It's been more than a year since I dedicated a Wacky Wednesday to the Golden Throats.
Well, friend, that's too long!
What's a "Golden Throat?" you might ask. As I've said before:
Back in the '80s and '90s, when Rhino Records was actually a cool label,
they released a series of albums called Golden Throats. These nutball
compilations featured movie and TV stars, sports heroes and every stripe
of cheesy celebrity singing ham-fisted versions of songs they had no
business singing. Pop tunes, rock 'n' roll hits, country song, whatever.
Nothing was sacred and nothing was safe from the Golden Throats.
Because of the exposure from the Rhino series, some of these
unintentionally hilarious songsters became notorious and ironically hip.
Think William Shatner -- the Elvis of the Golden Throats! -- and his
over-the-top renditions of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Mr.
Tambourine Man."
So, let's start today with Mamie Van Doren dissing the beatniks, as only Mamie could:
Another singing blonde bombshell of the mid 20th Century was Jayne
Mansfield. Although her vocal talent wasn't her best-known attribute, it
might not be fair to label her as a "Golden Throat." She was a classically
trained violinist and pianist and she actually could sing.
Jack Nicholson sings "La Vie En Rose" in the 2003 movie Something's Gotta
Give."
Super model -- but not so super singer -- Naomi Campbell meets T Rex
Finally, here are William Frawley and Vivian Vance -- who portrayed the beloved Fred &
Ethel Mertz in I Love Lucy -- as OG Golden Throats in 1953. (Sorry, the person who posted this doesn't allow embeds. You have to click on "Watch on YouTube" in lower right corner.)
Sunday, April 11 , 2021 KSFR, Santa Fe, NM Webcasting! 10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time Host: Steve Terrell 101.1 FM
Email me during the show! terrell(at)ksfr.org
Here's my playlist :
OPENING THEME: Let It Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Louie Louie by Richard Berry & The Pharaohs
Pills by Bo Diddley
Cosmic Thing by The B52s
Foot in Mouth by The Routes
New Socks by MFC Chicken
I'm on the Dish But I Ain't No Rag by The Toy Trucks
About a week ago I got in a discussion on Facebook with my friend
Max about the magic of doo wop. I sent him a link to an old piece I wrote in
1994 about meeting Gaynel Hodge in Phoenix the night before that year's
Lollapalooza (re-published on this blog a mere 17 years ago).
Afterwards I remembered that just a few months before encountering Gaynel, I'd
written a Terrell's Tune-up column about a wonderful Rhino Records box set
that collected four CDs worth worth of doo wop classics.
So what the heck? Here's that column, which hasn't been published since its
original appearance in the Santa Fe New Mexican's Pasatiempo.
I'll insert a few videos and links.
Like most folks my age, I first became cognizant of doo wop music in the late
1960s through such comedy groups as Sha Na Na and Frank Zappa's Ruben and The Jets.
In other words, for years, doo wop seemed like a quaint joke. Ram a lama ding
dong. You, know, stuff like that.
But one night last winter I was driving alone on a rainy night, listening, for
reasons I don't remember, to an oldies station, which happened to play “I Only
Have Eyes for You” by The Flamingos.
There's a strumming of three guitar chords, followed by the steady beat of a
piano. Singer Tommy Hunt comes in singing effortlessly, My love must be
a kind of blind love/I can't see anyone but you , as if he's got to justify
what he has to say.
Then the group responds with unintelligible, almost discordant syllables, like
some kind of eerie voodoo chant. All this before Hunt starts the first verse,
invoking celestial bodies.
By the end of the song, all five Flamingos are gushing the beautiful melody,
the falsetto going nuts as if possessed by the loa of high register. It
almost seems that the group is having the aural equivalent of a simultaneous
orgasm, right there in the echo chamber.
But way before the song got to this point on that rainy Santa Fe night, I was
transported into the past, reliving a buried memory of being a 5-year-old kid,
listening to a radio late at night to a sound that was alluring and forbidding
at the same time, just like Lou Reed's Jenny.
The Penguins, The Moonglows, The Orioles, The Five Satins/The deep,
forbidden music they'd be longing for ...
And, as if by magic, just a couple of weeks later Rhino Records announced its
new four-disc Doo Wop Box.
In recent years, with all-oldies radio, recurring '50s revivals and all, much
of the mystery and power has been sapped out of this strange and wonderful
music.
Therefore, it is best to look at Rhino's Doo Wop Box with the eyes of
Rene and Georgette, wide-eyed immigrants entering a new world, where almost
every song is an adventure. Even overly familiar tunes, “16 Candles,”
“Only You,”“Earth Angel,” regain some of their magic if listened to in this
spirit.
Listening to the four hours-plus of music in this collection, one realizes
there are definite traits of the doo wop Universe.
Sometime it seems like a world in which every utterance, every movement is
painstakingly planned, every harmony in place. But, then, before your very
ears, it will seem to break down into near anarchy, a falsetto screaming like
a banshee, the bass man grunting noises that seem to come from deep within the
earth.
There's an underlying religious atmosphere. Although God is rarely mentioned
after The Orioles' “Crying in the Chapel.”
There's also evidence of nature worship. For instance, Dion asks the stars up
above why it hurts to be a teen-ager in love.
Doo wop singers tend to give themselves mythic powers. They always are willing
to climb the highest mountain and swim the deepest sea.
And sometimes a group almost will prove itself to be superhuman with songs
that are downright transcendental.
There's “My True Story” by a Brooklyn group called The Jive Five. The
sad little love story of Earl and Sue might seem lethally corny under any
other context. But, when Eugene Pitts wails, “And you will cry cryyyyyyy
cryyyyyyyyy ...” any listener who ever has had his heart ripped out will know
this is the real thing.
Then there's “Since I Don't Have You” by The Skyliners, a white group from
Pittsburgh. Forget about Axl Rose's limp cover. He's outgunned by Jimmy
Beaumont who by the end of the song shouts “You-ooh! You-oooh!
You-oooooh!” like a wounded accuser while Janet Vogel sings a near aria
like a siren of the cosmos in the background. [Note from 2021: I'm not sure
why The Skyliners, in this 1959 TV appearance are dressed up like
they're serenading Marshal Dillon and Miss Kitty at the Longbranch Saloon!]
Despite some self-conscious goofery here and there, the most appealing thing
about doo wop is its sincerity. When Johnny Maestro (now there's a rock 'n'
roll moniker!) of The Crests sings, “You are the prettiest, loveliest girl
I've ever seen,” to his 16-year-old birthday girl, you know he means every
word. And because of the forceful way he sings it, a listener will believe
Maestro will feel that way about his sweetie for the rest of his
life.
Sometimes simple sincerity seems magical in a jaded world.
xxx
Here's Johnny Maestro & The Crests with their big hit. No Matt Gaetz jokes, please.
Tuesday, April 6, 2021 KSFR, Santa Fe, NM Webcasting! 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays Mountain Time Substitute Host: Steve Terrell 101.1 FM
Email me during the show!
terrel(at)ksfr.org
Here's my playlist :
(Background Music: Back at the Chicken Shack by Jimmy Smith)
Honey Hush by Big Joe Turner
Sittin' on it All the Time by Wynonie Harris
Drunk by Jimmy Liggins
Watermelon Man by Johnnie Taylor
Party Town by Bobby Charles
Foolin' Myself by Billie Holiday with Teddy Wilson
Hang It Up by King Coleman
High Blood Pressure by The Marathons
(Background Music Back at the Chicken Shack by Charlie Musselwhite)
Total Destruction of your Mind by Swamp Dogg
Crazy Lover by Richard Berry
I Smell Trouble by Ike & Tina Turner
I'll Go Crazy by James Brown
Jivin' Around by Andre Williams
Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens by Louis Jordan
Chicken Shack Boogie by The Five Scamps
(Background Music Back at the Chicken Shack by Robert Cray)
Reefer Madness Set
Light Up by Buster Bailey
Feelin' High and Happy by Hot Lips Paige
Jack, I'm Mellow by Trixie Smith
Marihuana Boogie by Lalo Guerro
Save the Roach for Me by Buck Washington
Reefer Head Woman by Jazz Gillum
Weed Smoker's Dream by The Harlem Hamfats
Lotus Blossom (Sweet Marijuana) by Julia Lee & Her Boyfriends
If You're a Viper by Fats Waller
The G Man Got the T Man by Jack McVea
The Man from Harlem by Cab Calloway
Dopey Joe by Slim & Slam
All the Jive is Gone by Andy Kirk & His 12 Clouds of Joy
(Background Music Blue Reefer Blues by Richard M. Jones)
Sunday, April 4 , 2021 KSFR, Santa Fe, NM Webcasting! 10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time Host: Steve Terrell 101.1 FM
Email me during the show! terrell(at)ksfr.org
Here's my playlist :
OPENING THEME: Let It Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
It's All Going to Pot by Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard & Jamey Johnson
Marijuana Logic by Pocket Fishrmen
Marijuana, The Devil's Flower by Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs
Run Through the Jungle by The Gun Club
Into the Drink by Mudhoney
Move It by T. Tex Edwards
Lipstick Frenzy by Lovestruck
Touch and Go by The Fleshtones
Ring Dang Do by Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs
Can Your Pussy Do the Dog by The Cramps
Peter Cottontail by The Bubbadinos
Haint Blue by Churchwood
Git Back in the Truck by The Hickoids
That's Alright with Me by Knoxville Girls
Graveyard Chicks Are Easy by The Dead Beat Jacks
Call Me by Southern Culture on the Skids
Can't Push a River by Joe "King" Carrasco
Blink of an Eye by The Routes
How Low Do You Feel by Ray Campi
Switchin' Gears by Bloodshot Bill
Trapped in a Nightmare by Simon Stokes & Hammerlock
Break a Guitar by Ty Segall
Dancing on my Knees by The Yawpers
Night of the Meek by Imperial Wax
Julie's Sixteenth Birthday by John Bult
Sonny Boy by Randy Newman
Good Morning Little School Girl by Sonny Boy Williamson (John Lee Curtis)
Fattening Frogs for Snakes by Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller)
I'll Be All Smiles Tonight by Loretta Lynn
When I Was a Cowboy by Peter Case
Cajun Stripper by Doug Kershaw
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
Happy National Tater Day! Here's a holiday that deserves more attention --
as well as more butter and sour cream.
National Tater Day has been celebrated since before the civil war according to
holidayscalendar.com.
This holiday was first celebrated as simple Tater Day in Benton, Kentucky
in 1843. It was originally a celebration of the spring season, and
participants would come together to trade sweet potato “slips.” Potato
slips at the time are what farmers called the slips that were used to grow
potatoes. Eventually, this holiday morphed into one of the oldest
continuous trade days in the entire U.S. On this day, participants would
buy and sell livestock, tobacco, livestock, and yes, even potato slips.
Over the years, this holiday also featured parades, floats, clowns,
marching bands, and even vintage cars.
Oh to be a clown in a Tater Day parade!
Important note: Don't get National Tater Day confused with National Potato Day, Aug. 19. Play it safe. Celebrate both!
But to honor this noble tradition on this music blog, let's celebrate
National Tater Day in song. Here's Dede Sharp with a tuberous tune from my
youth. (It also can be played on National Gravy Day, if there is one.)
Around the same time in the early 60s, Joey Dee & The Starliters shared their recipe for "Hot Pastrami and Mashed Potatoes."
Here's Fats Waller with "All That Meat and No Potatoes." This culinary
crime had Fats singing, "I'm steamin'. I'm really screamin'. ..."
Devo loved their taters.
Tater Day in Kentucky originally was in honor of the sweet potato, which
Kevin "Shinyribs" Russell calls "my favorite root vegetable."
The late New Mexico state Senator John Pinto used to sing a Navajo Potato
song on the Senate floor at least once a year.
And I've been know to sing my own potato song
So Happy National Tater Day. Hope your party will never be a dud!
Sunday, March 28, 2021 KSFR, Santa Fe, NM Webcasting! 10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time Host: Steve Terrell 101.1 FM
Email me during the show! terrell(at)ksfr.org
Here's my playlist :
OPENING THEME: Let It Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Lula Baby by The A-Bones
Dirty Robber by The Wailers
Hot Coffee by Andre Williams & The Goldstars
Black Mold by Nots
Why Can't We Be Like the Satelliters by Wild Evel & The Trashbones
Buc-Ee's Got a Problem by Quintron & Miss Pussycat
Put Me Dowen Like A Dog by Mean Motor Scooter
Bumble Bee by Peter Case
The Hurdy Gurdy Gurdy Man by Butthole Surfers
The Devil Lives in My Husband's Body by Pulsallama
Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness) by The Raconteurs
Sex Bomb by Flipper
Don't Look Now by The Sires
Midnight Blues by The Detroit Cobras
Teaching You the Fear by The Bellrays
You Better Pray by Hamell on Trial
Look Me in the Eye by Rick Holstrom
What I Like About Miami by Charlie Pickett
Swingin' by Peter Stampfel
Memories of El Monte by The Mothers of Invention
My True Story by The Jive Five
I'll Go Crazy by James Brown
Yankin' My Chain by Joe "King" Carrasco
White Glove Service by The Grannies
In the Garden by Homer Henderson
This Wondrous Day by The William Loveday Intention
White Dress by Honshu Wolves
Ghosts on Mars by Harvey McLaughlin
Old Kentucky Home by Loretta Lynn
Undecided Love by Rachel Brooke
Passin' Through by Gary Heffern
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
Just a couple of weeks ago in a Throwback Thursday post about
Lawrence Welk, I included a video of Sandi Griffith and a bevy of Welk beauties singing an
old pop hit "Chanson D'Amour," cracking wise that "My sources in the Drug
Culture community warn that it's NOT SAFE to view when you're stoned!"
I'm such a card!
But in all seriousness, this is about a song that's haunted me since I was a
little kid. It seemed so foreign, alluring, with an undercurrent of danger
hiding behind false wholesomeness. And the recurring "ra da da da da" is just
this side of sinister.
I have a very distant and very vague memory of seeing the song performed on my
mom's old black and white tv. I don't know who was singing it. Maybe it was
the unforgettable, but largely forgotten Art & Dotty Todd, the first to
record "Chanson" in 1958. Their video below did seem to jog some memories.
However, for most of my life I assumed the singers were French.
But that's incorrect. Art & Dotty were American lounge singers. And while
the title is French, the song is not from France. Songwriter Wayne Shanklin
was born in Joplin, Missouri. "Chanson D'Amour" is as American as French
toast.
Here's Art & Dotty's version, introduced by Dick Clark on horseback!
Though the Todds were the first to record "Chanson," a group called The
Fontane Sisters, a New Jersey group, recorded it almost immediately
after Art & Dotty. Both were released in March 1958. Here's the Fontanes'
version:
By the mid 1960s, the song had been passed around and recorded by many of that era's major monsters of schmaltz: The Lettermen, Sadler & Young, Ray Coniff ...
Even The Mills Brothers took a stab at the "Song of Love":
In the mid-'70s, "Chanson" was revived by the retro popsters Manhattan
Transfer. The single was big in Europe, though didn't make much of a splash in
the U.S., where cynics scoffed, "They're no Art & Dotty!"
I was hoping to uncover some obscure R&B or bluegrass or polka or zydeco or speed metal versions of "Chanson D'Amour" but came up empty-handed. However I did find this gem by The Muppets!
But hey, R&B, bluegrass, polka, zydeco and speed metal musicians, the song is still there ... hint hint!
Sunday, March 21, 2021 KSFR, Santa Fe, NM Webcasting! 10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time Host: Steve Terrell 101.1 FM
Email me during the show! terrell(at)ksfr.org
Here's my playlist :
OPENING THEME: Let It Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Justine by The Blasters
Lil Lobo by Joe "King" Carrasco with Patricia Vonne
Baby Doll by The Del Moroccos
Ain't Your Choir by Churchwood
Before the World Blows Up by The Electric Mess
Frog Went a Courtin' by Flat Duo Jets
The Model by Big Black
It's Trash by The Cavemen
My Way by The Darts
All I'm Saying by Alien Space Kitchen
Bowdlerize by Danger Cutterhead
Travelin' Riverside Blues by Hindu Love Gods
Cape by Jon Spencer
Talent Show by The Replacements
Say Goodbye to a Dream by The Woggles
I Am Gonna Unmask the Batman by Lacy Gibson with Sun Ra
Coming to Take Me Away by Tiny Tim
Sophisticated Boom Boom by The Knoxville Girls
Parts Unknown by Kid Congo Powers with Lydia Lunch & Die Haut
Down the Road by Dead Moon
Snickersnee by Thee Oh Sees
Scumbag by Frank Zappa with John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Crazy Train / Monkey Town by Degurutieni
Hot Pastrami with Mashed Potatoes by Joey Dee & The Starliters
It's a Jungle Out There by Randy Newman
Geeshie by The Mekons
I'm a Suspect by Lonnie Holley
How Great Thou Art by Homer Henderson
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
It's St. Patrick's Day, or as
The Onion
calls it "The Reinforcin' O' The Stereotypes."
Here are a few appropriately wacky Irish tunes for you.
Let's start with "The Night That Pat Murphy Died."
Erin go brawl! (Believe it or not, these guys are German!)
Here's "Brian O'Linn," courtesy of Seamus Ennis. (Folks who used to see me
perform back in the '80s might realize I performed my own weird adaptation of
this song. I changed it to "Barney O'Linn" just so I could add the
chorus "Listen here Barney and spare me your blarney / You bought the first
round but I bought the last 10 ..."
Here's "Captain Kelly's Kitchen" by The Dropkick Murphys
And it wouldn't be St. Patrick's Day in the Terrell household with some
Pogues!
Sunday, March 14, 2021 KSFR, Santa Fe, NM Webcasting! 10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time Host: Steve Terrell 101.1 FM
Email me during the show! terrell(at)ksfr.org
Here's my playlist :
OPENING THEME: Let It Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Stop the Train by Mother Earth
Third Time’s the Charm by The Fuzztones
I’m Hurting by The Dustaphonics
Casino Reale by The Goldstars
Insect Eyes by Nots
Pine Box Ritual by The Guilty Hearts
Butcher by ET Explore Me
A Little More Time by The Reigning Sound
(Background Music: Marvel Ann on the Prowl by Ben Vaughn)
Howlin’ for My Woman by King Salami & The Cumberland 3
Free Range Man by MFC Chicken
What’s It All About by The Goon Mat & Lord Bernardo
Ego Arcade by Herzegovina
Goddess by Honshu Wolves
Lady Hawke Blues by Kid Congo & The Pink Monkeybirds
Too Long in the Wasteland by James McMurtry
(Background Music: Sand Storm by Impala)
Raised Right Men by Tom Waits
Dreaming Party by Degurutieni
Obeah Man by Meet Your Death
Ain’t That a Bitch by Johnny “Guitar” Watson
I’m Alive, You’re Dead by Kathy Freeman
I Don’t Feel at Home Anymore by Loretta Lynn
I Pray for You by Little Isadore & The Inquisitors
(Background Music: Waltz by The DJ Bonebreak Trio)
Dub the Frequencies of Love by Gogol Bordello
Crazy Kacharsee by Shoukichi Kina
I Thought He Was Dead by Jon Langford & Four Lost Souls
She Ain’t a Child Anymore by Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
Know You Better by Black Pumas
Another Lonely Heart by Eleni Mandell
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
Lawrence Welk, the bandleader, television star, Geritol purveyor and
bubble-machine enthusiast, was born March 11, 1903, 118 years ago this day.
Happy birthday, Lawrence. Hope your day is wunnerful, wunnerful, wunnerful!
Here's a bit of the North Dakota-born Welk's bio from
History.com:
Welk’s parents were immigrants from Alsace-Lorraine who spoke only German
to the nine children they raised on their farm outside Strasburg, North
Dakota. In fact, Lawrence Welk did not learn English until his early 20s,
which explains the accent that became his trademark. A dutiful son, Welk
dropped out of school in the fourth grade to work full time on the family
farm, but he decided early on that he wished to pursue a career in music.
He learned to play the accordion from his father, who carried his own
antique instrument with him when he immigrated to America. Lawrence wore
out the inexpensive, mail-order accordion bought for him as a boy, so he
made a deal with his parents: In exchange for a $400 loan to purchase a
professional accordion, he would stay and work on the family farm through
the age of 21. Playing small professional gigs in the surrounding area,
Welk honed his musical skills and earned enough money to pay his parents
back when he left home for good in 1924.
By the early 1930s, Lawrence Welk had earned a degree in music and made a
name for himself as the leader of a traveling orchestra. He had also
failed in a restaurant venture selling “squeezeburgers” cooked on an
accordion-shaped grill, but he had succeeded in developing a unique brand
as the proponent of a pleasing pop style dubbed “Champagne Music” for its
light and bubbly quality.
Ummm! Squeezeburgers!
Welk moved to Los Angeles in the early 1950s. He got his own local tv show,
which was picked up by ABC in 1955. After being cruelly dropped in 1971, Welk
got a syndication deal, which last until 1982.
I've hears lots of folks from My Generation say their grandparents made them
watch the Welk show. I guess I lucked out. My grandfather, born the same year
as Welk, didn't seem to have any interest in the bubble-laden show. And my
grandmother, born a few years later, thought Welk was an old cornball.
But to celebrate his birthday, here are some special memories courtesy of
YouTube:
Here's one from Welk's brief hippie period. (Rumors that the bandleader had
contacts among the Manson Family are completely false and should not be
repeated.
In addition to his musical skills, Lawrence was quite the polka dancer:
Here's a clip featuring several of Welk's female singer regulars. Caution: My
sources in the Drug Culture community warn that it's
NOT SAFE to view when you're stoned!
Speaking of stoned, this clip of a "modern spiritual" seems to pop up on
social media every few weeks for the past several years. I actually
blogged about it myself back in 2008. While then Vice President Spiro T. Agnew was blasting this song
as subversive propaganda for illegal and dangerous marijuana, Welk singers
Gail Farrell and Dick Dale (no, not THAT Dick Dale) performed this Brewer
& Shipley the tune on Lawrence's show.
Sunday, March 7, 2021 KSFR, Santa Fe, NM Webcasting! 10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time Host: Steve Terrell 101.1 FM
Email me during the show! terrell(at)ksfr.org
Here's my playlist :
OPENING THEME: Let It Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
The Wasp by Pussycat & The Dirty Johnsons
No Panic, No Stress by The Scaners
Jet Black Hair by The Goldstars
Own It Bone It by The Barbaraellatones
Takin’ Over by The Mal Thursday Quintet
Watch Out for Me Ronnie by Yo La Tengo
Black Plague Blues by Figures of Light
Horses by Pere Ubu
This Guy’s in Love With You by Faith No More
(Background Music: Shoot to Kill by Quincy Jones)
Bumble Bee Zombie by Roky Erikson
He Looks Like a Psycho by The Electric Mess
Floor is Not Wall by Danger Cutterhead
Contagious by Sleeve Cannon
Sweet Jane by Lou Reed
Blur Blur Blur by Degurutieni
Sign of Judgment by The Luxurious Faux Furs
Coffee Monkey by The Bottle Rockets
No Swallerin’ Place by June Carter
(Background Music: Cyclone by The Fabulous Cyclones )
Talking Main Event Magazine Blues by Mike Edison
Fairytale in the Supermarket by The Raincoats
Last Night by Honshu Wolves
I’m the Ocean by Neil Young & Pearl Jam
Reprimand by Joe West
(Background Music: Jalousie by Esquivel)
Last Train from Poor Valley by The Seldom Scene
Stepchild by Solomon Burke
Opening of the Box by Tony Joe White
On the Nickel by Tom Waits
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
Sunday, February 28, 2021 KSFR, Santa Fe, NM Webcasting! 10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time Host: Steve Terrell 101.1 FM
Email me during the show! terrell(at)ksfr.org
Here's my playlist :
OPENING THEME: Let It Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
With This Ring by The Goldstars
The Other Side of This Life by The Mal Thursday Quartet
Great Googa Moga by Dave Del Monte & The Cross Country Boys
Stay Out of It by Kathy Freeman
Camper of the Year by Too Much Joy
Multiple Maniacs by The Stools
Black Cat by Herzegovina
Chimealong by Danger Cutterhead
Coconut by Fred Schneider
Bear Cat by Rufus Thomas
(Background Music: For a Few Dollars More by Hugo Montenegro)
Pinky’s Dream by David Lynch with Karen O
The Girls of Porn by Mr. Bungle
Put Me Back in My Cage by James Chance
This Dog is the King of Losers by Bee Bee Sea
New Skin by Celebration
Keep It Hid by Rick Holstrom
I Flipped My Wig in San Francisco by Harry “The Hipster” Gibson
(Background Music: The Bookhouse Boys by Angelo Badalamenti)
Five Months, Two Weeks, Two Days by Louis Prima
I Want to Be Like You by Los Lobos
Gut Bucket Blues by Dr. John
Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat by The William Loveday Intention
Block the Comet by Quintron & Miss Pussycat
This Morning at Nine by Bill Hearne
Won’t Let the Fear In by Honshu Wolves
Pretty Dancing Girl by Brave Combo
(Background Music: Zorba the Greek by Milos Theodorakis)
Eleanor Rigby by Black Pumas
Home Cookin’ by The Luxurious Faux Furs
One’s on the Way by Loretta Lynn with Margo Price
One of the Unsatisfied by Lacy J. Dalton
Unsatisfied by The Replacements
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
Want to keep the party going after I sign off at midnight? Go to The Big Enchilada Podcast which has hours and hours of music like this. And a new episode, MURDER HORNET MELODIES was just posted yesterday. CLICK HERE
It's been almost a year since we were warned about the evil murder hornets
about to invade, stinging us, murdering us and stealing our daughters. It
never happened. ... just as the evil hornet masters wanted. And now that
nobody seems worried about the impending buzzing onslaught, we've grown
complacent, JUST AS THE KILLER INSECT HORDES WANTED US TO DO!!!! Fortunately
The Big Enchilada Podcast is here to warn the populace. WAKE UP AND FEEL THE
STING! Defeat the invaders with the power of pure rock 'n' roll!
Remember, The Big Enchilada still is officially listed in the iTunes store. So go subscribe, if you haven't already (and please, gentle listeners,
give me a five-star rating and review if you're so inclined.)
Thanks.
Dominic Chianese, who played Corrado "Junior" Soprano in The Sopranos was
born this day, February 24, 1931in New York City.
Happy birthday, Uncle Junior!
Though mostly known as an actor, serious Soprano fans know Chianese is a
talented singer as well. Before his success in acting he also knocked around
New York bars and coffee houses. He was master of ceremonies on open mike
night at Gerdes Folk City in Greenwich Village.
In the below scene from The Sopranos, Uncle Junior showed off his vocal
talent:
Here's a little song from Chianese that Mafia movie fans should recognize
Here's a duet with Raul Malo of The Mavericks
To conclude, here's Chianese singing an Elvis/Hank Snow song.
Sunday, February 21, 2021 KSFR, Santa Fe, NM Webcasting! 10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time Host: Steve Terrell 101.1 FM
Email me during the show! terrell(at)ksfr.org
Here's my playlist :
OPENING THEME: Let It Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Rock & Roll by The Velvet Underground
Hard to Be Human Again by The Mekons
Fixin’ to Crawl by Churchwood
Buzz Buzz Buzz by The Hollywood Flames
Outhouse Crescent Moon by Harvey McLaughlin
Deepest Lake on the Planet by Dengue Fever
(Background Music: Surf Beat by Dick Dale)
Bowdlerize by Danger Cutterhead
Pawnbroker’s Wife by Johnny Dowd
Galoot Update by Frank Zappa
Ballad of Hollis Brown byThe William Loveday Intention
Little Esther’s Blues by Little Esther Phillips
On the Courduroy Road by Al Duvall
(Background Music: Where I Live: The Apartment; Cleaning Up For Jenny; The Polish Landlady by Stan Getz)
Lay in the Sun by Roy & The Devil’s Motorcycle
Safe as Milk by Captain Beefheart
What’s it All About by The Goon Mat & Lord Bernardo
Swamp Dogg’s Hot Spot by Andre Williams
Saved by LaVern Baker
(Background Music: Alamo Dragway by The Krayolas)
Welfare Music by The Bottle Rockets
Lovesick Blues Boy by Paul Burch
Deep Down in Florida by Muddy Waters
Ghost of You by Rachel Brooke
Fast Car by Black Pumas
I Only Have Eyes for You by The Flamingos
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
Pee Wee King performing in front of Wisconsin's largest cactus
Not all country stars come from the South. Hell, Hank Snow, who was born and raised in Nova Scotia, knew a lot more about squid jigging than cotton picking, could have told you that.
Similarly Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski -- born 107 years ago today -- wasn't a native son of Old Dixie. He was a Polish kid from Wisconsin, the son of polka musician. His first musical gig was in his dad's polka band.
But he went on to fame and glory in country music under the name Pee Wee King. His best known song, written with his musical partner Redd Stewart, was that beautiful "Tennessee Waltz." (I can't help but wonder whether the song would have become as famous if he's called it "Wisconsin Waltz.")
He changed his name to King (after the then-popular polka performer Wayne King) and formed his own high school band, Frankie King & the King’s Jesters. In 1933 young Frankie King joined the Badger State Barn Dance and soon had his own radio show on WJRN in Racine.
King’s lucky break came in the spring of 1934, when he met promoter J. L. Frank. He moved with Frank to Louisville in 1934 to back up Gene Autry for a time, joined Frankie More’s Log Cabin Boys as accordionist on WHAS radio, and in 1936 married Frank’s stepdaughter Lydia.
In 1936 King was in Knoxville performing on WNOX. In 1937 he formed the Golden West Cowboys and moved to Nashville to begin a ten-year run on WSM’s Grand Ole Opry, with the exception of 1940, when he worked primarily out of Louisville. In 1941–42 he and his band were featured with the Camel Caravan, a WSM touring company that presented some 175 shows at military installations in the United States and Central America. At various times his band included Eddy Arnold, Redd Stewart, Ernest Tubb, Cowboy Copas, and Minnie Pearl.
After joining the Grand Ole Opry in June 1937, King helped introduce an array of new instruments and sounds to that program’s stage, including the trumpet, drums, and the electric guitar. In addition, he dressed his band members in spiffy western outfits designed by Hollywood tailor Nudie Cohn. His nattily attired Golden West Cowboys generally produced a smooth and danceable sound during their heyday in the 1940s; in the 1950s they even branched out briefly into mild rockabilly.
Here are a few of Pee Wee's performances, starting with his hit, "Slow Poke."
Here's his version of the country classic "Bonaparte's Retreat." (Click link for more on that song.)
Finally here are two of King's best known songs, "Tennessee Waltz" and "You Belong to Me" with Redd Stewart on vocals.
Pee Wee died in 2000 at the age of 86. The accordion fell out of favor in country music. But there was real power in his music.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Kuczynski!
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Tuesday, February 16, 2021 KSFR, Santa Fe, NM Webcasting! 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays Mountain Time Substitute Host: Steve Terrell 101.1 FM
Email me during the show! terrel(at)ksfr.org
Here's my playlist :
(Background Music: Back at the Chicken Shack by Jimmy Smith)
Chicken Shack Boogie by Amos Milburn
House Party Tonight by Keely Smith
Georgia Slop by Barrence Whitfield & The Savages
I’m Your Rockin’ Man by Herman Manzy
Wolf Call by The Dots
Woo Woo Train by Little Isadore & The Inquisitors
(Background Music: Half Nelson by Miles Davis)
Jelly Bean by Don & Dewey
Hey Boss Man by Ray Smith
Baby Let’s Play House by Arthur Gunter
Oh Oh Mojo by Eddie Alston
Down in Mississippi by Mavis Staples
Harry Hippie by Bobby Womack
(Background Music: Salt Peanuts by Dizzy Gillespie)
Locked Up by Sonny Fulton
Thass Right by Tony Sams & The Lala Wilson Band
Don’t You Want a Man Like Me by Little Brother
Why Don’t You Do Right by Benny Goodman & His Orchestra
Cry Me a River Blues by Little Esther Phillips
(Background Music: Back at the Chicken Shack by Reuben Wilson)
MARDI GRAS HOUR
Indian Red (Wild Man Memorial) by Mardi Gras Indians (from HBO’s Treme.)
Go to the Mardi Gras by Professor Longhair
Meet De Boys on the Battlefront by The Wild Tchoupitoulas
Hometown New Orleans by Champion Jack Dupree
New Orleans by Big Boy Miles
All on a Mardi Gras Day by The Wild Magnolias
(Background Music: Alligator Crawl by Louis Armstrong)
Treme Mardi Gras by Kermit Ruffins
My Dawlin New Orleans by Lil’ Queenie & The Percolators
Goin’ to New Orleans by Bobby Davis & The Rhythm Rockers
Mardi Gras Mambo by The Hawkers
New Orleans, La by Rosco Gordon
Wild Injuns by The Neville Brothers
(Background Music: Shortyville by Trombone Shorty)
Mardi Gras in New Orleans by Dirty Dozen Brass Band
I Hope You’re Comin’ Back to New Orleans by The New Orleans Jazz Vipers
My Indian Red by Dr. John
(Background Music: Back at The Chicken Shack by Jimmy Smith)
Sunday, February 14, 2021 KSFR, Santa Fe, NM Webcasting! 10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time Host: Steve Terrell 101.1 FM
Email me during the show! terrell(at)ksfr.org
Here's my playlist :
OPENING THEME: Let It Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
The Ballad of Thunder Road by Robert Mitchum
Commuter by Danger Cutterhead
Sweet Young Thing by The Monkees
Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful by The Waitresses
I Gotta Be Me by The Mal Thursday Quintet
Narrow Mind by Killer Kin
Talk About Her by The Revox
Jack the Ripper by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Hootie Sapperticker by Barbara & The Boys
(Background Music: In Polka Dots by Pell Mell)
Bald Head by Professor Longhair
Crazy Baldheads by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Round and Round by King Shark
You Really Got Me by The Krayolas
Send Me Your Pillow by The Luxurious Faux Furs
Hedge Witch by The Stools
I Was Wrong by Ghost Wolves
Left Hand George by The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
(Background Music: Six Gallon Pie by Meat Puppets)
Politicians in My Eyes by Black Pumas
Absent Mind by Mission of Burma
Quadrospazzed by Thee Oh Sees
He Pep by The Fall
Down Low by Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Reform School Girl by Nick Curran & The Lowlifes
No Business Like Show Business by Ethel Merman
(Background Music: The Sicilian Clan by John Zorn)
Dance This Mess Around by The B-52s
That Woman’s Got Me Drinking by Shane MacGowan & The Popes
40 Miles to Vegas by Southern Culture on the Skids
That’s How I Got to Memphis by Kelly Willis
Questions in a World of Blue by Julee Cruise
What a Wonderful World by Joey Ramones
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
I owe this Wacky Wednesday post to a veteran rock 'n' roll disc jockey and
Facebook friend of mine known as
Truly Judy. She recently posted a 1963 Top 40 list from a Kentucky radio station, WKLO that contained a couple of songs that I'd been thinking of lately that basically were soulful renditions of children's songs. I'd often thought of these two together, and realized they were pre-Beatles early '60s numbers. But not until I saw that chart did I realize they were popular during the same week in January 1963.
Here's the higher ranking tune at Number 5 -- at least in Louisville that week -- by a guy called Johnny Thunder (not to be confused with Johnny Thunders!). Listen, then go take a bath!
And coming in at Number 14 -- at least in Louisville that week -- was "Zip-a-Dee-Doo -Dah" by Bob E. Soxx & The Blue Jeans, who sound far more hip than Uncle Remus did in Song of the South.
But Thunder and Soxx weren't the only R&B singers to take a children's story or nursery rhyme into the realm of rock 'n' roll.
Here are The Coasters gooding Mother Goose.
And here's LaVern Baker with an ode to a couple of characters from Alice in Wonderland.
