soul (1968)
Paul and Paula - Hey, Paula '75 (1975) I announced 1977, but it was actually 1975.
Bruce Channel - Hey, Baby '68 (1968)
Billy Thorpe - Children of The Sun (1979) Album version, a little longer than the single.
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Burnin' Love
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - His Latest Flame
Major Bill Smith and The Americans - Take Your Crude And Shove It (1978)
Bruce Channel - Keep On (1968)
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Suspicious Minds
Bruce Channel - Requiem For Elvis (1977) Just awful.
Bruce Channel - Hey Baby '78 (1978)
Bruce Channel and Bill Dota - Hey Baby '68 (1968)
Fleetwood Mac - Sentimental Lady (1972) Original version, recorded later on his solo album "French Kiss" to big sales. Big sales. 1977.
Gene Summers and Crossfire - Do Ya Think I'm Sexy (1978)
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Hey Baby
The Herd - I Don't Want Our Loving To Die (1968) In 10 years, the singer, second from the right, would be singing "I'm In You".
Kippington Lodge - I Can See Her Face (1969)
Kippington Lodge - In My Life (1969)
The singer (front, seated) would be singing "And So It Goes" in 7 years.
Bruce Channel and Major Bill Smith - Requiem For Elvis/Love Me (1978)
Major Bill Smith with Hogan And The Heroes - What's This? (1983)
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - In The Ghetto
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - That's Someone You Never Forget
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Suspicion
Major Bill Smith with Zane and Hogan - Freddy, The Disco Frog (1979) This had to be all improvised. Was there poppers in Fort Worth?
Major Bill Smith - Thank You, Mr. Khomeini (1979)
Nancy Dupree - James Brown (1969)
The Fredric - Born In Fire (1968) This is David Geddes' band before his "Run Joey Run" fame.
The Fredric - Federal Reserve Bank Blues (1968)
The Fredric - Red Pier (1968)
George Harrison - The Answer's At The End (1975)
King Crimson - Happy Family (1971)
Ron Wood - Am I Grooving You? (1974)
Ben + Judy - I Love it When We Dance Together (1977)
Ron Wood - Breakin' My Heart (1979)
Brian Wilson - Just Say No (1986)
Citizen - I Am A Citizen (1980)
Harry Breuer - Moog Fu Yong (1969)
Ron Wood - I Got Lost When I Found You (1975)
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - The Mighty Quinn (Live) - 1977
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - You Are-I Am (1979)
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Lies (Through The 80's) (1980) Associate Producer: Trevor Rabin.
Mariska Veres - Looking Out For Number One (1980) Ex-lead vocalist for Shocking Blue.
Mariska Veres - Take Me High (1975)
Hey, now....
Mariska Veres - Lovin' You (1976)
Mariska Veres - Tell It Like It Is (1975)
Mel Hayes And His 237th Band - Hey Boogieman (1977)
This was the only recording of theirs I could find. So why 3 pictures? I am intrigued by the career of Donn Marier. I wish he had written me back. Maybe some day.
Mike Crain, Karatist Preacher - Breaking Of Concrete (1971)
Moby Grape - Omaha (1968)
Peter Castle - Get The Girls (1975)??????????
Ron Wood - Crotch Music (1974)
Ron Wood - 1234 (1981)
Steely Dan - Kulee Baba (1980) Outtake from the Gaucho sessions.
Street - What A Strange Town (1968) I like this record. Like "Tingling Mother's Circus", but a little better. A little more interesting.
Boogie Man Orchestra - (Theme From) Lady, Lady, Lady (1975) Another Donn Marier production!
Boogie Man Orchestra - (Theme From) Lady, Lady, Lady (Instrumental) (1975)
Long speech from the host.
Gilbert Neal - Claudius (2020) My new single from my album "Mistakes of Memory", out July 31, 2020.
Here are some rarely heard originals of some massive hits. The artists that had the hit are in bold.
Paul Pena - Jet Airliner (1973) Steve Miller Band
Diane & Annita - Groovy Kind of Love (1965) The Mindbenders and Phil Collins
Barry Mann - Don't Know Much (1980) Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville
B J Thomas - You Were Always On My Mind (1970) Elvis Presley, Willy Nelson, and Pet Shop Boys
Beau Williams - C'est la Vie (1984) Robby Nevil
Bruce Springsteen - Blinded By The Light (1973) Manfred Mann Earth Band
Bobby Bare - The Gambler (1976) Kenny Rogers
Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club - Video Killed The Radio Star (1979) The Buggles
Erma Franklin - Piece Of My Heart (1967) Big Brother And The Holding Company
Marylin McCoo and Billy Davis - Saving All My Love For You (1978) Whitney Houston
Kvitka Cisyk - You Light Up My Life (1978) Debby Boone
Kelly Gordon - He Ain't Heavy (He's My Brother) (1969) The Hollies
The Eleventh Hour (Kenny Nolan) - Lady Marmalade (1974) LaBelle
Gian Piero Reverberi and Gian Franco Reverberi - Last Man Standing (1968) Gnarls Barkley
Lemme B. Good (Limmie Snell) - Good Lovin' (1965) The Young Rascals
Mickey Newbury - Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) (1968) The First Edition
Mike Oldfield - Family Man (1982) Hall And Oates
Prince Buster - One Step Beyond (1964) Madness
Tim Harden - Reason To Believe (1965) Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart - That's What Friends Are For (1982) Dionne and Friends
Slade - Cum On Feel The Noize (1973) Quiet Riot
Supercharge - We Both Believe In Love (1979) Huey Lewis and the News (as "Do You Believe In Love")
The Clique - I Am Superman (1969) REM
Gary Scruggs - Gentle When You Say The Word (1967)
Carl Douglas - Gambling Man (1974) Carl Douglas had been doing singles since the 60's. "Kung Fu Fighting" was his first hit.
Stoney & Meatloaf - Game of Love (1971)
Herman's Hermits - Ginny, Go Softly (1975)
G.E. Silicones - The Answer (Got to Investigate Silicones) (1973)
John Harford - Gentle On My Mind (1967)
Ed McMahon - Georgy Girl (1963)
Gerry Marsden - Gilbert Green (1967)
Clarence Reid - Get Back (1969)
Clarence Ried was also:
Nancy Sinatra - Get Ready (1998)
Anne Murray - Get Together (1970)
Doug Clifford - Get Your Raise (1972)
Helen Reddy - Getaway (1963)
Roger Daltrey - Giddy (1977)
Olivia Newton John - Gimme Some Lovin' (1978)
Dirk & Stig - Ging Gang Goolie (1978) Why?
Davy Jones - Girl (1971)
Jan & Dean - Girl, You're Blowing My Mind (1967) Dig that sitar. That backwards masking.
Robert Hazard - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (1979)
Wings - Give Ireland Back To The Irish (1972)
Simon Dupree and the Big Sound - Give It All Back (1969)
Sha Na Na - Glasses (1972)
Glidden - Going Places (1972)
Harlem Globetrotters - Globetrottin' (1970)
"Mad" Maynard Horlick - Go Go Rip Van Winkle (?)
Alice Cooper - Go To Hell (1976)
Yes - Gates of Delirium (Live) (1976)
10cc - Old Wild Men (1974)
10cc - Une Nuit a Paris (1975)
10cc - Ships Don't Disappear In the Night (Do They?) (1972)
10cc - Don't Hang Up (1976)
YMMV, but this is one of the most exciting live albums ever released, in my opinion.
Led Zeppelin - Black Dog (Live) (1972)
Led Zeppelin - Bring it On Home (Live) (1972)
Gilbert Neal - The Things We Do For Love (2019)
Gilbert Neal - All Of My Love (2019) No more singing in the studio.
Jimmy Page - She Just Satisfies (1965)
Jimmy Page - Keep Movin' (1965)
The Senators - She's A Mod (1964) John Bonham on drums.
The Senators - Lot About You (1964)
John Paul Jones - Baja (1964) Written by Lee Hazelwood and recorded first by The Astronauts in 1963.
John Paul Jones - A Foggy Day In Vietnam (1964)
Robert Plant - Laughin', Cryin', Laughin' (1967)
Robert Plant - Our Song (1967)
Robert Plant - Long Time Coming (1967)
Robert Plant - I've Got A Secret (1967)
Band Of Joy - For What It's Worth (1968)
Band Of Joy - Hey Joe (1968)
XTC - Wheel and the Maypole (2000)
XTC - The Last Balloon (1999)
XTC - Dear God (1986)
XTC - River of Orchids (1999)
Dschinghis Khan - Dschinghis Khan (1979)
Dschinghis Khan - Rocking Son Of Dschinghis Khan (1979)
Ray Torske - 666 (1974) (song-poem)
Davron G'oyipov - Sen Qaydan Bilasan (1981) A disco song in Uzbek. Now stop asking me.
Gordon Haskell - How Wonderful You Are (2001)
Grand Funk Railroad - Born To Die (1976)
Sonny And Cher - Hey Jude (1971)
The Archies - Hot Dog (1968)
Mickey Rooney - Be Prepared To Pay (1970)
J Jocko - I'm Gettin' Over (1975)
Jan & Dean - The Universal Coward (1966)
Jeff Lynne - Goin' Down To Rio (1977)
Jefferson Airplane - Let's Get Together (1966)
John Entwistle - Cinnamon Girl (1971)
Blue Jays - This Morning (1975)
Kansas - Portrait (He Knew) (1977)
King Crimson - The Talking Drum (session reels) (1972)
Men At Work - Down Under (original version) (1980)
The Osmonds - Traffic In My Mind (1973)
Paul Williams - For The Hell Of It (1974)
Phil Ochs - The Kansas City Bomber (1972)
Scott Baio - How Do You Talk To Girls (1982)
Alicia Bridges - Self-Applause (1978)
Simon Dupree And The Big Sound - Give It All Back (1969)
Simon Dupree And The Big Sound - Something In The Way She Moves (1969) Read this about the Schulman Family.
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Wichita Lineman (1969)
The Jam - Absolute Beginners (1981)
The Jam - That's Entertainment (1980)
The Jam - The Bitterest Pill (1982)
The Jam - Town Called Malice (1982)
The Style Council - Walls Came Tumbling Down (1985)
The Style Council - Internationalists (1985)
The Style Council - My Ever Changing Moods (1984)
The Style Council - You're The Best Thing (1984)
The Free Design - Love Me (1971)
The Free Design - Friends (Thank You All) (1971)
The Free Design - Where Do I Go? (1969)
The Free Design - That's All, People (1970)
David Soul - Going In With My Eyes Open (1977)
Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder - Pops, We Love You (1978)
KC and the Sunshine Band - Do You Wanna Party? (1979)
Godley and Creme - Hit Factory/Business Is Business (1978)
Les Humphries Singers - Jazz Is Dead (1976)
The League Of Gentlemen - Cognitive Dissonance (1980)
Then we left the studio.
Pere Ubu - Road To Utah (2014)
Pere Ubu - Folly Of Youth (1995)
Pere Ubu - Rhapsody In Pink (1980)
Pere Ubu - Rhapsody In Pink (1989)
Fonzie With "Thumbs Up" Action TV Commercial (1976)
R.B. Zipper - Cruisin' With The Fonz (1976) Bruce Wooley, who co-wrote this shit, also co-wrote "Video Killed The Radio Star".
Leather Tuscadero (Suzi Quattro) - Do The Fonzie (1978)
Unknown - Fonzie Impressionist Track (Aaay, Cool, Nerd, Sit On It) (1976)
Frank Lydon - Fonzie Meets Kotter's Sweathogs (At The School Dance) (1976) The best part is when "Fonzie" says "Ayyyy....SHUT UP." And the background music sounds a little like early 70s-style instrumental Zappa.
The Heyettes - The Fonz Song (1976)
The Globetrotters - Meadowlark (1970)
The Globetrotters - Bouncin' All Over The World (1970) Written by Sedaka-Greenfield, the team that penned all those 60s hits.
The Globetrotters - Cheer Me Up (1970)
The Globetrotters - Globetrottin' (1970)
Syreeta - I'm Goin' Left (1974)
Syreeta - Spinnin' and Spinnin' (1974)
Elvis Presley - The Power Of My Love (1969)
Richard and Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (1974)
Richard Dawson - Apples and Oranges (1969?)
Rotary Connection - Didn't Want To Have To Do It (1968)
Scott Walker - Joanna (1969)
Screaming Lord Sutch - Flashing Light (1970)
Sha Na Na - Canadian Money (1971)
Sha Na Na - Only One Song (1972)
The Archies - A Summer Prayer For Peace (1969)
The Brady Kids - Drummer Man (1972)
Carpenters - Your Wonderful Parade (1969)
The Collage - She's Just Laughing At Me (1968)
The duo of Richard Otcasek and Benjamin Orrzechowski was first formed in the late sixties. They formed several bands over the years, including the Paramount-signed but short-lived Milkwood of '72. Their last band before The Cars was Cap'n Swing, which consisted of Ric, Ben, Elliot Easton (née Steinberg), Glenn Evans on drums, Todd Roberto on bass, and Danny Schliftlin on piano.
Ric Ocasek - Connect Up With Me (1982) Cheezy synths abound.
Benjamin Orr - Too Hot To Stop (1986) Fake drums abound.
Cap 'n Swing - Come Back Down (1977)
Cap 'n Swing - Dream Trader (1976)
Cap 'n Swing - Bye Bye Love (1976)
Cap 'n Swing - Indigo (1976)
Elliot Easton - New For Me (1985)
Elliot Easton - I Want You (1985)
Greg Hawkes - Jet Lag (1983)
Greg Hawkes - Voyage Into Space (1983)
Milkwood - Along The Way (1972)
Milkwood - Makeshift Pawn (1972)
Milkwood - With You With Me (1972)
Ocasek and Orr - Every Day (1974)
Gilbert Neal - Jackie Don't Go (2016)
The Modern Lovers - Pablo Picasso (1976) I just don't get it. But David Robinson of The Cars was in this group, and that's why I include it here.
The Cars - Dangerous Type (1979)
The Grasshoppers - Pink Champagne and Red Roses (1965)
The Grasshoppers - The Wasp (1965)
The Animals - A Day In The Life (1968)
The Smell of Female (1965) (From the movie "Faster, Pussycat, Kill! Kill!")
Freddy Cannon - Sock It To The Judge (1968)
Giles, Giles, and Fripp - One In A Million (1968)
Herman's Hermits - It's Alright Now (1967)
Howlin' Wolf - Pop it To Me (1969)
Gilbert Neal - The New America (2013)
Gilbert Neal - Epiphany (2013)
Gilbert Neal - Let's Get The Band Back Together (2013)
Gilbert Neal - She Is The Reason (2013)
Gilbert Neal - Water (2013)
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - My Cecile (2019)
Gilbert Neal - Jamie Day (2013)
Gilbert Neal - She's That Way (2013)
Gilbert Neal - Forgive Yourself (2013)
Gilbert Neal - Everything's A Steal (2013)
Gilbert Neal - Remember Me That Way (2013)
I don't want much. I just want a little bit. Written by Rosco N. Gordon III in 1959.
"Just a Little Bit" was developed when Gordon was touring with West Coast blues artist Jimmy McCracklin. According to Gordon, McCracklin started to write the song and agreed that Gordon could finish it, with both of them sharing the credit. Gordon later presented a demo version to Ralph Bass at King Records, who was reportedly uninterested in the song. Gordon then approached Calvin Carter at Vee-Jay Records, who agreed to record it.
Meanwhile, Federal Records, a King Records subsidiary, released a version of "Just a Little Bit" by R&B singer Tiny Topsy (1959 Federal 45-12357), with songwriting credit given to Ralph Bass and several others unknown to Gordon. The Tiny Topsy song, featuring a pop-style arrangement with background singers and flute, did not reach the record charts.
Elvis Presley (1973)
Animals (1977)
Freddie King (1973)
Jerry Lee Lewis (1973)
Etta James (1968)
Dave Berry (1964)
Liverpool Five (1966)
Gene Simmons (1964)
Magic Sam Blues Band (1969)
Mitch Ryder and the The Detroit Wheels (1966)
Rory Gallagher (1975)
Rosco Gordon (1959) The original. I find this version has a swing to it that the others don't possess. As if they took the part that didn't swing and emphasized THAT because it was just easier.
Roy Head (1965)
Slade (1974) I like Slade, but this is the worst version here.
The Undertakers (1964)
Them (1965) Also a pretty bad version.
Tiny Topsy (1959)
Note the additional composers.
Tony Worsley and the Blue Jays (1965)
Homer & Jethro - Gonna Send 'Em Home (1964) Nobody sent anybody home.
Janis Joplin - Half Moon (1969) Written by John and Joanna Hall. How exciting it must have been!
John Hall - Voyagers (1978) With James Taylor and Carly Simon on backing vocals. With all that star power, how could this fail? Didn't even reach the top 200.
John Hall - Nu Toone (1970)
John Hall Band - Crazy (1982)
Kangaroo - I Never Tell Me Twice (1968) John Hall's band before Orleans.
La Bionda - I Wanna Be Your Lover (1980) JUST TAKE MY MONEY!!!
Orleans - Please Be There (1973)
John Hall - Power (1979) More Carly and JT. No sales, but it must have been nice to have your song sung at the No Nukes thingie.
Stevie Wonder - As (1976)
Genesis - Behind The Lines/Duchess (1980) I distinctly remember the Duke tour booklet saying to "expect some surprises". Selling out was a surprise, I admit.
Cab Calloway - Minnie The Moocher (disco version) (1978)
Les Humphries Singers - Father O'Flynn (1975)
Les Humphries Singers - US Calvary (1975)
Phil Ochs - I Ain't Marchin' Anymore (electric version) (1965) Rarely referenced in favor of the more taut acoustic version. Still, look at this:
Oh I marched to the battle of New Orleans At the end of the early British war The young land started growing The young blood started flowing But I ain't marchin' anymore
For I've killed my share of Indians In a thousand different fights I was there at the Little Big Horn I heard many men lying I saw many more dying But I ain't marchin' anymore
It's always the old to lead us to the war It's always the young to fall Now look at all we've won with the saber and the gun Tell me is it worth it all For I stole California from the Mexican land Fought in the bloody Civil War Yes I even killed my brother And so many others And I ain't marchin' anymore
For I marched to the battles of the German trench In a war that was bound to end all wars Oh I must have killed a million men And now they want me back again But I ain't marchin' anymore
For I flew the final mission in the Japanese sky Set off the mighty mushroom roar When I saw the cities burning I knew that I was learning That I ain't marchin' anymore
Now the labor leader's screamin' when they close the missile plants United Fruit screams at the Cuban shore Call it, "Peace" or call it, "Treason" Call it, "Love" or call it, "Reason" But I ain't marchin' any more
The Belmonts - My Sweet Lord (1971)
Cheap Trick - Hello There (1978) Steve Albini version. With horns.
Cheap Trick - Downed (1978) Steve Albini version.
Tonto's Exploding Headband - Tama (1971) "Tonto" is the name of the enormous synthesizer invented by Malcolm Cecil (Tonto's Expanding Head Band founder). T.O.N.T.O. stands for The Original and New Timbral Orchestra due to its amazingly expansive symphonic sound. Listen to Stevie Wonder's early-70's masterpieces. That's what you hear.
Here are some song-poems for your ass.
Sammy Marshall and the Party Crashers - Rock and Roll Boogie Beat
Sonny Cash - Psychic Cigarette
Jim Lea - The Doing of Our Thing
Stan Beard and the Swinging Strings - Snobows
(?) What I Say? - Some band from Japan.
Fakes:
The Georgettes - Be My Baby
The Chords - Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter
The Jalopy Five - Help
The Jalopy Five - Satisfaction
Betty Richards - These Boots Are Made For Walkin'
Betty Richards - How Does That Grab You Darlin'
The Jalopy Five - Sock it To Me Baby
Tribe - Why? (1971)
? - Batman Theme (1966)
Sherry York - A Sign Of The Times (1966)
Sandy - Bang Bang (1966)
Cheap Trick - Big Eyes (1978) Steve Albini version.
The Alan Caddy Orchestra - Fire (1968)
The Alan Caddy Orchestra - Want Ads (1970)
The Alan Caddy Orchestra - Freddie's Dead (1971)
The Now Generation - Half-Breed (1973)
Ray Conniff - Doin' The Twister (1957)
The Human Beinz - Foxey Lady (1968)
? - Fire (?)
The Smack - Fire (1968) American rock band from Lawrence, Kansas active in 1968. Smack was formed by 4 students from the University of Kansas. Within a few weeks of inception, the band performed many gigs in the Lawrence area, and eventually recorded a covers album, Smack. Only around 2,000 copies of this album were ever pressed, and quickly sold out, later becoming collectors items, due to its unique, heavy musicianship, fuzz toned covers of classic songs, and its rarity.
Sarah Vaughan - Peter Gunn Theme (1966)
Andy Williams - Get Together (1969) Crazy, sitar-laden version by one of my favorite singers. Performed with Loadstone. This brass-centric band formed in Las Vegas, NV. Backing Bobby Darin at the time. he went on his hiatus to find himself, leaving them looking for a gig. The band worked a club in Vegas called 'The Pussycat A Go Go' where Andy Williams used to hang out. He signed the band to his label, Barnaby Records, because of the big following the band attracted to its live performances. Andy also got Dave Grusin to produce the album as well as play piano on one track, Dayshine. The album was recorded in a two week period in the Summer of 1969 and other than record promotion concerts and a few club gigs in L.A., the band never toured.
Your Navy Presents: Carpenters - Get Together (1969) As listeners to this show will know, the original version, less polished, was sung by Richard.
Della Reese - Get Together (1970)
Dino Valenti - Let's Get Together (1964)
The Dave Clark Five - Everybody Get Together (1970)
Anne Murray - Get Together (1970)
Hamilton Camp - Get Together (1964)
The Association - Let's Get Together (1970)
Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys - Let's Get Together (1968)
We Five - Let's Get Together (1965)
Lobo - Let's Get Together (1974)
George Hamilton and Skeeter Davis - Let's Get Together (1970)
Smith - Let's Get Together (1970)
The Staple Singers - Let's Get Together (1968)
Phil Manzanera - Flight 19 (1977)
David Essex - On And On (1973)
Eddie Simpson - Big Black Funky Slave (1972)
Carl Douglas - Gambin' Man (1974)
Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds - Annabella (1971)
James Brown - It's A New Day (1970)
Gilbert Neal - Where Are You (2020) Remix
Then I left the studio.
Very famous A-sides in bold.
The First Class - Both Sides of the Story (1974) Beach Baby
Nick Lowe - Endless Grey Ribbon (1979) Cruel To Be Kind
Jigsaw - Brand New Love Affair (1975) Sky High
The Archies - Melody Hill (1968) Sugar Sugar
Norman Greenbaum - Milk Cow (1969) Spirit In The Sky
Pilot - Just Let Me Be (1974) Magic
Ram Jam - I Should Have Known (1977) Black Betty
Alicia Bridges - Self-Applause (1978) I Love the Nightlife (Disco 'Round)
Ace - Sniffin' About (1974) How Long
Starland Vocal Band - Starland (1976) Afternoon Delight
Steam - The Magic In You (1970) Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
The Sugarhill Gang - Apache (1981) Rapper's Delight
GLS United - Rapper's Deutsch (1981)
T Rex - Raw Ramp (1971) Bang A Gong
Terry Jacks - Put The Bone In (1974) Seasons In The Sun
The Knack - Let Me Out (1979) My Sharona
Vicki Lawrence - Dime a Dance (1973) The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia
John Fred And His Playboy Band - When The Lights Go Out (1967) Lucy In Disguise (With Glasses)
Wild Cherry - The Lady Wants Your Money (1976) Play That Funky Music
Zager & Evans - Little Kids (1969) In The Year 2525
The Five Stairsteps - Dear Prudence (1970) O-o-h Child
The Five Stairsteps had previous peripheral success recording in Chicago with Curtis Mayfield; when Mayfield's workload precluded his continuing to work with the group they were reassigned to Stan Vincent, an in-house producer for Buddah Records, who had recently scored a Top Ten hit with the Lou Christie single "I'm Gonna Make You Mine". The Five Stairsteps' debut collaboration with Vincent was originally formatted with the group's rendition of "Dear Prudence" as the A-side with Vincent's original composition "O-o-h Child" as B-side. However, "O-o-h Child" broke out in the key markets of Philadelphia and Detroit to rise as high as #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1970.
The Spiral Staircase - Broken-Hearted Man (1969) More Today Than Yesterday
Clint Holmes - There's No Future In My Future (1972) Playground In My Mind
Pratt & McClain - Cruisin' With The Fonz/Tonight We're Gonna Fall In Love (1976) Happy Days Theme
David Essex - On and On (1973) Rock On
Then I sneak out of the studio.
Fred Wesley and the Horny Horns - A Blow For Me, A Toot For You (1977)
Bernie Worrell - Insurance Man For The Funk (1978)
Bernie Worrell - Reprise: Much Thrust (1978)
Bernie Worrell - Woo Together (1978)
The Brides of Funkenstein - Never Buy Texas From a Cowboy (1979)
Eddie Hazel - California Dreamin' (1977) All these guys could sing.
Eddie Hazel - Physical Love (1977)
Fuzzy Haskins - Cookie Jar (1976) One of the original members of Parliament, he joined the group in 1965 when they were still called The Parliaments. He later became an integral voice on Funkadelic's groundbreaking series of albums for Westbound Records, as well as releasing two solo albums for the label. He quit the P-Funk groups on June, 4 1977 after a show in Los Angeles, and later tried to reclaim the Funkadelic name from George Clinton.
Fuzzy Haskins - Mr. Junk Man (1976)
Fuzzy Haskins - Which Way Do I Disco (1976)
Parlet - Don't Ever Stop (Lovin' Me, Needin' Me) (1979)
Parlet - Pleasure Principle (1978)
Fred Wesley & The Horny Horns Feat. Maceo Parker (1977)
U.S. Music With Funkadelic - Rat Kiss The Cat On The Navel (1972)
The Free Design - Day Breaks (2001)
The Free Design - Friendly Man (1971)
Adriano Celentano - Prisencolinensinainciusol (1973)
The Beatles - Revolution (Take Your Knickers Off) (1968)
Mike Reid - Prisencolinensinainciusol (Freezin' Cold In 89 Twoso) (1974)
Scott Engel - Good For Nuthin (1958)
The Archies - Do The Jughead (1969)
Everly Brothers - Mr Soul (1968)
Mr. Clean and The Soul Inc - What's Going On (1972)
The Teenmakers - Southern Man (1970) The Danish Hollies
Peer Pressure PSA - 7th Day Adventists
She Knows How To Do the Do-Dee Doo (song-poem)
Murry Wilson - The Colonel’s March (1965?)
Andy Stein - Hello Hollywood (1976) Hollywood Boulevard Unreleased Soundtrack - Main Theme
The movie came out of a bet made between producer Jon Davison and Roger Corman that Davison could make a film cheaper than any other that had been made at New World Pictures. Corman granted him a budget of $60,000 and only allowed ten days of shooting instead of the usual 15. The filmmakers achieved this by coming up with a story about a B-movie studio which could incorporate footage from other movies that Corman owned.
Arkade - Susan (1970) More Austin Roberts
The Bonniwell Music Machine - Astrologically Incompatible (1967)
Bazooka - Boo On You (1968) More Austin Roberts
Bert Tenzer - A New Life For Everyone Inside The Outer Shape (?) DuPont Dacron advertisement
Bertrand Burgalat - L’observatoire (2000)
Bourbon Family - Lolly Sue (1973) No...keep the headband!!
Chubby Checker MacRobinson Ad (?)
Coca-Cola of Germany - Wir Bleiben Am Ball (?)
PSA - STDs 7th Day Adventists
Michael Nesmith - Cruisin’ (1979)
The Swinging Blue Jeans - Don’t Make Me Over (1966)
Dress Doctor Edith Head (?)
Edison Lighthouse - She Works In a Woman’s Way (1970) Their big hit was "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)"
Fat Larry’s Band - Down On The Avenue (1976)
Frank Zappa - Anti-drug PSA
Gary Lewis - Then Again Maybe (1972) Not credited to The Playboys. "Bubbeleh, when you gonna start paying rent maybe? Bwaaahay..."
The Invasion of Helios - Giant Crab (1968) Psychedelic band from Santa Barbara, California, USA, 1960s. their first album was "A Giant Crab Comes Forth". I love that.
Percy Mayfield - I Don't Wanna Be President (1974)
Johnny Whitaker - Friends (1973) People with certain extensive life-experience remember Johnny from Family Affair.
Cat Food - King Crimson (Live) (1973) John Wetton forced to sing some of the more ridiculous lyrics of all time.
Kool and the Gang - Kool and the Gang (1969)
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs - On a Diet of You (1978)
Lt Garcia’s Magic Music Box - Sweet Lady Fair (1968)
Skeleton Topless - Messer Chups (2005)
Messengers - Thats The Way a Woman Is (1971)
Fredi - Onhan Palva Viela Huomennakin (1968) "Let's Live For Today" in Finnish
Felix Cavaliere - Only a Lonely Heart Sees (1979)
Hunky Funky - The American Breed (1969) Cover of the David Morris Jr. 1968 single "(Everything Is) Hunky Funky (I'll Be Anything If You Want Me)". The band's name on the single reads THE american BREED which was shortly just changed to Rufus.
Come back, Olga. All is forgiven.
Stump - Buffalo (1987)
Stump - Chaos (1987)
Peter Tork - Pleasant Valley Sunday (1980)
Village People - Action Man (1981)
Which cover do you like better?
Aretha Franklin - The Feeling (1979)
Village People - Big Mac (1981)
The Osmonds - Boogie Down (1976)
Connie Francis - Where The Boys Are (Disco version) (1978) ON the United Artists label. Just like ELO.
Bobby Vinton - Disco Polka (1979)
Ethel Merman - Everything's Coming Up Roses (Disco) (1979)
Village People - Food Fight (1981)
Theresa Brewer - Music Music Music (Disco version) (1976)
Myron Floren - Double Eagle Disco Polka (1977)
Percy Faith - Mongonucleosis (1975) Originally by Chicago.
Peter Tork - Since You Went Away (1980)
Rick Wakeman - Rhapsody In Blue (1979) He threw a tomato at YES's album cover?
Ringo Starr - Tango All Night (1977) Bette Midler on backing vocals.
Sammy Davis Jr. - That Old Black Magic (Disco version) (1979)
Black Arabs - Black Arabs (1978)
Village People - Do You Wanna Spend The Night (1981)
Bill Cosby - What You Think About Lickin' My Chicken? (1977)
Bobby Hebb - Sunny '76 (1976)
Frank Sinatra - All or Nothing At All (1977)
Mel Tormé - Dominique's Discoteque (1966)
Jack Allocco - Disco Madness (1978)
Reunion - Disco-Tekkin' (1975)
Earth, Wind, and Fire - I Can Feel it in My Bones (1971)
Earth, Wind, and Fire - Mom (1972)
Earth, Wind, and Fire - Fan The Fire (1971)
Earth, Wind, and Fire - Love is Life (1971)
The Salty Peppers - La La Time (Pt. 1) (1969)
The Salty Peppers - Your Love is Life (1969) Recorded two years later by EWF.
Ramsay Lewis - Sun Goddess (1974) Backed by EWF.
Ramsay Lewis - Hot Dawgit (1974) Backed by EWF.
The Emotions - Flowers (1976) Written by Maurice White and Al McKay, backed by members of EWF. Produced by Charles Stepney and Maurice White, basically an EWF album. And a sort of Rotary Connection album.
The Emotions - Smile (1978) Written by White and McKay. Produced by White. You can REALLY tell when Verdine White is playing bass. Just a cut above.
Deniece Williams - Time (1977)
Deniece Williams - Watching Over (1976)
Charles Lloyd - TM Song (1972)
Mickey Dolenz - Daybreak (1973) One of the only songs Nilsson wrote that I like.
Dennis Wilson - River Song (1977)
Eddie and Dutch - My Wife The Dancer (1970)
Frank Sinatra - I Sing The Songs (1978)
Freddie Cannon - Sock It To The Judge (1968)
G.C. Cameron - If You Don't Love Me (1974)
Giles and Fripp - I Talk To The Wind (1968)
Greyhound - Black and White (1970)
Elvis Presley - Hey Jude (1968)
Frank Zappa - I Don't Wanna Get Drafted (1980) Single version.
Ian Thomas - Goodnight Mrs. Calabash (1976)
L Ron Hubbard - Windsplitter (1982)
Lawrence Hilton Jacobs - Larry's Theme (1978)
Les Humphries Singers - Mexico (1972)
I know no one is listening. But for my own sake, I think i need to repeat songs less. I treat my show as all cool and rare and precious, but I repeat songs as much as anyone. I didn't even realize that until I started archiving all of them. So to both of you, I'm sorry.
Jerry Lee Lewis And Friends - Save The Last Dance For Me (1978)
Jerry Lee Lewis And Friends - Sweet Little Sixteen (1978)
Jerry Lee Lewis And Friends - I Love You Because (1978)
From Discogs:
A very weird, and weirdly entertaining, curiosity of an album. The liner notes simply say that the sessions that produced these tracks are "clouded in mystery," with the result that Lewis's lone duet partner on these tracks is never actually identified. Whoever he is, let's just say that he could make a very good living as an Elvis impersonator, and probably does. Let's also say that it's more than possible that his vocals were added years (if not decades) after the original sessions, which sound as if they derive from the early '60s, just before Lewis left Sun Records. Personnel: Jerry Lee Lewis (vocals, piano). Audio Remixer: Bob Smith. Producers: Sam C. Phillips, Jack Clement. Compilation producers: Shelby S. Singleton, Jim Wilson. Mojo (Publisher) (5/02, p.144) - "...A wonderful con devised by producer Shelby Singleton...Acquiring Lewis's Sun originals he persuaded Jimmy Ellis, perhaps the greatest Elvis impersonator, to imitate The King and overdubbing did the rest. Listeners were left open-mouthed..." Factually this artificial album issued in 1978 was composed by two unequal parts: 1) most of tracks (9 of 11) are Jerry Lee Lewis recordings from sessions 1960-1962 later overdubbed by Jimmy Ellis vocals; 2) two tracks ("Am I To Be The One" and "Sail Away") are Jerry Lee Lewis and Charlie Rich authentic duo recorded in 1959 and previously issued correspondingly in 1970 (on album Jerry Lee Lewis - A Taste Of Country without credit to Rich) and in 1975 (on compilation Kings Of Country Vol.2 where Rich was credited).So this album is performed, besides Jerry Lee Lewis himself, partially by "false friend" Jimmy Ellis (who never recorded together with Lewis) and partially by "true friend" Charlie Rich. Ellis and Rich were not credited, so them remain unnamed mysterious "friends". Though Lewis Sun sessions from 1960 to 1963 were recorded in stereo, this album was released in mono (maybe because duos with Charlie Rich do not have stereo versions). In 1996 this album was also reissued on CD in stereo. Two mono duos with Charlie Rich were removed, and three other tracks with overdubs by Ellis were added.
Jerry Lee Lewis - Rockin' Jerry Lee (1980)
Orion - Ebony Eyes (1979)
Orion - Rockabilly Rebel (1980)
Orion - Texas Tea (1980)
Ronnie McDowell - Walking Through Georgia In The Rain (1977)
Ronnie McDowell - Animal (1978)
Ronnie McDowell - This is A Hold Up (1978) Kinda rapey. "It's not your money. Since I tasted your honey..."
The Flatlanders - Bhagavan Decreed (1972)
The Flatlanders - Dallas (1972)
The Flatlanders - She Had Everything (1972)
Phil Ochs - Kansas City Bomber (1972)
Bill Medley - Old Friend (1985)
Roy Orbison - Hound Dog Man (1979)
The Four Tops - Gira Gira Reach Out (I'll Be There)
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas - Jimmy Mack
Four Tops – L'Arcobaleno Walk Away, Renee
Jimmy Ruffin - Se Decidi Cosi' What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted
Stevie Wonder - Mi Querido Amor My Cherie Amour
Stevie Wonder - Por Primera Vez For Once In My Life
The Temptations - Mein Girl My Girl
The Supremes - Baby, Baby, Wo Ist Unsere Liebe Where Did Our Love Go
The Supremes - Jonny Und Jo Come See About Me
Marvin Gaye - Wie Schön Das Ist How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
Johnny Cash Sings In German (late 50's)
"Besser so Jenny Joe"
"Kleine Rosmarie"
"In Virginia"
"Wo ist Zuhause Mama"
"Wer kennt den Weg"
From "The Current":
Johnny Cash's German-language songs were released in Germany and to some extent in the United States, but are not very well known on this side of the Atlantic. Two of the tracks appear on an album, The Unissued Johnny Cash, released in 1978 on the Germany-based label, Bear Family Records.
"Bear Family is the single most prolific label out of Germany that put out recordings of American artists," says Val Camilletti, owner of Val's Halla Records in Oak Park, Ill., just outside Chicago. "They are renowned for their box sets of recordings by Buddy Holly, Chet Atkins, the Everly Brothers and so many others, especially in the world of rockabilly. The label is extremely important. It's a goldmine of American artists."
According to liner notes that appear on The Unissued Johnny Cash, Cash recorded the German-language songs in the late 1950s after he had moved from Sun Records to CBS Records, and the latter label noticed that Cash's song, "Don't Take Your Guns to Town," proved a big hit in Germany. At the label's request, in 1959, Cash recorded a handful of tracks in German, including "I Got Stripes," translated as "Viel Zu Spät."
Johnny Hallyday - L'Histoire De Bobby McGee (1975)
Milan Drobný - Kdo Ví (1975)
Vicky Leandros - L'amour Est Bleu (1967)
Les 409 - S'il Faut un Homme (1967)
Bill McClintock - Mean Machine (2018)
Brigati - Groovin' (1976)
Brigati - Made In Spain (Bamboo) (1976)
Brigati - Lost In The Wilderness (How 'Bout A Harlem In Your Life) (1976)
Bulldog - No (1972) Featuring (?) Dino Danelli on drums. Ex-Young Rascals.
Felix Cavaliere - Destiny (1975)
Felix Cavaliere - A High Price to Pay (1974)
Felix Cavaliere - Only A Lonely Heart Sees (1979)
Paris Connection - You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling (1978)
Van Halen - Take Your Whiskey Home (1974)
Van Halen - Take Your Whiskey Home (1980)
Van Halen - Kicks (1977?)
David Peel & The Lower East Side - The Pope Smokes Dope (1972)
? - Asian Pop Soul Funk That I Don't The Titles Of (?)
I think I went home early.
1910 Fruitgum Co. - Creations of Simon (1969)
1910 Fruitgum Co. - Collection of Thoughts (1969)
Allan Clarke - Born To Run (1975)
Dusty Springfield - Anyone Who Had A Heart (1964)
Bacon Fat - Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights) (1970)
Blonde on Blonde - Whole Lotta Love (1979)
Blue Ash - Hippy Hippy Shake (1972)
The Bluejeans - Sandfly (1969)
The Blues Band - Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights) (1980)
Chan Romero - Hippy Hippy Shake (1959) The original version.
Denny Greene - Great Escape (1977) Dance mix with attendant electronic drum solo.
Denny Greene - Lonely Town, Lonely Street (1973) Written by Bill Withers.
Dusty Springfield - Close To You (Recorded in 1964, released in 1967)
The Bluejeans - Hey Mrs. Housewife (1969)
John Fred And His Playboy Band - Back In The USSR (1969)
King Biscuit Boy - Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights) (1971)
Mike D'Abo - Gulliver's Travels (See The Little People) (1969)
Having made his name as The Rolling Stones' manager, Andrew Loog Oldham and partner Tony Calder also established one of the 1960s' most eclectic record labels - Immediate, and its spin off Instant. The pair subsequently set about recording an almost indescribable mix of material. 1968's "Gulliver's Travels" was clearly one of Oldham's odder projects. Based on the famous Jonathan Swift book, the Oldham-produced album stands as an early stab at a concept piece. Described as "a musical journey inspired by Jonathan's Swift's story", the album featured a bizarre mix of song fragments (including unlicensed snippets of The Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe In Magic" and a couple of Little Richard cops), sound effects (courtesy of David Collison), backward tapes and heavily orchestrated incidental music. Elsewhere, the title track featured a performance former Manfred Mann vocalist Mike D'Abo. It's all exceptionally strange and occasionally quite taking and is one of those LPs best heard through a good pair of headphones. Unfortunately, the failure to secure copyright/licensing rights for the song fragments and D'Abo (who was still signed to a contract with Fontana) saw the LP pulled from circulation within a matter of weeks. Needless to say, today pristine copies are quire rare.
Simon Dupree and the Big Sound - Part Of My Past (1968) Pre-Gentle Giant Schulmann Brothers.
Pat Travers - Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights) (studio version) (1976)
Pat Travers Band - Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights) (live hit version) (1979)
Peps Blodsband - Bom Bom-Sen Blir Det Svart (1988)
Philadelphia Flyers - Run and Hide (1974)
Jimmy "Bo" Horne - If You Want My Love (1972)
Jimmy "Bo" Horne - Get Happy (1977)
Jimmy "Bo" Horne - Hey There Jim (1970)
Jimmy "Bo" Horne - If We Were Still Together (1973)
Jimmy "Bo" Horne - Don't Worry About it (1974)
Crack The Sky - Ice (1975)
Crack The Sky - Surf City (1975)
Crack The Sky - Nuclear Apathy (1978)
Buckingham Nicks - Don't Let Me Down Again (1973)
Christine Perfect - Crazy 'Bout You Baby (1970)
Kool & The Gang - Kool & The Gang (1969)
Average White Band & Ben E King - A Star In The Ghetto (1977)
Bobby Goldsboro - Me Japanese Boy I Love You (1964) An infrequently heard Bacharach-David composition.
Frank Zappa - Wind Up Working In A Gas Station (1976)
Wild Cherry - Get Down (1972)
From Discogs:
Wild Cherry started as a straight rock band, playing Ohio style melodic hard rock with proto power pop influences. They cut a couple records on their own, before getting signed to Terry Knight's Brown Bag label. These records did not have much impact, and the band broke up for a while. In 1975 or thereabouts original Wild Cherry leader Rob Parissi recruited some musicians from the Pittsburgh area, and started a new Wild Cherry. This band tried to crack the rock clubs, but in the time since the original band's breakup, musical tastes, and clubs were changing to more dance music. Parissi wrote a song from experience called "Play that Funky Music", and in doing so, the band followed their lead and became a funk/disco/dance band.
Wild Cherry - Living and Loving (1972)
Wild Cherry - Baby, Don't You Know (1976)
Wild Cherry - If You Want My Love (1978)
The Original Animals - Fire On The Sun (1977)
Frank Sinatra - High Hopes (1960)
Gary Burbank - Who Shot J R? (1980)
George Harrison - The Answer's At The End (1975)
The Citizens - Goldwater (1964)
Gord Lightfoot - Daisy-Doo (1962)
O C Smith - Blowin' Your Mind (1972) From "Shaft's Big Score"
Journey - It's All Too Much (1976)
The Incredible Kim Fowley - Fluffy Turkeys (1968)
Kris Kristofferson - Golden Idol (1967)
Kris Kristofferson - Killing Time (1967)
Lawrence Hilton Jacobs - Larry's Theme (1978)
Les Humphries Singers - Mexico (1972)
Men At Work - Down Under (original version) (1980) I tell the sad story of this song's ultimate effect on one of it's creators.
Men At Work -Keypunch Operator (1980)
Eve Plumb - When I'm 21 (1970)
The Righteous Brothers - Woman, Man Needs Ya (1969)
The Righteous Brothers - Substitute (1975)
Gloria Gaynor - Substitute (1978)
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Rock and Roll Heaven (2016)
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - I Will Survive (2016)
Rod Stewart - I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts of Town (1964)
Seals and Crofts - First Love (1980)
Seals and Crofts - Unborn Child (1974) Tasty abortion song.
From Wikipedia:
The project originated when Lana Bogan, wife of recording engineer Joseph Bogan, watched a TV documentary on abortion and she was inspired to write a poem from the perspective of the terminated fetus.
According to Dash Crofts, Warner Bros. tried to warn them not to release the album, because the subject of abortion was highly controversial. Neither Seals nor Crofts cared about the money and stated they were making the record to save lives, while Warner was primarily concerned with making money. The duo also insisted that the song's message was more universally that one should not take life too lightly, and should consider its value before carrying out the procedure of abortion.
Despite Warners' warnings, the album was released in February 1974 and the label's worst fears came true: the title track was deemed controversial at the time because of its pro-life stance and as a result, Unborn Child hurt the duo's popularity and it was criticized by music critics. According to Bill de Young, the duo crossed the thin line that separated their music from the Baha'i faith, a religion that disapproves of abortion, and abortion-rights advocates boycotted the album and the duo's concerts.
Seals and Crofts - In Tune (1969)
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - We May Never Pass This Way Again (2016)
Seals and Crofts - We May Never Pass This Way Again (2004)
Seals and Crofts - Egypt, Israel & America (1980)
Bobby Vinton - Polka Pose (1975)
Eartha Kitt - Hurdy Gurdy Man (1970)
Danny Bonaduce - I'll Be Your Magician (1973)
Gilbert Neal and Ken Ray Wilemon - Moonlight Feels Right (2016)
Peggy Lipton - I Guess I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (1970) Known for being in The Mod Squad TV series, and being Rashida Jones' mother.
Starland Vocal Band - Liberated Woman (1977) "Well, I'll help you with the dishes, and the daily chores..."
Scott Walker - Joanna (1970)
Scott Walker - Farmer in the City (1995)
Starbuck - City of the Future (1977)
Starbuck - Drop A Little Rock (1976)
Terry Knight - Saint Paul (Paul is Dead) (1969)
The Fabulous Pack (Grand Funk) - Harlem Shuffle (1967)
Terry Knight & The Pack - This Precious Time (1966)
Gilbert Neal - Eve of Destruction (2016)
P F Sloan - This Precious Time (1965)
Barry McGuire - Secret Saucer Man (1968)
Barry McGuire and the Doctor - South of the Border (1970)
Barry McGuire - Too Much City (1970)
Barry McGuire - Cosmic Cowboy (1978)
Barry McGuire - Love Is (1973)
Cindy & Bert - Hund von Baskerville (Paranoid) (1971)
Cindy & Bert - Im Fieber Der Nacht (You're The One That I Want) (1979)
Vicky Leandro - L'amour Est Bleu (Love Is Blue) (1967)
Dead Kennedys - California Über Alles (1979)
Gang of Four - Outside the Trains Don't Run On Time (1981)
The Human League - Being Boiled (1978) Hey, aren't they that fun band that did "Don't You Want Me" and "Fascination"? Cool! Another hit. Let's listen... Oh....
Orange Colored Sky - Mr. Peacock (1969)
Adam West - Miranda (1966)
Albert Finney - Those Over Men (1977)
Dennis Wilson - River Song (1977)
Elephants Memory - Crossroads of the Stepping Stones (1969)
Geronimo Black - Low Ridin' Man/Siesta (1972)
Leonard Nimoy - Highly Illogical (1966)
Nino Tempo and April Stevens - Love Story (1972)
Marsha Hunt - Not The Beast Day (1973)
Tubeway Army - That's Too Bad (1978)
All tracks on the original vinyl single were credited to 'Valerian', the name that Numan (born Gary Webb) had chosen for himself prior to Tubeway Army's début album; these would be his last releases using that nom de plume; henceforward he would call himself Gary Numan.
Tubeway Army - Oh! Didn't I Say (1978)
Tubeway Army - My Shadow In Vain (1978)
Gary Numan - Metal (1979)
Parliament - I Call My Baby Pussycat (1970) Which came first?
The Jaggerz - I Call My Baby Candy (1970) Which came first?
The Jaggerz - I'll Be Okay In The Morning (1975)
The Jaggerz - (That's Why) Baby I Love You (1969)
The Jaggerz - With A Little Help From My Friends (1970) More Cocker than Ringo. In fact, an almost identical copy.
Wolfman Jack (w/The Jaggerz) - The Rapper (1973)
Bee Gees - Dear Mr. Kissinger (1973)
Riley Wildflower - Electric California (196?)
'The Smog Song'/'Electric California' (Beacon Records BCN-1) 196? Previously in The Gentle Soul. This was probably late 1968 or 1969. It appears that Riley Wyldflower's real name is Riley Cummings. He hooked up with Peter Tork and played with Tork's group in 1968-69. Striking out on his own, he formed a group called 'Peter Tork And/Or Release' with girlfriend Reine Stewart on drums (she had played drums on part of 33⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee), Riley "Wildflower" Cummings on bass and - sometimes - singer/keyboard player Judy Mayhan. Tork said in April 1969, "We sometimes have four. We're thinking of having a rotating fourth. Right now, the fourth is that girl I'm promoting named Judy Mayhan." "We're like Peter's back-up band", added Stewart, "except we happen to be a group instead of a back-up band." Release hoped to have a record out immediately, and Tork has said that they did record some demos, which he may still have stored away somewhere. According to Stewart the band were supposed to go to Muscle Shoals as the backing band for Mayhan's Atlantic Records solo album Moments (1970) but they were ultimately replaced. They mainly played parties for their "in" friends and one of their songs was considered for the soundtrack to Easy Rider, but the producers - who had also produced Head - eventually decided not to include it. Release could not secure a record contract, and by 1970 Tork was once again a solo artist."
Adriano Celentano - Prisencolinensinainciusol (FM Jackson Remix) (2015)
Sha Na Na - Only One Song (1972) Written by Scott Simon, who co-write "Sandy" for the movie Grease.
Steely Dan - Glamour Profession (1980)
Teresa Brewer (and Oily Rags) - Mama Sure Could Swing A Deal (1973) Oily Rags is the stage name for musical duo, Chas Hodges and Dave Peacock, who are joined by a bassist and drummer, two percussionists, three guitarists (including Pete Frampton), an electric keyboardist, and a 6-piece horn section on this track.
The Brady Kids - Drummer Man (Sam Redmore Remix) (2013)
The Collage - She's Just Laughing At Me (1968)
The Everly Brothers - Yves (1970)
The Four Seasons - Wall Street Village Day (1969)
The Move - Do Ya (original version) (1971)
The Move - Message From The Country (1971)
Tingling Mother's Circus - New York Mining Disaster 1941 (1968)
Ray Sawyer - (One More Year Of) Daddy's Little Girl (1976)
Ray Sawyer - I Want Johnny's Job (1979)
Ray Sawyer - You Gave Me The Right (1962)
Ray Sawyer - I Don't Feel Much Like Smilin' (1979)
Ray Sawyer - Red Winged Bird (1977)
Ray Sawyer - I Need The High (But I Can't Stand The Taste) (1976)
Ray Sawyer - Bells In My Heart (1962)
Gene Carroll and The Shades - Is It Ever Gonna Happen (1964) Eugene Okerlund, Dec 19, 1942; Brookings, So Dakota - Jan 2, 2019; Sarasota, Fla. Later on Wausau label as Gene Carroll, began working in radio & eventually as TV wrestling announcer "Mean Gene" Okerlund.
The Moving Sidewalks - I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1969) With Billy Gibbons, later of ZZ Top.
Art Garfunkel - Scissors Cut (1981)
Bangor Flying Circus - Norwegian Wood (The Bird Has Flown) (1969)
Sonny Smith - Super Spook (1973)
Sammy Davis Jr. - John Shaft (1972)
Willie Hutch - Give Me Some Of That Good Love (1974) From the Foxy Brown soundtrack.
O C Smith - Blowin' Your Mind (1972) From Shaft's Big Score. "Who freaks you out 'til you're downright simple?" I play these Shaft songs too frequently.
Spirit - Taurus (1968)
Spirit - Theme From "Potatoland" (1972)
Tingling Mother's Circus - Flowers On The Wall (1968)
Tingling Mother's Circus - I Found A New Love (1968)
Elliot Randall - Sour Flower (1970)
Interview with Elliott Randall.
Disney's "The Barefoot Executive" Opening Theme (1971)
Marvin Gaye - Trouble Man (1972)
John Culliton Mahoney - The Ballad Of Evel Knievel (1974)
Louie and the Rockets - Stay Away From Karen (1972) Pacific Northwest band Louie and the Rockets performed several cover songs for the film, including "Johnny B. Goode," "Rock and Roll Music," "Roll Over Beethoven," and several others. The songs are only heard in original 35mm theatrical prints of the film. Due to music rights issues, home video and cable TV versions replaced the songs with instrumental music.
Marvin Gaye - "T" Stands For Trouble (1972)
Yes - Going For The One (1976)
Black Magic! - Where Love Is/Mama Says/Black Bottom/Miss Jessie/Kimu (1970)
Black Magic! - Aunt Adele/'Tater Man (1970)
Scott Douglas - The Beatles' Barber (1964)
The Dynamits - A Hard Day's Night (1965)
Lynn Castle & Last Friday's Fire - The Lady Barber (1967)
The Blue Cats - Nowhere Man
Monti Rock III - For Days and Days (1965) Can't tell if that's a real audience. He would resurface with the wonderful "Get Dancin'" in 1974.
The Beat Kings - Paint It Black (1966)
Monti Rock III - Trouble (1965)
The Lovers - 2,000 Light Years From Home (1968) Occasionally, "200" light years. What difference does it make? Also on the Tempo label.
John Henry Kurtz - Drift Away (1972) A pretty good original version!
Chad and Jeremy - Homeward Bound (1966) The first release of this song.
Bob Kayli - Small Sad Sam (1961) Alias of Robert Gordy, Barry Gordy's brother. On the Tamla label. this is one of about 7,000 answer songs to "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean. He's still selling you pork.
Bobbi Blake - My Panties (1978) Song-poem.
Bobbie Gentry and Skitch Henderson for the National Guard (1969)
Dottie West - My Big John (1961)
Laurel Near - (In Heaven) Lady in the Radiator Song (1977) From Eraserhead, the strangest movie I've ever seen. It NEVER disappoints.
Isadore Fertel - I Am Woman (1973) Isadore Fertel was Tiny Tim's protege. He identified as female long before "transgender" was an understood term. He released one record on Toilet Records, which was Tiny Tim's short lived label in the 1970's.
Isadore Fertel - Susan B (1973)
Jimmy Dean - Little Bitty Big John (1962) Even Jimmy Dean tried.
John Kongos - He's Gonna Step on You Again (1971) Pretty obscure song that later became a hit for Happy Mondays. That's Happy Mondays. Cited in the Guinness Book of World Records as the first song to ever use a sample. I'm not Bez!!
Jack Kittel - Psycho (1974)
I Still Love You - The Seven Souls (1967) Bob Welch, later of Fleetwood Mac and suicide on guitar
The Lumpen - Free Bobby Now (1970)
Stonemen - No More (1966)
Black Magic! - Faces on the Bus/Vacant Lot/Pershing Square/Before It's Done/Echoes Of Love (1970)
Rotary Connection was an American psychedelic soul band, formed in Chicago in 1966.
In addition to their own recordings, including their 1967 debut album Rotary Connection, the band is notable as the backing band for Muddy Waters on his 1968 psychedelic blues album Electric Mud. The band's members included Minnie Riperton, who would emerge as a notable solo artist.
Rotary Connection - Memory Band (1967)
Rotary Connection - Didn't Want To Have To Do It (1967) I never knew John Sebastian wrote this.
The New Rotary Connection - Hey Love (1971)
The New Rotary Connection - I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun (1971)
The New Rotary Connection - If I Sing My Song (1971)
Minnie Riperton - Les Fleurs (1970)
Minnie Riperton - Memory Band (1970) On this album, Maurice White (lead singer for Earth Wind and Fire) played drums.
Minnie Riperton - Whenever, Wherever (1970)
Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah - Snow Queen (1971)
Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah - Long Time Gone (1971)
Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah - Lake Shore Drive (1971) Mitch Aliotta played bass guitar in Rotary Connection. The band appeared in a 1978 made-for-TV movie, Sparrow, playing a rock band whose lead singer is electrocuted while performing onstage.
Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy (1968) Backed by Rotary Connection.
Muddy Waters - She's Alright (1968) Backed by Rotary Connection.
Muddy Waters - I Just Want To Make Love To You (1968) Backed by Rotary Connection.
Howlin' Wolf - Evil (1968) Backed by Rotary Connection.
Howlin' Wolf - Tail Dragger (1968) Backed by Rotary Connection.
Howlin' Wolf - Back Door Man (1968) Backed by Rotary Connection.
Joan Armatrading - Stepping Out (1975)
Frank Sinatra - From Both Sides, Now (1968) If Frank wants to change the title, we change the title. Capisce?
Doug Clifford - Guitar, Drums, and Girls (1972)
The Shadows - Heart Of Glass (1979)
Les Humphries Singers - Paranoid (1971)
Link Wray - Snag (1979)
Mick Taylor - Leather Jacket (1979)
Wings - Give Ireland Back To The Irish (1972)
Percy Mayfield - Right On Young Americans (1972)
Alan Thicke - Wondrous Bobby Orr (1967)
Alan Thicke - That Boston Dandy (1967) Charles Saba wrote both of these, and I can't find any information on him.
Roberta Flack (featuring Donny Hathaway) - Don't Make Me Wait Too Long (1979) Anthony Jackson on bass.
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - I Can Tell When Christmas Is Near (1970)
Beach Boys - I Do Love You (1985) Stevie on drums, bass keyboards, harmonica, Fender Rhodes. A terrible, terrible album in every sense.
John Denver - If Ever (1985)
Jeff Beck - Thelonius (1975)
Jermaine Jackson - You're Supposed To Keep Your Love For Me (1980)
Labelle - Open Up Your Heart (1973)
Sergio Mendes and The New Brasil '77 - The Real Thing
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - It's Christmas Time (1970)
Syreeta - Come and Get This Stuff (1974) So pretty. So good. I love Syreeta.
Syreeta - Black Maybe (1972)
Syreeta - How Many Days (1972)
Syreeta - Spinnin' and Spinnin' (1974)
Orange Colored Sky - Mr. Peacock (1969)
The Flying Burrito Brothers - She's a Sailor (1976)
The Pointer Sisters - Sleeping Alone (1975)
The Pointer Sisters - Sweet Stuff (1977)
Rotary Connection - This Town (1969)
The Free Design - Christmas is The Day (1969)
The Free Design - Shut Your Moth (It's Christmas) (1969)
The Beatles Christmas Record 1966
From a good Rolling Stone article:
The Beatles’ fourth Christmas message was effectively everything they had attempted to achieve the prior year: a full-blown extended production featuring sound effects, music and a (loose) narrative. It was recorded on November 25th, one day after the group reconvened at Abbey Road following a three-month hiatus. The break had allowed them to indulge their independent pursuits for essentially the first time in their adult lives and, more crucially, offered a respite from the increasingly chaotic and confining Beatle existence. The mania that surrounded them wherever they went led the group to swear off touring that August, immediately prior to their solo sabbaticals. The effect was rejuvenating for all, and they returned flush with potent new ideas and creative vigor. The first session held upon their November 24th reunion yielded an early take of Lennon’s haunting “Strawberry Fields Forever,” a song that marked the start of the Beatles’ reinvention as studio auteurs.
The next day, after catching the U.K. debut of an American import named Jimi Hendrix at the newly opened Bag o’ Nails club, the Beatles gathered at a small studio in the New Oxford Street office of their music publisher, Dick James, to tape their latest holiday record. “We thought it was time we had an entirely different approach,” McCartney later said. Ultimately, the final product would contain no greetings, and very few references to the holidays. In retrospect, “Pantomime: Everywhere It’s Christmas,” a 10-part endeavor nearly seven minutes in length, is a signpost for what was to come for the band. Rather than address fans directly with messages of gratitude, the Beatles performed as distinct characters, foreshadowing the approach they would take when recording Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in the coming weeks. In keeping with the tradition of pantomime – a uniquely English brand of stage production blending music, slapstick comedy and folk tales – the snippets of original songs are rooted in English vaudevillian music-hall style. The title tune, a whirlwind pub piano sing-along played by McCartney, is not far removed from “When I’m Sixty-Four,” which they would begin recording in a matter of days.
Much like Sgt. Pepper, “Pantomime: Everywhere It’s Christmas” feels largely driven by McCartney, who also drew the full-color art-nouveau illustration for the sleeve. The imaginative original story defies any logical description, ping-ponging from Corsica, where a “bearded man in glasses” conducts a small choir, to the Swiss Alps where “a pair of elderly Scotsmen munch on a rare cheese,” and to the “long, dark corridor of Felpin mansion,” home of the Germanic Count Balder. Instead of relying on Barrow, the Beatles took full use of George Martin’s experience producing comedy records with British radio legends like Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan. Together they created vivid soundscapes ranging from a rowdy royal celebration onboard the good ship H.M.S. Tremendous, to the charmingly gentle fairy tale of Podgy the Bear and Jasper. Though brief, the songs are evocative, and in some cases quite memorable. “Orowayna,” ostensibly sung by a Corsican choir, is a strangely beautiful pop hymnal that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on a Smile-era Beach Boys album, and the vaudevillian wink of “Please Don’t Bring Your Banjo Back (I Don’t Know Where it’s Been)” is as funny as it is bawdy. The Beatles’ loyal roadie Mal Evans delivers a sincere “Yes, everywhere it’s Christmas” before the proceedings skid to a stop with a reprise of the title song. As on their groundbreaking next LP, we come out the way we came in.
The Beatles Christmas Record 1967
Now that the band had mastered their studio domain, the Beatles’ 1967 seasonal message – wrapped in a Sgt. Pepper–like collage of vintage photos created by Lennon and Starr – would be the apex of their Christmas recordings. Recorded back at Abbey Road’s Studio Two on November 28th during a nine-hour marathon session, “Christmas Time Is Here Again!” expands on the sketches of the previous year by adding the only performance among the Beatles’ holiday recordings that could safely be categorized as a proper “Christmas song.” The tune is little more than a holiday mantra, but the Beatles sell it through their full-throated commitment and a clever arrangement reminiscent of their new single, “Hello, Goodbye.” Lennon, ever fond of unusual count-ins (he can be heard intoning “Sugar plum fairy, sugar plum fairy” on early takes of “A Day in the Life”), introduces the song with a hastily exhaled “Interplanetary remix, take 444!” before a lushly multi-tracked chorus of Beatle voices remind listeners that Christmas time is indeed here again.
The plot, scripted by the band the day before, makes about as much sense as “Everywhere It’s Christmas.” The story begins with the Beatles portraying a fictitious group called the Ravellers, on a quest to audition for the BBC. Once they’ve made it past the gatekeeper (played by their friend Victor Spinetti, who had appeared in A Hard Day’s Night, Help! and the yet-to-be-released Magical Mystery Tour) they perform a tap-dance in the “fluffy rehearsal room.” From there it all becomes a bit difficult to follow as the record fades into a fever dream of fractured broadcast clichés including jingles (“Wonderlust for your trousers!”), a noir radio drama called Theater Hour and a game show where the grand prize is a trip to Denver and automatic appointment to “independent candidate for Paddington.” The Ravellers, having apparently passed the audition, return to croon a tune about jam jars across the airwaves for the benefit of injured woman in Blackpool.
A haze of maniacal echo-drenched laughter gives way to the regal voice of George Martin, addressing fans for the first time on the disc. “They’d like to thank you for a wonderful year,” he says with the tone of a kindly but exasperated schoolteacher, before the students repeat his words with mock reverence. Lennon signs off with a Goonish original poem, a sort of lonely Christmas “Jabberwocky” delivered in a thick Scottish brogue over the sound of a wintery gale. “When the beasty brangom button to the heather and little inn,” he says while “Auld Lang Syne” plays softly. “And be strattened oot in ma-tether to yer arms once back again. Och away, ye bonnie.” So ends the Beatles’ last documented recording of their extraordinary year. It would also be the final Christmas disc recorded together by the group as a unit.