This one's a duet. From the random selection on my IPhone which I brought to Portland- and will shortly bring to Houston.
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes: Hope That We Can Be Together Soon AKA "Teddy Pendergrass Feat. Sharon Paige: "Hope That...." Teddy and Harold had a little spat, see- Harold founded the group, but by the time they were successful, well see, Teddy was doing all the lead singing. (And How!) Teddy wanted his name added to the existing group-name, which would have produced the titular monstrosity of "Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes Featuring Teddy Pendergrass".
"No dice", says Harold; Teddy says "I quit". But not before recording this song with Sharon Paige (and the rest of the Blue Notes); she too was a Blue Note at the time, so this track really only needs the title "HM & BN: 'HWCBTS'", not "TP FT SP (AKA HM & BN FT TP & FT SP): 'HTWCBTS'".
Clarifying, I'm sure. I think we all learned a lot today.
Another song off my IPod: Jive Talkin', by Los Bee Gees. Oh sure, you want to knock the Bee Gees. Yeah yeah, you think you are too slick for all that. "Pfff", is what you say. Well, I say, "Pffffff" back to you, sucker. Listen here:
I am now back in Portland, and listening to my IPhone's mp3s. A very loose collection of stuff made it onto my phone's IPod. I'll post up those songs which I think you all could make friends with: post them as I hear them, more or less.
Here is one such tune, and very appropriate to start off with:
Evidently, this is the theme song to "Welcome Back Kotter", which I have never really seen. Which means that, while you can get multiple videos of "theme song" length -- including one with footage from Grand Theft Auto!? and another from Final Fantasy VII!?! -- I could not find any longer* version. (Note that the above video does not even mention the name of the artist who sang it!: John Sebastian. I'd be insulted- but then, he's prob dead.)
S'okay- all I really needed, which is included in both short videos, are the lines:
"Well, we tease him a lot/ 'cos we got him on the spot; Welcome Back."
* !Newsflash! This Just In! My Mom has just cracked an egg of knowledge all over the place: back in the 70's, some theme songs were written special for the show. "Kotter" is such a theme. So, the original version is the above short version! And what I have on my IPod is a later version, which they lengthened some, to 2:40-ish. So while the above videos for John Sebastian's "Welcome Back" are odd -- deeply odd -- they do in fact give you the original version.
Went digging through CDs to find something to listen to the other day. Felt in a particular kind of mood, so grabbed some Drum and Bass CDs I hadn't listened to recently, including.... the classic...
Metalheadz two-disc of golden-era Junglist anthems.
(if you are impatient, go to about 1:30 for the big drop...)
This is the kind of CD that nobody sells used. You don't just accidentally end up buying this- so nobody is selling it used, because they happened into it with no idea what it was.
(although the tracklisting for it on amazon.com is incorrect, so maybe 'no idea' is true, in a wholly different sense. The right tracks are listed on Discogs.com.)
You also don't get tired of it, unless you just get tired of whole genres of music. All the reviews of this state accurately: peak tunes; never tire of these; "don't make 'em like this no more"; sick wicked dope; etc. For this genre of music (drum 'n' bass, aka jungle), this would be like a Led Zeppelin greatest-hits package: if you ever like it, you always will, and never any less. So nobody ever bought this and liked it, and then eventually soured on it, bored of it, overplayed and so played-out it.
But how did I get it used then? Well, Everyday Music in Portland sells used CDs, and they will sell you scratched CDs. Sounds bad: is good. They mark out the scratched ones; they sell them for less; and they even will take them back if they skip. You know how almost all of your CDs are scratched, somewhat at least, and how many of those never ever skip. SKUFFS, they call them. Well, this mamajamma was skuffed pretty bad. Two whole tracks just ain't played right, ever. Or at least, ever for me, since I bought it scratched. One that never got all the way through, was Dillinja's "Angels Fell", above. Obviously, the YouTube version no skuff.
But what you can do, see, is copy a scratched CD. Because while the CD player has to deal with scratches in real time, your computer's CD-ROM does not- it will keep patiently scanning, scanning, re-scanning-- until it can find out just what 0s and 1s made up that track, in its prediluvian state. So usually, the copy will be a like-new, scratchless, unskuffled version. That beats a lossless copy- it actually improves your version.
So now, for the first time ever, I can listen to this track all the way through- And so can you.
Danzig's Mother is a suggested video, so is Halo Benders (the laziest band in rock and roll!). What is funny, is that my dad has something to say about both lazy bands, and drum n bass. He said (says) that Pavement et al. "aren't even trying" when they sing. It's true! He also once said a drum and bass song was "Ferris Bueller music", which I took to mean: sounds like that Ferrari music in the movie. Which is false; But what he meant was, it sounded like another drum and bass song Which in fact! Sampled a line from the movie.
I must have got my "right all the damn time" gene from my pops.
Man, I'm sitting down, but that can't stop me from twisting around in my seat- that's how good this song is. Little blasts of horns, guitars all slinking around. They keep the words few, so you can just ride the beat. Words like "I ain't gonna bite ya, I just want you to hang on [or out?]."
This album is really great. I think it is also called "Slave", which makes this hard stuff to search for on the internet. Much of it isn't on Youtube (only this song, as far as I can see); I know, I know, that seems impossible. But trust me, looking around for Youtube clips to post, for some of this stuff, just doesn't do nuthin'. This is not even some way-out-there obscure stuff. (See explanation below...)
I mean, look at where this song is from, at least for this particular clip: from a "pure funk classics" mix, right? So not underground like moles or anything. But still, the other songs I love off this record, like "Screw Your Wig On Tite", "Son of Slide", "Separated"- not to be found. In fact, YouTube has a clip about slaves being separated, but not "Separated" by Slave. Not real slaves- it is some contest to edit Prince of Persia, King of Pharaoh type stuff. ??!??
I don't get it; maybe one of you 4chan types can explain this. Also, could someone explain why "4chan" does not get spell-checked, but "Youtube" (and even "YouTube") does?
WHAT KIND OF CRZEE WORLD IS THIS? And Crazy Continues: here is the explaino-convo about "bersenberber" above--> 4Chan-esque funny-esque fud mzspillin, aka internet food misspellings.
Quickly now- let's have another brief blast from the most recent mix, which includes the song below.
Turns out this was in Kill Bill: do not recall.
I of course did not pinch my version from some Quentin Tarantino-sanctioned mix. I do the sanctioning around here, thanks. Instead, I found this song by what you might call the "lost-wax casting method". That is the "method" whereby one seeks records, sees records, and gets divinely inspired to snap some particular one up. In this case, inspiration struck because of this fairly intriguing record cover.
Will it be Canticles for Catholics? (Santa = Saint) Cha-Cha, or (Two-to-) Tango? Spanish Goth for Goya fans? (check the "Castlevania" style font) Erotic fiction en Espagnol?
More apt pictures, here:
I think this song may have launched Ruth and I into a long little game: in which songs does the singer name herself/himself? (An example: in "What My Woman Can't Do Can't Be Done" by Jerry Lee Lewis, he says, "If ever there's been a baby/ Jerry Lee has found him one")
No hip-hop obviously -that wouldn't be a challenging game- unless maybe you had to rap the line yourself, and actually do a decent job of it.
And since you are listening to the above song already, you probably can see the related event in that song. In probably the only lyrical derivation from the Animals' track (originally written for Nina Simone- who knew?), a line is (for no clear reason) added: "Oh, Esmeralda". I imagine that is who he does not wish to be misunderstood by? Anyhow, since he says "Esmeralda", and the band's name is "Santa Esmeralda", you know, it got me thinking.
Any other examples of singers naming themselves in lyrics; or saying their own band name in the lyrics? I won't say the ones we've already thought of- that way you can play the game too. In the comments of course.
(you can still download the mix- a summery, disco-filled and disco-infused little scorcher, here- of course, it includes this song. Of Course!)
Okay, funk a little of this through your speak's and 'phones.
This is one of the deftly selected tracks from the last mix (grab a fistful of music, including the song below, here). Now, these fellows may not appear so very cool, but I think they spent all their money recording all those instruments in the studio. And so they spent very little designing, shooting, and dressing for the record cover.
You know, it's expensive to record this many guys. A story made super short- the expense of putting full large bands in the studio (for disco, funk, etc) was an annoyance for bands and labels alike. So, when synthesizers made it possible to sub out a few guys, and lay down an additional sound without paying an additional dude- well, synths were understandably popular. And that is how house music is born (I told you this was the short version). Broke people (so more blacks and Latinos- less ABBA Northern European) could make disco without having to have/pay a full band (no drummer, no strings, no piano player, etc) because one person could use synths instead.
-But!- using different materials (the instruments), even if one were trying to exactly replicate an existing form (disco), will inevitably shift the form too. Disco -->(shifty synthy changey)--> House. (dropping eggs of knowledge in the discothèque)
Now, this song is not proto-house or anything; that is not what I'm trying to claim. But the "Wedded To The Discothèque" mix I made does eventually shift from disco to more recent house. So I thought I'd throw out a condensed version of how that happened historically. How it happens on the mix is different. Pretend you are at a wedding reception that you actually really really want to be at- I'm DJing (ahem!). After a while, though our parents have drifted away from the dancefloor, we are really just starting to get wound up. Gotta let it loose. So your (inimitable! inestimable! incorrigible!) DJ eases out of the Disco classics, and slips into our classics- Blur, Daft Punk, and a few dance gems that you will crown classics, once you have heard them. Check the Jesper Dahlback RMX of Fox 'n' Wolf, for instance. In fact, check out the whole track listing on the last post.
New mix, and it's essential that you download this before the 4th of July weekend is through.
"Wedded To The Discothèque"- the upbeat dancin'-pants summer mix Track Listing: --No Nos Pararan [Spanish-Language cover of "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"] *** Charanga 76
Got To Give It Up (Pt 1) *** Marvin Gaye
--Funkin' Around *** Bloodstone
Tequila [cover of The Champs] *** Duane Eddy
--I Got a Woman [cover of Ray Charles, the same song Kanye West used for "Gold Digger"] *** Bobby Darin
Everybody's Trying to be my Baby *** Carl Perkins
--Sweet Caroline [cover of you-know-who, done pon Steel Drum style, seen?] *** Esso Steel Band
Hang On Sloopy *** The McCoys
--Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood [cover of The Animals- BUT!- a mad DISCO version!] Santa Esmeralda
Bad Girls *** Donna Summer
--Girls & Boys *** Blur The Girls *** Calvin Harris
--One More Time *** Daft Punk
In Yr Underwear (Jesper Dahlback Mix) *** Fox 'n' Wolf
--Your Bmore Singing Study Mix [an unlikely Balitmore Club edit of "Your Love" by the Outfield, as in "I just want to use your love, toniiiight"] *** Roctakon
You should use the joy of this mix to place a cherry on top of what ought to be an ice-cream-sundae of a weekend. This is basically a mix in the Shower-Jamz mold. Actually, there were a few more specific considerations at the origin of this mix. 1) My b-day 2) Girls (either as ‘what girls like’, or as girl-watching during the summer), and 3) Disco. I thought (correctly) that these three exciting elements would all call forth a very upbeat version of the summer mix. Now, the first summer mix was a perfect example of a particular side of summer- that wistful, utterly relaxed summer feeling.
But there is another side of summer… staying out all night, going to parties after you’ve gone to a BBQ after you've gone swimming, drinking “summer drinks” (rum and tequila, citrusy, light beer in 10 oz cans and 8 oz bottles- drinks you don’t normally drink, but which go down “champion style” in the summer), running in flip-flops (including these flip-flasks), and so forth. That is this mix. And you gon’ luv it. Ah, but I digress like a mamma-jamma. Girls, Birthdays, and Disco morphed together, constituting a new theme….
Wedding Madness! This is actually a mix-theme matheme I pondered before. What would be the formula necessary to craft make a mix with 1) all the fun of good wedding receptions; 2) While cutting the cheese out (sorry, no jokey-pants modern country songs, like “Save a Horse- Ride a Cowboy”; no thanks); very difficult, but oh-so-essential, to making disco excellent 3) And still maintaining the songs that “old people wanna dance to, too”. Which would be largely, not exclusively, the disco classics- “Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now”, Yeah!. And I stumbled upon the solution. Take two girls, add one cup (heh) of disco, and shake it all together, on MY BIRTHDAY! Do you now believe my frequent claim, that I am one divinely inspired, as was Socrates? Except his daimon only told him not to do certain things, whereas my daimon positively brings that hot fire in mix form. My guiding divine daimon likes to party down. So, yes, I am what Nietzsche called for, waited for, hoped for: that Musical Socrates. Pleased to meet me, aren’t you?
Songs like the following are why i have grown steadily more interested in old country and western music of late. A real story in the lyrics (not just words about some things that merely happened); and sad beautiful. Like watching a big ship, slowly sinking into the sea, in a film. (not like "Titanic", you dope)
There are infinite good versions of this song. Like much C 'n' W music, it's based on songs that are so old, nobody can tell just who "originally" wrote them. Even professors don't know, and dude trust me, professors KNOW IT ALL. Marty Robbins has my favorite version- that's why it's playing now- but I just copped another version by Elton Britt with the Zeke Manners' Band. The song-writing credits on the Britt record say "Manners", which got me wondering if ol' Zeke originally wrote the song; but no. Must've just arranged it or sumtin. Now this song tugs on the old heartstrings more nearly every time I hear it. I SING this song, do you see? You realize what it takes to get me singing, out LOUD?? A pretty special song, that's what it takes (or a fair bit of coffee).
I'd wager that this song is more sad and touching than even Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia", no mean feat.
Recall that I posted (way yonder) re: a band called Salem, and their version of "S of P"? Well, their album is coming out late summer, very exciting. I'm even going to PURCHASE it. You can download a track of theirs here, at XLR8R.com. See how I draw all this together? I'm a very special man, aren't I?
Elton Britt: The Wandering Cowboy. His band probably is not wandering too far; there is plenty of honky-tonk organ in this. Surely, you can drag your slide-steel, your banjo across the country- but not your Wurlitzer. "My Organ is too BIG!"
This is my record's cover: (I sort of wish this was the cover:)
Jose Melis Plays the Latin Way. His album before this is titled Senior Prom! Don't know much of anything about this/him yet.
Beatles '65, Older B's stuff. I can't hardly be bothered to listen to most Beatles' stuff, for various reasons. This, however, is good. Chuck Berry covers, Birth-of-Rock-n-Roll kind of stuff, which, if you've been downloading my mixes, you know is my passionate attachment lately. ("IF?") I think the first Beatles Anthology has different versions of a lot of these songs.
Lou Rawls Merry Christmas Ho! Ho! Ho! and an Al Green Xmas album. The Rawls is solid- even behind a veil of ignorance (...) you would recognize that. The Rev. Green's Xmas, though, is basically a bag of coal. I would wear the hell outta that suit above, btw.
Richie Havens Mixed Bag Quite Good, one of the real discoveries of this music-spelunking trip.
Charlie Rich Silver Fox. Check the sweet Fox Logo! Does a very odd 'medley' on the first side. In which he discusses his bio (including his many musical shifts- from Jazz, to Rock 'n' Roll, to Country), cracks a few 'jokes', etc. In between the spoken bio bits, he plays newly-recorded versions of his most famous songs, usually just the chorus and a verse. Why does he do this? I haven't the foggiest, frankly.
Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway A little mellow for my normal listening tastes, but real slow burn soulful heavenly stuff. Perfect for relaxed cooking, doing the dishes, a light summer rain outside, etc. (I know all that does not sound like high praise, but I'm trying to describe the mood that would make you put this record on- it is much more enjoyable than washing the dishes.) Unfortunately, the first two tracks- on both sides- are all warped to hell. So I can only listen to about 60% of this album. Pffffffff.
I'm your Sponsor; I Buy-Buy-buy (records). Charlie and I went to Slought Foundation. Both of us, not to put words in his mouth, were underwhelmed by the exhibit that we went to see. But both were 'whelmed' by the other exhibit, archival footage from '60s of teachers/students in the British education system. Sounds boring; my apologies- to split the difference, here are some exciting records that I bought while we were in West Philly.
Isaac Hayes Live at the Sahara Tahoe. Cover has cutout folds; they open like the doors of the theater; opening, of course, onto a picture of Isaac Hayes on stage.
Better still, inside, is this spread.
(Sidenote- one really nice thing about being a little sick, is all the soup and tea you get to consume. Not generally a big fan of Minestrone soup, but I am killing a bowl of it right now at the cafe.)
Eric "Slowhand" Clapton: On White/ Something I might could maybe try to sell. White vinyl; 'Cocaine' and other big songs on there; promo/DJ/radio copy, so maybe 'rare'.
Vicki Sue Robinson 12". Still sealed, which, normally, who fucking cares. But... used copies of this 12" sell for around $10-$40 online, although I'm not entirely sure (is this a reissue, explaining why it is sealed? etc). I don't particularly want to get into the hustle of selling/swapping records, but eventually... it probably will have to happen. If I do start selling records, I will take the title of this blog for a motto... "I Ain't Square, I Just Like To Share". Vicki Sue Robinson is well known for "Turn The Beat Around".
Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta. Not that impressive. More fun is Jay Z's recent line, at a show, that his mother was going to be so proud of him, because Steive Wonder was sticking around some festival, just to hear Jay Z's set.
The Stylistics: Round 2. Great Album Cover. Perhaps only one song that I really like on it though; that is the song to which you've been listening.
I've already written the second half of this blog- check out this space on Monday for the continuation...
One more from the Summer mix... more mixes in the pipeline too. Going to make one about girls, one very disco-y, and one about my birthday.
The mix re: my birthday may involve songs about bikes, since I fell off my bike while riding to get my birthday presents. Falling = fighting the road and losing Damage = minimal cos I'm tuff (That is my arm- look at my Popeye-ass forearms. What can I say- I invented muscle!) Presents = DVD player and new CD/DVD burner for computer -- {both stopped working months ago- I was utterly without lazerz in my house : laserless} -- {but no longer: thanks Mom and Dad!}
Here is the original version of Bobby Fuller Four's "I Fought The Law". Well, theirs is the original; this is a sweeeeeeet live version. Except on old TV, so, probably not really even live. I dunno; old stuff is fun, but confusing, yeah? One of the Four is sitting on a (prison-style) bunk bed; there is a woman in a cell, but dancing; the warden eventually starts dancing; etc etcet etcetera...
Oh, and you probably want to see my wound again:
You know the expression "Zounds!" (it is used much like "Gadzooks!")? It's short for "God's Wounds"; lotsa expressions are just not-really swearing substitutions for for-real curses. I mean, even 'curse' is the word for bad words, because heathens used to invoke their gods in order to destroy their enemies. You used to curse when you wanted someone destroyed, essentially. When you wanted them smote with holy hellfire, justly turned to dust.
And that reminds me- a girl stepped out in front of me on this fateful bike ride (on purpose) (before I fell) and then when I said "YO!" (honestly said just that) because I nearly hit her (but didn't - I'm a real aware rider, okay? My control is super-right) she then replied, "You on a bike, Bitch!" (which can be interpreted in various ways) -- {as, 'you are a little bitch because you are on a bicycle- what are you, ten?'} -- {or as, 'I can step out in front of you, because, Rock Paper Scissors style, walker beats biker')
So I think she cursed me. I sure the hell cursed afterwards.
One for the Road (heh) : Live (really live) Clash version too:
Oh, some art things are coming up that are total musts.
Klute- We R The Ones (Remix). Relased on the stellar Commercial Suicide label. You'll see why I chose this in a sec.
Slought Foundation is doing this project where they are displaying all these mysterious objects. At one time, they were part of a sort of foreign travel/foreign commerce edutainment thing at this old 'Commercial Museum'. The Commercial Museum, for various reasons, got phased out.... committed suicide, you might say.... but they were in possession of all these random artifacts. So Slought is displaying them.
They're foreign. Old. and WTF-y. Somewhat like this: Or like the book I have of Chinese paintings of the Life of Christ.
Read more about the exhibit at Slought; there is much more to it then I am saying here.
Did I mention that you can borrow some of the pieces? Do you realize how much more awesome inexplicable artifacts I could add to my house with this deal?
So let's go to that soon, yeah? We only have until June 12th.
Also, we are already going to Marginal Utility's First Friday. Marginal Utility also puts out the Machete zine/periodical/provocation.
And, Vox Populi is in the same building as Marginal Utility, so we all slip from one floor to the other throughout the eve. Always a good time; I'll see you there.
Listen to a track from ze mix: "Spirit In The Sky", by Norm Greenbaum.
(if you want a higher quality sound, listen to the YouTuber below; below has weird, weird religious stuff in it though- creepy, but we want summery, not creepy. Above is literally a guy recording him playing it on his den's jukebox: it has a certain je ne sais quoi, oui?)
Summer Madness ~O~ Kool & the Gang chilled out, nice way to start the mix. Sampled by Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff, for "Summertime"; Jazzy will be at the Roots Picnic...
Reunion ~O~ Bobbie Gentry Whoa now, an odd-ball, to get you intrigued about what your genius musical guide will pull next. A handclapped, bottle-smackin' little rhythm, a bit like 'Iko Iko'. First words, no joke: "Momma can I huh, Momma can I huh huh, can I Momma won't ya please let me Momma can I huh". About a family reunion: a little charmer, sweet funny little thing. Looks sumthin like this, but from deep down South
Summertime ~O~ Billy Stewart Cover of sorts of a song from Gershwin's "Porgy & Bess". Evidently, during that show, they sing at among other times, during a craps game. Upbeat, lots of little darting guitars. Horns, man, horns. Tongue rolls, like so: 'dddddddddah!'.
Spirit In The Sky ~O~ Norman Greenbaum aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh! If I were a DJ, like a pro who gets $, it would be an uncommon night out when I didn't play this. Right? My goodness, just listen to your ears! I'm killing you, just killing you, with this track right now. Big stomping drums. You could play this at 'A Flyers Hockey Game', and I bet they would win. A woman singing backup, in a falsetto. Can women even sing falsetto? This one can!
Party Lights ~O~ Claudine Clark Another Killer. Old rock/RnB. Girl is watching all her friends go to the party across the street, but Mom won't let her go! "There goes Jenny and Sue, and Bobby and Mary Lou, oh-oh-oh there goes my boyfriend too!" "Party lights, red and blue and green; everybody in the crowd is there, but you won't let me make the scene!" Real rapid fire snappy snare drums. Piano tinkling, and some peppy-ass horns make an appearance.
In the Summertime ~O~ Mungo Jerry A pic shall suffice:
If Not For You ~O~ Olivia Newton John A pic shall suffice:
Summer Breeze ~O~ Isley Brothers Told you about last time.
Two Tickets To Paradise ~O~ Eddie Money "Oh, what?!?! Hit me again with that Eddie Money, Son!" (That's you talking, after this song drops. You are driving, in a Camaro, f'real. Top off- on the car, you jokester... "I'm gonna take you on a trip so far from here, I've got two tickets in my pocket, now baby, we're gonna disappear. We've waited so long, waited so long.
I've got two tickets to paradise, Won't you pack your bags, we'll leave tonight, I've got two tickets to paradise [guitar solo- 32 bars]"
That's you singing it at karaoke, and really, it made our night.
I Fought The Law ~O~ Bobby Fuller Four A pretty jaunty guitar in this song; really jaunty when you consider that the first lines are about 'breaking rocks in the hot sun'. We'll just bracket the rocks, okay, and focus on the sun, you feel me? A million famous people covered this song for a reason; that is, a reason beyond its sassy 'F-the-P' attitude- it is a funtime summertime spectacular. I bet even cops like this song.
Summer ~O~ War Return to Mellow. Almost all of War's stuff is proper for a summer mix; guys rocked a Texan melting pot thing; soul, Texana, sunbaked, relaxed. More horns, lazzzzzyyyy ones. "Summer: my time of year". Well-said, War, well-said.
aaaaand here is the creepy-video-version of Norm Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky". I think someone kidnapped her daughter? And this someone may be the state of Missouri? And Jesus is angry about it? Or what?
Another selection offa that "Summer Showerz" mix. This one is the Isley Brothers, who I have been ultragillin' as of late. Charlie and I are a two-man fan-club.
Oh yes, now that you mention it, this is a cover of Seals and Croft's "summer breeze", but this version is much better. Better, I say, than that yacht-rot version. Who would you trust to tell you about summer, these guys
or these chumps
(that's called a 'rhetorical question', because I already know the answer. Since I know all answers, does that make all questions rhetorical, when posed by me? HA, tricked you: the above was also a rhetorical question BOOM)
The above is a representation of what this mix is like: all laid back 'vibez'. The Isely Brothers' song is a good li'l snapshot of the general feel of the mix as well. Just a reminder, here is the tracklisting for this really stellar, star-studded mix.
Summer Madness ~O~ Kool & the Gang Reunion ~O~ Bobbie Gentry Maggie May ~O~ Rod Stewart Summertime ~O~ Billy Stewart Spirit In The Sky ~O~ Norman Greenbaum Party Lights ~O~ Claudine Clark In the Summertime ~O~ Mungo Jerry If Not For You ~O~ Olivia Newton John Summer Breeze ~O~ Isley Brothers Two Tickets To Paradise ~O~ Eddie Money I Fought The Law ~O~ Bobby Fuller Four Summer ~O~ War
Now, I stand by my comments above (about the waybetterness of IBs over S&C), but I will let you in on a li'l secret that undermines that claim: Croft goes by the first name of DASH. Jus' sayin'. (although his real name is Darrell, so, you see, right???)
Another great song, just ripe for summering. Get ready, btw, for sum summer stooping. Unless I get some emergency transfusions of cash, this will be a very "can't afford to go out drinking" summer. So you'll have to join me at mine (...or yours...) for "free beer". I call beer bought from the distributors, "free beer". It's so cheap, relative to bars, that you practically make money drinking it!. That's right, my economic plan: "Drink yourself to prosperity; Spend yourself sober." (it's complicated) But where'd all the money go, oh, where? Well, recently, it went to late heating bills (boring), and mo' wax, aka more vinyl (exciting). Including this little gem....
Apache, by Sugar Hill Gang
Oh, this song. Oh, man oh me oh my. First, it uses a similar bong/drum break to The Incredible Bongo Band's Apache, which itself is sort of similar to The Shadows' Apache... Dude, you think my Summer Prosperity Plan is complex? Check out the involved history of this song. Interesting, but impossible to sum up. Really, you should always be going to that blog, Soul Sides, because it is just the jam. Old Soul, great rap, dropping knowledge without being boring or snooty or pedantic, and always giving you links to the cuts. It is as essential as this blog (well, more, actually, but still).
Right! Well, anyhow, in hip-hop and drum and bass (my deepest musical love- 'drum and bass' aka 'jungle' aka 'DnB'- which none of my friends ever like that much. No 'junglist crew' for me! Not enough of my friends are rude bwoys, turns out) many many songs have sampled drum breaks from various versions of Apache. Lots sampled the guitar line too. You'll see why- the bongos that this song opens with are solid all by themselves, let alone the other versions of that beat that are dropped throughout the track. Now, if you are one of these young pups, you will recognize the song not from (nearly infinite) DnB and H-H songs, but from Switch's track. This song was huge from a summer or two back. We still can hear it, on that rare occasion that we Make Time.
Here's the original Switch track... (you gotta wait til 2:02 for the guitar line to drop! It's a dance track after all). Called "A Bit Patchy", as in, APatchy=Apache.
Here is an M.I.A. remix of Switch, introduced by Diplo, who M.I.A. used to date, but doesn't now, and mixed into the end of Kitsune track..... I told you this sampling stuff gets complicated!
(jump to about 1:15 on this one if you want to hear "A Bit Patchy" coming in clearly)
Well, I've gone and done you another solid. Whipped up a precise blend of parts that together join up to make a Voltron-like colossus:
Summer 'Showerz': LoveLeigh Days
("showerz" refers the "singalong in the shower" nature of all the songs; "Leigh" refers to a friend who prompted me to finish this mix. THX!)
So, specifically summer, particularly shower jamz. Summer songs are feelgood, but perfect summer songs have to be melllllooooow too.
Not sure how feelgood mixes with ultramellow? Then listen to Kool & The Gang's "Summer Madness". You'll see.
Above is from the official Philadelphia Mural thingy, visible from the El tracks in West Philly. I see this on my way to work. More info, deets etc. (like how you could have gotten a tattoo designed by ESPO, the dude what did that mural).
Just like the summer. You are feeling nice in the summer, but you know, low-key like.
A perfect example of that perfect mellow feeling is perfectly evinced by the classically perfect first song, which is Youtubing above.
Summer Madness, by Kool & The Gang. This song was looped, 'slightly transformed' (like Voltron!), for Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff's "Summertime".
So, now we've picked up on a recent theme, of great older songs outtfitted with a little rappin'-freshness. Oh yes, surely you recall my last post, on Biggie and his Other Brothers (The Isley Brothers), whom he sampled for "Big Poppa". I'll probably drop some more of those, about songs in different forms.
Note that The Isley Brothers are included on this mix too- a clear nod to Leigh, who praised them recently.
Summer Madness ~O~ Kool & the Gang
Reunion ~O~ Bobbie Gentry Maggie May ~O~ Rod Stewart
Summertime ~O~ Billy Stewart Spirit In The Sky ~O~ Norman Greenbaum
Party Lights ~O~ Claudine Clark In the Summertime ~O~ Mungo Jerry
If Not For You ~O~ Olivia Newton John Summer Breeze ~O~ Isley Brothers
Two Tickets To Paradise ~O~ Eddie Money I Fought The Law ~O~ Bobby Fuller Four
Summer ~O~ War
Please note that the symbol, lovingly crafted by myself, in betwixt track and band: looks like a sun, yeah?
ahahhahhahah I'm unstoppable hahahahahahahah
Speaking of samples (as I did last time), here is a gem of a song I've been sitting on for a minute. In a hot HOT batch of records I snatched up the other day, I procured a few Isley Brothers albums. Of which there are roughly a million, by the way. In fact, Wiki tells me they had 20 albums between 1969 and 2006: excuse me, that's 20 albums that reached the Top 10, in 35-ish years. I guess when you have like 7 guys in the band, there are more songs getting written? (7/35=5; 5x20=100; 100/10= 10; 10/10 = perfect: do the math, it adds up)
Who knows- the point is, that these Brothers From The Same Mother got sampled- and that produces another song, A Brother From ANOTHER Mother, as it were.
And here is the song built around the former- I'm pretty sure we all love this song.
Big Poppa, Notorious B.I.G.
Also, I was trying to find a good picture of sample-sized-spoons, and I found this instead. A marrow- that's bone marrow, you understand?- spoon. A Narrow Marrow Spoon, that.
Interesting. I bet Biggie would be crushing on some marrow if he weren't dead. Sigh.... His loss, and ours.
A stone-cold classic, just right for the summer/springtime madness, of which we are all now a part.
This song is such classic goodness, that Mary J. Blige, herself classic and classy and good, sampled it. Naughty By Nature nabbed a little "Sunshine" too. Tribe Called Quest sample another jam of his, on the famed "Bonita Applebaum".
Erykah Badu sampled another Ayers' track; even Junior Mafia gets props from Roy Himself for their sample of yet another song of his.
Speaking of samples, this song has the same general vibe as Kool and the Gang's "Summer Madness", sampled by DJ Jazzy Jeff for he and Will Smith's "Summertime". If you like that, I guarantee (money-back guarantee!) that you'll love this song too.
If you can't trust me, that this song is everything you need right now, then take the words of Erykah, Q-Tip, Diddy, and Treach. Treach married Pepa, of Salt'n'Pepa, btw, and then they got divorced. (in happier times:) It's sad, but you don't have to be all broken up. I have the solution to your sadness: Go plug a boombox in outside, after downloading Roy Ayers' "Everybody Loves the Sunshine", and everything will glow, positively G L O W , I say!
I'm pretty smart, so I figure stuff out mighty quick. I realized a while back, that although every brother and every sister (singletons too) in the universe loved my mixes, the sheer volume (oh!) of songs on a full mix was overwhelming to some.
I used to present you with a list of 9-18 songs, all of which present an enticing new world of musical innovation, but which may not be familiar names. Along with that was the link for the mix. But what happened was that most people would skim the list, and skip the link.
It makes sense, after all those words (signifying next to nothing), to forget the link. But folks, it's not good for you- these bands could be your life; last night a DJ could have saved your life... So, what I did, see, was to give you a single song off the mix- so you could hear the geniuses, instead of just reading the geniuses' names. Here, the geniuses are the Everly Brothers. Then a little later, I would drop another 'single' off the mix. Let you get an idea of what was on the mix, over time. Give it a listen, and if you like it, you can 'get loaded' with some similar songs, --here--
(((Here are the 'other brother' songs on the rest of the mix: When You're Alone: Jerry Butler. Someday : Ricky Nelson. Don't Make Me Over: Dionne Warwick; Cathy's Clown : The Everly Brothers. Sexy Mama : The Moments. Honky Tonk: Duane Eddy; I'll Guess I'll Have To Cry Cry Cry : James Brown. Play It Fair : DeeDee Sharp & Chubby Checker. If It Don't Turn You On (you oughta leave it alone): BT Express; Maybe More : The Carlisles. I'm Glad You're Mine : Al Green. My Heart is an Open Book : Carl Dobkins; Be Real : Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. Be Honest With Me : Billy Brown. Oh, Pretty Woman : Al Green. Never Gonna Give You Up : Jerry Butler )))
This song is so great, that another great song talks about it. Elliot Smith's "Waltz #2" has a character sing the song at karaoke.
(note that the album above has "great songs for listening or dancing")
But instead of listening to Elliot's song, why don't you listen to a live version of "Cathy's Clown" by the Everly Brothers? It's on old TV, so it's got that old oddball flavor to it.
And you know, looking at this video, I am starting to suspect that the Everly Brothers might actually be brothers. The Righteous Brothers are not brothers, okay, so you know, you have to be careful about what lineages you assume.
I've been watching some more movies lately, a few of them Westerns. Also been listening to almost only old records. A few of them old country. A nice fit, that.
Most Westerns that I've seen awfully serious, though, and a lot of classic country is joshing, joking around. Not too surprising: why would ('western') film have anything to do with ('country and western') music? I mean, a silly case in point: old western movies are in black and white; old C'n'W music is neither black'n'white nor in color. Because music is invisible. (However, music is not immaterial, or non-physical: sound is nothing but moving air and the vibrations that air causes in your body.) My point is, the arts don't really have that much in common; they are more distinct than similar. Which is part of the reason that music doesn't need words, as I boldly and clearly stated in the last post. Words are poetry, or literature. Music is not poetry, or literature. You don't demand that all your paintings have words in them, do you?
But, that said, if you are going to have words, you might as well tell a story. Country does that: old or new, perennially telling stories. If you must use words, I implore you: instead of mouthing vacuous truisms (which are so vague as to become false), create a character, have interactions that make something happen (but please, don't try to 'make a point', pffff), or at least, crack a joke.
Music; musing; must-haves.
The curatorial agenda. Sealing up a void whose vacuity was a source of distress to no one. The seed I am most likely to sow is a certain jargon. Built on tilt. The center of a new universe of counterfeit. Increasingly random and increasingly increasing.
THE SNAPBACK, ISSUE 1
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I created Soul Sides 20 years ago because I wanted an outlet to write about
my favorite records. The blog era feels bygone — and I clearly stopped
regularl...
Hotel Bar Sessions, Ep 31: Whose History?
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The HBS hosts sit down with Dr. Charles McKinney, Jr. to talk about whose
history is (and isn't) being taught.
Following on the heels of a recent and ...
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